The Bugle - Autumn 2023

THE

Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

BUGLE

Autumn 2023

Development Team

Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

Rebecca Brayshaw Development Manager

CONTENTS

Lorraine Dewhurst Development Assistant

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STAY IN TOUCH

2

STAY CONNECTED

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BOLTON SCHOOL MERCHANDISE

3

WELCOME MESSAGES

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FOUNDATION NEWS

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THE BOLTON ALUMNI NETWORK

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THE MAIL BAG

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CONTINUING SUPPORT

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SCHOOL NEWS

Laura Firth Director of Development and Alumni Relations Frances Johnson Development Officer Rebecca Kendrick Development Assistant 11 14

Stay Connected

OLD BOY FEATURES 11

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

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ALUMNI AUTHORS

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BRINGING BACK BURY FC!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR NHS!

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RACE ACROSS THE WORLD

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STAFF IN THE SPOTLIGHT: MR FERNSIDE AND DR YATES

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EVENTS

25

SPORTS

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OLD BOYS’ NEWS

Emma Metcalfe Alumni Engagement and Development Officer

ARCHIVES

We hope you enjoy being kept up-to-date with what is happening at School and within the Old Boy community as much as we value the opportunity to stay connected to you. If your contact details have changed, or if you have not yet let us know your communication preferences and wish to continue hearing from School, then please contact the Development Office as soon as possible, or complete the Alumni Communications Update form found in the ‘Alumni and Giving Back’ section of the School website, www.boltonschool.org.

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32

LOOKING BACK

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ASK THE ARCHIVIST: WHO WAS NATHANIEL HULTON?

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RECORD BREAKERS

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LIVES REMEMBERED

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IN MEMORIAM

Stay In Touch www.boltonalumninetwork.com Old Boys and Old Girls (Official)

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Bolton School Alumni Bolton School Alumni bolton_sch boltonschoolmedia boltonschool.me/ bsalumni/albums www.boltonschool.org 20

Bolton School Merchandise

A variety of merchandise, including our new style hoodies, priced at £25 each and available in black or burgundy, is available from the store on the School’s website – please visit www.boltonschool.org/our-community/commercial-services to see the full range and details of how to order.

All profits made from the sale of merchandise go directly to the School’s Bursary Fund which helps to make a Bolton School education open to all academically gifted pupils, irrespective of their families’ financial situations.

Development Office l Bolton School l Chorley New Road l Bolton BL1 4PA l T. 01204 434718 l E. development@boltonschool.org 2

WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT Receiving the chain of office from Roy Battersby at the AGM was a special moment – if a slightly surreal one – as I asked myself: “Am I really old enough to be doing this?”

Well, it’s fully 30 years since I left School and, as there is no time like the present, I am now ‘doing this’, and I will do whatever I can to help the Association and the School to prosper.

I am focused on supporting ‘Growth’ in three key areas: 1) Growth in participation in the many brilliant OBA events – the Dinners, Lunches and Reunions that are bedrock of the OBA, where personal connections and friendships are refreshed and maintained – and which are such great fun!

2) Growth in involvement of Alumni in offering practical help to pupils – especially through the ‘Careers’ sessions for pupils and the ‘Find Your Path’ Mentor Scheme for recent leavers – both are great ways to share your experience and to ‘give back’.

3) Growth in Alumni support for the bursary scheme - providing such life-changing opportunities to so many young people in Bolton and across the North West.

In terms of ‘Growth in participation’ – a highlight was the brilliant Reunion for ‘3’ Classes in September. Over 200 Alumni from both Divisions attended. I was thrilled that my own Class of 1993 reached 50 Alumni attendees – and it was an added joy to share the day with my Dad’s Class of 1963. We all admitted to some ‘butterflies’ on the morning, but these quickly disappeared as we reconnected, shared a convivial lunch in the Dining Hall and took a self-guided School Tour – memories flooded back and we were in stitches. Many continued for drinks and dinner at Retreat; some intrepid souls even made it to the Old Man and Scythe! A huge thank you to Rebecca Brayshaw and the School’s Development Team for organising such a brilliant event. Old Boys, when it’s your Reunion, please

do ‘get stuck in’ and make the most of it. Key learning: so much can be achieved with LinkedIn (to track people down!), WhatsApp (to build a community) and some oldfashioned ‘word of mouth’.

In terms of ‘Growth in involvement’ the ‘Careers’ sessions for pupils continue to be a highlight – I am grateful to all Old Boys who have supported these. It’s fabulous to see my own Class of 1993 stepping up.

Most recently, Stuart Yardley (in for four days from Oz for the Reunion!) ran a superb session on Investment Banking.

In terms of ‘Growth in support for the Bursary Fund’, I have met with John Craven (Class of 1982; Governor; Chair of Trustees, BSBF) to understand the excellent work to grow the Fund and the plans to push from ‘1 in 5’ to ‘1 in 3’. I appreciate that everyone will be in a different position when it comes to contributing and would simply encourage you to give it serious thought – you can enable life-changing opportunities.

I appreciate that everyone will be in a different position when it comes to contributing and would simply encourage you to give serious thought to supporting however you can – you can enable life-changing opportunities by doing so. Please contact Laura Firth in the Development Office if you would like to find out more.

Richard Washington (Class of 1993) Old Boltonians’ Association President, 2023-2024

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF BOYS’ DIVISION The start of a new school year is always filled with excitement, with this year’s new Year 7s eagerly embracing their transition to high school following the departing Year 13 celebrating some of the strongest A Level results for quite some time.

The strength of these results is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the teaching staff, as well as the resilience and sheer effort of the boys in what were the first external exams post-Covid to be assessed and graded exactly as they were in 2019.

As a headteacher, the first few days of term are usually the time to establish the high standards of how boys should look in their uniform. This year, however, saw us return to School in September in a mini-heatwave with amber heat warnings in place. Definitely an unusual event for a September in Bolton!

This meant we had to return to shirt-sleeve orders, much to the relief of both staff and students. Thankfully for me, the more reliable rainfall returned and normal service was resumed very soon.

The Autumn term started with two cricket finals which were delayed from the Summer term and these marked the end of Summer sports and a return to our Autumn/Winter programme.

I know many of you will have strong memories of the various sports and activities from your time at School, and it is always enjoyable to read Old Boys’ continued sporting escapades. I particularly enjoyed reading about our family of Old Boys who are working to save Bury FC; a story that resonates as my childhood club nearly suffered a similar fate back in 1997. There are so many other great stories in this edition of The Bugle and it is great to read the sheer variety of activity that everyone is involved in, whether that is racing the UTMB, taking part in TV challenges or working to make a positive impact on the world though charitable activity.

Finally, it is so good that our current generation of pupils are able to benefit from the experiences of you all, and I would like to offer my thanks to all the Old Boys who have so generously given their time to offer careers advice, run workshops, help with the Entrepreneurship Scheme and everything else that you do to give back to our School. I look forward to meeting many more of you at a dinner or an event soon.

Nic Ford Head of Boys’ Division

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

FOUNDATION NEWS A Message from the Head of Foundation

As I write we are on the cusp of October half-term: the new Year 7 are settled into the Girls’ and Boys’ Divisions, Year 12 have made themselves comfortable in the Riley Centre and the first steps to School in Reception have been taken. At the same time, a new group of Old Boys and Old Girls have made their way into the world starting university, degree apprenticeships and work. The wheel of School life turns again and it is this freshness within routine that makes working in a school such a joyful thing.

In all that activity the interconnection between Alumni and the School is important and rewarding. This year saw the inaugural Primary Division Hulton Lecture, given by Rob Dobson, who had a tremendous ability to inspire both a young audience and their parents. Old Girls of a certain age may well remember there used to be such a lecture, but it was discontinued. Old Boys may recall the Hulton Scholars board on B Corridor. We decided to reconnect with this important part of our past in the much more recent context of our Primary Division, now two years old.

As pupils leave the School and head off to make a difference in the world, they often bring us back insights into how well Bolton School has prepared them and, also, from time to time, ways in which we could improve. It is now nearly five years since a group of Alumni helped us reshape our approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and you may have seen our most recent annual update – see page 10.

It is always nice to have others recognise the success of our School. The Girls’ Division received an excellent inspection report in the early part of Summer term, which was an impressive validation of how we view our School – sometimes we just get used to things we do that are really quite special.

Our newly-registered Infant and Nursery School (linking the co-educational parts of the Foundation in Beech House and the Nursery) had an OFSTED inspection as part of that registration process. I am pleased to say this was also successful, even though being an independent school is all about not always doing what OFSTED think must be done!

I look forward to seeing many of you at Alumni events and in School and keeping in touch with many more on line.

Philip Britton, MBE Head of Foundation

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REGISTERED USERS, SPANNING THE UK, THE USA, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE FAR EAST AND EUROPE – OFFERING A TRULY GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF OLD BOYS AN OLD GIRLS ACROSS A WIDE VARIETY OF SECTORS

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BOLTON ALUMNI BUSINESS DIRECTORY – OVER THE PREVIOUS SIX MONTHS, OF THOSE WHO HAVE VISITED THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY PAGE, 36% HAVE GONE ON TO CLICK ON THE OFFER PAGE, WHILE 20% OF THOSE HAVE GONE ON TO INTERACT WITH THE OFFER.

Newsletter Autumn 2023

THE MAIL BAG

A selection of emails and letters received since the last edition of The Bugle was published.

Star Letter

Hockey 1963

70 Years On: The Magical Magyars

7) recalls Malcolm Stevens (Class of 195 players as being inspired by international tball team. he represented his School foo

Alan Aldred (Class of 1964) spotted the photo of the 1963 Hockey XI in the Spring 2023 edition of The Bugle and is able to identify most of his fellow players. So the caption now reads: Back row, L-R: Kerry Moorcroft, ?, Alan Pearce, David Seddon, Alan Aldred Front row: Steve Bentley, John Cubbin, Stan Webster, David Forber, John Shuttleworth, Alan Middleton, Robert Carrington G Ogden Stevens, JB Holt, GGE Sanders, Back, L-R: M Green, TJ Taylor, MFG s, PA Bate Davie INR , ingale Night K ers, Front, L-R: A Joyce, GF Chest

t ember 1953, England played hos “Seventy years ago, on 25th Nov land Eng d. a 103,000 sell-out crow to Hungary at Wembley before rs (I exclude the Scots from this igne fore to e hom had never lost at his rt (6-3) by Ferenc Puscás and category), but were taken apa executed he re whe l goa ous fam a ed ‘Magical Magyars’. Puscás scor to his boot laces, leaving the a double-shuffle with the ball tied the Billy Wright, on his backside in hapless national hero, captain t Wha lie. goa lish Eng the , rick Mer mud before slotting the ball past n on MOTD today. a sensation that would have bee Level for the School junior team “I was playing in goal on the Top rnoon, when a lady who lived in afte (aka Puberty XI) on that very d called out the scores to me one of the houses on Dobson Roa ably, England’s nemeses were as the Magyars piled them in. Not boots only suitable for booting not wearing regulation cloddy tly studded moccasins, perfect ligh the ball aimlessly up-field, but turf to a colleague. In the reverse for stroking the ball across the at. land lost 7-1, its worst ever defe fixture in Hungary in 1954 Eng to make friends with Hungarians “Seventy years on, if you want d: Puscás.” you only need to know one wor

Alan offers his profound apologies to anyone whose name he cannot remember, or has misremembered – it was a long time ago!

Correction In the ‘Lostock Rocks’ feature in the Spring 2023 edition we published a photograph with an incorrect caption. We apologise to Rob Thwaites (Class of 1974) for mistaking him for his brother Rik (Class of 1977).

L-R: Tony Wadsworth, Rob Thwaites, Dave Richardson

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

The Legendary Clifford Ingham Philip Westhead (Class of 1963) enjoyed the piece on Clifford Ingham which featured in the Spring edition.

Philip writes: “Clifford Ingham was very sympathetic to my complete lack of understanding of the subject he taught.

“I recall with great fondness the introduction of every midge in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides and other destinations. There was also a trip by rail to Sicily which bumped into an official school arts trip to the Uffizi – we were the scruffy looking boys in contrast to those in school uniform, including caps. “’Butch’ also took me in his Austin A40, complete with a dustbin full of pigswill in the back, to his smallholding around Winwick.

The chickens he kept in two runs either side of the driveway had little wooden tunnels going across the driveway so that they could roam on both sides. A true Ingham priority!”

The article also prompted Joe Eden (Class of 1952) to share a memory of the legendary ‘Butch’: “I was very lucky to have spent some time with him. I was on the

Memories of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 Reading the references to the Coronation in the latest issue of The Bugle reminded Fred Heys (Class of 1954) of one of the things that happened at Bolton School then. He recalls: “Bolton Town Council had decided to give every pupil in all the local schools a commemorative tea mug. This was for all children, whatever their age. A group of us in the Sixth Form felt that this was not really suited to our senior status, but decided that if we were to be given a mug, then it should be christened properly.

So, a small group of us slipped across Chorley New Road to an off-licence at the lower end of Queensgate in the middle of the day. Having purchased a more appropriate liquid than tea, we surreptitiously slipped back over the wooden bridge to where the new quad now stands. As far as I am aware our short absence from School was not noticed.

“Our new mugs were duly christened. I do not remember any formalities to hand the mugs to us. I have a very vague recollection that there was a scroll with each mug. Sadly, I no longer have my mug; it went astray in subsequent house moves.”

In his 2017 book Royal Robes, Ranks, Coronets and Coronations Malcolm Howe (Class of 1956) recalls hearing the news of the King’s death at School: “Wednesday 6th February 1952 began as another normal school day but mid-morning we were all summoned from lessons back

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Cross Country team for as long as I can remember. One day on a run, when I was getting behind the field on the uphill part, he whispered to me close to the top that I should be able pass the front ones on the way down, and there was an Eccles cake on it. I did, and enjoyed the reward.

“Some of the team went to his home each Summer to run in the two-mile road race at the Croft Carnival, and enjoy a bath and goodies afterwards, and met Barbara, his daughter. He was also one to supervise us on hikes. On one of them, on the Devon and Cornwall tour, he surprised us by riding the footplate from Bristol to Exeter on the Cornish Riviera Express, and saying that we reached 92 miles per hour.

“He was like a caring dad as he looked after what we were doing, and I was unaware of his many achievements until I read about them in the Spring Bugle.”

to the Hall where earlier we had the customary assembly. No one knew why, as the Headmaster strode up to the dais, academic ‘mortar board’ in hand, looking solemn and in complete silence, but we realised that something very serious had happened.

He turned, addressing us as ‘My dear boys’, never having used such a term of endearment before nor since, and continued “It is with great sadness that I tell you that our beloved King died peacefully this morning”, finishing with Badger patrol, L-R: Keith Taylor, Edwin Kirby, Roger the tremendous historic Bridge (aloft), Roger Mason time-honoured flourish: “The King is dead; Long live the Queen!”

Later on in his book, Malcolm recounts “Bolton School Scouts celebrated with a garden fete and each patrol made a presentation with the theme of the Coronation. As the writer was then the tallest patrol leader, he represented Queen Salote with the tenderfoot hoisted on his shoulders and won first prize.”

Newsletter Autumn 2023

CONTINUING SUPPORT Bolton School is a special place, and an education here can be life-changing. For generations, the School has striven to be open to all who would thrive here, regardless of background or circumstance. Whether your time at School was made possible by a funded place, or you had friends whose time here was enabled in that way, we hope you agree that our diverse pupil body has always been fundamental to the special atmosphere that endures here on Chorley New Road.

The generous support of Old Boys, Old Girls and other members of the School community has helped make our bursary scheme one of the most comprehensive in the country.

Last year alone, the School was delighted to receive regular donations and one-off gifts from a wide range of Old Boys, who wished to ensure that the ladder of social mobility remained in place for those who follow them through the School.

During that same period, the School was honoured to receive a bequest from the late Dr David Speirs (Class of 1962, pictured here receiving the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement), in recognition of the Direct Grant he received to study here and the impact the education that afforded him had had upon his life.

Bequests of all values make a transformational difference to our fundraising efforts, and we are privileged that so many of our Alumni, like David, choose to offer their support to the School in this way.

David’s generous bequest established a bursary place in perpetuity in the Boys’ Division for a Sixth Former studying STEM subjects at A Level, as well as establishing a fund to support the development of the facilities in the Design Technology department in the Boys’ Division. In September, the classrooms in the ‘T Corridor’ of the Boys’ Division were renamed The Speirs Rooms in recognition of David’s generosity.

“A Bolton School education is an honour that should be shared”

With the continued support of our School community, we are intent upon ensuring that our founding ethos of social mobility is perpetuated throughout the next century and beyond.

“Currently, one in five of our pupils are able to study here thanks to their bursary place” By the end of this decade, we aim to have expanded our bursary scheme to reach one in three pupils in the two Senior Schools, and every gift we receive for our bursary funds will help us to realise that ambition and drive social mobility across Bolton and beyond.

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THE NUMBER OF BURSARY APPLICATIONS FOR YEAR 7 ENTRY IN SEPTEMBER 2023

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THE NUMBER OF NEW PUPILS WHO JOINED THE SCHOOL ON A BURSARY IN SEPTEMBER 2023 Our bursary scheme is always hugely oversubscribed and the funding we are able to provide, whilst generous, is unable to meet demand. In 2023 alone, the School disappointed 36 young people whose performance in our entrance processes had earned them a place to study here, but for whom we had insufficient funding to provide them with a bursary.

A bursary place can change the direction of someone’s life forever, as this Class of 2023 Bursary recipient reflected upon this Summer, as he prepared to leave the Boys’ Division: “As a student coming from a low-income family, joining Bolton School was nothing short of a dream. Since then, I have been able to benefit from the rigorous academic curriculum and exceptional extracurricular activities as well as developing skills and attributes that are invaluable and have helped me to become a more wellrounded individual.

“Thank you for your generous donations and for believing in my potential. I will always be grateful for your kindness and support.

Your contribution has been instrumental in shaping my academic journey, and I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today without your help. I hope I am able to give back to others in the future in the same way that you have provided for me.”

If you would like to learn more about supporting the School’s bursary scheme, and helping to pave the way for the next generation of Boltonians to join us, simply scan the QR code on the right. Whether you are considering making a one-off donation, establishing a regular gift or remembering the School in your will, your support could make a real difference to our ambitions to expand our bursary scheme.

If you would like to discuss your intentions in more detail, please contact Laura Firth, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, by calling 01204 434718 or by emailing lfirth@boltonschool.org.

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

SCHOOL NEWS Sir Harry Kroto is Honoured Mr Britton represented Bolton School at the unveiling of a specially commissioned bronze bust of the town’s only Nobel Prize winner, Professor Sir Harry Kroto (Class of 1957).

The bronze bust was unveiled by his widow, Lady Margaret Kroto, at the University of Bolton’s Science and Technology building.

After developing a fascination with Chemistry, Physics and Maths at School, Sir Harry went on to study Chemistry at the University of Sheffield, and then gained a PhD in molecular spectroscopy. He won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1996 for co-discovering the new carbon allotrope, Buckminsterfullerene, and was knighted in the same year.

Division naming of the Boys’ in 2013 for the official Sir Harry visited School mistry Building’ Che to Kro ‘The as k Chemistry bloc

Education Committee Expands Chris Quayle (Class of 2005) has been appointed to Bolton School’s Education Committee. He is currently Deputy Head (Academic) at RGS Newcastle and is looking forward to bring-ing his expertise to advise with the educational aspects of the Bolton School Foundation.

Prominent Visitors to Patterdale Patterdale Hall was delighted to welcome Alexander Scott, King Charles III’s Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria, along with his wife, Samantha, who is the High Sheriff of Cumbria – the couple simultaneously hold two of the most important positions representing the Crown in Cumbria.

