THE ARCH O L D R E P T O N I A N N E W S L E T T E R October 2012 Issue Nº 321
Francis W S Russell (Orchard 1969) Pilgrims
(2) OFFICERS OF THE OLD REPTONIAN SOCIETY 2012 PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY 2012 Charles Fry (H’53) The Old Reptonian Society The Hall, Repton School Repton, Derbyshire DE65 6FH Tel. 01283 559320 Email: jcobb@repton.org.uk / or@repton.org.uk Website: www.orsociety.com School website: www repton org uk Editorial Team: Nigel Kew & Jan Cobb President: Charles A Fry (Hall 1953) President Elect: Ian R Payne (Latham 1955) Vice President: Robert A Holroyd (Headmaster) Chairman: James M Ross (Hall 1968) Treasurer: John S Wallis (Latham 1971) Gover nors’ Representative: Robert M Kirkland (Orchard 1959) Secretary: Nigel Kew (Staff) Assistant Secretary: Jan Cobb (Staff) Elected Committee Members
(School 1995) Football Club Martin
(Cross 1961) Yorkshire
Front Cover: Georgie Twigg (F’03) with her 2012 London Olympic Bronze medal Garth,
John F R Hird ( Priory 1960) Masonic Lodge
Hamer J E Boot G Grayshon Mike Keep (Orchard 1969 & Staff) Hockey Club
Back Cover: The
Richard also told me about his cricketing experience in China where he was involved in batting on a frozen lake Having played a particularly good straight drive, he was a bit startled to find that the ball travelled for two miles over the ice before the skating fielder could retrieve it!
Bishop (Priory 1972) Golf Society
Richard C E Lowther (Brook 1985) Tennis Club
Cathy Twigg (Staff) Marketing & Development Director
Leavers 2012 DEADLINE for articles for the next edition (May 2013) is March 31st 2013
The school continues to flourish in every aspect My brother has recently retired as Chairman of the Gover nors after doing this, often difficult, job for 10 years, and I hand over to Ian Payne (L’55) in November Enjoy this issue of The Arch Charles Fry
Nicholas P Le Poidevin (Cross 1964) Law Society
Nick
R S Smith (Brook 1969) Appointed 2011 J M Guy Levesley (Hall 1975) Appointed 2009 Sarah R E Taylor (Field 1998) Appointed 2008 Louise Trayhur n (Garden 1996) Appointed 2007 John F M Walker (Hall 1946 and ex Staff) Life Member Ex Officio Members Simon D Armstrong (Cross 1963) Lancs & Cheshire Sanjiv Basu (Orchard 1989) Fives
Anthony E
Repton has always had a reputation as a school where sports are important and this continues today with great encouragement from the Headmaster Recent successes include an Olympic Bronze medal for Georgie Twigg in the GB Hockey team and up to three ORs at any one time this season playing cricket for Derbyshire who have had such a very successful year Not so good for our Cricketer Cup team who were knocked out in the first round by the Old Cheltonians
But ORs have other skills none more so than Sir Richard Evans who died recently at the age of 84 Richard was a diplomat and rose to be our ambassador to China in 1984, where his knowledge of the language and his interest in the history of China made him a popular and effective incumbent I met Richard some years ago and he told me how, in 1948, as an undergraduate at Oxford, he travelled to Lord’s with a friend to see the Australian Test Unsurprisingly, the ground was sold out so they waited by the Grace Gates to see if there were any spare tickets retur ned They spotted my grandfather, CB Fry, about to enter and, knowing the Repton connection, Richard asked him if he could help them get in Apparently my grandfather asked them both in and they had a wonderful day in his personal box
Thomas R Pepper (Hall 1949) Midlands
I regard myself as just being fortunate to be at the right place at the right time As a small boy arriving in 1968 and seeing the memorial in the Garth for the first time, I could never have dreamt that I would be given such an honour
(3) CHAIRMAN OF THE SOCIETY 2012 James Ross (H’68) After six extremely enjoyable years it is time for me to stand down at the AGM in November as Chairman of the OR Society It has been a great privilege to have been asked to undertake the role and I have had a lot of pleasure in meeting so many ORs at some wonderfully convivial occasions and venues
In reality it is a job that is not particularly demanding because of the superb organisation and support given by the OR office, secretariat and committee In a quiet, cheerfully understated manner the Society is run most efficiently In no particular order in my term of office I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Chris Charter, Sarah Stuart, Cathy Twigg and Jan Cobb for their organisation of events, production of the Arch and maintenance of the database to name but a few of their tasks Mike Stones retired in June after being Secretary for ten years and put his heart and soul into every aspect of the job In particular, Mike had a great rapport with younger ORs and I’m absolutely certain that in no small way this is reflected in the ever increasing numbers at events such as Drinks in the City John Wallis as Treasurer provides clarity with his annual accounts so that even I with, as Russell Muir will testify, a limited grasp of Maths can fully understand the finances They are in good health, a tribute to John’s professionalism Many of us at some point in our lives have had to be on a committee and this can be an onerous task I can honestly say this has never been the case at any meetings I have attended They are purposeful, but always, and I take no credit for this, conducted with good humour and pragmatism Committee members give freely of their time and care This is reflected in all branches of the Society The OR Society also benefits hugely from the support it receives from the Headmaster and Gover nors, not always the case in other comparable schools I would also like to thank the six Presidents during my period of office for their contributions, support and commitment Robert Bond, Carole Blackshaw, Richard Hutton, John Kirkland, David Pepper and Charles Fry are a distinguished body of people Alongside them Bob Kirkland and Edward W ilkinson add business acumen and the ability to pull all parts of the Repton community together It would be remiss of me not to mention and thank John Walker He has been a mentor and great friend which has been invaluable over the past forty four years A Repton education without doubt does give access to places which might otherwise not have been available I fully appreciate those opportunities and I have yet to meet an OR who does not feel the same way My term of office started with the 450th celebrations, in itself a great event Leading on from there I have had the opportunity to visit the House of Commons for Drinks in the City, lunched in Dublin with the Irish branch, dined in Paris and at Corpus Christi College Cambridge Other notable venues visited include Lord’s, the Army and Navy Club, the East India Club and the Royal Yacht Club As a sport fanatic I’ve attended in the past six years both the Cricketer Cup and Arthur Dunn finals Sadly on both occasions we lost to the Old Tonbridgians However we distinguished ourselves by having vastly more supporters, a great tribute to the strength of feeling felt by ORs for their school Above all of this my proudest and most humble moment was being asked, along with Rob Holroyd and Sir Henry Every, to unveil in St George’s Church, Ypres a plaque for those 355 Reptonians who were killed in action in WW1 It was a memorable service, with the school choir performing and a moving address given by John Hetherington
Inevitably along the way some people for whom I have had the highest regard have sadly passed away Amongst them Robert Smith, James Russell and David Carr were great contributors to the OR Society and wise counsel I attended my former housemaster’s, T im Fisher, funeral earlier this year He was a profound influence when I first arrived and my regret is that I wish I had known him better It is reassuring to see the School thriving on all fronts It remains the friendliest of places to visit and it never ceases to amaze me how welcoming people are, whether pupils or staff It is run with great devotion by all concer ned and, whilst being highly respectful of Repton traditions, it is a place constantly aware of the moder n world and its expectations, and it has the ability to match them If you have not already been to the refurbished 400 Hall then I strongly recommend a visit In twelve months time the new Science Priory will be completed, highlighting Repton’s vision for the future These projects and others need considerable funding and it could not have been achieved without the generosity of generations of ORs In conclusion I would like to wish my successor Nick Smith (B’69) along with our new Secretary, Nigel Kew, best wishes The Society, I can assure you, is in excellent hands David Carr told me that whatever you do in life it must be fun Being Chairman of the OR Society has been a lot of fun Thank you James Ross
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AGENDA ARTHUR DUNN CUP
15 Girls’ 1st XI v Dean Close 17 Girls’ 1st XI, U16A v Bromsgrove OR Society AGM, 6 00pm followed by OR Society Annual Dinner, Pears School, 7 30pm 18 Coffee Concert, Beldam Hall, 11 30 am Boys’ 1st XI v Manchester GS 22 The School Play, 400 Hall, 7.30pm The School Play, 400 Hall, 7 30pm Boys’ 1st XI v Millfield Girls’ 1st XI v Rugby (a) The School Play, 400 Hall, 7.30pm
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DRINKS IN THE CITY Drinks in The City will be held at the East India Club, London on February 26th 2013 Cost of tickets will be £17 for ORs aged 25 and under, and £23 for ORs aged over 26 Please see booking form 4 30pm Arthur Dunn Cup first round, Repton School 2012 Half term Boys’ 1st XI v Wolverhampton GS Concert: Pupils from Chetham’s School of Music, Music School, 7.45pm Prep Schools Choral Day, Music School, 10am 5.00pm Informal Concert, Music School, 9 15pm of Day: Mor ning Prayer 10 05 am Capt J C Wadsworth RHA, CCF Contingent Commander Concert given by Music School staff: Vaughan Williams On Wenlock Edge, Bartok Contrasts, Beldam Hall, 9 05pm 14 Boys’ Hockey Development XI v Stone HC 1st XI
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NOVEMBER
Preacher:
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FEBRUARY
AGM AND ANNUAL DINNER
The first round of the 2012/2013 Arthur Dunn Cup will be held at Repton on 27th October v Old Cholmelians (Highgate School) Kick off time to be confirmed
27 Boys’ U16A, U14A v Woodlands NOVEMBER 2012 continued 28 Subscription Concert: Andy Sheppard, The 400 Hall, 7 45pm 29 Informal Concert, Music School, 9.15pm DECEMBER 2012 1 Boys’ 1st XI v Shrewsbury (a) Repton School Music Society Concert: Fauré’s Requiem, Pears School, 7 45pm 4 Boys’ 1st XI v Oldham Hulme (a) 9 Carol Service for Parents, Staff and Parish, 6 30pm followed by reception in the Library Christmas Bands Concert, 400 Hall, 7 30pm 13 Christmas Bands Concert, 400 Hall, 7.30pm 14 End of Term 2013 Lent Term begins 16 Subscription Concert : Repton School’ Resident Quartet: The Carducci Quartet. Beldham Hall, 7.45pm 2013 8 Half term begins, 4 30pm 17 Half term ends 20 Subscription Concert: Emma Johnson MBE; Clarinet and John Lenehan; Piano, Music School, 7 45pm 26 Drinks In The City: East India Club 2013 6 Subscription Concert: The Rhodes Piano Trio, Music School, 7 45pm 22 Term ends APRIL 2013 15 Summer Term begins 24 Repton Music Department: Vienna Music School, 7 45pm Dates correct at time of publication (4)
JANUARY
MARCH
The 2012 AGM and Annual Dinner will be held on November 17th at Repton School The cost of the ticket is £41 per person, which includes pre dinner drinks and a three course meal with wine and port The Annual General Meeting will start at 6 00pm in The High Chamber If you are bringing your wife or partner they will be more than welcome to relax in the Undercroft whilst the meeting is in progress
enclosed FORTHCOMING OR EVENTS 2012/2013 8 Future Events 9 Election of Officers and Hon ORs 10 Any other business 11 Date of next AGM 4 President’s Report 5 Chairman’s Report 6 Secretary’s Report 7 Treasurer’s Report 1 Welcome and Apologies 2 Approval of the minutes of the last AGM held on November 12th 2011 3 Matters Arising from the last minutes SCHOOL CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2012/2013 OCTOBER 2012 19 Half term begins,
Annual General Meeting to be held on Saturday 17th November 2012 at 6pm in the High Chamber
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OLD REPTONIAN NEWS SNIPPETS
Chris Cavey (P’96), has won the 6km Hammersmith to Putney Bridge race in London for two consecutive years This back to back success means he got a medal, an Olympic faux torch and a bottle of champagne Tom Chambers (N’90) has been playing the lead role in Top Hat in the West End since April Tom is also an Ambassador of Starlight Children’s Foundation, which grants wishes for seriously and terminally ill children
John Richardson (H’47) and a group of ORs living within postcodes IP, NR, CM and CB are organising a very informal luncheon 'Get together' at The Wentworth Hotel at Aldeburgh on Wednesday 20th March 2013 A number have already expressed a firm interest and are already 'on the list', but we feel there may well be others in the area who might wish to attend Any such ORs are invited to contact John Richardson by e mail at jgr lfr@btopenworld com or by telephone on 01728 452135 no later than 30th November 2012 Details of House, Repton years, and present whereabouts would be helpful Facilities at The Wentworth are relatively limited so that if an over subscription arises we shall use a 'first come, first served' basis, with a 'geographical proximity to Aldeburgh' to determine priority GAUDY The Gaudy will be held on June 8th 2013, and years to be invited will be anyone joining the school between1961 1971, 1988 1998 and 6th formers 2001 2003 (5) If you would like a group of your contemporaries to join you at any of these events and you need any help with contact details, please do not hesitate to call the OR office on 01283 559320 or email jcobb@repton org uk
Paddy Foster (L’90) has been appointed Consultant Orthopedic and Trauma Surgeon (Adult and Paediatric and Limb Reconstruction, The General Infirmary at Leeds Nick Gardner (O'00) has been signed as a recording artist to Interscope Records, part of the Universal Music Group, joining Eminem, Madonna, U2 and Lady Gaga at one of America's biggest labels Having spent two years showcasing his songs on YouTube, gathering over 4 million views, Nick is now able to start work on his first album, working with some of the very best producers and songwriters in the industry Kamil Alam (M’88) has graduated with a Master of Business Administration, with specialisations in Strategic Management & Organisational Behaviour, from The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Canada After his graduation Kamil will be working at World W ildlife Fund (WWF) Canada in Toronto with their Public Mobilization Strategy group which will include leading the Canadian Earth Hour 2013 campaign as well as developing a sustainable seafood program for WWF Canada Charlotte Aston (G’03) has graduated with a BA (2 1) in European Social & Political Studies at UCL Julian Avery (H’59) is President of The High Sheriffs’ Association Council and on behalf of the Association has presented a Loyal Address to Her Majesty The Queen to mark Her Diamond Jubilee Julian (seated) signing the Loyal Address to Her Majesty The Queen at the College of Arms, London Lavina Blackwall (F’95) and Blair Dunlop (S’05) have appeared at the Barbican Theatre in London midway through a nationwide tour with 'The Lady: A Homage to Sandy Denny'
FORTHCOMING OR EVENTS 2012/2013 EAST ANGLIA LUNCH
OLD REPTONIAN NEWS SNIPPETS Richard Lloyd (H’71), having retired as a self employed Chartered Surveyor in 2007, has been building a fresh career as an Actor/Writer He has performed in stage plays, independent films and pantomime and has written 2 plays, the latest of which was chosen by The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to be included in its Showcase to the Edinburgh Fringe
2012 Entitled "The Eighth Day" The one man show is performed by Richard and it has received favourable reviews Shona McCallin (A’08) and Jo Leigh(G’09) won bronze medals at the U21 European Hockey Championships in August Adam Phillips (B’79), recently cycled in Italy on Stage 2 of the Dallaglio/Flintoff SLAM and whilst sitting in the peloton chatted to a fellow cyclist, who was OR Scott Greenhalgh (N’76) Peter Garsden (O’71) is owner of solicitors firm Abney Garsden McDonald and is President of ACAL(Association of Child Abuse Lawyers) In the last 2 years they have won Claim Innovation Awards 2010 W inner of the most innovative use of Information Technology, Small Firm of the Year 2011 Manchester Legal Awards, Highly Commended for Innovation, and Peter Garsden Highly Commended for Solicitor of the Year ((Private Practice) at the National Law Society Awards (2011), Personal Injury Team of the Year 2011 Eclipse Legal National Awards
Peter Latham (H’64), Chairman of James Latham plc, and UK Chairman of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC) has been awarded an OBE for his services to the wood industry Adam Lawrenson (O’95) was best man to Rupert Major (P’95) and charged with organising the stag party Adam organised Henry Blofeld (famous cricket commentator) to go for dinner with everyone at Adam's house on the Friday night, before the day at the Test match, where he gave an outstanding after dinner speech On the Saturday HB mentioned them quite a lot on his commentary during the Test Everything culminated in them winning the best fancy dress award (hence the photo on the pitch with Alec Stewart) They also managed to get HB to come out of his commentary box during the presentation wearing one of their fancy dress outfits Guy Levesley (H’75) celebrated his 50th birthday in August ORs helping him celebrate are: From left to right: Dan Hallam (L’90), Christopher Kirkland (P’95), Ben Cavey (P’92), Nick Burns (N’90), Michael Kirkland (P’93), Tom Chambers (N’90), Clare Chambers (née Harding) (A’95), Melissa Morley (née Stanton) (A’93), Rupert Major (P’95), Colin Macintosh (N’89), Stuart Graham (H’75), Guy, Mike Charlesworth (O’41), Robert Kirkland (O’59). (6)
BIRTHS Dan Martinez (M’00) to Harriet Biffa in Les Andelys, France Their marriage will take place on September 15th 2012 at St Paul’s Church, Monaco Charlotte Richards (A'99) to Sam Gardner (N'93) Their marriage will take place in April 2013 in Cheshire ENGAGEMENTS
Julian Turner (C’91) has been appointed as a Director to a subsidiary company of DRB HICOM in Malaysia The company HICOM POTENZA Sports Cars is to focus on designing a new range of vehicles for the sports car market Philip Unwin (H'68), owns and runs a tourist program in the Rockies of Colorado If any Reptonians have a year ning for a unique holiday adventure, having lived in the region for 30 years Phil knows all the best sites and sights to visit philjunwin@yahoo com Jack Williams (O’03) has graduated with a MEng (2 1) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering with Management at Imperial College Andrew Williamson (N’59) and Jeffrey Gilbert (N’62) met up again during Andrew’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land They had not seen each other since 1964 Andrew recalls that, as often happens with ex boarders, as soon as they met with a big hug it was if the years had rolled away and they were boys again, talking non stop for the next two hours
Jeff and Andrew Tom Poynton (S’06), Ross Whiteley (N’05) and Paul Borrington (S ‘04) played key roles in helping Derbyshire win the LV= County Championship Division Two on the final day of the 2012 season Ross capped off the match against Hampshire with back to back sixes, before hitting the winning runs Paul helped to see off the new ball in the second innings having had an unplayable ball in the first innings and caught a brilliant catch Tom has kept an impeccable wicket and also scored his first maiden first class hundred from 194 balls with 10 fours Ross has also been selected to represent England in the Hong Kong Sixes Competition
Pictured from left: Edward Wilkinson (C’46), Tom, Ross, Paul and MCC member Richard Merriman (Headmaster, Foremarke Hall) Kadi Saar (G’09), who is studying Chemical Engineering at Trinity, is the ladies vice captain (and captain next year) for the Cambridge University tennis teams Jamie Muirhead (C’09), studying Natural Sciences at Fitzwilliam College and played in the men’s team Stella d’Arch Smith (M’03) holds the record at Agecroft Rowing Club for the 5km and 2km and has trials with GB in November She has also been offered a place at Sandhurst with the Royal Engineers Emily Summerton (G’06) has graduated with First class honours in a Masters degree in Chemistry from Worcester College, Oxford She starts working for KPMG in 2013 after taking a year out to gain an insight into teaching by helping at Foremarke (7) Rob Hinton (C’88) and Joanna are proud to announce the arrival of Evie on April 8th 2012
OLD REPTONIAN NEWS SNIPPETS
If any OR visiting Jerusalem sees someone wearing an old New House tie it will be Jeff!
