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THE
REEDER
2013
Committee
Contents
The Old Reedonians Committee
2012/2013
Editorial
3
Letter from the President
4
President
Letter from the Headmaster
5
C. Hawkins
Andrew Reed
8
Chairman
News of Old Reedonians
9
D.W. Jarrett – Headmaster
The Girls’ School
28
Treasurer
Obituaries
31
A.D. Bott until 31st December 2012
Mrs L. Hurford from 1st January 2013
Reunion Day 2012
38
2012 Old Reedonian Dinner
42
R.M. Garrett
Watford and Totnes
44
Alumni Manager
Sport
47
Mrs. S. Matthews
Happy days at Reed’s
48
Decade Representatives
Sixth Form Leavers
49
Staff Leavers
51
School Captains
53
Past Presidents
54
The School Development Director
R. Mew – 1950s
C. Hawkins – 1960s
A. Wotton – 1970s
J. Herbert – 1980s
T. Worner – 1990s
M. Ridsdale – 2000s
Editor
G.R. Martin
geoff.martin47@btinternet.com
oldreedonians@reeds.surrey.sch.uk
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Editorial
2012 was the 150th anniversary of the death of Andrew
Reed and we are now fast approaching the 200th
anniversary of the School’s founding, the celebrations
for which will take place in the academic year 2013-14: I
hope that you have already received the programme of
events. The celebrations of the School’s 150th anniversary
took place in May 1963 and some of the details are
reproduced below. It is my intention to dig through the
archives to unearth some details of the 100th anniversary
events in time for the 2014 Reeder.
two schoolboys, these included Miss Mills and four other
members of the Girls’ Staff, and seven present members
of the Boys’ Staff, including Mr. Whittle and his wife, and
Mr. and Mrs. Scott.
50 Years ago – 1963
Mr. Bryn Thomas proposed the toast to the President
in a short, but witty, speech in which he told us that the
President was known at School mainly because he was
one of that small band who had a sister.
“The School celebrated its 150th Anniversary in May 1963
and Reunion Day was moved to Saturday 25th May 1963
to coincide with those celebrations. The programme of
events for that weekend included a full inspection of the
CCF by Colonel C.A. la T. Leatham, Regimental Colonel
of the Welsh Guards; a production of Bernard Shaw’s
‘Saint Joan’ by the Dramatic Society; Speech Day, with
Sir John Wolfenden CBE MA, Vice-Chancellor of Reading
University, as Chief Guest; a School Concert, and a
Commemoration Service with a sermon by the Bishop
of London, the Rev. D.R. MacInnes. The cricket match
between the School and the Old Reedonians was played
over two days, the 24th and 25th May.” (I know that the
match was drawn with the ORs attempting to score 130
runs to win in their second innings in the remaining 65
minutes of play! – Ed.).
The annual Reunion Dinner was held on 16th March “at
Bucklerbury House in an attractive downstairs suite of
rooms with a commodious bar and a large banqueting
hall. Over two hundred people sat down to the Dinner,
and at least 30 more came along to the Dance.
The toast to the School and the Guests was proposed by
the President, who quoted several Wildean epigrams, and
then gave a brief resume of each guest’s association with
the School. The reply was by Mr. Drayson who described
the School’s recent successes both academically and on
the Sports Field.
After the debris of the dinner had been cleared away, the
dancing commenced to music provided by the Main Five
Dance Band, and with John Laidman acting as occasional
Master of Ceremonies. A very enjoyable evening was
concluded to the strains of Auld Lang Syne at 11.45 p.m.
We congratulate Mike Meadows, both for his
arrangements, for his choice of venue, and for managing
to fit so many people comfortably into what seemed such
a small space. A word must also be said for David Foale
whose pupils printed all the place names so attractively.”
In a letter to Old Girls Kathleen Mills wrote “In this
150th Anniversary of the Foundation of the School, the
tremendously wide scope of Andrew Reed’s influence is
brought home to me when I receive letters from all over
the world. To you all I send my greetings and very best
wishes”.
The exceptionally large turnout – over double that of
the previous year – was caused by the fact that this is the
School’s 150th Anniversary Year and also by the choice
of guests. The Committee had dispensed with a Guest
of Honour, and had attempted to invite a representative
selection of masters, mistresses, and others who had
served the School for a long period. Many people invited
were unable to attend owing to illness or distance, but a
total of 21 guests finally sat down to dinner. Besides Mr.
and Mrs. Horton, the Headmaster and Mrs. Drayson, and
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Letter from the President
Chris Hawkins
Welcome to the 2013 edition of The Reeder, as ever
we continue to be fortunate to have Geoff Martin as our
Editor and a magazine which continues to be one of the
best alumni magazines.
Last year Geoff, in his editorial slot, made the point that
putting the magazine together is no easy task, a comment
which I have seen echoed by many of his predecessors.
Improvements in technology mean that artwork, layout
design and printing can be put together more easily, but
any magazine needs copy. And this has to be down to
each of you mainly. Electronic communication means that
it is simple and not too time consuming to get snippets of
news about yourselves to Geoff, and people are interested
in you.
Equally, technology means that it is possible for members
to communicate with each other very simply and I
don’t mean Facebook, Twitter or any of the other
communications networks.
NetWorkReeds is your very own portal to keep in contact
with each other and keep up to date with events at the
School and matters affecting Old Reedonians. It has taken
time to set up but is now available and Sharmaine is rolling
out invitations to join on a decade by decade basis.
ORs are invited to log on, set their own access name and
password. The amount of information you provide and
make available is selected by you and this includes contact
details. However, the database will only really work
if, at the very least, you make your email address
known and this has to be positively agreed to
when logging in for the first time. This will enable
other ORs keep in contact with you and you with them.
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2013 sees the start of the School’s 200th Anniversary
celebrations, details have been sent out to you and I hope
as many of you as possible have the opportunity to share
in these celebrations. Reed’s School has come a long
way from its beginnings in 1813, indeed it has changed
considerably since I left in 1962. However it remains true
to its origins and the Foundation and Foundationers at
the School are still an important part of Reed’s life. May I
take this opportunity of thanking all those ORs who have
supported the School both financially and in other ways.
Please continue to do so.
The beginning of the year saw the retirement of Alan Bott,
the Bursar. The job of a Bursar is no easy position and Alan
has been instrumental in managing many of the changes
which Reed’s has embraced and which has created the
success of the School. I am sure many of you will echo my
thanks for all that he has done. Fortunately, we have not
lost him yet, as he is very much involved with ensuring the
200th Anniversary Celebrations go off successfully.
Finally, in addition to thanking Geoff Martin, may I also
thank Sharmaine Mathews and the Development Office
team for all they do, along with the Headmaster, Bursar
and Development Director and I must not forget the
Decade Representatives for their time and involvement in
OR matters.
My best wishes to you all.
Chris Hawkins
David Jarrett
The Headmaster with pupils
In December 2012 Alan Bott retired from full time work
at Reed’s School after fourteen years as Bursar and nine
years before that as School Accountant: 23 years in all!
Alan was always closely associated with the Foundation
at Reed’s, a friend and close support to generations of
Foundationers and their parents and in recent years
Secretary of the restructured Old Reedonian Committee.
Alan will continue to work part-time at Reed’s until July
2014, focussing on the pastoral aspects and selection
of new Foundation pupils, acting as Project Manager for
the Bicentenary events and helping Governors with the
appointment of the new Head of Reed’s School. The
latter will be appointed in June 2013 and will take up office
in September 2014 when I retire after what will have
been 17 years as Head. Meanwhile we have welcomed
Mrs Lucy Hurford as the new Bursar and Secretary to the
Governors and Lucy has just moved on site as I write this
in the February half-term break.
In two days’ time I look forward to my annual recruitment
trip to Hong Kong when not only do I hope to meet
some talented future Reed’s students but I will also have
the chance to catch up with increasing numbers of Old
Reedonians, including expats such as Simon Hague, Julian
Doyle and Dilal Ranasinghe. Following meeting several
ORs in America in 2010 and with Sharmaine Mattthews
and Geoff Martin hosting Receptions in Australia this year
and next, the global gatherings of Old Reedonians are
gaining momentum.
I do hope that the Bicentenary Programme of Events will
be a welcome reason for more and more Old Reedonians
to get together in 2013/2014. Of the 16 or so special
events I think 11 are open to Old Reedonians. The
Programme is published on the website and the initial
promotional flyer has been sent to all Old Reedonians for
whom we have contact details.
There continue to be new developments on site each
year and I would encourage all Old Reedonians who can
possibly make the trip to return to the School within the
next 18 months, so that they can view the new buildings
and help celebrate the School’s 200 years of existence
in one form or another. I would particularly exhort any
ORs who have left Reed’s since 1998 to come and see
me before I depart! Besides the FutureTech Building
which was spectacularly opened with pyrotechnics and
robotics to the fore in October of 2012, the new corridor
adjacent to the chapel is a splendid aesthetic and practical
addition, as is the enlarged dining hall. The Art and Maths
Departments have spread into the old D & T Building
with enhanced effects for both Departments and the
re-routing of the main drive behind FutureTech and the
Music School has made a world of difference in terms of
noise and safety. This year will see various other changes
including completely refurbished kitchens and, hopefully,
an enlarged indoor tennis facility.
The last twelve months have been positive for Reed’s in
a number of ways: the A Level results in 2012, although a
drop from the heights of 2011, were better than expected
and kept us in the top 200 Independent Schools in the
country. Pleasingly the number of students gaining places
in top universities (Russell Group etc) actually rose and half
a dozen crossed the pond to ‘colleges’ in America. The AS
and GCSE results were strong which bodes well for the
next couple of years. Of particular note is the fact that for
three years in a row Reed’s musicians and choristers have
been awarded scholarships at Oxbridge. Not surprisingly
therefore music and singing are particularly strong at
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5
present, aided by having 60 girls in the Sixth Form. The
Consort Choir now sings annually at St Paul’s Cathedral
and a full symphony orchestra with over 30 male string
players features regularly in concerts, alongside numerous
quartets, ensembles and bands of every kind: strings,
wind, brass, guitar, jazz and celtic. The CCF Corps of
Drums is also gaining a strong reputation and performed in
front of thousands at the British Military Tournament. The
production of ‘Cabaret’ last March showcased the talents
of musicians and actors – with Juliette Inverdale in the
lead role – and the Drama Department pulled off a coup
of a very different sort in December with a performance
of ‘Vernon God Little’, full of technological wizardry. The
GCSE, AS and A Level examination pieces are now public
performances and senior students direct Close pupils in
an innovative festival in the Summer Term called ‘Drama
in a Day’. Along with the House Charity Arts Revues,
the Junior Production and a regular National Theatre
Connections Production, Reed’s students have more
opportunities than ever before to perform on stage.
Reed’s has maintained its traditional strong presence in
sport with the hockey sides all doing well in 2012 and
winning county cups at under 16 and under 15 levels;
this term the under 16 side remains unbeaten and all age
groups have got through the testing first rounds of the cup.
The cricket season in 2012 was horribly disrupted by rain
but all age groups played well, with the under 15, under
14 and under 12 years looking particularly strong; the
under 14 X1 retained the Surrey Cup, beating a strong
Cranleigh side in the final. In the Spring Term of 2012 the
under 18 sevens side played excitingly to reach the last 16
of the Roslyn Park National Championships; they were
just pipped 12-10 by Wellington, the eventual winners.
The 2012 fifteen-a-side season was somewhat mixed with
the 1st XV falling away after a promising start, but other
age groups, particularly at under 16 and under 15 levels,
producing strong results. Our academy sports continue to
lead the way with our tennis players and skiers dominant
at most levels and the golfers ascending the ranks; the
under 18 tennis team is off the Australia in April to defend
their World Schools title. The host nation are reported
to be beefing up their team! Girls’ sport is progressing
well in hockey and netball and two former Reed’s girls –
Josine Inverdale and Olivia Chilton – represented Great
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Britain Under 21s in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival
where the British team secured the bronze medal. Both
girls will be hoping to be selected for England U21s in the
Junior World Cup later in the year. Other sports such as
squash, basketball, swimming, sailing, shooting, athletics
and cross country are all thriving. I was pleased to see that
the Julian Smith Memorial Rugby Match at Whiteley Village
in December was well supported again by current and
former students.
The Common Room was boosted by high quality new
staff in September 2012. Ian Peel left to become Head of
Classics at Sir William Perkins’s School and was replaced
by Kate Morland and Hannah Watson, the former with
a First in Classics from Cambridge and the latter a First
in Classics from Oxford! Caroline St-Gallay, Rhiannon
Goodrich and Donna Kane have all been on maternity
leave for part of the past year and have been replaced by
Danny Becker, Hayley Cook and Susy Hashmi-Lewis who
have all added to the School in various ways. Ruth Harris,
a former Oxford Mathematician and Head of Maths at
Tiffin Boys School, has replaced Colette Savage in the
Maths Department and Helen Salford, former Head of
Department at Harrow, has joined the Modern Languages
Department and will be Head of French from next
September; she replaced Andy Robinson who has moved
to Cranleigh. Rachel Sullivan has been a welcome addition
to the Economics and Business Studies Department and
Zoe Davison has boosted the Art Department. James
Duckworth has added to the ICT/Computing Department
but will leave to return to Japan at the end of this year.
On the sporting front we are privileged that Brett Garrard,
England’s most capped hockey captain, has joined the
coaching staff in place of Calum Giles who has moved to
Kingston Grammar School. We have also supplemented
the Strength and Conditioning Coaching by employing
Jason Ellis-Woodley as an assistant to Ben Haining.
Four Old Reedonians are in senior pastoral positions
in the School: John Allison is Resident Tutor in School
House where Malcolm Dunn is the Housemaster; Adrian
Blackman is Housemaster of Bristowe and Alex Balls is
Housemaster of The Close and Senior Housemaster.
Alex’s wife Lucy is now the Matron in The Close having
replaced Nancy Savage who held the position for 14
years. Sheila Hamilton, whose two sons Angus and
Alistair were both School Captains at Reed’s in the 1990s,
remains as Matron in the Sixth Form House. Gareth
Hart, whose splendid photographs adorn The Reedonian
magazine, is the new Housemaster of Blathwayt from
September 2012.
I am confident that the School Governors remain
outstanding contributors, that excellent staff are in place for
the foreseeable future, that the pupil numbers look good
for the next few years so that the School roll will be in
excess of the planned 620 and that the facilities at Reed’s
are an attraction for pupils and parents. Of course there
is always more that can be done, particularly in terms of
buildings – and the Governors have a carefully thought
out plan for the next 20 years – and the service provided
to Old Reedonians; we have moved forward significantly
on the latter and we are all indebted to Richard Garrett
and Sharmaine Matthews, Chris Hawkins and the OR
Committee for this. The Bicentenary Year will give us
cause and time to reflect on the past 200 years of Reed’s
School’s existence, to think and plan for the future, and
to secure the financial safety of the Foundation and the
disadvantaged children it supports; this will be the biggest
challenge for the future for we need to build up an
endowment of some £20 million. The Bicentenary Year
is the ideal starting point to launch such a campaign and
legacies are a primary means of generating the necessary
funds. I shall be altering my will before I leave!
David Jarrett
February 2013
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7
Andrew Reed
The Founder’s Legacy
In 2012 we heard a great deal about “legacy” with specific reference
being made to the extremely successful London 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Games. In this year of 2013, the start of the School’s
Bicentenary celebrations, it seems appropriate to look back at our
Founder’s aspirations for the originally named London Orphan
Asylum, and see how his legacy is being promoted 200 years later.
On 20th April 1815, the first written Constitution of the London
Orphan Asylum was set out. It was contained within the School’s
first Annual Report and the guiding principles of the School were set
down by Andrew Reed thus:
“To afford suitable relief to destitute orphans, to rescue them from
the walks of vice and profligacy; to provide them clothing and
maintenance; to fix the habits of industry and frugality; to train them
in the paths of religion and virtue, agreeably for the Formulations of
the Church of England; and to place them out in situations where
their principles shall not be endangered, and the prospect of an
honest livelihood secured.”
Further amplification of the School’s guiding principles was set down
in the same Annual Report:
“Children whose parents have been in respectable circumstances,
and children whose parents have lost their lives in the army, navy,
or marine and manufacturing services in general, and whose parish
settlement cannot be ascertained, will always be esteemed the first
claimants on this charity.
This being the plan of the charity, it does not appear liable to be
assailed, even by objections which have been directed against other
excellent institutions. It purposes, most cautiously, to avoid exciting
any prejudices against the poor and dependent classes of society;
or creating any distaste to the humblest employments of honest
industry. While it redeems the objects interested in its exertions
from the immoralities of the poor, it teaches them to respect their
virtues. While it imparts a portion of instruction, which may form
their religious character, and which will certainly make them more
serviceable to their future employers; it designs, that the whole
course of their education shall convince them, that the lowest
department of labour may be rendered honourable by industry and
uprightness, and that the highest station in life would be debased by
vice and crime.”
The language of 1815 may seem rather strange to us in the 21st
century, but the meaning and intent of the Reed’s School Foundation
are clear enough; learn, work hard, develop respect for others and
acquire good habits, and at the end of your period of education go
out into the world knowing that you will gain an honest living.
The tireless work of the Foundation has continued ever since.
Whilst economic necessities and social preferences have brought
about a change in the profile of the pupils who attend the School
today, there is still a core of Foundationers drawn from all different
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backgrounds within its midst. The Foundation today goes beyond
the support given to the Foundationers.
Through the work of the Primary and Secondary Forums, which
have been developed by the School over the last two years,
thousands of disadvantaged children are benefitting from Andrew
Reed’s legacy. The Forums both support and develop young people
through helping their schools, families and communities. They are
helping to raise aspirations and performance levels of young people
growing up in some of the most deprived areas of London and the
South East.
Academic, sporting and creative activities are facilitated and
mentored through the Foundation using a combination of Reed’s
School facilities and third party specialist groups. Teachers from the
primary and secondary schools are provided with the necessary
training and, where appropriate, equipment to run their own
activities, thereby reaching out to an even wider group of young
people.
By way of example of how well received the Forum activities have
been, here is the feedback from the Head Teacher of a primary
school in the London Borough of Merton. It relates a series of
events involving around 300 children across a range of sporting
and engineering activities. “We have had many great days at
Reed’s School over the last several months with the staff loving
their Tri-Golf and Primary Engineer training. But as the Primary
Forum Fun Olympiad Day demonstrated, it was the kids who are
benefitting the most. They loved it, and the coaches from Ad Tennis,
Chelsea Football Foundation, Surrey County Cricket Club and the
Golf Foundation were outstanding. In several of these areas we
have been able to bring the resources back to our own school to
continue to encourage and inspire our pupils. Truly wonderful.”
This article began with the word “legacy” and so it seems fitting to
end on that note. The School has seen many changes in its 200
years; name changes, location changes, all Foundationers to a mix
of Foundationers and fee payers, and many more besides. In all
those years the unwavering desire to help and support those, who
through no fault of their own, have been left destitute and without
hope, has been the overriding objective of the School. Today’s
Foundation goes beyond the crucial support given to Foundationers
and reaches into the locations and communities from which
Andrew Reed’s original charitable act was born. Long may his legacy
continue.
Andy Wotton
Frank Anstis (one-time Second Master) reports that
he is alive and well and enjoying life in Cornwall – (see
piece on page 48).
Shahin Baghaei (Capel 2002) writes “Back at
school, after ‘lights-out’, we would often stay up for hours
telling each other stories. I had such a great time at Reed’s
and my experiences at school made me into the man I am
today. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities that I was
given as a Reed’s Foundationer, opportunities that were
beyond my means that have shaped my life. In addition
to the education, the sport and the friendships it was also
at Reed’s that I met the love of my life. So as if back in my
top-bunk after lights-out, here’s the story –
‘When I saw her I fell in love and she smiled because she
knew it. I was so nervous. We were seventeen and I had
just won the regional debating competition for my speech
on why boxing should be banned. We were speaking and
I spilt Coke all over her shoes and immediately fell to my
knees to wipe them clean. Flash-forward a few years. I
have completed a law degree at the University of London,
a Training Contract with one of the leading law firms
in the world and (ironically) an amateur boxing bout at
Oxford University. She has completed a degree in French
at King’s College London, a year abroad at the Sorbonne
and a Masters in Journalism. We are sitting side by side
at a private screening of our favorite movie, Frankie and
Johnny. I hadn’t been this nervous since I saw Mary-Ann
across that room for the first time. My mind rushing, I
suddenly knew what to do. As the credits roll I reach over
for my glass of wine and ‘accidently’ drop the glass on the
floor. As I reach for a napkin and go down on one knee
to wipe her shoe, she reaches down and takes my arm
as if to say don’t worry about it with that same reassuring
smile. To her surprise I’m looking back at her holding an
engagement ring in my hand. She was speechless.’
We got married on 3rd September 2011 and it was the
best day of our lives followed by two weeks travelling
around the west coast of America. Mary-Ann is now
training to be a teacher and I have recently launched my
own consultancy firm called Visionlane and it’s all thanks
to the opportunities I was given at Reed’s and that fated
day I met a 17 year-old girl from Claremont Fan Court
School. I still remember calling Mary-Ann a short while
after the debating competition to tell her I was elected
School Captain and to ask her out on our first date to
Esher cinema. It might be more than 10 years ago but it all
seems like it happened yesterday. What great memories.