They met with Hannah Larn of the Rose Castle Foundation, which works with emerging leaders who are motivated by their faith, Tim Taylor, Manager of Patterdale Hall and Bolton School Governor Tim Taylor (Class of 1979), who is also Chair of the Scott Bolton Trust Management Committee.

Alexander is a Trustee of the Scott Bolton Trust, which each year offers travel grants to Bolton School students and young Alumni. He is also a trustee of a grant-giving body established by his father, Peter Scott, the Francis C Scott Charitable Trust, which targets youth disadvantage in Cumbria and North Lancashire. Alexander’s great-grandfather, Sir James Scott, who founded The Provincial Insurance Company, lived at Beech House in Bolton, which became the Infant School before it was knocked down and Hesketh House, the Girls’ Junior School, erected on the site. Francis Scott, Alexander’s grandfather, went on to buy Patterdale Hall in 1934 before donating large areas of land to the National Trust and selling it in the 1960s, his motivation being to protect the landscape from large scale development.

L-R: Patterdale Hall’s Tim Taylor, Hannah Larn , Samantha Scott, Gov ernor Tim Taylor and Alexander Scott

Welcome to Lorraine In September, the Development Office welcomed a new team member, Lorraine Dewhurst, following her appointment as the department’s Development Assistant Lorraine previously worked as Business Development Manager for Cowgills and will be responsible for the bookings and preparations for many of the Alumni events. She will be the friendly, first point of contact for many Old Boys and Old

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Girls who contact the Development Office to reconnect with old friends and with School.

Lorraine is also a Bolton School parent – her son is currently in Year 10 and her daughter recently left the Girls’ Division.

Community Action Evening

Newsletter Autumn 2023

Andrew congratulated the Sixth Formers who, between them, had clocked up over 10,000 hours of voluntary work equating to £50,000.

Andrew Jowett OBE (Class of 1980), Chief Executive at Build It International, was the keynote speaker as Year 12 students from both Divisions gathered to celebrate their outstanding volunteering and community action work.

After studying Geography at the University of Oxford, where he became involved with a literacy programme for migrants, Andrew worked for Save the Children before founding Build It

International, a charity which helps to reduce unemployment and poverty among young people in Zambia.

Andrew congratulated the Sixth Formers who, between them, had clocked up over 10,000 hours of voluntary work equating to £50,000. He encouraged them to continue to support their local communities, wherever they end up, noting that it is a privilege to volunteer.

Marie Hangs up her Apron Many Old Boys will remember Marie Deloso who retired in March after 32 years at Bolton School.

Originally employed as a cleaner in September 1990, Marie joined the kitchen staff in 1992 and almost immediately became a waitress, remaining so until her retirement, latterly becoming the hospitality waitress for the entire Foundation.

The Boys’ Dining Hall was added in 1954 and when Marie joined the team it was still providing what was called ‘family service’ whereby food was brought to the tables and then dished up by the boys seated either side of the teacher heading each table. Favourite dishes included ‘dead man’s arm’ (jam roly-poly) and ‘tarmac and fairy liquid’ (ginger sponge with lime sauce). There were two sittings and there was a High Table from which the Headmaster would ring a bell before saying Grace. Family service came to an end in 2002 when the Dining Hall began operating as a selfselection food court.

L-R: Foundation Organist and RCO Accredited Teacher Mr Murray, Lucas Ng, William Martin, Marissa Hollinghurst, Emily David, Tom Bell and Philip Britton

School Receives RCO Accreditation At a special assembly Tom Bell, the Royal College of Organists’ North West Director, presented Head of Foundation Philip Britton with a certificate confirming that Bolton School is a Royal College of Organists’ (RCO) accredited school. The accreditation recognises Bolton School’s work with young organists. A number of full and half organ scholarships are offered across the Boys’ and Girls’ Divisions.

Mr Bell addressed the assembly, explaining about the work of the RCO, and Organ Scholars Marissa Hollinghurst and Emily David showcased their organ-playing skills. William Martin and Lucas Ng performed to Mr Bell on the Boys’ Division organ later the same day.

For many former pupils, the sound of the organ is one of their abiding memories of School and recent performances at Alumni reunions have been particularly well received!

Treasures of Bolton School

gues and Sir Ian McKellen Marie (second left), catering collea

Marie has fond memories of Christmas lunches when the kitchen staff would carry out the Christmas puddings as the boys made a thunderous noise banging on the tables.

She also recalls meeting many well-known guests in School, including Sir Ian McKellen (Class of 1958), Coronation Street’s Antony Cotton (Sean Tully) and Emmerdale’s Emma Atkins (Charity Dingle).

We wish Marie every happiness in her retirement.

Bolton School’s Archivist, Eric Fairweather, recently shared some of the historic treasures of the School with a small audience at an event arranged by the Friends of Bolton School. After refreshments in the Boys’ Division Library, Eric guided guests through the Chained Library and other items of historical interest.

Eric points out significa nt items around the

School

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Prom Time!

The boys enjoyed swapping their uniforms for snazzy suits!

At the end of the Summer term Bolton School hosted its first ever Prom! The Events team collaborated with the Divisions to put on a magical evening for the Year 11 girls and boys to celebrate all their hard work and the end of their GCSE exams.

Entwistle, L-R: GD Staff Mrs Winder, Mrs BD Staff Ms Teichman and Mrs Furey, and ed their Mr Fairbairn and Mr Costello donn s glad rags to join the celebration

Farewell and Good Luck!

At the end of term Year 13 leavers and their parents gathered in the Arts Centre to reminisce about their experience at School and share their plans for the future.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report Bolton School has released its latest Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Report, covering the 2022-23 academic year.

Head of Foundation, Philip Britton, said: “We, like many institutions, were minded to examine our approach to inclusion, diversity and equity after the death of George Floyd in May 2020 and the testimonies published by Everyone’s Invited. We have been determined to ensure that our response is sustained, transformative and proactive and this is our fourth such report summarising our work in this area. As we have acknowledged before, our approach to making sustainable changes has been encouraged by Alumni who have engaged in a constructive examination of the past.”

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Newsletter Autumn 2023

OLD BOYS’ FEATURES

Inspiring the Next Generation

Rob Extols Engineering Rob Dobson (Class of 1982) returned to school to deliver the first ever Hulton Lecture. This new Primary Division lecture series is aimed at pupils in Year 6 and their families, and will complement the Boys’ Division Tillotson Lecture and Girls’ Division Platt Fisher Lecture.

Rob gained a first-class degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Southampton and went on to found Actix, a tech business focused Rob’s talk focused on engineers on algorithmic optimisation for mobile and how they solve the world’s phone networks, growing the business problems to over 200 people with offices in eight locations around the world. He is now one of the most active independent angel investors in Scotland and is passionate about empowering young people to start their own businesses.

In a wide-ranging and engaging talk Rob touched on the UK’s wonderful history around engineering, featuring steam engines, ships, bridges and industrial machines, before speaking about some of the challenges that the planet faces, from climate change and plastic pollution to the increasing need for energy and food production and how to achieve these efficiently while causing less damage to the environment.

Rob hoped to cast a little light on what engineers do.

electronic and mechanical items could lead him to a career as an engineer.

Rob briefly talked through the history of computers and the engineers behind the advances. He then recalled Bolton School’s first computers. The Boys’ Division got two TRS80 computers around 1978, but the Girls’ Division got the better RML 380Z around the same time. He remembered that the only time he spent in the Girls’ Division was to use those computers!

He then returned to his original premise: the world has a lot of challenges to face, and engineers need to be creative to find solutions to problems such as transportation that does not pollute, food production with lower environmental impact, health solutions for the world’s population, energy availability everywhere at low cost, and many more.

However, engineers use their imagination to come up with new ideas and designs that no one has thought of before. They work with cutting-edge technology and materials to make impossible things into reality. Rob encouraged the young people in the audience to consider becoming engineers and help to fix the broken bits of the world.

Engineers need a curious mind, an interest in solving problems and a desire to keep learning.

The Hulton Lecture is named in recognition of the Hulton Charity Trust – see the feature on page 34.

Rob next took the audience on a whistle-stop tour of just some of the everyday things that owe their existence to engineers: buses, trains and cars are designed by automotive engineers; roads and buildings by civil engineers; and games and apps by software engineers. Robotics engineers automate factories and tackle dangerous jobs, while materials engineers make high-tech clothing and insulation.

Rob loves computers – his interest began at Park Road when he built a cardboard robot with boys who are still his friends today.

He went on to build his first computer in 1977, while still a Bolton School pupil, using an old calculator case. However, it was only during his final year at School that he realised that the enjoyment and satisfaction he gained from problem-solving and making

Prior to the lecture, Rob spent time with pupils in Park Road, Hesketh House and Beech House

The Power of Language David Williams (Class of 1999) visited School in March to deliver talks to Year 13 Politics and Year 12 English Language students, discussing parliamentary lobbying and the power of language to inform and persuade in the media. David spoke about his journey from School Captain and reading Geography at Oxford to his chosen career path, experiences and the highlights of his work as Director of Public Affairs at Rank Group PLC.

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

Alumni of the Year Awards The Awards seek to honour Alumni who have made an outstanding contribution to society through their voluntary service, academic achievements or professional success, or whose behaviour and values inspire others – in short, Alumni who embody the School’s ethos of producing people who go out into the world and make a difference for good.

The Results are In! Pupils from across the Divisions were invited to vote from a shortlist for the Old Boy and Old Girl they felt deserving of this year’s awards. We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Old Boy of the Year 2023 is Adam Crook (Class of 1992).

Adam is a Partner in the Global Markets Division at Goldman Sachs, having previously served as a Captain in the British Army.

After reading Modern History at the University of Edinburgh, Adam undertook Officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before joining the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment as an infantry officer. Adam’s years in the Regiment – as Platoon Command and then Company second-in-command - were spent in Northern Ireland, during the final years of The Troubles, including the Omagh bombing and inter-community riots around Drumcree.

After leaving the Army, Adam completed an MBA at London Business School before moving into banking; after four years at Barclays Capital, he moved to Goldman Sachs in 2007, where he has remained ever since.

Adam exemplifies the Bolton School ethos of working hard and helping others, through both his voluntary service and philanthropy. He is a dedicated supporter of fellow veterans, particularly those who leave the Army, or who have been physically or mentally affected by their service to their country, and serves as regional head of the Goldman Sachs Veterans Network. He is also a passionate believer in the power of education to enable social mobility, and a committed and generous supporter of the Bolton School bursary scheme.

The other shortlisted candidates were Norman Longworth (Class of 1953), who has spent his entire professional career dedicated to improving education, both in the UK and across the world, and David Seddon (Class of 1971), who, following a professional career in property management, co-founded the Old Boltonians’ Association’s Find Your Path Mentoring Scheme, volunteering countless

In 2022, Bolton School celebrated the numerous contributions of its Old Boys and Old Girls to society by launching its Alumni of the Year Awards. hours of his time during the past six years to establish and manage the scheme with dedication and rigour, and to great success.

The winner of the Old Girl of the Year 2023 is Lauren Mee (Class of 2006).

Lauren is the Co-Founder and CEO of Animal Advocacy Careers (AAC), an internationally recognised not-forprofit organisation whose mission is to address the career and talent bottlenecks in the animal advocacy movement, especially the farmed animal movement.

The other finalists were Angela Rowley (née Hadcroft, Class of 1969), a committed volunteer who has given countless hours of her time to support communities in Kenya and in her hometown of Bramhall, and Jane Boland (née Connell, Class of 1983), Head and Clinical Lead of James’ Place Liverpool, a centre offering free, life-saving treatment to suicidal men.

Charity Champions Max Griffiths and Sam Yates (both Class of 2001) were awarded the Outstanding Achievement recognition in the Bolton School Alumni of the Year Awards, 2022.

During a special assembly and sessions Thank you to Max and Sam for inspiring the boys to create chang with e for good students Max and Sam explained how they co-founded their charity, @LivLifeTanzania, dedicated to enriching the lives of economically disadvantaged people in Northern Tanzania through locally-relevant education and empowerment.

Tillotson Lecture Adam Crook will deliver this year’s Tillotson Lecture. In ‘Lessons for My Younger Self: A Journey from Bolton School’, Adam will reflect on his 30-year journey since leaving the Boys’ Division, and how he has navigated his career in a world of continuous, disruptive change.

The Tillotson Lecture series is now in its 51st year and was inaugurated and supported by the late Marcus Tillotson, himself influential in one of Bolton’s other institutions, the Bolton News. The series has attracted eminent speakers over the years who have delivered thought-provoking lectures to the School community.

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The event will take place at 7pm on Thursday 30th November in Great Hall, with refreshments afterwards in the Leverhulme Suite. Tickets will not be issued at this event; however, it would be helpful in assessing seating requirements if those wishing to attend would RSVP to Michelle Sisson-Schofield, School Office Manager, at: MSisson@boltonschool.org.

Sixth Form Entrepreneurship Scheme During the last academic year, Year 12 pupils from both Divisions were invited to take part in the new Sixth Form Entrepreneurship Scheme established by Old Boy Rob Dobson (Class of 1982). The scheme looks to develop the business and entrepreneurial skills of students through mentorship from Alumni, with skills-based and founder experience presentations to shape the trajectory of the pupil’s research, culminating in a Dragon’s Den-style pitching event.

Throughout the Autumn Term pupils were invited to hear from three mentors whose subjects aimed to set up the students with an understanding of entrepreneurship and building a business.

Charlotte Morley (née Maddrell, Class of 1999) presented on personal values and success metrics; Elizabeth Newton (née Whyatt, Class of 1979) on managing your time and productivity; and Simon West (Class of 1996) with advice on finding a cofounder.

After these sessions, the pupils who wished to progress to 1-2-1 mentoring submitted their applications, before being matched with mentors Charlotte, Rob, Simon, Christine Morrison (Class of 1977), John Craven (Class of 1982), Ingrid Murray (Class of 1984) Juhi Gore (Class of 1993) and Shweta Sharma (Class of 2001).

Once matched, the students worked with their mentor to develop their business plan: building a model and exploring ideas that had been discussed at the group sessions to bring improvement or

Perspectives Lecture: Languages The final Perspectives Lecture of the 2022-23 academic year heard from four Alumni who have utilised their passion for languages to forge careers and lives that put their skills into practice.

Benjamin Fletcher (Class of 2020), a current student of French, Russian and Russian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, recapped his School days and how his love of languages flourished after the French and Russian trips. Benjamin explained that, after university, he has hopes of joining the Navy and believes that his grasp of languages will offer career opportunities and progression, as well as the ability to make lifelong friends.

Kallol Sen (Class of 1994) lives in Frankfurt and works for the European Central Bank.

Kallol commented that speaking other languages opens up gateways to other worlds – not least, allowing him to move to Germany, live in a multi-lingual household and build a rapport with others, both socially and at work. Reminiscing on his time at School, Kallol noted that his fondest memories are of his involvement in musical choirs and orchestras – “the concerts were really exhilarating!”.

The audience also heard from Old Girls Sadie Scorah (Class of 2009), who has worked internationally for Hilton, and Monica Sobrero (Class of 1990), a freelance interpreter working across the legal, health and corporate sectors.

The lecture, and others from the series, are available to watch on the School’s YouTube channel. ‘Perspectives’ is a series of free, public lectures hosted by Bolton School on Zoom. They are free to attend and open to pupils, parents, Alumni, and all other members of the School and local community.

opportunities to their passions.

The exploratory stage of their business modelling was supported by sessions by both Ingrid and Rob focused on building a business around an idea and problem solving.

From back, L-R: Christine Morrison, Ingrid Murray, Rob Dobson, Jake Partington (student), Priyesh Fernando (student), Jayden Luhar (student), Shweta Sharma, Marcus Fung (student), Will Littlefair (student), Fletcher Mellor-Brook (student), Elizabeth Newton, Kate O’Riordan (student), Miya Brennan (student), Ruby Smith (student), Angelie Chitre (student), Alexia Hughes (student) and Phoebe Chuck (student)

We are immensely grateful for the time that the eight mentors have given to the scheme and students this year, and to Elizabeth and Tony Wadsworth (Class of 1974) for their involvement in the pilot scheme.

With the start of the 2023-24 academic year just behind us, we are looking forward to watching the development of this year’s cohort’s entrepreneurial skills and are delighted that Rik Thwaites (Class of 1977) is joining the panel as John takes a step back from the scheme to focus on his other commitments to School.

Russian Adventures Back in June, Andrew Clelland (Class of 2015) was invited to give a talk to A Level Russian students on how studying Russian at school and university can lead to new, exciting, and often unexpected opportunities.

Andrew studied Mathematics with Russian at the University of Manchester, including a year abroad at the State Universities of Yaroslavl and St Petersburg. Following graduation, he studied for a two-year Master’s degree in Oil and Gas Management at Novosibirsk State University in the Siberian Forest, becoming the first ever British citizen to complete a degree at the university.

It was thanks to these experiences that he was awarded a fully-funded four-year PhD at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, researching links between climate change and forest fires in boreal forests. This has provided extensive travel and training opportunities to Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and America, where he is currently completing a three-month placement at Woodwell Climate Research Center in Cape Cod. Andrew said that studying Russian at School has shaped his career by opening doors and allowing him to build a unique CV. He advised the students to make the most of their Russian skills, to travel extensively, and to embrace every new opportunity and challenge.

Alex Inspires Aspiring Engineers Alex Gao (Class of 2020), who is studying Engineering Alex with Year 7 pup ils (L-R) Nish Gowda, Derek Leong and Has at St Catharine's College, san Chaudhry Cambridge, came into School to speak to Sixth Form students about Oxbridge entry and about studying Engineering at university. He also hosted a session for the Year 9 and 10 Astronomy Club and helped out in Physics lessons.

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

Roger Reminisces at Prizegiving Roger Draper (Class of 1986), guest speaker at this year’s Prizegiving ceremony, gave an entertaining and inspirational address.

Being ‘sports mad’ Roger represented the School in most sports before studying at Loughborough University, where Roger held international honours in tennis and rugby. He has subsequently carved a career in the global business of sport and is the former CEO of Sport England and the Lawn Tennis Association. Most recently, he has been helping to set up the sports infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, using sport to change people’s lives.

Aspiring journalist Peter Johnson (Class of 2019) caught up with Roger to find out more about working with the best sportspeople in the world.

Roger Draper stresses how Bolton School inspired him to go on to make a difference on a national and international level. Despite the suggestions of careers advisers in his formative years, Roger ventured into the sports industry, and it is in this field that he has satisfied this desire to make a difference, never being too far away from many of the biggest national and international sporting developments of recent years. Behind Great Britain’s successful Olympic bid, the construction of the new Wembley Stadium, Andy Murray being the first British winner of Wimbledon in 77 years, and the recent Saudi sports surge, Roger has been a hugely influential presence.

It is clear from Roger’s fondest memories of Bolton School that sport was in his blood from a young age. He describes breaktimes spent playing cricket in the Undercroft and football in the cloisters, pastimes that he transferred into a competitive environment. He represented the School in most sports including football and cricket, playing Roger (centre) with Nic Ford and alongside Julian Darby (Class of 1982) Philip Britton who went on to represent Bolton Wanderers. However, tennis was clearly his biggest forte, winning both the Northern Schools and National Schools tournaments in his time at Bolton and representing Lancashire at national level.

In the classroom, Roger describes himself as an artist rather than a scientist, with Geography, History and English his strongest subjects. Indeed, he cites the ‘maverick’ Mel Shewan as a particularly inspirational character and recalls his ability to terrify entire classes of boys into engaging with his lessons. Outside the classroom, Roger fondly remembers Alan Prince’s support in his early pursuit of tennis, which would go on to prove hugely significant to his career.

Following his time at Bolton School, Roger headed to Winstanley College and then to Loughborough University, where he studied PE, Sports Science and Recreation Management. From this platform Roger was able to pursue a varied and fascinating career in sport.

