The Old Felstedian

DECEMBER 2015

The Old Felstedian

[making a difference]

OLD FELSTEDIAN SOCIETY 2015-16 President Sir Marcus Setchell (c57-61) Chairman Michael Yeatts (e76-81) Hon Secretary Paul Norton (d53-55) Hon Treasurer James Willington (fb82-92)

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For full details please visit felsted.org/oldfelstediansociety1

6 CONTENTS

Please send your articles and OF News to: Felstedian Liaison Manager Selina Joslin ofs@felsted.org

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[making a difference]

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Front cover

Printed in vegetable-based inks on paper from sustainable woodland

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© Billy Griffiths

OF Sarah Brook is ‘making a difference’ as Felsted’s first ambassador, combining her time encouraging young Felstedians to follow their dreams, with her inspiring work through her charity Sparkle Malawi.

Read her story on page 16.

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Noted & Quoted News Interview with new headmaster A touch of Magic Felsted’s own Hercules First ambassador sparkles Pioneering playwright 40 years of job satisfaction Changing lives in London’s East End Obituaries Links with Essex Cricket Sport reports Premiership rugby debut

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FROM THE EDITOR

Contributors Katyana Rocker-Cook (gn11-13) Katyana is currently reading English Literature and Creative Writing at The University of Warwick. She recently performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a student-written sketch comedy show, which went on to receive four star reviews. Passionate about screenwriting and journalism, she represented the Warwick Prize for Writing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and continues to be an active member of both Warwick Comedy Society and Music Theatre Warwick, performing in regular showcases throughout the year.

Rob Short (fec94-08) Rob is the media and communications officer for Essex County Cricket Club.

He deals with all aspects of the media output of the Club, as well as being the press officer and editor of all printed publications. He is recently married and lives in Dunmow, Essex and is passionate about cricket and Manchester United.

Angus Yeatts (fe07-10) Angus is currently working as a courier doing his best to save as much as he can for his planned travels around the world in 2016. Along with four other OFs, he heads to south-east Asia to learn to surf and scuba dive. Plans also include offering a helping hand in Mumbai with the Magic Bus, where he hopes that he can help make a difference and gain relevant experience to help him pursue a career in corporate social responsibility.

Editor: Joel Garner email: jamespetergarner@gmail.com Contributing Editor: Selina Joslin OF Office, Felsted School, Felsted, Essex CM6 3LL Telephone: 01371 822645 email: ofs@felsted.org Design and print: Postprint, Snetterton Business Park, Snetterton, Norfolk NR16 2JZ Telephone: 01953 887536 email: studio@postprint.co.uk Visit the Old Felstedian website at felsted.org/ofs

The Old Felstedian gets a makeover to celebrate OFs making a difference around the world by Joel Garner ‘Making a difference’ is the theme of this year’s OF magazine and what a wonderful theme it is to celebrate a new look and design to this year’s issue.

It is inspirational to see the number of Old Felstedians who are involved in work that really is making a difference to other people’s lives throughout the world, whether that be through fundraising or by starting and running amazing charities.

I personally know how rewarding it is to raise money for a worthwhile cause. After my mum and sister died of breast cancer months apart from each other in 2013, my brother-in-law and I were moved to run three annual charity balls at my venue in Norfolk. We chose to raise money for a new breast cancer care unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, which it desperately needed.

In the three years, we have raised just shy of £30,000. We have had a lot of fun doing it and found the hard work thoroughly rewarding and satisfying. The act of giving, whether financially or through acts of service, seems to be truly good for the soul.

I’m not telling you this because I fancy another pat on the back, but to show that I understand what it means to give yourself to a task that is to the benefit others. Some of the OFs featured in this issue dwarf my own achievements, such as Charlie Pitcher, Felsted’s own Hercules who in his fifties is still tackling gargantuan physical feats and raising lots of money for charity at the same time. We take a look at what motivated Charlie to tackle these big challenges on page 19.

Others, such as Matthew Spacie and this year’s cover story Sarah Brook, have set up charities that are making real differences in the countries that they are based. Our feature on the Magic Bus on page 12 looks at the close ties that have developed between Felsted and the charity and how it plans to go global over the next few years.

Sarah Brook is not only the founder of Sparkle Malawi, but also the first Felsted Ambassador, a role that champions good works and inspires pupils about the rewards of giving or serving others. We chat to her about her ambassadorial role at Felsted and her work in Malawi on page 16.

Closer to home, we take a thorough look at The Felsted Mission on page 22 and its work in the East End of London to help the homeless, the abused and those trying to escape the reality of life in a really tough neighbourhood in London.

It’s a good read and well worth looking at to develop a better understanding of what the Mission does.

This is the first issue to feature Felsted’s new headmaster Chris Townsend. It was a pleasure to catch up with Chris and to find out a bit more about him and where he plans to take a school that is in excellent health following its 450th anniversary celebrations last year.

Not only has the magazine had a facelift and change in design to allow us to write more indepth pieces, it has also enlisted the help of a band of young OF contributors who have researched and written a number of the stories within this year’s magazine.

They have certainly been a welcome addition and I’d like to thank them for their hard work and contributions, as well as that of Selina Joslin who offers us fabulous support in producing The Old Felstedian.

I hope you like the new look and find time to read the magazine over the festive period. As always we welcome any feedback and would love to hear your latest news, however trivial it may seem.

Lastly, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

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“noted – a round up of OFs in the news &quoted” Hugo Chaplin commissioned as an officer In September, Hugo Chaplin (ec08-13) was commissioned as an officer at Sandhurst. He will continue his final year of studies at Liverpool University whilst serving as a Reserve Officer with the North West Division.

Matt Coward-Holley shoots Gold for Team GB Matt (dc 08-13) was crowned team world champion in the World Double Trap this year.

“Just a year ago I was shooting in junior competitions and now I have a gold medal around my neck.” Matt is hoping to represent GB in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 (see more on Matt’s Olympic hopes on page 5).

Peter Dyson conducts London principal orchestra Peter Dyson (fd77-86) conducted one of London’s principal orchestras, The Belmont Ensemble, and the English Chamber Choir in a charity concert for the Essex Clergy Charity at Chelmsford Cathedral on 5 September. The orchestra performed wellknown pieces including Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and other popular classics.

Kieran Norris wins British Indoor Men’s Championship Kieran Norris (fa 04-13) won The British Indoor Men’s Slalom Skiing Championship on 6 September. He led the fiercely contested competition from his first run, but was only fourteen hundredth of a second faster than his nearest rival as he began his final run of the day.

Norris saved his best to last with the fastest time of the day claiming him a deserved win.

Hannah Deuce to ride for GB Hannah Deuce (mn11-13) has been selected to compete for the Under-25 England team in 2016 Home Internationals. Her ride Danish Warmblood Vince scored 67.5% at the regional event held at the International Arena at Addington on 10 August.

OFs at The Fringe A number of young Felstedians took to the stage at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Lydia Carrington (fb 06-14), Gus Nicholson (fcd 06-12) and Katyana Rocker-Cook (gn11-13) all performed in successful university productions.

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US university hockey champion Anna Middendorf (gn11-13) and her US hockey team, The University of Connecticut Huskies, became the Big East Field Hockey Champions in 2015 making it their 15th-ever Big East Tournament win.

Colour Festival raises over £15k for African charities The Felsted neon colour run raised over £15,000 to help children via charities Sparkle Malawi and Volunteer Uganda in October. OF Sarah Brook (gn06-08) founded Sparkle Malawi in 2012 and was recently appointed as Felsted Ambassador in September 2015 (see more on Sarah Brook on page 16).

30 Year Reunion Over 50 OFs got together for a 1985 reunion in June, celebrating 30 years since leaving Felsted.

The event was held at the private basement bar and lounge, Joe’s Southern Kitchen, Covent Garden, London.

OF collaborates with artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina PhD student Charlotte Whelan (g00-05) is undertaking a unique art research project focusing on contemporary art practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina and plans to exhibit the work in London next year.

All the King’s Men pitch it perfect OF Gus Nicholson’s (fcd06-12) a capella group All the King’s Men competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella in New York in April, having won the ICCA’s semi final in London beating teams from eight other universities in the process. Gus, who graduated with a first class honours degree in music from King’s College London, was the group’s musical director.

Max Malins captains England U18 and wins contract at Saracens Max Malins (fhc02-15), fly half and captain of England U18 rugby, led his side to a 33-8 victory against South Africa this summer. Max scored 16 points towards the victory, which must have been enough to get him noticed by the scouts from Saracens RFC, who have awarded him a two year contract. He is also taking a degree in Finance and Management at the University of Hertfordshire.

OF NEWS Matt’s rise to prominence was just too late for next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as he was ineligible for selection, although he could still make it to Rio as a team reserve, if one of the UK team suffers illness or injury.

DEACON’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER

So Matt has his sights firmly set on the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, but he has to continue training and shooting for another five years and this is a costly exercise.

OF SETS HIS SIGHTS ON SHOOTING FOR GOLD IN TOKYO IN 2020 by Joel Garner Felsted’s next Olympian looks set to come from the unlikely sport of clay pigeon shooting thanks to the phenomenal rise of OF Matthew CowardHolley.

Matt, who has just turned 21 years old and has only been shooting clays seriously for the last five years, has made a meteoric rise to the top of the sport.

After a successful 2015 season, he is currently ranked number one in the UK and number 13 in the world in clay pigeon shooting’s Double Trap, a rise of 20 places on last year. He is the current English open champion and has just won a gold medal in the team Double Trap clay pigeon world championships for Great Britain.

For the uninitiated, clay pigeon double trap is an Olympic discipline where competitors are required to shoot at pairs of targets that are released simultaneously with one shot being taken at each. A total of 15 pairs of clays are released at five different stations meaning the final score is out of 150. Earlier this year, Matt recorded 142 out of 150, a new junior British record.

“It costs me about £12-15k a year to train, plus there’s the trips abroad to shoot in the competitions such as the world championships, so you could add another £6-10k on top of that,” he said.

Matt is on the hunt for sponsors who are willing to commit to four years of financial backing to help him fight for place on the GB team bound for Tokyo.

“Whether it be a group of individuals willing to pay £23k a year, or one or two big sponsors, I am looking for financial support to help me train and reach my goals.”

Matt regularly trains once or twice a week, each time shooting around 150 clays. In the run up to big competitions this would increase to three to four times a week. “It’s a muscle memory discipline and requires a lot of mental timing, so it involves a lot of repetition.”

While he works for his parents in their AGA reselling business in Chelmsford, Matt needs additional support to help his further his career. In return, Matt can offer marketing and photo opportunities, wear company logos on his kit, help on corporate shooting days or offer coaching sessions for corporate days out.

Matt’s dreams of competing in Tokyo would see him trying to replicate the feats of former Millfield pupil Peter Wilson, who won Gold Medal in the Double Trap at the London Olympic Games in 2012.

