The Greyhound Magazine 2021

Greyhound

The

THE MAGAZINE FOR CHARTERHOUSE

Issue

4

Oak Reborn: our well-loved tree returns to the School Football Forever: our OCs remember iconic matches against Chelsea FC and on tour in Jamaica Dean Chisnall: Charterhouse’s new Actor in Residence explains the importance of drama Camilla Bougrine: OC details her career in a changing European landscape

The

Greyhound

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

THE MAGAZINE FOR CHARTERHOUSE

Issue

4

Oak Reborn: our well-loved tree returns to the School Football Forever: our OCs remember iconic matches against Chelsea FC and on tour in Jamaica Dean Chisnall: Charterhouse’s new Actor in Residence explains the importance of drama Camilla Bougrine: OC details her career in a changing European landscape

Hello and welcome Welcome to 2021’s edition of The Greyhound, the magazine for the Charterhouse community. Our last edition landed just as we were beginning our first national Lockdown and it’s been quite a year since then. This year’s magazine might therefore look quite different.

This is not to say we haven’t been spoilt for choice with interesting stories and updates however. In the face of adversity the Carthusian spirit has very much stayed strong.

Charterhouse Godalming GU7 2DX Telephone: 01483 291761 Website: www.charterhouse.org.uk Email: foundation@charterhouse.org.uk Editors Vicki Bradley & Elan Goldsmith Design Gary Martin Cover Anthony Upton

The Greyhound has been printed on environmentally responsible paper, manufactured from well-managed forests, controlled sources and recycled wood.

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Inside, you’ll find the latest updates from the School: some new, with the impending addition of our girls, and some more familiar, such as the welcome restoration of Oak back into the very fabric of the School. The wonders of technology have ensured that we were able to maintain business as usual: the teaching of pupils and support of their extra-curricular activities, whilst enabling our community to stay connected throughout. The launch of our Micro-Mentoring scheme in September has also been a welcome addition to the OC landscape, and continues to grow each month, empowering and supporting OCs through these very uncertain times.

We hope you enjoy the magazine and, as always, we welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have for future editions.

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Inside 04 School Update

A new era for Charterhouse

06 Oak Reborn

Our well-loved tree lives on at the School

08 OC Originals

William Hyde Wollaston, our unsung hero of the scientific world

10 OC Profile

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12

Camilla Bougrine details her career across Europe

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12 1960s Charterhouse

Roger Mayne’s photos of Charterhouse

14 Rising Stars

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Charlie Harrison leads the House whilst Eva Pomery treads the boards

18 Philanthropy at School

Your support is shaping the future

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20 OC News

Updates from our Old Carthusians and a sad goodbye to our beloved OC Recorder, Margaret Mardall

30 Mentoring Matters

How mentoring is helping the community

32 Sustainability Matters

Our OCs discuss why sustainability should be on everyone’s minds

40 OC Entrepreneurs

Our young OCs determined to succeed through this pandemic

42 The Return of Mrs Wilson

Our new Deputy Head talks community and partnerships

44 School News

34 OC Profile

Updates from higher education, music and sports

36 Actor in Residence

50 Obituary Notices 51 Peter Attenborough

Guy Burt’s BAFTA Award winning career

Dean Chisnall and Emily Fox talk drama at School

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A fond farewell to a much loved Headmaster 3

SCHOOL UPDATE

Full coeducation: Just Around the Corner September 2021 marks an important milestone in Charterhouse’s recent history, as we welcome girls into the Under School for the first time Whilst not a traditional entry point for pupils into the School, the interest that has been shown in year 10 places is a tremendous vote of confidence for our coeducational plans. For more information please contact admissions@charterhouse.org.uk

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uilding on the success of our coeducational Sixth Form, we are excited to begin our journey towards full coeducation from the age of 13. As we look forward to welcoming our first girls into the Fourth Form (Year 9) and Removes (Year 10) this September, their arrival also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first girls joining the School in 1971. The School remains full, and competition for places is strong. As such, the School roll will grow over the next decade to around 1,000 pupils, the increase representing additional places for girls.

Demand for our new educational offering has been so strong that, alongside our first cohort of Year 9 girls who will arrive this September, we will also be welcoming a group of girls who will join us in Year 10, at the beginning of their iGCSE studies.

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We have all seen first-hand the benefits of coeducation in our Sixth Form. We want to extend those social, cultural and academic advantages to the whole community of the School.

Charterhouse’s educational approach has stood the test of time. Younger girls will thrive, as do our boys and older girls, on our commitment to care, independent learning, pupil leadership, and both academic and extra-curricular challenge and breadth. From September 2022 Charterhouse will have girls in each year group.

The world of work is changing profoundly and at great speed. We believe the best preparation for a rewarding and fulfilling life in this

exciting future is a first-class education for boys and girls learning together as partners and equals – just as they will work together as adults to take on opportunities and tackle challenges.

“I got so much out of my schooling in the UK that going to boarding school at 13+ seemed like a natural progression for my kids. In our search for the right school for Clio, we were thrilled to learn that Charterhouse was going to become fully coed the same year Clio would be in Y9. This means she would be able to enjoy the full five-year experience instead of just two in the sixth form.

We have every confidence Charterhouse will not only offer excellent teaching but will also be the place where she learns about integrity, kindness and determination. I, myself, look forward to my new role as a Charterhouse parent in addition to being an OC and an old Saunderite.”

Chee-may Yu (S91)

“We are delighted to be sending our daughter Lila to Charterhouse as one of the first cohort of girls on the School’s journey to full coeducation. A lot has changed since I left (V91)! However, these changes are all enhancements as far as I can see. The sports facilities and co-curricular activities available look amazing and were one of the big draws for Lila (and us). We also connected to the School’s values and what they are looking to achieve with all of the pupils. It is an exciting time to join the School and I only hope she enjoys it as much as I did and makes lifelong friends along the way.”

Matthew Mitten (V91)

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

Welcome to Edgeborough Alongside our new girls the School undertakes another new exciting partnership

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ollowing the announcement in February this year, September also marks the date when the School welcomes another highly significant addition to the Charterhouse family – Edgeborough School.

Charterhouse and Edgeborough School announced a merger that sees two historic schools join together to form an outstanding educational partnership. This means that the Charterhouse family of schools will be able to provide an educational pathway from age three to university entry, for parents who are seeking it, and one that allows pupils to thrive in all areas of their development.

Edgeborough School was founded in 1906, as a Preparatory School, opening with 21 children and five adults. Initially based in Guildford, the School moved to its current home, then called Frensham Place, in 1939.

Edgeborough moved to being a coeducational school in 1992, with the opening of the Nursery and Pre-Prep and has gone from strength to strength since, with record numbers in the School today.

This is a formal merger that means that a single Charterhouse Governing Body will oversee the two schools, with three Edgeborough Governors joining that body. Both schools will retain their current identity, name, ethos, values, badge and uniform, as well as their day-to-day leadership teams and operational autonomy, with Dr Alex Peterken assuming overall executive responsibility for both Schools. This is an exciting development that brings together two excellent schools, leading to what we hope will become the pre-eminent combination of prep and senior schools in the region.

For many OCs, Edgeborough needs no introduction, as a steady stream of Edgeborough pupils have moved to Charterhouse over the years.

For others, the name may not be so familiar. The School is more than 100 years old, is set in 50 acres of beautiful Surrey countryside, about 20 minutes drive from Charterhouse, and now is a coeducational day and boarding school for more than 350 pupils from the age of two (in Nursery) to age thirteen. Over the past few years, the School has seen significant success, with record numbers and growing interest in admissions.

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SCHOOL UPDATE

Oak

re-born A Charterhouse favourite is given a new leaf of life ‘Oak’ has been designed to be a modern, spacious place with generous glass elevations that lead out onto Scholars’ Court and let light flood in.

A key part of the decoration of the café, and an important link to the original tree, is a large section of the trunk that was saved when the tree was taken down. It is being reworked to be a feature of the new interior design.

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ne of the other keenly anticipated arrivals in September 2021 is a light and airy café in the centre of the School. Located in Scholars’ Court, this new addition to the old side of School will provide a shared dining space for the four Houses on that side – Gownboys, Verites, Girdlestoneites and Sutton (the new girls’ house where Saunderites previously was). However, outside standard meal times, the café will function as a flexible working space and social space for pupils and staff alike.

After an internal competition in OQ2020, the decision was taken to name the new café ‘Oak’ after the tree that was both a landmark and a feature of life at School for so many years.

Sadly, the tree is no more (see side panel) but we are delighted that its memory can live on in the café that is just a stone’s throw away.

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Structural work started last summer and already the open plan spaces are clear to see. The second phase of the build will complete this summer, with ‘Oak’ extending its welcome afresh as a popular gathering place for everyone, in September.

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For many, Oak was a timeless gathering point, a place to meet friends, pick up a minibus or shelter out of the rain. For others, it was the venue for ‘calling over’.

A dendrochronology analysis indicates that the tree dates from about 1805 and it stood guard over C Block, exuding an air of permanence, for over 130 years.

Sadly, in 2015 it became unsafe, infected with honey fungus and had to be taken down. The tree may no longer be there, but the area of grass is still known as ‘Oak’, – another part of Lingua Carthusiana that takes a certain amount of explaining to new pupils – and we are confident the new café will extend the tree’s legacy.

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OC ORIGINALS Chemist, Physicist, Geologist, William Hyde Wollaston (G1783)

William Hyde Wollaston Our Unsung Hero of the Scientific World Foundation Scholar William Hyde Wollaston began his career as a doctor but soon found his calling in science and went on to make some remarkable scientific discoveries

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ld Carthusian William Hyde Wollaston is one of the unsung heroes of the scientific world.

He was an extraordinary character with wide-ranging scientific interests and his research led to a mind-boggling array of scientific breakthroughs.

Most scientists would be proud to be remembered for just one of the many discoveries that Wollaston achieved during a lifetime of research and yet he remains comparatively unknown, compared to contemporaries such as Sir Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday.

William Hyde Wollaston was the third in a family of seventeen children born to Francis Wollaston (a parish priest and talented amateur astronomer) and his wife, Althea. William attended a private school in Lewisham and was then admitted to Charterhouse in London as a Foundation Scholar in June 1778, just

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before his twelfth birthday. Charterhouse cannot claim credit for young William’s scientific education, as the school curriculum was entirely classical in the 18th century. He went on to take up a scholarship at Caius College, Cambridge, in 1782 where he gained a Bachelor of Medicine degree and was made a Fellow in 1787; he also lectured in Greek and Hebrew there. He then practised as a medical doctor in Bury St Edmund’s and London, gaining his MD and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1793.

In 1800 Wollaston retired from medical practice, disappointed by his failure to secure a hospital appointment and finding the emotional strain of witnessing his patients’ suffering too great. For the rest of his life he focused instead on scientific research. A sensitive and not naturally gregarious character, it suited him perfectly to

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

they were rediscovered some 12 years after Wollaston). In 1806 he invented the Camera Lucida, an optical device used as a drawing aid for both artists and microscopists. The Camera Lucida contained a ‘Wollaston Prism’, a four-sided optical device that separates polarised light into two beams. In 1812 he developed the first camera lens, the Meniscus Lens, in order to improve images projected from a camera obscura, or pinhole camera.

work from his own private laboratory at his house in Fitzroy Square. He formed a business partnership with his university friend, Smithson Tennant, and set about researching how to process Platinum into a useable form.

Platinum had very useful properties, but its high melting point and resistance to chemical attack made it extremely difficult to work with. By 1805, Wollaston had worked out a commercially viable method of making Platinum malleable. He kept the process a closely guarded secret and made his fortune as the only supplier of platinum ingots.

Almost as a by-product of his research into Platinum, Wollaston discovered two new elements in 1803: Palladium (which he named after a newlydiscovered asteroid, Pallas); and Rhodium (named from the Greek word

for rose because of the reddish colour of rhodium salts). Wollaston was so averse to publicity that he announced his discovery of Palladium anonymously, causing suspicions that this remarkable new metal was a hoax and actually made from an alloy. He eventually revealed his identity to the Royal Society in 1805, explaining that he had needed time to fully understand the properties of Palladium before putting his name to the discovery.

Today, Rhodium, Platinum and Palladium are essential components of catalytic convertors in cars, catalysts for numerous industrial processes, and jewellery.

Wollaston was equally well known for his optical work: he was the first person to observe dark lines in the spectrum of the sun in 1802 (now known as the Fraunhofer lines, after

Wollaston’s medical research included an investigation into glucose levels in diabetics (coincidentally Palladium is used in blood sugar test strips). He observed the main components of urinary calculi (solid particles in the urinary system) and he identified a bladder stone that he named Cystic Oxide, which later became known as Cysteine, one of the first amino acids discovered. He also wrote the most accurate physiological description of the ear for his day.

Wollaston accidentally discovered electromagnetic induction, work that Michael Faraday later took credit for when he designed the first electric motor. It was Wollaston who first established an equivalence between galvanic and frictional electricity, demonstrating that the electricity produced from friction was identical to that produced from a simple electric battery.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1793 and in 1802 he was awarded the Copley Medal for outstanding achievements in research.

Serving as Secretary of the Royal Society between 1804 and 1816 and, briefly, as President in 1820, he was Vice-President from 1820 until his death in December 1828. He was awarded the Royal Medal in that year for his contributions to chemistry. The mineral Wollastonite is named after him and the Geological Society named its highest award, the Wollaston Medal, in his honour. This scientific award for geology was first awarded in 1831 and is still awarded today, ensuring the achievements and discoveries of William Hyde Wollaston (G1783) are not forgotten.

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OC PROFILE Camilla Bougrine (g00)

A Global Career With such remarkable change in the political landscape over the last 10 years, Camilla Bougrine (g00) tells fellow OC Tom Gordon-Martin (S13) about her phenomenal career in Europe

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he first thing to know about Camilla (Macgillivray-) Bougrine is she joined Charterhouse from an international school in the western suburbs of Paris, called Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

She was there for 12 years, from primary all the way through to Sixth Form. This Lycée is made up of 14 different international sections and taught kids from all over the world, with a variety of backgrounds.

So, it’s 1998 and Camilla is 16 years old. She’s moving to a new country and joining a traditional English boarding school, where boys outnumber the girls.

“Yeah, it was a bit of a culture shock”, she says over a Zoom call from her home in Brussels, where she now lives and works.