Find Your Path The Find Your Path mentoring scheme was established in 2017 by a group of Old Boltonians keen to pass on their experience to recent leavers, enabling them to leverage the knowledge and contacts of the Old Boy network to their professional advantage.

Since the scheme began, it has paired over 80 young Old Bolts with a fellow Old Boy mentor, each of whom can offer a wealth of experience, contacts and advice across a variety of sectors and industries. Mentee Thaw Chit (Class of 2017) writes of his experience: “I am a master’s graduate in aerospace engineering from the University of Bristol, and have been a mentee with the Find Your Path scheme for the past three years.

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Roger was the Chief Executive of Sport England from 200306, a role that saw him heavily involved with the construction of the new Wembley Stadium and the successful London Olympic bid.

He describes how he and his team in the day, Roger enjoyed leading a tennis session managed to overcome Earlier with a group of pupils at the Leverhulme Pavilion, and held perceptions of Britain an interesting question and answer session with Year 10 boys studying PE at GCSE as a ‘pompous, arrogant colonial nation’ to win the bid and go on to host one of the best Games ever and reflects with pride on how the legacy of the Games has seen Team GB rise as high as second in the medals table at the Rio Olympics.

Indeed, Roger’s time at the pinnacle of British sport has coincided with the country’s domination of many sports ranging from the Tour de France to Formula One, and he recognises how England has rediscovered its mojo in sports such as football, rugby and cricket.

This is no more apparent than in the case of tennis. From 2006 to 2013, Roger served as the Chief Executive of the LTA, which marked a hugely memorable period for British tennis, best remembered for Andy Murray’s historic Wimbledon triumph in 2013.

In his first week in the role, Roger met with representatives of a young Novak Djokovic to persuade the future star to represent Great Britain, unfortunately to no avail. However, Roger’s clear eye for talent was reflected in his introduction of a nationwide talentspotting system was rewarded with Great Britain’s first ever Junior Davis Cup victory in 2011 and laid the foundations for GB’s Senior Davis Cup victory in 2015, the first since 1936.

From tennis it was on to rugby, where Roger was the CEO of Super League side Warrington Wolves from 2015-17. Roger successfully balanced off-field fan engagement and satisfaction with achievement on the pitch, with his programme of stadium improvements, a club rebrand and a new membership scheme almost accompanied by a historic treble in 2016, with Warrington winning the league before narrowly missing out in the Challenge Cup Final and Grand Final. In 2017 Roger became the Chief Commercial Officer of the RFL and Executive Director of the Super League.

Roger has since taken on advising and supporting sports work in Saudi Arabia, working closely with the country’s Ministry of Sport and Public Investment Fund. His team is currently trying to professionalise and privatise the Saudi Pro League, making it one of the top football leagues in the world – indeed, the league is beginning to cause shockwaves, as every football fan has noticed!

Other projects have included bringing Formula One to Saudi Arabia, as well as several Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury fights, and engagement with the rapidly growing e-sports industry.

In his free time, Roger continues to be a dab hand with a racquet, with his team winning the Bolton League last year for the first time in 125 years.

“During that time, my mentor’s advice on CVs, cover letters, interview questions, establishing connections with individuals in engineering and non-engineering sectors, and how to differentiate myself from other job applicants has helped me to secure a graduate role with Thales UK as a Hardware Engineer. His help and support during my time at university has allowed me to achieve success in my degree and now in my engineering career.

“I highly recommend the Find Your Path scheme – the mentors are all experienced volunteers who are very happy to spend their time and energy to improve the career prospects of their mentees.”

If you are interested in finding out more about how a mentor could support your next steps, please email development@boltonschool.org.

Newsletter Autumn 2023

World of Work

practising Muslim which is the centre point of his life.

Mr Compton for his guidance and to Mr Shaw for his humour, knowledge and kindness.

The World of Work talks aim to encourage current pupils to broaden their horizons via a series of Zoom sessions by a range of inspiring Old Boys.

Akul was the first person in his family to come to Bolton School and he believes the seven years he spent here quite literally made him who he is today – he attributes his confidence, his ability to communicate with a variety of people at different levels and his competitive drive to be the best he can be to the time he spent at School.

We asked recent contributors to reflect on who and what had inspired them during their time at School.

A standout memory was standing as the Labour candidate for the School mock General Election in 2015, which was great preparation for studying PPE. Akul led a successful campaign of hustings, debates and a manifesto speech in Great Hall during full assembly – Labour won the mock election for the first time in over 35 years!

Nick Gilmour (Class of 1994) joined PwC straight from university and now works as an Audit Director at KPMG in London. He is constantly amazed by how many Bolton School Alumni he comes across through work and, randomly, outside his house in Essex!

Mark Walshaw (Class of 2005) obtained a Masters in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham. He has worked extensively within the energy industry and now leads Renewable Energy and Hydrogen in the Middle East and Africa region for Marsh.

Mark spoke passionately about combatting climate change. He explained how in his current role he works with governments and large energy companies, helping them to implement their plans to reduce their emissions, decarbonise and promote investment in green energy.

He notes that Bolton School gave him a fantastic academic grounding which has helped him in getting to where he is today.

He is particularly grateful to Mr Freem and Mr Edmundson for challenging him and pushing him academically. He also looks back with fondness on trips to Patterdale Hall. On a personal level, he is still close to many friends from his Bolton School days.

After graduating with a BSc in Neuroscience from Keele University George Hill (Class of 2018) joined PepsiCo at their Quaker Oats site in Cupar, Scotland. After just over a year with the business he has progressed to another role within PepsiCo at Walkers Snacks in Skelmersdale.

George’s fondest memories focus on playing football for the School – away trips and long journeys home after playing in the rain may not be everyone’s idea of great weekends, but George looks back on them fondly. He also enjoyed Duke of Edinburgh, Patterdale trips and work experience opportunities, which have helped him to develop the personal skills, drive and ambition to succeed in his degree studies and to apply to key roles within major FMCG companies.

He is grateful to all of his teachers for supporting him towards higher education – it would be impossible to highlight individual members of staff!

Akul Pankhania (Class of 2015) studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of York and joined KPMG on their graduate scheme. He now works for Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is working towards becoming a policy advisor.

In his spare time, he likes to keep fit, read, eat out and has a keen interest in boxing and UFC as well as coaching badminton. Akul is a

Tom McLenachan (Class of 2004) was inspired by studying Russian history at Bolton School.

He is now a Senior Policy Advisor to the Government on climate change and the CEO of an international charity, Equal Aqua Uganda, which provides access to clean water in Africa.

Tom’s interest in travel was sparked when he was alerted to the Scott Bolton Trust, which awards travel grants to Bolton School students and alumni. Tom was given a grant which enabled him to backpack around North America for three months during a gap year. As part of his Russian studies at the University of Nottingham he enjoyed a year in Russia, which opened his horizons and led to a Master’s in East European Studies and subsequently a PhD. Bitten by the travel bug, Tom spent two years travelling and teaching English in places as varied as Palestine and Israel, Sudan, Morocco and Vietnam. He then visited 76 countries, undertaking a wide range of jobs, including environmental work, being a beekeeper and working on an olive farm. Three years ago, he joined the Civil Service graduate fast stream, attracted by the possibility of working internationally. After working in a variety of departments he developed a specific focus on climate change which led to his current role.

Alex Wright (Class of 1999) studied Architecture at UCL. He now runs a creative marketing agency in North Lincolnshire.

Alex’s time at School helped him personally and professionally. Being shy, he often tried to stay out of the limelight, but his teammates’ joy at his winning catch in a cup cricket match made him realise that everyone has their place. Bolton School also encouraged in him a confidence that he himself did not necessarily believe was there, and enabled him to experience the world in a way that made him challenge what he saw and heard and explore an alternative view, all of which have stood him in good stead in his career in marketing.

In particular he is grateful to Mr Tatman and his wonderful immersive teaching style, to Herr Hiepko and Mr Freem for inspiring a love of everything to do with Germany, to

He has many fond memories of School, but the most vivid are of the Saundersfoot and Instow camps. School also gave him a broad range of knowledge and skills which he still uses today – including French and German which regularly come in handy at work and when travelling. Maths teacher Mr Ramsdale had a great impact – not only did he steer Nick to a Grade A GSCE, but his instructive catchphrase, “Shut up, sit down and get busy”, still motivates today!

Scott Hamer (Class of 1991) left Bolton School in 1989 to join the Metropolitan Police, working as a PC, Sergeant and Inspector before becoming the Personal Protective Officer to HM The King when he was The Prince of Wales. Since leaving the force, Scott has worked as Venue Security Manager for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and now works as the Senior Strategic Security Manager at the Royal Albert Hall.

During his talk, Scott explained how there was an expectation that he would join the family’s butchery business; however, he pursued his interest and enthusiasm for joining the Police after some careers talks at School. His experience as a close protection officer has seen him work with influential people from across the globe including Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and the Queen and travel to over 50 countries.

Pete Miller (Class of 1982) spoke about his career in the nuclear industry. He studied Physics at the University of Manchester before joining a graduate training scheme with NNC Ltd who built and commissioned nuclear power stations. A placement in Risk and Safety Assessment guided him towards his future career working as a consultant

with clients throughout the world in the nuclear and defence industries. He recalled specific projects at Sellafield Ltd and on nuclear submarines at Barrow at Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (now BAE Systems). Subsequent consulting jobs include safety cases on the London Underground and for the demolition of the cooling towers at the Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station (actually on the Sellafield Site), while his final role as Principal Consultant saw him working at Springfields near Preston.

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

Alumni Authors How Sweet It Is

by Joe Eden (Class of 1952), This engaging series of episodes reflects the quality and expresses the variety of a rich and eventful life. Each of the episodes is the answer to a question as if in many cases the author is talking to his children or grandchildren. He records his own early days and the opportunity given by a scholarship at Bolton School, an education for which he continues to be grateful after many decades. FR Poskitt features as an impressive guide and mentor, in anticipation of the mentoring tradition developed later by Old Boltonians, and, like many of his generation, Joe Eden enjoyed Clifford Ingham’s early expeditions. He studied medicine at Durham University and describes the rigour of his training which led to general practice and emigration to Canada. By then he was married and he refers more than once to the moment when this partnership of 65 years began, a chance meeting during the interval at a dance he had been reluctant to go to. There were three more years before he qualified and he took a wide range of temporary jobs: butcher’s assistant, postman, bus conductor, railway porter and others, all of which gave him experience relevant to his future role as a doctor. He seems always responsive to his patients’ needs and had a particular interest in palliative care. He enjoyed and learned from a temporary posting in Honduras as a medical missionary and later joined the Order of St Luke where prayer is important in the process of healing. In an absorbing brief discussion of his work he tells us that “healing and cure are not the same thing”. If a patient dies that does not mean prayer has failed.

How Sweet It Is belongs a little later to the same period as A Teenager's War by Don Cole (Class of 1947) reviewed in The Bugle last spring. Each book vividly shows what it was to be a boy attending and leaving the School in those days and speaks to those who are here now.

Charles Winder (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-1999)

Wanted: Book Reviewers! If you enjoy a good read and would like to join our book review panel, we would love to hear from you! All this involves is reading a book written by a fellow Old Boy and sharing your thoughts on it in The Bugle.

Please contact the Development Office to register your interest.

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The Lost Textile Mills of Turton and Edgworth (1774-2000)

by Richard Horrocks (Class of 1961) The ability to integrate the perspective of the ‘eagle and the ant’ successfully is one of the ambitions of those who study and write about history. Richard Horrocks, in his book The Lost Mills of Turton and Edgworth (17742000), has more than met the challenge.

This is a fascinating and detailed exploration of the early development and eventual decline of the textile industry in Turton (Chapeltown) and Edgworth over a period of more than 200 years. The book considers in Part 1 the wider global, national and regional (Lancashire and the North West) context. In Part 2 the history of the 14 local mills is considered in detail highlighting the products and technical processes involved, the political, business and legal context affecting specific mills and the family, land and business ownership changes which shaped the successes and failures over the period.

Part 3 embraces the oral history tradition highlighting the experience of several men and women drawn from newspaper (Bolton Evening News) articles and more recent interviews. It is through combining these different research approaches that the rich complexity of the story is revealed.

The deep knowledge and affection for Turton and Edgworth as a place, and pride in the important role the area played in the early development of the Industrial Revolution, are evident. For the local reader and current pupils – and Old Boltonians in particular – there is much to enjoy. The language of the industry and the associated names will be familiar to many Old Boys and Old Girls.

Complementing the overall narrative flow are illustrations, photographs and detailed appendices which support the general thrust of the book, but will also serve to stimulate further interest and investigation by curious readers.

By 2000 most of the physical evidence of the mills had disappeared, the sites often developed for housing, leaving small remnants – a chimney at Quarlton Vale or a water wheel on Bury Road, for example – as reminders of the thriving industry which created these communities. The Lost Textile Mills of Turton and Edgworth will also leave an important written record of this important piece of local history.

Stephen Parry (Class of 1975)

Social Work: The Basics (second edition)

by Mark Doel (Class of 1969) Social Work may not be regarded currently as a fashionable profession or career choice, but Mark Doel demonstrates, in this second edition of his text, Social Work: The Basics, why this should not be the case. The book sits comfortably within a series of books published

by Routledge – The Basics series – which offers those interested a comprehensive understanding of each subject in an accessible form.

Readers will benefit from Doel’s long and wide-ranging experience of both the theory and practice aspects of social work presented in a way which clarifies the purposes, definition and history of social work in the UK, but also in other countries and communities.

His writing style is unapologetically partisan at times, but rooted in an evidence-based approach to understanding and interpreting differences in approach across cultures, countries and communities.

Although structured on a robust academic platform which describes the procedural, legal, regulatory and economic framework for contemporary social work practice, the text is enlivened by personal stories and an awareness of the importance of interpretation, judgement, symbolism and meaning in the day-to-day delivery of effective social work.

To illustrate this, an addition to the first edition is found in the discussion of 17 objects which social workers have identified as important to their own social practice.

This second edition also highlights how changes in cultural norms and increasing diversity constantly challenge how social work practice must adapt to ensure both relevance and effectiveness. Significant movements – MeToo, Black Lives Matter and Climate Change Activism – have already influenced social work and the experience of conflict, ‘natural’ disaster, global migration patterns will, as Doel discusses in the final chapter, continue to shape how social work is developed in future.

For those considering, or perhaps beginning, a career in social practice this is a helpful source of information and guidance. For those sceptical or unaware of the true role of social work Social Work: The Basics has the potential, perhaps, to make social work a better understood, fashionable and respected calling.

Stephen Parry (Class of 1975)

The Pickup family outside Gigg Lane, L-R: Ian (father), Tom, Math, Sam, James and Harry

Bringing Back Bury FC! Being a Bury FC fan has never been the easiest ride!

In our days at Bolton School, we were pretty much on our own, with most supporting Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool or Bolton Wanderers. There was the odd time we got bragging rights over school friends, such as when Bury beat City at Maine Road on Valentine’s Day 1998, as well as a 1-0 win at the Reebok/Macron/University of Bolton Stadium, in October 2003.

When we wore our Bury shirts during Wednesday afternoon games, the ‘Birthdays’ logo would often attract a few titters, and the jersey in general was nowhere near as well known as the swarm of red United shirts with ‘Sharp’ on the front, or the white Reebok adorned Wanderers tops. Sports teachers would often assume the name on the back of our shirts was our actual surname, rather than that of a player they hadn’t heard of (eg ‘Seddon 9’, ‘Pugh 11’ and ‘Lucketti 5’).

During our time at Bolton School, the Shakers achieved several promotions, but suffered just as many relegations and failed playoff campaigns. Since each of us left, it has been just as up and down, but we never expected we’d lose our beloved club.

In August 2019, just a few months after winning promotion from League Two in spectacular fashion, Bury FC were thrown out of the English Football League.

Our expulsion was as a result of catastrophic financial mismanagement – spending way over the odds to chase a dream of reaching the Championship, leaving us in millions of pounds worth of debt. The then chairman, Stewart Day, then sold the club to the infamous Steve Dale, who confessed to never having known there was a football club in Bury, for just £1.

Rumour has it that Mr Dale hasn’t even paid that quid.

Stripping away any assets he could, the club was left in such a sorry state that the EFL were not satisfied that Dale and his club could have the appropriate finances in place to see us through the 2019-20 season. At the same time, Bolton were in a dire situation, but were able to go into administration and be saved from there. Bury however, were kicked out of the football league, seemingly into oblivion.

The four years since has been a period of limbo, turmoil, division and struggle. With the club still technically existing, but not having any team to play, supporters were not united in how to try to bring Bury back. Some fans set up a new side – Bury AFC, competing in the North West Counties First Division, playing matches at Radcliffe’s Stainton Park. Others clung on to the hope that the original club could be saved, as various deals with Dale were close to being struck.

Ultimately, the original club had too much debt attached to it for anyone to want to pay millions to

take over. In late 2020, Bury FC finally went into administration, meaning interested parties were no longer dealing with Dale directly. Here was an opportunity to try something.

With the world slowly getting to grips with the pandemic, in May 2021, we set up the Est. 1885 group, comprised of former Bury FC directors, fans, members of the official supporters’ society and others, to see what we could do. With the financial help of several benefactors, themselves Bury fans, we managed to strike a deal to buy the ground, Gigg Lane, as well as assets such as the Intellectual Property, memorabilia and goodwill.

The amount raised by the benefactors was matched by the Government through their Community Ownership Fund, a grant which allows communities the chance to take ownership of local assets such as sportsgrounds, parks and clubs. After many months of hard work, on 18th February 2022, the news came through that we had Gigg Lane back, now under the control of the official supporters’ society.

Meanwhile, avenues to try to resurrect the football team had been closed off wherever we turned. The reunification of the fanbase through an amalgamation of the official supporters’ society and Bury AFC was seen by nearly every single stakeholder as the best option. An initial vote in October 2022, to merge the two community benefit societies, did not quite reach the threshold, but in May 2023, a second vote did get the amalgamation over the line.

In June, the FA confirmed that the football team playing under the newly amalgamated society would be called Bury FC, and fans could look forward to seeing their Shakers playing at Gigg Lane once more from July.

And on 29th July 2023, Bury played our first competitive game, back at our Gigg Lane home, in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division, thumping Glossop North End 5-1 in front of 5,451 fans! More than we got in the days when we played in the Championship! It was a fantastic, memorable day for everyone present, and on a personal level, one we could look on with pride and joy in what we as group, and as a family, had achieved.

“To be so actively involved in Bury’s revival was not something we expected to happen, but we’re so glad it did!”

It has been a long, gruelling few years for us and all Bury FC fans. But the future is looking bright, and the club can one day be back in the EFL, where it belongs. And if you want to watch any matches, or be involved at all – just ask! Up the Shakers!

Tom Pickup (Class of 2001), Matthew Pickup (Class of 2003) and Harry Pickup (Class of 2006)

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

Happy Birthday, Dear NHS! Samuel Doyle

Ralph Murphy

“In the 13 years since leaving Bolton School my life and career have developed in countless ways. However, many of the lessons and skills acquired at Bolton School remain with me.

Being a medical professional, the 75th Anniversary of the NHS has led to much personal and wider reflection on the role and expectations of our healthcare system. I am currently working as an Anaesthetics Registrar in Leeds, where I have lived for the past four years with my wife, Annabel, and our two-year-old Vizsla, Peggy.

“My time at Bolton School has certainly shaped my life and career to date. I have fond memories of both day-to-day life and the extra-curricular activities and school trips, particularly those to Patterdale Hall and abroad that provided an enriching experience that I often didn’t appreciate at the time. I decided after my GCSEs that I was more interested in science subjects and so decided to take Chemistry, Biology and Physics to A Level, with Mr Thompson (Physics) and Mr Schenk (Chemistry), two of my favourite teachers. This set me up well for applying to study Medicine at Imperial College, London, as I decided I wanted a profession working with people and involving science without having to sit at a desk and computer too often. School trips abroad helped spark my desire to travel and I have now worked and studied in South Africa, Uganda, India, Sweden, Canada, Japan and South Korea.