If you would like to help support Matt’s quest for Tokyo, then please get in touch by email to mcholley13@gmail.com

OF SOCIETY WELCOMES ‘CLASS OF 2015’ A touch of glamour graced The Front at Felsted as Upper Sixth students, parents, Common Room and other guests donned their finery for the annual Leavers’ Ball on 4 July this year. Over 400 guests enjoyed an elegant ‘hummingbird’ themed dinner in the Lord Riche Hall and partied into the night with fairground rides, music and a casino.

Felstedians from Deacon’s enjoyed a special anniversary dinner at Felsted on 13 June to celebrate the house’s 50th birthday.

John Cockett, who was the founding housemaster of Deacon’s when it first officially opened its doors in 1964/5, was warmly toasted by guests for his huge contribution of over 20 years and for establishing the house at Felsted. Nigel Gadsby (h74-79) and Tom Belcher (h96-01) both entertained guests with some amusing stories about their time at Felsted and spoke passionately about the history of Deacon’s.

DEACON’S – founded in 1964 Housemasters John Cockett 1960-1980 Tom Pockley 1980-1984 John Cockett 1984-1985 Bob Clarke 1985-1992 Mark Surridge 1992-2006 Charlie Knightley 2006-present day At various times, the following have served as Assistant Housemasters in Deacon’s Michael Smith, Michael Walker, Chris Tongue, Les Baker, Robert Hay, Michael Behrend, Richard Simpkin, Llewelin Siddons, Michael Sugden, Stuart Corrie, Daniel Griggs, Daniel Eglin Steven Winter, Tom Galvin Matrons Doreen Morle, Jean Wall, Margaret Baverstock

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OF NEWS

NEW FOLLIES IS GREEN, COMMUNAL AND HAS STATE OF THE ART FACILITIES THAT HIT THE MARK WITH STUDENTS

by Katyana Rocker-Cook When the beloved Follyfield was destroyed by fire in the summer of 2012, I admit I harboured a strong feeling that Felsted would never be the same again.

Having just left the house to move into Garnetts for my final year, I was devastated to know that I would never again be able to wander in to my old house and continue where I’d left off the previous year.

But on the 21 March 2015, I discovered that I could not have been more wrong. The new house, now located in the central block of the school campus alongside Gepp’s, Deacon’s, Stocks’s and Thorne, accommodates 62 girls, with group and double rooms for younger students, and single bedrooms for Years 11 and 12.

For pupils in Years 10 and above, the rooms are fitted with en-suite bathrooms, a feature which current pupil Catherine Grant said she was particularly excited about as she no longer has to wait for an entire corridor to finish with the shower, but can use it “whenever I like (within reason)”.

Designed by BHM Architects with the spirit of community and family life in mind, the £4.7m project features two spacious common rooms, large kitchenette common rooms on the first and second floors, and an open plan atrium spanning all three floors that gives the entire building a light and expansive atmosphere.

Consideration has been made to the environmental impact of the building, and so there is underfloor heating throughout connected to an air source heat pump to maximize its green credentials.

Work on the project commenced in August 2013 by Jarvis Contractors and was completed in September 2014, ready for the girls to move in for the new academic year. During the construction process the students were housed in a temporary structure beside the Lord Riche Hall, described by Catherine Grant as “spacious and so lovely inside”.

When asked about the new house, Catherine said: “I can’t really remember what I expected of the new house, but as soon as I entered for the first time I was amazed at what I was seeing.” This was a sentiment clearly shared amongst parents, pupils, OFs and visitors at the official opening on 21 March.

Each room featured state of the art appliances, modern furniture, and a spacious, airy atmosphere and the pride

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Telis Mistakidis inspires Felstedians at Speech Day in each of the student tour guides was apparent.

It was clear that despite losing their beloved original home, both girls and staff were exceptionally pleased with the new house, and were determined to keep that same community spirit and love of Follyfield as before.

Housemistress Nicola O’Brien said: “I was delighted to be able to see the whole house easily in the common room, something which we had been unable to do in the temporary accommodation.”

She added that this has made it significantly easier for the year groups to intermingle and socialise, something which they have fully embraced by joining forces to “cook, play games, do crafts or prep”.

The housemistress said that despite the whole Follies community being incredibly excited about their new home, they were strangely sad to see ‘portafollies’ go as we had a tough but fun two years. Nicola added that this demonstrated the power of a strong community spirit, however unexpected and tough the situation may be.

That community spirit and pride in every resident of the new house is a testament to the strength of Follyfield, which reminded me of Nicola’s comments after the tragic fire: “Follies is not just a building, it’s a state of mind”.

OF Telis Mistakidis (c75-80) was the guest of honour at Felsted’s Speech Day on 3 July. Telis is a leading business executive and shareholder at London listed Glencore PLC. He presented prizes to pupils and delivered an inspiring speech to Felstedians on how they can achieve success in their lives after Felsted.

BURRETT TO STEP DOWN AS PREPARATORY SCHOOL HEADMISTRESS IN 2016 Jenny Burrett has decided to step down as head of Felsted Preparatory School after 11 years in the job and 25 years at the school. Jenny will leave the school in August 2016 after years of outstanding service and is moving into a role within education consultancy. Look out for a special feature interview with Jenny in next year’s edition of the OF magazine.

The girls and staff have settled in to their fantastic new house brilliantly and are living proof that home is wherever you make it.

RIGHT Jenny Burrett and her sons Mark (left) and Sam (right).

[making a difference] …In numbers 1 Amount raised for Felsted charities in 450th anniversary year – £25,000+ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Amount raised by Charlie Pitcher’s series of endurance feats – £360,000+ Amount raised by Felsted’s Annual Fund since 2010 – £225,000 Donations from OFs and parents to fund Open Bursaries at Felsted School in 2015 – £240,000 Number of people that have access to clean water thanks to Sparkle Malawi – 5,000 + Number of homeless helped by the Felsted Mission in 2015 – 86 Amount raised by Bollywood Evening for the Magic Bus in 2015 – £3,500+ Amount raised by Felsted’s Neon Colour Run to help children in Africa – £15,000+ Amount raised by Sam and Eliz Peck’s Kilimanjaro climb for Bowel Cancer UK – £8,758 Magic Bus employs 200 staff and reaches 450,000 children

OF SOCIETY NEWS

SOCIETY SEEKS NEW SECRETARY AND BIDS MIKE WALKER FAREWELL It’s been a busy year for the OF Society with Sir Marcus Setchell KCVO hosting a fabulous drinks party at the Garrick Club in June. There’s also been a farewell dinner for Dr Mike Walker, a new look Old Felstedian magazine and the first Old Felstedian pub night. Here’s a round up of the Society’s news.

Farwell dinner for Mike Walker The OF Society Committee hosted a special farewell dinner on 7 May at the Oxford and Cambridge Club for Dr Mike Walker, who retired as headmaster at the end of August. As a thank you for his contribution to the OF Society over the past seven years, Dr Walker received two OF ties and was made an Honorary Life Member of the OF Society.

Sir Marcus Setchell hosts drinks at The Garrick Club President of the Old Felstedian Society, Sir Marcus Setchell, hosted the biennial President’s Drinks Reception at The Garrick Club on 19 June. Over 70 guests attended the evening and enjoyed drinks in the prestigious venue.

OF Society seeks a new secretary Paul Norton (d53-55) is stepping down as Honorary Secretary of the OF Society after eight years in the post in May next year.

Paul first joined the committee in 1975, was editor of The Old Felstedian for six years in the 1970s and 1980s and became honorary secretary of the Society in 2008.

He says that the job entails attending OF Society Committee meetings throughout the year and working closely with the president, chairman, and Felstedian liaison manager to promote the objectives of the Society.

If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact Paul at: paul.g.norton@btconnect.com or 01277 219839.

Five OFs climb Kilimanjaro for Bowel Cancer charity The OF Society was pleased to support five OFs’ quest to climb the tallest free-standing mountain in the world in August this year.

Sam and Eliz Peck, Olivia Blyth, James Hardy and Gabrielle Lowe chose to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania via the Lemosho route.

Sam, Eliz and James were raising money and awareness about bowel cancer after they lost relatives to the disease, the fourth most common cancer in the UK. While Gabrielle and Olivia were fundraising for the Magic Bus Centre in Mumbai having visited the charity when they were in the sixth form at Felsted.

All five made it to the top. Sam said it was an experience none of us would forget. “We did it, we reached the top of the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Furthermore we did it altogether, and the hug at the summit really did make it sink in.

“We had stuck to our words and did those who had sponsored us proud and despite the chronic back pain, foot pain, headaches, chest pain, altitude sickness and freezing cold it really was worth it.”

OF weddings Rob Short (fec 94-08) married Annabel Dellow on 14 February at Leez Priory, Chelmsford. OFs in attendance were Ed Bohling (one of the Best Men), Will Dunn, Alice Short (Bridesmaid), Chris McLeod, James Balfour and Martin Mitchell. Rob’s mum, Bernadette Short, teaches at Felsted Preparatory School.

Katie Clarke (g 99-02) married Julian King on 6 September at Belchamp Walter Church, near Sudbury with a marquee reception, dinner and dancing at Belchamp Walter Hall. The wedding was attended by 130 guests including OF Louise Seymour-Taylor. They met while studying at Oxford Brookes University.

Anna Feldman (fg90-05) married James Lawes on 18 July.

The service was held at Felsted School Chapel and a marquee reception took place in the grounds of the Prep School. There were 27 OFs and nine current or ex staff members, including the vicar, father of the bride, a reader, all four bridesmaids, the singers in the chapel and the photographer.

Sarah Sonia Peterson (b 07-09) married Gaidar Magdanurov last year. The couple met at a house party and got engaged four months later. On 24 May 2015 they welcomed their beautiful daughter, Mira, into the world.

James (Joel) Garner (b85-90) married Aimee Rodriguez at Godwick Great Barn in Norfolk on 24 October. The couple’s wedding and reception was held at Joel’s venue and was attended by 110 family and friends. Aimee, who is a social worker, met Joel through mutual friends. They live at Godwick Hall in Norfolk with their pets, two dogs, one horse and a cat.

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OF NETWORK AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE NEWS

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FELSTED NETWORK’S EVENTS IN 2015 The Felsted Network is growing into a global community engaging OFs, current students and parents with each other and Felsted School. Here’s a round-up of some of the highlights from the last year: Strutt and Parker host Property Network The Felsted Property Network event took place in October at Strutt and Parker, Berkeley Square, London and was hosted by Stephen Wolfe (fa75-84).

The evening inspired current Felstedians to learn more about the diversity of the industry, helped young OFs in their career development and was a great opportunity for OFs and parents to network.

Felstedians enjoy lunch at Jesus College Over 20 Felstedians enjoyed lunch in the beautiful surroundings of the Upper Hall at Jesus College, Cambridge in November. Edward Thackray (g60-63) welcomed guests with centre stage being given to John Cockett for an evocative review of his time at Felsted.