Thank you Clappy for making me enter that dreadful
debating competition and Reed’s for making me confident
enough to do it. It was also great to share my special
day with some close friends from school, Alex Van-Holk,
Simon Waller, Ben Cooper, Ed Hoadley, I love you guys
and am so glad Reed’s brought us together, too.”
Alan Barrett (1961) writes “You never know, I may
turn up one day at Reed’s. Hudson Crookes & Co seem
a million miles off – since then I became a partner in
Deloitte Haskins & Sells, then Price Waterhouse and then
PWC – and now (since 2000) retirement.”
Niall Batson (Blathwayt 1996) Mrs. Batson writes
“In the work arena, Niall got promoted to a Director
at eASIC, I continued to rid Bay Area residents of their
pesky hernias and colon cancers, and Mila, our daughter,
focused her efforts on environmental anti-activism,
joining the board of an organisation that aims to waste
natural resources by engaging in activities such as flushing
the toilet unnecessarily and repeatedly. We celebrated
Mila’s first birthday in May. She’s grown into a lovely little
human with quite a personality. Niall showed the US half
marathon in San Francisco who was boss in November,
completing it at a personal best time of 1:39! Mila and I
had a (lukewarm) beer waiting for him at the finish line and
we’ll do the same when he runs the London Marathon in
April 2013 for the Reed’s School Foundation.”
Robert Beaton (Bristowe 1998) was spotted with
his wife in John Lewis in Chichester on New Year’s Eve!
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Vicky Beckett (2006) writes “I completed my
National Council of Training for Journalists, a post-graduate
qualification in journalism in 2010. I’ve been working
as a reporter at Captive Review, a niche global financial
publication and am moving at the end of this week
(early January 2013) to Euromoney, a less niche financial
publication. On the side I freelance for Magnify, an ethical
women’s magazine. Before this I worked in several places
including Shanghai and Sydney and on a local North
London newspaper series.”
Joe Bennett (Bristowe 2007) writes “I completed
a MEng degree in Materials Science two years ago at
Oxford. I am currently doing a PhD at Cambridge,
however, I am also teaching first year Cambridge natural
science materials students. The PhD is around a project in
conjunction with Rolls-Royce and EPSRC looking at new
titanium alloys for jet engines.”
Annabel Bidakowska (2009) achieved a first class
degree in psychology at Oxford Brookes University and
is now studying for a MPhil in Social and Development
Psychology at the University of Cambridge. She hopes to
continue to a PhD and examine communication ability in
first-degree relatives of individuals with autism spectrum
condition.
with my business of the last year and a half http://www.
digitalleaf.co.uk making children’s books as apps and in
printed form too.”
Peter Chislett (Blathwayt ) writes “I am still here
in Western Australia and have been here now some 28
years this coming June, how time flies! A big G’day to all
my ‘old’ school mates, some of whom I still keep in touch
with via various social media outlets, anyone wishing
to catch up with me I am on Facebook or Linkedin and
would love to hear from you. I did catch up with Anthony
Stocken a few years ago when he was in Perth for some
business but apart from him have not seen any ORs since
we were last in the UK about seven years ago.
I have been married for 20 years this year with two step
sons and one son of our own who will be turning 18 this
coming November. Still love my sport and follow the
Australian cricket and rugby teams pretty closely, not that
that is anything to shout about at the moment but we will
rise to dominate again soon! (I understand that Peter’s son
Jay is a promising leg-spinner – see photo below. Ed.).
Richard Borley (Capel 1951) writes “Being long
retired, since 1988, our life is fairly quiet. My wife
(Eleonore) and I have had a couple of lengthy periods
in Hong Kong, following our pattern of visiting once or
twice a year, as I had worked and lived there for a number
of years. We also had a very enjoyable visit, led and
organised by a very enthusiastic Tony Wiggins, to Totnes
last year. In the meantime we have gained two male great
grandchildren, one last January and a second in August
2011. It would be nice to see more bodies from the
1951/2 period visiting for the Reunion Day as we do tend
to be very few and far between. Surely they cannot all be
yet so infirm as to make the effort to attend beyond them.
Maybe a ‘swan song’?”
Dustin Brooks (Capel 1990) writes “over the recent
holidays I caught up with old Reedonians, Alex Mazija,
Dan Shepherd, Paul West, Terry Jones and Nick Watkins
for our annual Reed’s boys Xmas drinks. I am continuing
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Best wishes to everyone I know and hopefully I will hear
from some of you.”
Matthew Close (Mullens 1995) is being kept
very busy as Head of Sixth Form at the City of London
Freemen’s School.
Leo Coates (Bristowe 2005) writes “I am settled into
our own place now with my girlfriend Becky in Surbiton
all grown up with a mortgage! I am still playing rugby for
Cobham Seniors along with a few of the current Reed’s
teaching staff and Old Reedonians.”
Bill Collins (Bristowe 1948) writes “ I would like to
report a contact I have recently made with Bob Reece.
Bob was at Totnes and was at Cobham for a term as he
left in 1946. After all these years he was prompted to get
in touch after a visit to the riverside cafe at Totnes. He
had mentioned to the proprietor that the cafe had been
his classroom during the war and she told him about our
annual reunion lunches there.”
Tim Corrie (Bristowe 1959) was seen on Celebrity
University Challenge representing Bristol University against
Leeds.
Brian Corke (Mullens 1952) writes “We are still
enjoying the Cotswolds where we retired to in 1997
after 25 years in Switzerland. We now have seven
grandchildren, five live locally and two in Geneva. We will
celebrate our Golden wedding anniversary in September.
I have been in touch with Alan Shillum on a regular basis –
we discovered both our fathers were commemorated on
the Fire Service Memorial across the road from St. Paul’s
Cathedral.
We are hoping to make Reunion Day this year as well as
the special service at St. Paul’s on 20th September.”
Gareth
Davies
(Bristowe 2002)
writes “I left
Reed’s after
completing my
GCSE’s and
went to College
in Eastbourne.
Having worked
both summer
holidays for my father’s estate agency business I moved
back to start my estate agency career in 2004 for
Grosvenor Billinghurst and over an eight year period have
progressed to managing the sales team at our Cobham
Office. I’m very active in the Cobham/Oxshott area –
particularly land and new homes so I am keen to hear of
any new opportunities from other ORs and their friends
and families.
I bought a flat in Leatherhead in 2007 which is now
let out after I managed to buy a house last year, also in
Leatherhead, where I now live with my girlfriend Vicky.
I’m a keen road-racing cyclist with the Kingston Wheelers
which I do socially and competitively and last year I took
part in the Cape Argus bike race in South Africa and the
Dragon Ride in Wales”.
James Eason (Blathwayt
1982) writes “My family and I
are now living down in Alton in
Hampshire; I married Frances
in October 2007, and we have
one daughter, Eleanor, who’s just
turned three. But, turning the
clock back, after leaving Reed’s
in 1982, I did spend a few
years playing Rugby and Cricket
with the ORs down at Whitely
village which I thoroughly enjoyed and would certainly
recommend to leavers as it provides a superb social and
business network, and particularly with ORs of different
ages which adds some interesting angles to it all. (Ricks,
Hopping and others shared the experiences!).
In my early twenties I moved to London and spent an
interesting and valuable 20 years there, working originally
in the Lloyd’s Insurance Market, where I bumped into
Andrew Marsh among many others and re-established
long-lasting friendships. In my early thirties, I was posted
to Bermuda with Ernst and Young and immersed myself
in the world of Risk Management, a career development
which soon morphed into the pure security context and,
not too long after, was recruited elsewhere where I have
worked within counter-espionage, counter-terrorism,
and kidnap response and negotiation which is the work
that I do now; probably not that surprising to those who
remember my skill at negotiating my way out of any tricky
situation in which I found myself at school.
In respect of pastimes, and apart from about 20 years
hockey with various clubs, including: Weybridge, Woking,
Wasps (Bermuda) and Battersea Wanderers, I took up
the (electric) guitar about five years ago and have enjoyed
performing at a handful of gigs! Oh yes, Heavy Rock is
THE REEDER 2 013
11
very much alive and kicking! But then again, so is DIY –
never mind.”
Attila Emam (Bristowe
1988 ) writes “Stork left this (see
photo) in our chimney on 29th
January 2013. Grandpa Emam
and Aunty Mala are over the
moon and can’t stop cooing.
Just wish Mum was around to
see her. Rozaila is doing well,
despite having a caesarian. Daddy
saw the birth and thanks Edward Harrison for steeling his
nerves in biology class all those years ago.”
Bill Fillery (Chaplain and Head of RE, 1981-86) writes
“We spent five very happy years living in Clover (!)
at Reed’s, and of course I then went on to be Vicar of
Oxshott for three and a half years before moving to Seale.
In 1991 I returned to teaching as Head of RE at Streatham
Hill and Clapham High School, where I remained until
my retirement in 2002. Six months later I found myself
back in full time employment again back in Wales, where I
began my ministry, as vicar of three small Welsh speaking
country parishes. On retiring for a second time in 2010,
we decided to live in nearby Lampeter, where I trained
for the ministry 44 years ago. I am now very involved in
the University as a member of the governing body, and a
committee member of the alumni association.
Nigel Fraser Ker (Capel 1978) writes “During
my final years at Reed’s I became interested in cars (I’m
ashamed to say that I even managed to keep an illicit MG
outside my girlfriend’s house in Sandy Lane). My father
was an amateur racing driver and for one birthday my
parents bought me a week’s course at the Jim Russell
motor racing school at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk. I
was hooked and rather than go to university I managed to
wangle a job working as a mechanic for Bernie Ecclestone
at the Brabham Formula One team at Cox Lane in
Chessington. This was the era of ‘skirts’ when cars were
sucked onto the road by huge aerodynamic forces and
our drivers were Nikki Lauda and Nelson Piquet. The
team taught me many practical skills such as working with
metals and composite materials but as soon as they heard
about my interest in electronics they lost no time in putting
me in charge of the cars’ electrical systems which meant
designing and assembling the wiring looms. This was
rather good timing because BMW, whose engines we had
started using, were introducing the first telemetry systems
for monitoring the cars as they drove around the circuit –
the forerunner of what you now see on the screen when
you watch a Formula 1 race. I learnt a great deal there that
was to be useful later.
Our elder son James was also at Reed’s from 1981 to
1986, and is now a very successful hairdresser running
his own business in the centre of Prague. We have just
returned from one of our very regular visits to Prague,
where both James and his younger sister Lucy have lived
since the mid 1990s, and we also now have a granddaughter there (Lucy’s daughter Emilia).”
Michael Foster Van der Elst (Mullens 2001)
writes “I am getting married to Ania in May in Poland and
am currently adjutant of 3 RIFLES in Edinburgh. Couldn’t
ask for a better posting really. Spent most of 2012 in
Afghanistan again, this time as second in command of
a Kandak Advisory Team, or KAT, advising the Afghan
National Army and trying, with mixed results, to make
them better.”
12
THE REEDER 2 013
After a couple of years at Brabham I was persuaded to
move to a firm rebuilding classic sports cars. ‘Rebuilding’
is a bit of a euphemism here because normally we built
the cars from scratch for customers who owned the
rights to cars which had been damaged beyond repair
such as one of Jim Clark’s Lotus 25s – a thing of great
beauty in my opinion and a privilege to work on. Whilst
working during the day on other people’s cars, in the
evenings I was working on my own and after a successful
couple of seasons in rallying I persuaded myself that I had
some talent for driving. I started my own team, got some
sponsorship and began competing in the hope of getting a
drive with one of the big teams.
It was at about this time that my family life took a rather
unexpected turn. I had always known that I had been
adopted but had never really given my ‘real’ family much
thought. However, a friend suggested it might be worth
finding out who they were and so I made some enquiries.
Many adopted children, particularly of my age, are from
unmarried couples who in those days were under a great
deal of social pressure to give up their children. However,
I found out that in my case the reason was simply that
my mother had died and my father who was an Army
officer based in Germany couldn’t look after me (I was
only three months old) as well as my elder sister and
brother. I was therefore given up for adoption and my
siblings were placed into boarding school. To cut a long
story short, I was reintroduced to them all and now have
two wonderful families as well as more relatives than I
can remember! The part of this story that still amazes me
is that when I spoke to my brother Simon for the very
first time it emerged that we were both competing in the
National Rally Championship. Of all the activities we could
each have chosen we had picked not only the same sport
but the same championship.
After over ten years in motorsport and around four
seasons of rallying I realised that I was not quite as fast
as I had originally thought and decided I had better get a
‘proper’ job. But what to do? Well, I don’t know if anyone
else remembers Reed’s School’s first foray into computing
– it was a teleprinter in the maths lab linked by an acoustic
coupler to a mainframe somewhere in London. We
used to write programs in BASIC, transfer them onto
paper tape and thence on to the remote computer for
processing with the results being printed out on the
printer…wonderful stuff! I had been fascinated by this new
technology and so with my interest undiminished I got a
job working for a small computer company in Croydon
and then worked successively for WordPerfect, Novell,
Lotus and finally IBM.
In parallel with my new career and having given up
motorsport I was at a bit of a loss to know what to do at
the weekends and so on a whim I joined the Territorial
Army (now the Army Reserve). Ignoring my miserable A
Level results and my complete lack of military knowledge
the powers that were decided that I should apply for a
commission and before very long I was passing out of
Sandhurst as a second lieutenant and had been given a
troop of soldiers to look after. There are many hidden
benefits in joining the colours but for me the most
important one turned out to be that it was where I met
my wonderful wife Fenella – at the time our Squadron’s
REME Fitter Section Commander – with whom we now
have three lovely children Katie (11), Henry (10) and
George (three).
My civilian and military careers moved along in parallel for
many years until I finally retired from the Army in 2001 at
which time I began to consider starting my own firm. My
military experience had given me some ideas for business
opportunities in the defence market and after some soul
searching I finally set up the new firm in 2009. We are
very small and design specialised equipment for sale to
military and security agencies via companies like BAE
Systems and Thales.
Fenella and I have now lived in Ashtead in Surrey for
around seven years and have just applied for planning
permission to build our own house so quite apart from
business I expect to be kept rather busy over the next
year or two. If anyone else is thinking of building their
own home and want to see what we did right and wrong
please feel free to drop me a line.
Over the years it has been a delight to keep in touch
with my fellow ORs and have corresponded with several
of them including Jeremy Eynon who currently lives in
California and came over to stay with us recently. We
were both very grateful to Sharmaine Matthews who
kindly showed us around the School – a very enjoyable
experience and very much appreciated by us both.
I’d like to end with an appeal. For many years I have been
trying without success to trace Ralph Mellor (Capel 19741976). If anyone can put me in touch with him or knows
anything at all about his movements after he left Reed’s I’d
be very grateful.”
THE REEDER 2 013
13
Ben Geach
(Mullens 2001)
and Ruth Geach,
nee Habershon,
(2001) write “In
early February
2012, our son
Alexander Joseph Geach was born and we have had a
fantastic first year with him. We continue to live and work
in central London but plan a move to the Surrey suburbs
at some point this year!
Alex Grell (Blathwayt 1990) writes “Having worked
for Ernst & Young’s Australian practice for over 18 months,
I relocated together with my family from Sydney, Australia
to Hong Kong in October 2011 to take up a regional role
with Ernst & Young Asia-Pacific. I now lead the Asia-Pacific
Pursuits team, a team that focuses on helping the firm to
sell the largest, most complex deals across the Asia-Pacific
region. My two boys are now five and three and have
already started learning Mandarin and playing rugby, a sport
which the locals are obviously fanatical about. By the time
this goes to print, I will have seen my eldest play at the
world renowned Hong Kong Sevens on the first day of the
Sevens put on for the kids. With the boys’ baby/toddler
years behind them and with the good fortune of being able
to employ a maid at home my wife, Camille, has gone back
to work and now works at the school in Discovery Bay
on Lantau Island. On a separate note, I have also become
reacquainted with one of my old Reed’s class mates, Eddie
O’Neill, who coincidentally also lives on the island. We
literally bumped into one another on the ferry home one
Friday evening and our families have since become close,
particularly our eldest boys who are the same age. It is a
strange feeling indeed to have played rugby both with and
against Eddie at Reed’s only now, 24 years later, to watch
our two boys do that exact same thing. We also had the
good fortune to spend an evening with another OR of our
vintage, Simon Shrager, who came to Hong Kong on a
business trip recently. We have Facebook to thank for that
and spent a great night with Simon reminding ourselves of
all the fun (and not so fun) fun times we had... 2013 holds
much promise for the family with two trips back to Europe
in planning as well as much travel around Asia Pacific from a
professional perspective”.
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THE REEDER 2 013
Graham Ham (Mullens 1972) writes “I’m currently
working for Manns Removals in Dunsfold, near Guildford,
as their Operations Manager. We carry out domestic and
commercial moves both nationally and internationally. If
any Old Reedonian wants a removal I’d be happy to quote
and include a discount – contact by email at graham@
mannsremovals.co.uk.
I was reminded of Reed’s the other day when I took an
enquiry from someone living about 100 metres from the
main driveway to Reed’s on Sandy Lane. I hear frequently
from Nigel Clark, also a 1972 Mullens leaver. The last time
I saw anyone else was a Reunion in 2002 at the School.”
Andrew Harman
(1993) writes “I am still
living in Sydney and am
a senior scientist at the
Westmead Millennium
Institute where I work on
HIV and its interactions
with dendritic cells.
2012 was a big year. I got married and had with my wife,
Natalie, our son Harrison. Natalie is now pregnant again
and our second baby is due in May.”
George Harris (Capel 2010) writes “I have been
following my passion of riding freestyle motocross in
shows around England up until four months ago when
I suffered a bad injury from which I am having a final
operation this month (January). I was in Spain last year
riding with some of the best in the world, teaching me
lots and having a great time! But the more ‘sensible’ thing
that I have been doing could be that I am now enrolled
at Merrist Wood college doing an HND in Horticulture!
Much more tame you may say. I started a landscaping
business a year after Reed’s where I both redesign gardens
and build them. I am just taking this course to get it behind
my name and to learn some more within the industry.
Back onto the more dangerous side of things, I am training
to get qualified as a stunt performer doubling for actors
on film sets etc. It’s great fun, but extremely expensive
says my wallet! It’s my goal to run my landscaping business
alongside being a stunt performer as they are both self
employed activities.”
Nicholas Hearle (Mullens 1997) writes “Having
Jes Isaacs (Bristowe 1973) writes “ My wife and I have
been to medical school in Wales and marrying Eve we’ve
moved to Cornwall where I’m a doctor. I’m currently
completing my speciality training in general practice. Last
September our baby daughter Ada Myfanwy was born.
Surfing, pilot gig boat rowing and cliff top walks with our
daughter keep us busy when not working!”
just returned from a trip to Australia where we spent
some time with Mike and Susie Jaggard as well as hooking
up for an evening with David Stewart who I had not seen
for 25 years.”
Martyn Hearn (Blathwayt 1963) is hoping to attend
this year’s Reunion with Mike Norcock (Capel 1967).
Alex Hill (Blathwayt 2003) writes “I have recently
moved to Kazakhstan to work as Business Development
Executive for a manpower agency for major oil and gas
projects throughout Russia and the CIS countries. I am
based in Atyrau which is in the west of the country on
the Caspian Sea. There is a lot more to do here than I
imagined and a large expat community which has made
the change very easy. I am learning Kazakh and a bit of
Russian as well which is a challenge but one that I enjoy.
Kazakhstan is the ninth biggest country in the world and
there is a lot to do in the major cities and my job will
require me to visit most of them so I will get to see what it
has to offer, hunting, ice fishing and skiing near Almaty are
at the top of my list.
The best part of the job is that I work on rotation so
am based in Atyrau for six weeks and then I have two
weeks off and my company will fly me wherever I want
to go. I plan to be here for at least a few years to save
some money and use my time off to see as much of the
world as I can, my next trip will be to Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia with Ben Peddie and Rory Ambrose for Adam
Chalcraft’s wedding in April. I will be back in the UK fairly
regularly so hope to catch up at another OR event at
some point soon.”
John Hughes-Wilson (Mullens 1962) now lives in
Turkish North Cyprus. His latest books are two SAS-MI6
thrillers published as e-books under a pseudonym, which
are doing ‘very nicely’. He is currently writing the Imperial
War Museum’s official book of the First World War for
2014. After 31 years in the Army, mostly in Intelligence,
John retired from NATO’s Political staff to become a
writer and BBC broadcaster, and the President of the
International Guild of Battlefield Guides.
Mike Jaggard (Mullens 1972) writes “In the words of
Sergeant Pepper. It was 30 years ago today... Yes I landed
in Australia to the day! (10th January 2013). Married
to a lovely Australian girl I met in London (Susie), we
have two daughters 27 and 26. One is a lawyer and the
other is a psychologist which makes for very interesting
conversations around the table when they are both at
home!
We live in a lovely part of Sydney on the Lower North
Shore and are close to everything .We have seen a few
Old Reedonians coming through and with the British Lions
coming probably will see a few more as well. I know that
Ron Obbard and his wife Angie and son Will are coming
because they are staying with us for the Sydney leg of the
tour. Through Sharmaine Graham Lambert and I have met
up and shared a few beers under an Oak tree in the local
pub . Good to catch up after 43 years!