(Class of 2010)

“I have many fond memories of my time at Bolton School – several of them revolving around the music department or music-related activities and trips! I studied both GCSE and AS Music, as well being a member of numerous guitar groups, and I played an integral role in setting up the inaugural ‘Battle of the Bands’! All the Music Department were welcoming and friendly and made each lesson not only interesting, but also fun! A special mention goes to Mr Jeremy Bleasdale who taught me guitar, and, even more impressively, led two guitar tours abroad with a rowdy bunch of 16–18-year-olds.

“Bolton School was particularly influential in developing my communication skills and resilience, both essential requirements for working in healthcare. The encouragement of numerous extra-curricular activities fostered a more well-rounded and balanced approach to life and work. The encouragement and enjoyment the Music Department provided was vital in this, and always reminded me that there is more to life than just academic work! This is something worth remembering in my ongoing career in the NHS. “My role as an anaesthetist involves meeting and interacting with patients of all ages and backgrounds who are undergoing different types of surgery. Alongside this, I spend much of my time working in intensive care – from the relentless months treating very sick Covid patients, to working with the major trauma admissions via the air ambulance.

“I thoroughly enjoy it – the variety of situations ensures each day is interesting with new challenges and learning opportunities.”

“The past few years have certainly been very testing times for everyone, and particularly the NHS. Despite facing ever-growing, and seemingly insurmountable, pressures, at the ripe old age of 75 the NHS continues to be a national institution, even if by no means perfect! It has selflessly served generations of families and I hope that, in return, the British public will defend and respect the NHS.”

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(Class of 2005)

“I would certainly encourage anyone interested in medicine to explore how it is practised in other countries.

“Not only does it give you an appreciation of the NHS, it enhances your skills as a doctor.

“My time at Bolton School and at Imperial College has instilled a sense of confidence and a work ethic that has served me well throughout my medical degree, intercalated science degree, post-graduate diplomas, professional examinations and my doctorate at the University of Manchester. Ultimately I chose to specialise in plastic and reconstructive surgery. It is a particularly varied surgical specialty that is perhaps more focused on improving quality of life to patients than lifesaving treatment, although we often do both.

“I think a career in surgery and specifically plastic surgery is very fulfilling, immensely satisfying and also a real privilege” “I wouldn’t suggest any particular skills are required to progress in this field other than a strong desire to do it which I think is essential. On the other hand, if you have second thoughts about it, that’s normal, but if you commit to it and overall continue to feel that it is right for you as you progress, then you will find it a fantastic profession.”

Newsletter Autumn 2023

As the NHS celebrates its 75th anniversary we meet three Old Boys who reflect on how Bolton School prepared them for a career in this great institution.

Christian Warner (Class of 2013)

“My journey through education and into my chosen career has been a testament to the influential teachers and experiences that shaped me along the way.

“It was under the guidance of my teachers at Bolton School, to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude, that I was pushed to reach my potential. There are perhaps too many teachers to quote by name, but a special mention from me to Mr Stevens, Mr Prentki, and Mr Hiepko, who not only challenged knowledge and learning with great humour, but also fostered a great deal of ambition in all aspects academic and sporting respectively. In a moment of unexpected validation, I was awarded the Victor Lambert Prize in my final year at School recognising me as the most promising candidate for Medical Studies, acknowledging my personal qualities and unwavering commitment to the medical profession.

This award meant a great deal because of the high regard I had for my teachers’ opinions and guidance throughout my time at Bolton School. The School provided ground for both personal and professional growth; with exceptional facilities, nurturing environment, and robust support for university applications paving the way for my educational pursuits.

“Following School, I completed my first three years of medical schools and intercalated BSc in St Andrews before completing my MBChB in Manchester. I have subsequently passed my surgical exams to become a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) and been awarded a national training number in Trauma & Orthopaedics, and appointed to my current role as an Orthopaedic Registrar in the North West. My career choice was profoundly influenced by my father, James Warner, an

Orthopaedic Surgeon himself. The respect he garnered from his patients and colleagues left an indelible impression on me.

Witnessing his dedication to his patients and his field inspired me to tread a similar path, aiming to emulate his professionalism and compassion.

“The beauty of medicine as a career to me lies in its rewarding nature”.

It’s a privilege to be there for people during their toughest times and to aid in their journey back to normalcy. Witnessing patients’ satisfaction post-surgery or their journey to recovery after injuries is tremendously gratifying. However, the strain on the healthcare system has never been greater, demanding an exceptional level of commitment from healthcare professionals - upon which it has been overly reliant for too long.

“To pupils aspiring to follow a similar path, I would offer this advice: Few careers are as fulfilling as medicine on its best day.”

The profound impact you can have on individual lives is unparalleled. Yet, it’s essential to be aware of the sacrifices required. The demanding, and long, training pathway and the challenges of the healthcare system are just some of the ways in which your dedication and commitment will be challenged.

“In essence, my journey from School to an Orthopaedic Registrar has been one of growth, learning, and perseverance. The influence of exceptional teachers, the support of Bolton School, and the dedication to my chosen path have collectively shaped my career thus far. At 28 I still have over five years remaining in my training, but the fulfilment that comes from continued learning and skill development whilst making a positive impact on individuals’ lives keeps me extremely motivated.”

Junior Careers Carousel The annual Careers Carousel saw Old Boys and Old Girls return to School in May to share the world of work with Junior School pupils.

Mobeen Qureshi (Class of 2009) described the ups and downs of being a doctor before speaking more specifically about his work as a Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon, showing x-rays of fractures and breaks and passing around a real ball joint used in hip replacements! The Year 6 boys and girls had plenty of questions about being a doctor and performing surgery.

Dave Woods (Class of 1985) was inspired to become a sports journalist after a teacher at School gave him a book by Keith Waterhouse, himself a journalist. He started out writing stories for newspapers with an agency, but was plunged into radio when he was asked to cover Saturday football matches after the sudden death of a colleague. He is now the BBC’s Rugby League Correspondent and covers the sport for BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Online.

Finally, Alisha Patel (Class of 2011) shared her work as the Manager of the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre.

L-R: Sue Faulkner (He ad of Primary Division , Dave Woods, Mobeen (Head of Park Road), Qureshi, Steven King Alisha Patel

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Race Across the World Mobeen Qureshi (Class of 2009), a Trauma and Orthopaedics Specialist Registrar, recently had us glued to our TVs as we watched him and his wife take part in the BBC’s Race Across the World.

The pair were pipped at the post arriving at the final destination, St John’s on the island of Newfoundland, but learned a lot about life – and themselves – during their adventure across Canada.

“I had just finished another day of operating and was winding down on a cold dark December evening when I received an email from Studio Lambert to apply for the third season of Race Across the World. I was on their mailing list because I’d applied for the second season two years previously and made it to the final stages of the application process; however, I was not selected. One pandemic later and a few more years of grafting away on the frontline, feeling slightly weary, I encouraged my better half, Zainib, to apply with me this time. Previously I had applied with a friend because Zainib was convinced it was not something she’d ever want to do. She didn’t think we had a chance and was sure we wouldn’t get the time off work to even go, but we sent in a one-minute video of us rather nonchalantly explaining why going on Race Across the World would be a good remedy to our impending burnout.

“The selection process was very competitive – we were told there were approximately 115,000 applications for the third season, such had been the interest from the first two series.

The one-minute video led to individual telephone interviews, followed by Zoom interviews, face-to-face interviews and a little challenge in London where we had to get from one place to another without using a phone or our own money. At the same time as this was going on, and without any guarantee of being selected, we had to apply for a two-month career break by convincing our supervisors why this would be beneficial for ourselves and our careers. Although we thought it would be a hard sell, much to our surprise our supervisors were all very encouraging and supportive. Certainly, it was the first of many lessons I learnt, which was that if you do not ask, you will never know! Then, one month before the start date in April 2022, we received the phone call that we had been selected. We were asked to report to a hotel at London Heathrow airport where our bags were checked for contraband, our phones taken off us and the destination of our flight revealed … Vancouver. From that point on, we had no contact with our family or friends for the following two months. We lived without access to the internet and experienced life without any of the modern trappings of what we know as normality.

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“The race itself was intense. From the moment we arrived in Vancouver we were under the watch of one of the production crew. We had a microphone around our necks from the moment we woke up to the moment we went to sleep.”

We had the same crew with us at all times, which consisted of a Producer/Director, Assistant Producer, Runner and Security/ Paramedic. Even though their job was to capture everything we did or say, we became a family of misfits going through this extraordinary adventure. Each leg of the race lasted four to five days and it was a constant battle to make progress. There were a lot of times where we were desperate to move forward, but we weren’t able to due to not having any obvious public transport links or finding a friendly local to help us. The distances we had to cover were so vast that at times I could not compute how we would even make it to the next checkpoint, which led to the feeling of hopelessness. The first time I experienced this was in the first leg when we had to get from Prince George to Prince Rupert. We had spent day after day hitchhiking and had woken up on this particular day knowing that we had to cover 446 miles (718km) by late evening to catch the once-a-week ferry to Haida Gwaii. I had resigned myself after a few unsuccessful hours of holding up a sign pleading for somebody to help us, when Zainib miraculously found Corrie, a local who had just popped into Costco to get his flat tyre repaired. He agreed to drive us all that way simply because he had nothing better to do and needed to have a ‘nature day’! That was the moment I learnt another lesson: never ever give up hope!

“Our race continued in the same vein; we were helped throughout our journey and truly humbled by the kindness of the Canadian people. We met countless people who offered themselves to us and made friends along the way.

“Race Across the World reminded me of the times I spent at Patterdale Hall, doing the numerous activities that I thought I would never be able to do, from kayaking, camping, climbing mountains, cliff diving, gorge walking and numerous others.

That sense of adventure and having fun was rekindled in the Race. We chose routes which allowed us to experience new things such as skiing on Whistler, flying over the ice glaciers of Kluane National Park, driving a RV 2000km in two days, standing on ice floes in the Arctic Ocean (Hudson Bay) and riding the tidal bore on small motorboat. The ultimate lesson I have learnt by doing Race Across the World is to seek out adventure as much as possible.”

Staff in the Spotlight At the end of the Summer term the Boys’ Division bade a fond farewell to two longstanding Heads of Department: Mr Fernside (Sport) and Dr Yates (Chemistry) – the pair clocked up an impressive 55 years at Bolton School between them! Here they reflect on what it is about the School which drew them to stay for so long.

Dr Yates

(Boys’ Division Staff, 1999-2023) “I started teaching at Bolton School in September 1999 – in the last century! I started my teaching career at the Manchester Grammar School, where I worked for nine years. During this time, I participated in a one-year ‘teaching exchange’ with Knox Grammar School, Sydney; swapping houses and jobs with an Australian teacher for the year. One of my chores was cleaning out the swimming pool in the garden! I moved from MGS to be Head of Chemistry at Bradford Grammar School where I worked for two years before moving to Bolton School.

“The best part about working at Bolton School has been working with students, particularly those who have chosen to study Chemistry in the Sixth Form and with those students who take part in activities outside the classroom in which I have been involved, such as water polo, skiing and mountain biking.

I have also been privileged to have worked with some fantastic colleagues, particularly in the Chemistry Department where they have offered a rich source of ideas to bring into my own teaching.

“I have many memories, but a notable one must be the primary school workshop delivered by Old Boy and Nobel prize winner Sir Harry Kroto. Having advertised this event, over 900 local primary school pupils confirmed their interest in attending.

There was no suitable venue within School to host this number.

In a panic, I contacted Harry who simply said he would run two consecutive workshops! These were held in the Sports hall where, having built a buckminsterfullerene (C60) model, the pupils then used their models to shoot points through the basketball rings. Later that day Harry delivered a lecture to over 300 secondary school pupils. He was a fantastic communicator and the pupils were captivated sitting (uncomfortably) in the Sports Hall for over an hour whilst Harry talked about tennis, art, science and his career.

“When I started my career at MGS the internet did not exist; my teaching exchange to Sydney was arranged by letters and faxes

Mr Fernside

(Boys’ Division Staff, 1992-2023)

“I’ve worked at Bolton School for 31 years, having joined in 1992 from Bolton Institute where I was a sports coach. Prior to that I worked in heavy engineering (hydraulics) at various companies, including Edbro, JCB and the Ministry of Defence, with contracts in the Falkland Islands and Ascension Island, before returning to the UK to complete my coaching awards/degree and then my teacher training.

“Working in the Sport/PE Department at Bolton School has been fantastic. We are very lucky to have committed staff, fantastic facilities and pupils who want to play sport and to improve – a perfect combination.

“There have been lots of good times, but if I were to pick one

with the occasional (expensive!) phone call! At Bolton I have seen overhead projectors replaced by whiteboards and the introduction of iPads. The pastoral support has grown enormously. The job has become more demanding. In my early years I remember numerous colleagues heading to lunch at the Lion of Vienna on a Friday or sharing a sandwich lunch with colleagues in the Tillotson pavilion. More recently lunch would be eating a sandwich at my desk whilst replying to emails!

“What is my favourite Bolton School tradition? As the Year 13s approach the end of their school career I always enjoy the effort many make creating fancy dress outfits for their final cross country run.

“Over the past decade I have particularly enjoyed working in a support role with water polo coach Andy McGinty. He will be relatively unknown to most staff at he finishes work at 8.30am and starts again at 4.15pm. He has been an inspirational coach and mentor to our boys and, more recently, girls who play the sport. He coached School teams to a magnificent ‘treble of trebles’, winning all three English Schools water polo age group titles for three consecutive years (2015-2017), and the Under 18s to National School Champions from 2014 to 2022. In addition, for the past 11 years at least one Bolton School pupil (and on one occasion there were four) has been selected for the GB junior water polo team which competes in the European Championships.

“I now have a part time hybrid (using Zoom!) role, teaching to three classes in three different schools at the same time (for a multi-academy trust). This role has been created in part due to the lack of subject specialists; whilst this is not ideal for children in schools, it has proved an opportunity for me! I am also a first aid instructor able to deliver ‘First Aid at Work’ and ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ courses so that is something I also hope to develop.” theme it is probably the overseas tours. The cricket trips to the Caribbean and the rugby tours to South Africa are amongst my standout memories. Great times!

“School life has definitely changed over the years. It seems a lot busier now than it was in the 1990s – there is a very fast pace these days. Even the Summer term seems very busy, whereas it was once a great time for playing lots of cricket!

“My favourite Bolton School tradition dates back to when we had allocated dinner sittings: the bringing in of the Christmas pudding into the dining hall was a great occasion. For different reasons the fantastically delivered Remembrance Day assemblies led by Dr Holland will always be remembered.

“It has been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to teach PE and Sport at School for the last 30 years. We are very lucky to work at such fabulous establishment and often forget how picturesque our School grounds are.

“What are my plans for the future? This may sound cheesy … but the plan is to have ‘no plan’, thus leaving lots of time to go to my cricket club (Tonge) and rugby club (Bolton), do a spot of fishing and walk the dogs.”

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

EVENTS 1

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Old Boys’ and Old Girls’ Scottish Dinner

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St Leonard's Hall, University of Edinburgh, Friday 28th April 2023 After a prolonged break (for well-documented reasons!) the longstanding Old Boys and Old Girls Scotland Dinner was reinvigorated in Edinburgh.

Old Boys and Old Girls, some of whom are current students in this magnificent city, enjoyed an evening of reminiscing about their time at School.

John Markland (1966), Manahil Masood (2022), Summer Kay (2022) 2. Roy Battersby (1961), John Markland, Brian Darbyshire (1965), David Jenner (1960) 3. Peter Johnson (2019), Jane Sparrow-Niang (1972), Carol Haslam (née Bonser, 1966; GD Staff, 1987-2009) 4. Rebecca Whyte (2002), Stuart Brooks (1966)

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Foundation Former Staff Lunch Bolton School, Wednesday 7th June 2023 4

An impressive number of Former Staff from across the Foundation gathered for an enjoyable catch-up over a School lunch in the Leverhulme Suite of the Riley Centre.

Alan Wright (Headmaster, 1983-2002), Philip Britton (Head of Foundation), David Shaw (BD Staff, 1964-2002) 2. Jean Marsh and Ernest Marsh (1962; BD Staff, 1973-1976), Hilary de Maine (Former BD and GD Staff) 3. Philip Britton, Hugo Schenk (BD Staff, 1979-2010), Alan Prince (BD Staff, 1966-2002) 4. Ernest Marsh, Barbara Laycock (née Ingham, 1960), Peter Laycock (1958; former BD Staff, 1961-1965), Charles Winder (BD Staff, 1964-1999) 5. Sheila Cox (GD Staff, 1971-1974), Beverley Markham, Alan Wright, Veronica Wright (BD Staff, 1988-2002) 1.

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Alumni Cumbria Lunch

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Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, Windermere, Friday 16th June 2023 As usual, the annual Cumbrian get-together for Old Boys and Old Girls was generously hosted by Stephen Broughton (Class of 1970) at his beautiful hotel in Bowness-on-Windermere.

Harry (1964) and Christine Lane, Robin (1963) and Ann Magee 2.

Valerie (née Deans, 1958) and Malcolm (1957) Stevens 3. David Lowe (1954), Howard Stevens (1963), Richard Lowe (1962) 4. Deborah and Rik (1977) Thwaites 5. Stephen Lewis (1960), Moira Greenhalgh (née Stevens, 1964) 6.

Stephen Parry (1975), Valerie Fisher (née Broughton, 1968), Hilary Fenton (née Thompson, 1975) 7. David Jenner (1960), Judith Peel (née Dean, 1979), Anne Galloway (1979), Rosemary Claxton (née Lunn, 1979)

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Recent Leavers’ Reunion Bolton School, Tuesday 27th June 2023

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Following their first year of experiencing either university life or the world of work, the Class of 2022 returned to School to offer advice to current Year 12 students.

Afterwards they enjoyed catching up with each other and with their former teachers.

Shahzaib Imran, Affan Nabeel, Hamaad Choudry 2. Hannah Berisford, Alex Utley, Finley Littlefair, Jack Swires 3. Hamaad Choudry, Daniel Houghton, George Warren, Max Turner, Har-vey Leigh, Alex Dawson Mayol, Jack Huang, Callum Wong 4. Zen Jepson, Daniel Williamson; Karthik Ajith, Arsh Patankar 5. Farrell Saturley, Tega Uwanogho, Jacob Farnworth 1.

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Old Boltonians’ Association Annual Dinner 2023 This year’s Dinner will take place on Friday 1st December in the School’s Arts Centre.

The Dinner is always an extremely popular event and very much enjoyed by Old Boltonians of all generations. Details of how to book can be found at www.boltonschool.org/alumni-andgiving-back/alumni/events; alternatively, please contact the Development Office on 01204 434718 to pay over the telephone.

‘4’ Class Reunion

Class of 1992!

Calling all Old Boys who left in 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014!

Can you believe it’s been 30 years since you left School?

We will be holding a Reunion at Bolton School on Saturday 20th April 2024 for these year groups – Former Staff are also very welcome to attend, as are Alumni from other years.

As you are all contemplating turning the big FIVE O you now have the opportunity to celebrate this milestone with a blast from the past!

We hope to see as many of you as possible, so please get in touch with your classmates and make sure you all have this date in your diaries!

Members of the Class of 1992 are arranging a reunion night to take place on Saturday 18th May 2024. This will not be a School-organised event, but will take place at a venue in Manchester. It will be a fun night of reliving old memories and creating new ones.

Please register your interest at www.avinitagain.com, request to join ‘Avinit again! 2024 on Facebook or email: avinitagain2024@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible!

