Alumni Newsletter June 2015

Alumni Newsletter June 2015

We hope that you enjoy following the stories of Belfast Royal Academy alumni; your contributions and feedback are always welcomed.

For more School news and to read The Owl magazine, The Academy newsletter and the Old Boys’ Association newsletter, please visit the ‘Our School’ section of our website at belfastroyalacademy.com You can also follow the School on social media:twitter.com/belfastroyalac

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ALUMNI NEWS REUNIONS Reunion of Girls 1st XI Hockey team - 1974 Schools’ Cup Winners The 41st year reunion of the 1974 Ulster Schools’ Hockey Cup winning team took place on Saturday 2nd May 2015 at Malone Golf Club.

Attended by 10 of the 11 players and coach, Mrs Shirley Haslett, it was a most successful and enjoyable lunch. Team members brought along photos, match reports, team sheets and diary entries - all of which told the story of the build-up to that momentous day in March 1974 when BRA 1st XI beat Ballymena Academy 1st XI, 1-0 to lift the Schools’ Cup, after a wait of some 16 years.

This success has not been repeated since!

During lunch, there was great discussion on team tactics played, the saving of the penalty flick and the stoic play by all team members until the final whistle – it was indeed amazing just how clear our memories are from that special day! As one of us remarked, it is a very special friendship that lets us take up where we left off 41 years ago, but then that is what is so unique about former pupils of BRA!

1974 1st XI Clair Metcalfe – Captain, Patricia Gorman, Mandy McDonald, Eileen Sherrard, Margot Roberts, Kathy Martin, Lesley Kearney, Jane Phillips, Libby Palmer, Erica Henry, Anne Gault, Coach – Shirley Haslett

Thanks must go to Shirley Haslett for co-organizing the day, Trish Neely (Gorman) for arranging the venue and baking a special ‘Owl’ cake and to everyone who came along. A ‘team’ photograph was taken with 8 members proudly wearing their Red Blazers as a memento of the day. Plans are already under way for our 50th year reunion in 2024!

Eileen Sherrard

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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Reunion of Medallion Team – 1965 Medallion Shield Winners On 17th March, 1965, the B.R.A. Medallion Team won the Medallion Shield outright for the first time in the school's history. The team record (under the old scoring system) read as follows: PLAYED 24, WON 24, DREW 0. LOST 0. POINTS FOR 576. AGAINST 28.

On 20th March, 2015, the B.R.A. Shield winning team met in the School library for a 50-year reunion lunch. Three players were unable to attend, as they lived as far away as USA and South Australia. Three players travelled from Scotland and England. All 16 players from the 1965 team photograph are still with us, and all 8 forwards from the Shield final attended.

One coach, Davy Carruthers attended and shared some memories of 50 years ago. The other coach Alfie Jamison ("Bronco") had sadly passed away on 9th August 2007, but his immense impact on this team was a constant subject of discussion. Mr Jamison had previously coached the B.R.A. 1st XV's during their three shared School’s Cup campaigns 1962-64, which had set a winning culture in the School's rugby in the early 1960's.

The reunion was hosted by the Headmaster, Mr Moore Dickson, who had encouraged this reunion from the early planning stages. Chris Harte and Roland Jamison were also invited. Chris Harte's father, Charlie Harte, taught at B.R.A. for many years, and was the president of the IRFU in 1965. Charlie's wife, Peggy, was asked to present the shield to the winning captain - in this case Martin Blake, who happened to be well known to her, as he was a frequent visitor to the Harte household.

Prior to the re-union, Martin organised all 16 players worldwide to contribute their recollections and thoughts for a team video. Martin queried us on our recollections, lessons learned and what impact that year had had on our future lives. The video was creatively stitched together by Roland Jamison, and the outstanding end result was the centre piece of the afternoon's activities, as it created many talking points. A new team photograph was taken before the lunch in which everyone (except me!) took the same position as they had done 50 years ago. Lastly, a special edition of the BRA Old Boys’ Newsletter was produced as a souvenir for all those involved.