I also am in irregular contact with Ian Ward and his wife
Judy who are retired in Spain .One day I will make a trip
back to the UK and visit the School and enjoy watching
a game of something . Last time I attended Old Boys
Day Eric Hearle, tried to get me to turn out for the OR’s
cricket team. I have played cricket down here in a series
called the alternative Ashes, which is a best of seven series,
where expats play the Aussies in limited overs games and
the ante is upped every game, and ‘special’ players are
dropped in to boost either team to get them back into the
series. We have had former test players, county players,
the works and it all ends up with a huge BBQ and of
course a couple of quiet ones...
Sharmaine is organising a gathering or OR’s down under in
April (2013). Should be interesting to see who makes that
one. I know for sure there will be two at least (Graham
and me).”
Luke Jones (Bristowe 1986) relocated from Hong
Kong, to Bjerrome in Western Sweden in September
2012, swapping the hustle and vibrancy of Happy Valley
THE REEDER 2 013
15
for a 30 acre farm. During his time in Hong Kong he
became reacquainted with Simon Hague (Capel 1986)
who is married to Claire with three children and did a
brilliant job in helping us settle in when we first arrived in
2006. Within a few weeks of being in Hong Kong, Simon
and Luke were representing the Hong Kong Football Club
in a rugby match against the People’s Liberation Army,
having played their last game together over 20 years ago!
Neilson Kite (Capel 1960) writes “A BUPA health-
During his time in Hong Kong, Luke started a family
(daughter Elsa and son Maximilian) with his Swedish
veterinary wife Jenni and oversaw the rapid growth of
the home furnishings company Halo, and its high end
international brand, Timothy Oulton. He remains one of
the owners of this business which opens its first London
presence within Harrods in February 2013.
Clearly many of us are restless beings. Full of curiosity and
highly opinionated, we still want to change the world.
If a Pope can blossom in his 70s (and retire at 85) then
so can we! The majority of us were ‘Foundationers’ and
some of us wonder about the extent to which, having lost
our fathers through conflict or illness, this has shaped our
lives. A surprising number of us are still working and those
who are not seem deeply involved in activities that have
a positive influence on others’ lives. Personally, I have had
a ‘portfolio’ career – VSO, teaching, electric blankets, IT
Simon organised several OR gatherings during his time in
Hong Kong, one memorably included Alan Lang (Mullens),
James Daly (Mullens 1988), Derek Venn (Mullens 1986),
prior to his move to Singapore, Attila Emam (Bristowe
1988), on a flying visit from Kuala Lampur, and Faz
Mahmood. Steve Taylor (Mullens), Guy Bradbury (Capel
1988) and Chris Pole (Bristowe 1990) amongst others
were called as the night progressed...
Ned Kelly (Bristowe
1978) writes “I am still
serving as a Chaplain in
the Royal Navy (it’s now
20 years ‘before the
mast’) and am drawing
towards the end of my
time as the Chaplain
at the Fleet Air Arm in
Yeovil. I have been strangely reminiscing about the 70s
over the last few months, and by implication been thinking
about all those with who I shared my time at Reed’s. Still
avoiding the marriage trap myself, I spend lots of Saturdays
sending happy couples down the aisle, but never after
13.30 as that’s the latest time I can kick-off a wedding
and still get to the kick-off at Yeovil Town football ground
for games on a home match day. I think I have now fully
regained my Britishness after my posting to the USA Navy
(2007-09) and would welcome contact with anyone of
my contemporaries. Blessings!”
16
THE REEDER 2 013
check 20 years ago advised, that at 50, I should seriously
be considering a slower pace of life. Looking back on it,
50 seems so desperately young. I’m sure that many of my
contemporaries at Reed’s feel the same and, judging from
the very lively and enduring email forum started by Roger
Mew and Hugh Darwen following a lot of OR corralling by
Roger Hockey, there’s still a lot of life in a lot of old dogs.
industry, consulting, lecturing and writing – liberally laced
with singing and rugby, in a hazy kind of way. In reality,
I have not yet sorted out what I really want to do. I am
constantly exhorting businesses to focus and not dissipate
their efforts, but have never done so myself. There are
far too many interesting things going on to take my own
advice. Like an actor, I keep staring into middle distance.
Some of our contemporaries are clearly defined –
bankers, financial directors, tax experts, artists, priests,
revolutionaries, and gigolos. I don’t know whether that’s
preferable or not. For those of us who are not clearly
defined, all advice for future career development will be
willingly received!”
Peter Knight (Bristowe 1955) writes “Old, retired
and living in Houtbay, 22 km out of Capetown. I am
enjoying life in this beautiful place and still messing with
computers and I am trying to support one of our local
primary schools.” Peter has also sent the following piece
highlighting some aspects of his time at Reed’s. “1947 was
one of the coldest winters for a long time. I was seven
and shipped off to Reed’s. In those days we had to wear
short trousers, only Prefects were allowed longs. I can
remember standing outside the Close in a circle and crying
because my hands were so cold: instead of football we
had organised snowball fights!
It wasn’t long before I got my nickname which lasted me
until I left, Nellie Knight.
I must say I was never the great scholar. Most of the
reports said ‘Could do better’, one of them said ‘Fancies
himself as a comic’. Johnny Lead the English master said I
should try and write down all my thoughts in an essay and
not keep substantial amounts in my head.
However, due to the fantastic support from the teachers I
managed to leave with GCE O Levels. A comment I heard
at the next Reunion Day which was apparently made by
the Art Master ‘If Knight can pass anybody can pass’.
I have many happy memories of my schooldays, so I
hope I don’t bore you with tales of things we ‘got up to’.
Very shortly after joining I was introduced to scrumping
in the orchard that ran down the left hand side of the
main driveway. Great apples. Mooney Lee showed me
how to get there. He was famous for reading under the
bedclothes with a candle. Food was always on our minds.
Each season had something – chestnuts, raspberries,
blackberries, crab apples. We were always hungry and a
favourite at teatime was to wait until the bread had been
put out in baskets on the tables, then you could pinch
a couple of slices and squeeze them into dough balls.
Delicious. In those years not so long after the war food
was far from plentiful and we used to get some pretty
awful meals.
It must have been in my first year at the main school. I was
on the first floor in a dormitory with 15 beds in between
the two courtyards. One night we decided to raid another
dorm way down the passage past the head matron’s
room and the main stairs and along to what was then the
Infirmary. Donkers (one sock inside another) were the
weapons of choice. How we got away with it I do not
know. I think we did get some punishment, the raid was
discovered after the actual event.
I remember a lot of the various crazes that we had over
the years – (Please do not be tempted to try any of the
following – Ed.). Conkers, thread a conker on a string
and take turns in whacking your opponents conker until
one smashed. Throwing Darts by wrapping a piece of
string around the tail and letting fly. If you wrap a small
round stone in the end of a handkerchief, twist if up ,
hold the stone end behind your back and the other over
your shoulder, you get a fantastic sling. We also made
darts from pen nibs. You put the nib in the open desk lid
and split the top by shutting the lid on it. The nib broke
off and by pressing it down on the desk it left two small
points. A paper flight and it worked well. Stuck in doors
and probably people as well. The desks were also great
for marble runs. You took a broomstick and knocked
out the wood block at the bottom of the inkwell holder.
Then you set up a track inside the desk with books and
rulers. Drop the marble down the hole and wait for it to
run out at the bottom of a hole in the front of the desk.
Rice shooters. Somehow glass tubes were acquired, and
then with a mouth full of dried rice you could have a
marvellous battle.
Outside in the grounds we could dig out dens in the pine
woods and light the roots sticking out as candles. The elm
trees also had large hollows under their roots. We used to
build traps in some areas, great holes covered over with a
framework of twigs and suitably disguised. I’m glad to say
nobody broke any legs falling in them. Bows and arrows
were great, the pavilion on the main rugby pitch had a
thatched roof which made great arrows and there were
masses of yew hedges for the bow. Water pistols did not
last long as they were quickly confiscated, but ink bladders
could be pin pricked and then filled on a cold tap. Amazing
how large they could become. One of the highlights of
the year was 5th November. Throughout the year broken
branches were gathered and dragged to the Bomb Crater
(The result of a Doodlebug during the war) . On the night
we would light this pile and have a great bonfire and let off
our couple of bangers.
A couple of incidents in the Physics lab still make me
smile. By turning on a couple of taps you could lower
the water pressure, then at the other end of the lab you
removed a curved spout from a tap and turned it on..
Down the other end when the water was turned off and
the pressure returned, there would be quite a spectacular
fountain.
One time we were to have demonstrated how copper
was a much better heat conductor than steel. I think
Davies got the steel and Baker got the copper. Each put
his rod into the Bunsen burner flame. Wait for it! Suddenly
THE REEDER 2 013
17
Davies throws away his steel rod, leaving Baker still
holding onto the copper. (There was however a groove in
his fingers).
Easter Molly dancers celebrating Plough Monday (an East
Anglian tradition).”
I was very lucky to have the only radio in the School. It
was a four valve set and ran off a very expensive battery
with 72 volt and 1.5 v built in. If I put it in the middle of
the dorm and connected a wire from the aerial to a bed it
gave good reception. It must have been 1954. We were
allowed to listen to the Saturday night play which was
often very good. The guys in my dorm helped me to pay
for the battery which I think was 7/6d. I used to get £1 per
term for tuck shop expenses.
“New arrival on 25th Sept 2012 – Ralph
George McCall. Mum, dad and Henry all
very excited.”
It’s great to get the yearly Mag. To see the changes from
the 150 pupil school I attended is fantastic. There were
just 13 of us in our GCE year. I couldn’t have had a better
start in life anywhere else. I suspect Reed’s will continue
to go from strength to strength and I wish all those passing
through as good or even better time than I had.”
Chris Last (1959)
writes “2012 saw
me actually make my
70th birthday! I still
continue as a selfemployed gardener
(weather permitting!).
Fortunately, I’m
still able to travel abroad. Such trips included a visit to
Austria (Blackmore Morris Men), and another visit to the
Lagushdi, Upper Svaneti in the Republic of Georgia. Flying
with Ukrainian International Airlines was an interesting
experience! The airline had a seating problem from Tbilisi
to Kiy’iv, so I travelled business class, but unfortunately
Kiy’iv to London was economy class! Part of this visit
included participation in Svan songs and dances on top
of a mountain nearly 3,000m high (the group were the
first westerners to take part in this particular festival). One
day, the temperature reached 41C which is apparently
unheard of there. We were told on arrival back in Tbilisi
that the temperature had reached 55C. Later in the year,
I went to Turkey with a Lithuanian folklore group (Saduto)
to participate in a folk festival about 20km from Bodrum.
On 7th Jan. 2013, I was one of the musicians for Good
18
THE REEDER 2 013
Tim McCall (Blathwayt 1993) writes
Toby Makhzangi (Capel 1993) is
teaching at Uppingham School and writes “I have decided
that my life mid-life crisis is occurring at the age of 37 and
that consequently I am going to give running a marathon
one shot! I have entered the Shakespeare Marathon
in Stratford on Sunday 28th April. The real reason for
running this is to try and raise as much money as possible
for the Sanata Orphanage in Gil Gil, Kenya which is, as
they say a very good cause, and one that I have a link with
going back a few years.”
Peter Miles (Blathwayt 1955) writes “2012 has
been a momentous year for me with three months in
the Philippines, getting married and then having to fight
for justice for Jackie’s entry visa, It was a demanding and
stressful experience but in the end, a victorious result
that overcame prejudice and the woeful standards of the
UK Visa agency. It is truly wonderful to once more have
somebody to share my life with, and for my daughter to
know there is somebody caring for me.”
Rick Mecklenburgh (Blathwayt 1957) writes
“For a significant number of years we have both been
members of Cricket Tasmania, which, needless to say is
the Tasmanian arm of Cricket Australia. As members of
this august body, we have ‘sat in the members’ at Hobart’s
Bellerive Oval, watching cricket of every imaginable level
and of both genders for a number of years. We would
frequently pass the time of day talking about cricket,
football, Tasmanian and Australian issues, food, and travel
– you name it – we talked about it. Given that average
attendance at any match which is not International, or is
longer than 40 overs in total attracts crowds in the low
hundreds, and of that maybe 60 are in the members’ area,
we talked about things frequently.
Some short weeks ago we were discussing motor vehicle
maintenance, when a mutual friend (unbeknown to be
such) walked passed muttering something like ‘How are
you pom?’ Well I knew he was talking to me, but had no
idea he was talking to ‘us’.
From that, the discussion went along the lines of, ‘When
did you arrive here?’, ‘What made you come here?’,
‘What did you do in England?’ etc.
Having explained that I arrived 55 years ago after finishing
GCE O Levels, largely because my mother was intent on
marrying an Australian she had met two years earlier, I
freely admitted that at the age of five I had commenced
boarding school at some place called the Royal Wanstead
Asylum or somesuch, and that having passed a curious
assessment called the ‘11 plus’ in 1952, I did my senior
school years ‘at some school, founded by the same
philanthropist as the founder of the Wanstead school.’
Well then (with me thinking it was his turn to tell me
his life story) he simply said ‘Shake hands with a fellow
Reedonian’! (It was Trevor Welby – Mullens 1971).
Our conversations have broadened considerably and the
anecdotes are wonderful, and rather consistent given that
one of us left in 1957 – the other fourteen years later.
It is a standing joke in Tasmania that everyone is related to
everyone else and that it is such a small place. Seems the
world isn’t that large either!”
Andy Myers (Bristowe 1994) writes “I am currently
working for ConocoPhillips as Pipeline Manager for the
Jasmine Development Project in the UK Sector of the
North Sea. Still happily married to Melanie, Juliana our
oldest is almost four years old and creating havoc, school
is on the horizon! The latest addition to our family, Freya,
arrived in April last year.”
Alistair Newton (Capel 1991) writes “I left Reed’s
in July 1991, to pursue a language course in the Loire
Valley for one year! I then went on to live in Germany for
two and a half years and since then have been working
in London for a number of media publishing houses,
conference and expo organisations and at present work
for Rocket Fuel in Covent Garden. I was one of the first
members of the team when the UK office opened in 2011
and we now have over 30 employees assisting media
agency planner/buyers with a multi-channel solution across
the display, mobile, video and social space.
Most recently I celebrated my tenth wedding anniversary.
Sarah and I have three beautiful girls: Poppy, (six), Daisy,
(four) and Fleur is 18 months! We have been living in
Claygate for the past 12 years . As well as the girls, we
have two dogs, a cat and a KTM Adventure (just to keep
Daddy sane!) which I recently rode around France, Spain
and Portugal!”
Frank Nunneley (Blathwayt 1967) The following
is an extract from Frank’s website (www.franknunneley.
co.uk):
“Where did it all start? It’s in the genes with some practical
guidance from older members of the family. Later as
a pupil at Reed’s School I was lucky enough to meet
Howard Pickersgill, a Quaker, who had been an industrial
designer but who felt he could make much more of a
contribution by becoming a teacher and he certainly
made a significant contribution to the education of myself
and a number of my contemporaries. It was entirely his
fault that I went to St. Martin’s School of Art when I left
school. I attended St. Martin’s and then Trent Park College
of Education in the 1960s. I taught art for short while but
then spent a lifetime working in another field entirely. I
returned to my artwork in 2007 and whilst still working on
drawing and painting I am concentrating on sculpture and
photography. My work is now in private collections in this
country, France and the USA.”
Ben Peddie (2003) writes “I left Reed’s in June 2003
and decided to turn down places at university as I wasn’t
sure which direction I wanted to go in; business or design.
I started working full-time with a small local construction
firm for which I had previously worked part-time during
holidays, weekends etc. I was able to become involved
with all elements of construction from ground works to
roofing and all internal elements. I decided this route
was more suited to me so wrote to all the major house
builders and developers asking about training schemes
THE REEDER 2 013
19
they offered. After several interviews I took a post with
Berkeley Homes (Southern) which is a subsidiary company
of the Berkeley Group, in September 2004, as a Trainee
Site Manager.
I progressed over several years, working as part of a
management team on large housing sites all across the
south of England from sites in Portsmouth comprising
1,000 houses, to modern blocks of apartments in Brighton
and 22-storey tower block refurbishment projects in
Basingstoke.
After a year of working for Berkeley I was asked if I wished
to pursue any further education. Berkeley then sponsored
me to study a five-year degree, which included three
years HND Construction and two years BSc (Hons)
Commercial Management. It was very difficult working
full-time and spending all my evenings and weekends with
my head in the books for so many years, but in July 2010
I was awarded a 2:1 from London South Bank University.
I also now hold Incorporated Membership status for
the CIOB and currently working on my portfolio for full
MCIOB membership status this year.
In 2009/2010 the company split into two, forming Major
Projects and Village Collection. The Village Collection
was created to concentrate on the smaller sites, with
much larger properties of higher value and higher spec.
I decided with my Construction Director that this path
would be best for progression and was given my own site
in Reigate in 2009 with a value of approx £10m, which
went extremely well, on-time and on budget. From there
I have continued to run projects in Weybridge, Esher,
Tadworth and now in Cobham, where I am building four
£3m houses in Fairmile Avenue until early 2014.
The job comes with huge responsibility and pressure,
but having worked for the company for the best part
of 10 years, making it through the recession cull, I am
in a good position for future prospects and aiming for a
director’s position with the possibility of setting up my
own construction company in the not too distant future,
funds depending!
In terms of personal life, I had a little boy named Alfie in
July 2011. He’s 18 months old now and a little terror.
Enjoying fatherhood, but unfortunately me and his mother
20
THE REEDER 2 013
split up last year so I don’t get to spend as much time with
him as I would like. Be interesting to see if he follows my
footsteps later on in life!
Apart from that, I have a property in West Byfleet and I
am looking at moving to Guildford/Merrow later this year.
I am still playing a lot of golf and trying to maintain a single
figure handicap, although parenthood has interrupted
that somewhat! I am still very close friends with Alex Hill
(Blathwayt 2003), Rory Ambrose (Capel 2001) and Adam
Chalcraft (Blathwayt 2003) and have bumped into several
people here and there over the last few years. It would be
good to get a reunion organised this year, bearing in mind
this year will be our 10 year anniversary from leaving!”
Max Reinhardt
(Bristowe 2000) writes
“I have just changed
jobs, going from a
Mortgage Broking
position to that of a
Financial Planner, with
one of the big four banks in Australia, Westpac. Other
than that my kids are growing up pretty quickly and both
will be in full time school as of February this year, a photo
of them in their uniforms is attached. Noah is the eldest
aged six and Lucas is five. No plans to come back to
England anytime soon, it’s been just over eight years now.
I think the only thing that would take us back is if one of
the kids get scouted by an English football team. Noah in
particular loves his football and wants to play for Liverpool
when he’s older, his middle name is Gerrard! I coached
his football team last season and will continue doing so
this year. Lucas hasn’t quite got the attention span just yet,
although he might start when our season commences
in April. I haven’t been able to play for almost two years
myself with a marrow oedema and osteoarthritis in my
right knee – must be getting old.”
Adrian Ricks (Mullens 1972) writes “Well here
goes – my wife is typing as she is very quick (!) – I am still
married to Kim, almost 25 years (Oh my god that long!),
four great kids – Georgie (22) finished Leeds University
last year and now doing a so called ‘ski season’ in Val
d’Isere but seems more like one big party! Harry (20)
now reading Economics at Bath University after a gap year
which included travelling round the Far East and being
chased by Orang Utans; also very involved and captain
of the Reeds Weybridge RFC Under 21s – Charlie (17)
and Freddie (15) who are both at Cranleigh. It has to be
said that two out of the three boys are now taller than
me! Freddie 6’ 3” at just 15, a giant in the making. All
boys have gone to or are going through Cranleigh School
(don’t ask!) but I am delighted to confirm all three feel
very much Reedonians when it comes to rugby and are
very proud to play for our club at various age levels. My
company Commercial Interiors is still going strong, albeit
very tough out there, so anyone who wants an office
makeover let me know! I am still very much involved
with Reeds Weybridge RFC, but more as the spectator
these days which is just fine by me! When Jes Isaacs
(Bristowe) Simon Bailey (Capel) and I started the mini
rugby section about 18 years ago, little did we know just
how successful it would be and there are so many ORs’
children down at the club, it’s a fantastic, vibrant place.
Very proud achievement. I am still playing squash, running
and enjoying the delights of French red wines plus good
old London Pride! Very much in touch with lots of ORs:
Jes Isaacs, Simon Taylor, Ian Griffin, all the Savills, Andy
Shiells, Ed Peters, Jerry Sherwood, Plank & Jones to name
but a few and all, it has to be said, a lot younger than me!
Am also a Trustee now of a local children’s charity called
Oasis, based in Cobham. I’m pleased to say Reed’s School
has chosen it as one of the charities to support and much
good work is done between the two organisations. Life is
hectic, busy, fun and really don’t have anything to complain
about!”
Howard Rigg (Mullens 1954) writes “Not since I was
involved in the OR rugby and cricket sections in the late
50’s and early 60’s have I submitted articles to the Reeder,
so I suppose I should again.
I have happy memories of my time at school, since starting
at The Close. Plenty of sport, plus ‘bowling up’. Specific
recollections include visits by the choir to St. George’s
Chapel Windsor and Guildford Cathedral, walking in
‘crocodile’ to Esher to see ‘Scott of the Antarctic’, a
rugby match at Epsom College, followed by tea and a
Hollywood film, Mr. Baugh’s clarinet playing, visit for O
Levels to the Old Vic to see ‘Macbeth’.
Some are unpleasant; being accidently (?) pushed by the
prefects into the gorse going from the Big School to The
Close; scrambled eggs (powdered ?) swimming in water...
strange how something so trivial stays in the memory; the
tragic drowning in Black Pond.