Alumni Events Calendar To reserve your place for any of our Alumni events, please call the Development Office on 01204 434718, email development@boltonschool.org or visit the ‘Alumni and Giving Back’ section of the School website (www.boltonschool.org) where you can book online.

2023 Thursday 30th November, 7pm

Tillotson Lecture

BD Great Hall

Friday 1st December, 6.45pm

Old Boys’ Association Dinner

Bolton School

Monday 18th December, 7.30pm

Boys’ Division Christmas Festival

BD Great Hall

Tuesday 16th January, 12 noon

Joint Old Boys’ and Old Girls’ Lunch

Bolton School

Friday 2nd February, 7pm

Alumni Cambridge Dinner

Clare College

Friday 1st March, 7pm

London Dinner

House of Lords

Saturday 20th April, 11.30am-4.30pm

‘4’ Class Reunion

Bolton School

Friday 3rd May, 7pm

Old Boys and Old Girls Scottish Dinner

University of Edinburgh

Tuesday 7th May, 7pm

Hulton Lecture

GD Great Hall

Friday 10th May, time TBC

Boys’ Division Founders’ Day Assembly

BD Great Hall

Monday 20th May12 noon

Old Boys’ Lunch and AGM

Bolton School

Wednesday 5th June, 12 noon

Foundation Former Staff Lunch

Bolton School

Friday 21st June, 12 noon

Alumni Cumbria Lunch

Lindeth Howe Hotel

Monday 24th June, 2.30-5pm

Recent Leavers’ Reunion: Class of 2023

Bolton School

June, date and time TBC

MCC Match

Bolton School

2024

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SPORTS

OBAFC, May 2023

Onwards and Upwards

“The final throes of the 2022-23 season are a receding bittersweet memory and the upcoming battles on and off the pitch promise an interesting yet daunting challenge as I muse, Janus-like, in the middle of the closed season.”

Both the first team and the reserves survived any threats of relegation and finished mid-table. The veterans and the A team were, as predicted, less successful, finishing last and next to last in their divisions. The A team finished on a high with a gallant display in the A and B teams’ cup final.

The ladies continued to shine, gaining promotion back to their premier division and putting up another gutsy performance in their cup final.

The club celebrated in mid-May with one final centenary event, namely a sun and nostalgia-drenched match involving some three dozen former players ranging in age from mid-thirties to midseventies. Numbers were, it must be admitted, augmented by one or two sprightlier fellows, but, irrespective of age or speed,

many glimpses of class shone through our possibly rose-tinted spectacles. Symbolically for the future, at least two father and son pairs finished the match. Later in the day, we enjoyed the inaugural end-of-season presentation evening with a lively and energetic commemoration of the season with all its ups and downs.

Once preparations for the year ahead began, facing the pressures of so much amateur sport, on assessing the likely finances and practicalities of increasing costs and reducing playing and team and club management rosters, the club has sadly had to drop the A team for at least the year ahead. On the playing front, energies are rightly being put into a galvanised stronger link with School and forging links with various charities and voluntary bodies providing youth football in Bolton with the intention both of Boltonian altruism and the much-needed potential generation of a flow of future players. Financially, committee brains are focusing on new ways of generating much-needed funds, be it new forms of sponsorship or fundraising events.

Janus is the Roman god of transitions and beginnings, so, whilst the month may not be January for either writer or reader, the club is on the threshold of another new phase; one it intends to be an effective streamlined model maintaining the strength of links with the past and pathways to a bright future.

Martin Wadsworth (Boys’ Division Staff, 1974-2006)

Old Boltonians’ Golf Society Report I AUTUMN 2023 “There is little to report this year in terms of the golf section as entry numbers have dwindled significantly over the past few years making it unviable to run the usual events of the Gwynne Jones Goblets, The Taylor Trophy and The Matchplay Rose Bowl.

“To this point I would urge any Old Boy who is interested in playing in these events next year to contact me over the winter so we can try to get these back in the diary in 2024.”

James Chadwick, Richard Sellers (both Class of 1998), David Cramant (Park Road, 1994-95), Nick Baxter (Class of 2003), Jeff Bennett and Guy Haynes (Class of 1995) were not able to make one of the three spots on offer. We will, of course, be giving it our best shot again next year.

Any Old Boy wishing to become involved in the Society may contact me on 07711 594030 or via the Development Office.

Mark Millhouse (Class of 1994) Golf Secretary

Sadly, the team assembled for the Grafton Morrish Qualifying at Huddersfield Golf Club in May was not successful in making it to this year’s finals in Norfolk. Lower qualifying spots and an ever-increasing standard meant that the team of

Freemasonry The Old Boltonians’ Masonic Lodge, No 5814, meets regularly in the Senior Library at School throughout the year. In line with the charitable intentions of the society, each year the Lodge provides support to both Divisions of Bolton School, in the form of pupil Bursaries and Scholarships.

Whilst membership of the Lodge has been opened up to other Freemasons, the majority of its members are Old Boltonians,

providing a unique way of keeping in touch with fellow Old Boys.

Members range in age from their 20s to their 80s, providing friendship to fellow Masons of all generations.

If you would like to hear more, please contact: David Poppitt – The Lodge Secretary E-mail: DPoppitt@aol.com Tel: 07785 728700

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

OLD BOYS’ NEWS Class of 1960-1969

J David Fielding (Class of 1963)

David still looks back with gratitude and happy memories on an education which prepared him for medical studies at King’s College, London, and King’s College Hospital Medical School.

He returned to the North after a year spent helping deliver medical care in KwaZulu, South Africa, witnessing the health and social consequences of apartheid. After a few posts, he then worked in hospital practice (part-time gastroenterology) and general practice on the Fylde Coast.

Since the pandemic, he has given several presentations to the Medical Society at Blackpool Sixth Form College and assisted at a mock Multiple Mini Interview session – hoping that, in spite of his advancing years, it may still be possible to make a difference for intending future health professionals.

David notes that there were just eleven boys in his Lower Sixth Biology class.

Sadly, four are no longer with us, but in recent years, following the 2015 Grand Reunion, he has had the pleasure of meeting up with contemporaries from Year 10 (Fourth Form) onwards.

David Pickup (Class of 1966)

David lives by the River Nene in Northamptonshire. He recently bought a new boat which he keeps close to his home and was faced with the decision as to what name she should have.

Many of his neighbours are unaware there is a part of England north of Leicester so David thought of a bit of education would not go amiss.

Hence his new boat’s name is ‘Old Boltonian’ and it’s beginning to work. People now know where David comes from and are aware of his background as the boat wears the Blue Ensign of the Royal Naval Sailing Association.

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Sean Murray-Smith (Class of 1967)

Having played rugby in Australia, New Zealand and Germany, a knee replacement has curtailed Sean’s playing career – he has not played since 2016 and must continue his rugby vicariously by being the doctor for the Adelaide University Rugby Club.

He also continues to train Medical students and GP registrars and has been appointed a lecturer at the University of South Australia. As the result of his research into dengue, malaria and other tropical diseases, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Australia, though his chances of further research into tropical medicine are low – he feels he is now at the White Dwarf stage of his medical career and will almost certainly retire from clinical practice in 2024.

Sean lives in Adelaide, South Australia, but hopes to be able to return to Bolton School at some stage – and to walk through the Great Hall again (after all, he does have Sixth Form status!).

Mark Doel

(Class of 1969) Mark has published a book called Washing Lines of the World.

Along with collaborator Jane Ebel and a number of friends, he has collected 64 photostories from around the world – from Chile to China, Ukraine to Wuhan.

Each short narrative is inspired by a photograph in which a line of washing features. It is a book of whimsy, with some philosophising: Typically, photos are selfies posed in front of something iconic like the Eiffel Tower: “Look at me, here, in front of something famous that everyone knows!” In contrast, washing line photos focus on the unremarked lives of others – unknown people and their quiet existences. Might they help us to practise empathy?

As one contributor notes, “There is nothing more intimate, domestic, funny, universal, revealing and heartening than a line of washing blowing in the breeze.” The book is self-published and Mark and Jane are seeking a commercial publisher.

Class of 1970-1979

Philip ‘Artie’ Gaskell (Class of 1970)

Artie is a leading member of Coastal Access for All (CAFA), a group which organises beach cleans along Lincolnshire’s coastline. He has recently been featured in the local press refuting claims that Skegness has the dirtiest beach in the UK. CAFA conducts regular surveys on behalf of the Marine Conservation Society which show that Skegness is actually one of the cleanest beaches in the country – indeed, Mablethorpe, Central Beach in Skegness and Central Beach in Sutton on Sea have all retained their coveted Blue Flag and Seaside Awards from last year. During September the group took part in the annual Great British Beach Clean, a ten-day-long initiative organised by the Marine Conservation Society, to encourage the public to help with cleaning up the UK’s beaches – Artie notes that since the Covid pandemic, volunteers seem harder to come by. CAFA also works with local and national businesses to provide equipment, risk assessments and public liability insurance.

Andy Beckingham (Class of 1972)

The small pilot programme designed

by Andy, a Consultant in Public Health, to test whether midwifery would be effective in improving childbirth in India (which previously had no midwifery) has expanded and proved highly effective and greatly improved maternal safety and satisfaction for more than 50,000 women since 2011 and has been expanded across ten States of India together with Indian Government, Indian Catholic Health Association, UNFPA, UNICEF, and many others.

Andy is very likely in his last year of life and still has lots of work to do before he feels he can make a timely exit from the world, but is pleased to see the ‘birth’ of Asian Professional Midwifery with its own academic journal (this is where you should search for Professional Midwifery Fernandez Foundation on the web). India has 26 million births per years so ‘massive

Newsletter Autumn 2023 potential’ is no overstatement.

Are you a midwifery or maternal health professional who would like to play a part in this massively potential initiative? Get in touch with the Fernandez Hospital or Foundation in Hyderabad, India. This has huge potential to make childbirth in India kind and compassionate towards women in a country where choice is rare for them.

John Holden (Class of 1973)

After School John attended Wadham College, Oxford and then spent 20 years in merchant banking. In 1994 he made a careershift into the arts, and became Head of Culture at the London think-tank Demos. He was a Visiting Professor at both the University of Leeds and City University London, an Honorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong, and held Board and Committee positions at numerous arts and academic institutions including the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Oxford University, The Royal Opera House, the Hepworth Wakefield, the Clore Leadership Programme and the Design Museum.

John has recently published a biography of Ralph Dutton, 8th Baron Sherborne, who gave his house, Hinton Ampner, to the National Trust. A Man and his Home has been described as ‘an enchanting read’, ‘a real discovery’, and an ‘admirable short biography’. It can be purchased in book shops, direct from the publisher, Pallas Athene, or online.

to deliver the 2023 Crookshank lecture at the FRCR admissions ceremony in Central Hall, Westminster, London. The Crookshank lecture and medal is the oldest eponymous lecture of the Royal College of Radiologists and is delivered at the spring admissions ceremony for new fellows of the college and their guests.

His work as Chair of the International Society for the History of Radiology has continued with meetings and lectures in Paris, Cracow and a forthcoming lecture in Remscheid-Lennep, Germany, this October.

Arpan has also continued his voluntary work in the Library of Birmingham, cataloguing Birmingham’s vast Shakespeare collection for the Everything to Everybody Shakespeare project and helping with exhibitions exhibiting the first Folio in the Birmingham collection. He is also a volunteer at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Arpan’s wife, Tina, has retired from general practice and they have been able to travel a bit, visiting Valencia and Rome earlier in the year. Their eldest daughter has just graduated from Oxford University in Economics and Management and is starting work as a management consultant in the City of London. Their youngest daughter continues her natural sciences course at Cambridge University and is doing a Royal Society of Chemistry funded summer research internship at the University of Birmingham.

Arpan would be delighted to catch up with Old Boltonians and may be contacted via the Development Office.

Paul Higham

Brian Parkin

Paul is delighted to announce that his first grandchild, Ezra Ernie Higham, made his appearance in this world on 4th July 2023. All are well and happy.

Brian teaches sophomore English Language Arts at the high school in Moab, Utah, USA. This June he was recognised as Grand County School District Teacher of the Year and in July as Utah Rural Schools Association Regional Teacher of the Year – congratulations! Brian has fond memories of his years at Bolton School and in particular of the instruction and encouragement of Mr Winder, Mr Wadsworth, and Dr Watson, all of whom continue to influence him to this day.

(Class of 1974)

Alan Towler

(Class of 1977) After 40-odd years in IT and business consulting in nine different countries, Alan is now retired and has emigrated to Brønshøj, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In recent years he has been in contact with Steve Lythgoe and Davids Ridyard and Townsend from the same era.

Arpan K Banerjee (Class of 1978)

Arpan continues to be busy during retirement. This spring he was invited

(Class of 1978)

Eric Tyson

(Class of 1979) While on a visit to Bolton from his home in Bristol Eric took the opportunity to play the organ in the Great Hall and reminisced about playing it during his days at School.

Class of 1980-1989

Charles Cowling (Class of 1981)

Congratulations to Charles who was ordained as a Deacon at Carlisle Cathedral on Saturday 1 July.

Charles with his family, including Bolton School Alumni Sally (Class of 2020), Hal (Class of 2017), Toby (Class of 2013) and Tom (Class of 2011)

Stefan Kukula (Class of 1983)

Stefan is a trustee of the UK charity Tech4All, as well as a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers. He had the great pleasure of attending the Engineers Trust dinner where the ‘Innovation4All’ award was L-R: Prof Masterton (Chair of Judges), Giles Keating (Chair presented to of Tech4All), Gayatri, Stefan Gayatri Sundar Rajan, a PhD student at the University of Oxford, for her INDECO project, which aims to bring cost-effective desalination for drinking water provision and cooling to areas of the world short on both.

Stefan also nearly got his daughter excited when it was announced that he was one of the world’s top 100 influencers – then it turned out it was

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023 in the field of tank storage, so she was then unimpressed!

Finally, Stefan’s organisation was ‘industrial training company of the year’ for the second year running according to Industrial Process News. Niche, but pleasing!

Richard Morris (Class of 1986)

At 6pm on Friday 1st September Richard set off in a race to circumnavigate the Mont Blanc massif and at 3.21pm on Sunday 3rd September he successfully completed the UTMB race (actually 109 miles clocked) in 45 hours and 21 minutes. This marked the end of a five-year quest.

Richard finished 1543 out of 2700 in the World Finals and 80th in his age group.

He didn’t sleep, burnt 17,000 calories, lost a stone (7kg) in weight, ate eight avocados to help fuel, used minimal sugars … and had one heck of a time!

However, it was knowing that family and friends were supporting him that enabled him to dig deep to complete, and in the last four hours and ten miles he really had to do that.

The whole race – from the start line, through the check points and down the finish straight (cheered on by family and friends) – was unbelievably emotional, but crossing the finish line brought a rush of emotions Richard had never previously experienced: a mix of ecstasy, relief, uncontrolled crying, satisfaction and achievement that will live with him forever. He hopes that this may inspire others to push through personal challenges or aims.

Richard’s challenge can be viewed on Relive! at www.relive.cc/view/ vWqBPXLJEQO.

Adrian Holt

(Class of 1987) Congratulations to Adrian who in May of this year was appointed as Chief Human Resources Officer of Eastman Chemical Company based in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Class of 1990-1999

Raja Mukherjee MBE

(Class of 1991)

Congratulations to Raja who was awarded an MBE in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours. Recognised for his

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20-year service to people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Raja has helped to shape the NHS service delivery and set up in this area of research. Raja is a national expert into the treatment of FASD and established the first, and only, specialist treatment clinic in Surrey. In 2021, in recognition of his work, he was made an Honorary Professor at the University of Salford.

Chris Ashworth OBE (Class of 1995)

Congratulations to Chris who was awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours List for his outstanding charity work across the globe.

Andrew Gray (Class of 1998)

Andrew stood to be the next MP of Selby and Ainsty in a by-election on 20th July. He stood as an independent and used AI to crowdsource his policies.

As far as he is aware, this had not been done in the UK ever before – it may even have been a world first too.

Andrew’s bid was unsuccessful; however, news of the first AI-powered candidate went international! And nationally, even Radio Four’s ‘Thought for the Day’ focussed on the issue.

Oliver Wotherspoon (Class of 1999) and

Alex Wotherspoon (Class of 2001) Alex and his brother, Oliver, have become the first people to efoil around Holy Isle.

Back in the Spring the pair made history by making the trip on their electric surfboard from Whiting Bay to Lamlash without stopping. The brothers have practised and developed their skills on Lake Windermere and the Isle of Anglesey, but wanted a greater challenge and so decided to tackle circumnavigating Holy Isle. They did the efoil challenge to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday, four years after kayaking around Arran in two days when they raised £20,000 for the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in memory of their mother.

Oliver and Alex are both successful local business owners. Oliver owns Cool

Canvas Ltd, which manufactures and installs bespoke natural playgrounds and has featured on Alan Titchmarsh’s Love Your Garden and George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, while Alex owns ARW Wealth Management Ltd, a company specialising in the trust and estate planning market with HNW individuals.

Both are keen on water sports and can be found efoiling, kitesurfing and foiling around coastal shores of the UK and beyond.

Class of 2000-2009

Phil Brickell

(Class of 2004) After leaving school, Phil went on to read law at Durham with a year on exchange in Hannover.

He specialised in EU law, writing a dissertation on the free movement of services and healthcare.

Following graduation, he spent five months travelling around South America putting his rusty Spanish to good use before starting work at Barclays on their graduate scheme.

He has since built a career tackling financial crime and now serves as the Head of Anti-Bribery and Corruption Controls Optimisation at NatWest Group.

Last year Phil married Emma, whom he met in the Labour Party. In addition to being elected as a councillor, Phil was recently selected to be Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Bolton West at the next general election.

More information about Phil’s campaign can be found on Facebook at Phil Brickell for Bolton West, on Twitter at @Phil_Brickell or he can be contacted on email: phil@philbrickell.uk.

David Teasdale (Class of 2007 and Boys’ Division Staff)

David Teasdale (Class of 2007) married Natalie Shaw, in a ceremony in Manchester on 14th July 2023

Peter Thornley (Class of 2007)

Huge congratulations to Peter who married Jenny Linley on 5th May at St Alkeldas Church, Giggleswick.

Their romance actually began at a Boltonian weekend away arranged by

Newsletter Autumn 2023 Natalie Parry (née Swift, Class of 2007), Jenny being a mutual friend of another guest.

is bigger and better in Texas; however, it does lack a decent chippy and a Greggs …

Alistair Topping

Peter’s brother, Richard (Class of 2005) was Best Man and the wedding was attended by close family and many Bolton friends, including Natalie Parry, Russell Mancini-Hedley, James Hitchen, Rob Sharpley, Rachel Young, Shivani Siddall (née Fernando) (all Class of 2007) and James Clarke (Class of 2005).

Best of all, Fort Worth is where James met his wife, Kristin. They married in June by the shores of Lake Como.

Looking ahead, their plan is to stay Stateside, but you never know what the future holds – James would never have thought that ten years on from leaving Bolton School his life would have unfolded in quite the way it has!

Following his time at Bolton School, Alistair has gained a BSc in Pharmacology and an MRes in Cellular Signalling and Structural Biology from the University of Liverpool.

The reception was held at the Red Lion Hotel, Burnsall, where the guests were entertained by the 18-piece Swing City Big Band. The Bride and Groom started the evening dancing to the 007 Bond theme We have all the time in the world.

Class of 2013

Class of 2010-2019

Sam Stuart

(Class of 2010) Congratulations to Sam who got engaged to his partner, Sean, in Paris, where they had met six years ago whilst Sam was working there for Apple. The whole thing was a complete surprise for Sean, and the entire day was made even more special by the outpouring of love the couple received from family and friends.