OF Pub Night Over 60 OFs turned up to the OF Pub Night on 29 April at the Devonshire Arms in South Kensington, London. It was a fun night of socialising with everyone enjoying a free drink on arrival.

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Felsted announces appointment of Director of External Relations David Wing chats to Joel Garner about his new role at Felsted

Sunset sailing tour of New York harbour Simon Critchell (b59-63) and his wife Renée hosted a wonderful private sailing tour for Felsted’s upper sixth economics and business studies trip to New York in October. The 85ft wooden schooner, The Shearwater, was skippered by his son, David Critchell. Head of Economics Sonia Wilson said: “The weather was perfect and the views were stunning as we saw the sunset behind the Statue of Liberty while the moon rose above the Manhattan skyline”.

Dinner in Singapore In early October, Andrew Church (g70-75) and his wife Carol held a dinner at their home in Singapore for Felsted pupils and staff attending the Round Square Conference. The group thoroughly enjoyed hearing about Andrew’s career in Singapore and Felsted then and now.

Australia Cricket Tour drinks in Sydney John Edmond (fg80-90) provided drinks for OFs and those travelling with Felsted’s cricket team in December at Clyde & Co’s offices in Sydney. John is managing partner at the international law firm and warmly welcomed everyone to the city. Thank you to OFs who also supported cricket matches in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.

Your appointment as Director of External Relations is a new initiative at Felsted. What does the role entail?

The position has been established to oversee the three key outward facing departments of Admissions, Development and Alumni Relations and Marketing. Schools are increasingly recognising the need to draw on commercial experience to allow heads to focus on vision, academic and pastoral development. My appointment reflects the recent growth of the school.

So what is your commercial experience?

I have been working within the sector since 1979. My working life started in the London Borough of Newham heading up an umbrella body, from which we developed several other organisations to support a cross section of society. I then moved on to Help the Aged where I was responsible for driving income throughout the UK and stayed for nine years. I left the charity to set up an international consultancy company and spent 14 years working alongside some of the most innovative organisations across the world, taking me through the USA, Europe and large parts of Africa. Most recently I was development director of an independent school in London. Across these roles I created partnerships which benefited all parties, this relied on developing strong personal relationships, something which I am keen to continue at Felsted.

It appears to be a challenging role with a broad remit. How important is alumni relations within this mix?

Vital! We have seen the emergence of The Felsted Network tangibly make a difference, with OFs and parents inspiring current Felstedians’ potential careers. The Network also helps graduates through mentoring and connections in the early years of their professions. It is truly global with OFs hosting social and professional network events in London, Cambridge, Singapore, New York and Australia this year

OF EVENTS

Old Felstedian Dinner The Great Hall, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London EC1A 9BU

10th March 2016 • 6.30pm Dress: Black Tie Partners welcome to attend

David Wing

alone. The school and OF Society will continue to invest in developing this network to benefit past, present and future Felstedians.

I see that you have significant experience in fundraising, is that a core element of your role at Felsted?

Yes it is. The Felsted community has shown a great propensity to give financially to ensure that we maintain Richard Lord Riche’s vision that ‘youthe are brought up in the knowledge of good lernying’. Philanthropy will continue to play a pivotal role to help us deliver vital new academic, pastoral and sports facilities and provide access to a Felsted education through financing bursaries. I will be working hard with the team here to develop that culture of philanthropy.

And do you have time for a life outside of Felsted?

I have a wife and three daughters. The youngest at 21 competes nationally at dressage so managing three horses and keeping the show on the road keeps me out of mischief.

OF Society President Sir Marcus Setchell explains: “Inside the Great Hall you’ll find magnificent giant Hogarth murals rarely seen other than by doctors, occasional City visitors or wedding guests.

“Bart's is the oldest Hospital in Europe having been on its same site since 1123, and granted its Royal Charter by Henry Vlll. Fear not, we guarantee that you won’t be fed on medieval hospital gruel, but will be wined and dined fit for a King.”

The guest speaker this year will be Lord Ribeiro, whose four children attended Felsted. He is a former president of the Royal College of Surgeons and is a member of the House of Lords.

The evening will include a celebration for the 125th Anniversary of Gepp’s, Mont’s, Stocks’s and Windsor’s Houses, so there are plenty of reasons to get together with friends and organise a table.

Ticket price £120* (£90 for school leavers after January 2004) Includes a drink reception and three course dinner with wine.

For further information please visit felsted.org/ofdinner16 *Payment for tickets is collected by the school on behalf of the OF Society

Contact: dpw@felsted.org 01371 822644.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2016 3 February OF Lodge Meeting 5.30pm Freemasons’ Hall, London 27 February – Golf Spring Meeting – All Welcome Aldeburgh Golf Club Match Manager: tim.hedin@redburn.com 10 March OF Dinner 2016 6.30pm The Great Hall St Bart’s Hospital, London 6 April OF Lodge Meeting 5.30pm Freemasons’ Hall, London

7–10 April – Golf Halford Hewitt Royal St. Georges Golf Club and Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club Match Manager: jamesstammers @btinternet.com 15 May – Golf Grafton Morrish Qualifier Gog Magog Golf Club Match Manager: pjg.graham@btinternet.com 16 May – Golf Extra Spring Meeting – All Welcome Saffron Walden Golf Club Match Manager: dudley@coevintners.com

3 June – Golf Essex Public Schools Chigwell Golf Club Match Manager: dudley@coevintners.com 11 June Annual OF Lodge Meeting & Lunch 10.30am Felsted School 12 June – Cricket Cricketer Cup 1st Round Felsted Robins v Shrewsbury Saracens – 11.30am Felsted School 22 June – Golf Summer Meeting – All Welcome West Sussex Golf Club

Match Manager: taylor@campbell-lutyens.com 7–9 July – Golf Millard /Burles / Mellin West Hill Golf Club Match Manager: tim.chetwood@clm.uk.com 11 September – Golf Essex Public Schools Scratch Foursome Thorndon Park Golf Club Match Manager: pjg.graham@btinternet.com 22 September – Golf Autumn Meeting – All Welcome The Berkshire Golf Club Match Manager: dudley@coevintners.com

7–9 October – Golf Grafton Morrish Hunstanton Golf Club and Royal West Norfolk Golf Club Match Manager: pjg.graham@btinternet.com 19 October OF Lodge Meeting 5.30pm Freemasons’ Hall, London OF Lodge Meetings: please contact Roger Keys rhkeys@btinternet.com for further information Please visit felsted.org/ofevents for more details

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INTERVIEW

Felsted’s new headmaster takes over a school in good health but is keen to make a difference Headmaster Chris Townsend talks to Old Felstedian editor Joel Garner about his career, the direction of his headship and the challenges he faces at Felsted.

Firstly, he tells of how he learnt of his promotion

Chris Townsend’s appointment as the new headmaster of Felsted School may have come as a surprise to many outsiders who were tipping the school to appoint a high profile figure from another leading independent school.

Instead the school’s governors were persuaded that Chris was the right man to step into Mike Walker’s gown and lead the school after its incredibly successful year celebrating its 450th anniversary in 2014.

In March, the chair of governors John Davies announced that Chris, Felsted’s then deputy head, would succeed Walker in September.

Davies’s call to make the appointment caught Chris off guard as he was playing hockey in the Common Room versus Upper Sixth hockey match, when his wife called him to hurry home.

“I wouldn’t normally have a phone in my pocket playing hockey, but there had just been an injury and I had been on the phone to the medical centre, so I took the call.”

Chris was surprised that Davies had called, because he had left the third interview feeling frustrated that he hadn’t done himself justice and having made it through to the final three candidates, felt his chance had slipped away.

“In the early stages, I thought I was the front runner, but as the process got towards the end, the competition became very fierce with current heads in the last round,” he says.

“I thought they wanted to break the news in person, so it was still quite a shock to get the good news,” he adds.

John Davies is convinced that the school has the right man at the helm: “The last three headmasters were appointed from outside but in this case I am entirely confident that we were right to select from within. We are very lucky to have Chris as our new head and he has made an excellent start in his first term as headmaster.”

Davies added that more than 50 people applied for the role, many of them with the sort of experience they were after.

“The governors always regarded Chris as a very strong candidate to succeed Mike Walker, but we

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felt it right to judge him against a competitive field, as indeed did he.”

As well as having had a proven record as deputy head at Felsted, the governors also took into account his previous roles at Dean Close and at Stowe, similar establishments to Felsted, which they felt to be invaluable.

youth on his side Aged just 42, Chris is the not youngest headmaster of Felsted. Alister Andrew (1943-47) was 35 years old when taking up the post and Edward Gould was only 40 when appointed.

And Felsted is not alone in leading independent schools appointing a relatively young man to the post. Eton College appointed 38-year-old history teacher Simon Henderson as headmaster in June last year, a point not lost on Davies.

“Chris is in his early forties, which is the typical age for teachers in the independent sector to achieve their first headships,” Davies says.

Nevertheless, Chris’s age bodes for a long tenure.

The school is in rude health and as long as he keeps pointing it in the right direction, why would there be any need for change? However, he is not thinking any further than his own children’s education.

His two children are at the school, his youngest Lydia is in Year 7 and his eldest David has just started in the senior school coinciding with his father’s start as headmaster. “Yes I think it’s been quite a tough start for him,” he adds wryly.

“They love the school and I would very much like to see them through to the end of their time here.”

He came to Felsted five years ago, starting in 2010 as deputy head. He took the role to broaden

INTERVIEW his experience. “I was keen to take on a whole school role, having been a housemaster for seven years, and I love the ethos of the school.”

early teaching career He joined Felsted from Stowe, having previously worked at Dean Close, which he describes as “a similar school to Felsted in many ways”. He was a former pupil at Dean Close and landed his first job teaching classics and running the first XI cricket team. He was appointed straight from Oxford University and his new employment may have cut short any ambitions he harboured to pursue a career as a professional cricketer and the chance of another blue, having played in three Varsity matches already.

“I was considering a PGCE at Cambridge, so I could play cricket for them and get another blue, but I’m not sure that playing the game at the highest level was really what I wanted to do or whether I was good enough.” He was a wicket keeper, a skilled specialist role, but also a position renowned for maintaining team morale, a skill worth having in the even the most buoyant common room.

Any disappointments he may have had regarding his cricket playing ambitions were replaced by the opportunity at Dean Close, which allowed him to begin a career in teaching in an environment that he was very fond of.

He was made a housemaster at 27, which he describes as “interesting”. “Those were the days when you got a tap on the shoulder from the head and asked to step into his office. It wasn’t an appointment that I had particularly pursued.”

Schools today are far more professional and less autocratic environments, where things are done properly and not just at the whim of the headmaster, he adds.

Felsted’s current health It is into that environment that he now finds himself and as he turns his attentions to his current role, Chris talks openly of where the school can improve and where he can make an impact, despite its flourishing numbers and healthy balance sheet.