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Camilla joined the School with more global experience than most people in her year group. She spoke two languages and had friends from across Europe. While you might expect the decision to join Charterhouse was taken by her parents, Camilla is clear she was the one who pushed to join the School.

Asked whether this imbalance affected her experience, she’s quick to refute it.

“In a funny way, it sort of increased my confidence,” she says. “I think that being in an environment where you’re very much dominated by men, you sort of forge this confidence that I am absolutely equal. And, if not, I can prove myself to be even better than the guys.”

“My mother had said to me: ‘Look, do you want to finish off your schooling in France or do you want to go to Sixth Form in the UK?’ I told her I wanted to go to boarding school in the UK. So it was very much a personal choice.”

Camilla was in Duckites, and she owes her successful years at the School to the Housemaster Malcolm Bailey (BH74-13), a name many OCs are familiar with. Malcolm was a very successful football coach, geography teacher, and an all-round popular face at the School for over 40 years. But for Camilla, it was the confidence he gave her to try new things that sticks in her memory. “He encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone,” she says.

“For example, I ended up doing solos in theatre performances and poetry recitals. It wasn’t like he was trying to get me to do more academically but, instead, he really got me to grow as a person. He pushed me.”

As a female Carthusian, it’s impossible not to ask Camilla how it was being a girl at Charterhouse in 1998. At the Lycée, she was used to co-education, 50-50 girl-to-boy. But at Charterhouse that changed immediately and she became one of 60 girls in a school of 700 pupils.

Following Charterhouse, Camilla toured South America for a year, before three years at Nottingham University studying Law and Politics followed by an MSc in Global Ethics at Birmingham University.

Afterwards, it was a case of what next?

A daunting question that faces many young adults that have moved from one top-class educational experience to the next.

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At this point, her perspective totally changed. No longer was Camilla an employee of the European Union.

Instead, she was now a representative of the UK Government and in 2012 that meant a very different thing.

“If I think back now, the UK had a positive agenda in 2012. We were leading discussions in the Council on migration. Then we very quickly shifted to the migration crisis, and then to the referendum and, of course, to now where we’re not even a member state.

There’s been a sort of decline, or at least a shift in the job I’m doing now,” she says.

Senegal and the Gambia, worked in the European Parliament for a Conservative MEP, and before she was even 30 she returned to the Commission as a Programme Manager in the elections observation unit. It was in this role at the Commission that Camilla was handed considerable international responsibility, travelling to Africa and Latin America while managing huge million euro budgets.

“Don’t worry if at times you feel like you’re floating adrift.

Uncertainty can be really scary, but it’s also important.”

For Camilla, she stuck close to what she knew and that was a blend of politics, ethics and international governance. She landed an internship at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

“From there, it’s been a series of good luck, I guess, going from one job to another,” she says. But that seems a little modest. Since the UNHCR, Camilla has worked for Amnesty International, interned at the European Commission experiencing trips to

“I would go out to a country with a group of people from the Commission and I would design and budget a future election observation. It was a job with a lot of responsibility and I was in my late 20s, I was the youngest in my team.”

Certainly her most senior job at that time, Camilla remembers the challenge of giving directions to men, some of them ex-army officers. “Not the sort of people you might expect would respond well to orders from a girl in her 20s,” she says with a smile. Having first worked in the European Parliament and then the Commission, Camilla had filled two of the three main legislative branches of the European Union.

There was one left – the European Council – which she joined in 2012 as a Justice and Home Affairs attaché in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with a focus on migration.

Camilla’s career has taken her far and wide. She’s been able to see things and work within historical moments that many others have merely just observed. She’s travelled the world representing the European Union, she’s briefed UK Prime Ministers, shaping their policy agendas, and had the opportunity to meet, and listen to, global figures like the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbachev and Kofi Annan.

Pressed for what advice she would give to any young person at Charterhouse today, she says: “Don’t worry if at times you feel like you’re floating adrift. Uncertainty can be really scary, but it’s also important. You need to allow yourself to be adrift as a young adult, at least for a while, or you will never have the opportunity to find out what really interests and inspires you, and which people you really want to be around.”

For now, Camilla remains in Brussels still working for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She is the mother of two young children with a third on the way.

Camilla may only be living a few hundred miles away from the western suburb of Paris where, at 16 years old, she decided she wanted to join an English boarding school, but it’s certain that her decisions and confidence to try new things, and take on big challenges at a young age has delivered her with fantastic and wide-ranging life experiences.

Interview by Tom Gordon-Martin (S13) 11

CARTHUSIAN LIFE IN THE ‘60s Portraits by Roger Mayne

Af ter Cha pel

1960s

Charterhouse In CQ1960 the Beerbohm Society (led by the inspirational Head of Art, Mr Fleming-Williams (BH47-70)) invited Roger Mayne to create a record of everyday life at Charterhouse. Roger Mayne (1929-2014) was best known for his iconic images of street life in the London slums, but now spent two days capturing the essence of Carthusian life. He blended into the background with the patience and stealth of a wildlife photographer, catching Carthusians and beaks unawares throughout the School day (a technique that our own Roger Smeeton (BH78-19) would also later employ). The resulting collection is a historic record of 1960s Charterhouse. We are grateful to Roger Mayne’s family for allowing us to publish a selection of these photographs. Copyright: The Roger Mayne Archive.

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TH E G R E Y H OU N D

Chemis t ry

Banco

A thle tics

Cricke t

Calling Ove

r with Hea

dmas ter B rian Young

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RISING STARS A profile of Charlie Harrison, 2YS Gownboys

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TH E G R E Y H OU N D

Leading the House Awarded a coveted Greyhound Award, Charlie Harrison is a leading light for Gownboys and others

“I

’m studying Maths, Economics, History and Religious Studies,” explains Charlie Harrison, Head of House at Gownboys.

“Economics has always appealed to me, and I thought that having a basis in Philosophy would be really useful as well.”

Charlie is perhaps more familiar with the School than most, having had two older sisters attend. Immy (G17) is now reading Architecture whilst previous Head Girl Iona (G19) is at Cambridge studying Natural Sciences.

to listen. We played a lot of old-school jazz; it was an amazing experience.”

Charlie smiles and it’s clear that music will always be a passion. “I gave up the trombone earlier this year after achieving my Grade 8, mainly to focus more on my academics, but I still play piano. I actually won the Piano Prize this year, which really surprised me.

Music is something I really enjoy and appreciate.”

Charlie is a Foundation Exhibitioner and a Music Scholar. “Being a Foundation Exhibitioner is almost equivalent to an academic scholarship.

During these exams I stayed in Gownboys for a few nights. It was a bit intense but I felt really welcomed.

And seeing the people in the year above was a very useful experience – I could see where I was going to be in a year’s time.”

Being Head of House means that Charlie is tasked with coordinating the House Music competition this year.

“This is probably the biggest challenge I’ve had since becoming Head of House. Normally all the Houses would just go to Hall and sing in turn. This year things are very different so we’re recording from each House. So, I’ve been organising rehearsals for each year group bubble. I’ve got to know the people in the younger years better as a result. Alongside the Fourths’ Monitor, it’s my job to know the new boys and help them settle in.”

Modestly, Charlie describes the process he undertook to receive a music scholarship: “Before I joined I had to perform piano and trombone, and I’d only been playing trombone for a year so it probably didn’t sound its best! I get to be involved in all the orchestras and Jazz Band, and in the Fifth Form we had an amazing jazz tour to Granada. We’d rehearse in the morning, then drive to a small town for lunch with our instruments and music.

Then we’d start playing in the town square. Initially there’d only be a few people listening, but by the end it seemed like the whole town had come

The application that Charlie made to be Head of House is just one part of the process which involves actively contributing to the House over the last four years. It’s a role Charlie clearly relishes: “It’s a very supportive role and I get to advise my Housemaster about the different year groups, how we all are, and ask him what I can do to further support them.” Gownboys obviously plays a big part in Charlie’s Charterhouse experience and he nods emphatically when asked if it was nice to return after Lockdown 1. “Coming back to School in September was definitely a relief. Being back in

Gownboys, seeing my friends, seeing my teachers in person, that was definitely an improvement. The hashroom also feels pretty normal (especially compared to a Zoom screen!), although we are all socially distanced with screens between us.”

Having said that, the wonders of Zoom weren’t lost on Charlie. At the start of CQ2020 Charlie and Head Girl Lea Wessel-Aas (Ch) were made Committee Chairs for the Sustainability Committee, helping produce the School’s recent Climate Conference.

“Taking the Conference online worked on lots of fronts: no travel; more international reach and very sustainable. And I was amazed at the numbers that came in. Lea and I presented the first webinar with Clare Perry O’Neill of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (former MP and Minister for Energy).

I knew there would be at least 10 on the webinar, not least because Mum would be logged in on three devices,” jokes Charlie, “but suddenly at the press of a button there was some 300 people on the call!”

Charlie’s involvement in the Conference earnt him a Greyhound Award, one of the School’s highest co-curricular awards. “I did feel really proud, not just of the tie,” admits Charlie, “but for what it meant and the fact that our efforts had been rewarded.”

Charlie will be applying to read PPE and we wish him all the best on the next steps of his journey.

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RISING STARS A profile of Eva Pomery, 2YS Fletcherites

Leading the Way With her boundless energy and intellectual curiosity, Eva is sure to be a star – whether in the courtroom or on the stage

“I

’m the first member of my family to go to Charterhouse and came here on a Bursary. I’m really lucky to be here and love all the opportunities. In my first few weeks I had already auditioned for the School musical and been invited up to London for a careers day. It’s been non-stop!”

Eva beams broadly: “Playing the lead character in Guys and Dolls was probably my favourite role I have ever played. Being a legit musical it was a very different sing for me – more classic and passionate – and the character itself had a lot more levels to those I have played before.”

A talented actress and grade 8 singer, Eva began her love of performing arts when she started attending drama workshops from age four. This grew to being involved with school productions, local theatre groups and now taking LAMDA lessons at Charterhouse. “I’ve just found out I’m playing Éponine in Les Mis, our next School musical. I’m a massive fan so looking forward to that, especially as we’ll be learning from our new Actor in Residence, Dean Chisnall (see page 22).”

“I pretty much sing in all the choirs,” Eva continues. “And the format of these has changed since I joined. When I started there were three different types of choir: concert choir; chapel choir; and the Burczyk choir. My sight reading was a bit weak but from being in the latter it’s really developed. Also I had never sung much choral music before I got here and it’s started a real passion – I absolutely love it now. If I get my place at Cambridge, I’ll be applying for a choral scholarship there as well.”

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You might be forgiven for thinking Eva is intending to go on to read Music, or Drama, but she has her sights firmly set on a different direction. “I found out yesterday I have an interview at Clare College, Cambridge, to read Law. The plan is (though it is very fluid!) to do three years at Law School, get a solid academic degree, then do a one year intensive course in musical theatre at Drama School.

I don’t want to be 40 and visiting the West End wishing I’d tried but this way, if I don’t make it, I have a pretty decent back up plan, hopefully in entertainment or media law so still invested in an industry I’m passionate about!”

Eva is studying Latin, Geography, Maths and Art. Upon arriving here she was invited to join the Scholar Society – an academic club where you develop presentations. “The topic picked for me was Aristotlian Ethics, with an emphasis on his ideas on happiness. Having never studied Philosophy before, I relished learning about an entirely new field.

Since then, this year I’ve been invited to the Headmaster’s Essay Society – a much smaller group. It’s great as I’ve been using it to research university topics in depth. I undertook an essay competition in summer on ‘algorithms in law’ and came runner up, so I’m going to use this and extend it to present to the Headmaster’s Essay Society.”

Never one to sit still, Eva believes firmly in stepping up as often as she can. “At my old school I was made Deputy Head of House a year early and I want to continue this at Charterhouse. Here, I’m a Leadership Award Holder and a School Monitor. The School Monitors have an important role to play in setting

an example, regarding uniform, discipline, and being approachable for the younger years. I think it’s important for younger pupils that they know that they can come and talk to me, someone that’s got involved, led, and can give them advice. So it’s a pastoral role too.

We also meet every two weeks to discuss a range of issues. Inclusivity is one key focus and something that’s really important to me. Coming from a less privileged background, I’ve grown up in a world that’s very different to Charterhouse. Making it a happy place for everyone is our main goal.”

Eva was also pivotal in setting up the Charity Committee, and now sits as Chair. In CQ2020 they started the Charterhouse Charity Challenge, based on the 2.6 challenge that arose in Lockdown 1. “We decided to run a school-wide programme,” Eva explains, “and my aim is get our pupil body involved as much as possible. Since coming back to School, I’ve organised Lack of Talent which we ran for The Meath (a local epilepsy charity). On a national level this year we’re supporting Show Racism the Red Card. And then we also held a vote to choose our third charity, Toilet Twinning, so that the pupil body could have their say. This way we are supporting charities on a local, national and international level, making the biggest difference we can as a community. We’re going to do lots more as our committee grows; we’ve grown to 15 committee members already.”

Whether Eva treads the boards or gives legal advice, we’re sure we’ll be hearing more about her in the future.

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PHILANTHROPY AT SCHOOL

Building on the

Foundations

Our story begins with one incredible man and his extraordinary bequest in 1611: Thomas Sutton. Today his legacy lives on with a School of over 800 pupils who continue to benefit from Sutton’s philanthropy, alongside the support of countless others across the generations since.

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TH E G R E Y H OU N D

W Thomas Ruffell (D05)

James Wyatt (g83)

hilst fees continue to fund the School’s running costs these are sadly not sufficient to fund major new developments, or give us the opportunity to offer the significant numbers of bursaries to individuals who would gain so much from all that a Charterhouse education can offer. Charterhouse has always relied on the transformative impact that philanthropy can have and the support of each generation has built the School we all know today. Here OCs Thomas Ruffell (D05) and James Wyatt (g83) tell us how they are helping to provide a brighter future for more Carthusians.

Thomas Ruffell is, at 32 years old, our youngest member of Charterhouse’s 1611 Society. “Last year, I received a letter from the School asking for financial support. I’ve never been in a position to provide meaningful support to letters such as these, and would usually tell myself ‘it’s a lovely thing to support, but now is just not the right time’. But then I reflected on the year.

2020 had been such a challenging year for so many people and I felt that I had not been affected as badly as many others. So in fact, it was exactly the right time to start supporting!

