Tribute to Charlie Dunne

Charlie Dunne (1999 – 2018)

Towards the end of the Summer term 2018 we received the awful news that Charlie Dunne, one of our Year 13 students and a member of Denson House, had died after suffering a terrible accident on a beach in

North Devon. Charlie had recently completed his A-levels, attended the Leavers’ Ball with friends and staff on Sunday 8 July and then travelled to North Devon for a holiday with family and some friends.

It is extremely difficult to put anything into words when tragedy strikes a close-knit community such as ours here at AGS and to try to make sense of events, which have caused a great deal of pain and sadness amongst so many people who knew and worked alongside Charlie. We hope the following collection of thoughts and reflections are a small but fitting tribute to such an energetic and wellloved student. The reflections and words are extracts from some of the tributes given in the days following his death, and from our Book of Condolence. In the coming months we will talk more about how we will remember Charlie more formally and will perhaps share this with you in the next edition.

To Charlie, once an Aylesburian, always an Aylesburian

We will always remember you.

From our ‘Memories of Charlie afternoon’ held for his year group:

What can I add about my memories of Charlie?

Inevitably, because of the closeness of the school community, my memories will intermingle with those of my colleagues.

Firstly, I will always remember his huge smile, his ready laughter and general enjoyment of life – you always knew when Charlie was around. There was noise, a lot of noise; he was seldom still and quiet in the Sixth Form Common Room, or indeed in the Learning Centre and there was always a buzz and friends around him.

The second thing that comes to my mind is 7 years of House Music – that little boy in 2012 singing Cee Lo Green and ‘Forget You’ with such confidence, is overlaid layer by layer in my memory with a succession of numbers; ‘What About Now’, ‘Mirrors’, ‘September’, ‘Busy Earnin’, ‘Radio Gaga’ and finally, triumphantly, ‘Take Me Out’ in February 2018. Same character, same smile, same attitude – just all a lot bigger. Denson’s fortunes in House Music, and indeed in the Watson Trophy seem, in my mind anyway, to be so connected with Charlie and his irrepressible zest for life and his willingness to keep on putting himself in the arena – even when things did not go well. My memories of Charlie’s performances in House Music are the ones I find hardest to go back to

right now; they charted his progress through the school, but they also demonstrated the things that didn’t change about Charlie. You always knew he would get up and perform and make everyone smile. I hope I told him enough how much I enjoyed his performances.

It is true also that my other big memory of Charlie is how much he infuriated me at times! Since his death, I have been remembering the times I had to tell him off over the last two years. Those ‘tellings off’ also have become overlaid in my memory… noise in the Learning Centre, misbehaviour on rugby tour, conversations during Assessment Tutorial, over exuberance in a Business classroom and somehow ending up falling into a door/cupboard….. It could only have been Charlie. The thing with Charlie is that he would come in to my office and say sorry. He and I pretty much always knew how the conversation was going to go. It would be something like ‘For goodness sake Charlie what are you doing?’ Inevitably, these meetings would come soon after he had done something wonderful; House Music, rugby, helping with Prefect duties, a kindness to a colleague or student, a cheery hello or saying something funny, so it was hard to be cross with him. The thing with Charlie is that I would tell him off and then two things would follow. Firstly, the next day he would smile and say hello as he never bore a grudge. Secondly, he would go and do it again. He and I knew that is how it would be. Perhaps he did not take me very seriously – in honesty, there were times that my serious and cross face would come on for telling him off, and then I would have to go into my office to smile and laugh. Perhaps he knew that, I hope so. I cannot tell you how much I wish he was still here – being the same mix of wonderful and frustration.

Over the past weeks, I have thought a great deal of Charlie’s family and have tried to get my thoughts in some sort of order and to make sense of Charlie’s death. Over the last three years, our School community has lost three lovely, young lives – Harry Hewitt in 2015, Freya Cox in December 2017 and now Charlie. All of them gone too suddenly and all too young but they had something in common. They all lived life to the full, they all got involved, they have all left indelible memories on those who knew and loved them. As teachers here at AGS we spend our time telling students to get involved, to connect with people, to put themselves in the arena and Charlie really did those things. I can really say that on the things that really matter, he actually did as he was told. Some people live long lives, some do not but look around you and think – look at the lives Charlie touched, look at the connections he made, look at the impact he had. He loved and was loved, he was a great friend and a great student of AGS. I do not think there is anything better that you can say about anyone than that they are a great friend. I will not ever forget him as a student and I know you will not forget him as friend either.

Mrs PA Venning – Deputy Headteacher and Head of Sixth Form

A selection of tributes from the Book of Condolence:

‘Charlie, you always were a wonderful character, so full of energy and fun as well as plenty of mischief! We always knew you were in the room. You only had a short time to make your mark on the world, but what a mark you made. I feel privileged to have known you and your family, both through school and scouting. You will be sorely missed by so many people. God bless you and your family. Rest in Peace.’

‘Charlie, I can take great pride and pleasure in calling you one of my best friends. I had the honour to know you the 7 years you were at AGS and although you are gone, you will never be forgotten. I have so many beautiful memories to cherish of you’

‘Charlie, thank you for all the fantastic memories – you were one of the brightest characters I have ever come across in my life’

‘Charlie, thank you for always making me smile. Your personality would always light up the room, as did your extremely infectious laugh! Thank you for all the great memories, you truly were a lovely person who touched so many. God Bless.’