Sam and Sean are planning a May 2025 wedding in London and California (where Sean is from).

James Rowan (Class of 2013)

James now lives in Texas, USA. After graduating from Newcastle University, he joined BAE Systems, a defence contractor supporting the UK Armed Forces and other foreign military customers. His roles have taken him from working on an active RAF base in Lincolnshire, to Saudi Arabia and most recently, Fort Worth, Texas where the F35 fighter jet is manufactured.

Fort Worth is a fantastic place to live; it has a small city feel, but with its proximity to Dallas and being fairly centrally located in the US, it’s a great spot for travel. James’ parents visited just after Covid restrictions were lifted, and they all got to see several bucket list locations including Washington, the Grand Canyon and the Golden Gate Bridge.

It’s true what they say that everything

On 18th August 2023, eight Bolton School friends from the Class of 2013 – Charlie Bleasdale, Nathan Stansfield, Will Doyle, Elliott Sutton, Andy Shaw, Hayden Smith, Joe Beavis, and Piers Crowther – along with local pal Ryan Rollins completed the UK Three Peaks Challenge by climbing the three tallest peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Snowdon) in the UK. They began early on the Friday evening and completed the challenge the following day, early on Saturday evening. It was an incredibly difficult physical and mental challenge, but their perseverance was rewarded by reaching more than their target of £6,500 for the national charity PAPYRUS, dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. The total at the beginning of September was £7,312.

Sadly, all of the fundraisers completing this challenge have been affected by suicide in some way and, as a result, this group of friends decided to take on the challenge to help raise awareness and funds for Papyrus, so that they can continue their amazing work in helping young people get the support and advice they need before it is too late.

Suicide is the biggest killer of young people under the age of 35 in the UK. PAPYRUS provides confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through their helpline, HOPELINEUK.

(Class of 2014)

Since the completion of his Master’s degree, Alistair has been working as a Research Assistant at the University of Liverpool, in the Clock Lab within the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences.

He is very proud to announce that he will be commencing his PhD studies in October 2023, having been awarded a fully-funded BBSRC iCASE PhD scholarship in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, the University of Durham and Nevrargenics Ltd, working on novel pharmacological compounds designed to target Motor Neurone Disease (ALS), and will be using time-of-day based delivery and novel pharmacological techniques to help determine the toxicity profile of these drugs.

Christian Sharrock (Class of 2015)

Congratulations to Christian who married Becca McCallum on 2nd September 2023 at All Saints Church in Patcham, Brighton. Amongst other guests, the day was attended by a number of Old Boys from the Class of 2015. After a honeymoon in Singapore and Bali, the couple start their married life in Bristol where Christian has just begun the last year of his PhD at the University.

Class of 2020 onwards

David Martindale

Huw Nightingale

Congratulations to David and his partner Natasha Lomas (Class of 2014) who welcomed their daughter, Lily Rose Martindale, on 19th May 2023, weighing 5lbs 5oz and arriving three and a half weeks early!

Congratulations to Huw who became World Champion in the team Snowboard Cross event at the World Championships Bakuriana Georgia March this year.

(Class of 2014)

(Class of 2017)

Happy family: Natasha, David and Lily Rose

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Graduations Galore Congratulations to all Old Boys who have graduated this Summer!

Good luck and best wishes to you all as you take the next steps in your careers.

Andrew Livesey (Class of 2006)

Andrew’s path to academic excellence has always been clear. Noted for his contributions to School life, as a Sixth Form Monitor and 1st XV rugby player, his ambitions reached new heights when he recently completed an Executive MBA from HEC Paris – celebrated as the finest programme of its kind globally.

Having decamped to Geneva some nine years ago, Andrew’s insatiable thirst for knowledge led him to Paris. His goal? To broaden his global business insight, extend his professional network, and explore fresh opportunities.

Complementing his achievements whilst at HEC Paris, Andrew has also garnered accolades from both Stanford and Berkeley Business Schools in California, USA. Embodying HEC’s motto, ‘Learn to Dare’, Andrew now casts his gaze to Asia, with a determination to deepen his understanding of the semiconductor industry, specifically in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. With budding entrepreneurial aspirations and a commitment to start-up mentorship, Andrew’s journey of learning is far from over.

James Beamish (Class of 2017)

James graduated in July from the Project Management Integrated Degree Apprenticeship Scheme at BAE Systems. This fiveyear scheme provides apprentices with yearly placements within the business, as well as external opportunities within defence and security partner organisations. Alongside the five yearly placements, apprentices study for a Project Management (BSc) Honours Degree and a level 6 Project Management Apprenticeship qualification. In his final year on the scheme, James completed a secondment with the UK Defence Solutions Centre, working as a Market Intelligence Lead to help develop strategic partnerships between the UK government, UK defence industry and other nations around the world.

Since graduating from the Degree Apprenticeship, James has now started work as a Strategist/Business Development Lead within BAE Systems, working alongside senior

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figures to enhance the company’s ‘Air Strategy’. We wish James all the very best for life in his new role.

Thaw Chit

(Class of 2017) Following completion of his bachelor’s degree last year, Thaw has now graduated from the University of Bristol with an upper second-class Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering.

He will now start work with Thales UK as a Hardware Engineer on their Graduate Development Programme, working across four one-year placements whilst completing his Postgraduate Diploma in Engineering Management at Cranfield University.

Sam Tilley

(Class of 2017) Sam has graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Medicine (MBBCh) and a First with Honours in an intercalated BSc focusing on Emergency, Pre-Hospital and Immediate Care.

Sam is now working as a junior doctor in the North West, currently at Alder Hey in Liverpool. His aim is to work in the pre-hospital critical care sector, for example in the Air Ambulance service.

Ahmed Ismail (Class of 2018)

Ahmed has graduated from the University of Manchester having been awarded the degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery.

He now plans to experience different aspects of dentistry, with an aspiration to run his own dental practice one day.

Rehan Ashraf (Class of 2019)

Rehan has graduated from the University of Salford with BSc Honours in Marketing.

The programme provided an enriching academic journey, equipping him with comprehensive knowledge in international marketing, strategic marketing, and various other vital business disciplines. Alongside gaining a strong theoretical foundation,

team-based projects helped him to hone his practical skills.

Rehan is currently employed at ACE Money Transfer, a family-run multinational enterprise operating in the Fintech (Financial Technology) industry. The primary focus lies in facilitating smooth remittances globally; Rehan is responsible for Relationship and Development, collaborating with diverse business partners. Looking ahead, his aspirations revolve around further growth within ACE Money Transfer, leveraging the valuable skills and knowledge acquired throughout his academic journey at Bolton School, Runshaw College, and the University of Salford, while advancing his own career within the dynamic Fintech sector.

Peter Johnson (Class of 2019)

Peter has graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a First Class degree in German and Politics and thoroughly enjoyed his year abroad in Mainz. He has now embarked on a postgraduate course, studying for an MA in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Salford.

Alex Matthews (Class of 2019)

After four years Alex graduated from the University of Warwick with a 2.1 degree in German and Economics. Despite the challenges during this period he enjoyed the experience, particularly the year abroad living in Bavaria. Alex is now considering his options for a career and looks forward to putting the skills he learned at Bolton and Warwick into practice.

Owen Critchlow (Class of 2020) Owen has graduated from the University of Leeds with a BSc Hons 2:1 in Product Design.

Matthew Nally

(Class of 2020)

Matthew has graduated from the University of Liverpool with First Class Honours in Law, and commenced his Bar course in September.

L-R: Richard Washington, Michael Yates, Ian Kelly, Jon Marsden, Tim Lightfoot

Cricket Catch-Up A group of friends from the Class of 1993 met up in June to watch the Ashes Test Match at Edgbaston.

Friends Go Fishing A contingent of The George Lancashire Appreciation Society (Class of 1974) enjoyed a trout fishing break to Appleby-inWestmorland last September. The event was efficiently organised, generously funded (and the competition won) by Ned Ashton.

1st XI March 1969: Rob is back

European Union Oliver Croston, Robert Dunning and Tom Hardcastle (all Class of 1996) recently met up in Helsinki for the weekend. Oliver works in technology communications for the emergency services and lives in Bristol, Robert is a medical GP and lives in Melbourne, Australia, and Tom works for an innovation consultancy and lives in Chester. The three of them look to meet up irregularly in different European cities when Robert travels back – each time a new one to the three of them. They send their best wishes to the Class of 1996 and staff from that time.

L-R: Robert, Oliver and Tom

Mini Reunions German Connections

Nick Taylor, Ned Ashton, Graham Dickinson, Dave Berry and Brian Willman

row, far left and David is front

row, far right

Football Friendship David Seddon (Class of 1971) and Rob Haworth (Class of 1970) met up for the first time since 1970 and reminisced over lunch about the best football team either played in: Bolton School 1st XI in 1968-69.

Nigel Davis, Andy Wrennall, Patrick Winterbottom, Ian ‘Reg’ Denby and Iain Round

Following his A Levels this Summer, Luca Kelly (Class of 2023) was afforded the opportunity to travel extensively across Western Europe, including a pleasant visit to vast swathes of northern Germany, made possible by a generous grant from the Scott Bolton Trust.

During his visit to Hamburg, Luca met with Andrew Craston (Class of 1970) who supports the Maynard Andrews prize for which Luca was nominated for his academic achievements in German. The pair spoke over coffee about current affairs, Andrew’s time at Bolton School and subsequently at university and as a journalist, from which Luca gained an excellent insight into the German media industry.

Reunion at Sea

Fun in the Sun

Rob (left) and David had plenty to catch up on!

Five Old Boltonians from the Class of 1986 and their wives enjoyed a week in Majorca.

While on board Cunard’s ship Queen Victoria recently, Alan and Veronica Wright (Headmaster, Boys’ Division, 1983-2002; and Boys’ Division Staff, 1987-2002 respectively) noticed a familiar name on the list of officers: First Officer Christopher Rowles.

Third Officers on the ship. Subsequently he has risen through the ranks of Second Officer to his current position as First Officer in which he is principal navigator of the ship. He has also attained his Chief Officer qualification and, latterly, his Captain’s Licence which permits him to be in command of any vessel.

Chris (Class of 2009) joined the company as a Deck Cadet after leaving School, studying at South Tyneside College for the next three years interspersed with periods at sea. When the Wrights last met him on board on a similar cruise in 2013 he was one of three

With the agreement of the Captain for this voyage, Chris hosted a visit to the navigation bridge for Alan and Veronica as the ship steamed northbound up the coast of Portugal – a rare and much appreciated privilege.

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6

1

2

Looking Back

2

5

8

3

4

7 1 2

Frank Millhouse (Class of 1961) sent in this form photo from 1958. Frank is fourth from right, behind teacher Jack Sweeney and next to Derek Lever Tim Taylor (Class of 1979) sent in these super pictures of his time at Beech House Tim is at the front; his best friend George Leather is standing back right.

3

Rik Thwaites (Class of 1977) has not only sent in this fabulous photo of a Park Road coach trip, but, after much consultation with several other classmates, has identified all the boys taking part! 1. Nick Lefel. 2. Bob Ogilvie 3. Mike (Harry) Ainsworth 4. Mike Parkinson 5. Rick Raistrick 6. Andrew Kay 7. David Savage 8. John Yates 9. David Marron 10. lan Cuthbert 11. Chris Ramsden 12. Andrew Palmer 13. David Townsend 14. Phil Cuerden 15. Richard Thwaites 16. Thomas Mason 17. George Allison 18. Chris Lowe 19. Chris Thomason 20. Pete Speak 21. Mike Taylor 22. Peter Nightingale (Staff) 23. Jeff ‘Jed’ Lomax (Staff) 24. Martin Roberts 25. John Sherrington 26. Steve Oxford 27. Peter Fowler 28. Mark Byers 29. Michael Haworth

4 5 6 7 8

Thank you to Peter Acton (Class of 1971) for this photo of Lord Haslam meeting Tom Duckworth (Class of 1956) and his wife Peter also sent in this photo of the 2nd XI Hockey team 1970/71 – Peter is second from the right on the back row Saundersfoot Camp, 1986 Chess National Gold Award, 1997 These photos of the Russian trip in 1993 were sent in by Roy Waterhouse (BD Staff, 1971-1993)

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Newsletter Autumn 2023

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9

14 15

13

12

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A nostalgic trip down Chorley New Road – photographs from across the decades.

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Postcard from Pip Porter to the Saundersfoot camp, 1958 Harry Lane (1964), Nick Lane (1992), Richard Washington (1993), Keith Washington (1963)

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A Level Results Day, 2006

12 13 14 15 16

German Olympiad, 2014 House Prizes, 2007 Harvest Festival at Park Road, 2013 125 Years of the OBA, 2020 Sixth Form helpers on the Rheinland Trip, 2019

If you have any photos of your time at School which you would like to share please email them to development@boltonschool.org.

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023

ARCHIVES

Who was Nathaniel Hulton?

The inaugural Primary Division Lecture – The Hulton Lecture – was delivered by Old Boy Rob Dobson (Class of 1982) in May of this year, but Alumni will not necessarily appreciate the significance and depth of the Hulton links with School. Who, therefore, was Nathaniel Hulton?

Nathaniel Hulton was born in Breightmet, Bolton, in 1623. His later life, following the death of his wife, was spent in London where he was a member of the Salters’ Company and it was there that, in 1681, he first devised the scheme for the Charity Trust, which officially came into being ten years later. He was a staunch Presbyterian and his Non-Conformist background and his desire to promote religion, learning and charity were the inspiration for the Trust. When first formed in 1691, the Trust’s income arose from property in Whitworth, Lancashire, that was generating £32 per annum, of which £15 was to fund 30 weekly sermons or lectures to be delivered in Bolton by a Protestant minister, £6 for the purchase of Catechisms or Bibles for children of the poor and any residue, after an allowance of 50 shillings annually for a dinner for the Trustees, to be distributed in ‘Deeds or Works of Charity’ as decided by the Trustees.

The lectures, in their early days, were frequently given at the Presbyterian Meeting Place at the corner of Deansgate and Mealhouse Lane. Later, in 1696, a replacement chapel was built – Bank Street Chapel – and, from its earliest days, the Nathaniel Hulton Charity retained very close links with the Bank Street Chapel, with some of its members always acting as Trustees of the Charity.

Over the years, as the property income increased, the Trustees had much more money available to expend on charitable works, after having discharged its duties to provide lectures and Bibles. In 1696, for example, it donated funds to help build the Bank Street Chapel, of which Nathaniel was a member. Then, in the early 19th century, the Trustees established a charity school in Moor Lane, for about 30 children of all denominations, a very liberal act in the rigid denominational atmosphere of the time. The Education Act 1870 placed an elementary education within the reach of the poorest and this removed the rationale for a non-denominational Charity School and the Moor Lane school was handed over to the Bolton School Board in 1880, ‘subject to a moderate rent and a reasonable notice’. After a few years the school was closed by the School Board and the premises were used for a time as a recreation club for working girls. Finally, the buildings were sold to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company and the proceeds invested by the Trustees.

a new scheme in 1892 whereby half the Trust’s net income was ‘appropriated to the development of the Bolton Grammar School’, a quarter to the High School for Girls and the remaining quarter allocated at the discretion of the Trustees.

It is clear, however, that the Hulton Charity was helping the School before 1892. In the book written by Veronica Millington (Girls’ Division Staff, 1988-2006) about Fanny Eliza Johnson (Headmistress, 1888-1893) it is stated that at the opening of the new High School at Park Road in 1891, Miss Johnson thanked the Hulton Trustees not only for providing a scholarship each year to an Elementary School pupil, but also for a newly-established Leaving Scholarship of £35 for two or three years to a pupil of 17 or more who wished to go on to University.

The Hulton Scholars board in Boys’ Division records the names of boys who benefited from the scholarships and this begins in 1891, again before the 1892 scheme was introduced, and continues until 1942. In his School history Bill Brown states that the Trust endowed “not more than three scholarships of £50 each tenable at any university by boys not eligible for Popplewell awards.”

In 1986 the Girls’ Division began a series of Nathaniel Hulton Lectures funded by the Trustees and these continued until 2000.

These included a lecture by Thomas Pitfield, composer of the School Song, in 1988 and one by former Headmistress, Margaret Spurr, in 1994. There was also a Nathaniel Hulton Essay Prize for a number of years in Girls' Division with a Senior Prize of £350 and a Junior Prize of £25. The last recorded Nathaniel Hulton Essay Prize was awarded in 1992.

There have thus been links between the Hulton Charity and the School since 1691 and it is therefore highly appropriate that the new Primary Division lectures should bear the Hulton name.

Meet the Archivist Eric Fairweather If you have a question about the School’s history or would like to donate to the Archive any photographs or artefacts from your time at School, Eric would love to hear from you.

E: development@boltonschool.org

Thereafter the Charity began to devote a great part of its income to the provision of scholarships for pupils at the Bolton Grammar School and the Bolton High School for Girls. This led to

Record Breakers Current pupil Mark Lintott’s recent record-breaking performance in the 200m prompted a delve into the archives to see how long some of the Boys’ Divisions athletics records have stood – perhaps these times and distances will inspire some competition in School!

Event

Name

70m Hurdles 75m Hurdles 80m Hurdles 100m Hurdles 110m Hurdles 400m Hurdles 100m 200m 300m

DJ Hytner (Class of 1994) 1988 PT Atherton (Class of 1997) 1992 S Smith 1992 AJ Salem (Class of 1991) 1989 M Hawksworth (Class of 1983) 1983 R Critchley (Class of 1992) 1991 M Kenny (Class of 2008) 2005 MS Lintott (Year 11) 2023 J Yearn (Class of 2017) 2014

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Year

Time/ Distance 12.3 12.7 12.3 14.8 16.4 64.5 11.2 22.75 38.2

Event

Name

Year

Time/ Distance

400m

CJ Eatough (Class of 1993)

1990

52.1

800m

A Keat (Class of 2014)

2012

1:59.88

1500m

AJ Parker (Class of 1993)

1992

4:16.0

3000m

G Lilleywhite (Class of 2017)

2015

9:37.6

High Jump

NM Isherwood (Class of 1985) 1985/ /J Shaw (Class of 2016) 2016

1.85

Long Jump

MG Power (Class of 1980)

1980

6.32

Triple Jump

B Parmenter (Class of 1993)

1992

13.16

Newsletter Autumn 2023

LIVES REMEMBERED Roland Eric Brough Arthur (1950-1956)

Roland was born in Radcliffe in 1938, son of a mechanical engineer and a teacher. He had one sister, Valerie.

After the war the family moved to Bolton and Roland gained a scholarship to Bolton School.

He enjoyed his time at the School, making lifelong friendships with several of his peers. He was also friends with Sir Ian McKellen, although didn’t keep in touch after leaving School.

Roland left School after O Levels to train to be a Civil Engineer at Booths Steelworks.

To gain his qualifications he attended Salford Tech (now University) at nightschool, graduating as both a civil and structural engineer.

After qualifying he married Christine and took a job in Altrincham in a private engineering firm before moving to Bury Metro to work in the Engineers’ department. After a few years he moved to Bolton Council Engineering Division, where he specialised in the design and maintenance of the Borough’s roads and bridges. Taking various opportunities for promotion over the years, he became a senior engineer for the Borough, building up a considerable expertise in the structures and idiosyncrasies of many of the roads and bridges around the town. He was always very proud to tell people that he was the chief engineer responsible for the design of St Peter’s Way in 1971.

In 1991 he took the opportunity of early retirement and embarked on his ‘third age’. His days were filled with a mix of charity work (Bolton Samaritans – he was a volunteer Samaritan for 53 years) and also spending time using his exceptional talent as a portrait artist to fulfil commissions for people who requested pictures of relatives or a well-loved family pet. He and his second wife, Pat, also used the early days of their retirement to travel extensively.