“We need to be confident that what we offer is special, and that we are doing the best for every child in the school. I believe that schools focus too much on what they do and so forget about why they do it.

“Our aim as a school is to produce young men and women with the skills to be successful in the 21st century, and who want to go out and make a difference.

“For this reason, I talk a great deal about development of character, leadership skills and service,” he says.

He is also keen on developing the school’s international element. Currently the school has 95 international pupils representing 35 different nationalities. “The children of today will go out into a global world, so it’s a massive benefit to our pupils to understand other cultures and develop a better understanding of themselves as well as being inspired by the international pupils to learn other languages.”

Felsted, as Chris points out, is a small rural community in north Essex that could be inward looking and insular, but instead the school celebrates its diversity and opportunity.

He says that the International Baccalaureate fits in with the school’s international ethos and he is a big fan of its academic philosophy. “I’d like to see us develop some parts of the IB across the whole school curriculum.”

He believes with the proposed reform to A levels in the pipeline, the IB may continue to gain further traction. “In recent years, universities have definitely been more sympathetic to it as IB students often make better university students with a broader education, more independent thinking and less reliance on exam technique.”

On the business side, he feels the school needs to develop the school grounds and infrastructure and he is busy working on those plans.

supporter of OFs

n 1990 – Left Dean Close, with 4 A Levels (Maths, Further Maths, Latin and Greek), academic and music scholar. Captain 1st XI cricket.

n 1990-1 – Spent a gap year teaching at Ardingly College, Sussex

n 1992 – Brasenose College, Oxford.

First cricket blue

n 1993 – Awarded academic Exhibition in Classics

n 1995 – Graduated from Oxford University with a 2:1 in classics.

Three cricket blues. Represented the Greyhounds at Rugby. Played football and hockey for Brasenose College

n 1995-2003 – Classics teacher at Dean Close. Master in charge of cricket and housemaster of Field House (2000-2003)

n 2003-2010 – Housemaster of Grafton House and Head of Boarding (20082010) at Stowe School, as well as teaching classics and coaching 1st XI cricket

n 2010-2015 – Deputy Head, Felsted n 2015 – Headmaster, Felsted

He is also aware that the school can improve its lines of communication with parents and seek to work more closely with them to the benefit of the children. He is also a keen supporter of Old Felstedians and is keen to foster a closer working relationship between the school and the OF community.

“OFs provide such a rich resource to the school.

Richard Salmon and Selina Joslin have done a tremendous job in getting OFs re-engaged, and with Sir Marcus Setchell and Michael Yeatts at the helm, the OF society is in a great position.”

“What we want to achieve is threefold: first, OFs should feel part of something special, a ‘club’ that gives them opportunities to get together and enjoy each other’s company; secondly, OFs can provide contacts, experience, advice for our current pupils; and thirdly, we want to develop a culture of philanthropy among the OF community, so that those who want and are able to, can contribute to the plans of the next generation at the school.”

He likes The Old Felstedian’s theme of “celebrating those OFs that make a difference”.

“We recognise the value of such inspiration to the point that we have taken the unusual step of

Chris Townsend with Dr Mike Walker on Speech Day.

employing Sarah Brook, who set up the charity Sparkle Malawi, as the first Felsted Ambassador to showcase that part of life.”

“We’re not expecting every pupil to set up a charity, but it’s good to show that from a position of privilege there is an opportunity to make a difference in this life,” he adds.

We certainly concur.

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[making a difference]

Magic touches the special relationship between Felsted and the Magic Bus Over the past five years strong ties have developed between Felsted and the Magic Bus charity founded by OF Matthew Spacie MBE (d83-85) in 1999. Katyana Rocker-Cook investigates how the relationship has developed and how the experience benefits both those who volunteer and the children and staff of the Magic Bus It is five years since the first Felstedians visited the Magic Bus in 2010. In that time 70 pupils have volunteered to visit Mumbai to work for the charity, which is currently embarking on an ambitious programme to grow its charitable work beyond India into south-east Asia.

Manor housemistress Carolyn Phillips was part of the first trip that established the partnership with Felsted in 2010, the year after OF and founder of the Magic Bus, Matthew Spacie presented prizes at the Senior School’s speech day.

During that first trip Carolyn says each Felstedian embraced the opportunities to make the lives of the Magic Bus children even just a little brighter.

“I was both humbled and proud of the pupils’ achievements and the determination with which they met all the challenges,” she says.

She describes Matthew’s work as “inspirational” and that visiting the charity has a clear impact on the pupils, something she believes they will carry into their adult lives after they leave the school.

exceptional facility where funded purchases from Felsted are no longer required.

However, Felsted’s continued support has allowed the charity to grow and develop. “The school committed to raising a sum of £25,000 to build a Felsted Leadership Centre and it was with great pride we were able to announce in June 2015 that the target had been achieved,” she says.

The money raised means multiple new buildings can be built for the centre, which will be named by the school, something Matthew wants to happen.

“Whether it be Deacon’s or something like that,” Matthew says. “It’ll be lovely to have the mark of Felsted on the centre officially showcasing the lasting connection between Felsted and the Magic Bus.” The fundraising has led to improvements in the facilities, but Matthew is keen to point to one of

OF Charlotte MacLeod volunteering at the Magic Bus centre on the rural outskirts of Mumbai.

football with English girls, something they thought would never happen in their lifetime.

There is a shared sense of opportunity and learning on both sides as both Felsted and Magic Bus students engage in a cultural experience completely unusual to them.

Matthew describes how this creates a “neutral ground for learning” by placing both children and volunteer teachers in the same position, giving a greater sense of equal opportunity and shared knowledge.

As Felsted is the only large school to regularly travel to the Magic Bus centre, and the various sites at which they have involvement across Mumbai, the staff greatly look forward to the

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In 2010, Felsted raised over £6,500, which was used to purchase pillows, mattresses, plates, trekking shoes, tents, sleeping bags, fire alarms, water bottles and footballs for the Mumbai centre.

the key benefits of Felsted’s involvement is that it provides both Magic Bus staff and its students with an interesting interface with the western world, which without the annual school trips, they would not otherwise have.

The connection and “relationship extends

Carolyn says that these items were desperately needed in order to make the centre fit for purpose. Five years on and the centre is an

I witnessed this when I attended the trip to the Magic Bus in 2012. The children frequently described their excitement at being able to play

beyond current pupils to OFs…

”

FEATURE visit as they too can share in the cultural exchange so vital to making the volunteer scheme work.

Matthew points to the mutual benefit of the partnership that has developed between the school and the charity. Each new pupil volunteer brings “drive and energy” to the charity by providing a continued freshness and passion, he adds.

The connection and relationship extends beyond current pupils to OFs with at least half a dozen volunteering in both the Indian and Lambeth bases of the charity in recent years.

OFs and the Magic Bus An example of this continued support from OFs is recent Felsted graduate Charlotte MacLeod (fb0514), who spent four months volunteering at the Magic Bus centre on the rural outskirts of Mumbai.

Following on from her experience with the Felsted trip to the charity in October 2013, Charlotte left for Mumbai in January 2015. She describes how she was engaged in a variety of activities working with the charity not only as a volunteer teacher, but also in the charity’s administration as part of a team redesigning its brochures.

Her experience contributed to her work on the Leadership Through Action Challenge, which she

Maidan where community sessions are run for the local children. She describes how the children welcomed her with “huge smiles on their faces”.

It was her return to Ganesh Maidan that made her believe that her time in India was “really making a difference…I’m making somebody truly happy”.

improving facilities Charlotte also recalls how visible the work of the charity is in improving facilities throughout India. On return to a recreational ground she had previously visited in 2013, where an inter-zonal football tournament was being held for Magic Bus students, she was amazed by the improvement of the grounds.

“It was phenomenal. The pitches were nearly entirely covered by grass and large, sturdy goal posts had been installed. During my previous visit it had just been a large dusty field,” she says.

When asked about the biggest challenge she faced during her four months at the charity, Charlotte describes the visit of the Save the Children Foundation. She says that whilst she had a fantastic time working with the children there was a serious language barrier as nobody spoke English or Hindi in a group of over 50 children and staff.

Despite this, she had a “great time with the kids” and describes how they were “itching to explore the campus…they all ran out in different directions, covering the entire football pitch in a matter of seconds”.

During the day, Charlotte was involved in guiding the children across a low ropes course designed to teach teamwork and communication skills and a water based game involving safely transporting buckets of water from one side of the field to another. She enjoyed her time with the Foundation to such an extent that she made arrangements to spend more time working with them in the city during her last few weeks in India.

the relationship “between Felsted and the Magic Bus is based on shared values, such as an inherent love of education, community and equality

”

Charlotte’s time at the Magic Bus centre coincided with International Women’s Day, which she said was “one of [her] favourite days” as the mothers of the Magic Bus children from the Thane area were invited to visit the centre.

She explains the idea behind the day was to “allow the mothers to have a day where they could totally forget about their responsibilities”.

It involved games and interactive tasks to give them the chance to relax and enjoy themselves.

It was a particularly moving experience, she says.

“It really hit me how much this experience had affected the women towards the end of the day when they made a series of speeches revealing that many of them had not had the chance to leave their homes since the births of their children.”

This is just one example of how the charity is changing lives in India. Charlotte’s first-hand experience and the impact that her time at the charity has had on her demonstrates just how valuable the experience is, not only for the volunteers who go there but also for the support and helps it gives to the Magic Bus staff and its programmes of work.

It seems the relationship between Felsted and the Magic Bus is based on shared values, such as an inherent love of education, community and equality and for those reasons alone is certain to stand the test of time.

had undertaken during her time at Felsted and was keen to further develop through her own initiative.

Charlotte also spent a week installing electricity and plumbing, painting interior and exterior walls, and gardening for a local school alongside volunteers from Singapore International School, something which she describes as greatly enjoyable. She says the project was a “huge success” and how the village residents were “so pleased” that they had come.

During her stay Charlotte returned to similar locations a number of times, including Ganesh

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[making a difference]

THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE The Magic Bus charity was founded in 1999 and has been a phenomenal Indian success story, spreading its reach across the whole country. Now the charity is reaching beyond India into other south-east Asian countries as it embarks on its next stage of growth towards forming a global charity network.

The charity started with the sole purpose of changing the lives of children in poverty and operated mostly in Delhi with some work in Mumbai, Thane and the Chandrapur District. It has extended far beyond that and is now involved in 307 of the poorest villages and slums, providing both education and vital social skills to Indian children between the ages of eight and 18.

The Indian focus of the charity’s work means the programmes have largely been developed there, where its aim is to take each child “from childhood to livelihood”.

Magic Bus founder OF Matthew Spacie (d83-85) says a large contributing factor to the success of the charity’s programme is the love of sports, education and community spirit that was brought to him through his own time at Felsted. “A lot of what we do is contextualised by my own childhood,” he adds.

The main focus of the Magic Bus programme is to educate children about the importance of health and hygiene, education and gender equality.

