THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST ROW
Beacon alumnus Gus Knott (OB 2000-10) and his Deep Blue Crew team-mates embarked on an epic journey rowing unsupported across the Atlantic, successfully completing the challenge in just under forty days.
HEADMASTER'S MESSAGE
Dear Alumni,
We have had another tremendously successful year at The Beacon. We continue to send strong numbers to local grammar schools, independent schools and boarding destinations and the boys have won numerous scholarships. On the sports field, our U13 and U11 football teams were national finalists and our rugby teams locally dominant, showing real strength in depth. The Performing Arts Department raised the bar yet higher with a ‘West End’ worthy production of ‘Emil and the Detectives’ this autumn, having spent the summer on tour at the Edinburgh Fringe with a production of ‘Sister Act Jnr’.
On site, we now have air conditioning in every classroom, new cricket nets and wickets on Willsfield and a completely remodelled entrance area in School House…you will have to visit to see how it presents! We enter a new age next year with the introduction of girls into our Nursery. Sarah Davies Jones is, so far, the only girl that has attended The Beacon but, there will be new alumna going forward as we look to develop the school and meet changing parental needs and preferences into the 21st Century.
I have one request for any tech-minded alumni. There is no ‘Wikipedia’ entry for The Beacon and, as one of the largest prep schools in the country, this seems to be an outlier. Charlotte and I have tried to start one but, the ‘Wikipedia police’ have told us that we cannot use Wikipedia as a marketing tool – that’s us told then! Therefore, if anyone could start a page, we would really appreciate it as it is an oft-used reference point for many people. Beacon boys are brilliant and I am sure there are many of you that can take this project forward…
Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you wish to visit or if you are able to give a presentation to the boys here. You are always considered a Beacon boy.
Best,
Nick Baker
Mr Baker with the newly appointed Head Boy team, September 2024
would like to thank all of our guest contributors and everyone who sent in
and photographs for inclusion in the
GENERATIONS OF GUIDING THE NEXT GENERATION
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
Three generations of the Kimber family attended The Beacon between 1943 and 2006. Here,
Garth and Rory each share some memories from their Beacon school days.
Three generations at The Beacon
I joined The Beacon in 1943. The school consisted of just the Victorian house with a small extension and, behind it, two playing fields. The first pitch was at the rear and the second by the main road at the front. The sixth form (a total of six pupils) was taught exclusively by the founding Headmaster, Mr Fieldhouse. He had never had a Common Entrance failure but, in my year, he did suggest to one student that he return to a farming career rather than pursue an academic one, so he did not take the exam!
Mr Fieldhouse ruled with very strong discipline. At School Prayers one morning he told us not to listen to Dick Barton: Special Agent on the radio at 6:45pm each evening, as it was not good for us and we should be doing homework. He asked at Prayers next day whether anyone had listened to it. My friend foolishly put his hand up. Fieldhouse heavily criticised him and told him to jump out of the window. We had to physically restrain him as it would have been a ten-foot drop.
Mr Fieldhouse’s caring side was more evident on Saturdays. We attended school on Saturday mornings but played sport, for example hockey, or did drama in the afternoon, followed by tea! One vivid memory was when the pitches were frozen and covered in snow, Mr Fieldhouse towed us round a pitch on a sledge drawn by his Austin 7.
The school was hard work, disciplined but reliable and enjoyable.
Graham Kimber (OB 1943-48)
“
The school was hard work, disciplined but reliable and enjoyable."
—Graham Kimber
Graham,
The original Victorian house that was The Beacon in the early 1950s.
The Kimber Family: Graham, Garth and Rory.
Three generations at The Beacon cont...
A normal Beacon school day started with me trying to persuade my mum to get going as early as possible. She would, as would others, drive by Amersham station and we would load up with as many Beacon boys as possible that had arrived by train. I think seven of us in her Fiat 126 was the record! Straight into school we couldn’t wait to get on the hard courts behind the gym and play football until the last minute possible.
Lessons were not particularly memorable as we saw them as one of the least important parts of our day with the exception of Art. If anything shows the changes over the years, Art is it. Mrs Milne would work her way through half a packet of cigarettes while we would make various items. Pottery in particular generated many ashtrays and, still in my possession, a figurine of Gary Glitter!
Other interesting pastimes possibly no longer available were: becoming a server at lunch where you served each of the meals for your table; being elevated to groundsman on Willsfield where I mowed the running track to short before Sports Day one year; and Saturday School where each Saturday morning we went in for an exam. This included one odd exam with strange questions that threw us all and turned out to be our very first look at an eleven-plus paper. We went over the answers the following week and a couple of weeks later took the exam for real.
We all ended our Beacon days with a school cruise around the Mediterranean on the SS Uganda. A whole different story.
I attended The Beacon between 1997-2006. My early memories consist of playing on the adventure playground and Astroturf with just big blue barrels as entertainment - it seemed fun at the time. As I got older the fun continued but the real lessons started toothe trick was to know how to get the teachers talking about their favourite topic instead of their subject. Mr Baxter, the Latin teacher, was always keen to talk about cricket, Mr Renton in Design loved talking about his trips abroad (although he was very deaf), and Mr Thomas in Geography was very happy to talk about the next yearly ski trip. On that note, thanks to Mr Seymour for arranging my medical rescue from the mountain in 2004, when my skills did not match my ambition.
Looking at Dad and Grandpa's memories, it seems the spirit of the school remained the same when I was there, but most of the details were different. Although I was a server at lunch as well, that tended to mean you served yourself the last lamb chop or chocolate pudding. Mr Osborne was the only remaining member of staff who remembered Dad attending the school, and knew I was his son. He clearly put in more effort teaching me though as my eleven-plus score was a pass, unlike some of my co-authors!
Drama became a big part of school life towards the end of our time and Mr Bird put on a great production of The Elephant Man which we ended up performing at The Edinburgh Fringe the next year as a group of Beacon Alumni. I don't think at the time we appreciated how special that was. Finally, we planted the 2006 leavers’ trees on Willsfield, which I'm told are still going strong!
Rory Kimber (OB 1997-2006)
Garth Kimber (OB 1967-76)
Rory Kimber in The Elephant Man.
Garth Kimber (back row, third from left) in The Beacon’s victorious 1975 2nd XV Rugby side that had just beaten St Martin’s 32-0.
Lunch in the Dining Hall circa 1975.
Mrs Milne’s Junior Art Club late 1960s.
Use the QR code above to view film footage from The Beacon’s 1979 trip onboard the SS Uganda.
LEADING LIGHT
DESTINATIONS & SCHOLARSHIPS
We’re delighted to welcome the newest members of our Beacon Alumni Community, all those who left the school earlier this summer! These boys have now embarked upon the next stage of their education at 25 different senior schools across the country, with an impressive array of scholarships and exhibitions between them.
THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST ROW
Deep Blue Crew completes an epic journey
Enormous congratulations to Gus Knott (OB 2000-10) and his Deep Blue Crew teammates who completed their epic six-week journey rowing 3,000 miles unsupported across the Atlantic in the World's Toughest Row.
Gus and three friends decided to take part in the challenge several years ago. After rigorous preparations, which combined purchasing a boat, survival training and many days flexing oars along the English south coast, they finally set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on 12 December 2024.