Apart from two periods when we were overseas, our
family had a strong and active relationship with Reed’s
and Old Reedonians for about seven decades. Starting
in 1943, my sister Sheila was at Greens Norton and
Dogmersfield, brother Tony at Tile House, Totnes as well
as Cobham, and both I and son Christopher started at
Cobham, although some 30 odd years apart. After leaving,
and having started as a broker in the Lloyd’s Insurance
market I, as did many of my friends, joined the ORs,
playing both rugby on the 12 Acre pitch and cricket on
Bigside. In those early years few of us had cars, with much
of our travelling for matches by railway/underground. Also
my generation had little money, but thanks to the more
senior members, Ken Burbidge, John Laidman, Tony
Barwell and others, we were looked after. Later Brian
Turner was sufficiently wealthy to own a vehicle and carry
us around.
Rugby training then varied from the Lucas Tooth gym in
Tooley Street near London Bridge station, to amongst
some others, Hampstead Heath, and Tooting Bec (both
Common and Athletic track). All the hard graft eventually
paid off on the pitch for the Old Boys and many a pleasant
evening spent in the old clubhouse. Memorable highlights
include beating the hosts at the Lowestoft & Yarmouth
Easter Festival and journeying to a West Country tour,
having recruited the then England hooker Steve Richards
(and guitar), drafted as a ‘ringer’ – we played him at
Second Row of course..
1968 saw a move to Singapore, where I married Iris
in January 1969. A move to Malaysia the following
year was the start of a four-year contract to establish a
broking company and assist the formation of the National
Insurance Company. Over the six years spent in Southeast
Asia, in addition to the wonderful birth of Christopher in
Kuala Lumpur in 1972, we experienced a most enjoyable
social and sporting life. Rugby in Singapore (my only
experience of playing against Fijians, thank goodness!),
THE REEDER 2 013
21
and Malaysia with tours to Indonesia, and Thailand was a
pleasing counter balance to a hectic professional life.
We returned to the UK mid 1974 and re-acquainted
fulltime with the Old Boys, meeting up with old and
making new friends and I continued my rugby playing
career at Whiteley Village. Professionally, contact
continued with Asia, having responsibility and travelling
extensively there. This enabled me to meet up with
Alan and Sue Reece who were based in Jakarta, and
assist Richmond FC with their Asian tour. Another move
overseas, this time in 1982 to Bahrain, was a ‘different’
experience, geographically and culturally, the latter
especially.
Christopher entered The Close the next year and joined
us for holidays. Travelling regularly to and within Saudia
Arabia tended to create uncertainties around personal
security. Two years later and the decision by the Board to
move the office and all staff to Riyadh were sufficient for
the family to realise that we would not be comfortable in
such an enviroment. We returned to Surrey at the end of
1984. Having moved to Cobham in 1986, after the back
injury to Christopher playing against Lord Wandsworth,
both Iris and I became fully involved at Whiteley Village.
Being so close to the School allowed us to meet and
entertain several of Christopher’s friends over the years,
some with whom we are still in contact, notably Matt
Fradgley and family and Lorenzo Garcia. Christopher
started in the print and paper industry after graduating
from the London School of Printing, after many an hour
spent in the Reed’s print room and has made considerable
progress in that profession. Christopher married
Susan in 2007 and we now have both a grandson and
granddaughter.
In the mid eighties the Rugby Club continued to prosper,
at one stage running four teams. Personal highlights of my
time at Whiteley Village, include playing one match in the
same team as Christopher, helping to arrange the first
tour to the USA, reaching the semi-final of the RFU Junior
Cup – just one game from Twickenham, and being part,
with Iris, in the formation of the Mini/Midi Section, along
with Simon Bailey, Adie Ricks, Jes Isaacs and others. We
stayed with this new section for ten years, living around
the corner from the Club and all most enjoyable and
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THE REEDER 2 013
rewarding. Despite this comfortable lifestyle, we decided
to seek a different challenge, and moved to Cornwall in
2003, to refurbish a barn, taking almost nine months to
complete the reconstruction and infrastructure. The South
West hosts other ORs, and we have met John and Karen
Racquet, Roger Metcalf, Harry Ridsdale amongst others.
As yet not Chris and Louise Simmonds who are on the
Isles of Scilly.
Recently we returned to attend the 80th anniversary
dinner at the Rugby Club to see just how much has been
achieved, especially the expansion off and on the field of
the Mini/Midi section with the age levels now including
colts. The dinner was a success to the point that several
mentioned that such an event should be repeated. The
20th anniversary of the formation of the Mini/Midi section
in 2013 will be very appropriate. Cornwall is different, I
continue with Mini/ Midi coaching with a local club, but we
now look for another challenge and perhaps back to our
friends at Whiteley Village, all of whom we have missed”.
Tim Robb (Mullens 1985) writes “No major updates
from the Robbs. We are still living in Leamington Spa and
our eldest is doing his GCSEs this year before hopefully
starting his A levels in September. Frightening to think how
quickly they are growing up. The three younger children
are all on good form and by September of this year, our
youngest will have left primary school and all four will be in
secondary education.
Along with looking after the children and running a small
curtains business, Candace has been doing some part
time lecturing at Coventry University in pattern cutting for
undergraduates doing a degree in Fashion Design. I have
been busy with work over the last year and managed
to visit Shanghai as part of a development programme
I was doing with the IMD in Lausanne. The sheer scale
of Shanghai and how they have put new technologies
to use was impressive. Outside of work I am still a very
keen cyclist and last summer completed a charity bike
ride from Llandudno to Shrewley in Warwickshire. Over
40 of us completed the ride in aid of Molly Ollerenshaw
who died from cancer in 2011 at the age of eight. Molly’s
father is one of the cycling group and hence our desire do
something to commemorate the life of a very brave young
girl. Over £40,000 was raised and the photo attached
shows us upon our return to Warwickshire.”
Simon Robey (Capel 1978) The following is an
extract from a piece in The Times in late January: “Simon
Robey, a renowned rainmaker at Morgan Stanley, is to join
the boutique advisory business of Sir Simon Robertson.
Mr Robey, who announced plans to leave Morgan Stanley
last September, is moving to Simon Robertson Associates,
which will be renamed Robertson Robey Associates...”
James Roriston (Capel 2005) is now Head of Music
in an international school in Sweden.
Matthew Rose (Capel 2008) writes “My company,
Confugium, which I set up with Chris Markham continues
to go from strength to strength. We had a sketch show in
Edinburgh (also starring James Thomas) last year and are
taking two this year. In recent years we have also made a
TV sitcom pilot and a web series. At the moment we are
branching out into corporate filming as well to pay for all
the fun stuff! We’ve now made a series of staff videos for
Wandsworth Council and even filmed in a robot factory.
It’s hard to believe that it’s now five years since we left
Reed’s and we’re all still working together. Our website
is www.confugium.com if anyone is interested in having
a look. Chris has been working as a stage manager and
recently completed a stint working on a cruise ship in
the Caribbean. I have just had a short play on in London
and am writing a full length play with the Bristol Old Vic
Theatre. James recently starred as Bottom in a production
of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in London.”
Peter Saliba (Mullens 1962) was at the 2012 Reunion
Day. He is living with Carmen in Malaga and by all
accounts is very much enjoying life in southern Europe.
Len Scott (1953) writes “On leaving school I worked
in London for a firm of Chartered Accountants and after
two to three years was joined by another Old Reedonian
Maurice Webb. I was best man at his wedding in March
1962 and he was best man at mine some seven months
later. I left London in 1961 and moved to Exeter. I still
keep in contact with Maurice from time to time.
A couple of years ago one of my sister’s daughters was
nursing a patient in a nursing home in Woodbridge who
I believe was related to a former Head Master of Reed’s
School (it was former Second Master, Richard Warnock –
Ed.). To cut a long story short she spoke to him and later
he gave her a copy of The Reeder 2009. To my surprise
the document contained a photo of myself dated July
1945, and one of my sisters Amy Scott (decd) is shown on
three other photos in the same document. I have recently
received a copy of The Reeder 2011. Having read the
2009 edition I did notice the name of an OR – Don Ford
– and his name is also on page 30 of The Reeder 2011.
I remember Don Ford well and have often wondered
whether he followed his calling and would like to contact
him if possible.”
Pascal Shaw
(Mullens 1984)
writes “I live in a
small village to the
north of Barcelona
famous for its flash
flooding, Arenys de
Munt, where I have
been living for the last 16 years. I have three children,
who speak, in order of preference: Catalan, English and
Spanish. Catalonia is a sports-crazy country and my kids all
play roller hockey at the local club. I love mountain biking
in the hills behind and going on the road bike as well,
but now I’m convalescing after a back operation. I work
as an academic coordinator and English teacher at UAB
Idiomes Barcelona, a university language school in the
centre of BCN, next to the Sagrada Familia, so I have to
commute everyday (not something I imagined doing but
the benefits of living in a small Catalan village far outweigh
the party atmosphere of Barcelona). Bringing up three kids
is a lot of work especially when we have to go around
Catalonia at the weekend to take them to their hockey
matches. Before settling down I lived in Amsterdam and
travelled around for a while (South East Asia, Africa and
South America). I also completed a degree in PPE, a
THE REEDER 2 013
23
Masters in European Studies, Teaching English Certificate
and Diploma as well as a Language School Management
diploma.”
Jeremy Sherwood (Blathwayt 1975) writes “I
‘retired’ last year having run the Head sports business
globally for the last five years and am lucky enough to
do what I want to do. I sit on the advisory board of a
charity called Streetgames which is part of the London
Olympic legacy trying to get kids in deprived areas of
the country playing some form of sport and also own a
children’s nursery school in Guildford – it is the UK’s 4th
largest single site nursery in the UK. I also see quite a few
ORs and we have a small group of ‘famous’ ex Reed’s
cricketers (Jones, Plank, Shiells, Ricks, Taylor, Chuter(?))
playing golf once a month or so. My brother Simon who
left Reed’s in 1973 is doing well – he is Chairman of
the advertising agency BBH, and also working towards
retirement – we both live in the Godalming area.”
Tim Smith (Mullens )
writes “As an Old Reedonian,
I admit it feels good that
Reed’s is part of my history
– which somehow seems
particularly significant in 2013
as the School celebrates
its bicentenary. Probably,
like many past pupils, my
sense of pride and gratitude
have only developed in more recent years as I’ve come
to realise how much I owe the School and how those
early experiences shaped my life. Initially this realisation
prompted me to support some Foundation events and
make small donations. But I felt there had to be more I
could do – not just for Reed’s but for the wider world.
It’s easy to go to a ball or write a cheque, but if I’d really
learned the right lessons in my childhood, surely I would
be motivated to come up with something more practical
and long-term?
I started to think about my role as managing director of
the Brandon Hire Group and was there some way the
business could support the communities within which
we operate – more specifically something that could help
schools during these financially difficult times.
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THE REEDER 2 013
It took me a while to get the right answer, as clearly finding
a connection between tool hire and schools isn’t obvious.
But eventually, I got there and Toolshare was the result.
This is a scheme that gives schools and charities across the
country the chance to apply for free tool hire to help them
complete building and maintenance projects on time and
within budget. We didn’t know what to expect, but within
the first few weeks we’d received dozens of requests
from a wide range of organisations including, playgroups,
primary schools, cricket clubs and allotment projects.
The response highlighted the fact that many groups were
struggling and that our help was needed. With this in mind,
we then went on to launch the Brandon Hire Schools’
Card and the Brandon Hire Charity Card. The cards allow
schools and charities to hire equipment from any of our
branches and enjoy a 50% saving.
The development of both Toolshare and the discount
cards have made me realise that there is always a way
to ‘pass it on’. Indeed, the Foundation is all about giving
something back. And, therefore, I would encourage
former pupils to continue to support Reed’s in any way
they can, but also to take the time to think about what else
they can do.”
Paul Soltysiak (Mullens 2003) writes “We are
expecting our first child in February”.
Angela Springett (one time Head
of Special Needs) writes “I retired from
Reed’s four years ago but as we still live
in the same house overlooking 12 Acre,
Reed’s is never far away! We see the
rugby players, cricketers and athletes
practising and competing as the sporting seasons change.
Occasionally, if the wind is in the right direction, we can
hear the chapel bell. I am enjoying retirement but if I
occasionally miss life at Reed’s I still feel the link across the
garden fence!
Now, no longer tied by school holidays, my husband
and I have been able to do far more sailing. We had a
wonderful trip sailing for three weeks in the Caribbean and
this year we are off to the Balearics. Our summer seasons
are spent in Southern Brittany, where we keep a 32ft.
sailing yacht. We love this area; there is such a variety of
marinas, bays and islands to visit. The sailing is, of course,
enhanced by the prospect of eating ashore in a local
restaurant or buying fresh fish to cook on board.
I have been able to travel more in retirement. I visited my
niece in California, where she spent three years at the
Naval Academy in Monterey. We explored Monterey and
the surrounding coast and spent time in San Francisco.
The highlight of the trip was our visit to Yosemite National
Park, where we slept in a small tent listening out for bears.
I recently returned from my annual trip to Geneva, visiting
friends and colleagues from my teaching days there. We
stayed in a chalet in the Alps and this year there was plenty
of snow and sunshine. Last year I had an unpleasant ski-ing
injury so this year I tried snow shoe-ing; it was great fun
and very energetic.
Retirement has meant that I can indulge in more leisure
pursuits. For two years I have been going to water
colour painting classes, I really enjoy it although I am not
convinced I have any great talent. I also go to French
conversation classes – a good way to meet people and
keep in practice. I belong to a local tennis club and play
‘social’ tennis. I continue to sing and perform with my local
operatic society and enjoy singing classical choral works
with a choir based in Esher. Life is busy!
I enjoy hearing all the news from Reed’s when I meet up
with Christine Kemp for lunch in the school holidays. From
time to time I meet ex-colleagues and past Reed’s pupils
on Cobham High Street. I still climb over the garden fence
to walk up to Reed’s, from time to time, when I come to
sing with Charlie Menagh playing his guitar.
For many years Reed’s was a hugely important part of
our family life. It is wonderful to hear of all the academic,
cultural and sporting successes of the School in recent
years.”
Tim Springett (Bristowe 1995)
lives in Esher with his wife Nikki and
their new baby, Benjamin. Tim works
in the Design Department of a Formula
One Racing Team, producing cars for
Jenson Button and formerly Lewis Hamilton. Tim has a
real passion for yacht racing. Mike Hewett used to run
Reed’s sailing and Tim had his first taste of dinghy racing
with Mike when he represented Reed’s in Weymouth.
Now Tim races regularly in the Solent; two years ago
his team won the Commodores Cup. For the past two
summers Tim has joined the crew of Jethou, a 60ft racing
yacht, in a series of races in the Mediterranean. They were
the overall winner of the 2012 Rolex Volcano Race, which
included a 300 nautical miles round from Capri through
the Aeolian Islands.
Alex Springett (Mullens 1998) lives in Surbiton.
After many years of working in London he joined a
company based in Kingston and is happy that he can now
walk along the Thames towpath to work. His job also
involves world wide travel, which he enjoys. Alex went
on eight ski strips with Mark Vernon in his time at Reed’s.
Ski-ing is his passion and he usually hits the slopes twice a
season.
Ian Stuart (Blathwayt 1972) writes “I am alive and
kicking in Tucson Arizona with wife Diane and two sons
Matt and Gavin. Working for CBRE, the commercial real
estate firm, and still playing tennis – marginally better than
I did on the courts Tim Henman played on after me! I
know Bill Colbran from my era is up in the San Francisco
Bay Area but not sure many other ORs have ventured
so far west. My son Matt has just finished up a double
masters in Regional Planning and GIS at the University of
Arizona and is currently working for a public policy group
here called ‘Imagine Greater Tucson’. Wish I could get
him to pack his bags and head for Europe as he has dual
nationality/passports! My email is istuart@yahoo.com”
Nigel Taunt (Mullens 1971) writes “It’s frightening
to say that my class of ‘71 will be reaching 60 this year
and I’m already semi-retired, with a reducing portfolio
of work that I hope will decline naturally to a very low
level. Where did the decades go? Hopefully, there will be
more time to play golf and watch cricket, which remains
a passionate interest despite the ups and downs of the
English game.”
Chris Tong (Bristowe 1993) after nearly five years
as Head of Sport and Events at Red Bull, recently left
to set up his marketing business ‘Yellow5’. To cap off a
memorable year he then got married in December in
THE REEDER 2 013
25
Bramley, Surrey. On the sports front, he’s now hung up
his hockey boots and replaced them with a nice set of golf
clubs!
Irving Walker (Blathwayt 2001)
writes “I have recently set up my own
franchise of an entertainment agency
(Hireaband) and am running it for the
south of England. Aside from that I am
playing in a couple of function bands on
a regular basis and recently played at a
wedding at Claridges. I am very much enjoying running
my own business and being an employed musician at the
same time. I still live in Sunbury-on-Thames.”
Guy Warwick (1968) writes “On leaving Reed’s
I started work with Shell-Mex and BP and after four
years I joined Powell Duffryn with the aim of working in
France for a few years, and I moved to Rouen initially,
in November 1972 and have never moved back. I left
Powell D. in 1981 and have worked with an American
company – Johns Manville – and finally with a subsidiary
of the Morgan Crucible group, which bought out J.M.
Retirement, in February 2012. I married in 1976 and have
three children (two boys and a girl) and two grandchildren
with a third on the way. Apart from two years in Rouen, I
have lived the rest of the time in the Versailles area.
During the few years in the UK after school I played
regularly for ORRFC with such well known names as
George Spinks, Dave McIlheny, Rex Sinden, Paul Camp,
Nick Simmons... After moving to France I helped organise
two matches between ORRFC, one in France and one at
Whiteley, with my local club in France; we were no match
for the ORs both on and off the field! I stopped playing
some 25 years ago and now enjoy either the armchair
variety or a visit to the Stade de France when I can get
tickets.”
Jim Williams (Capel 1959) writes “The only moment
of difficulty and awkwardness is when the bill arrives and
we fight over whose turn it is to pay. ‘This is on me’…
‘No you did it last time’… ‘Yes but you’re on holiday and
having to spend foreign currency’… ‘That’s not the point,
it’s my turn’… ‘I invited you and you’re my guest in my
home town’… etc. etc.
26
THE REEDER 2 013
Two relatively successful and mature business people with
wives out for a lunch in one of the world’s capital cities at
a ‘top-end-of-the-market’ restaurant. Nothing particularly
extraordinary about that although 50 plus years ago, this
situation could never have taken place. Circumstances,
financial capacity, and the fact that being two years age
difference between us would have been an absolute
taboo. Apart from being in similar rough-end businesses
(mining related); Simon Holden (1950 to 1957) and Jim
Williams (1955 to 1959) their common denominator
is their fatherless upbringing and their Reed’s School
connection.
Naturally when we do get together here in Johannesburg
(my home town) and Simon and Wendy are on their way
through from Luanshya, Zambia to UK or Mauritius, it’s
invariably over lunch somewhere and the topic inevitably
reverts to our school days, reminiscing, with the inevitable
‘I wonder whatever happened to so-and-so’ component.
Our lives, our businesses, health and our kids’ futures
are always in the discussion mix but the bond and the
underlying connection is Cobham, albeit that if we had
met each other without this tie, we would probably still
have been mates, simply because Simon is just such a
good bloke.
Rewind the clock 50 odd years or more and see two
young schoolboys one 13 years old in the 3rd form
and another 15 years old in Upper 1V and any form of
relationship would have been scorned upon by the then
God-fearing headmaster who dished out all sorts of ‘Thou
shalt not’ puritanical absolutes as maxims by which we
should live our lives. I am not for one moment suggesting
that these mores were not well considered, especially
as our headmaster had had a wartime experience in
the Royal Navy (another monastic environment). The
question that I think needs posing is were the disciplines
and restrictions that were imposed on these fatherless
boys, who were totally dependent on others for guidance
and finances, the appropriate norms in this phase of their
lives, trying to bridge the gap from kids to young men?
I for one was quite comfortable with the situation and
the disciplines imposed but know of many ‘unhealthy
relationships’ (in the words of our headmaster) that existed
while guys’ hormones were running riot with them. The
tragedy of this ‘natural/unnatural’ phase was that some
boys were either sacked or severely reprimanded for
‘queer’ behaviour. In fact frequent discussions that I’ve
had with ORs over the years has usually put interaction
with girls as a major problem high on their readjustment
programme after leaving school.
Compare this style of regime with the current Reed’s set
up. A co-educational arrangement where I experienced
(on my last visit) a pub, interaction at almost all levels,
tremendous freedoms and liberal attitudes and then ask
ourselves which one is the better system? Amazing as
it may seem, and seen from the perspective of today’s
privileged pupils/learners/students something of a
conundrum but I still think that I revere the old tough,
‘survival of the fittest’ ‘shack’ institution and for whatever
I may have missed out on, I’m eternally grateful for
this opportunity in my life, no matter how tough and
apparently stifling it was then.
Without realising it at the time though, perhaps the biggest
‘missing’ component of our 50/60s education was, the
what is referred to today as, Personal Development
training. Compliance, discipline, grades, academic
achievement from chalk and talk teachers, all the things
that most schools need to aspire to were there in
abundance and yet specific Leadership Training; GoalSetting; Communication; Attitude Control; Problem
Solving; Risk Taking; Flexibility/Creativity; Decision
Making; Human Relations and Interactivity were from
my experience never taught as subject matters and to
which I didn’t feel that we were given any exposure.