Their long-haul destinations were Hong Kong, New Zealand, Peru, Nepal and several return trips to China. They also had several holidays in the USA and Canada.

But Roland’s favourite holiday was the

journey on the Hurtigruten up and down the coast of Norway to the Arctic Circle.

He took this trip several times at different times of year and never tired of the stunning Norwegian scenery.

Roland’s daughter, Denise, moved to Scotland with her husband in 1992. Roland and Pat made holidays in Scotland a twice-yearly occurrence. His family roots were Scottish (his grandfather was from Dundee – where Denise now lives) and he always said that he felt he was ‘going home’ when visiting there. Roland’s step daughter, Jill, moved to Sheffield with her husband and after retirement he and Pat enjoyed spending time there, especially after the arrival of Jacob and Ben – the grandchildren.

Roland and Pat lived in Heaton from 1984-2023 resulting in his driving past his old School most days! He died in March 2023 in Perth, Scotland where he had moved to be closer to his daughter, Denise.

He leaves his wife, Pat, his daughter, Denise, and step daughter, Jill.

Denise Jackson (née Arthur)

Peter Boardman

(Class of 1960 and he involved) When I joined Alan Mitchell’s Lower II class in January 1953 Peter Boardman and I became good friends. We were both keenly interested in sport and, coincidentally, shared exactly the same birthday. He lived near the Bolton Wanderers training ground and I hold him totally responsible for my life-long support of the local team.

He loved football, but his real passion was for cricket. He once told me that he could have written a book on Cricket at the age of 15.

Wisden will tell you that he topped the school batting averages in the unbeaten season of 1960.

He read Law at Sheffield University and

was joined there in 1961 by five Old Boys also studying Law. They were Peter Nightingale, Jeff Banks, Mike McNeill, Barrie Atherton and Will Lee (all Class of 1961). He captained the Sheffield University cricket team and it was in Sheffield that he met his wife, Ann. He graduated in 1963, undertook Articles in Manchester, and was admitted to the Roll of Solicitors by Lord Denning in December 1966.

He married Ann in 1965 and their daughter, Nicola, was born in May 1967. Peter continued his interest in cricket and was captain of Farnworth CC in the Bolton League where he was highly respected for his tactical know-how.

The family moved to Southend-onSea in 1969 where Peter became a partner at Cooper Lingard Solicitors alongside his cousin. He soon established himself on the local cricketing scene and it was no surprise that he soon became captain of Westcliff-on-Sea CC and on one occasion captained a team including Trevor Bailey and Tom Graveney.

He was also a regular visitor to Lords.

The family home was in Chalkwell, close to the Thames Estuary, and it was here that their sons, James and Tim, were born. Peter promoted social justice through charitable work with the Rotary Club and his support of a homeless charity. He was also a committed member of the Labour Party.

On retirement Peter and Ann moved to Newcastle to spend more time with family and enjoyed many weeks each year in their idyll in the Algarve. Their last trip there was the month before he passed away. Peter filled his retirement life with literature through Newcastle University’s Explore programme, travel, helping care for his grandchildren and volunteering for the National Trust at Cragside.

He was a driver for patients at St Oswald’s Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, and supported EducAid in Sierra Leone.

At his 80th Birthday celebration he remarked, in a spirit of contentment, that his life’s aims were entirely fulfilled.

We kept in close touch throughout our lives and it was a real pleasure to celebrate our 80th birthdays together.

Peter and Ann were regular attendees at the Old Boys and Old Girls Cumbria Dinner where we always made sure that they were on the same table as Peter Nightingale and

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023 myself. I was honoured when he agreed to be my speaker at the Old Boltonians’ Annual Dinner in December 2009.

He leaves Ann, his beloved wife of 57 years, his three children, Nicola, James and Tim, and eight grandchildren. He is predeceased by a half-brother, lan Smith.

David Jenner (Class of 1960) and Peter Nightingale (Class of 1961)

Philip Conn (1943-1949)

My father, Philip Conn, who passed away in May 2022 aged 89, was a pupil at Bolton School in the 1940s, and always talked very fondly and proudly about his time there.

We are very grateful to the School’s current Development Office and Archivist who kindly looked up and sent details of his time at the School.

They included many details we did not know about before, and provided us with an enlightening picture of his school years, which he clearly relished at the time, involving Debating and Literary himself in many activities.

Philip joined the school in April 1943, so was only just ten years old, and he left in 1949, one day before his 16th birthday. His parents had moved north from London and his father worked as a clothing merchant.

My Dad always said he had been the only Jewish boy at his Bolton primary school.

There was a small Jewish community in Bolton at that time and the family were active members of it.

Philip, second left, in the School’s production of The Devil’s Disciple

The details found in the School archives show that Philip was awarded a Lever Exhibition, similar to a bursary, a year after he joined the School, and this significantly reduced the fees his parents had to pay.

He involved himself in the Junior Literary and Debating Society and was an active

36

debater, which was not a surprise for us to learn, and was also involved in drama, acting in plays. The School records include some details from letters that he wrote to the Headmaster, as boys did during Summer holidays, which provide an atmospheric glimpse of life in the 1940s, including being kept off the beach in Bournemouth because soldiers were practising clay shooting.

It was emotional and enlightening to read the notes of his time at Bolton School, and it is clear how much he enjoyed it, and why he talked so fondly about it all his life.

My Dad did not have the opportunity to go to university, but as a young man he worked his way up to qualifying as a solicitor. He became a partner in wellknown law firms in Manchester, and very much enjoyed those years, until he retired in the mid-1990s.

He married my Mum, Gita, in 1961, they had my two brothers, Alex and Raphael, and me, and there are now ten grandchildren.

My Mum and Dad subsequently divorced.

Philip later had a long-term partnership with Jan Margolis, whose children and grandchildren treated him as part of the family, which he greatly valued.

He is very much missed, and we are thankful for the details from the archives; they brought to life and enhanced our understanding of his happy years at Bolton School.

having a ‘Fiona cocktail’ – one part Mount Gay rum, two parts apple juice (chilled), no ice, with a squeeze of lemon, or a happy hour toast in his honour.

This cocktail was served daily on his yacht and usually followed the cleaning chores as a reward!

In 2015, Eric gave a generous gift to the Girls’ Division to establish The Dr Edith Forsyth Scholarship Award, which provided grants to support three Girls’ Division pupils throughout the five years of their medical degrees. The Award was named in memory of Eric’s late wife, Edith, and was borne from Eric’s wish to provide the same opportunities for young women that he and Edith enjoyed when they went to Manchester University in 1950; namely a free education under the 1944 Education Act. Robert De Maine (Class of 2002) The following extract is taken from Eric’s nomination for the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

David Conn

Eric Forsyth (1943-1950)

Eric grew up in Bolton where he and my father, Derek De Maine (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-1988), were good friends. They kept in touch and the two of them sailed the Atlantic together from the Med to Long Island in the late 1990s. The last time I saw him was when he travelled from New York to Bolton to attend Dad’s funeral almost four years ago; a very ‘old school’ and honourable final gesture which is increasingly rare these days.

After joining the RAF Eric moved to America where he pursued a very successful electrical engineering and physics career alongside his hobbies of restoring and driving classic cars and passion for blue water sailing.

Eric passed away peacefully on 23rd August 2023 at his home in Brookhaven, New York, following a short illness. Eric did not want a service, so his family suggest

“Captain Forsyth has been deepwater sailing on small yachts for more than 50 years, logging almost 320,000 nautical miles aboard his yachts Fiona and Iona. He is a recipient of the Seven Seas Award, and a Blue Water Medal Winner, presented by the Cruising Club of America in 2000 for a cruise to Antarctica.

“He combined sailing with a successful professional career. As a young man, Captain Forsyth flew as a fighter pilot in the RAF, flying Meteor jets. In Canada, he obtained a Commercial Pilot License for single and multi-engine aircraft, land and sea. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electric engineering. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Eric is also a registered professional Engineer in Canada and a chartered Engineer in the EU. He is an acknowledged world authority on the application of superconductivity, he was awarded the Halperin prize by the IEEE for power transmission research, the highest award given annually in this field. He was

Newsletter Autumn 2023 Chair of the Accelerator Development Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory, 1986 to 1990, responsible for the design of a superconducting particle accelerator called the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). RHIC was constructed after his retirement and is now the largest nuclear physics research facility in the US. “In 1968, after eight stressful years in senior positions at Brookhaven National Laboratory, he took a leave of absence and sailed with his wife, three-year-old son and the family cat to the Caribbean on his 35-foot sailboat Iona. They cruised in the almost unspoiled islands for over a year. Captain Forsyth built his own boat, Fiona, based on a Westsail 42 bare hull, a project that he started in the mid-seventies and took eight years to complete. While building the boat as a diversion from woodworking he restored a 1928 Bentley.

He rallied the car for more than 30 years, winning many prizes for long-distance driving.

“Observing how the world has changed during his 50 plus years of sailing, Captain Forsyth is concerned by the threat of global warming and the way society will function after the end of the fossil fuel age. He has proposed an ocean race for sailboats which will use no fossil fuel, analogous to the earth spinning through space with no fuel either. The race will publicize the problems facing the world in an understandable way, race information is at www.greenoceanrace. com.

“Until his passing in 2023, Captain Forsyth gave talks and video presentations, and has been an inspiration to many sailors.

The sailing videos on his website, www. yachtfiona.com, along with his seminars, often result in new sailors joining the sport – ready to educate themselves on both boat restoration and sailing. The many grateful emails he received from newly inspired amateurs attest to his infectious enthusiasm and love for the sport.

Fred Gee (1945-1954) Fred senior worked in the ticket office at Bolton station and one of the perks of the job was free rail travel for the family. As a result, Fred was taken all over the country as a child and no doubt this helped develop his lifelong curiosity about, and interest in visiting, other locations.

Fred’s childhood was dominated

by World War II at the end of which he obtained a scholarship to Bolton School followed later by a place at Worcester

College, Oxford, which before taking up, he was required to serve Queen and Country for two years of National Service in the army. His discharge was delayed for several months in 1956 due to Britain’s involvement in the Suez crisis.

Fred developed a passion for cycling like many of his peers in the post-war years and this new-found freedom included a cycling holiday from Bolton to Chartres in France with school chums. He maintained his cycling activities until only a few years ago, often doing sponsored rides for local causes.

Fred was a great communicator – he loved chatting to people and phone calls were never short. He was an enthusiastic writer of letters and postcards from various places that he had visited, always written in his immaculate and immediately recognisable hand. He could certainly pack a lot of information into a small space!

Another passion of Fred’s was music and for him there was only ever one instrument – the piano. Fred had the gift, not only of being able to play from memory, but also to improvise any tune in any key. It helped get him through his National Service years, playing for various mess dances at weekends, and, more recently, it helped him to cope with the isolation of the Covid lockdowns.

Fred often recounted memories of his youth and schooldays and was always highly appreciative of the opportunities he had been given in life – supportive parents, a scholarship to Bolton School, the chance to study at Worcester College, Oxford, eventually enabling him to work with Fisons, ultimately as their company secretary. On one occasion, Fred and his wife, Pat, en route to their favourite walking holiday destination in the Highlands of Scotland, had stopped off at Crianlarich station where there was a very good café.

A train stopped and disgorged a noisy group of schoolboys with their teachers onto the platform – they were from Bolton School!

Fred died suddenly and unexpectedly in January 2023 aged 87.

At his funeral in Stowmarket there were many friends, former work colleagues, neighbours and family members. As might be expected, music played a large part in the service, together with tributes from those who had known him, gathered to celebrate a long, full and musical life. At the buffet lunch afterwards the conversations and reminiscences about a life well-lived continued – Fred would have enjoyed that!

David Bell (family member)

Ian Walter ‘Walt’ Gibson (1959-1966) Ian (known as ‘Walt’ by cricketing friends at Bolton School) was born in Haigh, a village on the outskirts of Wigan. He commenced his education at a small primary school, a mile walk from home, located in the countryside between Haigh and Standish. In 1959, he passed the eleven plus examination and was awarded a place at Bolton School, which then involved daily journeys by steam train and two buses. Ian began in Shell A1, with Alan Mitchell as Form Master, and progressed through III Alpha, IV Alpha and V Alpha, eventually taking science subjects in the Sixth Form before leaving from Science VIX in 1966.

In his early years at Bolton School, Ian demonstrated some musical talent, playing the family violin in the Middle School Orchestra, but his chief contribution to School life was on the sports field. Although he also played for his house football team, he represented the School at cricket at various levels, eventually becoming a member of the First XI in his final year and taking part in the tour to the West Country. One of his contemporaries recently remembered him as a good, left arm, slow bowler. Outside School, Ian played cricket for Standish Cricket Club, starting with the Junior XI and progressing to the First XI, where he played in the same team as his father.

On leaving Bolton School, Ian attended the University of Warwick, where he was awarded a degree in Engineering Science in 1969. He began his working life in the City Engineer’s Department in Coventry and was elected as a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1975. The intervening period was a significant time for Ian, since it was then that he met his future wife, Vicky.

They were married in 1972, and their son, Simon, was born in Coventry in March 1976.

Later that same year, Ian moved back to Lancashire to join the Borough Engineer’s Department in Blackpool and set up home in Kirkham. He continued to work in the department for the remainder of his working life, which was severely curtailed by progressive MS, diagnosed when Ian was in his thirties. In his final working years, he worked from home as his mobility problems increased.

On moving to Kirkham, Ian became closely associated with St Michael’s Church and School, serving as a member of the parochial church council and as a school

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023 governor for several years. With his Wigan background, Ian always closely followed the progress of both Wigan Rugby League Club and Wigan Athletic; he was particularly pleased with the victory of the latter in the 2013 FA Cup Final, having supported them since non-league days in the 1960s.

During many years of increasing disability as a result of MS, Ian faced the adversities head-on and always maintained his dry sense of humour. In the last few years of his life, he was able to celebrate several special family events, including Simon’s marriage in 2015, the births of grandsons in 2017 and 2020, and the Golden Wedding Anniversary of himself and Vicky in 2022.

Ian sadly died suddenly as a result of pneumonia on 5th February 2023.

Allan Gibson (1957-1964)

David Grime (1943-1948) David Grime, born in a thunderstorm at one minute past midnight on 1st July 1932, died on Saturday 23rd September at the age of 91.

Son of a cotton mill worker, David won a scholarship to attend Bolton School after coming top of the entire town in the 11 plus exams. He represented his house at crosscountry running and physical training, was a patrol leader for Peewit Patrol and studied mathematics and the sciences for the Higher School Certificate. After leaving School David did his National Service with the RAF where he was a drill instructor and later enjoyed a successful career with the Yorkshire Bank in Bolton, Leicester, Leeds, Sheffield and Worksop. David was married to Sylvia for 49 years until her death in 2007 and they had four children and seven grandchildren. He enjoyed attending the lunches for Alumni until the last year or so of his life and was very proud of having attended such a prestigious educational institution, regularly talking fondly of his time there and of having articles published in the magazine.

Dr Ken Grime

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Michael Jackson (1950-1955) Michael was the son of Stanley and Jane Jackson, and younger brother to Molly. His father, was a well-known plumber in Bolton with a business of his own; sadly he passed away when Michael was three years old. Michael was brought up by his mother and sister, and both were so proud when he gained a full scholarship to Bolton School.

Michael told stories of his time at Bolton School with great joy and fun. He loved rugby and played in the scrum half position as he was the shortest member of the team during his time there, and maybe indeed the history of the School! He also told stories of the mischief he would get involved in, including being part of a prank which involved a group from the rugby team lifting a teacher’s mini car up the stairs and leaving it at the front of the School. On his last day of School Michael climbed up and tied his School tie around the school flagpole! He thought of Bolton School often and with fondness, and would always enjoy telling stories of his time there.

Following Michael’s career in the RAF, he flew as a Flight Engineer on the DC10 Aircraft with British Caledonian, British Airways, KLM, Ghana Airways, Airtours and My Travel. His lasting legacy was to get the last three-passenger DC10 aircraft serviceable to fly, as they were due to be scrapped, but were saved by a South African businessman and Michael flew those aircraft around Africa. After many years of fun and antics Michael retired from flying at the age of 67 and was known worldwide as the legend ‘Jacko Jackson’, both in the RAF and civvy flying world.

Michael was married in 1964 to Jessie in Newquay. They lived in Newquay for a number of years, with various postings back and forth to St Mawgan.

They eventually bought The Osprey Guesthouse, which Jessie ran whilst he continued to fly. They had two sons, Paul and Christopher, who thoroughly enjoyed growing up in Cornwall. Michael was a larger-than-life character who loved his life and family- and also his favourite tipple, Boddingtons beer! He was a very proud Grandfather to four grandsons and one granddaughter, spending as much time as he could with them enjoying their lives and fun too.

He died on 7th May 2023 at his home in Swindon, where he and Jessie had lived for the last seven years. He was surrounded by his family and will be missed and remembered by many as Jacko, the small man with the biggest heart.

Jessie, Paul and Christopher Jackson

School rugby team: Michael is far left, middle row

After leaving Bolton School Michael spent some time farming in the Bolton area and also worked at a local undertakers.

Eventually, he signed up to the RAF, at the request of his sister, Molly, who wasn’t keen on the colour of the Army uniform!

He joined the RAF in 1961 and obtained the Best Recruit Award after completing his basic training. He spent 27 years in the Royal Air Force, initially as an Air Signaller on Shackletons, then moving to Belvedere Helicopters, statio remained ned in Singapore. On returning to the UK, Michael trained to be a Flight Engineer on Shackletons, eventually moving on to Nimrods, where he remained until he left the RAF in 1986. Most of his time in the RAF was spent on Nimrods, with postings to Malta, St Mawgan and Kinloss, achieving the rank of Master Air Engineer.

John Briggs (1942-1944) Born in Bolton to Jack and Mabel, an only child, John was educated at Bolton School, Trearddur Bay House prep school and then Stowe.

After completing his Cambridge Master’s degree in Law he served his articles of clerkship at March Pearson and Green, solicitors, in Manchester.

A short stint as a qualified

Newsletter Autumn 2023 solicitor in the City of London convinced him of the benefits of working provincially, so he accepted an offer from his Uncle, Tom Briggs, to come and work in Huddersfield, where he lived until 1987.

While working alongside his Uncle, he was admitted to the Notarial Faculty.

Eventually he practised the law as a sole principal, under the firm name Owen & Briggs, specialising in commercial conveyancing, his main client being Conoco, the oil company. He was kept busy with three young children, all of whom he put through public school. Celia, his wife, was in charge of entertainment and they were not daunted by regular parties for 60 or 70 friends.

Always interested in his animals, we were surrounded as children with a Great Dane, peacocks, doves, rabbits, tortoises, the odd horse and donkey, terrapins, rabbits, and Percy, his beloved pink crested Moluccan cockatoo. Their small herd of Dexter cattle was replaced, when they moved to a small holding in Penistone, South Yorkshire, with a herd of 56 Blonde D’Aquitaines. Fiona, their 120 stone teddy bear, won the best in show cup at the Great Yorkshire Show in 1996. The year after their chances were scuppered when, it is alleged, a competitor drank their farm hand into a stupor! On full retirement the herd had to go, which saddened them both greatly.

John was known to like a good curry. He made it his resolution to get round every curry house in West Yorkshire, and there is a good chance he made it. He could be a little too brave when ordering their hottest vindaloo!

Politically aware, an avid consumer of Sunday newspapers, a member of the Huddersfield Union Debating Society while it was still extant, he was never frightened of putting his opinions out there, some of his letters being accepted by the local and national press. He also featured large in financial columns, when he took on the might of the Stock Market and sued his stockbroker for losses caused to him and others by the cessation of trading in G R A Property Trust Limited. Regrettably the outcome did not go in his favour, but he demonstrated a buccaneer spirit in pursuing his beliefs.

His family moto was ‘Fortis ad Finem’.