The 1611 Society felt like a good vehicle to give through as it has a great community aspect surrounding it, which makes my donation feel more special. I personally benefitted from a bursary whilst at Charterhouse, and I realise that this was only possible

because other OCs and members of the School community had donated to the Bursary Fund. Somebody’s donations had enabled me to go to Charterhouse and have the excellent education I did. I feel I am in a position that I can now give back, and it is great to think that a Carthusian right now, whose family may have been impacted financially though Covid-19, could be benefiting from the small contribution that I have made.

It is so easy to detach yourself from the School once you have left, but there are children who are both in the School, and wanting to come to Charterhouse, who need financial help and will benefit from the Charterhouse community’s support. My donation is a small contribution, but multiple small contributions, when put together, make a very meaningful difference to a bursary pupil and their future.”

OC James Wyatt has had a longstanding affinity to the School, having led the Old Duckites House Association for many years, and is currently a parent of 2 boys here.

“I enjoyed a remarkable five years at Charterhouse. It provided me with many of the foundations upon which I have built my life. I want to help ensure that future generations can benefit as I did.

One of the most meaningful ways I can do this is by remembering Charterhouse in my Will, and ensuring Charterhouse thrives well into the future.”

The 1611 Society The 1611 Society, named after the year the School was founded, celebrates the continuing generosity of our community. Members of the society support Charterhouse’s pupils in so many ways, by providing the School with a regular and flexible stream of gift income which enables us to plan for the future and benefit generations of Carthusians to come.

There are two levels of membership: Headmaster’s Circle and Member.

To donate to the society, we invite you to become a regular donor and make a gift of either £1,611 or £161.10 through the course of the year. This can be done monthly or annually. Regular donations provide critical and continuous support for the School, year on year, whilst also allowing you to plan your giving.

If you would like to support the School, you can make a donation online by visiting

www.charterhousefoundation.org.uk For further information on how to give back please contact

foundation@charterhouse.org.uk

In recognition of an annual gift of either £1,611 or £161.10 it will be our honour to welcome you into Charterhouse’s 1611 Society.

19

OC NEWS

OC Football Despite the enormous challenges the world continues to throw at us, the 2019-20 season for the OCFC was marked with great success fascinating spectacle with both teams enjoying periods of sustained pressure. It wasn’t until the 70th minute that a penalty, duly converted by skipper Ant Beddows (G08), followed immediately by the Bradfield captain seeing red for a bizarre retaliation, effectively sealed the 2-0 victory.

This result adds yet another record to the 1st XIs list of achievements, four consecutive Arthur Dunn Cup victories breaking our own record from 1903-1906 (the first of which was a shared trophy).

Julian Hornby (g10) and Harry Walford (g10) in the Arthur Dunn Cup Final 2020

A

s Lockdown 1 began back in March 2020 and the Arthurian League season was brought to an early and unfinished close, all of our teams were progressing well and were ready for an exciting final few months of the season.

The 1st XI were top of the Premier League, the 3rd XI were safely nestled in mid-table in Division 3 and the 2nd XI were running away at the top of Division 2, so much so that, despite several games remaining, they were mathematically uncatchable and were the only team in the Arthurian League to be awarded their League title, an incredible achievement from Charlie Evans (W10) and his team.

Decisions were taken that Cup competitions could indeed continue when restrictions were lifted and the OCFC benefitted greatly from this. The Veteran’s XI went one better than last season and won the Derrick Moore Plate final, with a 3-0 win over Old Tonbridgians. The 2nd XI completed a fantastic Double, winning the Junior League Cup with a 1-0 victory over Old

20

Ant Beddows (G08) lifts the Cup

Columbans and the 1st XI made their way past a strong Old Reptonians at the second time of asking in September to reach yet another Arthur Dunn Cup Final.

The lucky few socially distanced spectators on the touchline at Bradfield School for the final were treated to another exemplary OC performance, especially from Julian Hornby (g10) lighting up the left-hand touchline and the OCs defensive unit showing their big game experience by successfully nullifying a strong attacking force. Despite Old Bradfieldians’ home advantage, it was the OCs that started fastest and forced a defensive error to go 1-0 up inside one minute. The game settled into a

At time of writing, we are again on pause in the world of amateur football.

We have adapted to ensure the Club was able to play regular football up to this point, with Covid protocols in place for training and match days, as well as no shortage of commitment from the Committee, Captains and playing roster. It is great testament to our members that despite everything that has gone on we still brought home four trophies last season and all teams are performing well so far this season, as we have continued to offer regular training, football and camaraderie to OCs every week whenever possible.

2020 will be remembered, sadly, for a vast amount of tragedy, and the OC community was not immune from that.

At the tender age of 33, one of our former players and committee members, Richard Greensmith (R05), passed away in October following a brave five-year battle with a brain tumour. He was a committed and successful footballer, a highly valued committee member and a fantastic human being. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts continue to be with his family.

Article by Matt Bailey (V00) & Ant Beddows (G08)

SPORTS | EVENTS | REUNIONS | PROFILES

OCFC 1st XI: Arthur Dunn Cup Winners 2020

Key Results Arthur Dunn Cup Final Old Bradfieldians 0-2 Old Carthusians Derrick Moore Plate Final Old Tonbridgians 0-3 Old Carthusians Junior League Cup Old Columbans 0-1 Old Carthusians

OCFC Vets: Derrick Moore Plate Winners 2020

Four consecutive Arthur Dunn Cup victories breaking our own record from 1903-1906 (the first of which was a shared trophy) OCFC 2nd XI: Arthurian League Division 2 Champions & Junior League Cup Winners 2020

21

OC NEWS

OC Yacht Club Sailing through the pandemic

work on the furled as the foredeck Thalia, just finished, jib ore is at the helm mod Com Vice The flying jib and staysail.

The wind off Lepe was puffing up to 20 knots true but once out in the middle this dropped to below 15 knots; on the broad reach Eagle’s symmetric kite was first up and was immediately answered by Olivia Ann IV. Soon Eagle was able to lean over for increased waterline and she was up on Olivia Ann IV’s stem by half-way along the leg.

Eagle takes the lead. Instead of the usual Orange Flag, the Charterhouse Pink denotes “Race Officer aboard”

M

any OCYC events were cancelled in 2020 but some crews did manage to meet for Camelford’s Swoop and the Beaumont Bowl.

Camelford’s Swoop is a pursuit race from Beaulieu to Lymington and back, held in honour of the dangerous-to-know OC Commander Lord Camelford RN and this took place in late August 2020.

By 5pm on 29 August, Beaulieu Pier was fully stocked with Sofia, Thalia, Mabel, Xara, Clara and Firefly rafted.

Eagle was nearby up in the marina.

Meanwhile, ‘Team Hawkes’ on Olivia Ann IV had scooted round the back of the island to take refuge from the fairly puffy northerly at anchor off Sandown. The fleet sailed out from Bucklers Hard in the late morning on Sunday, with Clara on cruise to St Helier and Eagle, Thalia, Mabel, and Firefly meeting Olivia Ann IV off Lepe to begin the race.

Olivia Ann IV was first off from Sevenstar and hugged the north shore before crossing to the deeper water towards the first mark English Berry Co, just short of Yarmouth.

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Eagle was in the lead after Yarmouth but she was strongly chased down by all of Thalia, Firefly and Mabel. Around Folkboats, Mabel was able to pounce into the lead; she took a commanding position and never gave it up.

This left Thalia, Eagle and Firefly to engage in an incredible dicing game of overtakes, re-overtakes and re-re-overtakes! Finally, Thalia and Firelfy took “the unlucky left” while Eagle took what turned out to be the “lucky right”, storming past in a very puffy lift. After the race, crews enjoyed a fine socially-distanced BBQ was held on the Green below the Master Builders. Much fun was had and crews all returned home safely on Monday.

In early September, Roger FranceHayhurst (H70) and Charlie Kitching (D14) raced against Jim Miller (P85) and Tim Miller (P83) for the Beaumont Bowl, within the Christchurch Bay race. In a five-hour race in fresh conditions round the back of the Shingle Bank, Tim and Jim managed to press on home and win by three minutes.

OCYC very much hope to be sailing more in 2021 and always welcome new additions to crews and supporters.

the Olivia Ann IV leading fleet towards Yarmouth

SPORTS | EVENTS | REUNIONS | PROFILES

Charterhouse Lifeboat

The Charterhouse was built in 1908, went on station at Fishguard in 1909 and is an ultra-rare surviving early motorised lifeboat. She was supported in build and in service by a fund set up by previous Housemasters Reverend Gerald Davies (BH1873-1905, Headmaster 1909-1927) and Frederick Girdlestone (BH1867-1912), supported by pupils and OCs. She was launched by the Headmaster’s wife. Charterhouse is most famous for her part in the rescue of a Dutch schooner, The Hermina. On retirement from the RNLI, she survived as a motor yacht until she was gifted to the Charterhouse Returns Trust. The trust was set up by a retired teacher who was interested in preserving her as a significant historical artefact and as a memorial to the men of Fishguard, who crewed her. The OCYC are helping to ensure the lifeboat is preserved in perpetuity.

Tim Miller (P83), member of the OCYC, tells us why this project is so dear to their hearts: “Charterhouse was the first lifeboat funded by a public school. She represented state of the art technology, including being one of the very first lifeboats to be motorised. Engines were still pretty much in their infancy then; how could you develop a petrol engine to operate reliably and safely in the roughest of conditions where the boat could even be rolled over?

The OCYC continues to support The Charterhouse Returns Trust and is currently raising funds for the lifeboat’s preservation. To help them or find out more about The Charterhouse Lifeboat, please contact

ocyc.hon.sec@gmail.com

I, for one, am very much looking forward to seeing her completed and displayed. I hope to update you on progress over the coming year.

I think for me, as an Old Carthusian and retired Engineer, the boat is of great significance for three reasons.

The technical aspect: she represents the state of the art technology of her time. The heroic rescues she was involved in – particularly that of the Dutch Schooner. This was recognised by the lifeboat being shipped by train to London, where The Prince of Wales inspected her and awarded medals to the crew. A year later the coxswain and crew also received gold and silver watches from the Dutch Queen and

Government. Then finally there is the link to the School who funded her and those particular Housemasters still so well remembered today.

So in April the year before last, I got in touch with the Charterhouse Returns Trust to find out more. The trust was set up to take ownership of the boat, to preserve her and find her a safe permanent home, which they did at The West Wales Maritime Heritage Society, Pembroke Dock. This society specialises in preserving rare wooden hulled vessels and is renowned for its expertise. The colour photograph shows Charterhouse being officially welcomed there by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, and Mayors of Pembroke Dock, Fishguard & Goodwick – February 2020.

The priority now is to provide a shelter for Charterhouse. Both the Charterhouse Returns Trust and the Maritime Museum have done a lot of work as to how it might best be achieved. Once under shelter, her preservation will continue and she will ultimately be exhibited in the scheme she wore when launched. There will be a viewing platform so you can have a look inside the lifeboat, plus displays explaining some of her rather unique technical features and her history.

Bringing the lifeboat back to her former glory will ensure that her historical importance and her crew are remembered. The detail of how these unique lifeboats were designed and manufactured can be displayed and the now rare skills required to work on them preserved. The work also benefits the local community where preservation volunteers have been found through the local job centre. In this current climate where things are not easy for a lot of people, it can offer a therapeutic output and a chance to be involved in something positive.

23

1970s FOOTBALL

Football Forever

24

Our 1970s footballers catch up to reflect on two amazing experiences – playing Chelsea FC and playing in Jamaica

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

“Am I on mute or not?”…

“No, we can hear you… we’re just not listening to you!!”

“Geez, look how much hair you’ve all got!”

“I haven’t seen you in 40 years!

Can you believe it?!”

F

rom the matrix of boxes on the screen there’s a lot of chatter and laughter as 12 of our old boys log on to the call.

The idea to bring the old team back together to reminisce was proposed

by Arthur Napolitano (g74), who had recently discovered all his cuttings and memorabilia from the School’s match with Chelsea FC in November 1973, and the following tour to Jamaica (December ‘73 – January ‘74).

Football runs through Arthur’s veins.

When going through his copy of A Charterhouse Miscellany (published 1982) Arthur discovered that his great-grandfather George J Cookson (b1845 and an old Saunderite), not only Captained the football team but also attended a meeting in 1863 in London with a copy of the Charterhouse Football Rules which in turn helped form the basis for the rules of the ‘new Association game’.

“I was in the 1st X1 at my prep school and loved to play the game and represent the school which continued at Charterhouse. Although competition was much tougher, sport became central to my life, no doubt to the detriment of my studies which is another story!”

Little could Arthur imagine that he would, during his time at Charterhouse, be playing with professional footballers but come the winter of 1973 that was exactly what was happening. And now most of the team were back together, albeit just on screen due to the ongoing pandemic.

The game with Chelsea came about through a connection of the father of Paul Williams (B74) – namely, the then Chelsea FC Chairman, Brian Mears.

“Do you remember we almost ended Alan Hudson’s career in that game?” asks Steve Faull (D74). The Chelsea Captain was then only 22 and making a big impression in the game.

“Looking back, it was amazing that Chelsea brought their first team,” mentions Arthur. “Manager Dave Sexton, John Hollins David Webb, Ron Harris and Eddie McCreadie were all in the 1970 FA Cup winning team against Leeds Utd which at the time was fresh in the memory. It was a lovely sunny winter’s day with a very large crowd of boys and Masters two or three deep hugging the Big Ground touchline, and it certainly felt that we were about to play in a special game.”

“If you look carefully at the Sunshine Soccer magazine you’ll see me marking Dave Webb from a corner,” Steve proudly announces.

“When you say marking, Stevie…?”

Louis Adomakoh (R74), playfully interjects. “I think putting him off to be fair…” “I don’t think you did much of that either really!” laughs Keith Ellis (R73).

It was a match that the team would remember all their lives, a quite unique experience for young amateur footballers.

Whilst at the match they were presented not only to the Headmaster and Chelsea Chairman but also to the High Commissioner for Jamaica (in London), HE Sir Henry Lawrence Lindo.

The previous summer Calabar High School had come over from Jamaica to play football. When it transpired that one of their games had been cancelled Charterhouse leapt into action and pulled a team together. The school was so grateful that they reciprocated the offer asking Charterhouse to come to Jamaica and play them and four other schools.