By focusing attention on these three pillars allows children to shape not only their own futures for the better but also to influence the wider community through their own example and improves the chances of them having a sustainable livelihood.

This has had a massive impact on girls involved in the programme resulting in 98% of the charity’s

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female students attending secondary education, an opportunity they may not have had otherwise.

A further 82% of children believe that sports is as important for boys as girls and that a girl’s future deserves investment as much as their male counterparts.

Through the use of sports-based games followed by short summary lessons, the children are taught the basic processes of keeping their bodies clean and healthy to prevent illness. With practice just over three-quarters of the children now follow basic hygiene principles, such as washing their hands and cutting their nails.

The success of the charity can be measured not only through the impact it has had upon the lives of its students, but also the recognition it has already received, such as the GuideStar India Transparency Badge, AmericaCares Spirit of Humanity Awards, Jury’s Choice 2013 and India NGO Awards: Rising Star 2013.

These accolades bode well for the future as Magic Bus begins its next phase of development something Matthew Spacie is particularly excited about.

This new chapter will see the charity mature from being a solely founder-led organisation to an institutionalised global charity with a strong leadership team that is less dependent on Matthew Spacie as founder and leader.

Currently, Magic Bus employs 200 staff reaching approximately 450,000 children, but Matthew is aware that for Magic Bus to extend its reach across south-east Asia it needs to develop a strong leadership team to manage that growth and replicate the programme to ensure the same sense of community and equal opportunity is achieved as it has been in India.

He suggests that while the ultimate aim is to ‘transfer and replicate’ the successful aspects of Magic Bus there is a need to “contextualise” in response to the different cultures of each country, and to personalise the experience for each child reached.

This is a challenge the charity is currently facing head on as it looks to grow globally over the next three to four years.

For more information visit magicbus.org

PROFILE

Felsted’s own world record holding Hercules rows again

Charlie Pitcher (b77-78) is an impressive and proud OF, who has singlehandedly raised over £360,000 for charity by completely heroic physical challenges across the globe.

To most readers, phrases like ‘near death experience’ or even ‘3,000 miles’ would foster admiration, strike fear and simply put them off replicating the challenge themselves.

From the heat of the Sahara desert to the loneliness of the Atlantic Ocean, one thing is clear: Charlie, who is in his early fifties, doesn’t shirk a challenge.

Not Charlie, with his yachtsman’s background, he viewed it as a shambles.

As a youngster outdoors and adventure were always in his blood. “When I was in the classroom, I always found myself looking out the window wishing I was outside or on one of my family’s sailing expeditions,” he says.

It’s unsurprising that after Felsted and a building contractor’s apprenticeship, Charlie found himself in the big outdoors as a professional yachtsman, competing in both the America’s and Admirals cup for 15 years.

This love of being outside combined with a fierce competitive drive to succeed led Charlie to become a keen runner and ultimately started his journey to becoming an ultra endurance athlete and raising lots of money for good causes close to his heart.

ultra endurance events In 2009, after completing multiple marathons, Charlie started competing in ultra endurance events and he hasn’t looked back since.

His first taste of this new life was the Marathon des Sables, a five-day 150-mile race through the Sahara desert at temperatures close to 40 degrees centigrade, the perfect opportunity for Charlie to push himself.

“I found inspiration seeing people for who they truly were: no watches, no phones, just them and their limits.”

He relished this ‘leveller’, so even after finishing 175th and with an injury, he was determined to do it all over again and get inside the top 100.

Soon after completing his race across the Sahara, Charlie’s wife Emma bought him a book called: The Crossing. Conquering the Atlantic in the World’s Toughest Rowing Race by James Cracknell and Ben Fogle.

The book was about the pair’s incredible journey in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race that saw them finish third overall.

“If they could come third with such disorganisation, I figured I could do it better and win.” And so Charlie began planning his own attempt.

On 26 February 2010, after 52 gruelling days of solo Atlantic rowing, Charlie arrived in Antigua, having not only won the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race 400 miles ahead of his nearest competitor, but also beating the British record by a staggering 16 days.

For Charlie this wasn’t enough. Before he suffered 10 days of bad weather he was racing at world record pace and a seed had been planted.

While pulling into harbour days ahead of any other contestant, Charlie had decided he would do it all over again and become the fastest solo rower ever to cross the Atlantic.

“This time, my preparation was more measured and scientific. I made sure everything was the ultimate. My boat, my equipment, me.”

world record attempt With the help of Professor Greg Whyte, who trained celebrities such as Davina McCall and David Walliams, Charlie completed an agonising training regime, which included the gym twice a day for nearly two years.

His determination and mind set demanded nothing but perfection and he was consumed by beating the 40-day world record. At 17.05 on 6 February 2013, he set off in his 6.5m long rowing boat attempting to make history. Given daily targets, he pushed himself to his limit burning 7,000 calories a day often-rowing 30 hours nonstop.

Other than brief encounters with passing birds or flying fish, he was alone with his goal. Fatigued and broken, 35 days and 33 minutes later he arrived into the ecstatic and grateful arms of his family, having taken an astounding five days off the previous record. He was a world record holder.

© Billy Griffiths

Charlie Pitcher is a father of four, a business owner and a world record holder. Angus Yeatts finds out about his world record breaking physical feats

I found inspiration seeing “people for who they truly were: no watches, no phones, just them and their limits

”

Since Charlie’s record-breaking heroics, he hasn’t stopped.

This year he attempted to be the first person to row around Britain, although he had to abandon the attempt due to it taking longer than anticipated.

Also he needed to spend some precious time with his family and help run his growing and successful adventure company, Rannoch Adventure, which he set up after his Atlantic experiences.

This one stop shop is now the go-to-company around the world for anyone attempting a waterborne expedition. With clients all over the globe and 32 boats sold in the last two years, his wife’s decision to buy him Cracknell and Fogle’s book has never looked better.

To many OFs, the thought of completing any ultra endurance challenge is a far-fetched, unrealistic and ultimately terrifying prospect.

For Charlie, however it offers challenge, competition and adventure. He is an inspirational and determined character, whose childhood roots in the great outdoors and professional sailing environment, have helped him succeed in the toughest of conditions.

Surrounded by a loving family and building a successful business, who knows what lies next.

Whatever it may be, we wish him the best of luck and have no doubt he will make all us OFs proud of his enormous physical achievements once again.

For more information visit charliepitcher.com

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[making a difference]

OF Sarah Brook sparkles as Felsted’s first Ambassador Sarah Brook’s role has allowed her to continue working with her charity Sparkle Malawi and also to inspire Felsted’s current pupils to follow their dreams. Joel Garner caught up with her in Malawi Tell us about your role as Felsted’s first Ambassador? What does it mean and what do you do to help pupils understand your work?

My role as Felsted Ambassador is to try and inspire as many pupils as possible to get involved in pursuing their dreams, whether it be charity, on the sporting field or in the classroom. I do this by sharing my own personal experience with pupils, staff and parents wherever possible. My work has been varied including a number of speaking opportunities at the school and being involved with the Felsted School Colour Run, which raised £7k for my charity Sparkle Malawi. I have also worked in classrooms with small groups of children looking at different issues facing third world countries and conducted video workshops so they have seen first-hand what life is like in Malawi. I have also represented the school at numerous events and spoken at a number of Round Square Conferences.

RIGHT Sarah taking part in the Colour Run, part of Felsted’s first Neon Festival.

a giving “backDeveloping culture will be something that makes a Felstedian stand out from other students

”

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What has the response been like? Have you enjoyed it?

The response has been great. I only managed to be at Felsted for a couple of weeks before I headed out to Malawi and within that time I received several emails from pupils asking how can they help. I had some meetings with different groups of Felsted parents who are now actively involved in the charity. I have been arranging trips for pupils to visit Sparkle Malawi in 2016/2017. Being an ambassador at Felsted is an amazing opportunity as it enables me to follow my passion and I am so grateful for the school’s support. I have already been asked to speak at Round Square Schools in Switzerland, Scotland and Germany in January 2016.

ABOVE RIGHT Sarah with Chris Townsend sampling the pupilinspired Sparkle Milkshake.

I interviewed Felsted’s new head Chris Townsend earlier this year and he is keen to encourage Felstedians to give something back from a position of privilege. Do you think it’s good to develop this culture in a school like Felsted?

We have no idea how lucky we are to attend a school such as Felsted and it is often only when people see poverty with their own eyes that they really appreciate it. Giving back is the best feeling in the world. There is often a misconception of people who go to boarding school as being spoilt rich kids. However, if you actually look at the research, private and public schools are the biggest givers to charities in the education sector. With many businesses focusing on corporate social responsibility, encouraging children at an early age to give back is key not only for personal growth but also long term professional development. Developing a giving back culture will be something that makes a Felstedian stand out from other students.

How did the role come about? How long does it last for? And have you enjoyed it?

The role came about after I was asked to join the Old Felstedian Society’s committee. During one of the meetings I spoke about my dream of running Sparkle Malawi full time but not having the funds to do it. After being invited to speak and share my story at Felsted a number of times, the impact on the children was clear. Fortunately, Chris was able to come up with a way that I could follow my dream and work at Felsted. The contract is only for a year but I am hoping it may be extended if it is a success. I have absolutely loved it. Felsted is like a second home to me. The contacts I have made have been amazing and I

FEATURE

hope more OFs will come forward and offer me their advice, experience and contacts so that together we can make even more of a difference.

You are currently in Malawi with your charity Sparkle Malawi. Tell us what you have been busy doing and how things are going with your projects on the outskirts of Zomba?

In the last two months I have drilled a bore hole so we now have an unlimited clean water supply for more than 5,000 people. We have fitted the first electric pump in the whole of Zomba City, which is a massive milestone for the charity, as we now have electricity which means we can buy an industrial fridge to store medication. We have bought a car, which will act as an ambulance to take children to and from hospital. We have also built showers, built a dining room, doubled the size of Sparkle Malawi land, secured a house for Felsted pupils to stay in when they volunteer, built a water storage tank, fed more than 3,000 children, helped 30 children get back into school and registered 100 more children. The list is endless. None of it would have been possible without Felsted’s help and donations.

How many kids /orphans are currently involved with Sparkle Malawi? Do you feel you are making a difference and helping children?

We currently have almost 250 vulnerable children in our care, 150 of these are from birth to six years old, the rest are from aged six to 18 years old. We also work with single mothers, HIV groups and the elderly. We serve 10 villages with an outreach of about 10,000 people. Our aim is to support as many people as possible, to put the villages we work with on the map and use them as a model to show other villages what can be

done through local volunteers and sustainable practices. I have seen the difference with my own eyes. On average a child a month is lost due to malaria or HIV, but in the last six months we have not lost any children. We have villagers queuing at the door in the morning because they want to work for free and be part of the Sparkle Malawi family. Children are smiling, tummies are no longer hungry and our business start-ups with single mothers are already seeing profit for families. The impact has been way bigger than I ever expected.

who were in desperate need of support and gave them my word that I would help them. I went to university and set-up Sparkle Malawi. I raised £30,000 running marathons and doing charity bike rides and asking for money for my birthday and in 2012, I built an orphanage there. I moved to Dubai in 2014 for a tax-free salary to pay the running costs. However, in April this year after visiting, I realised I couldn’t sit behind a computer screen any more when the children needed me. So I quit my job and decided to make a go of it full time.