Melissa Schirmer (née Wheatley) (A’91) and Christian are delighted to announce the arrival of Oscar Felix on February 5th 2012 Ashley Sarangi (C’95) and Susan W isnieski are delighted to announce the arrival of Max on April 14th 2012
MARRIAGES Richard Bullock (O’95) to Estine Morris Two ceremonies were held, a small one in Hatfield Heath, Hertfordshire where they currently live, and the main one in Umbria, Italy ORs in attendance were Sarah Bullock (A’ 97), James Brown (O’95)
George Rainsford (M’96) to Jaimi Barbakoff on July 8th 2012 at South Farm in Hertfordshire ORs present, from left to right, were: Suzy Walters (née Grayshon) (A’96), Ben Cavey (P’92), Myffy Bournon (A’96), Sarah Rainsford (G’96), George, Jim Andrews (M’95), Jaimi, Tom Alger (M’95), Melissa Blain (Staff), Jeremy Bour non (Staff), Matthew Game (M’95), Georgie White (A’95), Clare Chambers (née Harding) (A’95), Tom Chambers (N’90) and Ashley Williamson (N’95) From left to right: Sita Mylward, John Riley, Maggie Mylward, Phil Riley, Lydia Riley, Alistair Riley, Adrian Mylward, Lucy Wommersley, Freya Riley Philip Riley (P’95) and Lydia Mylward (G’97) were married in Lichfield on April 16th 2011 ORs in attendance to the reception were: Alistair Riley (P’97), Sita Mylward (A’94), Adrian Mylward (former staff), Maggie Mylward (former staff), James Stevenson (P’95), Adam Lawrenson (O’95), Rupert Major (P’95), Thomas Collet (N’95), Samuel Cooke (S’95), Nick Jones (N’95), Tim Hill (O’98), Sarah Havercroft (G’97), Thomas Risley (N’95), Lucy Womersley (A’00), Antonia Lilley (A’97), Joe Gardener (O’95), Jessica Womersley (A’02), Tom Henry (O’97), Harriet Cavil (A’96), Frank Ellis (C’97), Euan Corbett (P’01), Nick Cashmore (P’98), Daniel Major (P’98), Oliver Jones (P’98), Neil McGowan (C’98), Victoria Finn (G’97), Alistair McBain (M’97), Ed Birkin (S’97) (8)
Joseph Peter Radford Pym (P’37) on September 6th 2011
Thomas Alan Thwaites (L’37) July 1st 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida MITRE Miles Lilliott (M’86) on January 22nd 2011
CROSS Peter Frederick Chapman (C’52) in March 1998
Neville John Edgar Young (H’37) on April 15th 2012
Thomas Frederick Stanton (L’38) on July 9th 2012
PRIORY John Michael Baxter (P’45) on February 16th 2012 in Spain
HALL
DEATH ANNOUNCEMENTS
BROOK Rev Canon F N A Ledgard (B’38) on March 3rd 2012
Maurice Francis Haigh (P’43) on March 29th 2012
Victoria Yaremenko (F'05) married Ruslan Kivan on April 24th 2011 (9)
MARRIAGES Julian Turner (C’91) and Nicola Evans were married on February 12th 2011 at Melbour ne Church, Derbyshire The reception was held in Pears School The sword used to cut the cake was used to knight “Sir Loin” of Beef King Charles The Second ORs in attendance were: James Ellis (C’91) Best Man, Chris Zeuner (H’91) Master of Ceremonies, Jonathan Wilson (B’90) and Suzanne Faithfull (née Turner) (A’88).
NEW James Graham Porter (N’39) on May 5th 2012 Peter Fielden Sutcliffe (N’42) on March 12th 2012
Oliver James Walker (C'92) married Jaclyn Gauley on 18th August 2012 in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada The groom nearly hit a bear with his car beforehand ORs in attendance were: Alexander Rose (C’92), Olly Walker (C’92), Ben Walker (C’90) and Steven Lee Jessica Walker (A’95) was also there for the celebrations
Marcus Jonathan Hardman Ringrose (H’66) on August 8th 2012
Patrick William Bussell (Paddy) Masefield (H’56) on July 13th 2012
Allan Charles Maitland (C’45) in December 2011
Anthony James Gilbey (C’47) on September 10th 2012
LATHAM Peter Alexander Robert Rayner (L’82) on March 29th 2012
T im’s retirement years were active and varied He relocated to the Midlands and created a home on family owned land at Rocester just outside Uttoxeter He kept in touch with the brewing industry as an IBBS assessor and as an inspector for the ‘Brewmasters Standard’, a trade quality initiative His local voluntary work included serving as a church warden, chairman and secretary for the local branch of the British Legion and serving as a local school gover nor Always keen on the horses, he took frequent advantage of nearby Uttoxeter race course
For his contribution to the negotiations which led to the Joint Declaration, as the statement on Hong Kong’s future was known, Evans, like Cradock, was formally thanked by the Cabinet Yet Evans was more than a diplomat He was one of the select band of Englishmen in recent times who have been serious students of the Chinese language and civilisation This scholarship provided him with a deep contextual understanding that was essential during the negotiations in which he took part While many observers were interested in the financial implications of Hong Kong’s reintegration with China, for example, Evans was aware that the handover had a greater historical significance “In British history books the Opium War [after which Hong Kong was ceded to Britain] is a footnote,” he said “In Chinese history it is a central, and extremely humiliating, event ” (10)
David Barnard (Institute of Brewing & Distilling magazine, Jan 2011) with permission of W illiam Dawson
Sir Richard Evans, who has died aged 84, was Britain’s ambassador to China in 1984, when the two countries finalised the agreement that ended 150 years of colonial rule in Hong Kong Though it was Evans’s predecessor, Sir Percy Cradock, who shaped many of the details of the agreement, it was Evans, who took over in Beijing in January 1984, who was able to announce that Hong Kong would, from 1997, become “an island of capitalism” within a communist regime The agreement, he said, was “the practical embodiment of the imaginative concept of one country, two systems”
OBITUARY SIR RICHARD EVANS (B’41)
T im Dawson was bor n in the Midlands After completing national service in the Royal Artillery he went to Birmingham University to gain an honours degree in applied biochemistry followed by the Diploma in Malting and Brewing In 1954 he joined Whitbread to begin a 34 year career with this company His first posting was to Mackeson at Hythe, the original source of the famous stout and by then a member of the Whitbread group After about two years, it was time for T im to join the Chiswell St brewery, on the fringe of the city of London, as part of the shift brewing team Unmarried shift brewers were allowed to live on site and were comfortably accommodated in the brewers house at No 42 Chiswell Street Whitbread also provided excellent sports and social activities for all staff at the brewery and its other London depots T im took full advantage of these, playing for the cricket teams, for Whitbread in the London Brewers bridge league and taking part in drama group productions In the next decade the Whitbread Group expanded rapidly so opportunities for the younger generation of brewers widened, and in1964 T im was appointed head brewer at Waterinbury in Kent This was the company’s export brewery Most of the production was a stronger version of Whitbread pale ale which, after maturation, was exported in bulk for bottling in Belgium His responsibilities also included a traditional floor malting and a temperamental effluent treatment plant referred to as ‘Effie’ When weather conditions were unfavourable much of the brewers’ time was involved in appeasing local residents’ complaints about Effie’s unpleasant aromas
T im’s move to Kent came at a convenient time for it coincided with his marriage to Beryl and they were able to set up their first home in a pleasant village on the fringe of Tunbridge Wells However, the Dawsons stay in the ‘hop county’ turned out to be a brief one and in 1966 T im was required to move to Whitbread’s Kirstall brewery in Leeds Kirstall was an important
For many years T im supported the annual Birmingham Brewing School reunion dinner A few years ago I offered to trade lunchtime refreshment at his for giving him a lift to Birmingham “Ok”, he replied, “providing you can get me back for 11am, the vicar is away and I have to conduct mor ning service at Denstone church ” An unusual double but well within T im’s capabilities!
OBITUARY TIM DAWSON (O’44) facility supporting the company’s expansion in the north of England and its recently installed container racking facilities were at full stretch producing Whitbread Trophy bitter and fast growing volumes of Heineken lager T im was the overall site manager and maintained good relations with the more recent acquired management teams at Bentleys, Woodlesford and Tennants of Sheffield By 1972 Whitbread had nearly completed its second major brewery on a green field site at Samlesbury near Preston and T im had to move across the Pennines to commission the brewing plant and was its first head brewer Some years later T im commenced the final phase of his career at Whitbread HQ, which by now had moved to Luton Most of his work involved leading a joint production and QC team which made regular audit visits to all production locations His long career in brewing finished with retirement in 1988
Evans’s impulse towards scholarship led him in retirement to devote himself principally to writing a biography of the Chinese leader, Deng Xiaoping, whom he had first seen on the podium with Mao Tse tung in 1955 It proved a formidable task since it involved lengthy research in Chinese sources not easily available
12 (11) OBITUARY SIR RICHARD EVANS (B’41) CONTINUED
Also in retirement, Evans took a close interest in the Ironmongers’ Company, of which he had been a member for some years He was elected Master of the Company in 1999 and much enjoyed the role of enlightened benefactor of a number of deserving causes He was appointed CMG in 1978, KCMG in 1984 and KCVO in 1986 Richard Evans married, first, in 1960 (dissolved 1970), Margaret Sessinger He married, secondly, in 1973, Grania Birkett; they had two sons, and enjoyed a very happy domestic life, latterly in W iltshire Sir Richard Evans, bor n April 15 1928, died August 24 2012
J F M Walker (H’46, Staff ’57 ‘91) writes T im Fisher, who died on March 15th at the age of 82, spent an inspiring sixteen years at Repton before moving on to become a much admired and innovative prep school headmaster at Bilton Grange
He was bor n in The Hall, an event which was celebrated by an extra half holiday for the school, as was his marriage 39 years later Offered a choice of schools by his parents, he chose to go to St Edward’s, Oxford, where, having no real aptitude for ball games, he would be able to take up rowing After three years at King’s College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar, his National Service took him to Libya with the 16th/5th Lancers
Richard Mark Evans was bor n on April 15 1928, the son of a former member of the Colonial Service He was educated at Repton School where he was a Prefect, Head of House and Editor of The Reptonian He won several School Prizes, and was made President of the Old Reptonian Society in 1991 From Repton he went to Magdalen College, Oxford, and entered the Foreign Service in 1952 After a period in the Foreign Office in London he was assigned to language training in Chinese He went to China and served in the Chinese Secretariat of the Embassy in Beijing from 1955 to 1957, first as a language student and then as a diplomatic secretary when Sir Con O’Neill was his head of mission He retur ned to Beijing as Chinese Secretary in the Embassy from 1962 to 1964, and after an intermediate period in Ber ne, doing economic and commercial work, was promoted Counsellor and acted as a head of department in the Foreign Office from 1970 to 1974, latterly as Head of the Far Easter n Department He was fortunate enough to be chosen to do a sabbatical at Harvard as a visiting fellow in 1974 and then went to Stockholm as Commercial Counsellor, followed by Paris as Minister (Economic) from 1977 to 1979 He reverted to the handling of Chinese questions in 1980, as an under secretary in the Foreign Office for the next three years, before going to his final post in Beijing in 1984 In his subsequent career, he won high praise for his steadiness and good sense His Embassy in Beijing was crowned with notable success in terms of Anglo Chinese relations, though Evans was the first to admit that the ups and downs of these relations are by their nature unpredictable and volatile Though his career was not solely concer ned with Chinese problems, it was China that was central to his diplomatic activity and it was fitting that he should have finished his career in Beijing, where he was in attendance for the Queen’s State Visit in 1986
Extracts from The Telegraph 30 08
The result was published in 1993, under the title Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Moder n China It was recognised as a substantial academic achievement and won good reviews from scholars in the West, as well as being regarded with respect and admiration in China During the writing of the book, Evans was generously supported, as a resident fellow, by Wolfson College, Oxford He later became a fellow emeritus
He joined the Repton staff in 1963 and quickly made his mark as a stimulating teacher of English, a talented producer of plays and as someone who made a great impact on a wide range of school activities For thirteen years he was in charge of swimming and during that time standards were much improved and many new records set As Commanding Officer of the CCF, he extended its scope to include many activities not required by the Army Proficiency Certificate and established it as a still valuable part of school life on lines which other schools were to follow His musical talents were invaluable to a succession of Directors of Music; he played the bassoon in the school orchestra, sang solos in school concerts and encouraged The Hall to take almost permanent possession of the singing cups He produced many plays both before and after becoming a Housemaster They were of a very high standard, distinguished by imaginative staging and lighting and his knack of getting a boy to form his own impression and interpretation of a part The result could be seen in the freshness and excitement of his many successful productions which included Hassan, Macbeth, Henry V and T imon of Athens, all ambitious choices for a house play Remembered too will be his own performances
OBITUARY - R T FISHER (STAFF 1953-69)
"Taken at Tim's 80th birthday party Januar y 2010"
OBITUARY - EDWARD HERBERT OWEN MITCHELL (O’47)
OBITUARY R T FISHER (STAFF
Soon after becoming Headmaster of Repton in 1961, John Thor n decided that it was no longer feasible to combine the positions of Headmaster and Housemaster of The Hall, and in 1963 T im was therefore appointed as the independent Housemaster with a Resident House Tutor A new flat was created for the Housemaster with the tutor living in the old Housemaster’s study overlooking the Yard A house of 100 boys, as it then was, was a daunting prospect, but T im’s knowledge of each individual was complete and fair and never ceased to astonish, and so many boys will be grateful to him for showing them their own talents and capabilities and for encouraging them to take up interests which they would not otherwise have possessed He put himself completely at the disposal of the house, friendly, witty, sometimes impossibly argumentative, but always approachable
Many Reptonians will also have happy memories of the skiing trips and summer holidays in Europe which he organised at a time when foreign travel was not so much taken for granted
His marriage to Clare Le Fanu in 1969 took place on the Saturday of the week before Speech Day in time for which he returned from honeymoon and then shared with his bride a happy last six weeks in the house a happy time for the boys as well He took charge of Bilton Grange in September of that year and remained Headmaster for 23 years, retaining undiminished enthusiasm for all aspects of school life, maintaining standards in all fields and putting the school at the forefront of change In 1987 his achievements at Bilton were recognised when he was elected chairman of the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) In retirement he continued to work for IAPS, chairing its Benevolent Fund, and he was a gover nor of five schools The attendance at his Thanksgiving service, which filled St Mark’s Church, Bilton, showed the respect and esteem in which he was held by his friends, colleagues and pupils, and there were many O Rs present
The address was given by Hugh Carson, a former headmaster of Malver n, and he ended with these words: “T im was a wonderful family man, a kind and loving husband, father and grandfather He was a man of faith, He lived a life of service And if all this might seem a bit ear nest T im eschewed pomposity His lightness of touch never deserted him And yes, right up to the end he was fun to be with ” No one who knew T im would disagree with this summary and we are all grateful for having benefited from his kindness, humanity, wisdom and friendship 1953 CONTINUED (12)
69)
Moving across Chapel Hall from Latham, where B W Thomas’s wartime prep school was housed, to the Orchard in the Michaelmas term of 1947, Mitchell soon became “Oscar”, the result of a middle name guessing game in idle moments in the house The nickname stuck for life, indeed the only person I recall addressing him as Owen was his mother His sense of fun made him a popular member of the community A showman, though with a self deprecating, never a cocky manner, he already displayed the sincerity, singleness of purpose and integrity that characterised his later career His declared, though certainly tongue in cheek, intention to be prime minister led to the foundation of the vehicle that would carry him to those heights, the United Individualist Party the only united party in history as it had only one member Leaving in 1951 to take articles, he went on to National Service in the regiment where his father had distinguished himself in the 1914 war, the Royal Irish Fusiliers W ithin the space of two years, he was posted to Berlin where tension was high, to Korea to witness the final stages of the war, and to Kenya to face the Mau Mau guerrillas After qualifying as a solicitor in Gray’s Inn, Oscar joined a law firm in Hereford for a while before returning to London In 1963, he married Marny Lloyd Jacob, a medical doctor highly regarded in her profession for her teaching skills Each pursued their career with dedication, yet home and family were accorded due priority Twickenham became their home, and Oscar practised law there until he retired His weekends were occupied with preaching among the Free Churches of London and Surrey, and somehow he found time to write poetry and hymns, of which his family cherishes an extensive collection Retirement brought new and contrasting activity, when Oscar crowned his lifelong enthusiasm for cars old and new by becoming a volunteer at nearby Brooklands, where he regaled visitors with his intimate knowledge of motor racing history and the cars that made it There was an occasion when he sped northwards without stopping at home to change, arriving at a Repton Gaudy in his Brooklands sweatshirt and baseball cap Others would have cringed in embarrassment, Oscar was unfazed His last years saw the tragic death of Mar ny and a series of strokes leaving him partially sighted and unable to drive, yet he remained stoutly positive and optimistic in his Twickenham home until he was forced to end his days in a nursing home He leaves a son, John, an academic at St Andrews, a daughter, Sarah, who holds a senior post in nursing in Sheffield, and four grandchildren John Handford (O’47)
in staff plays and his hilarious contributions to Sir John Port’s Pedants
He was often seen playing with them or chasing up and down the hospital corridors Such behaviour was accepted by everyone even if it meant nurses going home later than normal, in the interests of better health care to their patients
OBITUARY RICHARD COLIN L’ESTRANGE ORME (B’49)
His early schooling was near home in Matlock and at 13 he went to Repton school where he had an enjoyable and stimulating education without really excelling in any particular activity He gained admittance to the medical school of Cambridge University in 1954 and was accepted by Sidney Sussex College where he enjoyed his student days very much He moved on to complete his clinical studies at King’s College Hospital in London in 1957 After early junior doctor posts at that hospital he started training in paediatrics with a medical registrar post at the Middlesex Hospital in London from 1966 to 1968 from where he obtained the Diploma in Child Health and passed the examination for membership of the Royal College of Physicians in London He then took a senior registrar job between Exeter and Bristol from 1968 to 1973 and while working in Bristol he developed an academic interest in neonatology He was elected to a Medical Research Council Fellowship which took him to do research work on respiration of the new bor n with Prof June Brady in San Francisco He worked in the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California working under Prof Julius Comroe He had recently married and with his wife, Liz, he had a productive and enjoyable time in Califor nia