The team were tested to their limits through storms and 40-foot waves, then 35-degree heat and a punishing schedule of two hours rowing, two hours sleeping. Through relentless determination, teamwork and grit they finally completed the race in Antigua in 39 days, 6 hours and 55 minutes, securing an incredible second place finish and raising a phenomenal £120,000 for their three chosen charities: Tusk, the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation and the Clocktower Foundation.
We were thrilled to welcome Gus back to The Beacon earlier this year, when he came to talk to the boys about his incredible feat of endurance and adventure.
HOUSE CHARITIES HONOUR OBs GUNS, GREENHOUSES AND GROWING FORESTS
The Beacon recently celebrated its first House Charity Day with boys in each of the four houses, (Eddystone, Cromer, Portland and Trinity), wearing their colours and taking part in fundraising activities for their chosen charities. Two of these charities were chosen in honour of former pupils.
Eddystone (previously Lions) proudly supported Team Jed and Muscular Dystrophy UK because of the inspiring example set by Jed Thirkettle (OB 2003-13), a former Eddystone boy. Jed is a passionate campaigner for the charity and continues to raise awareness whilst living with muscular dystrophy himself.
The boys in Trinity (formerly Springboks) chose The Tom Love Trust, part of The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, in memory of Tom Love (OB 2010-13). Tom tragically died in 2022, aged only 21, whilst working with a local community in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His Trust supports underprivileged children and young people in the UK and Africa.
A journey towards sustainability. Chris Rothera (OB 1997-2003)
My career has been, to put it mildly, unconventional. When I was studying to become a design and manufacturing engineer, I imagined a life of sleek design studios, tech-driven innovations, and a steady career in industrial design. Instead, I found myself navigating multi-million-dollar deals in the Middle East, regrowing rainforests in West Africa, and - most unexpectedly - dodging AK-47s in Somalia. Despite, or perhaps because of, these intense experiences, I have emerged with a deep passion for sustainability. And today, I get to live that passion daily.
After graduating from the University of Nottingham with a Master’s degree in Engineering, my first job was with a small academic agritech company called Seawater Greenhouse. Our mission was to design and build a low-cost, off-grid greenhouse system powered by solar desalination, allowing crops to grow in coastal deserts. The idea was brilliant: use solar energy to desalinate seawater, then use the freshwater to cool the greenhouse and grow crops - an elegantly simple solution to food insecurity.
Our first big pilot project was in Somaliland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia, and, as I was informed on my first trip there, it was a favourite holiday spot for members of the militant group Al-Shabab. What could go wrong?
We had secured a plot of land near Berbera, a small port town along the coast. Berbera was hot, dusty, and isolated, and I ended up spending nearly a year of my life there, overseeing the construction of the greenhouse compound. If I wasn’t at the work site managing the build, I was locked away in a small, dimly lit hotel room because I didn’t feel safe venturing out alone. Isolation became a routine part of my life, and I began to experience a level of personal and professional loneliness that was hard to process.
Chris at Seawater Greenhouse’s pilot site in Berbera, Somaliland.
House fundraisers select charities close to our hearts
Jed Thirkettle Tom Love
Security was a constant concern. One dark morning around 4am, we were driving to work in a convoy when armed soldiers suddenly emerged from the bushes and pointed their AK-47s at us. My heart stopped. After some tense moments, it turned out that these armed men were part of a group protecting the local mayor, who was illegally selling off land in the dead of night. For me, however, it was just another reminder of how volatile the environment was.
Living conditions were harsh. I lost about 12 kilograms over the year due to the relentless stress and poor food. Maggots in my meals became a depressingly normal occurrence, and I spent weeks locked in my hotel because of “security incidents” in town. The worst being when two pickups drove to the construction site of an Emirati naval base, not 20 kilometres up the coast from our greenhouses, and men came out and murdered the poor immigrant work force that was encamped there. It was this constant threat of violence that weighed heaviest on me. Towards the end, I started receiving threats. The locals weren’t pleased with the greenhouse project, which they saw as an insult to their pastoralist traditions. Armed men would arrive at the site to declare that I didn’t belong there, and that agriculture was beneath them. Despite countless meetings with tribal elders where we explained our mission to combat food insecurity, the hostility only grew.
One morning, my driver said ominously, “The men are back, and I heard they plan on taking you.” I had had enough. I told him to turn the car around and drive me back to the hotel. I called my parents, had them book a flight home, and arranged with my security detail to get me safely to the airport. The next 24 hours were the longest and most terrifying of my life, knowing there were armed men looking for me. When I finally boarded the flight out of Somaliland, I felt a weight lift that I didn’t even know I had been carrying.
Somaliland was, without a doubt, the hardest year of my life. I could bore you with countless more stories like these about my time there. I often look back and wonder how I got through it. But I did. And with the scars, both literal and metaphorical, came a clarity of purpose. That experience profoundly shaped my passion for sustainability and solidified my resolve to drive real change in places that need it.
After leaving Seawater Greenhouse, my brother (also an engineer), and I teamed up to try to bring the solar desalination technology to the Middle East. In 2019, we were close to securing a million-dollar deal but, when Covid hit, the oil market collapsed and our potential partner lost the liquidity to proceed. Once again, dreams were dashed by forces beyond our control, but this was another invaluable lesson in resilience and the unpredictability of the world of sustainability. My path eventually led me to West Africa, where I am now COO of Oko Environmental Holdings Ltd. Based in Sierra Leone, we are a nature-based project development company working in some of the poorest areas on earth. Our flagship project is the restoration of 22,000 hectares of indigenous forest in northern Sierra Leone, a landmass about twice the size of Paris.
Working at Oko has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. We’ve planted over half a million trees so far, and we employ 180 staff, all from local communities. Our project is not just about environmental restoration; it’s about helping communities rebuild livelihoods, fight poverty and reclaim degraded lands. Every day, I see the trees we’ve planted growing a little taller, and slowly but surely the land is coming back to life. It’s a challenging endeavour, no doubt, and we are still at the base of a very large mountain but, with every step forward, we inch closer to our goal.
What I’ve learned through my years in sustainability - whether in the coastal deserts of Somaliland or the rainforests of West Africa - is that this work is tough. It’s often dangerous, it’s always unpredictable and it requires not just passion but resilience and patience. But for all its challenges, it is also profoundly rewarding. You get to see first-hand the impact you’re making: forests regrowing, communities thriving and ecosystems slowly being restored to their former glory. Sustainability isn’t just about mitigating climate change or reducing carbon emissions; it’s about ensuring that the planet’s most vulnerable people have the resources they need to survive and thrive. So, if I were to leave you with one piece of advice, it would be this: if you’re passionate about sustainability, don’t be deterred by the hardships. The path will be difficult, and you will face challenges you never anticipated - whether it’s dealing with guns in Somalia or negotiating with community leaders in Sierra Leone. But if you stay committed to the cause, the rewards are immense. There’s nothing quite like seeing a landscape transformed, knowing that you played a part in healing the planet and helping people build better futures.
Looking back, my journey has been far from what I expected when I first graduated. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. The lessons I’ve learned from working in some of the most challenging environments have shaped who I am today and made me more determined than ever to push forward in the fight for a sustainable future.