Tell me why Malawi and what inspired you to start your charity work there?

How do you see your organisation growing in the future?

After leaving Felsted when I was 18 my grandfather died and left me some money. I decided to travel the world and I visited 29 countries in 11 months. First stop was Malawi with OF Olly Sills. Whilst there I became extremely sick from the local food and water and ended up with a twist in my bowel that resulted in a three week stay in private hospital in Blantyre. Olly told me that when I arrived unconscious at Zomba District Hospital there was only one doctor and 300 people waiting. Patients in the queue let me be seen first, even though some of them could have died while I was seen by the doctor for four hours. The doctor said they needed to operate immediately but there was a high chance I would catch HIV. Olly had to decide whether to risk getting me to Blantyre, which was 90 minutes’ travel away, or let them operate on me in the local hospital. Thank goodness he decided to get me to Blantyre, a decision that saved my life.

I want to make it a sustainable charity within the next two years and then use it as a prototype for other villages in Malawi and elsewhere in the world. The Sparkle Foundation is an umbrella organisation for Sparkle Malawi, so hopefully we can set up similar things in other areas of need.

There is no limit to what we can achieve, I know we will never change the world, but we can make a difference to the lives of some, and that’s what we intend to do.

I knew I owed Malawi my life and promised to do something to help. When I was 21 I travelled back with my mum and found a group of kids

The theme of this magazine is ‘Making a Difference’ and we want to celebrate those OFs, who are doing great things around the world.

Tell us why it’s important for people to want to make a difference in the world we live in?

We only have one shot at life and it is extremely important to do something rewarding and worthwhile. There are some terrible things going on in the world today and if you could make it a little bit better, then you are a little nearer to fulfilling your role as a human being.

For more information visit sparklemalawi.org

knew I owed Malawi “myI life and promised to do something to help” 17

PROFILE

Blythe’s screenplay debuts on the big screen in nationwide release A successful playwright, OF Alecky Blythe’s (n88-90) pioneering work in verbatim theatre has taken the genre from theatre to the big screen. She talks to Joel Garner about her latest success In 2006 a series of murders took place on a street in Ipswich that inspired OF playwright Alecky Blythe to make the critically acclaimed musical London Road.

London Road’s success on the stage led to Alecky’s first screenplay commission and then earlier this year, the work successfully transferred from theatre to the big screen when her first ever screenplay opened across UK cinemas in June.

It’s a story about the resilience of humanity and how residents in one Ipswich street bounce back from the turmoil their community is thrown into following the murders of five working girls who plied their trade along London Road.

The community is at the epicentre of the tragedy and the film tells the story of how the residents cast aside the adverse publicity and reclaim their street and at the same time their own sense of self-worth and pride.

Alecky’s screenplay was the result of several years of hard work. “It took four years to make the musical,” she says, which debuted in The Cottesloe Theatre at the National in 2011, directed by Rufus Norris. Its success saw it moved to the National’s biggest theatre The Olivier in 2012. Norris, who had just made Broken with BBC Films, was keen to make the musical

The big screen is “more active, it’s more visual and more of a spectacle, whereas theatre has more dialogue

”

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into a film and it was his passion for the project that resulted in the film being made, says Alecky.

The commission came and Alecky, who had already spent two and a half years collecting and collating information from the residents of London Road to make her verbatim style piece and a year-and-a-half collaborating with composer Adam Court to set the piece to music, had to revisit the story all over again and revise it for the big screen.

“I had another writer working alongside me to mentor me. It was a brilliant insight and the best way to learn,” she says. According to Alecky, there are two big differences between a play for the theatre and a screenplay for the big screen.

“The big screen is more active, it’s more visual and more of a spectacle, whereas theatre has more dialogue. The screenplay had to be far leaner, so we had to cut a lot of material and invent more action. It was further removed from the original, but we wanted to make sure it remained authentic, although a few things are totally different.”

Alecky explains that the gas towers at the end of the road in the film are a complete fabrication, as there aren’t any on London Road in Ipswich. It was a big change, she admits but artistically it worked better.

The residents were consulted throughout and were kept involved, even if the big screen version

did require Alecky to relinquish some control of the final production. However, she is justifiably proud of her achievement, not only writing a screenplay, but also one that actors of the calibre of Olivia Colman, Tom Hardy and Paul Thornley, were keen to star in.

Alecky’s latest success shows a career on an upward trajectory, but her accomplishments are a great example of knowing when to grab the unexpected opportunity, something she has done with both hands. Alecky remembers two things changing her fortunes. Moving from Clapham in south west London to the east end’s Hackney over 12 years ago, and then stumbling upon a verbatim theatre workshop at The Actors’ Centre, a place for out-of-work actors. Verbatim theatre is based on journalistic techniques of interviewing people and recording these conversations and then building a script from the transcripts.

out of work actor Alecky had been struggling for work as an actor and had started writing her own monologues and sending them into casting directors to find new roles. Then she learnt about verbatim theatre and thought this is great, I don’t even have to write anything, she adds.

PROFILE

She recalls her days as an unemployed actor in Clapham, which she says was much harder than anyone thinks. “You really do need to want it to cope with all the rejections, which are often based on physical appearance. So you have to be thick skinned, but as an actor you also have to be emotionally available too, and it is incredible hard to be both.”

She started writing in verbatim style leading to her first production called Come Out Eli, which was based on the longest siege in British history in Hackney around Christmas 2002. She had just moved to the borough and the recordings she got from local residents during the 15-day siege provided the material for her first play, which she wrote with “the sole intention to show off my skills as an actor”.

However, the success of Come Out Eli led to other writing projects, such as The Girlfriend Experience that played at The Royal Court in 2008, before transferring to The Young Vic in 2009.

first musical Her pioneering work with verbatim theatre was getting her noticed, but taking the genre into musicals was a step along an untrodden path.

Although the style may not on the face of it appear to suit a musical, Alecky believes it does.

“I wanted to see if I could do a musical that had a roughness and authenticity to it, which you don’t get in musicals given that people don’t generally burst into song.”

FAR LEFT AND ABOVE Alecky Blythe with cast members and crew, during filming of “London Road”

“I’ve always cringed a little at the lift-off point in musicals when people switch from speaking to singing. I thought that a musical using verbatim theatre maybe was a less cheesy way of getting into songs. At times you do not realise that you are actually singing.”

“I think the style of theatre works as a musical when a composer like Adam Court is prepared to stick so closely to the script and the original. The rhythm of the spoken word and all the pauses and stutters actually works well.”

Alecky’s portrait of a street in Ipswich that was coming to terms with the murders of five prostitutes over a six week period might not seem an obvious backdrop for a musical, but it provided Alecky with a real life drama of a street trying to move on from its devastating time in the national spotlight.

I wanted to see if I “could do a musical that Reviews and feedback for the innovative approach have been positive and the musical was nominated for an Olivier Award for best new musical in 2012 losing out to Matilda.

She is currently working on another film idea, which she isn’t able to discuss yet, and there’s another project in the pipeline with Norris. It’s a career that is going from strength-to-strength and the transition of London Road to the big screen is just another accomplishment. I am sure it will be the first of many for this talented and pioneering playwright.

had a roughness and authenticity to it, which you don’t get in musicals given that people don’t generally burst into song

”

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STAFF PROFILE

Beloved teacher Frances Marshall retires from forty years of job satisfaction Frances Marshall has spent over forty years at Felsted School with a variety of roles from bursar’s assistant to teacher and housemistress. Now she has retired from active service at Felsted we asked Rob Short to catch up with her Fun. This is the word that appears constantly during my morning spent with Frances Marshall.

Frances, who has spent over 40 years at Felsted, retired at the end of the previous academic year.

When I was asked to catch up with her and discuss her time at Felsted, I was delighted.

Frances was one of my teachers whose influence was such that I ended up reading her subject at university. Her lessons were always challenging, and I always knew I could not get away with poor preparation. By the same token, you always knew that you would come away from class having learned something – and probably having had a laugh too.

As we chatted about the past and present, it is clear that Frances has thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of Felstedian life. She spoke of the fun she had as a housemistress in Stocks’s, in the classroom, on school trips, and in her earlier roles working for the bursar. She has given a great amount to Felsted School, but she feels that it, in return, has given her so much more. “I feel very privileged to have worked at Felsted,” she adds.

There were other things that stood out when speaking to Frances, such as the freedom working at a school like Felsted affords teachers, the trust that a succession of headmasters have had in her, and her passion for, and belief in, young people.

I had experienced that same belief, and I know that many Felstedians over the years will have experienced it too. Frances was, and still very much is, a believer in youth. “We should be encouraging you to push boundaries. Why do we want to create a race of grey people? We don’t.

We want the innovators, we want the people who are prepared to accept a challenge and where better to do that than at school?”

the early years Frances was born in Singapore as her father was stationed in the army there. The family returned to England, and eventually settled in Braintree.

After attending Braintree County High, she decided to delay university, and went to work in the City for the Bank of England. She returned to the area in 1971, to take the first of her many roles at Felsted, as secretary to Douglas Millard,

20

You have to be able to “laugh, not just at funny comment made by pupils, but at yourself

”

the bursar. She stayed in this role for a number of years with a couple of breaks to have children, and worked for a succession of bursars. Millard, who taught her about staff management, Roger Cull, who taught the importance of “dotting the I and crossing the T”, and Ken Ranyard, whose lesson was simple. “He taught me the benefit of working extraordinarily long hours,” she says.

It was during her time under Ranyard that Frances decided to take an Open University course in International Relations. She followed this with a PGCE in history. At this time, she was also performing the role of domestic services manager, alongside marketing and lettings, as well as her job for the bursar. “It was tough,” she admits. And so she started looking for teaching jobs. Dr John Shaw, another name familiar to many Felstedians, suggested she do some work for the school, and thus she added part time history to her list of responsibilities. This eventually became a full time post. She is grateful to headmaster Stephen Roberts for

allowing her to make the move.

“He gave me all the opportunities, and for him to just allow me to skip over a wall from admin to teaching...what can I say?”

Talking to Frances about teaching, you can see that she still thoroughly enjoys it. This is obviously her real passion. Her teaching style was all about passion. Sitting in her lessons, you could tell that she was thoroughly engaged in the subject herself. The key, in her opinion, was to retain a sense of humour, a lesson learnt from her friend, Nick Osborne.

“You have to be able to laugh, not just at funny comments made by pupils, but at yourself. You have to be able, if you see someone grin, to understand it and grin back.” Osborne’s lessons did not stop there. “For people of our ample proportions (he taught me) to always rub the board up-and-down as opposed to side-to-side, to avoid the class seeing your bum wiggling.”