His early commitment to the care of sick newbor n babies was later superseded by demands for his expertise in the management and investigation of child maltreatment by parents, and he served as a valued member of local and regional committees and chaired enquiries He also developed an interest in community paediatrics He was Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London and a Founding Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health He examined for the membership of the Royal College of Physicians and also for the Royal Colleges in Scotland and Ireland He was a guest lecturer at the University of Khartoum and also an examiner in paediatrics there His inter national interests also involved the University of Rennes as well as the French Club de Pediatrie and he was a keen member of the University of Exeter’s twinning committee with the University of Rennes
Almost immediately after retur ning to the UK he was appointed in 1973 as a consultant paediatrician to the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital and as Senior Lecturer in Child Health in the University of Exeter Postgraduate Medical School Here he thrived as a general paediatrician and he was also increasingly involved in setting up a neonatal service and premature baby intensive care unit He is remembered by his colleagues, patients and their families as a wise, cheerful and hugely committed figure with a gift for communication with young children enhanced by his encyclopaedic knowledge and his ability to quote from AA Milne’s stories about “Pooh Bear” As a colleague his abundance of tolerance, kindness and loyalty was complemented by his warmth, informality, and his wit as a raconteur He was well known at the hospital for having clinics that over ran their time This was largely because of the time he spent getting to know the children in order to obtain their trust
Michael Orme (Brother)
(13) Richard Colin L’Estrange Orme was a consultant paediatrician and senior lecturer in the Postgraduate Medical School of the University of Exeter Besides helping to develop neonatal services in Devon he made a number of significant research contributions on neonatal respiratory problems, on intestinal perforation, on haemorrhagic disease of the new bor n and vitamin K and on infant feeding In 1976 he became one of the 20 founder members of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, later becoming an honorary member He died peacefully in his sleep at the Exeter Hospice after a short illness Richard came from a family with a strong medical background and Huguenot connections of which he was proud His father and both pater nal grandparents were in the profession and his grandmother qualified in Ireland at a time when medical schools in England did not accept female students He was born in Matlock Derbyshire on February 6th 1936 some 6 weeks premature and the attending midwife and general practitioner struggled to get him to breathe Eventually they placed a small Richard in a drawer and told his mother “you can feed him if you like” This was, perhaps, an appropriate start in life for someone who was to go on to specialise in neonatology
In retirement (post 1998) he enjoyed gardening, walking and travel He was a loyal member of his local Anglican church and a school gover nor However his main energies went into becoming a member of Exeter’s famous Red Coat Guides which he enjoyed immensely He took particular pleasure in developing and delivering tours of the city for children as well as giving tours in French He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children, David and Jenny, as well as by two grandchildren
OBITUARY SIR CHARLES PRINGLE (M’62)
(14) Air Marshal Sir Charles Pringle had a most distinguished career as an engineer in the RAF, retiring as Controller of Engineering and Supply, the top post then available to an engineering officer It is possible that the seeds of his passion for engineering were first sown and nurtured at Repton where he was proud of his achievement as a boy of building a motor car, reflecting an early interest in both machinery and speed
Academically strong, he went up to Cambridge to read Engineering, enlisting in the RAF on graduating in 1941 He was immediately thrown into the thick of the war with a posting to Ceylon, just in time to experience the Japanese air onslaught which took a severe toll of his squadron’s aircraft and airfield He continued to serve in South East Asia, was mentioned in dispatches and at the end of the war decided to stay on in the RAF It was at this time that he met his wife Margaret who was working as an aircraft plotter Then began a series of postings all of which presented the technical challenges to which Sir Charles would rise The RAF had to face the structural design and material demands which the high speeds of jet engines brought There were also the challenges of new aircraft carrying the UK’s nuclear bombs, and the maintenance of new aircraft manufactured in the USA After numerous technical appointments, both in the UK and abroad, he was appointed commandant at St Athans in South Wales, said to be the RAF’s largest single base, and Charles and Margaret often seemed to look back on those years with a special fondness They enjoyed the sense of community and the fact they were working together to care for people and families a trait which was to show itself again when they re joined the Repton community in the 1980s While Charles had further spells in the MoD, the RAF was merging the operations of Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Signals Command, Coastal Command and Air Support Command into Strike Command which represented all the RAF’s flying assets and for which Sir Charles eventually had overall technical responsibility the professional peak for any RAF engineer When he retired in 1976, Sir Charles maintained his connections with the aerospace industry by joining Rolls Royce as it developed the engines for Concord He was also much involved in the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Royal Society of Arts Always a loyal Old Reptonian his son was in The Mitre retirement afforded the time to regenerate closer links with the school and Sir Charles became a gover nor in 1982 after a year in office as President of the OR Society In 1985 he took over as Chairman from Professor Geoffrey Dawes and despite the geographical distance from his Hampshire home no one could have formed closer links with the school He was a frequent visitor to Repton and Margaret shared his interest in the staff and pupils She showed real charm and it was fitting that on one visit to the Pre prep one of the girls referred to her as “Princess Pringle” When Charles retired as Chairman we calculated that the mileage they had covered on their many visits over the years would be equivalent to once around the globe Sir Charles’ chairmanship oversaw a greater building programme at Repton and Foremarke than had ever been seen before Sports Halls were built at both schools, both acquired indoor pools, the Music School was created and there were major refurbishments of Pears School, the Chapel, some boarding houses, The Old Mitre and the departmental facilities for Design and Technology, IT, Geography, Biology, Maths and Physics He also presided over the radical decision for Repton to become completely coeducational and the consequent need to invest in new boarding houses for girls At Foremarke, it was with some trepidation that Richard Theobald approached him about forging links with the Russian orphanages but after a moment’s thought the response was “Let’s give it a whirl” In all things, he showed himself to be a man of vision as well as practical, willing to listen to all sides of an argument but purposeful once a decision had been made Charles and Margaret showed a great sense of adventure, and an insatiable appetite for wildlife In England it was or nithology, especially in the New Forest, but they were intrepid travellers even in their latter years and loved safaris and game reserves the remoter the better Charles will not be forgotten for his sense of humour and his loud cackle like laugh which could lighten even the weightiest of Gover ning Body meetings in the Audit Room and which would resonate from there all round the Old Priory It was ironic that at his very last meeting as Chairman, as a result of a throat infection, he had lost his voice and laugh completely At interview on my appointment I was asked if there was anything about headship to which I would not look forward and rather flippantly replied “Speech Day” my previous school did not have such an occasion When Charles rang me that evening to offer the job he said that they wanted me to take up the post after Easter, adding wryly “in time for Speech Day” After stepping down from the Gover ning Body, Charles and Margaret maintained their links with the school, visiting on many occasions, and with regular attendance at OR functions, particularly Drinks in the City The school has a lot to thank Sir Charles Pringle for, and on a personal note my wife and I were very fortunate to have the support and friendship of the Pringles, both at Repton and after they and we retired Graham Jones (Headmaster 1987 2003)
BRANCHES OF THE SOCIETY FOOTBALL
(15) DAVID CARR (C’37) Angela Carr kindly donated a bench in memory of her late husband David The plaque reads IN LOVING MEMORY OF DAVID CARR 1923 2011 HON SEC REPTON PILGRIMS 1955 1988 Frank Russell (O’69) writes : David Carr was a passionate man with a love of sport, especially cricket, his input into Repton Cricket over many years by encouraging boys from a young age to play the game is inestimable In honour of DNC the Pilgrims have bought a bench, which we hope will be a permanent feature under the home dressing room As Angela and the Carr family have also bought a bench which is on the Paddock, David will be spoilt for choice as to where to watch games from Sitting on the DNC bench on the paddock at the 1st round game against Cheltenham Back row: Charlie, Vicky, Jamie and Annie Teathers Front row: Angela Carr, Sally Carr and Judy Teather
2012/13 has seen the appointment of Tim Lambert (P’01) as 1st XI captain, replacing Richard Wynne (P’92), and Patrick Nancarrow (N’01) take over the role of fixtures secretary from John Lobb (O’00) Huge thanks must go to John and Richard for their dedication over the last few years Looking to build on last season’s achievements, the players have been working hard over the summer to keep fit and recruit more players and around 60 old boys retur ned for the annual fixtures against the School in September Fielding incredibly strong teams, with former 1st XI players playing against the School’s 4th XI, the ORs achieved another ‘clean sweep’, including a 2 0 victory against the 1st XI, thanks to goals from all time top goal scorer Mathew Gooderick (C’92) and Sam Graham (S’06), which was celebrated with the traditional post match refreshments
The squad have two aims each season: to lift the Dunn Cup and to gain promotion Having started well in the league, with a 7 1 win, they currently sit at the top of the league, and are raring to kick off their cup run having been drawn at home to Old Cholmelians (Highgate) on 27th October If you wish to get involved by playing, coming along to watch, following results or simply wish to support the team in the Dunn Cup at Repton on 27th, please visit Facebook (Old Reptonian FC) or Twitter (@oldreptonianfc), or email captain@oldreptonianfc com
2011/12 saw the Old Reptonian Football Club embark on an excellent Arthur Dunn Cup run, losing narrowly in an action packed final against Old Tonbridgians The 1 0 scoreline could have gone either way, and wins along the way against W inchester and both Eton and Charterhouse (2010 and 2011 winners, respectively) made this the old boys’ best cup run since they last lifted the trophy in 1991 Following the arrival of promising players such as Nick Samra (N’02), Sam Graham (S’06) and the Evans brothers, Rich (N’03) and Andy (N’06), and with the continued support of the School, especially Master in Charge of Football Matt Carrington and Grounds Manager Darryl Parkinson, hopes are high for another strong performance this season
The Lodge, by kind permission of the Headmaster, holds one of its meetings at Repton each September The occasion includes an evening dinner with wives, partners and non Masonic guests The Lodge regularly meets at Freemasons’ Hall in London in January and June followed by dinner in a London restaurant or Club Despite all this activity we are one of the less well known branches of the OR Society However, for its members, the OR Lodge is very much an extended family enabling ORs to keep in
John Pagella (L’57) and Mark Norton (M’86)
The Old Reptonian Lodge was founded almost 100 years ago just before the outbreak of the First World War Documents held within the Lodge archives include an invitation in December 1913 to all Old Reptonians interested in forming a Masonic Lodge to ‘meet at 11, Tothill Street, Westminster’ to discuss taking the idea forward The Duke of Devonshire, who at the time was a Gover nor of the School, was mentioned as a founding member The meeting was obviously successful because in April the following year authority was given to form the Old Reptonian Lodge to hold meetings at The Café Monico in London Then, as now, OR members were obviously intent on enjoying each other’s company where good food and fine wine was close to hand! The Lodge currently has 48 members, with links to Repton that span many decades You may recognise one of your contemporaries from School: they include Bill Summ (N’58), John Harvey (O’64), Robert Bond (P’68), Jeremy West (B’83), James Morrison (O’91), Mark Taylor (M’94) and Tom Hird (P’00) Over the years many well known ORs presided over the Lodge including Geoffrey Fisher, later headmaster of the school and Archbishop of Canterbury, Ber nard Thomas who some older ORs will remember as Housemaster of Latham House in the 1950s, and L P Thompson McClausland, one of the School Governors This year the Master of the Lodge is John Pagella (L’57)
(16) touch with the school whilst pursuing the teachings of Freemasonry, which embodies timeless and universal truths and values in society, regardless of race or creed, offering a thoroughly moder n approach to life; Masonry provides friendships that extend across the world, and through the colour and traditions of its ceremonies, it encourages individual members to express in their own lives the values for which it stands These values are based on integrity, kindness, honesty and fair ness In particular, Freemasons are taught to practise charity Their charitable giving is not always reported It is said that Freemasons generally are second only to the National Lottery in the amount of money given to charity Each year over £2 5m is given to non masonic charities for such things as medical research, help to vulnerable people, and supporting youth opportunities
BRANCHES OF THE SOCIETY THE OR LODGE
Freemasons’ Hall in London, which is the home of the United Grand Lodge of England, is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the country The building is open to the public and contains a gift shop, as well as a library and Museum of Freemasonry In recent years it has been a popular location for films and television series including Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Johnny English (2003), the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Sherlock Homes (2009) as well as Spooks, Hustle and New Tricks If you want to experience the architecture first hand, public tours are available most days from Monday to Saturday There is no need to book However, for those interested, we are organising a special viewing for ORs, early in the New Year We will have access to some of the less visited parts of the building, before enjoying a relaxing evening in one of the many pubs or restaurants nearby in the Covent Garden Area If you are interested in attending, or would like further details, please contact our Lodge Membership Officer, Mark Norton mark norton@orl org uk More information about the OR Lodge, and Freemasonry in general can be found on our website at www orl org uk
In the middle of seemingly endless, torrential rain, a fine bright day meant a very jovial time was enjoyed on the terrace, accompanied by copious beer The result was a definite success, as this is the largest tur nout at the event Next year the match will be played on Sunday 5th May The new formula of pupils & RAGS v the O R G S is set, so we will need a lot more O R G S members to play Tony Bishop (P’72)
The O R G S team was: Gill Snelson (former Staff), Jonathan Avill (N’81), Chris Philips (H’48), William Bucknall (S’98), Jon Gough (H’74), David Sharpe (N’75), Benson Greatrex (O’65), Nick Cashmore (P’98), Nigel Brown (L’73), Richard Bussell (H’90), Tony Bishop (P’72) together with newest member of the society, Joe Fell (O’03) and Jack Sanders' dad Richard, who made a welcome guest appearance Glyn Ridley, Little Aston's very benevolent secretary kept the costs to a minimum and the staff at the club looked after us brilliantly
BRANCHES OF THE SOCIETY GOLF M ATCH REPORT: O R G S v TH E S CH OOL 6TH MAY 2012
Tim Toulmin (B’88) organised a retirement dinner for Adrian Mylward at Elena’s in London Standing (from left): Simon Halliwell (B’91), Alastair Mills (B’88), Matthew McClelland (B’92), Duncan Mills (B’86), Thomas Juneau (P’91), Tim Toulmin (B’88), David Hall (B’86), Xander Olsen (B’93), Matt Smith (B’86), Luke Olsen (B’91), Tom Marriott (B’93) Sitting: Iain Wimbush (B’91), a couple of gatecrashers, Nick Hillman (B’85), Tim Karakashian (B’90)
It seems that Russell Embery's Repton golfing pupils have finally worked out how to beat the O R G S draft in help from the R A G S! The Repton Aged Golfing Society has been recently formed by ‘W ill I Am’ Odell, Housemaster of New House W ith help from Matt Carrington, James (the blazer) Dahl, Anthony Giles, Patrick Griffiths and Ian Setterington they helped the pupils win the 2012 match by a very narrow margin of 31/2 to 21/2 Only 6 pupils played, Jack Keen (L’07), W ill Swann (N), Matt Jones (L’07), Sam Martin (P’07), Jack Sanders (P) and James Frost (O); and it could be argued that the staff organised an exeat on the weekend of this golf match in order to deplete pupil numbers and get an invitation for the R A G S I couldn't possibly comment
OR EVENTS ADRIAN MYLWARD LONDON DINNER (17)
NJK OR EVENTS GAUDY 2012 (18)
Saturday, June 16th may have been cloudy, damp and rather grey, but nothing the elements could throw our way was going to prevent this year’s Gaudy from being a hugely enjoyable, and indeed memorable, occasion
One of the highest attendance figures for many years, over 220 from those who started in the school before 1961, as well as former and current members of Staff, meant that it was quite a crowd which gathered in the splendid Atrium of the newly refurbished 400 Hall for the pre lunch champagne reception
The choice of venue not only gave ORs the opportunity to marvel at the award winning architectural design, but served the more formal purpose of the official naming of the Charlesworth Studio Theatre To the great pleasure of all, Mike Charlesworth (O’41), whose name was synonymous with Repton drama during his long and distinguished time at the school, was on hand to unveil a plaque and say a few words, after introductory remarks from Guy Levesley (H’75), the present Head of Drama Productions From 400 Hall the assembled company then moved across to Pears School to enjoy a delicious lunch, at the end of which there were speeches from Mrs Sarah Tennant (Deputy Head) on behalf of the School, and Richard Hutton (H’56) It was a moment tinged with sadness, as it marked the end of Mike Stones’ eleven year stint as OR Secretary Richard paid fulsome tribute to Mike’s wonderful efforts over the years, finishing with the presentation of a gift from the Society After the applause had died down, a number of ORs took the opportunity to have a guided tour of the school from current pupils, whilst others braved the elements to watch some cricket, or stayed chatting in the warmth of Pears School For many, the final highpoint was a chance to re visit their old Houses and enjoy a generous tea before leaving the School and village once again, hopefully with many happy memories, both of the day and a different life a number of years ago!