Congratulations to Chris who, after four years at Oko, has recently taken up a new role as CEO of AyaGrow.
Top to bottom: Chris and his brother David (OB 1996-2003) were planning to bring solar desalination technology to the Middle East just before the Covid pandemic hit; working with local communities in Sierra Leone; some of the 22,000 hectares of indigenous forest that have been restored there.
ALUMNI EVENTS AND REUNIONS
Reunion for the Classes of 2005-2010
1940s, 50s and 60s Reunion
Enormous thanks to Old Boys Fitz Harding (OB 2006-12) and Sam Peters (OB 2003-11) who returned to The Beacon to give two hugely inspiring talks.
Sam spoke with our Year 7 and 8 boys about his journey since leaving The Beacon and the difficult decision he made at university to change degree course, which ultimately led him to his dream job working with the DP World Tour and Ryder Cup.
Meanwhile, Fitz spoke at Assembly about the challenges he’d faced on his journey from playing rugby at school to captaining the Bristol Bears rugby union club. It was great to welcome them both back to The Beacon again.
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us at a recent alumni event. We hope to see many more of you at future gatherings.
Beacon Talks
for the Class of 2020
Reunion for the Classes of 1999, 2000 and 2001
Reunion
DEVELOPMENTS AT THE BEACON
We look forward to welcoming many more former pupils, parents and staff back to The Beacon next year. In the meantime, we thought you might be interested to hear about some recent changes that have taken place at the school.
Last summer saw a remodelling of Simon’s Playground, named in memory of former Beacon pupil Simon Davies Jones (OB 1983). The addition of stimulating new play equipment and flooring has enhanced the playground for our youngest Nursery and Reception boys to enjoy.
Our Cooking and Nutrition classroom has also been refurbished to create a dynamic and interactive space to facilitate hands-on learning and promote healthy eating habits and culinary skills amongst our boys. Cooking and Nutrition is an incredibly popular subject at the school – no less than 140 boys in Years 4-8 took part in our recent MasterCook competitions, where they wowed judges Atul Kochhar, Laurie Gear and Daniel Crump. We are incredibly grateful for all the generous donations that our Beacon Parents’ Society initiated, and to all those who championed The Beacon to Paris Peloton. Thank you all. Without your support, this transformative project couldn’t have gone ahead.
We have also recently installed solar panels on the roof of The Beacon’s Sports Hall. These are helping to offset carbon emissions from the air conditioning units that are being rolled out across the school to keep our pupils and staff cool in the warmer months.
We’re very excited to have acquired a robotic line marking machine to mark out the various pitches on Willsfield each season. We are also eagerly anticipating the arrival of new cricket nets, two additional new strips and wickets that will further enhance the playing of cricket at The Beacon.
There are many more projects that we’d love to achieve to enhance the educational provision for current boys and future generations. If you are in a position to help and would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities or support in any way, please get in touch at development@beaconschool.co.uk or on 01494 736 167.
The Dining Hall extension.
Solar panels on Winterbourn and the Sports Hall.
The covered swimming pool.
BREAKING BOUNDARIES THROUGH SPORT
In 2015, I was a little lost. I had recently separated from my wife and, although I saw them regularly, I was missing my four-year-old twin girls hugely when they weren’t with me. Life changed overnight after I moved out of the family home and, in an effort to re-energise myself, I looked around for inspiration. I noticed a little-known documentary called Warriors being shown at a cinema in Brighton one weekend and went to see it. The film showed how a group of young Maasai men in Kenya were using cricket as a way to challenge an established culture that led to gender inequality and, in particular, child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).
This group of young men, with the support of many women too, had started a conversation with their elders about ending the practice of FGM. They had vowed not to marry any girl that had undergone the procedure. This was opposite to the norm, with many parents forcing their daughters to undergo FGM as they believed it opened the possibility of marriage and a dowry payment to the bride’s family. The film really moved me, so I stayed to watch the credits and noted down several organisations involved. One of these was a charity called Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB). I felt this could be the new initiative I was looking for, giving me a sense of direction again and something to work towards.
CWB uses cricket to engage children in conversations about health and social issues and, right since my earliest days at The Beacon, I’ve always been a keen cricketer. In October 2017, I made my way to Uganda on my first trip with CWB and I was quickly hooked! Off the back of a two-day training weekend, a group of ten of us, some experienced but some first-timers like me and varying in age from 18 to mid-60s, coached a huge number of kids and discussed issues around gender, HIV awareness and consensual sex. We were led by Julia Farman, an inspirational woman who is now Julia Farman MBE for public service around refugees and immigration, not to mention a professional cricket scorer!
I learnt from Isaac, the HIV-positive founder of the Family Spirit Children’s Centre for orphaned children and children living with HIV in Masindi, about the way that sport has helped the children there be accepted within the local community, breaking down barriers and overcoming stigma. I went from being a quiet coach, nervous about my inexperience in this field, to singing and dancing with the kids, managing cricket sessions for up to 50 of them at a time, and discussing issues around sex and consent with teenagers.
I knew that I wanted to do more in this field so, as soon as I got back, I signed up again. On a 2018 trip to Kenya, I ate termites, led mass discussions on health from a stage in front of several hundred kids, and again made a new group of like-minded friends.
Since then, I’ve been back to Uganda with CWB, Rwanda four times (leading one trip), and also to Nepal. By the time you read this, I’ll have visited Kenya again for my ninth CWB trip and I am certain I will do many more. I’ve set myself the target of donating a year of my life to volunteering for charities like this, and I’m looking to expand the organisations I support and the sports I get involved with.
My CWB experience has also changed my approach to professional life, as I look to find paid work in the sport for development field. I’ve recently finished a Master’s in Sport and International Development at the University of Brighton and my research focused on a cricket project on the outskirts of Kigali in Rwanda. Several of the families I met there welcomed me into their tiny homes, where there was no running water, only the most basic of furniture and the dimmest light coming from a single bulb.
Among the many families who have benefited from cricket is that of Gisele Ishimwe. Gisele now plays cricket for Rwanda’s women’s team, and she has earned enough money to ensure her family home now has running water and to pay for her and her siblings’ studies. In 2023 she led the under-19 side to victory at the T20 World Cup, beating both West Indies and Zimbabwe and was named player of the match in both games. Her cricketing journey started through CWB sessions and there are no more passionate advocates for the power of sport to change lives, and CWB’s role in that, than Gisele and her family. While in her case it’s through cricketing excellence and earning a wage, I saw first-hand how the cricketing community came together to support other girls who needed safe abortions quietly arranged and paid for and, in one case, help build a new home for the family of a girl whose house had been destroyed in a flood.
In October 2023, I volunteered at the Street Child United Cricket World Cup in Chennai, India (yes, still cricket!), and loved seeing how a different charity worked and the impact they were having. Street Child United operate at a different financial level to CWB, with far greater resources, but there were the same incredibly moving stories. Many of the children had experienced hardship that it’s difficult to comprehend, or even repeat, coming from a financially secure UK background. It was incredible to be part of a movement campaigning for better support and rights for children who have so little but offer so much.