25

1970s FOOTBALL

“Willy’s Dad and my Dad sorted it out,” explains Keith. “My Dad had a business in Jamaica at the time.” So between 28th December and 12thJanuary the lads played four matches in Kingston and one at Montego Bay accompanied by an entourage of DRT (David Richard Thorpe BH65-97), Master in Charge of Football John Peters (BH69-04), Harry Medhurst the Chelsea Trainer, and Headmaster Brian Rees (BH73-81).

“I don’t think many of us had travelled beyond Europe at that time so this was a huge adventure,” adds Arthur. “We were told that schoolboy football in Jamaica had a higher profile than local professional football so there was a lot of excitement around our visit in terms of newspaper articles.”

“There were also a number of receptions which gave us the opportunity to meet the opposing players as well as, it must be said, some female company. As it happens my Charterhouse LQ 1974 Booklet has the names and addresses of four girls I / we met. It would be great to know if they have similar fond memories of our visit almost 50 years ago!” smiles Arthur cheekily.

“One of them didn’t,” interjects David Levy (R75). “I remember Roger playing mid-field in one of those games…”

“You’re spot on! Paul was injured – good memory!” smiles Roger Ecob (P73).

“I think it was only that you stepped out the back four that I managed to get a game! With Ivor also recovering I played the first game. I may then have 26

exaggerated my role in the team to a young lady. Then Ivor recovered and I didn’t play. She thought I was lying and I never saw her again. Terrible.”

David shakes his head ruefully.

“Do you remember Brian Rees in his little black plimsolls?” asks Keith. “He thought he’d join us for a kickabout on the first day and joined Stevie and I at the back. Turned his ankle on the first corner and then took no further part!”

The team played five games of football (“and one cricket match!” confirms Tim Middleton (B74)), four of which were played at the Kingston National Stadium built for the 1966 Commonwealth Games (capacity 35,000) and one at Jarrett Park Montego Bay. A number were also under floodlights. All memorable games, but some perhaps for very different reasons, like the one played in Montego Bay against Cornwall College.

“That was the one we had to tactically ‘lose’ or there was going to be a riot,” explains Mike Doggart (S73).

“I remember our coach and his assistant legged it to the pavilion and left us on the pitch at half time, surrounded by the crowd,” muses Keith.

“They were first on the bus as well,” adds Jeremy Scholfield (V74).

“That’s because the match before the referee had been killed,” explains Steve darkly.

“We stayed in an amazing beachfront hotel in Montego Bay ,” Arthur adds “perched on a cliff which looked like

Dr No’s lair. From here we visited the Tia Maria Distillery and went white water bamboo river rafting on the Ocho Rios. Stunning.”

“Doggart! Are you wearing a 1st XI shirt? Where did that come from?” asks Stevie.

“I wondered when you were going to notice that. It still fits alright. Weren’t you allowed to take one?”

“All the kit got lost at the airport,” frowns Tim. “Because after the last match we all jumped into the swimming pool and the kit got put into plastic bags and I think left there.”

“You know… after that tour I was actually asked if I wanted to play professional football in Jamaica,” smiles Keith.

“Not just in Jamaica,” adds Arthur, “when we left The Daily News highlighted three players they thought were good enough to play in the English First Division. They mentioned you, Keith, Steven and Louis.”

The chatter and memories continue for some time as they happily reminisce and start to plan their November 2023 50th anniversary reunion, of course led by their old Captain Paul and Goalie Keith. With the team currently spread over Ghana, Zimbabwe, Spain, France, Thailand and England it’s going to need some careful planning, but Arthur’s initiative to bring many of them together will hopefully be the catalyst they need.

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

Team on call:

• Paul Williams (Capt) (B74) • Keith Ellis (Goalkeeper) (R73) • Alfred (Louis) Adomakoh (R74) • Carlo Comninos (g74) • Michael Doggart (S73) • Roger Ecob (P73) • Steven Faull (D74) • David Levy (R75) • Tim Middleton (B74) • Arthur Napolitano (g74) • Richard Oulton (W75) • Jeremy Scholfield (V74)

1 L2): sults (W2 D e R r u o T n a J a maic l HS (W 3-1) Vere Technica oh, Doggart and Williams Sc orers: A do

m ak

Calabar HS (W

1- 0)

l Sc orer: Fa ul

Wolmers B oys

S c hool (0 - 0) ge (L 1-2 )

C ornwall Collakeoh m Sc orer: A do

Kin gston Co

ll e ge (L 0 -2)

27

OC NEWS

OC News Growth through technology For all its challenges, 2020 has been a year of growth for the OC Technology Society

W

e have been reaching out to more and more Old Carthusians who work in the Technology industry and our Zoom calls (I hope Microsoft don’t find out I’ve been using this instead of Teams!) have gone from strength to strength.

As predicted we are getting more and more younger OCs who, after university (or before), start a career in the many tech start-ups and graduate schemes available. This injection of youth is complemented by the body of knowledge and wisdom that our slightly older

members bring to the party. I am always thrilled to see Ian Wells (W65) who has a library of fascinating stories and insights. Reliably with red wine in hand, Ian is quick to call us out on the lack of alcoholic beverages on show, and is always keen to learn the latest software trends or crazes.

There is also the ever present regular, Jack Rogers (V08). His start up, Scripin, although impacted by Covid this year, is still growing into a fantastic App. The challenging times we now all face have massively impacted events such as

Drama Lockdown needn’t mean not reconnecting.

As one of the School’s ‘Friday Cheers’ events in 2020 we hosted 6 OCs, all of whom had been active in drama at School (and many who continued to maintain this as a career). Anecdotes were shared of the productions they were involved in, the beaks who inspired them and their most memorable moments on (and off!) stage, including opening the wrong door at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane and accidentally walking on stage during a jousting scene… of course wearing Charterhouse uniform. The group discussed what they’ve been up to since they left the School, with many still very much involved in the arts, and how Charterhouse inspired them to follow their theatrical dreams.

Oli Higginson (g12), Erica Flint (F15) Graham Seed (W68), Melissa Price (F14) John Eaton (B61), Nathan Crame (H93) 28

weddings. Scripin is well placed to capture these special moments for all, so please do check it out and support an entrepreneurial OC. Our regular annual get together was postponed in 2020 but thankfully, due to the technology we now all have at our disposal, the OCTS will continue to put on virtual check-ins on Zoom (may have to move this to Teams now!).

If anyone is interested in finding out more then please don’t hesitate to join the OCTS on Charterhouse Connect.

1983 Gathering

‘The Parrots’ are a group of OCs from 1983, spread across the UK, Holland and the US. Normally they would try to meet up two or three times a year.

With all the lockdowns and travel restrictions over the past year this has not been possible, but where there’s a will there’s a way! The wonders of technology have meant that they have actually ‘seen’ each other more than normal over the past few months. Keep Zooming, Parrots!

Back – L to R: Pieter Van Hengel (B), David Brown (B) Middle – L to R: Tim Regan (g), James Wyatt (g), John Segar (L) Front – L to R: Tim Brill (L), Martin South (g)

SPORTS | EVENTS | REUNIONS | PROFILES

Margaret Mardall

I

t is with great sadness that we record the death of Margaret Mardall on 9th January, following a short (non-Covid related) period of ill health. She retired from Charterhouse only last year after 35 years at the School.

Messages of condolence for Margaret’s family have flooded in from colleagues and OCs of all ages, sharing memories of the positive impact that Margaret had on so many lives.

She was a modest and unassuming lady who shunned the limelight, and yet the warmth and kindness of her personality made her truly memorable. For many, Margaret was the first person they met when arriving at the School to look around, providing a warm and reassuring welcome.

She continued to take an interest in pupils as they moved through the School and, as the OC Recorder, Margaret then kept in touch with OCs after they left, with a seemingly encyclopaedic memory for names, faces and family connections. She attended OC Club committee meetings as Minutes Secretary for many years, quietly guiding proceedings with efficient tact and diplomacy, and latterly she also worked in the School Archives, where her detailed knowledge of Charterhouse was invaluable.

Sadly, it was not possible for many people to attend Margaret’s funeral at Albury Village Church because of lockdown restrictions, but the Revd. Clive Case gave an address on behalf of the School and Mr Shepherd played the organ. We are honoured to have known Margaret and will continue to treasure our memories of her. Here are some of the lovely reminiscences sent in by our community…

What a wonderful woman, calm, cheerful, amusing, discreet and deeply humble. I think we were all privileged to have known her.

Margaret was a constant source of friendship, information and help. Never complaining despite the many frustrations, always cheerful and incomparably efficient.

She was such a kind, wise and thoughtful person. A chat with her was always a treat.

She had a feel-good way about her so that one always left feeling better about the place and the world in general.

Not least with her encyclopaedic knowledge of the School, I would think that she is genuinely irreplaceable.

I have very fond memories of her and always thought she was such a very kind lady. And what fortitude she always showed with various health and mobility issues... none of which I ever remember her complaining about.

Margaret embodied Charterhouse, past and present. She made valuable connections. She informed, and knew by instinct who needed to be informed of events, major, small, of successes, retirements, births and deaths. Margaret cared for people and her attention to detail was the expression of that care – she wanted to get things right.

I have no idea how she did it – nor where she found the patience with many who did not deserve it – but what a remarkable legacy. And I feel so sad, that after such an input and life-long performance, that the fruition and her retirement years were so short.

Nothing was ever too much trouble for Margaret, she was Old School in the best possible way: kind and courteous, knowledgeable and interested, thoughtful and caring, with a lovely sense of humour.

I will sorely miss her cheerful attitude and enthusiasm for getting things done. She was a true Charterhouse legend.

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MENTORING MATTERS

Mentoring Matters Mentoring is a two-way opportunity that benefits both parties. It can be an important and useful tool for self-development in the workplace and also on a personal level

A

t Charterhouse, our aim is to forge lifelong connections between our OCs and the School to support both personal and professional passions. The workplace has been fraught with challenges during the last year and so now, more than ever, the potential support that our alumni network can provide to one another is invaluable. To this end, the School’s Foundation Office, in partnership with the support of the Old Carthusian Club, have established a new programme of professional networking events and peer-to-peer mentoring alongside a digital professions and skills archive, in order to support our community in meaningful ways.

One-to-one mentoring can provide an opportunity to seek detailed professional advice to help inform your current activities, as well as plan for the future. With so many demands on peoples’ time, it can be difficult to commit to a longer term ‘traditional’ mentoring programme. Our MicroMentoring programme enables both mentors and mentees to start their journey and begin to harness the

power and network of our vibrant community. Micro-Mentoring reduces some of the pressures of ‘traditional’ mentoring by looking to create shorter relationships, advising in smaller blocks of time. These relationships can last anything from a few hours through to days or even weeks, often focusing on a specific question or theme with clearly defined goals.

It’s important to note that mentoring is a two-way opportunity that benefits both parties. Mentors will share their professional wisdom, career insight and top tips, but in return they will gain the opportunity to expand their own network, have the opportunity for self-reflection and to build upon their communication and leadership skills.

Did You Know

?

89% of those w ho have been mentored w ill also go on to mento r others

Charterhouse Connect, our online community platform enables all OCs and parents to connect easily with their peers and to search out support and advice. To register please visit www.charterhouseconnect.org.uk The success of our mentoring programme is entirely dependent on the generosity and time of our community.

Please do share your stories on how mentoring has worked for you and help inspire others to get involved.

If you would like help in facilitating a mentoring relationship our team is on hand to help make introductions and to answer any questions.

Please do get in touch at foundation@charterhouse.org.uk

tform ect – your globa l pla Char terhouse Conn ents. ev d an ections, news for mentor ing, conn rants • Over 2,650 regist to help’ ‘w stered as illing • 69% of users regi ing to mentor • 57% of users w ill e UK ese are users in th • Over 1,000 of th t. Connect.

Seek out. Reach ou Mentoring ha s a real importance to play in the Charterhouse OC Commun ity.

It is somet hing I personally get involved in and am excite d to see ex pa nd in the future.

Jim Bov ill (V 89) OC and Char terhouse Gover nor

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www.charterhouseconnect.org.uk

Mentoring works Mentee, Tom McMahon (B09) Perhaps the easiest way to express why one might seek a mentor is to speak from personal experience.

I sought a mentor towards the end of last year because I felt at something of a loss. I was unsure where my career was going, and unsure what I actually wanted from it.

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

After a mentor was found for me, I spoke with them, discussing all my options and what I actually wanted.

This was a cathartic experience, helping to get everything out in the open in front of an impartial judge.

There is some argument for turning to friends and family, and they are an excellent sounding board for most things in life. That said, in my experience, they will struggle to give good, objective advice, particularly when talking about career choices that they might not be terribly knowledgeable about.

In my case, my mentor had been through a not-dissimilar desire for career change at a similar age, and we bonded over that, clearly having quite a lot in common. She was a friendly voice to talk through everything with. Talking to people (surprisingly easy, even in the pandemic) really helps, regardless of where the conversation leads.

A mentor is an outsider, well-placed to provide genuinely objective advice and discussion based on experience.

In addition, most people who volunteer to be mentors are good listeners, and very happy to hear out all of their mentee’s concerns without judgment.

I can, as a result, wholeheartedly endorse and support what Charterhouse is trying to do with their mentoring scheme as, regardless of where life takes you, it is always useful

to have an objective listening ear to help guide you.

Charterhouse’s own mentoring scheme is particularly good in this regard, carefully matching individuals who fit with each other, both in terms of personality and career path. The Foundation Office are happy to offer their support to anyone who may be looking so if you can’t find your perfect match through Charterhouse Connect do get in touch with them.

The POWER of mentoring Jessica Richardson, Charterhouse parent and Mentoring & Career Coordinator with SATRO I have been involved in mentoring since 2013, firstly as a mentor and now as a mentoring manager and I still love hearing how one person’s life is transformed as a result of a constructive mentoring partnership.

We don’t know what we don’t know and this is the key to mentoring because, as a relationship develops, problems can be discussed, experiences shared, concerns reviewed and ultimately goals set.

When you have a mentor, their role is to listen, to try and understand you as a person and see how their experience in life can help you move forward.

I always ask my mentors who they think would benefit from mentoring and the simple answer is all of us.

Who wouldn’t love to have someone to talk to about their future? It is always interesting to me to see how often a mentor will say how they

would have loved to have had a mentor when they were younger.

Unsurprisingly, many who have had that support are now mentors themselves.