Please send any queries to philmac49@gmail.com.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

Philip McKenna

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Class of 1980 – Friday 19th June 2015 A reunion of the Class of 1980 will take place on Friday 19th June at 7.00pm in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Belfast with a Champagne Reception and 3 course meal. For more details email bra1980reunion@gmail.com, john@watergeek.co.uk, r_d_hunter@btinternet.com or ken@kenvance.wanadoo.co.uk. You may also contact John Kerr on 0744 527 2188.

Class of 1990 – Saturday 20th June An informal 25 year reunion is taking place in 21 Social, Hill Street, Belfast on Saturday 20th June 2015.

We will be meeting in the VIP area from 7.30pm – 10.00pm (area private to us at this time, after 10.00pm open to public). No cost, no hassle but I would like to be able to let staff at the venue know numbers expected, so if you are planning to come along please email me at member@ksturgess.fsnet.co.uk.

Hoping to see a great number there!

Kathryn Sturgess (nee Briggs) Class of 1995 – Saturday 27th June 2015 Thank you to everyone who contacted me to express interest in attending a Class of 1995 reunion. I am pleased to now confirm that the reunion will take place on Saturday 27th June. Starting with a catch up, tour and photos at School from 4.00pm, we will take the School bus to 21 Social in Belfast City Centre for a 6.15pm finger food buffet in their private room. Tickets cost £15.00. Please get in touch with me directly at simon@arcadesign.co.uk for the ticket booking link. Simon Houston, Head Boy Class of 1973 – Friday 9th October 2015 As we, the pupils of the Class of 1973, have reached, or are reaching, our 60th birthdays this year, we propose to hold a very relaxed and enjoyable get together in Fortwilliam Golf Club on Friday 9th October at 7.30pm. A light finger buffet will be included and we will try to keep the cost to a minimum. If you are interested in joining us, please reply to brareunion1973@hotmail.com as soon as possible. When we have a better idea of numbers, we will get back to you with specific details and cost.

We will be trying to contact directly all those who attended the last reunion, but as details may have changed, any help to spread the word to as many of our Class of 1973 classmates would be much appreciated. If you are feeling unsure about attending, please be reassured that several people who had doubts before the last reunion decided to give it a go and were pleased that they did. We look forward to hearing from you.

Heather (Morrison) and Pamela (Worrall) Class of 1966 Some people have expressed an interest in marking the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1966 with a Reunion at the end of the Summer Term in 2016. I would like to gauge the level of interest that there might be for this suggested Reunion and establish if it would be feasible to proceed. The external examination system in the 1960s was different to the present day and the ages at which pupils left school also varied more than now. Consequently the suggestion is that this Reunion would incorporate people from more than one year group. Included would be:  everyone who left School in 1966  those who left at the end of their L6 year in 1965 (around 40% of the year group).

If you would be interested in attending, please let me know by replying to me by email at davidhaslett@hotmail.co.uk. The Alumni Office in School maintains an alumni database. However, this information is only as current as the information that alumni provide and is not comprehensive for those who attended School in the 1960s. Therefore it would be very helpful if you would pass this information on to others in the peer group with whom you are still in contact, and ask them to also contact the Alumni Office.

David Haslett ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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SHARED EXPERIENCE PROGRAMME The Shared Experience Programme is co-ordinated by Eddie McCamley, who is very grateful to former pupils who give so generously of their time to encourage ambition and aspiration among our pupils, by sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise in varied fields. Please contact Eddie at edward.mccamley@googlemail.com if you are interested in participating in the Shared Experience Programme Brian Moreland (Pupil 1983 – 1990) As part of a Business Studies Industrial Visit, Moy Park’s Manager of Corporate Responsibility and a former pupil of the Academy hosted seven Form LVI pupils on the 17th April 2015. The pupils were given a guided tour of the production facility in Portadown, where the processes and procedures used were explained by staff. This visit allowed pupils to see business theory put into practice and tied in very well with the teaching of Production and Human Resources from the AS level specification. The talk on Marketing was very thoughtprovoking and a talk from one of Moy Park's Graduate Trainees outlined his current and future roles within the company. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed their visit.