Quite naturally enough when leaving the confines of this
monastic institution this put enormous pressure of any
number of guys to somehow try and adapt ‘outside’, many
just not having sufficient self-confidence to be even able to
sell themselves into a job.
being able to regurgitate this at year end to prove how
clever or dumb I was?
Lastly, so much of my education actually came from my
peers, both directly and indirectly. There are instances
where I can remember clearly one of my friends or
indeed the class boffin, of a particular subject explaining or
unpacking something for me which had sailed completely
over my head during the class/period time. Having, I’m
sure what is today commonly known as, ADD but then
just called being a ‘disruptive influence’ coupled with being
a very tactile, visual, and experiential type of learner, my
style of absorbing information was totally unsuited to sitting
still and concentrating for 40 minutes while being talked
at and remaining focused on the subject at hand. Busty
mowing ‘Big Side’ or Don Weller fixing something in/on
the pavilion was far more interesting than Archimedes’
Principle.
Perhaps only the Almighty has got the final answer to my
‘status’ as to how I qualified and became eligible for this life
changing and for me an ever grateful experience to attend
this ‘institution’. For most people losing a father would
have been the lowest point in their life and yet it proved
to be the starting point for a whole turn-around and new
opportunity to develop – I wonder how many other guys
think or feel that?”
Peter Woollard (Blathwayt1980) writes “Having
spent the past ten years in the south of France with the
family, we have given up sun, sea and wine for the rolling
hills of Somerset. The weather takes some getting used
to, though the girls (Imogen and Phoebe) have settled into
English school very well. I am in the process of setting up
a company that specialises in recyclable products for the
sports and entertainment industry, so 2013 is going to be a
very busy year.”
Selling myself, my ideas, promoting concepts, establishing
goals, projecting a ‘can do’ approach to life have all been
exceedingly difficult learning experiences which I have,
post Reed’s, subsequently had to develop and perfect in
this increasingly tough old world of ours. How much more
valuable would these traits have been to me if taught at
Cobham, rather than knowing what an ‘isobar’ was and
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27
The Girls’ School
Katherine Elizabeth Hatten Mills
Headmistress of Reed’s School for Girls
Born: 25th April 1893 Died: 31st December 1974
I have received several requests from Old Reedonians
who were at Dogmersfield for more information about
the Headmistress, Miss Kathleen Mills. Ann Adam, better
known to her contemporaries as Beryl (Wheaton) Adam,
has carried out some research from her distant base in
Canada and I am also grateful to Andy Wotton for the help
he has given.
Miss Mills was born in Lewisham and attended school
locally and entered teaching in 1913 at Stockwell Church of
England School but soon moved to Holy Trinity Church of
England School in Tulse Hill where she stayed until 1920.
She then taught at East Street Council School, Farnham until
1934 and then at Hale Council Infants’ School, Farnham and
is thought to have stayed there until she joined the staff at
Watford in 1942.
Ann has written the following:
“Miss Mills was the perfect person to carry out Andrew
Reed’s mission of helping those of us who could have
become vulnerable, due to the loss of our fathers. What a
privilege it has been to be under the care of Miss Mills, and
28
THE REEDER 2 013
experience her kindness, compassion and understanding. I
have spent some time trying to find out where she is buried
(Ann and Andy have subsequently discovered that Miss Mills
was cremated at Aldershot Crematorium and her ashes
were buried there – Ed.) – but the important thing is that
she lived. She lived, and I believe, she lives in many of us
today, through the example she set and values she taught
us. Furthermore, I think we have been able to pass on
many of those values to our own children – so she lives in
them, too.
She started teaching at the School in Watford in 1921 and
then moved with the School when it was evacuated during
the War. When the Girls’ School moved yet again after
the War, this time to Dogmersfield, of course, Miss Mills
went too. She stayed there until she retired in 1955 and,
unfortunately that is the year the Girls’ School was closed.
I had the privilege of going to Reed’s in 1949 and I also
stayed until 1955.
It was a very happy place and there was no need for any
of us to rebel or even misbehave beyond the smallest
misdemeanour. Miss Mills had a team of dedicated teachers,
who I believe were guided by the example she, herself,
portrayed. Although she set herself sufficiently apart from
the staff and the girls, she was also very concerned with
every one of us. For example, my friend, Mary (Westley)
The Girls’ School
Moore (with whom I am still in touch) was coughing badly
one winter night while in bed. Miss Mills, whose suite was
just at the far end of the corridor, came in to see if she could
help – and help she did.
One of the privileges I clearly remember used to take
place on Sunday evenings. In Form Vb we did not have the
luxury of a radio, but Miss Mills, of course, did. Each Sunday
evening, the BBC broadcast a serialised version of a classic,
for example, Oliver Twist, The Forsyte Saga, etc. Miss Mills
invited us to join her in her sitting room to listen to, and to
appreciate the richness of the English language. We loved
going there, and I think she enjoyed having us with her to
enhance her own enjoyment of the classics.
Another privilege Mary and I enjoyed was being allowed to
take Miss Mills’ dog, Sally, out for a walk. The School rule
was that, after a certain age, the girls could go for walks in
threes – but if we took Sally she could count as number
three!
Thus far, I have not mentioned our academic education!
Almost, needless to say, it was equally as good as all the life
skills that we learned. Miss Mills, as you can well believe,
taught Scripture to all of us. I think there was only one
person who did not pass GCE in Scripture. I know who it
was – but will not give her away. (It wasn’t me!). Teaching
English was a luxury for Miss Mills and she only afforded
herself one class – again Vb, the ones invited to the Sunday
evening plays.
Many happy memories and a great preparation for life. I am
truly grateful to Miss Mills and to the School for the privilege
of being able to say “I am an Old Reedonian”. I believe
Andrew Reed would second my thoughts on Miss Mills by
saying to her, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”...
for indeed she lived and fulfilled her calling. On behalf of
the girls from Reed’s, I would like to add, “Thank you, Miss
Mills. We will always remember you.”
Miss Mills’ obituary appeared in the 1975 Reeder written by
Philip Horton, one time Secretary to the Governors, and is
reproduced below:
“Miss Kathleen Mills
Headmistress 1942-1955
Everyone who came into contact with the Girls’ School
will have heard last January, with the greatest regret, of the
death of Miss Kathleen Mills, for she was much more than
a Headmistress, and the very fine school which Reed’s ran
until 1955 was in so many ways her personal creation.
Miss Mills had been a member of the teaching staff when
the School was at Watford. Here, in spite of the efforts of a
THE REEDER 2 013
29
The Girls’ School
dedicated staff, the rather depressing buildings made it hard
to bring about the transformation which everyone desired,
and the first opportunity to break with an institutional
past came when, in 1940, the girls were evacuated to
Northamptonshire. The Headmistress at that time was Miss
Orsborn and, when she died in 1942, Miss Mills was invited
to take her place. It can never be easy to take over such a
position at very short notice, but the special circumstances
must have made it particularly difficult for the girls had had
to be accommodated in three different houses. Miss Mills
was helped by a number of first-rate colleagues and among
them Reedonians will specially remember Miss Bourton and
Miss Mortlock. It was necessary for Miss Mills to make the
girls feel that although not in one building they all belonged
to one school. To do this they had to drive from one house
to another and to plan occasions when the girls could be
brought together. There is no doubt that she performed
her task with singular success, and those who were at the
School at that time have often paid tribute to all she was
It was a sad time when, in 1955, the Governors had to
decide to close the Girls’ School. The reason – inflation –
was perhaps not so fully understood as it would have been
today. For Miss Mills, herself, it must have been a personal
tragedy for she would not otherwise have retired at that
time and would, no doubt, have looked forward to handing
on a lively and successful school to a successor. But she
understood the reasons and accepted the situation nobly.
She took the greatest care in dealing with the arrangements
for the continued education of those who were leaving
before their time, and for many years maintained a regular
correspondence with those she had known. She was
always a welcome visitor at school functions and was always
to be seen at the School’s Annual Dinner in London. To
the end her interest in Reed’s remained unabated and a
few weeks before her death she was still anxious to hear
as much as possible about affairs at Cobham. Reed’s was
very fortunate in having her services at periods when many
difficult problems were being presented, and she will long
able to accomplish.
be remembered and appreciated by all who knew her.”
In 1945, when the war was over, the Governors purchased
Dogmersfield Park in Hampshire, a large house with
extensive grounds where it would be possible to continue
the improvements for which evacuation had provided the
opportunity. All who visited Dogmersfield appreciated its
lovely surroundings, but it had been a private house and
much had to be done to adapt the buildings for use as a
school at a time when building licences had to be obtained
for every improvement which was to be made. Miss Mills
took a great part in planning the changes and in creating the
very wonderful school which Reed’s was then able to bring
into being.
The somewhat remote situation made it impossible for the
Governors to go there as often as they would have liked,
and everyone was very happy to know that Dogmersfield
was in such good hands and were delighted to see the
great progress which was being made. Hers was, without
doubt, a very happy school and Miss Mills took the greatest
personal interest in the girls and in their problems. Reed’s
was, indeed, very fortunate to have a Headmistress with
such high standards, and with the happy disposition to
ensure the complete co-operation of her staff.
30
THE REEDER 2 013
Obituaries
Alan Bates DFM MBE (1938) The news of Alan’s
death reached me at the beginning of 2013.
John Castley one-time Bursar and Secretary to the
Governors died on 19th July 2012. The School was
represented at his funeral held at Sandbanks, Dorset, on
Friday 27th July.
Bernard Parsons Child (1936) died on 1st April
2012.
Rachel Drayson the widow of one time Headmaster
Bob Drayson, died in June 2012.
John Gander (Bristowe 1963).
John Gander (born 6th February 1945) entered Reed’s
School as a Foundationer in 1957 and after a struggle with
the difficulties associated with Parkinson’s disease he died on
10th May 2012.
On rummaging through the 1959-1963 editions of The
Reedonian, John’s name is found to appear time and
again and for a wide variety of activities, particularly those
associated with his sporting prowess. Without doubt sport
was one measure of his success at Reed’s but he was also
popular as well as being an able scholar.
Now the reason that he was mentioned so often is because
The Reedonian – The Magazine of Reed’s School during
the 1950s and 60s – was intended to be: “...a chronicle
and appraisal of school events that, to some extent, reflect
the mood and spirit of the School which, in later years, it is
hoped will provide the occasional pleasure of reminiscence.
It is also an official record of achievements in which most
of its readers have played some part; but, moreover, how
frequently the names of boys appear in The Reedonian
depends on their own efforts and talents.”
John Gander was one such talented individual and
much more. John’s very considerable athletic ability was
demonstrated early in his career at Reed’s when, in the
1958-59 season it was reported that, in U14 Rugby,
Gander, “whether at full-back or fly-half, was outstanding
for his handling, kicking and tackling”. And on Sports Day
J.A.J. Gander won every single one of the five under 14
Athletics events – 100, 220, 440 yards, long and high
jump – furthermore, he won the 100 yards in a record
time of 11.3 seconds and gained his Junior School Colours.
At the same time John’s academic ability was noted in the
Bristowe House Report where John was identified as one
of the five most prominent members of the House that had
“consistently gained points for individual good work”.
In the 1959-60 sports season, John, who was slim, well
muscled and a strong runner, represented the School in
several sports: firstly the U15 Rugby team which was “a big
and powerful side in which Gander was a very competent
fly-half”; for U15 Hockey “the record of this team speaks
for itself – it was unbeaten in all 9 matches – and much of
the credit for this success can be ascribed to the leadership
and play of Gander; his pace, stick work, accurate passing
and powerful shooting showed a considerable development
from last season”; and quite exceptionally the squash team,
where he was a notable member because, notwithstanding
his young age, 14 years, he was regularly picked to
represent the School senior squash team which normally
comprised 17-18 year olds.
These U14 and U15 reports of John’s talent presaged a
stunning sporting future at the School, such that by the
1960-61 sports season he represented the School 1st
XV rugby team and was awarded full colours; he also
represented the School 1st XI hockey team and again
played in the School senior squash team; on Sports Day he
won the Open long jump with a jump of 20ft. 0½ins, was
placed in the Triple Jump, and achieved fourth place in the
Victor Ludorum.
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31
Obituaries
By the 1961-62 sports season John was a permanent
fixture in the School 1st team for Rugby, “Gander at fly-half
was a tower of strength in defence with his accurate kicking
and determined covering, while when playing at centre he
showed resource and determination in attack”, but he also
played in the 1st teams for Hockey, Athletics and Squash. In
Athletics, this year, he showed his considerable ability when
he won the Long Jump at the District Sports at Motspur
Park and was chosen to represent the District in the Surrey
Sports. The 1963 Triangular Athletics match between
Reed’s School, Ottershaw School and Lord Wandsworth
College, “was probably one of the most enjoyable and
exciting matches in which the School has taken part. In the
Long Jump, J.A.J. Gander beat the old School record by
almost a foot but, had, nevertheless, to be content with
second place by a margin of half an inch”.
In 1961 John had been appointed as one of the five
Bristowe House Prefects but in his final school year, 196263, he was appointed a School Prefect as well as Captain
of the School Squash team and Vice-Captain of the 1st XV
Rugby team. Now although Tennis at Reed’s in the 1960s
was not the sport that it is at the School today, John, from
1960 through to 1963, was also a member of the School
Tennis team which he captained in 1963.
returned to the side”. As Captain of the Squash team John
was able to write in the year-end report, in his typically
understated way, that “this year the Squash team was a
strong one and the standard of play rose throughout the
season. All the members of the team had played matches
in previous seasons and this experience certainly helped us:
in fact we suffered only one defeat in the first team, being
beaten by the Headmaster’s team”.
But of all the sporting success that John had realised across
several sports during his years at the School, his final
year of Athletics was possibly his greatest achievement.
Firstly the 1963 School Sports Day; “J.A.J. Gander won
three events – the 440 yards in a time of 55.5secs., the
long jump with a jump of 20ft. 6ins. and the discus with a
throw of 114ft. 11ins”. The result of this success “left the
officials with a difficult problem of deciding who would
be Victor Ludorum since both Tyrrell as well as Gander
had won all the events in which they had competed and
as a result both had gained the maximum number of
points possible on Sports Day, but also both had gained
the maximum number of standard points available prior
to Sports Day. However, with their customary generosity
the Old Reedonians who provided the prizes solved the
problem by declaring that the Victor Ludorum had been
jointly won and by awarding a prize each to both Tyrrell
and Gander”.
For the first half of the 1962 Rugby season the School 1st
XV had played reasonably well but during this time John
was injured and was unable to play but after half term “the
three-quarter line was noticeably better when Gander
32
THE REEDER 2 013
Secondly, “Tyrrell, Gander, Moore, Levy, Hansell and
Beaugeard constituted the skeleton team which won
third place at the area sports at Motspur Park and these
six competitors also went on to compete in the Surrey
Obituaries
Sports. Later Gander and Levy were chosen to represent
the County in a match against Kent and Middlesex where
both Gander and Levy bettered their own records in the
Long Jump and High Jump respectively”. We were both
extremely proud of representing the county and of using
the occasion to further improve our School records.
As might be expected John acquired, during his time at
Reed’s, both House and School colours at junior and
senior levels for squash as well as in all the major sports,
save cricket. In spite of his sporting accomplishments he
remained a relatively quiet, modest young man, and for
that reason was very popular both within the House and
the School. As with many boys at school they are known
by a nickname and John Gander’s would always have
been easily predictable; yes, it was ‘Goose’.
John, who studied science in the VIth form and acquired
two good GCE A level results, also enjoyed his time in the
CCF – the Combined Cadet Force – where in the Army
section he successfully completed his Proficiency Test after
which he transferred to the newly formed RAF section in
which he passed his Advanced Proficiency with distinction,
was promoted to sergeant and involved himself in helping
to organise a number of exercises for the RAF cadets
as well as flying expeditions to the RAF base at White
Waltham.
As School Prefects we became a very close team of good
friends during the 1962-63 school year and had much
fun and many laughs while at the high table during school
meal times; perhaps rather too much raucous laughter
emanated from our top table, even at breakfast time; but
we also had plenty of good, serious and responsible time
together. John was a very straightforward, undemanding,
person and possibly more straight-laced than the rest
of us and this is well revealed by one amusing anecdote
that concerned John and a young French girl, a certain
Mademoiselle Lattès, that Les (sic) Breadon had recruited
to help with French teaching and oral lessons in his
department; Les Breadon was the School French and
Spanish senior master as well as John’s Bristowe House
master. Mademoiselle Lattès was a very attractive young
lady who took an instant shine to John and to whom, it is
said, she made certain advances in unambiguous English!
Much to the amazement of his peers, he turned her
down...this was typical John, never one to improperly
exploit a situation which most others could only wish for.
After leaving Reed’s John seems to have been somewhat
unsure about the career path to follow. He began as
an apprentice vehicle mechanic but after one year he
changed jobs and became an electrical engineering
technician. Clearly this was not altogether satisfactory and
nearly two years later he took up a position as a laboratory
technician concerned with quality control and testing of
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33
Obituaries
surgical and pharmaceutical products by chemical and
biological assay. Evidently by 1968 his mind was made up
his career was to be in yet another, although somewhat
related, direction and he signed up to study for a three
year Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering
at Silsoe College, The National College of Agricultural
Engineering at Silsoe in Bedfordshire, which subsequently
became a part of Cranfield University.
At college he specialised as a Tropical Agricultural Engineer
and this was to lead to his working all over the world and
especially in Africa – Nigeria, Malawi and Zambia – and
Asia – Indonesia, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India
– but also in Jordan and the Caribbean – St. Vincent, the
Leeward and Windward Islands – as well as within Europe.
As a result of his travels John learnt to speak French, Dutch
and Indonesian – known as Bahasia Indonesia, the national
language spoken throughout the Indonesian archipelago.
John met his first wife Thea, who was a Dutch national,
at college and with whom he travelled the world; his son
Mark was born in 1974 in Malawi whilst he was working
there and his daughter Julie was born on a flat wooden
bed in a Salvation Army Hospital in Zambia in 1977 while
he was working on a project in that country.
John became a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the
Institution of Agricultural Engineers, a Member of the
European Society of Agricultural Engineers and a Member
of the Tropical Agriculture Association and his career
activities ranged widely across the fields of soil and water
survey and conservation, irrigation, land husbandry and
use, coastal zone management, forestry, agronomy,
agricultural resource and project planning, together
with field engineering, mechanisation on large and small
scale farms, project management and advice. After 2000
John was particularly involved with recommendations to
prevent and mitigate flooding in the UK, the distribution of
health products derived from aloe vera and as a specialist
ground team advisor. As can be seen, just as John’s
athletic talent ranged over many sports, so his agricultural
engineering skills found and developed many outlets.
Much of John’s work abroad took him to relatively remote
places to assist and improve the conditions of the local
population. For the most part he and his family lived ‘in the
sticks’, in small towns or villages in lightly populated areas
34
THE REEDER 2 013
and as a result he contracted but overcame many different
tropical diseases. John’s family remains very proud of the
advances achieved by the numerous different projects
he worked on while abroad and especially many of the
projects that he started and which have continued to this
day in Africa and several other countries.
John working on a project in the Unnao District of Uttar
Pradesh state in Northern India 1996
John and Thea divorced in 1985 and he married his
second wife Heleen, another Dutch lady, with whom he
bought a farm in 1995 in the east of the Netherlands, near
the German border, but unfortunately this marriage was
also not to last. However, John’s daughter Julie followed
in her father’s footsteps, training and specialising in Wildlife
Management, Policy & Communication and was later able
to work on a WWF project alongside him during his last
assignment in India.
One of John’s particular skills was persistency and an
ability to find a solution to most problems whether for his
work projects or for the handyman type of jobs that he
liked to do, whether it was around the home or repairing
and maintaining cars, trucks and agricultural machinery.
John was a good story teller and related to his family
many stories of his sometimes dangerous encounters and
adventures in inaccessible and out-of-the-way places and
of his bush hikes, foot patrols and life in sparsely inhabited
regions. After his well travelled life John ended his days at
Hailsham, in East Sussex.
Even though John had led a fascinating, engaging, wideranging and satisfying work life Julie, his daughter with
whom he was very close, has told me that his time at
Silsoe College was considered by her father to be one
Obituaries
of the happiest times of his life; it was the realisation of a
dream, an ambition, and a period of great contentment
even as his athletic achievements remained the highlight of
his time at Reed’s School.
Patrick Butcher, a colleague of John’s from his Silsoe
College days, whose path’s had frequently crossed in later
life and most notably in Nigeria, had remained in touch
with each other throughout John’s life; together with his
wife Lydia, Patrick has arranged through The Woodland
Trust for the planting of two trees to commemorate John’s
life. The trees are to be planted at Brede High Woods,
Sedlescombe, East Sussex, which is close to Hailsham
where John passed the last years of his life.
John was a charming person with a great sense of
humour and who would go out of his way to help others
wherever he could. Not only did John work in some of
the poorest areas of the world but the results of his work
have touched countless local communities where his
achievements remain a lasting legacy. John will be greatly
missed, not only by his family and friends but also by many
of his colleagues and associates in far flung reaches around
the world.
Geoffrey Levy (Mullens 1964)
David Mellors (Capel 1945) died on 8th March
2013. Ron Sheppard (Capel 1945), a long term friend,
said “David was a contemporary of mine at Watford and
Totnes. I knew how he valued the stability and good start
in life that Reed’s gave him. He had a long career with
Barclays Bank and amongst his interests was a lifelong
pleasure in choral singing which I think stemmed from his
early days in the School choir.”