When I was in Rwanda on a CWB trip, I ran a coaching session for the Rwanda Street Child team and they really were starting from scratch! I reunited with the same team in Chennai and they were little further forward, cricket not featuring high on their agenda of daily needs unsurprisingly. So, it was a tear-jerking moment when, having lost all their matches, a girl that I’d taught to bowl on the morning of their final group match managed to bowl a great ball to end the Mexico innings without them getting the four they needed to win. As the Rwandan team celebrated, I punched the air, enjoying the fact that the Rwandan team were revelling in this first success, while also leaving the pitch arm in arm with the team they’d just beaten.
My work with CWB and Street Child United has given me a new focus outside of the marketing career that I pursued in my twenties and thirties. It’s given me perspective when considering my own or UK-based “problems”, and it’s made me a better father. In Covid lockdown I ran “PE” sessions with my girls that were largely fun warm-up exercises that I’d learnt through my volunteering trips! As they’ve got older, it’s also helped with conversations about things like periods and sex. It turns out that kids are just as squeamish talking about these things in Africa or abroad, but when you get a little breakthrough, it really does feel like an accomplishment.
Cricket Without Boundaries
If you would like to know more about either Cricket Without Boundaries or Street Child United, and potentially volunteering, you can contact Ed through The Beacon: alumni@beaconschool.co.uk.
Ed Lamb (OB 1985-91)
Using cricket to knock down myths surrounding HIV; a young Gisele Ishimwe playing at a CWB session and later for the Rwanda U19 team.
Presenting the best bowler award at the Street Child United Cricket World Cup in Chennai.
Umpiring a match in Nairobi.
RUGBY AT THE NORTH POLE
James Harding (OB 1978-87)
Back in November 2013, I was looking for a challenge to milestone my fortieth birthday. Wooden Spoon, the Children's Charity of Rugby, approached me soon after with their left field idea of playing rugby at the Magnetic North Pole and so it all began.
The three-week expedition would be led by Arctic veteran, Jock Wishart, and comprise two teams of Challengers, captained by rugby legends Tim Stimpson (former England and British & Irish Lions) and Ollie Phillips (former England 7s Captain). We would need to train to overcome harrowing winds, polar bears, temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees, open waters and physical and mental fatigue; all in the name of charity. The plan being to set out from Resolute Bay, Canada and ski/trek the final 100 miles in Arctic conditions to reach the 1986 Magnetic North Pole before playing the northernmost rugby match in history; setting a Guinness World Record in the process.
“Stop the ride, I want to get off!” – this is an entry from my #ArcticRugbyDaddy blog back in January 2015. “It's late on Thursday evening, all packed and ready for our Arctic Rugby Challenge training weekend in Wales. I should be safely tucked up in bed, but I can't drift off. Four solitary words were just sent to me by text: “It's the Big Dipper”, and I'm losing sleep over it. Any kid or young-at-heart adult would conjure up a wonderful image of fun fairs, roller coasters and amusement parks but not me, this was the news I was dreading. The 'Big Dipper' is the most challenging and soul-destroying beast of a sand dune, set in a myriad of Merthyr Mawr sand hills, the highest in Europe. I will stand at the foot of a giant Goliath and be expected to conquer it...four times. I feel a little dizzy at the thought and close my eyes to push the image from my mind. Stop the ride, I want to get off!”
Training was regimented and involved dragging tyres behind me on endless yomps across the South Downs, but all of this was child’s play compared to the long days that lay ahead of us pulling 60kg supply pulks over an undulating frozen sea.
We were blessed with good weather for a number of the trek days, but it wasn’t all fun and banter. Winds rose significantly during the trek plunging temperatures as low as minus thirty degrees, and at times visibility reduced to just a few metres, making it very difficult to navigate as we had agreed not to rely on GPS, but take bearings from the sun and follow our compass north. We could do this until such time as we approached our target longitude and latitude and needed digital confirmation.
Most nights we collapsed into our tents shattered and hoped we would be responsive enough should a polar bear decide to come and pay us a visit during the night! There were visible signs some mornings that bears had passed by, but I think by that time the camp’s ‘aroma’ was keeping most wildlife at bay.
Sunny, windless days are few and far between when it comes to the Arctic plains. Thankfully one of those days was match day and our supporter plane had no problems landing with the match referee and additional players to make up our numbers for the game of rugby 7s. To watch a pilot land a ski-plane on ice is truly astonishing. These guys were old bush pilots and came with their own stories of rescue and disaster in such environments.
The full-contact match was hard fought. This was partly because we were playing in arctic snow boots, but also the thinner air caught your breath, and we weren’t 21-year-olds anymore. Team Tim came out eventual winners, defeating Team Ollie 1714. Being on the winning side in a record-breaking rugby match is a great feeling but I hasten to add that we went as a squad and the result was not the focal point; our achievement in getting there in the first place was, and I thank everyone who helped make that possible. Such a great bunch of guys on the expedition and we'll be remembered as one in what we achieved.
I had plenty of time to reflect on our success, as I was one of five challengers stranded at the North Pole for almost three days post-match, as the weather closed in and halted any air support coming to pick us up. Sitting huddled in a small tent for so long with limited supplies and howling arctic winds outside can make you a little stir-crazy. You replay tricky moments in your mind and how differently the expedition might have turned out had the whole of your wind suit caught fire (not just your sleeve) or your skis hadn’t caught you from plunging into the icy water when you fell through the snow, or a teammate’s eyes hadn’t recovered overnight from snow blindness when he decided his goggles were ‘optional’ on the first day. Stories for the pub perhaps!
The Guinness World Record for the Most Northerly Rugby Match was set by us in Nunavut, Canada, on 28th April 2015 and helped raise over £250,000 for Wooden Spoon, the Children’s Charity of Rugby.
LEAVING A LEGACY
Leaving a gift to The Beacon in your will
Did you know that you can remember The Beacon in your will? Every gift, large or small, makes a difference. Even a share of just 1% after your loved ones have been provided for.
There are many reasons to include The Beacon in your will, whether you were at the school as a pupil, a parent or a member of staff. Many of our alumni state that their time at The Beacon was seminal. A legacy gift can be a meaningful way to mark your connection with the school and ensure that you remain part of The Beacon’s future.
There are several different types of legacies, all of which can make a real difference to the lives of future Beacon boys. We encourage you to discuss with a solicitor which type would best suit your circumstances. When including The Beacon in your will, we ask that you recognise us as ‘The Beacon Educational Trust Limited’ and include our registered charity number (309911).
If you are planning to leave a legacy to The Beacon, please do let us know. We would love to be able to thank you personally and show you the impact your gift could have.
THE BEACON BOOK CORNER
A Beacon Community of Authors
Henry Jeffreys (OB 1984-90) has published Vines in a Cold Climate: the people behind the English wine revolution. This lifts the curtain on the big personalities who helped turn English wine from a joke to world class in the last thirty years. The book was described by the doyenne of wine critics, Jancis Robinson, as a ‘tour de force’ and picked as one of the wine books of the year in the New York Times. It was shortlisted for America’s most prestigious food and drink award, the James Beard, and won Fortnum & Mason drink book of the year 2023.