Summer 2012 was not only a festival of sport with The Olympics and European Football Championships but also marked the 25th anniversary of my year group leaving Repton and as the only current parent of a pupil in the school from this year group I was charged with the task of organising a reunion I am grateful to Jan Cobb at the OR Society who “mass emailed” the database, and then it was a question of just waiting to see what reaction, if any, I would get I must confess I was worried about the response I would receive and the whole thing not getting off the ground at all I had no reason to be worried as no sooner had the mass email been sent than my inbox started to fill up and, even after 25 years, it was apparent that Repton humour stands the test of time I had countless emails and without exception not one “asked how I was” after 25 years but every response/contact from my contemporaries seemed more worried about “the perm”!!
OR EVENTS 25
After many emails the date was set for 16th June 2012 at The Bull’s Head in Repton On the night we had 29 attendees from the year group who had made the pilgrimage back to Repton and we were also joined on the night by Jim Blunt (N’81) who wanted to keep an eye on “his stigs”
It is fair to say that in no time at all everyone was swapping stories and memories of their time at Repton as well as discussing their lives after Repton The evening was full of laughter and was a resounding success I am grateful to all those who made the effort and hope you all enjoyed yourself Once again thank you to Jan Cobb for helping and making the night possible and to all those who attended P Elsom (N’82) YEAR REUNION (19) Jim Blunt (N’81) and Ali Needler (N’82) Nick White (B’82), Ali James (A’85), Ruth Hartley (A’85) Alison Fleming (A’85), Jon Kirtland (O’85), Jane Fisher (A’85), Des Anderson (P’82)
OR PROFILES SAM MARTIN (P’07), DOM CHAFFEY (L’07), JACK KEEN (L’07) We set out on our planned 10 day cycle ride from Lands End to John O’Groats on the 18th July Our route saw us needing to ride an average of 100 miles per day and, whilst we had done some training beforehand, this was significantly more than anything we had done previously The jour ney got off to a difficult start with persistent rain on the first day, and the poor weather was coupled with some challenging hills in Cor nwall Fortunately for us the weather conditions improved in the days that followed and we gradually became accustomed to the demands on our legs and bodies in general Nevertheless, we still groaned as we approached each hill By day 6 we had reached the Scottish borders and we were beginning to see the end in sight The daily routes through Scotland provided some superb cycling and scenery and in comparison to Cor nwall and Devon the roads were relatively flat (apart from the climb out of Loch Ness) On day 10 we only needed to ride 60 miles to finish at John O’Groats and we arrived in bright sunshine to celebrate the end of what proved to be a fantastic jour ney We bought our souvenirs and loaded the campervan ready for the long jour ney home We received a tremendous amount of support en route from people staying at each of our designated campsites and our overall total was boosted by a number of generous donations from these individuals As it stands at the moment we have managed to raise close to £7000 for our chosen charities Our sponsorship page on www virginmoneygiving com remains open for further donations for another 6 months should anybody wish to add to our current total figure W ithout the support of Tim Keen (C’76) who not only drove the support vehicle but acted as chef, medic, mechanic and all round motivator we would have been unlikely to have survived the first 3 days never mind the complete jour ney! Thank you to everyone involved Jack, Dom and Sam
The BHF has benefited by over £5000 from our ride already but the donations are still coming in If you too would like to donate, our team page is still open at www justgiving com/teams/Bobsbikers (20)
OR PROFILES BOB’S BIKERS
The task we had set ourselves was to cycle from Repton to Holkham (North Norfolk) some 150 miles distant in a little over 2 days We were riding and raising sponsorship for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Robert ‘Bob’ Billson (H’81) who died of heart failure in 2010 The ride began in style with a send off from the Arch by Adam, the School Chaplin and this meant that, officially at least, we did have a prayer (something that several of the author’s sponsors had voiced doubts over)! After our first puncture repair stop (Milton), we called in at Foremarke before stopping again at the churchyard in Barrow on Trent (the resting place of Bob’s ashes) so that we could give the spirit of our former housemate some friendly abuse Bob’s family met us there with champagne and sandwiches, although I’m suspicious they lied when describing them as “isotonic” Whilst sipping champagne in the late summer sunshine, I thought that I could get used to this cycling thing Unfortunately we couldn’t stay for long, so we were forced to say our goodbyes and set about the task of actually doing some proper pedalling The route took us past East Midlands Airport, Kegworth and then a series of villages as we made our way towards South W itham near the A1 Jour ney’s End for Day1 On the way, though, we had our minds changed about ‘this cycling thing’ being wholly pleasant In the unlikely event you are ever required to describe Waltham Lane near the pretty village of Long Clawson, Nottinghamshire from a northerly to southerly perspective, I can confidently report that that you may use the term ‘uphill’ without any fear of contradiction The pub at South W itham welcomed us with beer brewed in their own brewery and, a hearty meal and while the efforts of the day crept up on us, the years continued to fall away It did not seem possible that it was 31 years ago that we had been new boys at Repton, and it was strange to be with so many others who shared the same memories that I have spent years thinking were my own After a somewhat creaky start, Day 2 saw us drop down to the flats of Lincolnshire, through Kings Lynn, Sandringham and finally on to Hunstanton, just over 80 miles Both the need for a serious drink and the feeling of achievement was shared by us all Day 3 just involved a short, 15 mile, hour’s cycle along the coast from Hunstanton to Holkham, our ultimate destination W ith the sun still shining, we were met on the beach by other members of Bob’s family with more food and drinks and we happily picked up a game of yard cricket we had left off in 1986 Had it not been for the fact that one of us was missing, and would forever be missing, the day, and the weekend, would have been perfect To all those at the School and the OR Society who were fabulous in support of our enterprise particularly Adam, Carl, Jenny, Dale, and Jan a sincere “Thank you”
Not an adventure to stand comparison with polar exploration or Himalayan climbing, but for this group of forty something H’81 ORs, each generally more used to pushing keys than pedals, an adventure all the same
The University Air Squadron exists to provide basic flying training, force development and adventurous training and a taste of service life as a Junior Royal Air Officer Having left Repton in 2010, I spent a year working at Repton School, Dubai, and now find myself in my first year at the University of Dundee and an Officer Cadet on the East of Scotland Universities’ Air Squadron (ESUAS) based at RAF Leuchars Go onto any UAS website and you will see that there are a number of different sections: Charity/Volunteer Work, Flying, Service, Sport and Squadron Life Although I am only six months into my two years on the squadron, I have already benefited from many opportunities that the squadron has to offer I have completed eight hours of the flying syllabus and am preparing to fly the Grob T1 Tutor aircraft solo OCs are extremely lucky when it comes to flying, as we benefit from first class military flying instruction, free of cost, and can develop the skills to fly in formation, without instructors In terms of force development and service, I have completed my basic weapons handling test and first aid qualifications Sport and Adventurous Training are major parts of being on the Squadron, and passing the RAF Fitness test is a must I have coached the Squadron’s Ladies’ 7s rugby team and will be heading to our first competition in a couple of weeks against other UASs As I write, there is a group of students on a week’s skiing expedition in Bulgaria, whilst the novice skiers have just retur ned from Aviemore, where they combined their skiing lessons with survival experience Moreover, preparations are being made for scuba diving expeditions and sailing expeditions in the Solent alongside the more regular football and cricket tour naments In addition, trips to the battlefields of Norther n France are being proposed The main commitment on the squadron is attendance at our bi weekly Town Nights where we meet at Leuchars and listen to a lecture ranging on topics from the RAF’s role in Libya through to the RAF’s drugs policy to the role of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service, before hosting our guests in the Squadron bar, which provides an opportunity to meet with friends and staff in a less formal setting
Imagine this You’re a student, it’s Saturday, it’s 7am, the sun is coming up, you’re lying down where are you??? The answer is in some trees, preparing to assault and secure a model village for the residents of a far flung country who have fallen victim to an extremist organisation You’re there, heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, safety catch about to go off and you’re waiting for your Flight Commander’s word to go Sounds like an ordinary student’s Saturday mor ning?? No You are here because you are an Officer Cadet in the Royal Air Force’s University Air Squadron University Air Squadrons were formed in 1925, initially at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, and are part of the Royal Air Force Reserves, often parenting Air Experience Flights with which many of you may have flown during your time in the CCF Today 14 UASs exist covering the country from the East of Scotland all the way down to Boscombe Down with each squadron consisting of up to ninety undergraduate students, Qualified Flying Instructors, Ground Training Instructors and Admin Staff Selection to join the squadron is competitive, with around four applicants for every place Membership of the squadron is gained through two interviews and the successful completion of the RAF Fitness Test
OR PROFILES CALUM SETTERINGTON (S’05)
Another major area of Squadron Life is socialising As a member of the East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron I am mixing with students from Edinburgh in the South, St Andrews in the middle and Aberdeen in the North We hold our own functions numerous times a year, including Christmas and Summer Balls and Easter and Summer Camps One of the benefits of being an Officer Cadet is that you get to enjoy all of the privileges of being a member of the Officers Mess, which includes invitations to their functions, being able to sample the delicious food that is served daily and stay over when on duty W ith this privilege, comes responsibility, and you are expected to behave how a Royal Air Force Officer should All of this sounds very expensive doesn’t it? Well, in fact it is not There are three types of membership to the UAS: volunteer reserve, bursars and cadets Members of the Volunteer Reserve, like myself, are entitled to a number of days training pay, without committing to joining the Royal Air Force or Reserves afterwards Bursars receive annual bursaries towards their academic studies, and Cadets (usually Medics and Engineers near the completion of their degrees) receive a small salary and can rise to the rank of Pilot Officer So what is the difference between the CCF and the UAS? Whilst I had a phenomenal time in Repton’s CCF under the stewardship of Flt Lt Smith and Flt Lt Alderman, the UAS is much more of a lifestyle, and more importantly, a student led organisation That said there are, of course, exceptional staff to catch us when we fall! I strongly urge any undergraduate OR to consider membership of the UAS, and to make the most of every opportunity that is available to them through this excellent organisation
Finally, I hope that this article has proved informative to young ORs and provided fond reminders for slightly older ORs who were part of the University Air Squadron
OC C J Setterington (S’10) East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron, RAF Leuchars (21)
We know of four ORs who were selected to run with the Olympic torch
John Peake is an i n s p i r a t i o n a l Olympian having competed in the 1948 Olympic Games which was the first Games after World War II, with very little support or resource to do so John was a British field hockey player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics He was a member of the British field hockey team, which won the silver medal He played all five matches as forward
James has been involved in every step of the volunteering pathway (from a local, national and inter national level) at the University of St Andrews since he started as a student three years ago The first project that he got involved in was the Saints Sport Support Project, working with students with disabilities and mental health issues to facilitate their participation in sport and work on a 1:1 basis on a sport activity of their choice to encourage them to be involved in sport James now manages this project and runs a team of 6 volunteers and pairs them up on a weekly basis with students who are referred onto the programme from Student Services He has also been involved as a club committee member in the role of Treasurer and Club President within the Saints Water Polo team James has volunteered at school water polo outreach sessions in the local community on a weekly basis He has also been voted in by the students to the Athletic Union Executive as the AU Treasurer 2010/11 and AU Alumni Officer 2011/12 for Saints Sport Last year, James was selected as a Student Tutor on the LEAD 2014 initiative working in conjunction with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, where he was part of a team that facilitated a sports leadership conference for over 100 young people from across the region James was recently selected as one of five St Andrews students to work in Zambia on the UK Sport Zambia IDEALS project for 8 weeks This involves working with Zambian coaches and students from six other universities across the country to coach football, volleyball, netball and basketball in Lusaka To top all of this off, James was shortlisted and awarded with the Scottish Student Sport Volunteer of the Year award for 2011 Memory of the day: This is a hard one to put into words! From the moment I found out I would be carrying the Olympic Torch in December it took right up until the moment I got off the bus just before I ran my leg to get my head around what I was about to be involved in I felt so lucky and proud to have the honour of running with the torch and could not have imagined a better way to be involved in the Olympics One of the really great things that struck me as I was running was the amazing power the torch had to bring everyone together, young and old from a huge range of countries Everyone was there to see the Olympic flame and to be part of the relay to me it perfectly summed up the Olympic spirit and shows the huge power of sport to bring people together I got nominated because of the volunteer work I did at the University of St Andrews, which I got involved in because of the deep love of sport I have and my desire to share that with as many people as possible, it seems unbelievable that doing something I enjoyed so much gave me such an incredible opportunity Third to run was John Peake (B’38) on July 3rd in Peterborough Nomination story
Georgie Twigg is an outstanding ambassador for student sport at the University of Bristol She is an active member of the University's High Performance Sports Squad and is currently representing Great Britain and England as a full Hockey Inter national and undertaking a Law degree She has brilliantly managed to combine sporting excellence with her academic studies and continues to act as a role model and mentor within her club, proactively promoting University sport Georgie is a 2012 Sporting Ambassador Memory of the day It was an absolutely amazing day I just couldn't believe how many people were there it was beyond belief I was in a bus behind the procession from the start of the day which really added to the anticipation and nerves It was such an adrenaline rush and showed how everyone was going to get behind Team GB for the Olympics What was so great about the relay is that it generated such a buzz around the Games and the whole country united in its excitement "
Second to run was James Dickinson (O’06) on June 12th in Guardbridge Nomination Story
(22) OR OLYMPIAN TORCHBEARERS
First to run was Georgie Twigg (F03) on May 23rd in Bristol Nomination story
Memory of the day I thoroughly enjoyed the run or should I say partial trot I was lucky to be invited to take part the last one of our 1948 Games silver medal hockey team “still above ground” It was an excuse for the family from Coventry and W imbledon to visit us and have a party Our granddaughter Melanie cheered from the side “Come on Granddad” and the official next to here, who did not know of our relationship, said “don’t be rude”!