Katie Hunter (Pupil 2000 – 2008) Katie, a former pupil, came in to School to speak to the Form LVl Home Economics class about her work as a dietitian. She is working mainly in weight management.

Richard Lewis (Pupil 1980 – 1987) In April, Richard, now a financial derivatives consultant, came into School to speak to Form LVI Economics pupils about his employment experience in the financial sector and provided an explanation of the credit crunch and its aftermath. Pupils enjoyed hearing the views of someone who had practical experience of working in the banking sector and several waited behind to seek his advice on the best approach to securing a good job in the sector.

ALUMNI UPDATES

“DER KLEINE ANGSTHASE” BY ELISABETH SHAW (Pupil 1930/40s) A past pupil of the Academy, Elisabeth Shaw, produced a series of children’s books in German that have stayed in print since her death in 1992. She was educated at Belfast Royal Academy in the 1930/40s and later wrote a famous children’s fable in German – ‘Der Kleine Angsthase’ – ‘The Timid Little Rabbit’, about a fearful rabbit who teaches a lesson to a crafty fox. A school in Berlin still bears her name.

Our German Erasmus Teacher, Florian Graf, has translated the German fable and has left us with this beautiful story in English. It can be read on the School website in the March news section.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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CLASS OF 2015 LEAVERS LUNCH & CULLODEN BALL A warm welcome to the Class of 2015 to the Belfast Royal Academy alumni family!

We wish you all a fulfilling and happy future and hope that you will stay connected with Belfast Royal Academy and your fellow alumni.

A Christmas reception will be held for the Class of 2015 in December – further information will be provided in the Autumn term.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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MR DES SIMON (Pupil 1923 – 1934) COMMEMORATES THE 1785 FOUNDATION OF THE ACADEMY A bronze plaque commemorating the foundation of the Academy in 1785, has been sited close to St Anne's Cathedral, and near the location of the School's original building.

It was unveiled on 20th May 2015, by Mr Des Simon, the oldest member of the Old Boys’ Association, in the presence of his daughter Shirley (Pupil 1952 – 1966), his son Geoff (Pupil 1948 – 1961), the Headmaster and two former Headmasters, Mr W Young, and Mr W Sillery. Members of the Old Boys’ Association and the Board of Governors were present, as was the Dean of St Anne's.

In his remarks, the Headmaster thanked the Dean and Board of the Original name plaque Cathedral for their support and noted that, “It was a radical age, and a time of auspicious beginnings. In 1785 the first edition of The Times was published, under the less catchy title, The Daily Universal Register, the dollar was chosen as the currency of the United States, Napoleon became a lieutenant in the French artillery, the first balloon crossed the English Channel – and The Belfast Academy was founded. Coming to this site this afternoon, we are standing in the footsteps of the founders of our school; we share their optimism, and their belief in the transformative power of education.”

Former pupil, Amanda Ferguson, now an independent journalist, wrote an article on the 230th anniversary of Belfast Royal Academy for the Irish Times, published on Tuesday 9th June.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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SCHOOL ARCHIVES Stanley Robinson (Pupil 1970 to 1977) Stanley has been assisting Eddie McCamley with the digital recording of the School archives.

An Australian visitor, Peter Henry (pictured right with Eddie), recently visited the School seeking information on his ancestor, Mr Valentine Steinberger, who taught Modern Languages in the Academy from 1980 – 1986. Mr Henry brought with him some interesting newspaper clippings which have been added to the archives.