Again, that sense of fun.

STAFF PROFILE

ABOVE Frances Marshall with Ingram’s staff, 1986 BELOW LEFT Stocks’s House 2004-05

passion for history Her subject knowledge was always perfect, and she was therefore able to answer queries on all manner of tangents. Her successor as Head of History, Rakesh Pathak, is effusive in his praise.

“Her enthusiasm and passion for the subject set an excellent example to all her students. She was and is a ‘natural’ in the classroom, full of integrity and energy.” Pathak also added that it was not only history that benefitted from this dynamism; Frances championed the introduction of government and politics as an A-Level, and the prize for politics is fittingly named in her honour.

In her own opinion, working at a public school such as Felsted helped her in the classroom. She uses an analogy about watching a difficult pupil on the hockey pitch. When the pupil came into her class the next day, she was in a position to compliment them on their performance, something not possible in the state school system. As she comments: “You know the child in and out of the classroom.”

School trips also helped build these teacher/pupil relationships, and were, of course, fun. “Phillip [her husband] always used to say to me ‘You’re off on another jolly!’”, until he experienced a trip to Madrid, from which he returned “on his knees”. Taking part in these trips only enhanced Frances knowledge of her subject – she tells a lovely story about utilizing the knowledge garnered from a battlefields trip with Pathak on a holiday with her son-in-law for his 40th birthday – and this was to the benefit of her pupils.

“

The fun and frolics you can have. You laugh together, you cry together

”

One of the changes that took place during her years at Felsted was the full introduction of girls into the school. This, of course, would ultimately lead to the other major role she performed at Felsted as housemistress of Stocks’s.

housemistress of Stocks’s Frances became a housemistress in a refreshingly understated manner. “Stephen Roberts took me to one side at lunchtime and asked me if I would like to be a housemistress, which began my 11 years in Stocks’s.” This role brought a whole host of other influences, this time her fellow housemasters and mistresses. Frances found their support integral.

She notes how, if she had a particularly difficult emotional problem with one of her girls, she would turn to Gepp’s housemaster David Smith to “throw a Yorkshire bucket of cold water” over the issue, and break it down into manageable terms. She looked to someone like Iain Gwyther, long time housemaster of Elwyn’s, as an example of an housemaster with the courage to take a decision solely on what was best for their house.

Alisdair Thomson, of Windsor’s, taught her the importance of integrity and commitment. It struck me that Frances was so good at her myriad of roles because she was always open to learning herself. The phrase ‘influence on me’ cropped up over-and-over again during the interview.

Her sense of fun was, as ever, never far away. She recalls the enjoyment she used to get from the Gepps’s and Stocks’s show, and one particular instance where herself and David Smith filmed an opening clip for the evening. Frances played ‘M’, whilst Smith was Winston Churchill, and they had escaped from a mental asylum. “We were being chased by Gepps’s and Stocks’s pupils in white coats all around the school and I thought to myself where else can you do that?”

This fun translated into her relationship with her girls. In her opinion, being a housemistress was the ultimate job. When she speaks about her time in Stocks’s, her enthusiasm shines through.

“The fun and frolics you can have. You laugh together, you cry together. You get up for fire alarms at 5am in the morning, you see each other with bad hair and no make-up, so it’s a great bonding experience. There are always going to be those girls that you’re never going to reach, but for the ones you do, the rewards are huge. The fact that I am still in touch with a number of the girls is a bonus.”

She recalls one night before Speech Day when all the pupils in the school, organised by Stocks’s, broke out of the houses and caused havoc by running around the grounds for 20 minutes.

Frances, using her quiet voice (“they didn’t mind when I shouted, but when I went quiet...”), gave them a suitable punishment. They spent the next few hours cleaning the house from top to bottom, before meeting their housemistress for breakfast just a few hours later at 6.30 am.

Instead of holding the incident against them, Frances considered the matter closed. “In my heart, I knew that had I been their age I would have been the first one out of the door.”

In 2006/7 it was announced that the traditional house system was to be restructured. This resulted in all upper sixth boarders moving into either Windsor’s (boys) or Garnetts (girls).

Frances was originally distraught at the prospect.

However, she appreciates the bravery it took in making that decision, and sees it as a brilliant preparation period for university, despite the fact that it meant she didn’t see her girls’ through the entirety of their senior school careers. “It works, and change is never easy,” she adds.

She credits her husband Phillip as being her rock in the house, and a quiet, calming presence. She has now retired, but is happy to help out in the history department, mainly through loyalty to the people involved. She hopes to do a PhD in the future.

Her influence at Felsted cannot be overestimated.

As Rakesh Pathak states: “Frances has been, in my opinion, ‘the beating heart of the school’ for many years, whether as housemistress, head of department, teacher or in the endless and unstinting support she has given to so many students and colleagues down the years.”

And how does Frances herself feel about her career? “Life has been fun. Yes there’s been stress, yes there’s been strain, yes there’s been overwork, but all of those things contribute to giving you job satisfaction. And that’s what I’ve left Felsted with – 40 years of job satisfaction.”

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[making a difference]

Over 130 years of changing lives in the East End of London There is probably more than one OF who would ask the question ‘What exactly is The Felsted School Mission?’.

In this article OF Charles Roberts (b86-91) and the Reverend Dave Chesney explain the purpose of the Mission and give examples of the life-changing work the Mission does on a day-to-day basis What is the Felsted School Mission?

The Mission manages the donations of a small number of OFs, and those of the current Felsted community, to provide much needed financial support to the community in Custom House, London. The Mission sponsors a wide number of community projects run by the staff of the Ascension Church. The charity is actively managed by a board of Felsted Staff and OFs with a focus of supporting projects that can make positive and sustainable change to people’s lives.

Many of the current projects supported by the Mission wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the financial support that it is able to bring.

Where is the Mission based?

Its projects are based out of the Ascension Church in Custom House. The Ascension Church is very close to the ExCel centre where the train tracks of the Docklands Light Railway cruelly divide the “haves” and the “have nots”. In recent times, the staff have opened a community café in a local shopping parade to provide a place of welcome and safety for all.

How did Felsted School get involved?

The first links between the school and what has become the Mission were established in the early 1880s when a poor but developing area of the London Docks was brought to the attention of Felsted Headmaster, the Rev’d Ingram.

Ingram founded the Felsted School Mission association and proposed that every master, prefect and pupil pay a subscription to the Association. The proceeds funded the construction of a small brick and iron mission hall, completed in 1887 on the site of the current Ascension Church. Over the years the relationship has changed, significantly however the ‘Mission link’ between Felsted School and the Custom House community remains.

What are the challenges of living in the Custom House area?

The closure of the docks in the early 1980s decimated the local community and broke apart many families. Those who could moved away and those who were left witnessed a drastic change in their ‘poor’ yet ‘strong’ local community.

Increased levels of crime, mainly gang and drug related, meant for a time Custom House became a no-go area for many people, even the local

22

police. Today, the visual landscape has changed, with Canary Wharf dominating the skyline.

However, whilst the booming financial centre of London is nearby it serves as a painful and constant reminder of ‘how the other half live’ to many people in the area.

Sadly, gang and drug related activity is still prevalent, particularly among young people and there remains the reality of isolation, fear and low aspiration. The need for places and organisations which promote and foster social cohesion is necessary now more than ever, particularly during the drawn-out process of ‘regeneration’ which is impacting the local area.

What projects does the Mission currently support?

The Mission is currently supporting a diverse range of projects from a Saturday morning football academy for local youth to a weekly lunch club for isolated elders whose families and friends have moved away, leaving them with little social interaction.

Recently the introduction of a night shelter for local homeless people has had tremendous success in returning those who were living on the streets to permanent accommodation where they can rebuild their lives safely and securely.

The Mission’s longest running project is an after school youth club that offers a safe space for young people to come together and have fun free from the influences of the drug and gang related activity that saturates the area.

Within the last year, a toddler group has been established to assist mums, dads and carers to play together in a safe, warm and friendly environment. It is estimated that 486 people, young and old, have been helped by Missionrelated projects in the last 12 months.

What is the future for the Mission?

The need for the Mission’s support and work is ever present within the Custom House area. The financial impact of the recent cuts in the welfare state are biting hard and there’s pressure on the availability of both public funding and private funding. The Mission is able to play a key role in bridging these gaps and continue the positive change that the charity has been able to bring since 1880.

The Mission changes lives and here are three examples of people helped by its invaluable work:

Fred Fred is a 16 year-old who has been taking part in the Ascension Football Academy (AFA) for a number of years and has recently finished academic Year 11.

He has expressed an interest in continuing to attend AFA in a supporting role to the coaching team. He has an interest in going through the FA coach training process to get his Level 1 coaching certificate.

Fred is a regular attendee to the Saturday morning coaching sessions and soccer schools, despite not being the most talented of footballers. However, his passion for football has always been clear and it is great to see his interest in continuing to be a part of AFA and encouraging others in their enjoyment and participation of the game.

Fred says:

that the AFA has “hadTheonimpact me is that it has given me the confidence and courage to become a member of a team, who support children of all ages, abilities, race and backgrounds.

This has allowed me to make the transition from being an attendee every week to working alongside fellow coaches and trainers. This has helped me in furthering my own needs by joining my college sports leadership programme and reinforcing more of the skills needed to become an excellent, reliable and successful leader, with my peers and younger children

”

FEATURE

Billy

OBITUARIES We sadly report the following deaths notified to us since November 2014

Billy says:

When Billy first came to youth club he was the stand-out hyperactive kid. Actually, hyperactive would be an understatement. A less than perfect home life coupled with a form of ADHD meant that Billy would often be running around causing mayhem.

The developing structure within the youth club meant that time and space could be devoted to one-on-one work with Billy. This, coupled with regular focused activities, which kept him entertained, helped to develop his skills and enabled time for conversation and relationship building.

Because Billy was seen as ‘different’ and because he would ‘annoy’ other children he attracted a fair amount of bullying. Over the past few years, Billy has shown significant signs of improvement in his behaviour, even when he doesn’t have the distraction of any specific activity. He is able to keep focused during discussions and is helpful with things like clearing up at the end of club.

Youth club has “helped me to understand about respecting other people and other people’s property, at home and school too

”

Nat and Joanne Nat and Joanne were a young couple who had been homeless for over 12 months. Nat used to run a successful tattoo business, although both had a history of drug dependency.

They were successful in getting into the homeless project and we soon were delighted to discover that Jo was pregnant with their first child. Sadly, during her time with the project she lost the baby.

Nat said of the shelter: “It was good for our sanity, knowing we had a place to sleep and people to talk to… we were not stuck on our own.”

Nat and Jo were coming near to the end of their time within the shelter and unfortunately, after much effort by the project co-ordinator, Jonny Adams, and other project volunteers, it had not been possible to find them permanent accommodation.