Derek Osman (1948)
Derek, or Oz, as most of us later
affectionately called him, attended
Reed’s School with his twin
brother Gordon and elder brother
Alec. He left Reed’s in 1948 and
joined the RAF for his National
Service duty. Because he was colour blind, he was
shunted into vehicle engine maintenance. Thus his love of
motor vehicles was born!
I left Reed’s in 1959 and first came across Oz on the rugby
field playing for the Old Boys. His knees appeared to be
held together by knackered elastic knee-supports but, as
with everything else he undertook, he contributed to the
best of his ability.
I got to know him really well in the cricket season that
followed. He was very keen on his cricket and performed
consistently well for the Old Boys as opening batsman and
wicket-keeper. He lived in Acton with his dear Ma and
brother Gordon and for the next four cricket years, he
would collect me from Acton Town Station on Saturday
and Sunday mornings and proceed to the match locations.
I referred earlier to his enthusiasm for motor vehicles.
A journey to and from matches with him was like being
in a race. He worked for Babycham and was driving his
company Morris 1000 Traveller Estate (Reg. KOO 823.)
His aim was A to B in minimum time, without breaking
the law and without taking chances. Very exhilarating for a
non-driver! His own car was a Jaguar E type and he once
took me from Piccadilly to Southall in 12 minutes!
In the late 1960s he shared a flat in Streatham with
OR Brian Turner. Whilst there he took up ice skating at
Streatham Ice Rink and horse riding in Richmond Park.
It was whilst riding he came across the lovely Celia and
a new and serious enthusiasm and challenge was born.
Over two to three years he brought all guns to bear on
Celia and she accepted his proposal of marriage.
They were married at Berkhampstead on 26th of June
1970 and I was delighted to be his Best Man. The
reception was held at Celia’s parents’ home. Celia looked
absolutely super and Oz looked like the cat who’d got the
cream!
Oz and C lived in married bliss in a flat in Streatham for
some years until he decided he would abandon the liquor
industry and start a water sports business in Famagusta,
Cyprus with a fellow Old Reedonian, Nick Simmons.
Unfortunately they knew little of Cypriot politics. They
started up in April 1974 and Turkey invaded in July
1974! They were forced to flee back to England, leaving
everything they owned behind.
Oz turned to the liquor industry again, joining Distillers,
later to be taken over by Diageo, and he and Celia settled
THE REEDER 2 013
35
Obituaries
in Datchet, where they lived for over 10 years. During
that time Oz and C stumbled on archery shooting in
Windsor Great Park and were asked if they would like
to try it. They did and Oz signed them up as “Robin and
Marion”. Oz eventually shot for Berkshire. He also took
up shooting clays.
In due course, they moved to Ascot where, but for a short
break, they lived ever since.
that not only had he followed in Big Brer’s footsteps by
becoming a Victor Ludorum, but he’d run all his events
a lot faster. My reply was the food was better to train on
in 1957 than when I was awarded the honour in 1950.
Which was true, although Keith was indeed physically the
better athlete, and there is no argument from me that he
was certainly the better scholar. In the brief time we were
at home together post-Reed’s, I called him The Boff in
recognition of this.
The short break came about as a result of Oz being invited
to help sail a vessel back from the Mediterranean to the
UK. The experience led him to believe he should retire
and become a sailor. He started swallowing books on
how to sail and then persuaded Celia that the Isle of Wight
was where they should live in order to have easy access
to the English Channel. Sadly for him, his enthusiasm and
the reality did not quite match up and they were soon
back in Berkshire. Never one to sit still, he then became
a volunteer at Ascot Police Station, and a volunteer at
Wentworth Golf Club. He also played “wandering cricket”
with a keen bunch of Ascot cricketers and was a regular
supporter of rugby at Richmond.
From all the above, you will have gathered that Oz did
not see life as a dress rehearsal. Moreover, his glass was
always half full. These facts, and his boundless enthusiasm
and great sense of fun made him a super chum to spend a
day or days with, even after his tough cancer treatments.
Oz was a loving, caring, polite, dependable, considerate
and helpful man. We miss him greatly.
Ernie Preece (Bristowe 1959)
Keith Shillum
17th October1940 – 15th January.2013 (1957)
To Keith Reed’s was “home”. From his early days at The
Close to his leaving day in the summer of 1957 it was
where he was happy, writes his brother Alan Shillum.
When he died in hospital in Germany, Malcolm
Macdonald’s print of the School and grounds hung over
his bed, as it had done for the 18 months since Malcolm
kindly sent it to him. In later life, Keith’s emails to me
invariable carried references to a past occasion at “The
Shack” or to jazz or the whereabouts of some old school
friend. A first class athlete, he never ceased to rub in
36
THE REEDER 2 013
At the time of his leaving school I was on deferred
National Service, and he lived at home with our mother
and sister, Raye, and attempted to make a new start.
But, away from Reed’s he couldn’t settle. His horizons
were set wider than life in an east London suburb and
he soon decided to emigrate to Australia under the “£10
Pom” scheme. He never returned for any length of time.
When he did so – invariably unheralded – he’d talk of his
“adventures” Down Under before disappearing again.
Time makes these tales hazy now, but I do seem to
recollect a chicken farm that burned away in a bush fire
and a sports centre he ran, all mixed in with a good job in
Sydney at some time as a lecturer in languages.
Obituaries
There was talk, too, of his doing something to assist with
Aborigine children’s education. But one thing I am sure
of: he had a slot as a late-night jazz DJ on an Aussie radio
station. He’d send me occasional tapes of his programme,
on which he talked about our family, his Brer’s (my) jazz
record collection and, invariably, his time as a schoolboy at
Reed’s.
By the late 1980s he’d moved to Germany and settled
down in the medieval town of Schwerin where he was
popular as a more than competent language teacher and
translator. From then on he maintained regular contact
with Raye and me. Some six years ago he learned he had
Parkinson’s disease. Initially, he carried on as normal but as
the condition worsened he was forced to give up first his
work and then his recreational activities.
Bob Stephens (Capel 1961) Bob sadly died in
November last following a long battle with cancer. Bob
must have been one of the early fee-paying students to
arrive at Reed’s, joining in 1956. Academia was not his
forte though and he left after the Fifth Form to take up a
career in the wine industry. He became an experienced
wine taster and worked for a number of years for
Deinhards, the German wine producer, spending some
time in Koblenz (Deinhards’ headquarters) before
returning to their London offices. He met and married
Mandy and in due course they produced two sons.
Working from home, Mandy started a bookkeeping, tax
advisory service which eventually expanded to such an
extent that Bob retired from the wine trade and became a
business partner with Mandy, a business that they ran for
30 odd years from South Wales.
In the early days after leaving Reed’s Bob was an active
member of the fledgling OR’s hockey side that played
regularly on Sundays, as well as being an active player at
Guildford HC. My wife and I spent a few days with Bob
and Mandy earlier in the year, and it was quite in keeping
with his character that Bob made light of his illness. He
was a lovely, kind man, full of fun and self-deprecation and
a joy to be with, who will be sadly missed by all who knew
him.
Alan Barrett 1961
THE REEDER 2 013
37
REUNION DAY – Sunday 1st July 2012
The following ORs were at the Reunion Day Lunch:
Table 1
Table 9
Mr Roy Wyatt – 1940: Mr John Nethercleft – 1942:
Mrs Margaret Nethercleft: Mr Ralph Wyatt – 1942:
Mr Gordon Denholm – 1943: Mrs Christine Denholm:
Mr Derek Weston – 1945: Mrs Eileen Weston:
Mr John Rogers – 1946: Ms Megan Fitzgerald
Mr John Allison – 2001: Mr Ed Swain – 2002:
Ms Kristi Arlidge – 2002: Mr Jeremy Barlow – 2002:
Miss Christina Harris: Mr Kevin Liu – 2002:
Mr Ben Cooper – 2002: Mr Rob Erskine – 2002:
Mr Jonathan Wilkinson – 2003: Miss Hilda Veenstra – 2003:
Mr James Roriston – 2005
Table 2
Mr Tony Wiggins – 1947: Mrs Angela Wiggins:
Mr Stephen Beamish – 1948: Mrs Sara Beamish:
Mr William Collins – 1948: Miss Clare Collins:
Mr Richard Raymont – 1949: Mr John Blake:
Mrs Molly Blake: Mr Norman Morris – 1949
Table 3
Mr Richard Borley – 1951: Mrs Eleonore Borley:
Mr Peter Rogers – 1951: Mrs Brenda Rogers:
Mr Keith Miller – 1951: Mrs Heather Miller:
Mr John Prytherch – 1952: Mr Robin Prytherch:
Mr Brian Miles – 1952: Mrs Anne Miles:
Mr George Spinks – 1953: Mr George Parker – 1954
Table 4
Mr Clive Holgate – 1958: Mr Frank Parker – 1958:
Mrs Freda Parker: Mr Roger Mew – 1959:
Mr Neilson Kite – 1960: Mr Roger Hockey – 1960:
Mr John Leeman – 1961: Ms Lesley Houfe:
Mr George Cavill – 1962: Mrs Kate Cavill
Mrs Maureen Savage: Mrs Ann-Marie Wakefield:
Miss Josie Wakefield: Miss Maddie Wakefield:
Miss Ella Wakefield: Mrs Christine Kemp:
Mr Paul Kemp: Father Alan Clarke:
Mr Gareth Hart: Mrs Jennifer Hart:
Miss Cerys Hart
Table 11
Mr Graham Spawforth: Mrs Sara Spawforth:
Miss Pippi Spawforth: Mr Keith Medlycott:
Mrs MJ Medlycott: Mrs June Medlycott:
Master Baz Medlycott: Mr Malcolm Dunn – 1982:
Mrs Kate Dunn: Master Maxwell Dunn:
Master Sebastian Dunn
Table 12 – Dylan Paris XI
Mr David Pafford – 1965: Mrs Margaret Pafford:
Mr Timothy Poole – 1965: Mrs Jill Poole:
Mr Nigel Savage – 1967: Mrs Cori Savage:
Mr Donald Taylor – 1967: Mrs Lesley Taylor:
Mr Stuart Popham – 1972: Mrs Sharmaine Matthews
Mrs Lynne Paris: Ms Sophie Paris:
Mr Christian Gore – 1987: Mrs Gore:
Mr Andrew Shiells – 1984: Mrs Debbie Smith:
Mr Alastair Coomes – 1985: Mrs Aletta Coomes:
Master George Coomes: Master Fred Coomes:
Mr David Keyes – 1985: Mrs Sarah Keyes:
Mr Angus Darroch-Warren – 1986: Miss Belinda Shearer:
Mr Simon Stokoe – 1986: Mr Richard Thompson – 1991:
Mr Jason Foster – 1995: Mrs Sophie Foster:
Mrs Joan Foster: Master Sam Foster:
Mr Simon Foster: Master Edward Foster:
Mr Paul Challinor: Mrs Della Challinor:
Miss Bronnie Challinor: Master Alex Challinor:
Mr Phil Slocombe: Mrs Victoria Cripps – 1987:
Mr Paul Cripps: Master George Cripps:
Miss Cecilia Cripps: Mr Jamie Gordon – 1988:
Mrs Katharine Hamilton: Master Felix Hamilton
Table 7
Table 13 – OR Cricket Team
Mr David Jarrett: Mrs Anne Jarrett:
Mr Alan Bott: Mrs Jane Bott:
Mr Geoff Martin: Mrs Judith Martin:
Mrs Lucy Hurford: Mr Alan Hickman:
Mrs Linda Hickman: Mr Richard Warnock
Mr Angus Hamilton – 1997: Mr Jonathan Hedges – 1999:
Mr David Coates – 2001: Miss Polly Martin:
Mr Jack Raimondo – 2007: Mr Sam Brandon – 2008:
Mr George Kershaw – 2008: Mr William Clapp – 2009:
Mr Robert Davis – 2010: Mr Simon Sweeney – 2011:
Mr Harry Kershaw – 2011: Mr Matt Jones – 2011
Table 5
Mr Christopher Hawkins – 1962: Mr Ian Chate – 1962:
Mr Peter Saliba – 1962: Mrs Carmen Revuelto-Lara:
Mr John Burton – 1963: Mrs Alison Burton:
Mr Geoffrey Levy – 1964: Mrs Charlotte Levy:
Mr Tony Turnbull – 1964: Mrs Helen Liddell:
Mr David Crookenden – 1965
Table 6
Table 8
Mr Richard Garrett: Mr Justyn Herbert – 1983:
Mrs Ann Herbert: Master Thomas Herber:
Mr Tom Hardiment –1984: Mr Ben Ebdon – 1992:
Mrs Sarah Ebdon: Miss Layla Ebdon:
Mrs Sarah Hammond: Mrs Jackie Waller:
Mrs Kathryn Hamlet
38
Table 10
THE REEDER 2 013
Table 14 – School 1st XI Team
Umpires
School 1st XI Cricket x11
Reunion Day
Dylan Paris XI v School 2nd XI
OR’s Day just seems to be getting bigger and
bigger year on year and every year the Dylan
Paris XI manage to snatch defeat from the jaws
of victory and so I can report more of the bloody
same!
I secretly knew this event was getting out of control
when the table assigned to the DP Team numbered 32
seats. Quite frankly the WAGs and FOCers (Freeloading
Offspring of Cricketers) is just too high and our preparation
is beginning to lack professionalism. Next year the team will
be seated away from the madding crowd, mobiles will be
handed in during the pre-match jog and Sir Alex Ferguson
will be invited to give the “hair dryer” treatment before we
start.
It’s not as if the team looked very hungry either, for those
of you who were there you couldn’t help but notice that
Messrs Keyes, Darroch-Warren, Coomes and Gore hadn’t
exactly pushed hard for a place on the front cover of “Men’s
Health” lately and that was before they got stuck into the
all you can eat buffet provided by the School. If we had
ducked the cricket and entered the tug of war instead, we
would have been a strong contender for the Olympics
(heavyweight division of course).
As every year I nonchalantly told the Master in Charge of
the School team that they could bat first in a 30 over game
and we’d “knock ‘em off in time to watch Spain beat Italy!”
So one out of two isn’t bad!
Once at 12/ Five Acre it then started to rain quite heavily
and the really strange thing was that of the 32 of the squad
at lunch only about eight had turned up to field! Within
the next few minutes once Angus Darroch Warren had
opened his chilly bin, this tempted the remaining players to
make an appearance and we took to the field. We opened
up with the Foster brothers in tandem and funnily enough
the School also sent in their opening bowlers too, which
showed how much they “feared us”.
In retrospect when Richard (what no microphone) Garrett
asked if we didn’t mind going up last for lunch I should have
smelled a rat. By the time the team got to the food, the
banana and beetroot smoothies had all gone, the protein
bars were replaced by Mars Bars and the Lucozade by
Chardonnay, although the last two did taste the same.
Then when the rain came, the boys didn’t seem to be in
much of a rush to head down to 12/ Five Acre either, but as
the Headmaster got up to speak, this seemed to galvanise
the troops who filled their pockets with chocolate mousse
and lemon tarts and proceeded to drive the 800 yards
to the ground. Several team members remarked that we
should use the cricket pitch opposite the Bursar’s house as
it was “picturesque” and a “good track” and nothing to do
with the fact that it was smaller and closer for the long walk/
drive back to tea which was clearly on some of their minds
(not to mention waistlines).
Foster senior was soon on a line and length as was Foster
junior, just a shame it wasn’t a good one! To be honest I
don’t really remember much of the School’s innings and it’s
largely irrelevant to my match report these days anyway.
I am from the George Spinks school of journalism where
watching the game isn’t a prerequisite to sending the match
report to the Cobham News & Mail.
So other things that happened included Simon Slowcoe
dropping a sitter off the Captain’s bowling, but the
aforementioned bowling did lead to 22 runs off three overs
which could have been a lot worse as the first two balls
THE REEDER 2 013
39
Reunion Day
went for 10! Andy Shiells bowled to his usual tidy self but
did look like he reined it in a bit when his son came to the
wicket. Richard Thompson looked useful in his couple of
overs which only goes to show how deceptive looks can
be. My decision to drop Marcus (the cat) Viner for allegedly
refusing to play in all forms of the game initially looked the
wrong one as Dave (the barrel) Keyes could barely see his
toes let alone touch them. But as he warmed up his keeping
improved too and he was soon into the groove and Angus’s
chilly bin and thoroughly deserved his tea come 4.30pm.
Not sure he should have had Marcus’s, both Fosters’s and
certainly not Angus’s nor mine as well, but let him without
sin and an ample waistline cast the first stone, which he
would have probably eaten too anyway.
Sorry, back to the game, Challinor (who incidentally ever
since he’s been picked we have never won this fixture)
came off his short run up but nevertheless bowled quite
well and I am sure picked up a wicket as did each Foster,
Shiells and apologies to anyone else who took a wicket.
Phil (keeps improving) Slocombe was ever alert in the field
and last year’s nickname of Teflon has now gone, which
doesn’t mean he caught anything mind you, but he certainly
didn’t drop anything while Coomes junior shouted “catch
it” in his (one good) ear this year. Angus DW did some fine
slow motion fielding and when asked to come in and “put
pressure” on the batsman successfully blocked out what
little sun we saw. When swapped with Coomes in the field
he wasn’t sure if he should be offended or flattered and to
be fair neither was Coomes, so no harm done.
At the end of the 30 overs the School seemed to have got
about 172 which we all agreed was eminently gettable as
we drove, walked and limped back to the marquee for tea.
One of the school boys also made 98 which would also
explain why he was so keen to face my last over! Anyway
40
THE REEDER 2 013
here lies my next and crucial mistake as Simon Slowcoe
who was pestering anyone with XX chromosomes,
pleaded with me to open the innings (again) with Richard
Thompson. As the rest of the team were elbow deep in
scones, jam and cream I agreed, I mean how bad could it
be?!
Maybe I should have explained that 173 meant we needed
to score about five or six an over to these fine two men of
Mullens, or maybe I should have got a message to Simon
sooner that Sarah Coomes was on the boundary and quite
single. As it happened Simon Slowcoe proceeded to play
and miss, miss, leave, block, pad, and avoid the ball for
the next five or six overs whilst not troubling the scorers
much if at all. Richard Thompson on the other hand (who
was making his debut) was keen to get some runs but
also struggled a little with the School’s pacey and accurate
bowling attack. As the run rate crept up and up, I had that
feeling of déjà vu I always get when picking Slowcoe and
next year trust me a lot of money will need to change hands
before he opens again unless of course we play a five-day
test.
Reunion Day
the pressure and he could also see out of his one good eye
that Slowcoe was now heading in Debbie’s direction so he
also holed out.
Thompson who was clearly embarrassed with the Boycottlike run rate started to take more risks (and I don’t mean
asking Slowcoe to run two) and was soon back in the
pavilion (if there was one).
Cometh the hour, cometh the man and Challinor strode
out manfully (having only just stopped whingeing about last
years’ l.b.w. decision) and confident that there was a new
umpire and that lightening never strikes twice. He settled
in and the scoreboard started to tick over. Then yes you
guessed it, one big step down the wicket, followed by a
“Howzat (dad)?” and a “That’s out! (son)” decision and
Paul was also suffering from déjà vu and on his way back
in. Slowcoe hadn’t even noticed the lack of runs or loss of
wickets, but he did spot Miss Coomes and so forgetting his
average was out soon after having made 0.6 runs per over
for about 15 overs.
Al Coomes then went in promising to right some wrongs,
slay some demons and hopefully make some runs, which
as it turned out prediction-wise he was nought for three,
which is exactly how many runs he made, zero!
Phil Slocombe with new pads, new bat, new gloves and a
new sports car by the way, made his way to the wicket and
soon showed his class and he was joined by Andy Shiells
who proceeded to bring down the run rate down from the
astronomical rate Slowcoe had left it. It came down from
12 to circa eight an over quite quickly and the School were
starting to worry. Alas Phil was out and all hope now rested
with Shiells. Even Andy was starting to feel
Angus (never a man for quick running) was joined by Dave
Keyes who still had half an eye on what was for dinner and
the run rate crept up again. Dave was soon out and for the
first time in four years Gore faced the daunting prospect of
batting. Two runs off two balls, but the run rate was now
37 off the last over. If only the School had let ME bowl that
last over we might have stood a chance! As it was first ball
Angus hit a single, next ball Gore was out slogging fairly near
the boundary and in went Foster senior but the game was
gone and the recriminations were abound.
Next year there will be a root and branch change to the
team, the format, the pitch, the WAG’s and little FOC’ers,
the l.b.w. law and above all Simon Slowcoe will not be
opening.
Thanks to everyone who supported the
team (for lunch and tea at least) and I look
forward to next year already.
As ever “It’s been emotional”.
Skipper.
PS please pass this on to anyone not very
busy at work or simply an OR or indeed
both.