He is survived by his wife, Celia Rosalind Briggs, his daughter Nicola Rosalind Briggs, his son Paul Dudley John Briggs, his daughter Angela Rosemary Waller, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Nicola Briggs

Lyndon Jones (1937-1944) Lyndon Jones was educated at Bolton School where he was awarded a Leverhulme Exhibition.

During the Second World War he served in the Military Police as a non-commissioned Warrant Officer. He won a scholarship to read Economics at Manchester University.

After graduation, scholarships enabled him to take a Postgraduate Diploma at Manchester College of Science and Technology and a Teacher’s certificate from Bolton Training College. He held an Honorary Doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University.

For 27 years he was the Principal of a Higher Education College – South West London College in Wandsworth and Lambeth – which specialised in Management and Business Studies and drew students from over 60 countries.

cooking, flower arranging and the painting of pottery. He very clearly enjoyed himself when the care home brought in animals for interaction with the residents. He almost achieved the age of 95.

Maggie Jones

George Leather (1965-1979) George was part of the Leather family well known around Bolton and over generations at Bolton School. His father, Derek (Class of 1948), and uncle, Tom (Class of 1951), were Old Boys; his siblings, Victoria (Class of 1983) and Jamie (Class of 1985), are former pupils and he had many cousins at School.

Together with a colleague he set up with the Guardian Newspaper Guardian Business Services. For several years they ran seminars and workshops. For a lengthy period he edited two magazines, the Free Trader and Business & Training.

George and I must have been four years old when we met at Beech House. There are photographs from that time which have since been described as being evocative of the Victorian era. George and I remained friends ever since; I don’t recall ever falling out with him. There were years where the form groups were changed, but we seemed to land largely together until the Sixth Form. Outside School, we spent long summer days at Markland Hill Tennis Club with wooden racquets, white balls and shale-coloured tennis whites.

For many years he campaigned against the sale of bogus qualifications. Eventually he got the UK Fraud Squad to investigate.

Then the government introduced legislation to prevent this fraud. He cooperated with the Council of Europe to widen the action to cover Europe.

George enjoyed music, both listening and playing. Our O Level year coincided with the explosion of punk rock and new wave into the musical landscape. George engaged fully with this new type of music: in with the Sex Pistols, Clash and reggae, and out with Genesis and Pink Floyd.

Throughout his life humour and jokes always played an important part. His sense of humour, twinkling eyes and warm smile could warm up the frostiest of meetings. He particularly enjoyed a shaggy dog story.

As a prolific sportsman he represented School at football, swimming and athletics.

All the footballers in our year remember our team’s secret weapon: George’s long throw-ins – these were more devastating than a corner! However, it was in racquet sports that he excelled, in particular, tennis and badminton, representing both Bolton School and Markland Hill. He played Badminton at county level in the U18 team.

He served on many influential national committees and did much to develop management training both in the UK and abroad. At the college he introduced a new style programme of Directed Private Study for the Ministry of Defence to enable service personnel to make a smooth transition from military life to ‘Civvy Street’.

He was made an Honorary Brigadier General for this work.

Lyndon enjoyed travel and, through his consultancy work and ABE, the firm he founded, he travelled a great deal. He started off in the Hong Kong and Singapore areas, but this was soon extended to Indonesia, where he worked for Caltex as a consultant. Soon he was travelling to China, the West Indies, India, South America, the States and Southern and Western Africa.

When he was younger he used to say he wanted to live to be a hundred and to be shot by a jealous husband. He did not manage to achieve his aim. He spent his last 14 months in a care home which looked after him well and enabled both Gail, his daughter, and Maggie, his wife, to visit frequently. The activities included going to a dress rehearsal of Trooping the Colour,

Mark Bradley (Class of 1979) recalls George’s part in a prestigious tennis success. He has “Great memories of George playing first pair in the final of the Glanville Cup at Queens Club. We came second, which was pretty unheard of for Bolton School. George, who could be inconsistent, played magnificently.”

George studied medicine at the University of Leicester, where he met his wife, Caroline. He followed his father’s footsteps into a career in General Practice.

Leicester became their home with their

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023 two daughters, Claire and Rose, joined by his sister and later by their parents.

He continued to play and coach tennis, passing his enthusiasm for the sport to his daughters.

George tended to be a man of few words, but when he spoke those words always were worth waiting for, either as wellconsidered opinion or hilariously madcap.

Tim Taylor (Class of 1979) When I think back over my time running School badminton, there is a large slice of it that always contained Leathers. George was the oldest of his generation of the Leather dynasty and therefore the first that I knew. He was a very good badminton player who represented the First Six for four years, ending as Captain and with Full Colours. A trawl through the Boltonian archives shows me that at several times, over different age groups, he won all the local schools’ championships available to him and acquitted himself well at county level. He was not a ‘flashy’ player, but he was very level headed and reliable so that, at a stage when we had lost a number of leading players, he could be paired with a younger player to show them the ropes and encourage them.

Glanvill Cup 1979 Runners Up, Queen’s Club Back, L-R: Alan Prince, David Dunn, David Ashworth, Mark Ashworth, George Leather Front: Mark Bradley, Robert Appleby

I was very sad to learn that he had died, at an age which to me seems very young. My condolences go to all of his family.

David E Shaw (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-2002)

Jon Mills (Class of 1978) Old Boltonians who remember Jon will be saddened to hear of his tragic death whilst trekking in the Swiss Alps in July earlier this year.

A keen walker, Jon was on the penultimate day of the Tour de Mont Blanc route, walking with his close friend, Dave Godwin, when he fell to his death as they descended from the Fenetre

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d’ Arpette, a high mountain pass on the route.

Jon joined Bolton School in the Sixth Form from Rossall School. Members of the First XV Rugby team 1976-78 will remember the impact he made during those two highly successful seasons. Jon was a formidable Number Eight, the team’s top try scorer and achieved representative honours with Greater Manchester Schools. After leaving School, he went on to play for Blackburn RUFC and Preston Grasshoppers.

After leaving School, Jon went to Preston Polytechnic to study Business Studies before embarking on a career in Sales and Marketing. He worked for a number of different national and multinational healthcare companies in senior roles which took him to various parts of the country, before he settled in Grindleton in the Ribble Valley – a perfect place to indulge in his passion for walking and he was never happier than when out in the hills.

Jon married his first wife, Gill, in 1989 and they had three children: Lottie, Emily and Henry. Jon was a devoted family man and encouraged his children to share his love of adventure. As a family they enjoyed many camping and skiing holidays as the children grew up.

He met Angela, his second wife, in 2008 and eventually moved to Morpeth in Northumberland, which Jon grew to love, to set up home together in 2019. They both shared a love of the outdoors: trekking, walking, skiing and got married in 2022 with plans for many future adventures. Jon always was a great walker and frequently visited Snowdonia, Scotland, the Dales and, of course, his beloved Lake District.

He also trekked further afield in Nepal, The Dolomites, Slovenia and South America.

Jon and I have been friends ever since we were teammates together all those years ago. He also remained great friends with Richard Free, another member of the First XV at the time. Although our careers have taken us in different directions and to different parts of the country, we have always found time to meet up for an annual walking trip to the Lakes, inevitably ending up in a pub! Jon always liked a pint of real ale to complete a perfect day.

Jon will be sorely missed by Angela, his family, sister Sarah and friends. A common theme amongst the many memories of Jon shared at the service to celebrate his life was his love of the outdoors, wicked sense of humour and the kindness he showed others. Jon was a good, principled man and his sudden and tragic death has come as a great shock to all those who knew him.

Chris Jones (Class of 1978)

A Howard Northam (Boys’ Division Staff 1963-1996) I first met Howard in September 1964 when I joined the Staff. Though we hardly ever crossed paths academically (he being a Historian and I a Physicist) in other aspects of School life we were connected in several ways, the earliest being through fell walking. He was one of those, led by Bill Brown, who showed me the ropes in relation to Youth Hostel fell walking trips, but his major influence on my love of mountains concerned the annual Austrian Alpine trips. My experience had been with teenage friends, self-taught on the ‘suck it and see’ approach to fell walking, but Howard was an expert; having spent part of his National Service in RAF Mountain Rescue in the Brecon Beacons and, especially in Austria, he passed on good safe practice long before Health and Safety was invented. Anyone who went on one of those Alpine trips would know that Howard was central to making them such a wonderful experience: the best part of two weeks spent high up in the mountains with such a sense of achievement.

Another aspect of School life we shared was Staff cricket which, in the 1960s, involved matches against other staffs most weeks of the Summer Term. I was an enthusiastic bit-part player, but Howard was the real deal, fielding in the slips, often opening the batting and scoring a decent number of runs, most notably with Peter Harrison, two gentlemen together. We also shared singing in events, particularly when all of the policemen in Derrick Shaw’s Pirates of Penzance were members of staff.

Howard was born and raised in Oxford, where he went to school and where he learned his cricket and athletics. He did his National Service straight from school, only a couple of years before the system ended, and then returned to Oxford where he earned his History degree at Balliol, and his PGCE, and where he was a member of the Athletic Club. It was also in Oxford that he met his wife, Judi, who was a nurse. After such involvement with Oxford it must have been a culture shock when his next move was to Bolton, where he remained for the whole of his teaching career and, indeed, for the rest of his life.

Not surprisingly, as a young teacher, he immersed himself in History, but also became a prominent member of staff in Cross Country and Athletics and, of course, fell walking. At first, he shared the Cross

Newsletter Autumn 2023 country with ‘Butch’ Ingham, and, not owning a car, he was dependent on Butch to get to matches, making him a victim of some of his sudden whims, such as the day when he had heard of a train crash in the area, diverted to take a look at it and never got to the match. Howard was often to be seen with starting gun or stopwatch in events like the annual road race relay from Woodlands. He was not the first to lead Austrian trips, but I rather think he was the most knowledgeable. Although the earliest involvement in the DofE awards was through the Scouts, when, eventually, it became available to all members of the School, Howard was the first to administer the scheme.

Throughout his career, he was known to be a safe pair of hands. In 1974 he took over from Peter Harrison as Master in Charge of the Lower Block (Years 7 and 8), at the time one of only three Block Masters. When in 1982 the system changed to having a year head for each year group, he became First Year Block Master and held the post until 1995 when he became Admissions Tutor. Early retirement in 1996 brought a new aspect to his life.

In the early years of retirement, he and Judi experienced some very adventurous holidays – trekking to the Everest Base camp on the northern side of the mountain from where Mallory and Irvine had made their fateful attempt on the peak; spending time in tropical Borneo including a trip in a dugout canoe and visiting Peru (not so common then as it is now). From the 1970s he had been a keen family man, proud of his son, Simon, and daughter, Anna, and, later, four grandchildren, and they remained a close-knit family throughout the unfortunate period when his health declined, eventually leading to his death while suffering from severe Alzheimers – a cruel end for one who had had such an adventurous side. My sympathies go to Judi, to Simon and Suzanne and their children and to Anna and Chris and their children.

David E Shaw (Boys’ Division Staff, 1964-2002)

Captain John F Scrivens (1941-1947) John died on 8th October 2022 in Exeter Hospice at the age of 92.

John was a Merchant Navy Officer when we first met. He then went into the marine branch of the Royal Air Force as a Flight Lieutenant which we enjoyed very much. He ended his career with

Manchester Ship Canal, joining when it was a very busy port. He was Harbour Master for a good many years and stayed with them until the end.

He will be sadly missed by his wife after 66 happy years, and by his three grown-up children, Pamela, Steven and Paula.

Freya M Scrivens

David Seddon (Class of 1963) Dave played his two favourite sports with distinction. His hand-eye coordination was second to none.

He was a complete master of both cricket ball and football.

Dave opened the batting with Bob Green (Class of 1963) from the Under 14s XI to the First XI. This partnership continued at Eagley CC for several years.

Dave also had a spell at Egerton CC, where he is still much respected. He was also a professional with Read CC in the Ribblesdale League. He also, in true amateur generosity, assisted the management of the Bolton League team.

Past pupils, who will remember his skills in football, may wish to know that he had to leave Blackburn Rovers AFC because of knee problems, needing a cartilage operation which had a poor outcome.

These accolades were seconded at the time of writing by Bob Green, Richard Lowe (both Class of 1963), Geoff Ogden (Class of 1960) and David Walker (Class of 1960).

Keith Washington (Class of 1963) – a true admirer and friend On behalf of Eagley Cricket Club, l wish to pay tribute to the late David Seddon, who was a cricketing pal of mine for over 60 years, particularly so since 1989 when we became neighbours in the Andrew Lane/ Eagley Bank area.

In the early 1960s we played together in School house matches (was it for Blackburn A or Blackburn B?) and for Eagley Third Team (nowadays Under 18s). Whereas l was a player of very modest ability, David was a young star who later blossomed to become one of the finest all-rounders ever to grace the Bolton League. He was not only a superb swing and seam bowler, invariably immaculate in line and length, but also a forceful attacking batsman with a fine technique.

In the early 1970s he pro’d for Eagley, winning the league professionals’ prize in 1972 and five years later he was voted

the Bolton League amateur player of the year. He went on to captain, and later manage, the Bolton League Interleague XI. He also had stints with Egerton (as player and team manager) and with Read as pro in the Ribblesdale League.

When his playing days were over David served as an Eagley committee member for several years and, right up till last year, on sunny Saturday afternoons, he and Kathleen would usually be down at Eagley watching the cricket and reminiscing with old friends. He was immensely well-liked and respected throughout the Bolton League, as befits a true sportsman and a true gentleman.

He will be greatly missed, not least by his loving wife Kathleen and his son Martin.

Richard Blagg (Class of 1962)

Michael ‘MK’ Thornley (1963-1970) Mike joined Shell A2 in 1963. He described the journey to Bolton School, aboard the number 7 bus from Breightmet, as ‘character building’, as he and Bob Higson, along with Pauline Brogden from the Girls’ Division, sat in their pristine Bolton School uniforms, replete with largepeaked caps and, in Pauline’s case, the cloche-like winter hat, whilst the other children from the area travelled to their respective schools dressed in jeans and tee-shirts.

My easiest recollection of Mike is not the happiest as I remember him being the first amongst our cohort to lose their father when Mike was around 14 years old, a difficult enough time for any young person. Amongst his happier memories from School days were frequent evenings in The Trotters pub and an eventful trip with Alec Martin, and others, to the first Isle of Wight music festival at which several legendary bands made early appearances.

In School, Mike took Mathematics and Sciences and, after leaving, he joined the Army where he was an engineer and gained the rank of Corporal. His service took him around the world and during his time in Scotland he met and married Anna, with whom he had two sons who in turn produced grandchildren upon whom Mike doted. Army life developed his love of travelling which continued with Anna after leaving the army. They travelled widely,

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Old Boltonians’ Association 1895 - 2023 even securing permission to visit Bhutan, a place which he found fascinating.

Having not seen Mike for around 40 years I met him at a gathering of ‘The Class of 1970’ and initially failed to recognise him. Having been the slimmest boy in School, it is fair to say that his love of fine dining (he was particularly fond of L’Enclume in Cartmel) had helped him to put on a fair bit of timber. I was also confused by his somewhat Scottish accent which had developed during his time with Anna. He spoke fondly of times with her relatives in Scotland, particularly of venturing out just before midnight on New Year’s Eve, carrying the traditional bottle of Scotch and not getting home for a day or two.

Mike once met up with me, Gordon Howard and Barry Livesey in Macclesfield where Barry played guitar, Gordon kept a good beat with hands on the table and Mike surprised us all with his excellent rendition of some Beatles’ songs.

I once posted on social media that I was returning from a motoring holiday in Dorset and Mike pointed out that in just 3.5 hours I would be close to his home in Nantwich, so my wife and I really ought to break our journey for refreshments with him and Anna, no excuses would be taken. Who was I to refuse such an offer?!

Amongst Mike’s other interests was crown green bowling, at which I believe he was extremely competitive, and it was during a game of bowls at his local club that he died suddenly. His funeral was very well attended, illustrating the popularity of a man who was generous with his time, his humour and even his whisky.

Gary Sykes (Class of 1970)

John Irving Wardle (1940-1947) Irving was born in Bolton in July 1929.

His father, John, was a reporter and drama critic on the Bolton Evening News, and a founder member of the Bolton Little Theatre; his mother, Nelly Partington, was a concert pianist and piano teacher, who died when her son was only six months old.

Music and drama became the most important elements in his life. Among other performances at School he played the title role in Hamlet (‘highly impressive’, said a local reviewer)

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and when he gained a scholarship to Wadham College, Oxford, he appeared in several drama productions, but his ambition was to become a concert pianist like his mother. After Oxford he spent two years in the army doing National Service, an experience which left him with a lifelong horror of being told what to do. The only part he enjoyed was a nine-month stay in Cyprus, where he took up running and loved swimming in the sea.

Once out of the army, Irving enrolled at the Royal College of Music. In order to pay the fees he took a menial job in the kitchen at a South Kensington hotel, an experience he later turned into a play, The Houseboy, first performed at the Open Space Theatre in London in 1973 and later televised.

When it became clear that he would not make the grade as a professional musician, his godfather, Frank Singleton, editor of the Bolton Evening News, came to the rescue by arranging an interview for him with the editor of The Times Educational Supplement, where Irving became a subeditor and began writing reviews. In 1960 he became assistant theatre critic on The Observer and in 1963 drama critic of The Times, where he remained for 26 years.

We met in 1968 when I was working in the press office at Nottingham Playhouse, set up home in north London and had two children, brother and sister to his two sons from an earlier marriage. He continued to play the piano, and we spent many happy hours learning German Lieder and operatic arias together.

During a sabbatical Irving began to study German and for many years attended classes at the Goethe Institut. He frequently travelled to theatre festivals and conferences in Europe and north America, enjoying the experience of different cultures and new acquaintances. He also maintained friendships made at School and often attended the annual ‘Old Bolts’ reunions in London. He wrote two books, one on George Devine and the origins of the Royal Court Theatre, the other a widely-

used handbook for theatre critics, and for two years (1973-1975) he edited the theatre magazine Gambit.

In 1989 he left The Times and became drama critic for The Independent on Sunday, and the change from writing several reviews every week to producing just one column allowed him more time for playing the piano. He joined a piano summer school in south-west France, which revitalised his playing and brought him a new circle of musical friends. When he left The Independent on Sunday in 1995 he continued to attend plays with groups of American students, who appreciated his long experience and vast knowledge of theatre history.

Although he eventually had to give up running, Irving continued to walk every day and attended a weekly T’ai Chi class. And at the age of 90 he joined a Barnet theatre group and returned to acting for the first time since Oxford, attending rehearsals for The Tempest until a few weeks before his death in February 2023, aged 93. He is survived by me, his four children, eight grandchildren and his younger brother, David.

Elizabeth Wardle

(James) Roger Waring (1944-1952) After leaving Bolton School, Roger went on to a career in banking with Rothschilds which allowed him to work in many places in the British Isles, ending up for the latter part of his career and his last years back in the North West.

He always remembered fondly his time at Bolton School, in particular playing football, and never losing his lifelong support for Bolton Wanderers.

Kate Waring

In Memoriam Jean Bailey (Boys’ Division Staff, 1971-1991) - Died 30th May 2023 Cyril Birch (1936-1942) - Died June 2023 John Briggs (1942-1944) - Died 18th April 2022 Sir David Harrison (Former Governor) - Died 27th March 2023 Ian Holdsworth (1949-1958) - Died 27th January 2023 Brian Jackson (1940-1946) - Died 16th April 2023 Barbara Peacock JP (Former Governor) - Died 30th May 2023 I Gwynn Pritchard (1957-1964) - Died 19th March 2023 Derek Rothwell (1938-1945) - Died 29th June 2023

Newsletter Autumn 2023

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Old Boltonians’ Association Autumn Newsletter 2023

CBP021790

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