There are obviously many reasons to have a mentor as it can help with communication skills, give you an opportunity to think about your future, expand your network and ultimately improve your confidence to take the next steps in life. This relationship doesn’t, however, work in one direction, as Corporate Mentors will learn a great deal from their mentee even if it is only improved communication skills, patience and listening skills. The biggest benefit I found from my mentoring was the feeling of great personal satisfaction as I saw the younger person grow in confidence, ready to make their own decisions in life and start their journey. The hidden benefits are the

understanding you gain from the perspective of the mentee’s world and therefore your improved empathy.

My advice to anyone who has the opportunity to mentor is to please take it. Your knowledge, empathy, advice and presence will make a positive difference to your mentee and you will get a great sense of satisfaction that you played a small part in setting someone off in the right direction. Mentoring is empowering and hugely beneficial to both mentors and mentees.

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SUSTAINABILITY Caspar Bossom (L09) and Hridansh Saraogi (g20)

Sustainability Caspar Bossom (L09): After studying at Leeds University, Caspar served 6 years in the British Army before making a career change into sustainability. He completed a Masters at Imperial College and joined Treeconomy, a climate impact start-up, where he was working during the time of interview. He has since moved to Pollination, a climate change advisory and investment firm, as an Associate.

Hridansh Saraogi (g20): Hridansh has just started university in the US. At Charterhouse he undertook the IB programme and hopes for a career in Computer Science and Economics with the concentration in Economics for Sustainability and Development.

HS: I completely agree, I also think this is the biggest crisis that humanity has ever faced. There are examples in history where a civilization has damaged its environment and it has seriously affected their survival chances. So sustainability is looking to protect our natural environment, the human and ecological life, and this can be done while driving innovation.

CB: Looking at climate change at School is what inspired me to study Environment & Business at Leeds University. At that time, the expectation of corporates contributing something to society was growing. Business is now moving from undertaking Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for reputational reasons, to seeking sustainable business models that consider the operational and financial risks of climate change. This shift has in part happened because of our younger generations. More often we hear of children challenging their parents, asking: “what are you doing about this? I worry about it; my generation worry about it; I’m taught about it at school – why are you not contributing?” And that induces compassionate feelings. It’s something that is transcending all ages.

So it’s now on the younger generation’s radar as well?

How can we educate people better to protect the environment?

HS: I think 5 years ago there wasn’t this interest but now you can see we both have a similar view of sustainability. Education needs to start young. The power of youth in influencing older generations is very significant and very noteworthy.

HS: Education has to be done large scale and embedded into our culture.

I think that sustainability will soon become a part of every single subject.

I’m studying computer science and already one of my projects was related to climate change.

Let’s talk about sustainability; why is it so important?

CB: Currently the way we live our lives is exhaustive. Natural resources are quickly being depleted and they will soon run out; causing a huge amount of damage along the way. It’s about how we use those resources appropriately, at a rate at which they can replenish themselves for future generations, so they have the same access.

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CB: Using the right language to discuss sustainability can be powerful.

Partly why I moved from military to sustainability was that I perceived climate change as a ‘security threat’.

We saw John Kerry in 2015 refer to climate change as a ‘national security threat’ and therefore, by recognising it as a ‘threat’ at state level, it gets it on the political agenda which in turn means administration and funding.

What is the current biggest threat to the environment?

CB: Complacency. In the UK we’ve had a big push for money to go to the right places but also on how we live our lives and lead by example. But, globally, there is complacency. There is a growing issue of: ‘what can I do?

I’m just one person, what difference can I make?’

HS: That is so interesting as I had never thought about it from a complacency angle. For me the biggest threat would be the explosive population growth and the political animosity.

CB: We had a guest give a lecture at the Royal Geographical Society last February on overpopulation and he

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had calculated the Earth’s ideal carrying capacity to be at 3 billion which, bearing in mind we are at 7 billion and predicted to be at 9.6 billion by 2050, puts things into perspective.

HS: Political animosity is also an issue; if you have a very different stance every five years with different administrations then the climate issue will take even longer to tackle. I watched a programme about the different laws that the Obama government put in – relating to forestry – these rulings were overturned within two years of the Trump administration. How can you expect any progress to be made?

What about the effects of this pandemic?

CB: We’ve found we can work from home and still be productive, and this digitisation of how we work reduces travel. Also, financial investments linked to fossil fuels saw huge detrimental impact to their value, but those linked to sustainable measures were much more resilient to global shocks.

There’s also been a definite increase in jobs available relating to sustainability and energy efficiency. For anyone with a STEM background – they will have an exciting 30 years ahead. I think we’ll also see a move from heavy investment in renewables to heavy investment in the storage of renewably-produced energy so that we can use it when it is required.

HS: Personally I think the impact of Covid has accelerated long-term trends.

I believe there was a report by BP saying that they think we reached the peak of fossil fuel consumption back in 2019 and that we are unlikely to return to these levels, so that’s actually really positive. Now we have to keep momentum up with increased education.

Hridansh, you clearly started taking an interest in sustainability at School – how did this come about?

HS: At my previous school I had been very active in the recycling club so it

was a natural progression joining the Sustainability Committee at Charterhouse. At Charterhouse I feel we are in a transition stage where they are encouraging pupil voice more than ever before, and the committee is a good example of this.

When we launched our ideas for an event the School were really supportive. Initially, I had wanted a large inter-school competition, but we later realised that the timeframe wasn’t feasible. So we decided on a conference, which we could expand in further years. It was really impressive; I wasn’t expecting such a wide audience to participate. It was one of the advantages of having it online – we could have a global reach – some 38 countries joined! I don’t think it could have gone any better.

CB: I very much enjoyed the speakers I sat in on. The one speaker I always enjoy listening to is a speaker from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, whose work focuses on the circular economy and their efforts to educate business leaders in adopting their framework of ‘RESOLVE’ (regenerate, share, optimise, loop, virtualise and exchange).

HS: One of my biggest learnings from the speakers was how the climate situation is affecting many different spheres of our life. The interlinking nature of the ideas which were picked up by one speaker were continued with another. None of this was intentional and it happened naturally.

It was truly an eye opener for me.

CB: I also found all the pupil hosts to be very articulate and eloquent. I was so happy to see future OCs being so confident in themselves and clearly very bright.

Caspar, tell us how your interests in sustainability have grown?

How do you go from working with explosives to carbon offsetting?

CB: After my training at Sandhurst I joined the Royal Engineers and chose to specialise in the safe disposal of

improvised explosive devices. I sound like Liam Neeson when I say ‘I had a very specific set of skills(!)’. I chose this area due to my admiration for the searchers and bomb disposal operators in the Afghanistan conflict – rendering safe those threats and saving lives, rather than taking lives.

It was during my own deployment to Iraq that I did some research regarding the catalysts behind the conflict there.

One of the interesting academic papers I came across was discussing the role of climate change and how it contributed to the conflict. Severe drought had caused food shortages, leading to political tension spiralling in the resultant Arab Spring. It highlighted for me the need to build climate resilience into our own socio-economic systems, and that’s why I left the Army.

So what are you doing now?

CB: I’m a ‘Growth Manager’ at a start-up called Treeconomy; bit of a pun there as we encourage people to plant trees. We seek to financially incentivise landowners to plant trees by connecting them with a company who wish to offset their emissions.

We have the technology to measure the extent of the foliage of the trees and therefore quantify the amount of carbon captured. It’s an accurate measurement. Before this, the traditional method was a human with a tape measure and an equation.

Digitisation and technology will really help us achieve our goals.

Is that the future of sustainability?

Using technology and innovation?

CB: Absolutely. It’s an exciting time for our next generation. I found our young Carthusians on the conference to be very diligent and very curious, and that curiosity of mind – to explore and understand – that’s what’s needed if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

HS: Climate affects everything, as does technology. These opportunities will be there and, fortunately, they’re just waiting for us.

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OC PROFILE Guy Burt (R90)

All the

Drama From shy teenager to BAFTA Award winning writer, Guy Burt (R90) shares his journey minutes to go – and they changed week by week. You were almost certain of a spot in the common room if you’d represented the House in sports, but my talents emphatically didn’t lie in that direction. Luckily, spending two hours in Studio or the RVW was usually a good bet for a TV pass. Studio won out by virtue of having a nicer, brighter communal area in which to hang, and coffee. It was also something of a haven for misfits so you could end up having genuinely weird and wonderful conversations with all sorts.

W

hen I came to Charterhouse I’d never boarded before; I was painfully homesick and also an awkward, odd kid who, in retrospect, seemed almost determined not to fit in. It took a while for me to get used to the School and the School to get used to me, but by the time the sixth form rolled round we’d reached a state of mutual tolerance that meant I was finally able to enjoy myself.

I loved Art, taking it for A-level, but hanging around Studio on a Saturday afternoon wasn’t entirely born of selfless dedication to the craft.

Robinites at that time was under the wonderfully quirky authority of Ian Blake (BH68-94), and one of our more arcane rules was that TV at the weekends was a privilege not a right, and had to be earned. The criteria for TV were only posted on the House noticeboard when there was ten

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My writing career owes a huge amount to my time at Charterhouse.

I mentioned that my first year was a tough one. As part of coping with that, I threw myself into the displacement activity of writing a novel. This was when I was 13. Even if things weren’t going well in the real world, I could immerse myself in an imaginary fictional landscape that was under my control. The result was a fantasy story called Jo’s Game that ate up most of an A4 binder. To some extent I think it saved me, though it also got me into quite a lot of trouble: some very poor Calling Over grades and at least one Extra School for “writing in Geography”. As well as acting as an unpredictable gatekeeper to Saturday night television, Ian Blake was a wonderful English teacher and mentor.

I think the Extra School tipped him off, but when he found out what I was trying to do, he was not just understanding but actively encouraging.

When I’d finished the book, he read it

and showed it to his friend, a literary agent. She wrote back that it wasn’t for her but that if I were ever to write anything else, she’d be interested to see it. This was all the encouragement I needed.

I started After The Hole during my gap year and the setting is a barelydisguised version of Charterhouse, right down to the mysterious spiral staircase beside the English block that leads down to the Hole. It went out to publishers and was taken up while I was in my first year at Oxford. Later it was filmed and although I didn’t write the final screenplay for it, I did have a couple of stabs at early versions – I had to stop in order to revise for Finals – and that in turn introduced me to the world of writing for screen. All of that stemmed from Ian Blake’s faith that the odd little 13-year-old in trouble for “writing in Geography” deserved more than a sharp reprimand, which is why the book is dedicated to him.

After graduating with a First in English Literature, I taught for five years and published two more novels (Sophie and The Dandelion Clock) before making the jump to full-time screenwriting.

Two of my favourite experiences so far have been writing The Bletchley Circle and The Borgias. The Borgias was Neil Jordan’s project, and he had a clear idea of the over-arching storylines; I ended up writing five episodes across two series. While it wasn’t my show, I felt connected to it from the start:

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Renaissance Rome and larger-than-life characters who were a joy to engage with. The show was also being produced for a US cable channel – which meant that we had a very healthy budget. I could type “the insurgent army attacks the walls of Rome” and eight months later, that was what the crew filmed. It was astonishing.

I was, very briefly, spoiled rotten.

Bletchley by contrast had hardly any budget (we had to cut a budgerigar from one scene because it was too expensive to hire the bird and a wrangler to look after it). But it had a stunning cast playing the codebreaking women, and it was entirely my own story. The idea had been humming around in my head for ages: top-flight minds who had helped win the war, relegated to domestic banality – whist evenings and book clubs. As well as writing what I hope was a diverting serial-killer drama, I tried hard to depict what it must have been like not to be able to talk to your family about the part you’d played in changing the course of history.

And then there was Harriet’s Army. The brief was to come up with a drama for

CBBC to commemorate the Centennial of the First World War, but with the focus – of course – on children. Scouts and Guides volunteered their services for the war effort the moment war was declared in 1914, and Government accepted almost instantly: they were put to work guarding railway lines, bridges, harbours, anywhere at risk of sabotage from enemy agents. From that starting point I worked up a story of spies, espionage and misplaced suspicions, and developed a leading character, Harriet, who is kicked out of the Guides (for punching a boy in the face) but who is determined to do her part. I wrote it in part because, by this time, I had two children of my own – then aged 7 and 5 – and I wanted to write something they’d be able to enjoy.

I was thrilled to win the Best Writer BAFTA for it. Before the ceremony I was playing things very cool, telling myself it was lovely to be nominated but then they started announcing the winners and suddenly I was in a complete lather of nerves and realised I was hugely proud of this show and really wanted it to win. Which was painfully uncool of me, I know.

Since Harriet, I adapted Joanna Nadin’s Joe All Alone for CBBC – and that also won a BAFTA for Best Drama.

(Possibly I should have been doing children’s stories all along.) I enjoy the process of adapting other people’s work almost as much as writing original ideas. It’s not always easy to do though. Having been a novelist and seen my own work adapted, I’m sharply aware of how strange and potentially intrusive the experience can be for the author of the book, so it’s really important to me to get it right.

Right now the big project is adapting Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider novels for television. The first season is already available and I’m well into scripting season two. This is tremendous fun: taking a series of much-loved books and expanding them for wider appeal. I’ve written for adults before, and for children, but this is the first time I’ve done something for the whole family. I’m also Executive Producer on the show, which means I get a say in some of the more interesting behind-the-scenes decisions – casting, editing, music choices, that kind of thing.

Of course the other thing I’d very much like to get to is more novel writing. But that’ll be a slower burn.

The full interview with Guy Burt can be seen in the News section of our School website

www.charterhouse.org.uk 35

DRAMA Emily Fox and Dean Chisnall

Dean Chisnall Artistic Director of Theatre, Emily Fox, speaks to Dean Chisnall, to find out more about his life in the world of the professional theatre and what he’s up to as our very first Actor in Residence.

Dean has been playing the lead role of Jean Valjean in the West End and on the UK tour of Les Misérables since 2018. In March 2020 the pandemic meant that theatres were closed. When Dean got in touch with our theatre back in October he had no idea that we were just putting up audition posters for a School production of Les Mis. Fate indeed!

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EF: Of all those productions you’ve done, dare I ask if you have a favourite?