THE REEDER 2 013
41
The following attended the Annual Dinner on Thursday 15 November:
Table 1
Mr John Rogers – Bristowe 1946:
Mrs Daphne Rogers
Mr William Pickering – Blathwayt 1947
Mr William Collins – Bristowe 1948
Mr William Crawforth – Blathwayt 1948
Mr Barrie Tyler –Blathwayt 1954
Mrs Jacqui Tyler
Mr Roger Mew – Bristowe 1959
Mr Chris Hawkins – Blathwayt 1962
Mr Ian Driver – Blathwayt 1965
Mrs Diane Driver
Table 2
Mr Andy Wotton – Mullens 1975
Mr Mark Snelling – Blathwayt 1979
Mr Ed Peters – Bristowe 1979
Mr George Peters – Bristowe 2012
Mr Tim Smith – Mullens 1979
Mr Jeremy Savill – Mullens 1979
Mr Rob Simmons – Mullens 1979
Mr Nick Woollard – Blathwayt 1980
Mr Nigel Kiernan – Mullens 1981
Mr Graeme Parkes – Mullens 1981
Mr Matthew Huckin – Mullens 1981
Table 3
Mr Adrian Ricks – Mullens 1972
Mr David Edwards – Blathwayt 1982
Mr Andrew Glass – Mullens 1984
Mr Andy Shiells – Bristowe 1984
Mr Mark Finch – Bristowe 1984
Mr Benn Shepherd – Blathwayt 1986
Mr Nick Richmond-Smith – Capel 1986
Mr Alex Balls – Blathwayt 1988
Mr Graham Spawforth
Mr Richard Garrett
Mrs Alison Atkins
Table 4
Mr Ross Webster – Mullens 1995
Mr Ed Wears – Capel 1995
Mr Nigel Mitchell – Mullens 1997
Mr Richard Wilson – Blathwayt 2001
Ms Olivia Navratil – Bristowe 2002
42
THE REEDER 2 013
Ms Francesca Buckle – Bristowe 2002
Miss Sarah Raffio – Bristowe 2002
Mr Chris Elphick – Capel 2003
Mr Luke Michael
Ms Alison Johnson
Mr David Atkins
Table 5
Mr Rob Pearson – Mullens 2008
Miss Jerry Ross – Mullens 2008
Mr Alistair Rowley – Bristowe 2008
Mr Charles Broadbent – Mullens 2008
Ms Katie Skilton – Mullens 2008
Mr Thomas Vickers – Mullens 2008
Mrs Lucy Hurford
Mrs Christine Kemp
Mr Paul Kemp
Mrs Sharmaine Matthews
Table 6
Mr Russell Martin – Mullens 2005
Ms Candice Williams
Mr Leo Coates – Bristowe 2005
Mr Simon Cole – Mullens 2005
Mr Lucas Macdonald – Mullens 2006
Mr Harry Cosgrave – Blathwayt 2006
Mr Nicholas Muir-Little – Blathwayt 2006
Mr Oliver Wilson – Blathwayt 2006
Ms Sophie Thomas – Bristowe 2006
Mr Ben Edwards
Mr Lukas Pytel
Table 7
Mr Shahin Baghaei – Capel 2002
Mr Alex Van Holk – Blathwayt 2002
Mr Andrew Shone – Blathwayt 2002
Mrs Laura Shone
Mr Kevin Liu – Blathwayt 2002
Mr Luke Morgan-Rowe – Mullens 2002
Mr David Jarrett
Mrs Anne Jarrett
Mr Alan Bott
Mrs Jane Bott
THE REEDER 2 013
43
Watford and Totnes
Peter Mettam’s ‘Recollections of life at
Watford in 1939.’
I read Peter Mettam’s recollections about Reed’s at Watford in the 2012
Reeder with great interest as I must have been a fellow “new crow”
at the same time as he in September 1939. However, I was much
younger than he and was incarcerated in Norbury House until we were
in Totnes.
I recognise and remember most of the points he raises about life in
Norbury and Watford without comment. Just a few things remain in
my memory just a little differently. Firstly the marching we had to do
to get to meals, to chapel and to lessons. I think he underestimates the
skill and smartness we achieved in a very short time. For example we
lined up in two rows. Having been brought to order we were ordered
to “form fours” by first numbering and on a second command alternate
boys took a step back and then we moved up to make four rows. On
the command left or right turn we were ready to march off. Quite a
complicated manoeuvre for seven and eight year olds to achieve I think.
The white line drill I also clearly remember but, I do also remember
singing “Ten Green Bottles” as we marched along just to keep our spirits
up.
Then fire alarms at night. Getting up under a the faint blue light, putting
on cold outdoor shoes without socks, a blue raincoat over pyjamas
and out to the underground air raid shelters. The ominous clang of the
heavy door finally shutting remains as a poignant memory of those fateful
days.
I am surprised that Peter does not mention the visit to the School by the
Queen to open a library in the Girls’ School. I clearly remember being
lined up in rows in age order (Norbury at the front) in the dining hall,
boys one side of the hall and girls opposite. We were carefully schooled
in what to do and what to say if Her Majesty should stop to speak to us.
I clearly remember the fright I had when Her Majesty walked purposely
towards what I thought was me. However it was the boy next to me,
one Michael Ward, she spoke to. Finally on that auspicious day lining up
along the drive to wave as the party left. Instead of a wave she got a wail
from me as an officious prefect had just stepped on my toes.
And a final point that would have irked that inspirational geography
teacher we had at Totnes, Miss Page Jones. The River Colne did indeed
pass close to Reed’s School Watford but, it did and still does, reach the
River Thames near Staines having passed Colnbrook near Heathrow on
its way there.
Navvies on the line!
In spite of having retired from regular work many years ago I am still
brought out of that happy state to work on the local preserved railway
each December. My role, Father Christmas, established in my own
grotto in a goods Van which has the name of “The Elephant Van” as it
was used to transport elephants for circuses when they used the railway
to move from one pitch to another (anyone remember the circus being
set up near to our Totnes location?).
I digress but while there this December, I saw displayed a fine picture
of a GWR passenger train passing a group of workers on the track.
Now, we while at Totnes thoroughly enjoyed the journey home for
holidays also by GWR passenger train towards Paddington. We were
issued with a packed lunch that inevitably included a large but, not very
appetising Cornish pasty. It was a ritual that someone kept a look out
(even if only to look for oncoming locomotives to cross off our Ian
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THE REEDER 2 013
Allen loco numbering books) but, also to warn of workers on the track.
This precipitated a shout of “Navvies on the Line” and resulted in one
or more Cornish pasties being shied at them. How did we exist for six
years at Totnes without our holiday going excitement leading to some
serious accident I cannot think.
An Oldie goes back – two encounters
with Reed’s during 2012
After more than five decades without actually visiting, I was twice with
Reed’s School last year. My impressions might interest ORs, especially
those of around my generation – 1942-1949.
In early September Anne and I joined the annual “Totnesian” pilgrimage
to our wartime home. Tony Wiggins has arranged this event for some
years. Reading reports of past occasions, and seeing who had attended,
it seemed like a great idea for a late summer outing. And great it proved
to be.
Happily, we were able to travel by train direct from home in Leeds to
Totnes. Taking Tony’s advice, we had booked in the B&B in Bridgetown
where he stays, and mine host collected us from the station. Free
time in the afternoon allowed us to walk right up Fore Street, through
Eastgate to the Butterwalk, the Castle and then to the Parish Church
– all places remarkably unchanged from the 1940s, though a notable
absence was the Grammar School, no longer half way up the hill. Anne’s
patience endured the inevitable reminiscences, while we both noted the
preponderance of the coffee places and modern ‘hippyish’ shops which
characterise the town in the 2010s.
That evening the party assembled in the Seven Stars Hotel for “hello”
drinks and then a nice supper at the Steam Packet, down by the river
next to the place where they used to build minesweepers. Much
catching up. There was no one there who I had known well – a few
last-minute withdrawals – but the School was so small that we all knew
slightly of each other or those with whom we were buddies. Associating
with the nine or so ORs and wives present was easy.
Following Tony’s programme, we assembled next morning on “the
island”, the peninsula running downstream from the bridge opposite
our former home, the Seymour Hotel that was. It was understandable
though sad that we couldn’t visit that building where we all spent three
or four years before 1945 – it would have been interesting to see how
the conversion to apartments had been managed. After the group
photograph in bright sun, we took a small cruiser down the Dart to
Sharpham – there wasn’t time to visit the house, though coinciding with
a rally of 14 Aston Martins was an added plus. On return our Captain
dropped us off at “the kiosks”, for a sun-washed lunch.
Watford and Totnes
All so far very predictable and comfortable, but then came what to
me was a huge shock. In the afternoon some of us went to St John’s,
the Bridgetown Church – after the hotel, the most central building in
our lives, a place where we had a service once every day whenever
we were in Totnes, so a well-remembered site of great significance.
Outside it looked as ever, but pass through the door and all expectations
were swept away. Instead of oak pews and a screen, the place is a
huge white-walled chamber full of folding chairs! A small altar, no pulpit
– nothing in fact of what was there in our day, and a very modern
(attractive, colourful) style of window at the east end. The 1976 fire
(news to me) had been very thorough, all inside was gutted, and the
new flexible community-space format couldn’t have been more different
from what we knew. A real have-to-sit-down-for-a-moment shock!
Now with limited expectations, my “free time” afternoon walk was
to trace old ground. The main destination was the Totnes Weir – on
Saturdays in 1944 and 1945 a group of us would buy a small loaf at
bottom Edhouse, take it up there and quickly devour it – 6¼ d I think it
cost. Comforting to find it still there, and the nearby Grammar School
sports field that we occasionally used. Tracing the Leat – the offtake
stream from the weir – it was difficult to pinpoint the stretch where we
had learned to swim, but the track brought one back past the old Dawes
Creamery (now derelict) to what was once the Harris Bacon Factory,
partly converted to a fashionable Estate Agents, the rest half of a big
Sainsbury’s, but the old building preserved.
The second evening followed the same pattern – drinks in the Seven
Stars (with some new arrivals, including the current ORs President, not
a Totnesian) and then another nice dinner. By then the wives had taken
their fill of 70-year-old reminiscences, so they sensibly sat on one wing
of our table and left us Old Boys – and we are all old – to it.
In the train home next morning we agreed that it had been a really good
outing for a couple of days, a chance for Anne to understand better what
my life was like in those formative years, and Totnes is a really nice place
to visit – and probably so even when there isn’t non-stop sunshine like
we had. Tony does a wonderful job getting it all together – all Totnesians
who haven’t already been are strongly recommended!
The second contact was very different – an afternoon at the present-day
Reed’s at Cobham. The lead up begins with an email from my brother
Leslie (1936-1942), living in Ottawa. He had been contacted by the
assiduous fund-raising team to consider buying an engraved brick in a
new technology building – the latest extension to the facilities on the
Sandy Lane site. He suggested a joint subscription to have bricks with
the names of the three of us, including our late sister Catherine (19391948). Through many emails and a cheque this was arranged. Part of
the deal was that we would be invited to the opening. And so we came
to be there on a wet afternoon in mid-October. I didn’t know what
to expect, except that things would be very different from when I was
there 1946-1949. How right I was.
The School collected us from Oxshott station, poured champagne and
seated us in the raked fold-away auditorium/gym. A Professor from
Surrey University said his piece and inaugurated the FutureTech Building.
Sixth formers then marshalled us around the most impressive new
facility, where pupils showed us their advanced skills, before the 80 or
so invitees (two of whom had been in the Totnes party in September)
mingled again. After some time, I asked if we could look around the rest,
so two 6th formers were detailed to show Anne and me the works –
interestingly they were a Swedish girl and a Dutch boy. In whistle-stop
style we visited the large number of peripheral buildings behind and to
the side of the original Sandroyd building, which still dominates but is
almost all that there was in my day. Clearly the School has been able to
attract or earn considerable sums to afford such modern investment,
together with modifications to the original building – enlarged Chapel,
bigger Dining Hall and covering in for new uses of some of the
courtyards between, as at the British Museum. All round there was a
confident, relaxed air. Clearly a good place to spend the best years!
Additional to seeing it all, the big interest was chatting to other invitees.
Many snippets arose and I got to understand why the Girls’ School
was closed: seemingly with widespread comprehensive schooling
the demand for Foundation places declined (sic). The only thing to
continue with Reed’s was to go partly fee-paying, so the proceeds from
Dogmersfield paid for a new boarding block at Cobham, a price was
set and numbers doubled very quickly. Expansion occurred, with day
pupils added (now the majority) and then sixth form girls, to reach the
present state. All of which seemed rational and understandable. Another
interesting talk was with someone (not an Old Reedonian) who, as
a couple, completely funded two Foundation places – a fascinating
form of long-term support. However, chatting with a member of the
Foundation management body, one came to appreciate the delicacy
needed nowadays to select beneficiaries who could cope with living
in a community where the vast majority of students came from feepaying situations – not a thing that we met, when almost all of us were
from similar backgrounds. These talks and more were most revealing,
allowing a good picture of the present day Reed’s – as anticipated,
almost unrecognisable from the institution that the three MacArthurs
attended all those years ago.
Before we left, there was time for an unexpected laugh to lighten a grey
wet day. Anne waited in a kind of Archive Room. There she spotted
some historic tomes that caused great mirth. One contained each
boy’s medical record 1940-1948 – ho, ho, have a look: yes I did have
mumps, like half the school in Totnes, but I don’t remember dysentery
in 1945! But that’s what it said! Then, with greater delight, she found the
old caning book. In the 1940s there was a lot of it going on, but I never
knew that every offence was recorded by Attenborough and Axton,
date, crime, who reported it, number of strokes. I fear that my name
was there at least four times! But so was my brother’s – he never told
us about that! Anne didn’t know previously that we were miscreants!
(Beware, can you be sure what bits of your past are not written down
somewhere?)
The final thing was to look for the bricks – the cause of our being there
in the first place. We could find none in FutureTech, where we had
expected a wall. In fact, they turned out to be ceramic tiles of several
bright colours, about 100, fixed in groups on a wall beside the main
entrance way. Naively perhaps, we thought that, as we had bought a
package to cover three of us, ours would be together, but Leslie was
in a high group far away from Catherine and I in the lowest group. Not
what we expected, so I asked that we might be relocated to be all in
one place.
Is going back a good idea? Probably. Totnes was largely as I remembered
it, and learning what Reed’s has now become was an instructive insight
into changes in education over 60-odd years.
John MacArthur (1949)
Totnes Reunion 2012
Before writing some copy about the 2012 I thought it best to see what I
wrote in 2011. On reading that I realised that by changing a few names
and locations it would do for 2012. I suppose continuity is appropriate
THE REEDER 2 013
45
Watford and Totnes
for a reunion but, not very interesting to others. Particularly Old
Reedonians who were not at Totnes and might wonder where it is and
its relevance to Reed’s School in 2013. So I thought a few words about
the evacuation of the School in 1939 to Totnes in south Devon where
it stayed until 1946 and its role as a pivotal point in the developments
of the School from a very Victorian institution catering only for
disadvantaged children might be of interest.
By 1946 it was well on the way to the position where it could attract
a wide range of pupils whose parents can afford to pay for their
children’s education as well, of course, to a considerable number of
Foundationers. I feel qualified for that role as I was one of a limited
number who attended Reed’s in Watford, Totnes and Cobham and have
followed the fortunes of the School ever since 1947.
My father died in 1938 leaving my mother with four children, three
under seven years of age and the realisation that World War Two was
imminent. So a decision was made that I, the older of the three, would
be sent to what was then The London Orphan School in Watford.
In September 1939, just a short time after war had been declared, a
shy and very frightened small boy was delivered to those austere and
forbidding premises. It took a while to settle but, after a few weeks all
us “New Crows” got to together if only to offer common support and
a front against a not at all sympathetic House Matron and Form One
teacher. However the Queen had heard of our situation and came
down to see how we were. Whilst at the School I believe she opened a
new library in a forbidden part of the complex, the Girls’ School!
By the beginning of the summer term we were well established and
were intrigued to know that the decision had been made to evacuate
the Boys’ School to a somewhere distant place called Totnes. It all
happened very smoothly from a first year pupil’s point of view. After
breakfast (a very meagre meal at Watford) we went with our cases to
a row of yellow coaches parked in the road outside the school gates. A
most exciting journey and I can still remember passing Virginia Water,
Salisbury and a stop to eat our packed lunch somewhere on Salisbury
Plain. I can remember that there was a hard-boiled egg included that,
when we took the shell, off appeared to be blue. We were assured
that that was normal. Many hours later we arrived at the back of a
large yellow, riverside building The Seymour Hotel. The next thing I
remember was going into tea. The dining room was set up with the
usual long tables and benches. A much better tea than we used to have
in Watford was served but, sadly, the improvement to the catering was
short lived.
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THE REEDER 2 013
Then up to bed. No longer a long dark forbidding dormitory but, a small
room with but six beds and a window overlooking the bridge across
the river into Totnes. All together the phrase “it’s Totnes not heaven
we have come to” sums it all up. Later as we got older it was into the
former ballroom with rows of bunk beds to put up with. For six years it
was a school with glass walls, one in the centre of so many interesting
things going on not least the preparations for D Day, the building of
minesweepers to look at from the classroom windows and much, much
more. A school with little or no facilities but, staff dedicated to learning
in the real meaning of that word not just passing exams. It was helped
with a change of teaching staff not least some young women teachers to
replace male colleagues off to join the forces.
The School developed a camaraderie and confidence as it refused
to allow us to feel disadvantaged. The School, in spite of its meagre
numbers, could easily hold it’s own in sport and art activities (your
author won a local art competition and was not even anywhere near
top of art in the School). For the first summer holiday the Battle of
Britain and severe bombing raids meant that few of us left Totnes, but
we were entertained and indeed educated in all sorts of non academic
ways. In 1945 peace was declared but it was not until nearly a year later
that the School left Totnes to a site in Cobham where it has stayed until
today. When you walk around the well kept grounds and playing fields
don’t forget the few of us at Reed’s Cobham in 1946 all contributed to
getting them into order.
So not only did we enjoy our years at Totnes but many have revisited
that town ever since. For the last four or five years it has been a listed
OR event. Reed’s and Totnes have received much publicity in the press
and even a short programme on ITV. Not least in 2012 and remember
we left Totnes nearly 70 years ago, where we all seemed to enjoy the
rail journey to Totnes (rerunning those journeys of the 1940s). We
enjoyed legal trips on the river (out of bounds when we were at school)
and the catering for our more formal dinners inconceivable when
compared to school lunches. We often meet up with locals we knew
all those years ago not least Vic Morgan who was at the former Totnes
Grammar School who came up from Cornwall to join in.
Look out for the date of a reunion in 2013 and even if you were not at
Totnes come and join us. I am sure you will find it fun, interesting and
quite a surprise.
Tony Wiggins 1947
Sport
Julian Smith Memorial Match
Hockey
Reed’s Weybridge XV 5 pts Reed’s School XV 34pts
OR Girls v Reed’s Girls
Julian Smith, who captained the Reed’s Weybridge 1st XV
in 1985, died in tragic circumstances in November 2010.
He was a much loved character at the Club and his many
friends and contemporaries and Reed’s School decided
that it would be appropriate to hold a memorial rugby
game to help raise funds for the Oasis Charity in which
Julian had a particular interest.
Tom Murdoch the Kiwi Reed’s School teacher captained a
powerful School XV, including ORs Josh Brown, Will Clapp
and Leo Coates, that eventually ran out winners by six tries
to one. The real problem for the home side was trying to
retain the ball under intense back row pressure; indeed
it was the School geography master John Douthwaite
who deservedly collected one of the match awards for
spearheading so many damaging raids into the Club side
territory. Reed’s Weybridge had the slope in the first half
and they knew that they had to take the benefit from that
advantage, they collected one try when James Clark, the fly
half, crossed from short range, however a stream of quality
possession gave the visitors a three try lead to one at the
break. Perhaps the best of those was initiated by Murdoch
the centre who fired out a huge miss-pass that was
collected by winger Jason Woodward who had the pace to
touch down by the flag. The outstanding player for Reed’s
Weybridge was unquestionably their veteran forward
Jonathan Bower, he was involved in the gritty forward
work and it was his power in the loose rucks and mauls
that gave the Club side good clean possession. OR Will
Isaacs also had an excellent game for Reed’s Weybridge as
did captain Charlie Smith, Hunch’s eldest son. Young Harry
Ricks, the second row, had an excellent day in the line-out
for the club side but overall the forward battle was won
by the visitors, three more tries in the second half ensured
that the trophy remains at Reed’s School.
Julian Smith was a keen
supporter of the Cobham
based Oasis Child Care
Charity and an auction and
raffle after the game raised
funds for the organisation.
6th September 2012
It was great to see some
well known faces from the
former Reed’s girls’ teams
come back to play against
the current School 1st XI.
Expertly captained by Jerry Ross (Mullens 2008), the OR
team went on to win 2-1, all helped by the supporters
who came down to cheer the girls on. Let’s hope we can
get another girls’ team together for the Stephen Shiells
Memorial Tournament on 21st March 2013.
Golf
Grafton Morrish Tournament 5th-6th October 2012
This year Reed’s once again entered a team for the
Grafton Morrish Public Schools’ Golf tournament. The
tournament consists of a qualifying event in which each
school enters a team of six old boys who play in pairs.
The format of the golf is Stableford Foursomes, in which
each pair play alternate shots on each hole and points are
awarded for the score on each hole. The aggregate of
the three pairs’ Stableford score is then used to rank each
school and the top five schools in each region progress
to the grand final played on the beautiful links courses,
Hunstanton and Brancaster on the north Norfolk coast.
Reed’s managed to come in the top five in our region and
so progressed to the finals which were held in October.