Text from August 1886 clipping: ‘TEACHER OF MODERN LANGUAGES – WANTED A MASTER for the SCHOOL OF MODERN LANGUAGE in the BELFAST ACADEMY, vacant by the appointment of the present Master. V Steinberger. Esq., M.A., to the Chair of Modern Languages in Galway College. The situation is most desirable, both in regards income and social position. Duties to be entered on 16th November. Applications and testimonials to be sent on or before 27th September, to the Secretary, Rev. J. A. CHANCELLOR, from whom further particulars may be obtained.’

2nd October 1880

16th August 1886

For further information on the School archives, contact Eddie at edward.mccamley@googlemail.com.

THE ACADEMY NEWSLETTER

THE OWL MAGAZINE

‘The Academy Newsletter’ is published each June and ‘The Owl’ each December.

Both publications are available on the School website under ‘Our School’.

The Owl is a full colour magazine which can be posted out, however due to weight and size, a contribution is required towards the overall printing and postage costs. The charge is currently £8.50 per year for United Kingdom addresses, other charges apply to ROI, Europe and Overseas. If you would like to receive a postal copy of The Owl, please contact the Alumni Office.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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FRIENDS OF THE ACADEMY ‘BEHIND BARS’ - THE GREAT ESCAPE! On Saturday, 9th May a lively group of former pupils, parents and BRA staff arrived at the unique venue of Crumlin Road Gaol for the FOTA Summer Serenade.

Pre-dinner drinks were served in the Governor’s Corridor, serenaded by a talented young Form I harpist.

Guests were then summoned into the main Circle and Wing of the old Gaol by a rather intimidating “warder”.

He left us in no doubt as to the penalties for misbehaviour but fortunately punishment was avoided!

Everyone was impressed by the atmospheric Victorian surroundings, although the candle-lit tables were much more welcoming than the original would have been.

We were certainly much better fed, as a delicious threecourse meal was served in style. With a great selection of “jailhouse rock” provided by Frankie Rogan, inmates danced the night away until the early hours.

Many former pupils will already be aware of Friends of the Academy, having already served their time on the committee. As well as running a number of fundraising events through the year, FOTA also provides hospitality at various school events. The Great Escape raised around £2,000, which will be put to very good use for various School activities.

Liz Gregg, Secretary, FOTA OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION The Annual General Meeting of the Old Boys’ Association was held on Monday 20th April 2015 at 6.30pm in the Sixth Form Centre at School; Mr Tony Cole was elected President and Mr Robb Fletcher elected as Senior Vice-President.

The monthly lunches continue to attract between 40 and 50, mainly retired, members of the Association. The April lunch was held at Greenisland Golf Club; the May lunch was held at Rockmount Golf Club and the June lunch will take place at Malone Golf Club on 23rd of the month.

Alumni may remember that last year the Old Boys’ Association donated £3,000 to the School, which was used to purchase two purpose built lecterns for use in the Assembly Hall and the Library. At the recent London Dinner, the Association presented Dr Scully with a cheque for £4,000. This money was used to frame programmes, photographs and other memorabilia from School Productions; these are on display in the School Assembly Hall. In addition, the money was used to purchase a camera and other equipment for Mr Roland Jamison, to use in the production of DVD material of School events.

In June and September, the Association will hold two golf outings. The first will take place at Malone Golf Club on 18th June; the second will be held at Royal Belfast Golf Club on 11th September. Any Old Boys interested in playing in these competitions should contact Ken Knox at ken@cd-group.com.

All enquiries about joining the Old Boys’ Association should be emailed to me at doc_malone2004@yahoo.co.uk Dr L Campbell, Hon. Secretary ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION After months of planning, we are delighted to announce that the first official event to re-launch the Old Girls’ Association was a resounding success. We had a table quiz on 12th June with a twist….Roly Jamison was the quiz master and really stole the show with fun rounds keeping us all entertained! The Academy Club provided the perfect venue and we were bursting at the seams with 12 teams, who were offered complimentary prosecco on arrival.