Jeffreys is the author of three other books including Empire of Booze which was featured on the Rest is History podcast. He’s a regular contributor to the Spectator, Guardian and The Critic magazine and has appeared on Radio 4, Radio 5 and BBC 2 on wine-related matters.
As well as being a writer, Jeffreys puts on talks related to his books from 400-seater literary festival events to intimate wine tastings. Find out more here. Please use the QR code opposite to get in touch if you’d like to book Henry.
Former Headmaster Michael Spinney (1999-2009 & 2013-15) is pursuing his second career as an author and has just published Unbroken, a modern novel based on the myth of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Blending myth and modernity, Unbroken is both a philosophical exploration and a lyrical work of fiction, an invitation to rediscover the spirit of Camelot in a world that has forgotten its heroes. It speaks to anyone who believes that courage, compassion and integrity still matter, even in an age ruled by algorithms and ambition.
Michael has previously published Lifelonging, a modern novel based upon the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Lifelonging: The Poems, an anthology of poetry loosely related to the aforementioned novel, and An Inhuman Word, a modern story based on the ancient Greek tale of Helen of Troy.
Michael Eaude (OB 1957-62) has recently published The Bones in The Forest, a novel set in Catalonia and Aragon in 1936 and 2007.
It is both a political story about the Spanish Revolution and the murder of over a hundred thousand Republicans whose bodies were left in unmarked graves by the Franco dictatorship; and a personal portrayal of Julia, a relative of one of the victims.
Julia becomes embroiled in the struggle of a small Aragonese village between those who wish to recover Spain’s historical memory and those who prefer to leave past and present truths undisturbed.
Drawing from his experience of leading pilgrimages in Britain and Ireland, Michael Mitton’s (OB 1960-66) latest book The Poetry of Pilgrimage captures the essence of 23 significant pilgrimage sites for anyone from experienced pilgrims to armchair pilgrims.
Each chapter outlines the story of the Celtic saint who founded the site, together with information about the location, a poem inspired by the author’s experience of that place, a reflective question, a suggested Bible reading and photographs from the site.
In 1988, Giles Goford (OB 1981-1982) and his late father Jeremy embarked on a pilgrimage to visit all 92 football grounds in the League. Head for the Floodlights is the story of a football-obsessed kid and a dad who wasn’t a fan, but who had a sense of adventure and wanted to bond with his son.
The book contains over 200 original photos from Giles’ trip, some words about his memories of the time, and short quotes from 70 former professional players who played at these iconic grounds.
More than a third of the grounds visited no longer exist, and Giles’ photos capture the crumbling stadia and muddy pitches of the pre-Premier League era.
STAFF VALETE
A fond farewell
We have sadly said goodbye to several long-serving Beacon staff members over the past couple of years. We wish them all the very best for their next chapters.
Mr Ivan Van Rooyen
Mr Ivan Van Rooyen retired in the summer of 2024 after 15 years as Head of DT. Ivan taught hundreds of Beacon boys how to plan projects using the latest CAD/CAM technology and create their designs using a range of tools. We know many of our recent leavers still treasure the wooden boxes, pinball machines, sweet bowls and other items made in their DT lessons with Ivan.
Mr Mike Williams
After more than ten years as Head of PE, Mr Mike Williams relocated back to the ‘land of his fathers’, Wales. Mike will always be remembered for the enthusiasm and passion he brought to the touchline and boundary fence, and his beautifully poetic turn of phrase in weekly match reports. In a fitting tribute, The Beacon’s 2024 1st XI cricket team performed a Guard of Honour for Mr Williams after their final match.
Madame Fiona Jones
We said au revoir to Madame Fiona Jones at the end of last year. A stalwart of 14 years teaching at The Beacon, with almost an equal number as a parent, Madame Jones shares many connections and memories with our wider Beacon community. An inspiring and passionate educator, Fiona has gone on to teach at the British International School of Chicago.
Mrs Karen Burden
Mrs Karen Burden retired to Dorset last summer. As front and centre as the teaching staff may be, it is often those in the background who have the largest impact on the day-to-day running of a school. This was true of Karen, who for eighteen years ran our information systems and platforms with such efficiency and an incredibly diligent and assiduous approach.
Guiding the next generation
Mr Sam Privett
An exemplary model of home-grown talent, former Beacon Head Boy Mr Sam Privett (OB 2001-06) moved to Kenya last summer to take up a Head of Year position at Peponi House Prep School. As The Beacon’s Head of Self & Society and Deputy Safeguarding Lead, Sam did a superb job inspiring our current cohort of pupils and promoting their selfesteem and wellbeing.
Mrs Lynsey Final
For over a decade, Mrs Lynsey Final supported countless boys across the school in her position as a HigherLevel Teaching Assistant, whilst many more will fondly remember her from attending The Beacon’s breakfast club. We wish Lynsey all the best in her new career working for the NHS.
Mrs Lynn Heath
This summer, we also said goodbye to Mrs Lynn Heath who retired as Head of Science. Lynn’s passion for the subject will be much missed, and she leaves us with the most impressively resourced department, a testament to her innovation and dedication over the years.
Miss Bex Livermore
Drama Teacher Miss Bex Livermore’s final directing masterpiece at The Beacon this summer was pure theatrical magic and nothing short of a triumphant success. Bex is relocating to the WestCountry and whilst her skill, energy, creativity and good-humour will be missed, her legacy at the school will remain for a generation.
ALUMNI NEWS
Huge thanks to everyone who got in touch with their news and photos. We always love to hear what our wider Beacon Community are up to. Many congratulations are in order!
Ed Chaplin (OB 2002-10)
Ed and his wife Emma welcomed their baby daughter Ali in July last year. Ed is pursuing his PhD at the University of Sydney’s International Centre of Crop and Digital Agriculture in Narrabri, where he is researching drought and heat-resistant varieties of wheat. You can read an interview about his work by clicking here.
Ben Gregor (OB 1982-85)
Ben is now a tv and film director. He has recently finished shooting The Magic Faraway Tree, a contemporary retelling of Enid Blyton’s children’s classic, due for release in the UK early next year.
Jonty Purvis (OB 1999-2006)
Jonty married India Bates on 18th May 2024.
Jamie Marshall (OB 1994-2003)
Jamie completed the world’s first PhD in Surf Therapy at Edinburgh Napier University. Now a Research Fellow at the university, Jamie also works as a social and health innovation lead at Lost Shore, a new inland surf venue that has opened in a former quarry outside of Edinburgh. His work was featured in a recent article in The Scotsman newspaper
Jack Burgess (OB 1989-99)
Jack, left in the brown tux, has won an Emmy award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program as one of the Executive Producers on The Traitors for the second consecutive year running
Nick Vartsos (OB 2002-10)
Patrick Charlton (OB 1993)
Patrick Charlton co-founded Buzz Radar in 2012. The company combines artificial intelligence with human expertise to analyse social media data for major brands. Patrick and his team have just launched BRIANN (Buzz Radar Insight Analyst Neural Network), an AI system designed for life science marketing. This new tool aims to assist pharmaceutical and biotech companies in audience engagement and market trend analysis.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Patrick continues to indulge in his passion for racing cars, a hobby he started with karts during his time at The Beacon. He splits his time between Chamonix in the winter and London in the summer.