We had an excellent weekend in the sunshine up at
Hunstanton and Brancaster. Our first round match was
played against King’s Bruton, and remarkably all three
of our matches went to the last hole. Harry Pakenham
and Stuart Robinson and Ed Job and James Davey halved
their matches and George Kershaw and Harry Kershaw
were unlucky to lose their match on the final green. This
meant Reed’s was entered into the Plate competition at
Brancaster golf club where we had a respectable top 10
finish. We all really enjoyed it again this year and we look
forward to progressing further in future.
Stuart Robinson (Captain)
George Spinks
THE REEDER 2 013
47
Some happy days at Reed’s frankly reported
Reminiscences of one’s school days tend to make interesting
and often amusing reading. They do, however, sometimes raise
doubts about their authenticity. Just as past summers were always
sunny in the minds of the elderly so one’s schooldays are often
“remembered with advantages”.
Were our exploits quite so daring/effective/funny/remarkable
as we remember? Were our teachers, our contemporaries or,
indeed, we ourselves actually as eccentric/unkind/dishevelled/illprepared as we recall? And was the food really that dreadful?
Thinking back over the years, I would like to nominate a list of
incidents – none, I hope, too much embroidered by the telling
and retelling – that continue to amuse.
Many of these brief anecdotes may strike a chord with readers
of a certain vintage. Names have been omitted to protect the
innocent, but I expect that a number of readers will recognise
themselves in one or more of the following:
1. Driving into Kingston one morning during term time, a
master overtook a small boy in uniform “escaping” from The
Close. The master and his wife took the fugitive into their car
and continued their trip to Bentalls in Kingston where the young
boy’s chance of resuming his escape was reduced by their asking
him to push their two-year old’s pram. Shopping done, the boy
was returned to The Close and went on some years later to
become a school captain.
2. One summer afternoon, I filmed the Esher fire engines in
attendance at a fire in the Croft Woods. After several minutes of
non-descript footage, two smoky little boys were caught on film
as they emerged sheepishly from the blaze. An unlikely duo of
malefactors having their first smoke?
3. Another pupil initially pleaded “not guilty” to making late night
visits to a local girls’ school, but had to change his plea when it
was pointed out that his name was sewn into the school cap
found in one of the dormitories there.
4. On the day of the assassination of the American president,
who was it that raced with the news to the Sister on duty with
the cry “Kennedy has been shot!” only to see her grab her
emergency bag and dash off in the direction of the rugby field?
5. Who chiselled the graffiti that encouraged Rodney Exton to
change the words “Sack Exton” to “Back Exton”. (“Sack” is in fact
a bowdlerisation of the Anglo Saxon used in the original).
6. Who, when the entire school was gated for a misdemeanour
to which no one would own up, went to the Headmaster and
said “I didn’t do it sir, but if I own up will the school be let off the
gating?”
7. Which OR, for whom his housemaster was constantly
writing notes to an optician explaining that he had broken yet
another pair of spectacles, returned as a young businessman to
a sixth form symposium at the school, blaming his late arrival on
the fact that he had got out of bed at his hotel and stepped on his
spectacles?
8. Who, when he knocked on the Headmaster’s door during
one of blackouts common in the post-war years received the
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THE REEDER 2 013
reply “Go away – I have a boy with me at the moment” and
then reported the incident to his housemaster with the comment
“He’s a fine one to talk”?
9. Which former pupil, passing his housemaster whilst driving
along Chelsea High Street, wound down his car window and
cried “ I’ve just delivered my first baby”?
10. Who, when taken to a theatre in London by two members
of staff, and having been warned to avoid the bar nearest the
booked seats, entered the forbidden bar anyway? (The two
masters tried to show their nonchalance by asking what he
would like to drink. They were trumped by his super nonchalant
response “I’d like a Noilly Prat, please”).
11. Who ever bettered the response of a sixth former reported
by his Assistant Housemaster for coming back to school in the
early hours (after an illicit fishing trip) responded by saying to his
housemaster next morning “Sir, you should ask Mr X who he
had in his room at that time of night.“
12. Does anyone remember being sent money from overseas
by his parents to buy a new pair of shoes and returning from
London, money spent, with nothing to show for it but a secondhand, red military jacket from Carnaby Street?
13. Who rather inadvisedly placed sodium on his bare arm to
demonstrate his power of endurance?
14. Who, when told to stand up in class whilst speaking to the
Headmaster, replied “But I am standing up, Sir”.
15. Who took his housemaster’s young child for a first swim
in the school pool and startled the father by doing a length
under water with the precious child precariously perched on his
shoulders?
16. Who were the two boys who, as a penance for some minor
offence, were told to spend a Sunday afternoon watching a
World Wild Life Fund promotional film about game reserves in
Africa? As well as watching the film, they had to write an essay
giving their thoughts about the film. The punishment had a happy
ending: the essay was submitted to the organisers and won them
an expenses-paid trip to the Serengeti Game Reserve in East
Africa.
17. Finally, there is the surely apocryphal story of a master, who
having arrived late to his class, apologised and said “I’ve forgotten
your books but will go back and fetch them”. He turned on his
heel and was never seen again.
Frank Anstis
Destination of 2011 Sixth Form Leavers who took a Gap Year
Joyce Chow
Jessica Hall
Luke Hourigan
Rebecca Lunt
Daniel Absalom
Michael Loizias
Patrick Oldreive
Sebastian Huff
Karan Kapoor
JESUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
BRISTOL
LEEDS
EXETER
LOUGHBOROUGH
LONDON SOUTHBANK (part time) and
working as commercial manager
BOURNEMOUTH
NOTTINGHAM
BRIGHTON
Law
History
Biological Sciences
Geography
Civil Engineering
Quantity Surveying
Sports Management
Electrical Engineering
Accounting & Finance
Destination of 2012 Sixth Form Leavers
Aaron Aujla
BRISTOL
Classics
Zach Baker
WORCESTER
Archaeology & Heritage Studies
Zoravar Bakshi
Alice Barnes
Jack Barry
Lucas Barry
Beatrice Berry
Kirsten Blom
Edward Brierley
Alexandra Buchanan
Colin Bugler
Charlotte Buijs
Francesca Burchill
William Burchill
IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
BOURNEMOUTH
NOTTINGHAM
BUWE
BOURNEMOUTH
OXFORD BROOKES
LIVERPOOL
BRIGHTON
EXETER
OXFORD
OXFORD BROOKES
SHEFFIELD
Harry Burley
BATH
Lucinda Butler
Kong Yau (Annie) Chan
Sze Long () Chan
Olivia Chilton
Chung Hin Chow
Andrew Clarke
Harry Coates
Valentijn Cobben
Ethan Copeland
Jonathan Cornish
Nathan Crabtree
Alex Croker
James Crosbie
Fraser Dawe
Rafe Delaney
Mollie Dendle
Joseph Dipre
Martha Dixon
Duncan Edser
Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Ellis
Sam Galvin
Edward Gladigau
Guy Grant
Thomas Gray
Emily Grove
Olivia Hajialexandrou
Joonhee Han
Daniel Harris
Andrew Hertzell
Isabelle Higgs
MANCHESTER
UCL
BATH
BIRMINGHAM
UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, SUFFOLK
KENT
NOTTINGHAM
Mathematics and Computer Science
Business Studies
Mathematics
Business Studies
Events Management
Business and Marketing Management
Marine Biology with Oceanography
Sport Journalism
English
Law
Planning and Property Development
Business Management
Sport and Exercise Science (with study abroad/industry/
combined)
Drama
Economics
Mechanical Engineering
Sport and Exercise Sciences
Diagnostic Radiotherapy
Social Anthropology
History
Study in Holland
Study in USA
Study in USA
Sports Development
Study in USA
Mechanical Engineering
Geography
Geography
Psychology
Mathematics and Sports Science
Medical Science
Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Experience
Mechanical Engineering (Automotive)
Economics
Pharmacology with Study in Industry
Biology
French and Spanish (4 years)
Gap year and apply 2013
Early Childhood Studies
English and History
Biomedical Engineering
Gap year and apply 2013
History
Business Administration (Sandwich)
PORTSMOUTH
EXETER
BUWE
KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
BRISTOL
BIRMINGHAM
NEWCASTLE
EXETER
BIRMINGHAM
EDINBURGH
BRISTOL
NOTTINGHAM
NOTTINGHAM TRENT
OXFORD BROOKES
NOTTINGHAM
STUDY IN KOREA
BRISTOL
BATH
THE REEDER 2 013
49
Joshua Hill
Yeuk Hin (Naomi) Ho
Thomas Hunt
Alex Huskisson
Juliette Inverdale
William Isaacs
Daniel Jay
Kyeong Beom (Harry) Jo
Edward Kennedy
Adam Lawson
Joshua Lawson
Charlie Leake
Thomas Leatham
Vincent Leung
Neil MacKenzie
Joseph Malthouse
Eva Mathers
50
LOUGHBOROUGH
BOURNEMOUTH
DURHAM
BIRMINGHAM
LONDON SOUTH BANK
BATH
LANCASTER
BUWE
MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN
SURREY
MANCHESTER
Kishen Patel
EXETER
George Peters
Sasha Philbert
Sophie Pierce
Elena Pocock
Oliver Rastall
Alexander Redmayne
Jamie Roberts
James Roughneen
Aleksander Rula
Francesca Sharp-Paul
Oliver Sleeman
James Snowden
Nicolas Solomon
Jamie Sones
Stephanie Stanley
Samuel Stephens
Roy Steudle
Benjamin Stokes
Matthew Stokes
Grayson Stuckey
James Sukiennik
Chengzhe (Oliver) Sun
Amelia Tangney
Gurjot Thind
Jack Thorpe
UCL
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE NEW UNIVERSITY
YORK
BATH
QUEEN MARY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
OXFORD BROOKES
CAMBRIDGE
QUEEN MARY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
ABERDEEN
FALMOUTH
BUWE
KINGSTON
EXETER
BATH SPA
CARDIFF UWIC
Christian Throm-Jones
BATH
Naomi Verbeke
Sophie Vos
Jessica Weedon
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
PORTSMOUTH
BOURNEMOUTH
Jorge Wilton
EXETER
Rory Woolston
NOTTINGHAM
THE REEDER 2 013
LOUGHBOROUGH
ROEHAMPTON
SUSSEX
EXETER
DURHAM
EDINBURGH
BRISTOL
Geography and Sports Management
Biomedical Engineering
Gap year and re-apply 2013
Sports Management
Geography
Business Management (Year in Industry – 4 years)
Media and Cultural Studies
applying 2013
Biochemistry
Marketing
Re-applying 2013
Audio and Music Technology
Dental Technology
Accounting and Finance
Re-applying 2013
Applyinging 2013
Psychology
Accounting and Finance with Industrial Experience
(4 years)
Geology
Sports Psychology
Environmental Geography
Sport and Exercise Science
Global Change: Environment, Economy & Development
Business and Marketing Management
Engineering (4 years)
Physics
Medicine
Religious Studies
Graphic Design
Biological Sciences
Business Management
Economics and Finance
Creative Writing/English Literature
Sport and Exercise Science
Skiing
Criminology and Social Policy
Classical Civilisation
Biomedical Science
Business Economics with Industrial Experience (4 years)
Accounting and Finance
Applying 2013
History
Chemistry
International Management and Modern Languages –
German
Cooking Course
Combined Modern Languages
Hospitality Management
Management with Marketing with Industrial Experience
(4 years)
Politics
Staff Leavers 2012
Alan Bott
Dutch. She has done an outstanding job both in helping
the pupils through their exams and in coordinating our
link with Rijnlands Lyceum. During her time here there
are three things in particular that have stood out about
Carmen:
1. Her unerring professionalism – with very few readymade Dutch resources available, Carmen has had to
spend a huge amount of time preparing her own materials
and has even gone as far as translating past GCSE French
papers into Dutch in order to give her pupils invaluable
exam practice! She has always spent as much time
preparing and marking the work of her small number of
pupils as those of us teaching classes 10 times the size!
2. Her consideration for others – on the recent Activities
Week trip that she accompanied, not only did Carmen
provide edible treats for the rest of the staff to enjoy, she
also lent money to pupils, provided them with trivia cards
to keep them entertained and bought a card and present
for a boy celebrating his birthday, all off her own bat.
Alan Bott, Secretary to the Governors, Bursar and Old
Reedonians Treasurer retired in December 2012. Alan
joined Reed’s in 1989 as the School Accountant and
became Bursar in 1998 and amongst many other things
was responsible for managing the Foundation and thus
arranging the finances to support a large number of
Reedonians.
Gareth Davies
Gareth Davies is part of the Davies family dynasty who
work in various roles at Reed’s. Gareth, who has been
at Reed’s since 2002 and a stalwart of the grounds staff
for the last seven years, is moving to Ireland to follow his
heart.
Calum Giles
Calum Giles, with over 200 International Caps worth of
experience, has been an inspiring hockey coach for the last
couple of years and will be a great loss.
Carmen Lams
Carmen has enjoyed an association with Reed’s over
these past few years, as a parent and as a teacher of
3. Her unfailing good humour – Carmen’s colourful
clothing is an outward expression of her own cheerful
character. She is always smiling and always ready to get
stuck in.
She is essentially a combination of all that one could hope
for in a colleague, a team-mate, a sister and a mother, all
rolled into one! We will miss seeing Carmen regularly but
we are glad that she has agreed to return if further Dutch
teaching is needed in the future.
Andy Robinson
Andy leaves Reed’s after six years of teaching French and
Spanish (including two years as second in the French
department), working as a boarding tutor and coaching
junior rugby.
He has always been a very talented and popular teacher
who has achieved excellent results with classes at both
ends of the ability range. He has been an invaluable
presence in many areas of departmental life: leading the
installation of the digital language lab and the associated
staff training and support; heading up Key Stage 3 French
and the relevant entrance exams; engaging the pupils
during activities such as French Games Club, French Gifted
THE REEDER 2 013
51
Staff Leavers 2012
and Talented, MFL poetry competitions and visiting MFL
theatre productions.
His participation in Activities Week trips to France has
been greatly appreciated and he has carved out a quite
reputation for himself as a sporting champion amongst the
staff – proving almost untouchable in the niche sports of
crazy golf, ‘boules’ and animal croquet!
Andy moves on to take up a position at Cranleigh School.
We wish him and Laura all the best and hope that he will
be very happy in his new school. We look forward to
collaborating on new MFL projects together in the future.
Ian Peel
Nancy was always interested in our family life and often
a great support – not just in turning up my trousers! As
our children were growing up she shared in the trials,
tribulations and joys which go hand in hand with raising
children; inevitably she attended our daughter’s wedding
at Reed’s in July 2010. When we retired from the Close
Nancy was a great help to Alex and Lucy Balls during their
settling in for the first two years of their tenure.
A larger than life character, Ian Peel, is leaving the Classics
Department after just three years, to become Head of
Department at Sir William Perkins’s School. He will be
missed by the pupils and we wish him much luck.
The various inspections all commented on the wonderful
homely atmosphere and this was in no small part due to
Nancy and her carefully constructed photo displays, nicely
framed and mounted on the walls – one example of her
contributions to this end.
Nancy Savage
The Close, the School and the other matrons will certainly
miss her and all would wish her and Ken all the very best
in retirement which will soon see the birth of their first
grandchild.
Nancy began her Reed’s life in January 1998 as Matron
on the middle floor of what was then the Middle School
Boarding House, later to become School House. In
September 1998 she moved with us to The Close where
she stayed throughout our 12 years and then had two
years with Alex and Lucy Balls until she retired in July 2012
after very nearly 15 years of dedicated service.
Nancy was always very organised but then she had to
be with Close boarding numbers reaching 30 and always
being in the mid-twenties for the first half of her life in The
Close. When the boarding numbers began to drop she
then took on looking after the washing of the three GAP
students who moved onto the top floor, even managing to
keep her temper when their personal washing took over
her drying room! Even the misfortune of a tree branch
falling on her car down at The Close did not deter her!
Nancy introduced a tuck shop for the pupils, thereby
giving them a real taste of the penny chews of times long
passed and ensuring the day pupils got to see the boarding
accommodation and to mix with the boarders within
their own environment. She always bought Christmas
presents for the boarders, joined in the annual Secret
Santa and gave each boarder an Easter egg. Nancy and
52
her husband Ken were annual contributors to the Bonfire
and Fireworks display where, in the early days, both could
be seen carrying heavy saucepans full of mulled wine
through a dormitory, trying desperately not to spill any of
the contents on the bedroom carpet!
THE REEDER 2 013
Colette Savage
Colette joined Reed’s in April 2009 as Head of Academic
ICT and was really thrown in at the deep end since a
full school inspection was looming! This successfully
negotiated she then began sorting out the various schemes
of work before making the decision to concentrate on
her doctorate and moving to a part-time contract. Later
she was to return to full-time work but not as Head of
Department; she then added the teaching of Mathematics
to her repertoire. During this time she also started up
a ‘Values Club’ in The Close and established this as an
excellent new activity which grew in strength because of
her dedication and knowledge. Lots of money was raised
for various charities through many fun projects. Colette
leaves to dedicate more time to her PhD and to lecture in
London and possibly New York.
School Captains
1943/44
J. Marsh
1983/84
A.M.J. Glass
1944/45
M. Meadows
1984/85
P.M.J. Edmondson
1945/46
G. Ballard
1985/86
A.D.I. Darroch-Warren
1946/47
R. Lewis
1986/87
A. Emam
1947/48
R. Lewis
1987/88
1948/49
E. Bowman
G. Pakenham
I.J. Locke
1949/50
J. Phipp
1988/89
J.C.S. Rowlands
J.H. Sugden
1950/51
N. Wadley
1989/90
A.M. Noakes
1951/52
N. Wadley
1990/91
D.S. Faulkner
1952/53
P. Murton
1991/92
A.J. Blackman
1953/54
P. Murton
1992/93
P.A. Knight
1954/55
G.T. Kennedy
1993/94
M.D. Elliott
1955/56
G.S.C. Wills
1994/95
R.J. Webster
1956/57
W.G. Eckford
1995/96
C.M. Bilmes
1957/58
V.B. Whitmarsh
1996/97
A. Hamilton
1958/59
R.D. Pingree
1997/98
1959/60
P.N. Kite
1960/61
P.C.C. Bint
J.A. Salmassian
T. Worner
A.D. Edwards
1961/62
R.W. Sinden
1998/99
A.O. Dosaj
1962/63
K.H. Tyrrell
1999/00
A.J. Hamilton
1963/64
G.M. Levy
2000/01
D.B. Coates
1964/65
E.D. Pafford
2001/02
S. Baghaei
1965/66
P.H. Hollins
2002/03
W.F. Bulman
1966/67
H.V. Myles
D.G. Taylor
2003/04
D.L. Westley
2004/05
1967/68
W.A. Clermont
P.G.R. Williamson
J.D. Stephens
P.S. Duterloo
2005/06
1968/69
K.A. Boulter
S.A. Burrow
N.M. Muir-Little
1969/70
J.F. Robson
2006/07
1970/71
T.R. Simmons
M.J. Dover
J.A. Houlgrave
A.J. Watkins
2007/08
M.I. Rose
C.J. Brooks
2008/09
A.R. Miller
2009/10
T. Sharp
I. Aspelling-Jones
2010/11
A. Hedges
E. Forder
1971/72
P.G. Bolton
1972/73
R.McL. Newman
1973/74
A.W. Cairns
R.J. Moffatt
1974/75
C.G. Fuller
1975/76
I.R.H. Myles
M.C. Burwell
2011/12
B. Stokes
J. Inverdale
1976/77
A.W. Kidd
2012/13
1977/78
A.W. Buchan
P.J. Chicken
J.L. Chandler
1978/79
T.D. Legg
1979/80
C.J. Michel
1980/81
A.M. Huckin
1981/82
A.M. Huckin
A.G.B. Robbins
1982/83
J.M.A. Price
To date the following School Captains of the Girls’ School at
Dogmersfield have been identified:
1945 Kathleen Elphick
1949 Helen Barnwell
1950 Betty Rollestone
I hope the list will be completed soon. Ed.
THE REEDER 2 013
53
PAST PRESIDENTS OF
THE OLD REEDONIAN ASSOCIATION
Samuel Lowry 1875-1877
G. H. McLaughlin 1878-1882
W. Nottage 1883-1884
G. Bedford 1885-1893
G. Berry 1894-1902
G. H. Judd 1903-1904
G. R. Hutchings 1905-1906
Samuel Miller 1907
H. T. Walker 1908
C. Comley 1909
G. R. Hutchings 1910
W. G. Emery 1911-1919
H. Reeder Clarke 1920-1921
H. S. Rounce 1922-1923
W. G. Emery 1924
A. L. Kennedy 1925
Miss M. C. Bowie 1926
W. G. Emery 1927-1930
W. E. Pollard 1931
H. Sedgwick 1932-1936
G. Pearmain 1937-1939
H. S. Rounce 1940-1947
Eric H. S. Banyard 1947-1949
Edwin D. Griffiths FRIBA 1950-1951
Joe H. Harrison 1951-1952
Mrs. M. Naomi Davidson 1953-1954
S. Harold Gilbert 1955-1958
Geoff P. Maddison MBE 1959-1961
Douglas E. Parker 1962-1966
Peter J. Daffey 1966-1967
Brin R. Thomas 1967-1969
Peter J. Daffey 1970-1973
Michael P. Meadows 1974-1977
John S. H. Laidman 1978-1986
John B. Rogers 1987-2002
Christopher Hawkins succeeded John Rogers in 2002
54
THE REEDER 2 013
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