OR OLYMPIAN GEORGIE TWIGG (F’03)
Fourth to run was Charles Sale (B’70) on July 26th in The City of Westminster Nomination story Reporting on the Olympics has inspired me to at least attempt to try and get fit every four year cycle In Sydney that resolve lasted only as long as one breathless run down George Street At Athens, I gave up after being chased by one of the stray dogs roaming the city But I retur ned from Beijing determined to show some self discipline for a change and start a sensible training regime in the build up to London 2012 This has resulted in being able to run marathons albeit very slow ones and a five stone weight loss from the time I hit the scales at a super heavyweight 18 st 10lb more suited to sumo wrestling than running with the torch This incredible honour of carrying the flame and the motivation from the upcoming London heroics will hopefully keep me running towards Rio in 2016 Memory of the day Quite why I was chosen by LOCOG remains a mystery, but it was an extraordinary privilege and an emotional unforgettable experience You can’t be cynical however hard you might try after actually carrying that flame Like all good sportsmen, I had jogged the course beforehand to visualise what it might be like It didn’t seem daunting when you could count the people on the pavement in the early mor ning calm before 7am But 10 hours later it was bedlam, the crowd spilling onto the route like on a mountain finish in the Tour de France My mercifully short self conscious time in the spotlight ended on the approach to Trafalgar Square opposite the National Gallery and by the monument to First World War British patriot and nurse Edith Cavell Certainly there will have to be paintings commissioned, squares named and statues built of Lord Coe for his Olympian achievements I was thinking of Seb at that moment Not the Lord of the Rings, but the student I first met at Loughborough University in 1975 We were on the same course and a group of us had arranged to meet for a drink Seb was the only one not to tur n up but was spotted running around the campus in a tracksuit I asked what conceivably he could be doing in preference to going to the pub Seb replied matter of factly: 'I’m training for the Olympics ' Not convinced, I shouted some loud four letter abuse at the slender figure disappearing into the distance It was only some time afterwards I discovered that he was the real thing And 37 years on I can still remember my mumbled apologies My carrying the flame so close to Seb’s opening ceremony suggests he has forgiven me
What a summer it has been The excitement started in May when I was nominated by Bristol University to carry the Olympic Torch and, shortly after, I heard I had been selected in the GB Women’s Hockey team for London 2012 After that I had the very small task of my Law finals at Bristol University The university was fantastic in allowing me to split my final year over two years, which enabled me to be part of the Centralised Hockey training programme based at Bisham Abbey I trained there Monday to Thursday and the Law Department arranged for me to take all my seminars and tutorials back in Bristol on Fridays I was also able to catch up on missed lectures via podcasts Of course it’s Murphy’s Law that the two major events I have been working towards, graduating from the University and going to the Olympics, came along on the same day, and I had to miss my graduation ceremony as it was the day we moved in to the Olympic Village The accommodation was great and I was in a townhouse with seven of my teammates The Food Hall, however, was simply jaw dropping It was huge, capable of feeding 10,000 people in an hour with anything they wanted and was open 24 hours a day I think the average height of the athletes must have been well over 6ft, so at 5ft 7 I felt rather small in comparison The Opening ceremony was very exciting! As Team GB was scheduled to enter into the stadium last we were able to watch the first hour on the television from our flats All dressed up in our white and gold outfits we grouped together with the other GB Athletes; everyone ready to make the walk across to the stadium The walk really was very special as so many volunteers and supporters were cheering us the whole way over The Olympic stadium looked magnificent all lit up and we could hear the music and the roars of the crowd as we approached Finally we reached the stadium Walking out really was incredible and I had to take a moment to take it all in We paraded around the stadium waving madly (we even got on TV a few times!) and finally stopped in the middle where we watched the rest of the ceremony Seeing the Olympic torch being lit and forming right before my eyes was truly breathtaking and a moment I will never forget Then it was down to the serious business of the tour nament Our matches were on alter nate days and were either at 7pm or 4pm We soon settled into a routine on match days of early breakfast, team meeting, light lunch, after noon power nap (for 7pm matches) and then across to the warm up area next to the Riverbank arena
(23) OR OLYMPIAN TORCHBEARERS CONTINUED
OR OLYMPIANS THROUGH THE DECADES
The closing decades of the nineteenth century witnessed an unparalleled growth in organised sports and the cult of athleticism in public schools There is not the space here to explore the genesis of this process, or to detail the growth of the individual games in which Reptonians would later excel at the Olympics Suffice it to say that the ethos of the School, and the time and the resources it invested in sport, provided an ideal training ground for those with an aptitude to excel at a national and inter national level
Although the first Olympic games of the moder n era, held in Athens in April 1896, attracted no Old Reptonians, those in the early years of the twentieth century saw the School well represented The first OR known to have competed in the Olympics was Walter Buckmaster (M’1887) At Repton he had been in the Football XI, however, at Cambridge he specialised in polo, playing the sport at the 1900 and 1908 Olympics and winning a silver medal in each Four other ORs competed at the 1908 Olympics, three of them winning medals The best known of them is the rower Raymond Etherington Smith (H’1890), who won gold and whose oars still ador n the T ithe Bar n walls Two ORs played hockey in the 1908 Games, the first time that field hockey had been contested at the Olympics: Frederick Phillips (L’1898) was in the Welsh team and won a bronze medal, and Edgar Page (H’1900) was on the English side and received a gold medal Eric Hussey (H’1899) competed at the Olympics as a hurdler, but was eliminated in the semi finals after finishing second in his heat
Paul Stevens, the School’s Librarian and Archivist, explores the links between the Games and the School
The rest, as they say, is history and despite a valiant performance, we agonisingly missed out on a place in the Olympic hockey final going down 2 1 against Argentina I don’t think I have ever cried so much and I have the photos to prove it
Following the game we had a few hours before the medal ceremony, which was after the gold medal match, and were able to see family and friends and we had a surprise visit by the Duchess of Cambridge The medal ceremony itself was incredible; the moment the medal was put around my neck (which for the record is ridiculously heavy!!) will truly remain with me for the rest of my life
The next 24 hours were a whirlwind of media interviews and a few of us even managed a trip to Chinawhite, the night club! And then there was the Closing ceremony! I went to see the Spice Girls when I was 8 so I was excited to see them again and managed to get to the very front Some of the acts were brilliant and I felt so privileged to be there watching some of the greatest bands and singers in the world There was a great atmosphere around Team GB after all the successes throughout the games and everyone was determined to enjoy themselves
Although the popularity of hockey is gaining momentum we are used to playing in front of small crowds so to walk out to 16,000 cheering fans, seemingly all of whom were waving union flags, was incredible The noise was deafening and really started the adrenalin pumping Despite an horrific injury to our Captain, Kate Walsh, we won our first 3 matches and then had to play China, who we knew would be tricky as they were Silver medallists in Beijing Unfortunately we lost 2 1 and this meant that we would have to beat the Netherlands to make it through to the semi final or so we thought Amazingly Japan beat China in their next game which meant our pool game against the Netherlands was a dead rubber We were in the semi finals and would face Argentina
So what now? The Centralised Training programme has stopped until April next year so I am going to do my LPC at Law College in London and then look at my options I have a Training Contract with solicitors Bird & Bird and they have indicated that if I would like to try for Rio in 2016 I can defer until then I have a sneaking suspicion that there may be a fair few Old Reptonians vying for places on the women’s hockey team in Rio Watch this space!
However, the next day we had to pick ourselves up to prepare for the dreaded bronze medal play off against New Zealand the following day There was no way were going to go home without a medal and we probably played our best hockey of the Games W ith the Duchess of Cambridge, Dame Kelly Holmes and gold medallist Katherine Grainger in attendance, the Riverbank arena was at fever pitch and as the hooter sounded at full time, it erupted to celebrate our 3 1 victory over the “black sticks”
(24) OR OLYMPIAN GEORGIE TWIGG (F’03) CONTINUED
JOHN PEAKE 4th from left, back row John Parker (B’51) ran the hurdles in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and, although he was unsuccessful there, he did win a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1966 Also at the 1964 Games, though not as a competitor, was John Common (C’26) who judged four boxing matches and refereed ten others, including a semi final Andrew Griffiths (O’82) started playing hockey at the age of eight and represented England U16 before moving to Canada and joining the Canadian Team He represented Canada at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000 Representing Great Britain at hockey in the same Games was Ben Sharpe (B’89) who had won bronze at the European Cup in 1995 and 1999 and at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 Our most recent Olympians have been Charlotte Craddock (A’05) who took part in the 2008 Beijing Games She made her inter national debut as a forward in November 2007 against Argentina, and represented England in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where the women's team won the bronze medal This summer in London Georgie Twigg (F’03) played hockey in the GB team and won bronze NOT COMPETING BUT RELATED Raoul Sergent (P’03) Passed preliminary diving trials for the Olympic Games in 1914 Dr. Steve Targett (C’76) Part of the New Zealand medical team in the 2004 Olympics Undoubtedly the most famous of Reptonian Olympians is Harold Abrahams (M’14) who competed in the 1920 Antwerp Games and the 1924 Paris Games, as well as captaining the British team in 1928 At Cambridge he scored three wins in the freshmen's sports and was immediately selected for the Olympic Games in Antwerp where he competed in the 100 and 200 metre races and in the long jump At the 1924 AAA championship, Abrahams won the 100 yards in 9 9 seconds but was still a 0 2 second outside the British record set the previous year by Eric Liddell In Paris the eliminating heats were to be staged on a Sunday and Liddell, a strong sabbatarian, confined himself to the 200 and 400 metres, in which he took the bronze medal in the shorter event and the gold medal for 400 metres in a time which gave him the metric world record Abrahams equalled the Olympic record in the 100 metres in the second round with 10 6 seconds and next day came through (again in 10 6 seconds) to beat by inches the world record holder Abrahams later said that the next three and three quarter hours were the worst in his life because now he knew he could win And win he did, with a time of 10 52 seconds He thus set three Olympic record equalling performances in the space of twenty six hours Arthur Willis (H’07) competed as a high jumper in the 1924 Olympics in Paris Charles Bruce (C’1881), together with the rest of the team he had led, received the Olympic Medal in Alpinism at the 1924 W inter Olympics in recognition of their 1922 expedition to climb Mount Everest, and to each of the 13 participants Pierre de Coubertin handed over a Silver Medal with gold overlay At the same Games at which Bruce was honoured, Harry Brittain (JHG’1887)* served as a representative of the British Olympic Association Charles Griffiths (C’12) was in the bobsleigh team at the 1928 W inter Olympics in St Moritz, but there is conflicting information as to his achievements
OR OLYMPIANS THROUGH THE DECADES CONTINUED
The School Register indicates he received a bronze medal, but the official Olympic statistics do not support this in fact the German team won the bronze medals A search for Griffiths competing in another sport at these Games has drawn a blank
(25) John Peake (B’38) played forward in the British hockey team which won the silver medal at the 1948 ‘Austerity’ Olympics in London There was no Olympic Village and he recalls being put up in military barracks over 18 miles away “I don’t think there was the razzmatazz there is now,” he said as he recalled marching into the stadium “We were the last ones in We were being boiled in the sun for what felt like hours When everyone was assembled, then of course the torch came around That was extraordinarily special ”
In the 1928 Summer Olympics at Amsterdam, Alfred Goodwin (L’17) took part in the pentathlon event, ranking 22nd at its close Although no old boys competed in Berlin in 1936, there was still a Reptonian participating: Arthur Barton, Physics Master at the School, was also a top class football referee, and his services were called on for the semi final between Austria and Poland
*JHG is John Henry Gur ney’s house (1886 to 1901)
Great Britain Hockey Team 1948 Olympics
(26) REPTON MEMORIES John Robin Grayson ( Nickname Grayfils ) (N’55) saw the letter in pigeon post issue 319 from Mike Linton regarding a photo R G Gunner had sent in John thought ORs might like to see the black and white photo he took shortly after being given his first SLR camera and while still practising! It shows Mike (N’56) with R G Gunner (N’57) and Whitehead (N’56) in their study around 1957 Four more photos all taken at the same time are: P D Scott (N’55) in his study alone Mike Broomhead (N’54), Nigel Thornton (N’55) and Timothy? Herbert (N’55) In Study: R G Gunner (N’57), P D Scott (N’55) and ?? with Paddy Hall (N’56) at the back having a pretend jam session Do you remember this photograph? Robin believes it is of the winners of the House Senior Steeplechase Cup in 1960 Front row: ? Gray, J L Holdsworth, L Boswell Back row: R D Dennison, M Broomhead, H Purcell Robin has also sent in this 1960 photo of New House He has listed below the names of those he can remember it being 52 years ago ! It would be good if anyone remembers the missing names TOP ROW M Needler M Linton Salmond TJ Kinchin ? ? IR Shaw JP Wenger Lloyd DC Gray Arundel AC Whitehead I Ross MG Gunner IR Jenner MR Moody JWB Swallow Owen BELOW Johnston Dennison ? ? RH Smitherman RA Swift C Needler ? JA Bar nes ? Carey ? ? JD Boult P Fletcher BELOW PN Hall R Humberstone RD Dennison PD Scott House Tutor Pellow MJ Barrat Matron J Holdsworth Housemaster Mr Butcher Mrs Butcher H Purcell House Tutor Grew JR Grayson N Thor nton L Boswell N Alston SH Sidall BOTTOM ROW ? ? ? RPD Swallow DFB Swallow IJ Scott Coulsdon Firth In the New House Readers From left R M Humblestone (N’56), Paddy Hall (N’56) and Martin Needler (N’56)
OR PUBLICATIONS
After much procrastination I have finally loaded my book of humorous short stories to Kindle titled ‘Parrots, Witches and Call Centres’, at the listed price of GBP 0 77 (a handful of Pennies, or 99 cents in US Dollars) opinions differ; our dogs think it is a rip off because there are not enough stories about them; I think it is a bargain; my wife Cathy, ever the cautious Economist, reckons it was a smart move to price it in Great British Pounds and not Euros; while our pal Zorba says it's “much better value than a glass of cheap Ouzo” I am a semi retired baby boomer, part time gout sufferer, occasional curmudgeon and publisher of www raski co za, a website for folks who are Retired And Spending the Kids’ Inheritance Peter Hall (L’57) "Stand Up if you Love the Boss" is a 48 page illustrated collection of poems telling (wistfully but I hope also humorously!) the rather sad tale of a humble football club (Lincoln City) which I have supported avidly since well before my time at Repton for over 60 years in fact! It was published last September by Tucann Books of Heighington, Lincs (ISBN 978 1 907516 17 7) and carries an amusing foreword by the Rt Revd John Saxbee, a former Bishop of Lincoln Geoffrey Piper (B’57) Martin Wright (Hall/Latham ‘43), has published Making good: prisons, punishment and beyond, 1982, reprinted 2008 and Restoring respect for justice, 1991, translated into Polish (2005) and Russian (2007), 2nd edition 2008 PADDOCKS to PITCHES Wester n Australian football has never seen anything like it!
John Plowright This is an ideal Christmas present and is now £25 per copy including VAT and postage instead of the rrp of £37 50 Please contact the School Shop on 01283 559323
A NOTE FROM THE GENERAL EDITOR Even the most loyal Reptonian should discover something new about the school after dipping into this volume, whether it be the existence of a well underneath the Tithe Barn, the origins of the ‘Lex Pelicana’,Messrs Downing’s and Mylward’s extra curricular activities as film extras or the fact that Repton numbers amongst its alumni a former Prime Minister (albeit of France!) Ever y school has its own ethos born of its customs and traditions, giving it a personality whereby it differs from other schools superficially similar Repton’s ethos has certainly managed to produce men and women who cannot be easily reduced to a mould, ranging as they do from the Archbishop Michael Ramsey to the pioneering socialist economist John Gray, who claimed that at Repton he ‘learned little else than to catch fish, to play at marbles and to climb trees ’ This chimes with W H Auden’s obser vation that, ‘one never remembers actually being taught anything, though one remembers clearly enough when one failed to learn.’