Jonathan Edwards (OB 1984-92)
Jonathan walked the Maidenhead Boundary trail in October last year, in memory of his good friend Stephen Baker (OB 1984-93) raising over £2,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Giles Browne (OB 1948-54)
Tom Way (OB 2007-17) & Will Stubbs (OB 2013-16)
Tom and Will found themselves on opposing sides of the varsity Oxford vs Cambridge hockey match last year, with Tom wearing a dark blue shirt and Will donning light blue. A great game was played, with Cambridge winning 3-0.
Giles lives a modest retirement with his border terrier in a small Cotswold village where he is Mayor, and which luckily escapes the attention of national media looking for somewhere to recommend to weekending townies. Until last year he spent much of his leisure time at equestrian events. He likes to take the old MG out twice a year to specific vineyards on the Loire and in the Auxerrois and load up; the inevitable breakdown is always an exciting extra! He has written a few learned papers on subjects as diverse as the Gowers Walk Free School in Whitechapel, the C16th murder of John Hartgill by Lord Stourton and the C18th partnership of David Garrick and James Lacy at Drury Lane. In recent years he has travelled by train to India, Mongolia, China and Italy and once fell down in Moscow’s Revolution Square while sober.
Nick married Kitty Conlin on 26th June 2024. Harry Coe (OB 2008-10) was best man.
Alex Ellis (OB 1998-2000)
Not long ago, I overheard a colleague on the phone to one of our doctors at BluePrint Medical. She mentioned he was from my neck of the woods, and I asked his name. When she said Dr Callum Lamont (OB 1991-2000), I proudly said I know him, and that he was a former schoolfriend from The Beacon in Chesham Bois. Fast forward 24 years and here is a picture of us sharing lunch at The Gidley in Sydney, before Callum headed down to Goulburn to One Raceway for a motorsport competition, looking slightly more grey than we did back then!
Ben Horwood (OB 2005-12)
After working in anti-terrorism law enforcement supporting the Merchant Navy and Royal Fleet auxiliary, which included covering the Queen’s funeral and King’s Coronation at Windsor Castle, Ben moved to the Isle of Wight. He now works for BAE and has also set up his own company Media4You. It offers a large range of services from professional website design and office installations to digital media and specialised drone services including photogrammetry, 3D modelling, surveying and aerial mapping. See www.media4youiow. co.uk for further details.
Adam Graham (OB 2008-12)
Adam is working as a personal trainer at FitCrowd. Based on Fullers Hill, Amersham, FitCrowd have an exclusive two-for-the-price-of-one offer for former Beacon pupils, parents and staff, where you can team up with a friend in order to achieve your fitness goals together. For further information and to redeem the offer, please get in touch here
Charles Bishop (OB 2010-17)
Charles left The Beacon for Pangbourne where he took up running, completed his first three marathons and was awarded the College’s Endeavour Prize. Last summer he ran his first ultramarathon (50km). Charles is now at Nottingham University studying for a Master’s degree in Physical Sciences and Engineering.
Ben (OB 1998-2004) and Toby (OB 1998-2005) went onto Berkhamsted after leaving The Beacon. Ben attended Nottingham University, where he was joined by his sister Emily, and is now working in the software industry. After reading Law at Cambridge, Toby went to work at Google Deepmind. He left last year to launch his own AI start up and married his girlfriend from university. Their younger brother Max (OB 2016-22) is now at Shiplake and rows for the school's first team and was awarded rower of the year.
Finn Holden (OB 2017-23)
Finn is in Year 11 at Haileybury - loving boarding in his house Batten and with his housemaster Michael Owen, ex Rugby Lions and Welsh international. Finn is a Prop for the first rugby team and often plays against Old Beacon friends. Finn has struggled with injury, having previously dislocated his knee, but has concentrated on his recovery and spent many hours in the gym. He is now over 6ft, is doing well academically and remembers his Beacon values. He has a lovely, smart group of friends who all support and help each other.
Hal Hersee (OB 2014-20)
Hal, photographed right with Beacon friends Mungo and Rory, was a former captain of rugby at The Beacon and carried his love of the game on to Harrow. Hal and his teammates won the Continental Tyres Schools Cup Final at Twickenham in both 2024 and 2025. Playing at Twickenham was a far cry from the wind and mud of Willsfield but his time at The Beacon nurtured a love of the sport that continues to grow.
Bertie Bisgood (OB 2009-17)
Bertie is in his second year of a degree apprenticeship which combines working as a tech consultant at Unilever whilst studying for a BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions at Exeter University.
Will Jones (OB 2009-19)
Will left Oundle School in June 2024 and is now reading Biology at the University of York.
The Shevlane family
Jasper Cullen (OB 2013-19)
Jasper left Shiplake College last summer and spent his final year combining A-Level studies with his passion for motorsport videography. He was at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi filming teams competing in the Gulf 12 Hours race and was invited by Sky Tempesta Racing to create social media reels for the 24 Hours of Spa event in Belgium. Following an internship at an F1 content creation agency in London, he got to travel to the Las Vegas Grand Prix to help create content for the Las Vegas F1 social media account. Jasper started university this September and is studying filmmaking. In his spare time, he shoots and edits videos for various clients including YouTubers, schools, sporting events, various businesses and weddings. See www.fliix.co.uk for further details.
Alexander Quarry (OB 2009-19)
Alexander is in his second year reading Physical Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge.
James Stewart (OB 2009-19)
James has finished his studies at Bradfield College, where he was part of the 1st XI Football team that won the 2024 U18 ISFA Cup. He is now studying for a Biomedical Sciences degree at the University of Bath.
Thomas Redmond (OB 2013-17)
Thomas has just finished his gap year and is now studying Sports Technology at Loughborough University.
Edward Tait (OB 2013-17)
Edward had a great time at the Purcell School of Music, receiving premieres of three orchestral pieces he wrote during his time there. Edward is now studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London and recently won the Berlioz International Music Competition.
Harry Smith (OB 2012-17)
Harry is reading Medicine at Cambridge University, photographed here at his matriculation.
Caspar Collier-Moore (OB 2012-16)
Having discovered his love of acting at The Beacon, treading the boards of the Spinney Theatre, Caspar is now training at the Manchester School of Theatre, one of the UK's leading drama schools. He is working towards a BA Acting degree and pursuing a career as a professional actor. After finishing his A-levels at Chesham Grammar School, Caspar spent a year gathering professional experience in the performing arts and travelling Europe and Australia to broaden his horizons.
Ollie Bloore (OB 2011-19)
Ollie Bloore (OB 2011-19) received his cap for England U18 Rugby (SW division) from Phil Vickery and is now playing scrum half for St Andrews University.
Zacharia Khan (OB 2010-17)
Henry Rowntree (OB 2008-18)
Henry Anderson (OB 2012-18)
Henry left the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe with three A grade A-Levels in History, Ancient History and Politics. He is in his third year at York University reading Politics and History and is a regular contributor to the university's newspaper. He hopes to become a journalist.
Fergus Topham (OB 2013-19)
Fergus is reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Durham University.
Zacharia is studying for a BSc in Business Management at the University of Birmingham. beaconschool.co.uk
Henry is in his third year at UCL where he is studying History.