DC: I have some wonderful memories from my time as Shrek. I’m the person who has played the part the most to date – 1318 times in fact! Once, before I took on the lead role, Prince Charles came to see it. I was in the ensemble playing a pig and at the end of the gala performance he comes round to talk to the cast. And he says to me: ‘You were very nifty on your trotters!’ There are loads of stories to tell. All my roles have had different aspects which have made them special – it’s all defined by the character you’re playing. When you’re playing a big fat green ogre for five years of your life that’s a lot of fun but then you play a baddy in Blood Brothers and that’s fun too. But a favourite? It has to be Les Mis – that was the dream when I was growing up.

EF: To be playing the part of Jean Valjean, which is such a tour de force role, really is the dream isn’t it!

EF: So how did you break into the magical world of musical theatre?

DC: Well, it’s a bit of a Billy Elliot story, really. I never had the opportunity to do any of this when I was younger – I just found myself with the ability to sing. I was fourteen, maybe fifteen, I’d never had a singing lesson in my life and someone thought I had a voice in me. You go to secondary school and your Headmaster puts a bit of faith in you, makes you Head Boy, and all that gives you confidence to be able to express yourself in a different way.

And then it just takes off from there.

EF: But you must have worked hard before getting that big break?

DC: If you’re going to go for it you have to work incredibly hard. The three years at drama school were the hardest of my life but also the best.

When you leave drama school you have a showcase and from that you get an agent who puts you up for work

– some you don’t get, some you do.

Rejection is a big part of the industry.

You have a goal – I relate everything to my sport! – and you can’t win every time but you try and it’s worth it when the phone call comes! As I say, drama school was hard, really hard but at the end of my time there I was lucky enough to land a job in the West End working in The Woman in White. I’ve not stopped since and I’m still so in love with what I do.

EF: In fact you’ve now worked nonstop for the past fifteen years in musical theatre in the West End and on large-scale tours, in many leading roles too, which is extraordinary for an actor.

DC: It is. It’s rare. Most people aren’t lucky enough to do that and I’ve just been incredibly lucky. But I never take it for granted. You spend seven or eight years in the ensemble and years understudying, before making that step up to a lead role, though just to be in a show is such a privilege.

DC: It is. It’s the pinnacle. It feels so special and I feel so privileged. It’s a very intense part to play though. When you’re playing Shrek you’re physically drained, because you’re carrying this costume around, and spending two hours in make up before every single show. But for Les Mis, you literally have to live Jean Valjean eight times a week. You can’t fake it and it’s a marathon of a part. So by Saturday night you’re mentally exhausted!

EF: And where does the motivation come from to tell that story afresh night after night?

DC: You’re motivated because you’re able to change people’s lives every time you step on the stage; you’re able to tell a story that people know and love. That’s such an honour. And I just love the art form. For me live theatre is the greatest art form in the world, and I love the togetherness as a family that you create as a cast but also you’re sharing your journey with all those people out there. And Les Mis in particular – it’s an extraordinarily uplifting experience. But going on stage every night is difficult. I get nervous every time… because you’re baring your soul, you’re exposed completely to two thousand people a night.

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I want people to come to Charterhouse because of our theatre, as well as everything else obviously. There’s a theatre here that needs to be used, loved and embraced and I think it increasingly will be what puts Charterhouse on the map.

EF: Although an actor’s job is obviously emotionally and physically tough, the production side of things invariably looks effortless and easy.

But things do go wrong don’t they?

DC: Lots of things go wrong! If you’re in Les Mis in Cardiff sometimes the set catches fire and then everyone knows that something’s gone wrong! When I did a show called Never Forget I was playing Gary Barlow from Take That, and we had this magnificent rain machine for the song Back for Good.

But sadly it began to rain in my kitchen.

In the wrong scene at the wrong time.

I just had to keep on going! And then one time in Shrek I slipped in my own sweat! I did a comedy slide off the stage and one of my friends who was in the audience that night came up to me and said: ‘I loved the way you did that!’ I had to confess that I hadn’t intended to!

EF: And now you find yourself here, at Charterhouse…

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DC: Yes, I’m back in a school doing something I can be passionate about, something I have some sort of knowledge of. And I really enjoy this environment. It’s all about giving back and trying to inspire future generations. I’m not here to make sure everyone wants to become an actor; I’m here to help people understand that they are going to need the skills that only drama can give them. And people forget that. It’s all about life skills – knowing that people can stand up in front of a room and give a good impression of themselves. Theatre’s a great way to do this.

EF: There’s so much change happening with the School heading towards co-ed, and then in the theatre with the introduction of Drama GCSE this year and also our partnership with The Phillipa Hogan School of Dance for example. It should be an exciting time to be involved.

DC: Going co-ed is great for the Performing Arts. At school-age girls always lead the charge. There’s still a slight stigma attached for boys, which upsets me, but it is getting better. I want people to come to Charterhouse because of our theatre, as well as everything else obviously. There’s a theatre here that needs to be used, loved and embraced and I think it increasingly will be what puts Charterhouse on the map.

EF: I agree and it’s great to have you on board to be part of the development of Performing Arts at Charterhouse. This year marked the first intake of Drama Scholars in the Fourth Form, with such talented boys auditioning last LQ. We now have three LAMDA teachers and nearly a hundred pupils taking these lessons. Despite the pandemic, eighteen pupils sat their LAMDA exam in October 2020, fifteen of them receiving distinctions.

It’s great to see!

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I’ve certainly sung Les Mis like I’ve never sung it before, filling in the parts of the pupils who can’t be there! I thought I made a lovely Madame Thénardier!

The Charterhouse production of Les Misérables (School Edition) comes to the Ben Travers Theatre in CQ2021.

DC: I think we’re going to need a bigger theatre!

EF: Absolutely! As you’ve seen, we don’t currently have enough space to teach them all and rehearse the projects we want to be doing. That’s a nice problem to have in many ways – it’s a good sign isn’t it. In an ideal world we’d have a small black box studio to ease pressure on space – a place where pupils could build their courage and experience too, without the high stakes of the main stage. And then imagine if we had an outdoor theatre to make the most of the beautiful view over Northbrook from the BTT! DC: For me it’s an incredibly exciting time to join the School, not least because of the development of musical theatre within the expansion of Performing Arts generally. From the outside looking in, I’ve heard some wonderful voices in the School but they don’t necessarily know how to sing musical theatre. It’s a completely

different discipline to the choral tradition which is so strong here. But we can draw on the exceptional musical qualities the pupils have already to teach them this new skill.

EF: And a big musical production in School also offers the chance to work collaboratively, engaging other departments such as Art, Languages, DT and of course Music. I love that!

What better way to bring the School together than through a production of Les Mis? Not that this has been without its challenges, considering the impact of Covid and the need to rehearse in distanced bubbles, with our Jean Valjean a Fifth Former, our Éponine a 2YS and Javert a 1YS. Not being able to rehearse them together has been tricky, hasn’t it?!

DC: I’ve certainly sung Les Mis like I’ve never sung it before, filling in the parts of the pupils who can’t be there! I thought I made a lovely Madame Thénardier!

EF: You did! It’s a fantastic experience for the pupils (for us all actually!) to be working alongside you. Every rehearsal is a masterclass. You have given our cast so much advice and guidance so far. What would you say are the most important messages to give them or any Carthusians or OCs looking for a career in this industry?

DC: I would say be brave, be bold, be gracious and kind. Embrace yourself and don’t be afraid to be who you want to be. Within the theatre industry you’ll be embraced whoever you are and whatever your background; it’s a wonderful place in that sense. Every show is a family and that’s what we’re trying to create with Les Mis here is difficult in a restricted Covid world but we will find that family feeling and bring this wonderful show to a live audience!

There’s nothing like it!

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OC ENTREPRENEURS James Rendell (W14), Mark Fischel (g13), Charlie Thomas (W14) and Dom Bowcock (L13)

James Rendell (W14)

BirdsEyeView Technologies was founded at the end of 2019, just before the global pandemic hit.

“Natural disasters are increasing in both frequency and severity as a result of climate change. Few feel the impacts of this more than those in the agricultural sector. BirdsEyeView is an InsurTech business that harnesses high-resolution satellite imagery and machine learning to provide financial protection for the agricultural sector. We use this The past year has seen technology to sell farmers and challenging times for many agribusinesses a weather-risk protection insurance product. businesses. Here, we talk to This ensures economic four young, entrepreneurial security for farmers in the face of increasingly volatile weather OCs who have refused to events. We managed to secure let Covid-19 get the better a round of Venture Capital of their start-ups investment and a European Space Agency grant all within

the lockdown period. It’s pretty difficult to get investors to put their hands in their pockets and make an investment when they have only ever spoken to you on a Zoom call!

Life at Charterhouse was pretty fantastic and I couldn’t possibly have had a better five years. Without sounding too cliché, I think Charterhouse is great at giving pupils an ‘all-round’ education. That’s not to say that it wasn’t strong on an academic front, but that you learnt just as much outside of the classroom. Certainly, a great deal of that comes down to boarding and learning to live closely alongside one another. Those communication and ‘people management’ skills certainly stay with you in one way or another once you leave.” www.birdseyeviewtechnologies.com

That OC Spirit!

Mark Fischel (g13)

Club Zero was started in November 2020, during the second Lockdown in London.

“One of the unexpected benefits of this bizarre period has been the extra time it has afforded us. Life is always so hectic, and it’s difficult to allow yourself the time to pursue your interests beyond the daily grind. Being forced to stay at home in the evenings and at the weekends has its benefits!

Club Zero is building a community of eco-conscious businesses leading the fight against climate change. Our service consists of a bespoke carbon footprint assessment, a tailored portfolio of offset projects, and public certification of carbon

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neutrality. Although we are only a few months old, we have already signed on seven businesses and reduced more than 300 tonnes of CO2 worldwide. It’s inspiring to see first-hand how closely climate action aligns with business owners’ values, and how it can be used as a powerful engine of growth for the future, by attracting new customers and building loyalty with existing ones.

I’ve always wanted to start something of my own, and I’m grateful for my Charterhouse education for instilling me with the confidence to take the plunge! I’ve learnt so much already, and would definitely recommend it to any would-be founders.” www.club-zero.co.uk

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Charlie Thomas (W14)

Charlie began his business Babble & Hemp before his Finals at Edinburgh University in 2019.

“I want to see an ancient fabric called hemp replace cotton as earth’s staple fabric – as it was until 1700. It’s as soft as linen and uses five times less water than cotton to grow, plus no chemicals and no pesticides. My company sells colourful, beautifully tailored, 100% hemp men’s shirts online.

Dom Bowcock (L13)

As a result of many a changed working environment, everyone wanted more casual shirts for Zoom calls, and more were turning to buy items online, especially in the run up to Christmas.

Digital marketing is our main channel so we benefitted greatly. We were also featured in The Saturday Times Magazine ‘Style for Men’ section in October which gave us an extra boost.

My advice to would-be entrepreneurs would be to create money, don’t earn it. You will never take the plunge if you are used to, and comfortable, exchanging your time for money. In this work from home / internet world there are far more ways of getting money into your bank account than earning it. I also loved meeting older OCs through cricket, rackets and golf – I was always fascinated by the range of jobs and careers they had and most importantly the advice they gave. That way I probably began thinking about what I’d like to do aged 17 instead of during my penultimate year at uni which is the norm.” www.babbleandhemp.com

Dom started his business at the end of 2018, prior to the pandemic.

“Bowimi is a tech platform that allows brands to get their products into the hands of their target audience in a seamless and engaging way. Our initial market is working in hospitality, working with beverage brands to drive trials of their products. We use a combination of WiFi and QR codes to allow consumers to be delivered with a free drink which can be easily redeemed at the bar, all without the need of having to download an app.

We then feed valuable data and insight back to the brand and venue.

Being in hospitality, it’s been hard to flourish this past year. That said, it has given us a valuable opportunity to focus on building our product, our network and to position ourselves to

be a catalyst for recovery when we are allowed to return to pubs, bars and restaurants. Despite the conditions, we’ve also been able to raise funding and grow our team, which has made a huge difference to our ability to withstand something like this. We even won an award through Tech Nation as a regional winner for the South West!

Charterhouse taught me confidence and respect. With potential investors or customers, I now spend a lot of my time trying to convince people senior to me that we have a great company.

I think School taught me how to present myself in the most positive way which ultimately reflects onto Bowimi as well.” www.bowimi.com 41

COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS Louise Wilson, Deputy Head (Pupils and Community)

The Return of

Mrs Wilson New Deputy Head (Pupils and Community) Louise Wilson, discusses her background and direction for the School

I

started teaching in the state sector, in a non-selective school, in Kent. It was very interesting to meet people who had siblings who had gone to grammar school but they didn’t, as they hadn’t passed the 11+. There were a lot of travellers there too, so attendance was often intermittent and you could see the challenge of that for young people. Some of them loved school and others were not really sure what to do with that structure.

After a couple of years I applied for the role of Head of Spanish at Charterhouse and got the job. I was completely bowled over by the buildings and the people. My Head of Languages, Ernst Zillekens (BH79-17), was such a warm character, and I was joined by some brilliant teachers; it was a very happy eight years, but I wanted to see what else was out there so applied for a job as Head of Languages at Millfield

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School. This was a very exciting post as they taught eight languages with Arabic and classical languages included in that department too. Leading a diverse department to perfect our teaching and extra-curricular provision, gave me a desire to do this work at whole school level so I moved on to become Deputy Head (Academic) at Portsmouth Grammar School, a co-ed selective independent day school. Here I was also able to work in the wider community, working on the Education & Business Partnership with Portsmouth City Council. Businesses and schools worked together to provide employment skills and opportunities for young individuals in the city.

In a day school, I missed the sense of community that is unique to the boarding environment and I was also keen to broaden my experience of education in a school where pupils study for qualifications which are not subject to government requirements.

This took me to Bedales. There I also found a more informal structure based on roles, rather than hierarchy, and a strong focus on trust and listening to young people, which has a very positive impact on relationships. My work focused on increasing pupil involvement, understanding safeguarding and supporting minority groups to be heard in the relatively homogeneous environment of Bedales. We created a Diversity & Inclusion Policy and undertook panel discussions led by pupils. Policies might seem quite dry but by

undertaking this together you achieve a shared understanding of how the school runs, or how it should run. The panel discussions were particularly insightful as many find it challenging to talk about minority issues. By being open and talking to pupils in boarding houses, in a space they feel comfortable and safe, you can really open up conversations, showing trust and without judgement. The pupil voice can really help to create happy and fulfilled school communities.