Former ‘Old Girls’ from the following years supported the event – 63, 79, 80, 81, 86, 93, 94, 98, and 2006 – spanning 5 decades! We were delighted to have teams from current staff, former staff, as well as a representative from the Old Boys’ Association. The winning team were from 1980, although there were many winners on the night as the raffle went down a storm…. prizes including a Platinum Health Screening from 3FiveTwo Healthcare, vouchers for Cherry Orchard cafe and 3 months gym membership at Zest to mention just a few.

Dr Scully, Yvonne Hollinger and Dr Campbell

We would like to extend a huge thanks to all that supported the event, and made the re-launch such a success!! The response and interest in bringing the Old Girls’ back to life has been amazing. Special thanks go to Roly Jamison (and his glamorous assistants), our sponsors, and Catherine Scully for organising one of the support staff to bake our amazing Owl cake.

The next date for your diaries is 9th October, back at the Academy Club, and this time we will have ‘Wine Tasting, by Gap Wines’. Check out our Facebook page ‘Former Girls of Belfast Royal Academy’ or email us on formergirlsbra@gmail.com for more details.

Keep spreading the word!!

Heather, Caroline, Nikki, and Johanna

Mo (1963) and Stephanie (2006) representing 5 decades of Old Girls

APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR MEMBERSHIP OF BELFAST ROYAL ACADEMY Becoming a Member of the Academy offers former pupils the opportunity to contribute to the governance of the School. Members are invited to an Annual Meeting, usually held in November, where they are given a brief overview of the year by Governors and the Headmaster. They can elect from its members, Governors to sit on the Board.

All past pupils aged 18 and over and who have been in attendance for at least three full academic years may be eligible for Membership. Prospective Members are asked to complete a brief application form and return this with a £1 registration fee. All applications are submitted to the Board of Governors for approval. Please email the Bursar’s Office at gboyd707@bfsra.belfast.ni.sch.uk for more information.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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CURRENT SCHOOL NEWS ART EXHIBITION The Academy’s annual Art & Design Exhibition will take place in the Pollin Building on Saturday 20th June from 9.30am to 11am. Junior, GCSE, AS and A2 Level disciplines and crafts will be showcased and a sale of student art work in aid of the Art Department and Save the Children Funds will take place.

This will be followed by an Arabic Exhibition of pupils’ art work, with complimentary refreshments and Arabic food tasting in the Dining Hall until 12.30pm.

This year the Departments of Modern Languages, Home Economics and Art & Design have been involved in an Arabic Project with a number of partner schools, focussing on teaching and learning aspects of Arabic Art and Culture for Form II pupils.

BEN MADIGAN Ulster Rugby stars Iain Henderson and Stuart Olding returned to their old school to help Ben Madigan Preparatory School launch its annual Family Fun Day on Saturday 30th May. The Family Fun Day included a wide range of activities – inflatable games, craft stalls, music and lucky dip.

It seeks to encourage families and young children to visit Ben Madigan in the lovely Castle Grounds.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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ANNUAL SPRING CONCERT On Wednesday 18th March, the pupils and staff of B.R.A. presented their annual Spring Concert to a packed Ulster Hall.

The repertoire ranged from Bach’s Double Violin Concerto to a Queen Medley by the Boys’ Choir. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Mr Dickson, Headmaster, said “Last night’s concert in the Ulster Hall was exceptional. The excellent standard of performance, the number of pupils involved, the good humour and sense of energy made it a very special occasion. Congratulations to Mary, Nicola and Gavin, and to Vivienne and Catherine. I felt both humbled and proud.”

MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE Twenty delegates from the Academy, ranging from Form II to LVI, attended the annual Model United Nations Conference at Wesley College, Dublin, in February. They represented Turkey, Iran and Angola and debated controversial subjects such as disarmament and terrorism and tried, with great success, to achieve peaceful resolutions. This was one of our most successful years, as we won five awards. This is a tremendous achievement and all the pupils, not just the prize winners, are to be congratulated for their effort, contribution and enthusiasm throughout the weekend, turning the Conference into a really fun and worthwhile experience.

BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS In March, the Academy’s Bridge teams had a successful weekend at the Irish Schools’ Bridge Championships in Galway, with one team winning the Silver Final another making it into the Gold Final, where they finished in 2nd place overall. The weekend was also notable for 2 other Academy teams making up the top 6 finalists in the Gold Final.

Also in March, an Academy team won the Under 19 Inter-provincial Bridge Championship in Belfast, with another Academy team finishing in 2nd place.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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SPORTING NEWS Watersports The Senior Boys’ Waterpolo team is riding on the crest of a wave, after winning not only the Ulster Schools’ Waterpolo U19 League for the first time, but also the Canada Trophy (the Ulster Schools’ Waterpolo Cup) beating St Mary’s 11-0 in the final. The boys played brilliantly, even surprising themselves at the margin of victory over their closest rivals.

On another note of success, congratulations to Conor Ferguson, Ruairi Hurson, Finn Purdy, Sam Brown and Katie Baird for their selection to the Ulster Swimming squad.

The Academy’s Lifesaving team travelled to the Olympic Aquatic Centre in London to compete in the British Lifesaving Championships in March.

The team had a successful event, with the pupils taking home 51 medals between them, picking up 6 new British records, with 6 of the team being selected for the GB Lifesaving Performance Squad. These excellent results saw the team finish 3rd overall in the medal table.

The Academy also had a fantastic day at the Irish Schools’ Relay Gala at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin, winning 4 out of the 8 races entered.

Athletics The Irish Schools’ Athletics Championships took place in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on Saturday 30th May. Once again there were many excellent performances. Stephen McCorry won the Intermediate Boys’ Hammer and Shane Martin won the Intermediate Boys’ Pole Vault. Harriet Dougan and Katie Ritchie won Silver medals in the Junior and Intermediate Girls’ Pole Vaults respectively. Many other athletes recorded personal bests and were very much in the mix for medals. The Intermediate Boys continued their excellent run of form and were crowned the All-Ireland Intermediate Boys’ Champions.

Hockey The Boys’ Colts Hockey team played Markethill High School in the final of the Taylor Cup on Wednesday 25th March at Lisnagarvey Hockey Club. The team lost 5-0 after an enthralling game. Each boy gave 100% and was able to walk off the pitch knowing he had given his all against a very strong side.

We would like to thank the supporters and staff who came to support the team. We are very proud of the boys’ achievement at reaching the first Academy Boys’ Hockey final in years.

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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KEEPING IN TOUCH The aim of the Alumni Office is to engage with our past pupils and to help you to remain connected to the School and to your former classmates. We can also help to put you back in touch with old school friends and to assist with the organisation of reunions, visits to the School and other events. Andrea Kerns is your main point of contact in the Alumni Office.

We love to hear about what our past pupils are doing after they leave Belfast Royal Academy and your contribution, feedback and suggestions to this newsletter are always welcomed. If you have a story or piece of news that you think others would be interested in, please email us with an accompanying photo. The Alumni Newsletter is published 3 times a year in December, March and June.

We appreciate your help to ensure that your contact details are up to date and to actively encourage friends, colleagues, siblings and other family members who were pupils at Belfast Royal Academy to join the alumni family. All alumni data is held securely in the School in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Thank you for your continued interest in and support of Belfast Royal Academy and we wish you a lovely summer!

Alumni Office Belfast Royal Academy 3 – 17 Cliftonville Road BELFAST BT14 6JL 028 9074 0423 akerns246@bfsra.belfast.ni.sch.uk

ALUMNI NEWSLETTER – June 2015

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