Sebastian Woo (OB 2009-19)
Sebastian is at Lancaster University where he was awarded an academic scholarship to study Natural Sciences.
Robert Dancer (OB 2012-16)
Robert is in his third year at Peterhouse College at the University of Cambridge where he is studying Computer Science. He remains good friends with several of his peers from The Beacon.
Alastair White (OB 2012-18)
Alastair excelled at Uppingham as a design scholar and prefect, leaving with four A*s and having trialled for the England Target Rifle Team. He is currently studying Industrial Design at Loughborough University, where he founded a product design venture and has his first product in production.
Tom Emery (OB 2016-18)
Tom is at Williams College in the US where he was recruited for cross country and track and field. He is pursuing a major in Biology with a concentration in Science and Technology Studies.
Alexander Jones (OB 2007-17)
Alexander is in the final year of his degree at the University of Edinburgh, where he is reading Italian. He spent the last academic year in Italy, studying Italian literature at the University of Siena.
Oscar Mabon (OB 2012-18)
After leaving Eton College, where he was head of house and of five societies, Oscar is now at Cardiff University studying Mechanical Engineering. He is enjoying his course and has recently written a paper on rocket engines. He is a member of the university’s rock-climbing team and was a finalist at the National Universities Lead and Speed Climbing competition last year. Oscar still finds time to play the piano with his repertoire including Rachmaninov and Chopin.
Owen Rogers (OB 2012-16)
Owen is now in his third year at the University of Warwick studying History.
Ollie Norton (OB 2011-15)
Ollie has graduated from Trinity Hall, Cambridge where he read Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion and was Captain of the Men’s Second Squash Team.
Raphael Weatherall (OB 2009-16)
Since leaving Dr Challoner’s, Raphael has joined Exeter University where he is reading Law. He has also played England U19’s cricket and secured a full professional cricket contract with Northamptonshire Cricket Club through to the end of 2027.
Jacob Jones (OB 2005-15)
Jacob graduated from Oxford in June 2024 with a degree in Russian and Philosophy. He has spent the last year living and working in Montreal and is planning to start a Master's degree in the US.
Xavier Currill (OB 2011-18)
Xavier completed his first year of Architecture at Central Saint Martins and has now moved to the Architectural Association in London. He was greatly inspired by Mr Van Rooyen and Mr Pearson!
FORMER STAFF NEWS
Carolyn Belsey-Morton (1985-94)
Carolyn has now retired from teaching and has a music shop, The Music Room, in Dubai. If anyone is visiting the area, Carolyn would love to see them and show them round. She can be contacted via the school.
Angus Bentall (1968-71)
After qualifying as a teacher in July 1968, I was very fortunate to be appointed as Head of English at The Beacon the following September, under Pip Masters’s headship. I stayed three years - as was customary in one’s first teaching job in those days - living in Monks Barn where, the following year, two young female teachers arrived: Sylvia Fletcher, who taught mainly Geography at The Beacon, and Mary Cutting who taught the class named Buffaloes at Winterbourn and trumpet at the main school.
In 1973 Mary and I married, after I had moved to Lanesborough School in Guildford, where I spent the rest of my teaching career initially as Head of English, retiring in 2003 after nineteen very enjoyable years as Deputy Head.
The years at The Beacon were very happy: I remember with great affection some of the boys I taught - too many to mention by name - and the experience of helping Chris Mayer produce The Canterville Ghost in my first year. One of the characters in that was Adam Thorpe with whom, thanks to the network of Beacon Alumni, I have been put back in touch. He is now a very well-respected author and I have enjoyed reading many of his books. He was without doubt the best writer of English that I taught - even at the age of twelve.
If any of the boys whom I (or Mary) taught way back then remember me/us and would like to tell me of the successes they have enjoyed in Life After The Beacon, we would be interested to hear from them. Please contact me via the school.
Arabella is studying for a PhD at King’s College, London in Systematic Theology under Professor Susannah Ticciati, and is also working as a Research Assistant on a project on Values in Schools at King’s College, London under Professor Linda Woodhead. Arabella Norton (2011-15)
Jean Porter (1956-70s & 1986-94)
Jean sends her best wishes to all those who remember her.
She is still managing to complete The Times crossword most days!
Guiding the next generation
John Cowan (1986-91)
John is very busy and active in retirement in beautiful 'whale capital' Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa. He is awaiting visits from former Beacon pupils to discuss their bowling action.
Mike Crossley (1997-2004)
Mike has continued his educational journey since ‘retiring’ as Head of Langley Prep School at Taverham Hall. He continues to work as a tutor for Buckingham University, is involved in training teachers in mental health and wellbeing so they have the skills and confidence to support young people, and sits on the Norfolk Adoption Panel helping to place babies and children into forever families. Mike also runs sessions for middle and senior leadership skills in education for ISA and IAPS and is a Level 7 Executive Coach working predominantly with newly appointed Heads. Many former pupils will remember my Snowdonia trips with Year 8. At the ripe old age of 75 I am still walking in the mountains each week. I have formed a small group of similarly minded senior citizens and we attempt to walk between six and ten miles each trip, often achieving total ascents of more than 3,500 ft (over 1,000 metres in modern terms). We walk in both winter and summer and last year attained the top of Snowdon in mid-January.
Clive Seymour (1996-2011)
Caroline Yolland (2007-2022)
After leaving The Beacon, I moved with my husband and our dog to the Isle of Man. It is a picturesque, calm and peaceful place to live and breathe. The air is crisp and clean. It has UNESCO status with an outstanding natural environment, unique culture and heritage and is bound together by a strong sense of pride in its community spirit. We have felt welcomed by all the new people we have met so far and made some truly kind, generous and warm-hearted friends.
We bought a very old ‘project house’ and overgrown garden. There have been many challenges along the way but finally we can enjoy the fruits of our labour (with the help of our fantastic renovation team.) The beach is five minutes away on my bicycle and a place of pure joy for me. Sea swimming has become a regular pastime and often with a friendly seal.
There are many beautiful glens and places to walk in the countryside. A coastal path (called the Raad ny Foillan - Manx Gaelic for The Way of the Gull) is a long-distance footpath of approximately 95 miles. We have walked a few sections and plan to complete a few more over the next few years.
My husband has joined a very friendly and sociable golf club. I plan to join him one day when my garden has finally been ‘untangled!’ My greenhouse has produced a plentiful supply of tomatoes and raised vegetable beds have been a success. I have fond memories of teaching in Pre-Prep with Mrs McKenna and growing potatoes in bags.
IN LOVING MEMORY
David Bussey Hall, Head of Geography (1960-70)
David Bussey Hall was born on 31st July 1933, in the Waveney Valley in Suffolk. A gifted child, David was educated at Bungay Grammar School, and Gresham's School, Holt, where he developed a passion for maps, Geography, and fast walking, but a loathing for Games and PE, especially rugby! He read Geography at Keble College, Oxford, where he earned his MA and went on to become a member of the Hebdomodal Council until his passing.