And then I saw that Charterhouse was going to be led by Dr Alex Peterken and had formally taken the decision to go co-ed; both positive developments for this fine institution. When this role came up I took the opportunity to seek to return and be a part of this journey.

My aim here is to grow the relationship between pupils and staff. It’s simple in a way, as it’s all about trust and talking and listening. The more we can enable that to happen the better. This can take various guises like in forums or panels, but also needs to be rooted in our day-to-day interactions in the classroom, and everywhere else.

Boarding schools lend themselves to that as we are a 24-hour community.

Currently my priorities involve developing greater inclusion at School.

We continue to focus on gender and ensuring that girls and women experience equality in every regard.

Last Quarter, we started to improve racial inclusion, prompted by summer conversations in the light of the Black

Lives Matter protests. This work on racial inclusion will inevitably guide our overall inclusion strategy. Our racial inclusion and pastoral surveys showed that everyone would like to feel more comfortable talking about race and we want to develop more opportunities to learn about and celebrate our diverse student body. Pupils have a lot to say and it’s my role to facilitate that, enabling staff and pupils to work together to develop the School.

Another key area I’m responsible for is our public benefit and community work and targeting the School’s resources and expertise in the most impactful ways. Locally, we would like to continue building our relationship with local co-educational state school Broadwater, increasing the number of full bursary-holders and developing a high quality mentoring system, to ensure that young people are wellprepared and supported to thrive at Charterhouse, which may be an environment that is totally new to them.

The pandemic has obviously affected the activity we can undertake in our local community and technology has been a way to maintain our contact.

Year 11 Broadwater students attended Sixth Form lessons and a Higher Education talk remotely over Zoom rather than visiting as they normally would. Our musicians have also recorded carols to contribute to Godalming’s virtual carol service.

Whilst the pandemic has somewhat curtailed community service it has also given us time to pause and review new initiatives, like using some of the 1YS electives to offer training to the pupils to enhance the quality of their voluntary work, such as teacher training and mental and physical first aid.

I have returned at a very exciting time in Charterhouse’s history. We are embracing many new opportunities that will serve the School well for many years to come.

Our Deputy Head reflects on our core values and what they mean to her…

Kindness: There are times in life that just stay with you. Post A Levels, interrailing on a tight budget, my friend and I had not had a hot meal for weeks. In Rome, we decided to spend precious lire on some pasta and got talking to a delightful American couple. They got up to leave before we did and told us they had paid for our meal. They said they hoped that strangers would have done the same for their children. The power of that random act of kindness has always stayed with me.

Moral courage: Moral courage is being true to yourself, and doing what you believe is right, even when it could be very difficult for you. I think this is especially true of minorities and time and again there is a sense of powerlessness that stops people speaking out and bringing about positive change. When students from Unity society spoke in Chapel in LQ, to share their stories and encourage us all to educate ourselves and support each other, I felt that showed great moral courage. They certainly deserved their commendations for courage.

Open-mindedness: We as a community are blessed to be so diverse; over a third of our pupils are BAME students and this provides an opportunity to develop shared understanding. Carthusians all have futures in which they may take on national and global positions of great responsibility so it makes it even more important that they learn open-mindedness as part of their education.

Perseverence: One learns in life that, no matter how bad things seem, if one perseveres, there are not many situations that will ultimately set you back. It’s good to have challenges along the way and this recent pandemic has tested the need for perseverence. As a teacher, I know how challenging this year has been for many young people. They have had to be resilient and selfless. It’s hard to experience that when you are so young.

Responsibility: This value links the other four as a sense of responsibility for oneself and others aids us in persevering, being courageous, open-minded and kind.

Growing up, it’s important for young people to develop a sense of responsibility, for their own welfare and the welfare of others, and this includes taking responsibility for their own actions when they make mistakes. We need to develop our pupils to let them know that if they have the moral courage to take responsibility then we will support them. And we will give them clear boundaries and be there for them when they make mistakes.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Careers & Higher Education Change continues to be the only constant in the world of university admissions. It was a very difficult summer for 2YS pupils dealing with the turmoil and uncertainty regarding A Level and IB results

Top 5 university destinations

It is very important that we provide pupils with opportunities to develop essential employability skills and gain valuable work experience

2020:

1. Durham / Exeter 3. King’s College, London 4. LSE / Imperial / Manchester / Bristol Durham University

D

espite the numerous challenges, most of our pupils did find a place to start university in September 2021 and a small number are taking a gap year or resitting some exams.

There is a small group of universities where applications are very competitive, in part because they are so popular with international students.

In addition to Oxford and Cambridge, these include Imperial, LSE, UCL, King’s and Durham as well as St Andrews and Warwick, for some of their more popular courses such as Economics.

Top 5 courses

2020:

Top 5 university destinations

1. Finance & Business

2019:

2. Engineering

1. UCL

3. Economics 4. Politics 5. Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical, Chemical Sciences

2. Exeter 3. Durham 4. Bristol 5. King’s College, London

Top 5 courses We also had a total of 14 of our pupils head to study in the USA and a further 6 studying elsewhere globally

2019: 1. History

2. Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical, Chemical Sciences 3. Finance & Business 4. Politics 5. Economics

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TH E G R E Y H OU N D

Competition for Top Courses The information below shows just how competitive it can be for top university places. For this example we have taken applications to Oxford to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at Keble College for the 2019 / 2020 round.

Total applicants: 2224 Not invited to interview: 1487 (67%) Expected offers: 240 (11% of all applicants) Oxford makes the decision to interview approximately a third of applicants and this decision is based on: UCAS information about past and predicted exam results; UCAS academic reference; and the result of the Thinking Skills Assessment Test (TSA Oxford) – a two-hour test involving multiple-choice reasoning questions and an essay.

The number of applicants applying to Oxford and Cambridge in the current 2020/2021 cycle rose 7% to 48,250, with a 20% increase in international applicants outside the EU. In addition to rising applications, Oxford have stated their desire to widen access and increase the proportion of students from state schools and ethnic and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Careers and Employability Given the increasingly competitive graduate market, It is very important that we provide pupils with opportunities to develop essential employability skills, gain valuable work experience and explore potential career paths to support and guide decisions on the future after Charterhouse. To do this, we offer a broad range of programmes throughout the year.

September 2019 saw the launch of a leadership programme designed and executed by Ivy House London. Normally offered to large corporates, the programme gives pupils a good understanding of effective leadership and the importance of self-leadership as a path to success. Pupils can also undertake our Business and Entrepreneurship Programme, run in partnership with the University of Surrey’s MBA programme. This gives pupils the opportunity to develop valuable skills while creating a business to solve one of the UN’s Sustainable Development goals.

In any normal year we would also be hosting career networking events and on site career talks. Since we have been unable to host external speakers, several OCs and parents have very kindly created ‘Talking Head’ videos to explore a range of professions in various industries such as the football industry, theatre production, engineering and aerospace and defence. These are available to all parents and OCs through our online platform Charterhouse Connect (www.charterhouseconnect.org.uk).

Life After Charterhouse Our 2YS listened to an excellent talk this year about the graduate market during a group assembly. Statistics show that there has been a huge rise in the number of students at each university, since the cap on numbers was lifted.

Comparing entry in 2008 to entry in 2018, Exeter has seen a 72% rise, Bristol a 64% rise and UCL a 56% rise in students. With around 400,000 graduates leaving UK universities each year, competition is fierce to achieve a direct entry place in organisations large and small.

Furthermore, 28% of students now leave UK universities with a first class degree, and another 48% graduate with a 2.1 degree. This has seen the rise of psychometric tests and interviews as graduate employers decipher who is right for their organisations. Employers are also increasingly offering insight days or work experience programmes at an earlier stage with some starting in Sixth Form. Our regular Careers Newsletters often detail these schemes and can be found on the Careers pages of our School website.

If you are able to volunteer for any of our activities please contact us at careers@charterhouse.org.uk

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SCHOOL NEWS

Sport Despite the challenges of the past year sport remains an important area of School life and a positive outlet for our pupils Introducing Chris Sandbach, our new Director of Sport

‘10 thin gs t zero tale hat requ ire nt’ is ou r motto for the fo r e se eab le futu r T he s e a e. re: 1. Be o n time 2. Ma k e an eff or t 3. Have a go o d w ork ethic 4. Hig h

energ y 5. Posit ive body lang uag 6. Show e passion

7. Be c oachable

8. Be p r e pa r e d

9. Show go o d m a nners 10. Do t hat littl e bit ex t ra

offering a wide variety of sports.

Moreover, the Charterhouse Athlete Programme (CAP) aims to provide an opportunity for our elite athletes to access various elements of support in order to assist them in the School.

C

hris joins us from Pangbourne College where he was Director of Sport. Previously he was Head of Cricket at RGS Guildford and prior to this he taught at St Edward’s, Oxford. Chris is a sports fanatic, having played a wide variety of sports all his life, including rugby, football, tennis, golf, rackets and his main love, cricket.

He read Sports and Coaching Studies with Marketing Management at Oxford Brookes University and represented Oxford UCCE where he featured in some first-class cricket fixtures. He went on to represent Oxfordshire at minor county level for 6 seasons.

“The focus for Charterhouse Sport is that all pupils can strive purposefully and many can excel in a stimulating and enjoyable environment,” explains Chris. “The importance of physical activity on health, lifelong wellbeing and fitness, as well as the positive impact on learning and emotional intelligence, is critical. It is our aim to ensure that all pupils are provided with an opportunity to become the best version of themselves by maintaining the importance of team games and

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My big push since arriving has been on behaviour, etiquette and manners. I am a big believer that sport can make better people and the integrity in the way our pupils behave is more important than the result of a single match.”

Boys’ Football With restrictions in place due to Covid-19, meaning no inter-school matches and working in year group bubbles, the first half of OQ2020 saw an exciting Inter-House Football Festival running with a Champions League style competition and a Premier League competition style for each year group. Following a competitive House competition in year group bubbles before Exeat, all year groups entered into a draft style football competition after Exeat.

Captains were selected in each year group and then these captains

attended a ‘draft’ event where they selected their squads. Each team then played everyone else once in a league format with the top four teams qualifying for the Cup competition and the other four teams entering the Plate competition.

Girls’ Football In 2019/20 the girls had an outstanding season, winning the majority of their scheduled matches. The 1st XI were runners-up in our Invitation Tournament, which was a fantastic achievement against tough competition. Isla Horscroft (F20) was an excellent role model and Football Captain for the School and the success of the team was partly down to her enthusiasm and determination to do well.

Boys’ Hockey In a season that was significantly shortened due to the pandemic, the Charterhouse hockey programme managed to progress well and play some very good hockey over the course of LQ2020. The 1st XI played 10 matches, winning 5 and drawing one.

Of the losses, two came in the England Hockey Cup and Plate competitions on penalty strokes, with the score line having been tied at the end of regular time. Considering this was a relatively young team, consisting of mainly First Year Specialists, the future looks bright for this group of players. Overall Charterhouse fielded 17 teams with 256 students representing the school throughout the Quarter.

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

Girls’ Hockey Due to Covid-19, fixtures were put on hold in OQ2020 but that didn’t stop the girls’ hockey programme. With weekly masterclasses on skill development, internal fixtures being played amongst the girls and the highly competitive House tournaments, the girls have done extremely well keeping focus and motivation throughout. Due to the year group bubbles, the 1YS hockey tournament was won by Sutton, 2YS by Chetwynd (for the second year running) and Sutton won the combined House Cup. We welcomed Jason Ellis-Woodley as Director of Hockey in LQ2020 and already the impact on girls’ hockey is huge. We look forward to getting a full hockey programme started in September 2021 for the new Under School. Eva Pomery (F) was appointed as Hockey Captain for OQ2020 and has been a fantastic role model.

Cricket Charterhouse embarked on their 5th tour of South Africa to escape the English winter in search of sunshine and competitive cricket, and neither disappointed. The opposition were

strong and initially we struggled to adapt. The bowlers found it tough going and the batsmen found run scoring to be difficult against quality bowlers. Gianluca Capuano (D20) and Ayush Patel (S) led the batting effort, backed up well by Freddie Clinton (W), Anik Moore (R) and Sam Thomas (W).

All scored runs and occupied the crease well. On the bowling front Matteo Capuano (B) and Jonny Miles (H20) bowled good spells and James Burns (g) led the way in the spin department. The results improved after a couple of early defeats and we achieved our first win on the back of excellent batting by Tom Wainwright (R20), Sam Thomas and Freddy Clinton. The bowlers all chipped in with wickets and good spells and we had our first win of the trip. The trip was an excellent experience for the boys and a great opportunity to see a country with a rich sporting environment.

Shooting Our shooting successes continued into 2020 with the Charterhouse Shooting Teams (A and B) winning two of the Divisions in Section One of the British Schools Small-Bore Rifle Association Leagues. The ‘Team Top Shot’ badges for each were awarded to Charlie Reay (R20) and Max Sheridan-Oliver (P).

Although all outside competitions were subsequently cancelled due to the pandemic, the pupils continue to train in bubbles and two teams have been entered in to the Cadet Council for Rifle Shooting National Air Rifle 6yds Competition for early 2021. We wish them every luck in retaining the trophy.

Netball Pre-Lockdown in February, our girls and staff went out to the United Arab Emirates for some warm weather training and matches – which gave the girls a great deal of experience.

Captain of the tour was Giselle Vere (C20). We welcomed Rachel Dunn, former England Rose and current Wasps player, for a shooting masterclass and held our first Invitation Tournament.

We also managed to hold our interhouse tournament in March before the country slipped into Lockdown, with Sutton being the eventual winners.

A busy season, but the girls were

fantastic and progressed a great deal.

Alice Marsden (F20) was an outstanding Captain and led her team with passion and enthusiasm. This season we have over sixty girls choosing netball, so we look forward to what we will achieve.

Lacrosse Despite no fixtures in OQ2020 the girls have continued to practise with the expert help of Phil Collier (Current England Ladies Coach). Isabella Evans (C) was appointed as Captain of Lacrosse and is improving her skills through our high performance programme which is run on a Monday evening.

Girls’ Fives OQ2020 saw interhouse fives tournaments among the Specialists and it was great to see lots of girls down on the courts. With practice sessions taking place in preparation for the event, the standard of play has been a joy to watch. Sutton took the trophy in the First Year Tournament with Camilla Pearce (C) and Susie Bullivant (C) gaining the Pairs Trophy.