What has been 120 years in the making, has taken the last five to thoroughly research and document Paddocks to Pitches is the third (and by far the most challenging) publication written by Wester n Australia's leading soccer historian, Richard Kreider An epic 800 pages of stories, profiles, statistics and photographs will captivate any West Australian fascinated by the world game From its scratchy beginnings in 1892, through to the Perth Glory era in 2012, Paddocks to Pitches covers almost everything on the sport in Australia's largest state and includes references to the Burt brothers, Francis Sinclair Burt (L’1897) and Theodore C A Burt, (L’1907) (27) A magnificent tribute to Repton in Reptonians’ own words, Fully illustrated in colour, ‘Repton to the End’, is a book of exceptional quality A vital element in the book are the voices of Reptonians vividly recalling their experiences of life at school the highs, the lows, work and play, characters and personalities, the glimpses of the famous before they were famous, even the scandals
• At Christmas, the following Reptonians received offers or places from Oxford and Cambridge Universities At Oxford, Amelia Anderson (U6F) received an offer to read Music (with a Choral Award) and Rebecca Banbury Morgan (U6A) an offer to read Biology Zoe Dunn (OR) received an offer to read Fine Art Offers were received from Cambridge by Jessica Stewart (U6A) in Law, and Alex Cole (U6C) and Jake Tobin (U6S), both in Medicine
• Madeleine Kelly’s (L6A) essay on Sir Bob Geldof was ‘Highly Commended’ in the Land Economy essay competition run by Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge • Yubo Jia (U6O), Kathy Chen (U6M), Jake Tobin (U6S), Dake Qi (L6O), Honglie Chen (L6S), Zhicong Chen (L6P) and Francis Song (L6C) all achieved Gold Certificates in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge Yubo, Kathy, Dake, Zhicong and Francis also qualified for the prestigious British Mathematical Olympiad First Round In addition Honglie qualified for the new Senior Kangaroo competition In the UKMT Senior Team Challenge, Jake Tobin (U6S), Yubo Jia (U6O), Lygon Bowen West (L6S) and Honglie Chen (L6S) won the Derbyshire heat against some stiff local opposition and then finished well in the National Final held in London
The Society has been privileged to engage in stimulating discussions provoked by cogent, wide ranging and thoroughly researched theses
SCHOOL NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS & ACTIVTIES 2011/2012
• Lauren Finch (U6A) was awarded an INTO China Scholarship to attend a Mandarin Chinese language course at Dongbei University of Finance and Economics in China
• At the annual Careers Forum in June, ORs and friends of the School spoke to the Lower Sixth about life beyond the Arch • Ben Berry (L6A) has won an Army Scholarship Amy Chatterton (L6A) was awarded an RAF Gliding Scholarship and, having gone solo, gained her Silver wings
• The papers delivered to the School’s Ramsey Society this year were as diverse and challenging in their content as ever Particular highlights were Jessica Stewart's (U6A) incisive and original essay on the Legacy of Roman Law and Lauren Finch’s (U6A) erudite and articulate exploration of W ittgenstein’s Private Language Argument Hayden Ball (U6S) gave a brilliant exposition of the Future of the Inter net, and Kate Benn (L6A) particularly impressed with her careful marshalling of the salient points of Jacobin and Fukuyaman Positivism and its implications for Wester n Interventionism in the Middle East
• A number of Repton pupils attended the competitive Gifted and Talented courses run by Villiers Park, namely: Serena Slack (U6M): 'Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice'; Lauren Finch (U6A): 'China: Economy, Culture and Beyond'; Tamsin Dykstra (U6G): ‘Approaches to English Literature: Texts & Contexts’; Emma Stoll (U6M): ‘Chemistry: Why Chemical Reactions Happen’; Kathy Chen (U6M): ‘Mathematics: Chaos or Clear Cut?’; Sam Yung (U6S) and Madeleine Kelly (L6A): ‘The World in Crisis?’; Petr Ufimkin (U6N): ‘Physics: How the Universe Lives and Dies’; Jaime Carr (L6A): ‘Geography: Geographical Imaginations’; Joanna Holroyd (L6F): ‘English Literature: Exploring Shakespeare’; Charlotte Graham (L6M): ‘Biology: Ecology and Evolution’; Katie Driver (L6F) and Kate Benn (L6A): ‘Philology:The Language Learner's Toolkit’; Cameron Melville (L6P): ‘Economics’; Imogen Clarke (L6M) and Lygon Bowen West (L6S): 'An Exploration of Space'
• There were many trips abroad this year including spectacular Geography trips to Thailand and to Iceland The Sixth Form artists had a hugely enjoyable four day trip to Munich in March to take in the culture and the sights of that beautiful city Next year the plan is to visit Bilbao and Madrid in Spain to visit the Guggenheim, Prado and Reina Sofia
• Our fourth Lower Sixth Conference took place in June on the subject of Entrepreneurship It ran from 13th 15th June and involved all members of the Lower Sixth The conference was addressed by Fraser Doherty, the founder and CEO of SuperJam
• The Debating Society has had a successful "re building" season, under the committed leadership of Jessica Stewart (U6A) and Tamsin Dykstra (U6G) The Senior Society has debated (among others) the pros and cons of compulsory organ donation and restrictions on free speech
• In the 2012 external public examinations, the boys and girls achieved 18% A*; 58 9% A*A and 88 4%A*AB at A Level At GCSE, the boys and girls achieved 34 78% A* and 68 11% A*A
• Madeleine Kelly (L6A) and Grace Sanderson (L6G) were awarded places on the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz Project, visited Auschwitz Birkenau in souther n Poland and made a presentation on their experiences to the School and village
Museums • 14 pupils took part in the third annual exchange with Repton Dubai Highlights included Erica Sanders (4G) being the first girl to take to the field as a member of the Repton Dubai 1st XI (and to take a wicket!) We were pleased to welcome 14 pupils from Dubai who spent two weeks soaking up the Repton life
• In the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge, Raees Rauf (5C), Michael Hynes (5N), Jonathan Leung (5L), Joseph Jankinson (5L), Tanay Suri (5P), Alasdair Hastewell (5O), Matthew Storer (4P), Jessica Czink (4A), Marina Akasaka (4F), Rebecca W illiams (3M), Maddie Sanders (3F) and Daniel Hudson (3O) achieved Gold Certificates Subsequently Michael, Matthew, Rebecca, Maddie and Daniel were invited to take part in the European Kangaroo where Rebecca and Matthew were awarded Merits Raees was invited to take part in the very prestigious British Olympiad where he too was awarded a merit
• The School has been selected as a satellite Science Lear ning Centre for the East Midlands
The Junior Debating Society is more popular than ever, 'old hands' Alasdair Hastewell (5O) and Tom Hunter (5P) leading the way, but with formidable talent emerging in Rochelle Blakeman (3G), Emily W inson Bushby (3M) and James Newham (3P) (28)
• Academic societies go from strength to strength MedSoc was addressed by a number of distinguished speakers and members also went to the Hunterian Museum (Royal College of Surgeons) in London to lear n about the history of medicine, modern developments in surgical techniques and, in particular, suturing Undergraduate medics also spoke to them about applying to Medical School and their experiences of medicine The Gur ney Society meetings (Science) for both juniors and seniors, and the MFL Society continue to be extremely well attended
• The singing of Fauré's Libera Me by the whole School on Remembrance Day is now an established tradition
• The Lent Term Charity Cabaret involved 140 pupils, playing over four nights to a total audience of 1,200 Over £14,000 was raised for The Lord's Taver ners Charity It was the swansong for Hayden Ball (U6S), who has run the lighting for every show at Repton since 2007's Son et Lumière when he had just joined B Block
• The Michaelmas Chamber Concert had a broad selection of many of the School's smaller ensembles, including Harp Ensemble, Symphonic Brass, Senior String Quartet, Junior and Senior Guitar Ensembles, Sax Pack and the Flute Choir
• The 1st XI football team, captained by Oli West (U6P), had another excellent season with wins over old rivals Shrewsbury (twice), Charterhouse and Bradfield They finished runners up in the Norther n 8s and secured the Derbyshire U18 championship for the first time since 2004 The U15A team reached the semi final of the Investec U15 ISFA Cup
• Old Reptonians W ill Hughes and Johnny Gorman progressed their football careers after leaving Repton in 2011 Johnny made his Premier League debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Norwich City and gained further senior Norther n Ireland caps, and W ill made his first team debut for Derby County, as well as playing for England U17s
• The Boys' 1st XI were Midland U18 Champions for the third consecutive year They achieved third place at the National Finals The Boys' U16 team was also Midland Indoor Champions and competed at the National Indoor Finals in January (29)
• The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme goes from strength to strength: 16 pupils have completed their Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, many of whom will now progress to the Gold Award
17 Reptonians alumni and current pupils (at the time of completion) have completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Scheme this year, a school record
• MusSoc performed Mozart’s C minor Mass involving staff, parents, pupils and the village
SCHOOL NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS & ACTIVTIES 2011/2012 CONTINUED
• The Unisons and Harmonies were again fiercely contested Latham won the Unisons with Ever y Breath You Take and Field House the Harmonies, with Come Fly W ith Me
• Following TJFW’s visit to Africa last summer, a small group of pupils linked their Design and Technology project work with the Dreamlands School in the Ashanti region of Ghana In July a small group of Reptonians visited Ghana to support the work of Dreamlands School
• A record 15 teams represented the School at netball this year
The 1st VII qualified for the Regional finals and came fifth
• The ISFA representative teams contained several Reptonians Oli West (U6P), Joe Mansfield (L6C), Doug Redfer n (L6P) and Joe Humphreys (L6P) all represented the U18 team in matches against Australia, Wales, Scotland, The Royal Navy and Loughborough University James Frost (5O) played for the ISFA U16 team, whilst Joel Atkin (4C) represented the ISFA U15 team Josh Riley (3P), Jack Bywater (3C), Theo Brierley (3C) and Patrick Conway (3S) all represented the ISFA U14 team Ben Jones (3C) secured a place in the ISFA U13 team
• The Informal Concert Series has become increasingly popular throughout the year and many excellent performances were enjoyed Coffee Concerts have been introduced after Chapel on Sundays, as a platform for the more able musicians to perform substantial works The Scholars’ Concert in June was very strong this year and showed real quality throughout the year groups
• Lucy Setterington (U6A) and Annabel Finch (U6F) were both selected to represent the Midlands, who came runners up, in the ISFA Girls Regional Representative Tour nament In addition, Lucy has been invited by ISFA to represent the organisation at an FA Leadership Camp Summer 2012
• Over 120 girls were coached in tennis The U15A team enjoyed an unbeaten season, as did the 1st VI for the fifth year running under the captaincy of Charlotte Jameson (U6M)
• The Orchestra performed works including Khachaturian’s Adagio, from Spartacus and Britten’s Soirées Musicales, and the String Orchestra played pieces ranging from Bartok’s Romanian Dances to Lady Gaga! Concert Band and Jazz Band gave their Christmas Concerts in 400 Hall
• Many prominent musicians played during the Subscription Series including Snake Davis, Red Priest and The Divertimenti Ensemble Staff and pupils combined to give a memorable Stars and Stripes concert
• This year, over £30,000 was raised by the annual Sale of Work The combination of events on the day and the support of Houses through dinners meant that over 40 inter national, national and local charities benefitted
• The Reptonian 2012, under the editorship of Emma Clarke (U6M), is another successful and colourful edition, with Reptonians of all ages and skills contributing through writing, artwork and photography
• Both the Boys and Girls 1st IV Tennis teams qualified for the National Finals in July after winning the Midlands’ region competitions
• Freya Flavell’s (U6A) art work of a painted deckchair has been selected to be part of a touring nationwide exhibition of excellence at GCSE
• It was another busy year in the life of our musicians The Chapel Choir sang Evensong at Gloucester Cathedral, and gave very successful Christmas Carol Services
• The Junior School Play in June was an adaptation of John Godber's Teechers
• Charlotte Graham (L6M) has been invited to join the prestigious Rodolphus Choir Chris Hill (3L) secured a place at Royal Norther n College of Music’s junior department
• The School enjoyed extraordinary success on the hockey pitches this year The Girls' 1st XI became Midland U18 Champions for the tenth consecutive year They followed this up by winning both the National U18 Indoor and Outdoor Championships The National outdoor victory was Repton's seventh in eight years and makes Megan Byas (U6F), this year’s 1st XI captain, the most successful player in the history of the competition, having won six National U18 titles
• The Reptiles had a busy year, performing at various occasions and recording several tracks in the studio too
• Jordan Potts (3L) in the U14C team retur ned the best bowling figures for Repton since 2009, taking 7 31 against Shrewsbury James Casha (4S) achieved the rare feat of taking a hat trick against Worksop College
• Old Reptonians Susie Gilbert (F’02) and Georgie Twigg (F’03) have represented Great Britain this year in preparations for the Olympic Games Michael Guest (O’06) represented Brazil in Japan at the Olympic Qualifying Tour nament in April
• Many Reptonians achieved representative honours in hockey Arjan Drayton Chana (U6S) and Maddie Sharpe (U6G) represented England U18s and Charlotte Stapenhorst (L6A) represented Germany at the European Four Nations Tournament at Easter Arjan was named Player of the Tour nament in which England were victorious Erica Sanders (4G) and Aaron Hibell (5O) represented England U16s at the equivalent Four Nations Tour nament Ben Clague (4P) made his inter national debut for Wales at Easter where he played against Aaron Hibell Megan Byas joined Maddie Sharpe, Arjan Drayton Chana and Aaron Hibell representing England at the UK School Games
• The following pupils broke School records in athletics: Alicia Tur ner (3F) U15 100m and 200m; Georgina Whitehouse (5M) U17 400m; Fabienne Peters (U6A) U19 100m Hurdles and Hannah Forsyth (U6G) U19 100m
SCHOOL NEWS ACHIEVEMENTS &
• Felix Swinbank (4O) and Hannah Boyle (3M) were both selected for England Fencing and represented England in a tour nament in Poland in March (30)
• Matthew Fletcher (U6S), Harry White (L6L) and Nitish Kumar (L6N) all represented Derbyshire CCC's Academy, and Harry also represented Derbyshire 2nd XI against Worcestershire CCC 2nd XI
SUMMER CAMP 2012
This year’s summer camp saw the Army cadets deploy to Beckingham training camp Lincolnshire A total of 40 Cadets, a mixture of A block through to Lower 6th, engaged in a thoroughly enjoyable, testing week After settling into the very old, Dads Army style, billeted 20 bed space accommodations on Saturday the outlined timings were issued to much amusement with reveille at 0600 hrs and breakfast at 0630 hrs
SCHOOL NEWS CCF (ARMY SECTION)
W ith the training programme starting at 0800 hrs, the academic daily life of Repton seemed a world away Sunday’s programme of military skills began with living in the field, navigation and some extremely interesting first aid, all of which would later be consolidated by practical assessments The evenings were taken up by training for the inter contingent competition day Corporal Tom Walsh took the lead with the Drill format, assisted by Sgt Cassidy (14 Cadet Training Team), Corporal Mark Goodhead lead the Obstacle Course team (Assisted by Capt Wadsworth) and Corporal Charles Perera lead the potted sports, ably assisted by the new addition to the CCF Miss Lexi Baker Day two saw the cadets move to Rutland Water to take part in the day’s personal development programme, the mor ning’s events ranged from Mountain biking around the lake, climbing on a fixed climbing tower, a high ropes course which tested the strongest of nerves and land command tasks games, and, whilst the weather tried its best to ruin the day, the cadets willingness to get involved and enjoy the activities resulted in an extremely enjoyable mor ning The after noon moved on to water events (if not already wet, the cadets were about to be) and, after donning some impressive wet suits, the cadets set out to show their skills in sailing, with Hanna and Tom Walsh taking the lead; kayaking and open canoeing After returning back to camp, the competition training resumed Mark Goodhead’s team was getting faster with each run over the Obstacle course and the variety of skills being tested by an unknown event with the potted sports were also improving Day three was a much anticipated range day The cadets, having worked so hard on achieving their weapon handling tests on the new SA80 A2 rifle (the same used on operations today (without the automatic facility), would now get the chance to fire live ball ammunition for the first time After some very
• Nitish Kumar represented Canada in the ICCT 20 World Cup Qualifiers in Dubai in March and scored Repton's first ever 1st XI T20 hundred, in just 59 balls, against Nottingham High School in the year’s HMC T20 competition
• Swimming is going from strength to strength in the School and our Boys’ medley team came fifth in the National Finals
• The weather has provided some challenging cricket conditions, but the 1st XI and U15 cricket teams undertook a successful pre season tour of the south of England in April The 1st XI won all four games, including a win over Eton College, and the U15s won two of their four games, with narrow losses in the others ACTIVTIES 2011/2012 CONTINUED