Upon graduation, David trained to be a teacher in Yorkshire and in 1960, he headed south and took up a teaching post at The Beacon, where he enjoyed many happy years. He fondly remembered, among other things, taking the boys on rail trips to Switzerland, visiting the Toblerone factory, and navigating scenic mountain railways. David, who had always loved singing and music, eventually took up a teaching post at Llandaff Cathedral School in Wales, where he would live and teach until his retirement.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, David relocated to be closer to family in Chesham and, after a fall, moved into Chesham Leys Nursing Home, where he was surrounded by care and support. Much to his delight, he discovered that one of his fellow residents had taught alongside him at The Beacon! He was a general knowledge quiz superstar, and was always kind, smiley and positive despite his increasing health problems. He had a wicked sense of humour and loved it when you asked him if he was alright in a Suffolk twang, just so he could answer back, "Shan't know for a month." He was also a guerrilla gardener and rarely left home unarmed with seeds or cuttings. He loved nature, the English countryside, and bird song. May he rest in peace. David died on 3rd January 2025 aged 91.
Harrison Randolf 'Rand' Christie, III (OB 1955-58)
Rand, as he was known to his friends, was born on 6th August 1944, in Oklahoma City. His father was a Colonel in the US Air Force, and Rand subsequently lived in many places growing up, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France and the United States.
After The Beacon, Rand went on to attend Gordonstoun School before moving back to the US to complete his senior year at Dothan High School and his college years at Birmingham Southern. We were delighted to welcome Rand back to The Beacon when he visited the UK several years ago, pictured with a copy of his 1958 first XI rugby team photo.
Rand was a historian and worked in administration for the US Department of Agriculture, the Hariri Foundation and other non-profit organisations. A resident of Dothan, Alabama, Rand passed away on 17th January 2025 aged 80. He is missed by his surviving cousins and friends.
Ian Foster, Head of History (1988-96)
Ian Foster was born in West Lancashire and briefly attended St Martin’s School in Northwood, before reading History at Trinity College Dublin. After 15 years of teaching at King’s College in Auckland, New Zealand, Ian was returning to the UK by sea when he received a request from the King of Tonga to tutor his son for his Oxford entrance exam. This job led to Ian spending six months at Tonga’s royal palace.
In 1988, Ian joined The Beacon, where he taught until his retirement, inspiring boys with his love of History. He was also a keen cricketer and a member of Chorleywood Cricket Club. Ian’s passion for his subject continued into retirement and in 2007 he published Chorleywood, Chenies, Loudwater & Heronsgate – A Social History on the area in which he lived. He is survived by his wife Kate, who he met in The Land of Liberty, Peace & Plenty pub in Chorleywood.
Hamish Risk (OB 1954-62)
Hamish was born on 14th November 1948, the same day as the King. His mother, like all mothers that day, was sent a present from ‘Princess Elizabeth of Buckingham Palace.’
From The Beacon, Hamish was awarded a scholarship to Berkhamsted, went on to read Maths and Physics at Exeter University, qualified as a Chartered Accountant in London and then obtained his MBA from Warwick University. He worked for BP for over 30 years, which took him to seventeen different countries with residential postings in Yemen, Algeria, Angola and Russia, where his Greek studies from The Beacon came in useful for mastering the Cyrillic alphabet. He retired in 2013.
He loved crosswords (frequently winning prizes) photography and was a fanatical rugby supporter. In retirement he became an avid tennis player and was still playing three times a week, a month before he died. Retirement gave him the opportunity for more travel, and he and his wife Alison visited twenty-seven countries, always enjoying different experiences such as snorkelling in the Galapagos, meeting a Hiroshima survivor in Japan, driving round Namibia, or trekking in the Himalayas. The photo above was taken in Zambia on their 50th wedding anniversary while on safari, one of their favourite pursuits.
Hamish was a devoted husband, loving father of his three sons and their wives, and adored grandfather of six grandchildren. His last holiday was a hugely happy occasion with all fourteen Risks at Saunton Sands in Devon, a long-time family favourite. Hamish died in April 2024 aged 75. He is deeply missed by his family and many friends.
We also fondly remember
Richard Buswell (OB 1955-57) Michael Risk (OB 1955-60) Robin Lloyds (OB 1958-63)
Peter Viney (OB -1953) Wylie Spicer (OB 1959-61) Robert Chandler (OB 1959-63)
Lyndon Mallett (OB 1954-60) William Jarratt (OB 1956-61) Nigel Stevens (OB 1959-64)
Kris Rose, Headmaster's Secretary (1963-98)
A welcoming and kind presence, full of fun but also incredibly conscientious and efficient, Kris Rose held a special place in the hearts of the many boys, parents and staff whose time overlapped her 35 years at The Beacon. To merely call her the School Secretary, or Headmaster’s PA would be a gross understatement. Kris was involved in all aspects of school life and was a key part of The Beacon’s emotional and administrative fabric. As former colleague Andrew Adamson (Head of Games 1980-85) remembers “There wasn’t a member of staff or parent that she didn’t know and know about! I always remember her in her office looking out on the Quad watching all the activity and comings and goings. The bridge of the ship. She was very measured in her response to things, and she presented a wise and measured response to everything.”
Carolyn Belsey-Morton (Director of Music 1985-94) remembers Kris “as the heartbeat of the school. That sums her up well, I think, and whatever was happening in the Beacon ‘anatomy’, the heart kept a steady beat all the time. This was particularly apparent in the time when the school was between heads in the mid 1980s. During the inter-regnum period, the two Chris’s - Copeman and Rose - kept the school on an even keel, Chris Copeman at the helm running the academic side of things, and Kris Rose making sure that things continued to run as smoothly as ever and, importantly, maintain the morale of the staff.
Kris loved taking part in school ski trips despite being a terrible skier. Whilst not officially the school matron, she was the one to whom boys turned to when in need of medical attention or even just a little TLC. Whatever her treatment, which ranged from kind words to applying sticking plasters to driving boys to A&E, she always showed great care, compassion and kindness which made a lasting impact on those who knew her. Kris died on the 21st March 2025.
Bill Berisford, Second Master (1985-2003)
Bill Berisford, a much-loved former Deputy Head and rugby and cricket coach at The Beacon, has sadly passed away. Known for his unwavering dedication to the school and its pupils, Bill served for 18 years, shaping generations of boys into confident young men.
Bill combined a no-nonsense approach with deep kindness and care. He was instrumental in guiding pupils both on and off the sports field, coaching unbeaten rugby teams and leading The Beacon to its first victory at the Oratory Rugby Tournament in 1991. His love of cricket and rugby was matched by his commitment to helping every boy realise his potential, whether academically or in sport.
In his retirement Bill spoke fondly of his time at the Beacon and cherished memories of notable sporting success that the boys enjoyed. Colleagues and alumni remember him fondly. As Siddhartha Oke (OB 1992-95) recalls "Mr Berisford was the first teacher I met when I started at The Beacon. Very straight talking, no nonsense and kind. He had faith in my abilities even in times when I doubted my own." Another former pupil Andrew Jackson (OB 1991-94) also remembers "Bill/Mr Berisford was a great man: not only was he the coach of our unbeaten Colts Rugby XV as well as Oratory tournament winners, but was a wonderful teacher and mentor."
Bill leaves behind a legacy of excellence, integrity, and care. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Judith, his sons, and the entire Berisford family.