The 2YS tournament was won by Fletcherites and Lola Petermeijer (F) and Hero Coles (F) dominated the court, winning the best pair trophy for the event.

Netball Charterhouse has just gone into partnership with London Pulse, who are the rising stars in the Vitality Netball Championship.

This will enable our netball scholars to join their U17 Performance Pathway, which will be held at the School, starting in Sept 2021. In the meantime, they are holding their netball camps at School during most holidays. This is a fantastic opportunity for the School to work with elite players.

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SCHOOL NEWS

School Music What a year this has been. The effect of a pandemic that has wreaked havoc in almost every industry possible, and, in particular, the world of the arts Up to this point, Quarter had been a very normal one with a late-night Baroque concert, String Prizes, Woodwind and Brass Prizes and Chapel Choir going from strength to strength. Then Lockdown 1 hit the world and we saw the advent of Charterhouse@Home and CQ2020, this time around aptly named ‘Covid Quarter’; it’s just not cricket.

W

e must therefore count ourselves incredibly fortunate to be in a surrounding where, despite the obvious difficulties constantly falling all around, life at Charterhouse has had some degree of normality, even if in very different formats at times. The use of technology, coupled with the perseverance of the pupils and staff has meant music has carved its own path in these difficult times.

Casting our minds back to before Lockdown 1, the Ben Travers Theatre saw a super production of Guys and Dolls. Eva Pomery (F) and Alex Kazin (H20) gave outstanding performances in their leading roles and notable musical performances were given by Oscar Hanks (B20), Ned Monkman (G20), Matthew Parnall (G) and Tony Zhang (H) among others.

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Ensemble music, created by combining remote recordings of individual players and singers, became the order of the day. Justin Wang (L) gave a superb concert from Hong Kong, and there were dynamic brass and woodwind recordings, and some ingenious string chamber music. From this and more, we managed to engineer an excellent Ensemble Concert, all pre-recoded of course, but a real showcase of everything that was achieved during those dark months.

Academic teaching continued on Zoom and the ability to use OneNote and a Class Notebook allowed for documents, scores, editable PDFs, and recordings to be uploaded and worked on simultaneously. Music IT has worked in a similar vein: again, usually restricted to the Mac Suite in the Department, we were able to use Soundtrap as an alternative. Our Year 9s were particularly successful in this venture and, as a result, this has very much influenced our teaching in OQ2020, now that technology is moving us all forward.

Mention must go to our 2020 Leavers.

An online Leaver’s Service was put together at the end of CQ2020; it included a nostalgic rendering of Eastern Monarchs on the Carillon as still photos of leavers walking round Green reminded us of what should have been unfolding on the final day of the Quarter. The Brass Ensemble and Chapel Choir enriched the service with lovely music and a number of pupils and beaks recorded Jerusalem to make that a fitting and rousing conclusion to this Quarter, despite the Chapel being physically and sadly empty.

And so to OQ2020! Despite the yeargroup bubbling system, there have been a number of ensembles created, including string and wind ensembles in almost every year group, and sometimes more than one in each year. A brass quartet has even been engineered, with a coincidental stroke of luck that four bass players neatly forming an ensemble all fall into one year group.

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

a rather large range of interpretations across the School! Our founder Sutton would be most impressed at this year’s innovation.

Despite everything, the term ended joyously with both Candlelit Carols and Carol Services for each year group.

Chapel Choir’s efforts all term were rightly rewarded with a wonderfully atmospheric and hauntingly beautiful performance from the East end of the Chapel. Special mention must go to Eva Pomery and Samuel Troy (G), in their final Candlelit Carols, offering some beautiful solos throughout the evening. The beautiful performances from the Choir ensured that everyone could enter the festive spirit.

There are also five choirs running, including Chapel Choir. Despite being restricted to a cohort of seven singers (plus some teacher bolstering), the Choir has been working incredibly hard to mark special occasions this Quarter. Their rendition of Douglas Guest’s For the Fallen for our Remembrance Services was the perfect addition to a very special occasion. Mention must also go to our excellent Last Post trumpeters – Tim Colin (B), Jonny Wilkinson (D) and Tom Fowler (D) – who all played expertly.

The Evening Recitals heralded some of the instrumental highlights of the term.

The term began with pupils in Year 12, Martin Young (g), Horace Choi (G), Taki Ejima-Dalley (V) and Michael Huang (G), who gave a truly splendid Evening Recital showcasing some wonderful music by Rachmaninoff, Saint-Saëns and Brahms amongst others. Justin Wang (L) took the stage for Evening Recital II and gave a truly outstanding piano recital of music from Bach to Prokofiev. Evening Recital III was performed by 2YS Music Scholars Tony Zhang (H), Elvin Lam (H), Charlie Harrison (G) and Pierre Debroe (V), and the scholars showcased some outstanding playing of real talent and calibre. The recitals can be viewed on the department’s YouTube Channel, ‘Charterhouse Music Department’.

House Singing was another on the list of Covid-affected concerts; however, once again, we refused to be thwarted and the competition took on a different format this year, namely an audio/visual collaboration, recorded and produced entirely in-house by the pupils themselves. Each boarding house chose a song as usual, but recorded the individual year groups singing before editing together into a final mix.

This would then become background to a video presentation of boarding school life in the houses, a brief with

Looking back, Carthusians and teaching staff can both be proud of everything they’ve achieved, in adversity and against the odds. Music has continued to spread joy and one can only hope that a positive outlook will come out of this when we inevitably emerge from the Covid-shaped tunnel.

Lack of Talent Lack of Talent required a new format to deliver what is usually a live music event in a COVID-secure format: enter the team from The Filming Co, who were able to professionally film all the acts in the BTT, alongside the tech team of Harry Church (G) and Max Dyer (L), assisted by the fantastic Mr Bagust. Finally broadcast via eStream on Friday 20th November, each pupil donated £2 to watch the performance in support of The Meath charity in Godalming.

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OBITUARIES

Deaths notified since 2020 With sadness, Charterhouse reports the passing of the following Old Carthusians, notified since February 2020. OCs are listed chronologically according to their year of leaving

1930s

1960s

B38 S39 S39

V60 L64 G65 H69

FORTESCUE, Stephen aged 99 on 8 August 2020 BOWKER, David aged 98 on 18 March 2020 WARDLEY, William aged 98 on 28 September 2020

1940s V44 S45 H45 G45 P46 V47 R47 W47 R47 P48 V48 L49 H49

HOPE HALL, George aged 93 on 21 April 2020 BRIDGE, Patten aged 93 on 1 December 2020 NATHAN, Michael aged 93 on 29 November 2020 PARRY, Edward aged 92 on 16 March 2020 DONALD, Rodney aged 92 on 23 September 2020 BECK, Julian aged 90 on 29 February 2020 BYRT, John aged 91 on 2 January 2021 HOLT, Tony aged 90 on 26 February 2020 MILLS, Arthur aged 90 on 2 June 2020 ERSKINE, Tony aged 87 on 20 April 2020 ROWNTREE, Andrew aged 89 on 9 June 2020 ROSSELLI, John aged 88 on 10 February 2021 VAUGHAN, Peter aged 89 on 4 April 2020

HALL, Kit aged 77 on 25 December 2020 BIRD, Adrian aged 73 on 9 April 2020 PATON, David aged 73 on 14 December 2020 MCCROW, Richard aged 66 on 25 April 2020

1970s G70 R74 P75

YOUNG, John aged 68 on 3 June 2020 BELLARS, John aged 62 on 23 June 2020 AINSLEY, Christopher aged 62 on 17 January 2021

1980s W80 GODWIN-AUSTEN, Jonathan aged 58 on 25 December 2020

2000s R05

GREENSMITH, Richard aged 33 on 19 October 2020

1950s

2010s

B50 V50 g51 H51 B52 W52 D52 B52 L53 H53 G54 P55 D55 G55 S55 H56 V57 D57 P58 R58 W59

V10 V19

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VINTCENT, Charles aged 88 on 17 May 2020 WOODS, John aged 87 on 31 January 2021 ASTWOOD, Jeffrey aged 87 on 28 May 2020 HARRIES, Pip aged 86 on 7 May 2020 DICKSON, Jeremy aged 86 on 22 June 2020 MELLERSH, Robert aged 86 on 18 November 2020 PERRIN, Michael aged 85 on 15 May 2020 WILKINSON, John aged 86 on 15 March 2020 CROXFORD, John aged 85 on 14 March 2020 TRAILL, Alan aged 84 on 17 April 2020 ROWE-HAM, David aged 84 on 21 July 2020 BUCKLEY, Roger aged 83 on 16 July 2020 DILL-RUSSELL, Tim aged 82 on 18 September 2020 GREEN, Christopher aged 82 on 1 April 2020 SCHARFF, Thomas aged 83 on 3 October 2020 HARPER, Joseph aged 81 on 12 May 2020 BAKER, Crispin aged 81 on 25 October 2020 WOOD, Jonathan aged 80 on 7 April 2020 BIDWELL, Philip aged 80 in March 2020 LEVY, Peter aged 81 on 15 November 2020 WILKIE, Jon aged 79 on 23 May 2020

PEMBERTON, Christie aged 27 on 19 March 2020 CLEGG, Luke aged 19 in 2020

2020s G20 NAGPAL, Aryaman aged 18 on 12 May 2020

Brooke Hall ATTENBOROUGH, Peter aged 81 on 19 February 2020

TH E G R E Y H OU N D

Peter John Attenborough Headmaster LQ1982 – CQ1993

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ews of Peter Attenborough’s death on 19 February 2020 arrived just in time to be listed in last year’s Greyhound. We are grateful to Graham Jones (BH67-87) for the following extracts from the tribute that he gave at Peter’s funeral: One seldom heard Peter telling about the past and his achievements. This is therefore an opportunity to fill in some gaps, and compensate for the downside of one of Peter’s endearing traits – his modesty. At the heart of any understanding of the man must be the importance of his own education at Christ’s Hospital. He made his mark, academically, in games and as a person, ending up as Senior Grecian (Head of School). On their last day at Christ’s Hospital each pupil is given a solemn instruction: “I charge you never to forget the great benefits that you have received in this place...” And forget them Peter never did. Those words were to be his inspiration and motivation in all that he did in a life of service to others. A life from which we have all benefitted, and which we celebrate.

From Christ’s Hospital, Peter won an exhibition to read Classics at Peterhouse, Cambridge. His teaching career began at Uppingham but after a few years he took a break to volunteer with VSO, teaching in Starehe, a charitable school in Nairobi. Here he met Sandy, a nurse also with VSO, and they were married soon after he returned to Uppingham. Apart from being a wife and mother to their two children, Sandy was an important contributor to his work in the three schools which followed, where she avoided interfering, but was always prepared to give practical support when needed. On his return to Uppingham Peter was soon Head of Classics, highly regarded both in the classroom and on the games field, and also Housemaster of The Lodge. Boys from his house recently organised a “50 years on” weekend celebration for themselves and the Attenboroughs. That sort of loyalty and affection for a Housemaster and his wife speaks volumes. I first met Peter when I visited Uppingham for a Rugby Group meeting and stayed overnight in the Lodge. I don’t remember much, except a warm welcome, breakfast with a very civilised group of boys, and thinking to myself “there’s a man who looks likely to move on and move up”.

And that is exactly what he did do. After 15 successful years at Uppingham, he moved north to Sedbergh as headmaster for six years before moving again to a second headship at Charterhouse. It did not take long at either school for Peter to earn the respect of staff and pupils. They recognised and appreciated how hardworking he was, never shirking doing jobs himself or expecting others to do them for him. He was seen to be at every play, concert, lecture and match, regardless of how busy he was. In his dealings with everyone,

Peter’s integrity shone out – he listened patiently, he was sensitive to people’s needs, and he would go out of his way to talk to people face to face. He never made decisions hastily, was always prepared to admit to a mistake, and staff respected his quiet wisdom and common sense. If he had to decide the future of a miscreant pupil, he would agonise over his or her fate. Staff too were grateful for the recognition when things went well, and appreciated his compassion when they did not. Although modest, Peter was always conscious of the standards expected of someone in his position, as the public face of the school. Throughout his years in three of the country’s great schools, the thread is of a man who simply wanted to be a schoolmaster, doing that job as well as he could for the benefit of pupils, staff and parents. Peter had no pretentions, no ambitions to make a name by writing books, or by seeking rank in the Headmaster’s Conference, or as the media’s go-to education expert. Jeremy Hunt (W84), former pupil and Head of School, wrote of Peter “the greatest leaders are also the humblest ones”.

After 12 years, Peter took the view that he had made his mark and that every so often a school benefits from a change. So, with no other job in prospect, and at the age of 55, he surprised everyone by announcing his retirement.

Eventually he was offered an ideal position with the Rank Foundation charity. Part of the work was in the school world, supporting children whose funding was jeopardised, but it also brought him into contact with other charities, particularly fascinating smaller ones that just needed help and advice to get them going. He was once again back doing what he did best – helping others. Never was that more clear than when he moved to Linton in Herefordshire.

Peter was a willing volunteer whenever there was a need – he and Sandy were mainstays in almost every aspect of village life, often providing help in ways that was unknown by others.

It is impossible to do full justice to the life of this man, but all who knew him will have their own treasured memories.

However, one thing will undoubtedly unite us: gratitude for having enjoyed the friendship of someone who has lived his own life to the full, and given so much to others. I began with Peter’s first school and the Christ’s Hospital Charge, and if we wanted an epitaph, it might be appropriate to end with the motto of his last school: “Deo, Dante, Dedi” (God having given to me, I gave).

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We would like to remind you of all the wonderful Clubs, Societies and Interest Groups that are available to OCs and Parents. Below are just some that you can join.

To see the full list, please visit Charterhouse Connect at www.charterhouseconnect.org.uk

• OC Art Society • OC Football Club • OC Golfing Society • OC Media & Literary Society • OC Racing Society • OC Technology Society • OC Fencing Club • OC Yacht Club • OC Fives Club • OC Basketball • OC Netball • OC Livery • Old Carthusiasts • Charterhouse Friars Cricket • Finance Industry Group • Legal Industry Group • STEM Industry Group If you would like more information, please contact the Foundation Office at foundation@charterhouse.org.uk

Charterhouse Godalming Surrey GU7 2DX Tel: 01483 291761 foundation@charterhouse.org.uk

charterhouse.org.uk