positive remarks from the range conducting officer on the conduct and professionalism of the weapon handling from the cadets, the final scores were impressive in that all but one cadet (owing to an eye condition) passed their weapons shooting test; furthermore, twenty one had achieved 1st Class shots, of which Cadets’ Elsom, Robson, Cpls’ Walsh (T) and Halstead had achieved a Marksman award, with Cadet Needham scoring 97 out of 100!! Further shooting continued with clay pigeon shooting and air rifle shooting Day four moved on to field craft skills, primarily concentrating on fire and movement as individuals and pairs After some exhausting dry runs up and down fields the cadets took a well ear ned break before moving onto the issue of conducting the same drills but this time with blank ammunition, smoke grenades and noise battle simulation The cadets had a thoroughly enjoyable but physically demanding day Day five was the much anticipated competition day Our first event was the potted sports, an entertaining event which with a team of 15, cadets had to kick rugby balls around a variety of cones, balance balls on badminton rackets whilst negotiating more cones and finishing off with shot putt (with a medicine ball) and a 10 minute run with a variety of penalties The drill competition showed how hard our team of 15 cadets had worked with an impressive display on the day The Obstacle course team worked extremely hard and produced an amazing time The best shots from the contingent were selected to take part in the air rifle shooting competition Rations were issued and the cadets waited for the prize giving for the competition, before they deployed on to the final 24 hour exercise
(31) SCHOOL NEWS CCF (ARMY SECTION) CONTINUED
W ith all nine Contingents formed up on the regimental square the Regimental Sergeant Major called out the winners and runners up of each event In the potted sports the cadets came 3rd, in Drill 5th, in the Obstacle course 1st, beating the next best time by 14 seconds! Air rifle shooting saw a 5th and so overall the cadets finished joint 1st; however, on count back the contingent had to settle for 2nd by 1 point in the drill competition
In high spirits from this great performance the cadets set out on the exercise under a beautiful blue sky (the calm before the storm) Having set their harbour areas up for the night the cadets, under their NCOs, set about a variety of night patrols and observation posts in order to gather as much intelligence as possible before a day time attack the following day That evening the heavens opened and, whilst the news around the country was of floods and road closures, our cadets were sleeping out in the already saturated ground The following, wet, mor ning the cadets set about packing up their harbour areas, getting a warm meal inside them and caching their bergans before going into battle The aim of the day was to consolidate all training objectives that had been taught during the week and the Cadets did not let themselves down A Sergeant Major from the regular army, acting as a safety supervisor, commented that in such appalling conditions, regular soldiers would struggle to deal with the tasks set out Cadets reacting to effective enemy fire would dash, take cover by diving down and then retur n fire; I observed cadets laying in pools of water, firing their blank ammunition, getting up and, still with a beaming smile, moving on with their team After two attacks and no let up from the rain it was decided to call an end to the exercise and move back into camp to carry out post exercise administration W ith great pride the Army Cadets showed much grit and determination throughout the week making a positive impression on the directing staff, and, with such a positive performance, the future of the Army section looks set to be even rosier Major J C Wadsworth Contingent Commander
(32) SCHOOL NEWS CRICKET BUNBURY FESTIVAL
Captain Mike Gatting, as well as a number of the professional staff at Derbyshire CCC
From July 23rd to 27th, Repton School was proud to host the 26th Bunbury English Schools Cricket Association Festival, an annual under 15s tour nament involving the country’s top 56 young players The majority of England’s current test squad, including Cook, Bell, Swann and Prior, have played at the Bunbury Festival in the past and future stars of the game were on show at the festival
Running over five days, it featured four squads, representing the North, the Midlands, the South & East and the South and West (including Wales) They played 50 over and 20/20 matches against each other culminating with a 20/20 final The Festival commenced on Monday mor ning with each player being presented with their Regional cap by Yorkshire and England's Jonny Bairstow in The Garth, which served as a tremendous venue for the formal opening of the festival After two days cricket at Repton, the teams were fortunate to play on Wednesday at The County Ground, home of Derbyshire CCC The link between the school and the county is closer than ever, and the county was very gracious in allowing the festival full use of the ground The Festival retur ned to the County Ground for a tremendous festival dinner the following day
In the wake of the Festival, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) David Graveney and his team of coaches will select a limited number of players to be part of the England Development Programme, based at the ECB National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough Repton's Director of Sport, Ian Pollock, who was also the Director of The Festival, said "It was a real privilege for the school to be able to host the players, parents, spectators, and guests of the 26th Bunbury Festival This can only add to the rich cricketing history of the school and I am sure it provided a memorable experience for the boys involved as they start the next stage of their cricket careers W ith 59 Bunbury cricketers now having moved on to play for England, it is likely that we will see one of this year's players in England colours in the future and we look forward to seeing the first player from our festival wear the three lions of England in years to come"
Guests at the dinner included England’s Head Selector Geoff Miller, England Cricket CEO David Collier and former England
As proceedings closed on the Friday, David English, founder of the Bunbury Festival, awarded Repton 15 out of 10 for the hosting of the Festival A tremendous achievement for the school The event was also covered by Sky Sports and the Daily Telegraph David English at the presentation in the Garth
(33) SCHOOL NEWS DRAMA Under the expert guidance of Mr Levesley, eighty pupils from B and A Block performed during the last week of the Summer Term in the Junior School Play, John Godber's 'Teechers' Superb ensemble work, hilarious character acting and some very strong leads made this an extremely enjoyable hour and a quarter In particular Vanessa Cole (F), Olivia Thackray (A) and George Gould (O) led from the front, with excellent support from Sammy Allsop (F), Jess Gough (A), Jamie Clarke (L) and Harry Mead (L), all giving performances well beyond their years; at times one had to be reminded that this really was a 'Junior' Play It was evidence that Repton's strong, dramatic tradition is assured to continue for a few years yet The show was also notable as Hayden Ball's (S’07) last one He has worked on every show since he arrived in 2007 and, as a B Blocker, ran the lighting for the 'Son et Lumière' On the first night the computerised lighting desk broke down and, typically, Hayden operated the lighting manually for the entire show He will be much missed, but we wish him well in his studies and no doubt further theatrical exploits in Edinburgh JCS
The Assessed Expedition was marginally less apocalyptic, but not without its challenges The major concer ns for the 2011 Silvers had been heatstroke and dehydration Not so much of a problem this time around On the second day it rained in that soupy, energy morale sapping fashion that can destroy expeditions at a stroke Add to this the groups’ first encounters with the British midge and all the planets were in alignment an opera in which the arias are howled, not sung These are hardy pupils, and, not only did they complete their expeditions in very good time, overcoming conditions that would challenge anyone, they also embraced it all, and made sure that they got the most out of the whole experience: the scenery, their physical achievement, and the new understanding they gained of themselves and of their peers And, in the final analysis, that’s the whole point, really For their Practice Expeditions, the four Gold Civilian DofE teams marked the 80th anniversary of the 1932 Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout with a circumnavigation of the highest mountain in the Dark Peak, and, while their exertions are unlikely to lead ultimately to the passing of an Act of Parliament, they lear nt a great deal from the experience In truth, the conditions were not far short of perfection for trekking superb visibility for almost the whole weekend, bar occasional blizzards above 600m on the first mor ning, crisp temperatures and enough cloud cover to preclude the threat of heat exhaustion by which this cohort were bedevilled on their Silver Expeditions The groups did, however, have to endure bracing nights, with the mercury dipping to 7 °C
(34) SCHOOL NEWS DUKE OF EDINBURGH SCHEME
This year 15 Reptonians achieved the Silver Award, and 16 the Gold, the latter being a School record CSD Emily, Joey, Lizzie
There can be no true beauty without loss: I had been looking forward to going on Expedition with this cohort for so long they are, let’s face it, something of a golden generation for Repton DofE that I was terrified it couldn’t bear the weight of my expectations If anything, the pupils far outstripped them; they could not have been better value, nor more laudable as teams or delightful as individuals The manner in which they welcomed participants from outside their own cohort an exter nal candidate and a U6 student added to their lustre, and it is hard to overstate the warmth and supportiveness of the atmosphere among the teams throughout the Expeditions My only regret that our time working together on the Expedition had to come to a close at all: they shall be greatly missed
Sharples’ group on Widdale
The O Block participants who survived and triumphed in the two Silver Expeditions can be immensely proud of themselves: on the Practice they fought and that’s the only word for it through gales, torrential rain and wind chill of 5°C, in conditions more commonly associated with the Donner Party Disaster of 1846 On this occasion, however, and after a long consultation process, there was no cannibalism The Sunday was the sort of day when your mind wanders, and then you come to again when you hear someone screaming, and then you realise that it’s you The moment that at once confirmed and enhanced this heroism came when Georgie Whitehouse and Lily Kettlewell, the only women left standing in Group E, were told that, for safety reasons, they would not be allowed to camp over night on the second evening: their stares of searing indignation could have melted diamonds
As soon as the groups arrived in the foothills of the Howgills, the wild Leviathans on the wester n edge of the Yorkshire Dales, it was clear that the Expeditions would be executed with panache and success They went about their final preparations with sanguine pragmatism and good humour When Group 3 were encountered on the top of wind ravaged Nine Standards Rigg on their acclimatisation walk, huddling in the lee of the cair ns against the fury of a storm, they looked up and arched an eye brow as if to say, "What of it?"
(35) SCHOOL NEWS GHANA TRIP
The fascination of white skin and blonde hair became a major talking point amongst the children and this elation and enthusiasm from them even caused some tears to be shed in the group such was their overwhelming affection After noon lessons were cancelled and, instead, an after noon of typical Ghanaian dances and games was arranged We arrived each mor ning to the children sweeping up outside and tidying up their various classrooms, even after the two hour trips that some of them had made to school This dedication to lear ning emphasised how much these young individuals value their education We were divided into pairs and sent to separate classrooms to teach the children the work we had planned back at Repton For the children this was exciting and unique, having never been taught by white people before For us it was daunting being thrown in the deep end, having never taught in a classroom before We taught a range of things including; tenses, countries and capitals, emotions, the weather and, for those a little more daring, maths Songs, games and quizzes were incorporated as we found it the best way to communicate with the children The songs we had taught them went down almost too well, as they constantly repeated them, allowing us no choice but to join in as ‘We are family’ became one of the favourites On one of our days at the school, break was a time of prayers, prayers like no other however Instead, there was clapping, singing, drumming and dancing and this gave us a real insight into their culture
The welfare of the volunteers was, of course, the teachers’ main concern and in Ghana, an unpredictable place, this seemed even more important We landed in Accra airport to be informed that “65 bags have been left at Heathrow, but we’ll do our best to get them on tomorrow’s flight ” This was not the start we had hoped for and it soon went from bad to worse when we found out that Miss Davison had been held up by officials in Nigeria W ith Miss Davison’s safe arrival the next mor ning, much to Mr Whiteman’s and Mrs Mitchell’s relief, we were left to await the bags The long drive left us anxious about our arrival at Dreamlands, but, as the bus pulled up at the school, the welcome we received was like no other As we pulled back the door on the bus we caught sight of the children, who ran shouting with excitement from their class rooms to meet us In a matter of seconds we had every pupil at our feet surrounding us, pulling on our arms, grabbing onto us all, wanting to be our friends
INAUGURAL TRIP TO DREAMLAND SCHOOL In 2010 we raised approximately £27,000 for our Lent Term charity ‘Passing It On’ This young charity raises money to finance educational projects and build schools in some of the most deprived regions of Africa The money which the School raised specifically benefited the development of Dreamlands School, Ghana Having been thrilled to have been selected in January 2012 for the inaugural trip to Ghana, five of us Luke Cosford (New), Annabel Finch (Field), Sophie Charlesworth (Garden), Danielle W ilcock (Abbey) and myself Eleanor Sharples (Mitre), were filled with both feelings of excitement and apprehension at the prospect of what was ahead In July 2011, T im Whiteman spent three weeks at Dreamlands school after hearing about the opportunities there during the school fundraising Because of his previous experience he knew what measures had to be undertaken to ensure that the experience was fully met by us, as the students, and also the Ghanaian community in ensuring this trip to be a once in a lifetime experience We knew that, under the inspiring leadership of T im Whiteman and Jane Mitchell, with Cat Davison accompanying the trip, this was bound to be the first successful trip of many
SCHOOL NEWS
After school one day Pastor James (Dreamlands School founder) gave us a tour around Akumadan and for each one of us this was awe inspiring, as we experienced the village daily life first hand and felt the peace and spirituality of the people It was also a chance for us to see how the school had really progressed and developed from the site where it had first started
As well as teaching, the building of shelves for the school’s very own library was taking place On our final day we tur ned what was a chaotic mess of random text books and fiction into their very own first school library for use whenever they wanted One of our highlights has to be the school football match All lessons were cut short and we watched the match against a local school on neutral turf The sight of the Dreamlands football team in their newly donated blue Repton sports tops emphasised the strong link that has grown between the two schools (36) GHANA TRIP CONTINUED To mark our time at Dreamlands we had a presentation in which we donated gifts that we had brought over from Repton to the school These gifts included pens, pencils, bats, balls, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, a guitar and much more In addition to this we all clubbed together to buy the school something they would remember us by After an ingenious idea from Mr Whiteman, we bought the school a goat to start their dream of having their own farm in order to become sustainable The appreciation of the gifts from the staff and children was huge and it certainly has left them with ways of developing as a school It wasn’t just us that had left them with things; they too had done a great deal for us The memories of their individual personalities, of which we had become so fond, and the fact that they made us feel so welcome soon made us realise what a truly special place Dreamlands is Our time at the school was over far too quickly and having to say goodbye to some individuals in particular proved extremely hard, but there is no doubt that this is not the last time that Repton will endeavour to make a change Eleanor Sharples ‘Team G’ (Mitre)
The newly formed (2010) staff golf society (the R A G S ) continues to thrive with up to 25 members hitting the fairways in the holidays whenever they can! This summer, the first ‘tour’ saw them travel to Norfolk (courtesy of the AA after the school minibus broke down!) for two days at the end of the summer break Joined by two previous members of common room (D A Exley (P’95) and F P Watson), 10 members of staff played Sheringham GC and Royal Cromer GC on successive days at the end of August in glorious and uncharacteristically benign weather on the links of the north Norfolk coast Spectacular scenery was sadly not matched by the quality of some of the golf, much of which can probably be best described as ‘entertaining’ Exley prevailed on the opening day while PJG (Housemaster of Field House) took the spoils at Cromer before a particularly threatening electrical storm approached Indeed, 10 minutes after the final group came off the 18th a claxon was sounded by the pro to bring all golfers off the course We look forward, now, to honing our swings in readiness for the match against the ORs in May next year WGO
IS (Head of DT) wedges in to the stunning 14th hole at Royal Cromer GC (storm approaching!)
NEW LOOK FOR MUSIC
(37) SCHOOL NEWS MUSIC SCHOOL NEWS GOLF
Following Mark Cadman’s departure to be Director of Music at Hill House School, Doncaster there have been some exciting staff changes in the Music School for this year In quite a shake up, Luis Parés (formerly Head of Keyboard) has been made Assistant Director of Music (Academic), and three new posts have been created, with Alison Hardy appointed as Head of Woodwind, Nicki Kennedy as Head of Singing and Matthew Heywood as Head of Brass New too are two academic teachers, John Rayfield and Peter Siepmann This is an exciting expansion, and we are delighted to have such expert guidance in these key areas The department has also had to recruit new visiting music teachers, as the number of instrumental lessons continues to grow It promises to be quite a year!
AJRB STAFF GOLF SOCIETY HITS THE NORFOLK COAST
This is vital archaeological information, as it provides the first confirmed evidence for Roman and early Saxon activity in the vicinity of Repton village and adds to the important later Saxon and Viking period history of the area The archaeological excavation work has now been successfully completed, and construction work is continuing while the archaeologists prepare a final detailed report on the excavation results and finds Over the next three months we will start to see the building taking shape as the columns and walls of the ground and first floors appear
(38) SCHOOL NEWS SCIENCE PRIORY Work is continuing apace on the new Science Priory and the initial earthwork excavations, during June, July and August, were accompanied by a programme of archaeological observation and excavation During the course of the site soil strip, the archaeologists identified an area of archaeological features at the east end of the site, and this area was protected from the site strip while a more detailed archaeological excavation was carried out Until now, Repton’s known history dates from 653AD, when it became the place where Christianity was first preached in the Midlands and a double abbey was established But during excavations ditches and pits dating from hundreds of years earlier were found They formed a series of small enclosures and are believed to date from as far back as the third century
(39) SCHOOL NEWS TENNIS NATIONAL FINALS 2012 Girls 1 ISOBELLE HEARNSHAW (M) 2 CHARLOTTE JAMESON (M) 3 AVISHA PATEL (G) 4 ERICA SANDERS (G) After a superb undefeated Tennis season that started in March the National Tennis finals (Aberdare and Glanvill Cup) took place at The Graves Tennis Centre in Sheffield over a four day period from the 9th 12th of July, with the original 400 entries being cut down to the top 16 qualifying teams Day one of the event saw the Repton girls comfortable victors against Hymers College This meant that the girls were to play the number three seeds, Talbot Heath School in the quarter finals Talbot Heath proved to be too strong as all four girls lost their singles with only Hear nshaw pushing her opponent to a tight first set The final day of the championships saw the sun shine for the first time of the week which meant our 5th/6th place play off against Colyton Grammar could be played outdoors This fixture tur ned out to be an extremely close fought battle that went down to the doubles A special mention to Hear nshaw for winning her number one singles 1 6 7 6 11 9, saving three match points in the process! Repton were to split the doubles matches, one of which saw Hear nshaw and Jameson win 11 8 in a final set tie break under real pressure to force the match into a tie break shoot out Hearnshaw and Sanders then showed real composure and class and held their nerve winning the shoot out 10 7 This was a fantastic effort against a strong and much higher rated Colyton Grammar team and meant that the Repton girls overall position was 5th Boys 1 ALEX GROCOTT (S) 2 DOMINIC LEA (S) 3 ALEX COLE (C) 4 JEFFREY CHOW (C) 5 PATRICK FOLEY (N) Repton boys started day one of the National finals with a good win over Birkdale School in what was a long drawn out match carried into day two owing to awful weather and limited indoor court availability This meant that we had set up a clash on day two with the number one seeds, Reeds Academy, who were also the defending champions plus the current holders of the World School title! Reeds, as predicted, tur ned out to be too strong for our boys, winning all four singles A special mention to Grocott who was up against a 2012 junior W imbledon player and very nearly caused an upset, only just failing to convert a set point Day three of the championships saw Repton up against Millfield School Cole secured our only singles victory, as he came through against the Millfield number three 6 3 6 4 Grocott again fought hard at number one but just missed out 6 4 4 6 6 10 in the final set This meant Repton needed both doubles matches to take the match to a tie break shoot out Cole and Grocott were comfortably winning at number one but, as our second pair of Lea and Chow went down 1 6 4 6, it meant the tie was over After the narrow defeat against Millfield, on the final day Repton came up against a strong RGS Newcastle team and yet again, after splitting the four singles matches with victories from Grocott and Cole, it went down to the doubles There were some outstanding performances from both pairs Lea and Chow showed a different class and went on to win 6 2 6 2 Then Grocott and Cole backed this up with a 7 6 6 4 win at number one Overall a great day’s play which meant the Repton boys finished in 7th place JWR
I would like to make some comment on the Half Term Travels in the 'Archive' with reference to the Upper 6th trip to Dale Fort Of interest to Reptonians is the fact that Dale Fort Field Centre was set up by an O R , my father John H Barrett, who was in New House '27 ’32 There have since been various Barretts and offspring who have followed Dale Fort was one of a group of field centres set up after the war to cater for students to study natural history subjects in the field Dad set up The Fort in 1947 and was warden there until 1968 Repton students were regular visitors to The Fort in the late 50s and early 60s under the eye of Berty Trenbath so I'm afraid the statement that the October trip was the 3rd visit for the school isn't quite right Sorry to be so picky!! Cheers, Richard Barrett (N’59) We are delighted to discover that we are following in the muddy footsteps of previous generations of Reptonian Biologists The field trip at Dale Fort is a genuine highlight of our U6 year and we look forward to many more successful visits in the future Owing to a change to our half term dates we couldn't squeeze it in this year and so are visiting another Field Studies Centre in the beautiful Margam Park in South Wales, although the rocky shores are no scratch on Dale Fort's!
(40) PIGEON POST Dear Editors
Dr S M Ingleston Orme Head of Science and Biology Dear ORs Repton Church Tower and Spire Appeal
Dear ORs I am interested to know when the date of the Dinner where the guest speaker was the famous cricketer Len Hutton I thought it was circa 195/1955 but have so far been unable to trace the date I assume it was an OR Dinner and not a Pilgrim one If anyone can remember the dinner I would be delighted to hear from them John Chaumeton (N’46)
The slender spire of St Wystan’s Church rises to 212 feet, and together with the neighbouring Arch and Old Priory is an instantly recognisable feature of the village and School There has been some uncertainty over its date, but it is now widely accepted that the tower and spire were built in the 15th century The earliest bell in the tower was cast by Richard Brasyer of Norwich, who died in 1513 In August 2008, during an inspection on the spire, the top two stones were found to be cracked, and, as an emergency measure, two stainless steel bands were used to prevent them from falling However, these stones, with others that are badly eroded, now need to be replaced as soon as possible, and the whole structure needs re pointing Before the installation of a lighting conductor in 1858, the spire was very vulnerable, and this is by no means the first time that it has needed repair The earliest reports come in the ‘Churchwardens and Constables Account’ of 1609: ‘Payde fore poyntinge the steeple £5’ Apparently, whites of a large quantity of eggs were mixed with the mortar The eggs ‘were collected by a poor widow of the parish’ In 1721, the spire was struck by lightning, and rebuilt at a cost of £67 In 1784 the upper part was again damaged by lightning; this time the cost was £60 In 1804, Joseph Barton, a native of Repton, fixed a series of twelve ladders to the south easter n face of the spire in order to bring down the weathercock Ador ned with streamers of ribbons, it was carried round the village before being repaired and replaced Barton received £19, plus a ‘goodly collection made among an admiring crowd of villagers, and others’ Sadly, a few years later, he fell to his death when the scaffold gave way while he was repairing the spire of Twyford Church In 1857 8 the weathercock was replaced and the spire repaired once more, but this caused further damage; iron clamps, used to brace the stones, oxidised and swelled, splitting many of the stones and joints About thirty feet of the spire was taken down and rebuilt, and the whole of the tower and spire repointed at an estimated cost of £400 In the past, work has been carried out from steeplejack’s ladders and a boson’s chair, but in these days of Health and Safety the scaffolding alone will cost over £100,000 The whole restoration is expected to cost in the region of £210,000 English Heritage has awarded a grant of £122,000, but even such a generous amount still leaves £88,000 to find The spire is such a well loved feature of the landscape that we hope it will be possible to raise the money quickly to prevent the structure deteriorating beyond repair
I have just received the May 'Arch' and Autumn W inter 'Archive' Thank you for them
Please would you look out for and support our fund raising this autumn Chris Lloyd (former member of staff) cjhl@btinter net com
Dear Editor, I was saddened to read in my latest copy of “The Arch” of the passing of David Carr, formerly of the Staff at Foremarke Inspirational teachers can make the lives of men and women, as surely as the mediocre can cripple them I count myself as very fortunate to be able to count David Carr as one of my formative influences at Foremarke I remember many happy times I spent there, under the tutelage of Dominic “Spinner” Spencer, J G Hill, and Francis Tullo who, along with David Carr, were among its leading lights under Ken Jackson’s Headship As the obituary in The Arch notes, I too can still recite the dates of the Kings and Queens of England from the Norman Conquest to the present without “error, hesitation or repetition” thanks to David Carr I remember David Carr as quite the most inspirational of an array of stellar colleagues who, between them, conducted me from being a nervous new boy in 1951 to State Scholarship in sciences ten years later He instilled in me a love of History which has stayed with me ever since It even survived the “Artisan’s Dwelling Act” with which I failed O level History in 1958! My most enduring memory is of his enthusiasm for “The Peninsular War ” I especially remember one warm summer after noon sitting with his scholarship group under the tulip tree by the 1st XI cricket field and we went to, and participated in, the siege and capture of Badajoz I say “went to and participated in” because, as David Carr told us the tale, I felt it get dark and cold I could smell the fear, the smoke and the blood and hear the explosions, the screams of the wounded and of the dying So when in the “Sharpe” series they took Badajoz, my first reaction was to remark to my wife “How close to the real thing they had got their reconstruction!” Indeed, when we were told the lesson was over it was quite a surprise to find that it was still a bright, warm and sunny after noon! This, I might say, was quite a rarity in the summer of 1956, described by Mr Rattee, master i/c of swimming, as “an imperceptible merging of spring into autumn! I cannot let the summer of ’56 pass without a mention of the stunning cricket 1st XI that David Carr assembled that year I was a very second rate cricketer, but I remember that particular team as perhaps the finest prep school XI ever to pull on cricketing whites D N C put in his report in that year’s Foremarke magazine (I’ve still got it!) “Opponents which had formerly been defeated, this time were positively thrashed ” Bar nwell and Whitehead opened the batting the rapier and the bludgeon! with T inn, Linton, Siddall, Gunner, Collin and Abel to follow, all with batting averages of between 20 and 35 Then there was the bowling attack; five bowlers with averages below or around 5 0 The opening pair of Linton and Stephens had, as David Carr put it, “caused devastation since 1954 ” If I shut my eyes I can still see them with their different styles; Linton, smooth as oiled silk, blond hair streaming behind him; panther like in his silky menace Stephens, more metronomic; naggingly accurate on line and length: Statham to Linton’s Truman I count myself fortunate and honoured to have been taught and inspired by David Carr; he was an exceptional talent, and I for one shall miss him Yours sincerely John Hay Heddle, (Foremarke 1951 1956) (L’56)
In 1950s Repton, football was important No, I mean really important Everything was compulsory, watching, playing, winning As in all Repton sport, the gifted flaunted their flashy blazers and enjoyed special privileges while artists, academics and musicians crept around in the usual camouflage These priorities were fostered by a trio of masters whose political skills I only later appreciated as an adult Team spirit and bravery were mandatory One poor boy playing right wing for a visiting school had his leg broken by a tackle which would not only get a red card these days, but more likely, a civil case for damages We were told he broke his leg because he did not go in hard enough As a goalie, diving head first at the feet of oncoming forwards was the test Unlike today, the feet were still there when you arrived, inside hard boots attached to nasty hacking legs One football master said to me "Are you yellow?" I was thinking er well more black and blue really After one kicking, sorry I mean league match, my vision had gone completely blurred and I could hardly see I reported this to the housemaster's wife and she told me to go and have a lie down I think if it were my choice I would have called the doctor
MORE BRIEF MEMORIES
Owing to erratic form, I experienced all levels of football By far the most fun was as a junior, playing for the all ages Orchard second team which, at a time of compulsory sport, was made up of the dyspraxic, the dysmorphic and a small group of embryonic academics and high court judges This last group had the greatest influence on our success as they were in the defence and frankly they didn't care They didn't care about the result, the rules or even where the ball was They had yet fully to appreciate the importance of winning a game of football This was very relaxing to me; no pressure then If the ball trickled through my legs, they were amused, if I made a save they were happy for me Of course this is all very well, but perspective was restored when I played for the school under sixteens We went to Malver n and lost 6 0 We were pretty fed up, but, travelling home on the bus, we gradually cheered up We managed to get some songs going and arrived back quite happy The next day, however, the whole team was called to an empty classroom and given a dressing down for showing the wrong attitude on the bus Oh dear, nicked by the attitude police I'm sure it's different now
Rodney Harris (O’56)
(41) PIGEON POST CONTINUED
Below is a full list of those ORs who have volunteered to be ‘Overseas Links’ We are very grateful to those who have volunteered, but there are many gaps in the list of countries for which we have Links If you would be willing to act as an Overseas Link in a country not already covered, please contact Nigel Kew/Jan Cobb at: or@repton org uk or jcobb@repton org uk Country Overseas Link House/Year Email Telephone OVERSEAS LINKS AUSTRALIA New South Wales Queensland Perth Victoria (Melbour ne) Victoria BEIRUT BELGIUM CAMBODIA CANADA Alberta Easter n Ontario & Quebec Toronto Wester n CHILE CHINA CYPRUS DENMARK EAST AFRICA (Uganda) EAST AFRICA (Kenya) EIRE ESTONIA FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY (East/South) GERMANY (North/West) HONG KONG INDIA ITALY JAPAN KUWAIT LEBANON NEW ZEALAND NIGERIA NORWAY PHILIPPINES PORTUGAL SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town Natal SPAIN South & Gibraltar Madrid Madrid Mallorca SYRIA TANZANIA THAILAND UNITED ARAB EMIRATES USA All All Arizona Califor nia Chicago Detroit Florida 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tmather@hotmail com adeogun@un org jom salakshana@trs co th charlesjohn neil@gmail com jroy@uab edu mverheyen@comcast net MnJJOLLEY@aol com eahuson@gmail com robert perks@baxter com jswalker@umich edu andyh@totallybrilliant com andreas graham@verizon net ajedgar@me com james kirtland@gmail com paul elliott0@yahoo com Russell Elliott@irco com djbalchan@aol com shaheen@rice edu mrhuson@mindspring com james@ellcorentals com bracmed@candw ky gsharp@cwjamaica com omarhadeed@hotmail com hadthomas@aol com chibale s@yahoo com + 61 293374081 + 61 738083249 +618 9299 7363 (+61) 401 069 394 / (03) 90900501 + 61 394 121 206 +44 7580 446 038 855 16 378039 +1 780 483 5442 +1 613 547 6551 (647) 861 4254 + 56 2 216 8820 07855 237559 + 357 2543 4165 + 45 3555 6490 +256 783805022 +00 2804415 + 358 14260 1224 + 33 5 46 94 99 25 + 0049 541 181590 +49 175 56 58 903 + 0049 6201 15807 + 852 2873 8118 + 852 9252 2128 + 91 22 6676 1676 + 39 0583 23675 + 81 80 3002 7170 +96176729550 + 0064 9 277 6577 +234 809 944 4545 + 47 51 571930 + 63 2 753 1489 00351 289398694 / 01892 523033 +27 76 617 0098 + 27 33 234 4933 +34 662143442 Mob +34 654 328 577 + 00 34 914153415 00 34 639 702 411 961 (0) 937094217 + 255 27 256 5329 + 66 2 331 9053 & +661 8192717 + 971 506 55092 + 1 205 934 1757 +415 203 9225 + 1 520 529 9562 +415 203 9225 +0 847 270 4354 +1 313 948 2672 + 1 863 7012680 +1 917 475 1059 +1 917 558 1079 + 001 704 756 6981 + 00 1 937 322 2040 + 1 713 348 5716 + 1 206 328 6112 + 246 256 4637 & +246 4347395 + 1 876 986 2870 001 868 632 2140 +967 711 437 124 0978 214 362 (zain network) add inter national dialling codes Priory ' 71 Brook ' 42 Orchard ' 53 Orchard ' 90 Abbey ' 76 Priory '94 Mitre '82 Brook '45 Orchard ' 46 Latham '51 Mitre ' 88 Latham ' 70 Latham ' 70 Field ' 97 Hall ' 61 Abbey ' 91 Priory ' 91 Hall ' 50 Hall '52 Garden '09 Priory ' 66 Hall ' 57 Hall ' 83 Latham ' 78 Abbey'99 Mitre ' 01 Latham ' 66 Hall ' 85 New ' 93 Abbey ' 89 Abbey ' 96 Cross '75 Priory '94 Hall ' 66 New ' 83 Orchard ' 63 Cross ' 67 Orchard '46 Mitre ' 00 Latham ' 57 Orchard ' 78 Orchard ' 87 Mitre ' 82 Orchard ' 89 Priory '94 Orchard ' 83 Mitre ' 86 Priory ' 65 Abbey ' 86 Cross ' 77 Orchard ' 47 Hall '70 New '71 Field '02 Brook ' 68 Mitre'83 Orchard ' 90 Orchard '88 Mitre ' 90 Mitre ' 93 Orchard ' 71 Cross ' 89 Hall ' '72 Mitre ' 68 Hall ' 64 Priory ' 54 Priory'99 Latham '73 Mitre '95 Note: If you require a postal address for any of the Overseas Links please contact the OR Secretary
(43) Please email the office: jcobb@repton.org.uk or or@repton.org.uk Or telephone: 01283 559320 Or write to us at: The Old Reptonian Society The Hall, Repton School Repton, Derbyshire DE65 6FH YOUR CONTACT DETAILS In the OR Office we are keen to ensure that we keep our records updated for all ORs To this end we would be grateful if you could contact us if any of your details change, such as address, email, telephone numbers etc We are also delighted to hear your ‘good news’ such as engagements, marriages, births, qualifications gained, new jobs etc We will only publish such information in The Arch with your agreement Thank You! Would you prefer to read The Arch on line and not receive a paper copy? Please advise us if this is the case Old Reptonians can now keep in contact with the OR office and fellow ORs via Facebook go to www facebook com/ORSociety and click ‘Like’ Please accept our applogies for the misprint in last issue’s Overseas Contacts All items are available from the Repton School Shop, The Paddock, Repton REPTON SCHOOL SHOP Memorabilia OR Ties: Silk Smooth Silk non crease Bow T ie OR House/Sports Ties: Brook House The Hall The Priory School House (polyester) New House Latham House The Orchard The Mitre The Cross OR Football OR Hockey OR Golf (striped) Cambridge Pilgrims House Scarves: The Priory School House New House Latham House The Orchard The Mitre (Girls) The Cross The Abbey Field House The Garden Blazer made to order Banded white sweaters (Long sleeve and sleeveless) Umbrellas: Large golf umbrella Ladies umbrella Please contact the School Shop for price details and to place your order Tel. 01283 559323, or by email: shop@repton.org.uk. Miscellaneous: Large Glass Crested Tankard Small Glass Crested Tankard Large Glass Crested Goblet Crested Red W ine Glass Glass Crested Paper Weight Crested Cuff Links Crested Key Rings Brass buttons large Brass buttons small Repton cards Repton postcards Large teddy bear (12”) Cricket Cap Gentleman’s Weekend Socks (pair) (Sizes: medium 6½ 8½; large 9 11) Mug Repton China Coin Tray Repton China Cup Set Repton To The End Repton Register 2007 Book Repton Register 2007 CD Son et Lumière CD Picture of The Arch / The Garth Limited Edition Christmas Cards pack of 10
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