Jonny and Rev’d Dave Chesney met on their final day. Dave had been given contact details of a local landlord with a property portfolio. Dave made a personal visit to the landlord, who reluctantly advised there was a flat that had just become vacant and he would confirm later in the day whether he was prepared to let Nat and Jo have it. Thankfully the ‘good news’ call came and Jonny went to pick up the keys later that day.

Dave visited the day after with a hamper full of essentials and a few treats. It was already feeling like home.

Nat says:

It was the last day and we “knew we were going to be back out [on the streets] …then I got the call from Jonny ‘I’m sitting in your flat’, he said. It was the best feeling ever.

”

Felsted School Mission has been changing lives in Custom House for over 130 years. Over the last 12 months, 486 different people have been helped by mission-related projects.

To support the Mission or to find out more please get in touch via email at reconnect@felstedschoolmission.org or visit ascensioncc.org.uk

ADEKUNLE, Victoria (Bisi) Olabisi (fb 97-04) ASHTON, William Wilson (d46-51) BOSWELL, Martin Paul (fg70-77) BOULTON, Michael Alan (g48-51) BROWN, Malcolm (c59-63) DIXON, Miles Hadrian (fg61-69) CARSTENSEN, Ulf Hjerl (g53-53) CAVALIER, David Anthony RD (d59-64) CHAPMAN, Dr Peter John (fd39-45) CHAPPELL, Peter Andrews (fe49-57) CLARKE, Patrick Reginald Rudland (c34-38) CLIVE, John (Rex) (g41-45) COTTIER, Dennis Frederic (c 36-42) CUMBERLEGE, Peter Faithfull (c34-39) DIXON, Miles Hadrian (fg61-69) DUNKERLEY, Harold Stott (a31-38) FAGGE, Alastair Hilton (e51-55) GADSBY, Shaun (h76-81) HEATON, Horace (Ted) Edmund (fe32-40) HENSON, Joseph Leslie MBE (g46-50) HOPKINS, John Victor Lindsay (c50-55) HUDSON, Richard Callander (fc44-50) JACKSON, Matthew Reuben (d76-82) JOHNSON, Richard Keith (g41-43) KEMP, Stanley Wilson (e70-44) LAMBERT, Michael John (a48-50) LESSEY, James Kennedy (e38-43) LIGHT, Peter Benjamin (b52-56) LOCKWOOD, Dr John Ralph (b42-46) MACMILLAN, Professor Robert Hugh (b34-39) MACKLIN, David Drury CBE (e42-47) MASON, Leonard (Tim) David Gray (e51-54) MASON, Michael John (e48-51) McLEAN, Keith (d45-50) MORGAN, Brian Purser (d42-47) MORGAN, Nicholas St Clair (a68-72) PAGE, Robin Archibald (fa42-49) PANCHAUD, Stephen John (d77-82) PENN, Christopher Robert Howard (g53-57) PORTWAY, Major Michael Cedric TD (fe39-43) RUSHTON, Julian Harvey Burton (g51-55) RUST, Major Bruce TD, OStJ (b34-37) RYMER-JONES, Lt Col John Allard (g46-50) SEWELL, William (Allan) Elliott (a40-44) SHAFRAN, Michael John (c52-56) SLADE, David Barry (d45-48) STANTON, Dr Timothy James (d39-42) STUCHBERY, The Ven Ian (e49-52) TOWNSHEND, Douglas Sydney (d42-45) VERNON, Matthew John Michael (d07-09) WALLACE, Rev’d Hugo (a43-49) WATSON, Ian Findlater Russell (c48-51) WEBSTER, Richard Andrew (h64-68) WEGERT, Max (a09-10)

Former common room OAKSHATT, John GRIERSON RICKFORD, Alastair

Governors TEMPLE, Christine Please visit felsted.org/obituaries for more information.

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OBITUARIES

Alastair Grierson Rickford 1947– 2015

by Nick Spring Alastair Grierson Rickford, who died on 19 November 2015 at the age of 68, served Felsted with great distinction from his appointment in 1980 to his official retirement in 2007 and then in the years beyond.

Known to all and sundry as GR, his appearance was that of a traditional schoolmaster – sports jacket in the classroom; barbour and tweed cap on the touchline; blazer and MCC tie outside the cricket pavilion – but behind the conservative exterior there lay a sensitive understanding of the vagaries of adolescent nature and, like the best of schoolmasters, he always wanted those in his charge to achieve all that they could. In the classroom he invariably chose the most challenging of literary texts for study and a whole lesson – or two or three – could be spent on the analysis of a single line such as “Exit pursued by a bear” in ‘The Winter’s Tale’. His commentary may have been expressed with not infrequent rhetorical flourishes but at the same time it was always insightful, paving the way for his pupils to enjoy success in their examinations. Lesser known, but equally noteworthy perhaps, was his scholarly knowledge of early twentieth century boarding school fiction on which he could opine at some length! On the pastoral front, he served as housemaster of first Garnetts and then Follyfield and his commitment to the welfare of those in his care is summed up by one OF who has written that he “looked after us well and always had our best interests at heart”. A fearsome fast bowler in his youth, he coached cricket at all levels and had an encyclopaedic recall of his teams’ memorable victories and questionable defeats. Fittingly therefore, in recent years he took on the mantle of school historian, with his new history of the school ‘Garde Ta Foy; the Riche Heritage of Felsted School 1564-2014’ triumphantly ushering in the school’s 450th Anniversary year, during which a leather-bound copy was presented to the Queen.

Alastair’s contribution to Felsted has been sustained and wide-ranging and he will be much missed. Our sympathies go to his wife Moira and his sons Nick and Tim. A Memorial Service took place on Saturday 19 December at Felsted to celebrate his life.

ABOVE LEFT Alastair Grierson Rickford ABOVE John Oakshatt LEFT John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins

He and his wife Ruth had a long and happy marriage with three wonderful children, Simon, Naomi and Jack. When I was asked to captain England Over 65’s in 2009, I agreed on condition I could persuade John to be my coach. He was worried he would be too “school masterly” but I told him we were just a bunch of big kids. We went on to win three World Championships and two European Championships. I am sure we will all remember John with great respect and fondness.

A special memorial hockey match for John is taking place at Felsted on Sunday 31 January. If you would like to play please email ofs@felsted.org

John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins 1937– 2015

by Selina Joslin

John Oakshatt 1947– 2015

by Mike Surridge (member of the England LX Intra Club) John was born 8 May 1947 and sadly died on 15 March 2015. John studied biology at Westfield College, London University, followed by a PGCE at Durham, and then taught at Hardey’s School Dorchester and Taunton School. At Taunton, he started his hockey coaching career and umpired club hockey on the west circuit.

I first met the enthusiastic John when I started teaching at Felsted in 1988. He swiftly enrolled me as his assistant for an Under 14 hockey tour of Guernsey. There I first discovered his love of bird watching as the school minibus full of boys chased after a rare bird down a narrow country lane! John had a lifelong love of bird watching, whether in his back garden or in exotic locations worldwide and was an experienced ringer who passed his expertise on to many youngsters. He coached rugby (Felsted 2nd XV), hockey Under 14 boys and girls, and House athletics. He organised a whole range of tours – South Africa (rugby), America/Canada (hockey) and Gibraltar (hockey).

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John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins (c50-55) was a scholar, band sergeant in the CCF and played 1st team hockey at Felsted.

He was one of the most charismatic and influential figures in the London counterculture he helped establish during the 1960s. Through his early association with Pink Floyd and his work as a photojournalist and political activist, he became known as the ‘King of the Underground’.

He graduated in Physics and Mathematics from Emmanuel College, Cambridge at 20 and became a nuclear physicist for the Atomic Energy Authority at Winfrith in Dorset.

He resigned and turned to photography, going to London in 1960 and capturing images of blues and jazz artists such as John Lee Hooker, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington, as well as cultural figures like Allen Ginsberg and Malcolm X. Moving into pop music, he attracted attention for his stylised images of the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Marianne Faithful, his work appearing in Melody Maker, The Sunday Times, The Observer and Jazz Journal.

He later worked with the Arts Council and the Home Office and became involved in video production and set up the Fantasy Factory editing suite.

FEATURE

Two fine Essex players are at the heart of the special relationship that exists between Felsted School and Essex County Cricket Club Essex County Cricket Club and Felsted School have a strong two way relationship – a special bond between public school and first-class county. OF Rob Short discovers how this has developed over the years Douglas continued to compete for his beloved Essex until the age of 46 when, in 1928, he was asked to resign as captain by the Club’s committee. He would never play for Essex again, and this pained him greatly.

Felsted has a grand tradition of providing Essex County Cricket Club with young players. Derek Pringle, Nick Knight, John Stephenson and Tim Phillips are just some of the cricketers to have graced both The Front at Felsted and the Essex County Ground over the years. Today, Felsted are one of the main sponsors of Essex and Felsted’s Director of Cricket, Jason Gallian, is a former Essex batsman.

Gallian is clear how important the link between Felsted and Essex CCC is. “Looking at where the game is going, after the first-class game and the Second XI/Academy level, the next step down are players from independent schools. The link between us and Essex is key.”

What is the history of the partnership? Two Essex players, in particular, have played defining parts in the entwining of the County and Felsted School. The first was arguably Felsted’s finest sportsman, Johnny Douglas.

J.W.H.T. DOUGLAS The list of schools who have produced Asheswinning England captains is not long – England have won just 32 series outright against Australia over 138 years. Alongside Bedford, Alastair Cook’s alma mater, or Radley, where Andrew Strauss learnt his trade, you will find Felsted sitting proudly on the list, thanks to Johnny Douglas.

Douglas, a talented all-rounder, arrived at Felsted in 1897 and attended the school until 1901. He went by the nickname of ‘Pro’ – a reference, in part, to his command and ability in all sports, but mainly due to his excellent work rate and dedication. He would win boxing Gold at the 1908 London Olympics and make two amateur football appearances for England.

Upon leaving Felsted, Douglas immediately made his first-class debut for Essex, having already been a fixture in the Second XI. So began a long association between Essex and Felsted. ‘Pro’ became a prolific bowler. In 1905, he took Essex’s first hat-trick, taking five wickets in eight balls against Yorkshire. Appointed captain in 1910, Douglas led the side for 18 years, with only Lord

ABOVE Jason Gallian RIGHT J.W.H.T. Douglas ABOVE RIGHT Gordon Barker with Nick Knight, Derek Pringle and John Stephenson

Hawke (Yorkshire) and WG Grace (Gloucestershire) captaining a county side for longer. He was a great leader of men – loyal towards his players, but never expected standards to slip.

Although mainly a bowler, his determination saw him develop into a gritty, obdurate batsman earning the nickname ‘Johnny Won’t Hit Today’ from the witty Australian fans. His career as England captain contained stunning highs and some dramatic lows. In 1911, he led England to a 4-1 win in Australia, which still stands as the joint largest winning margin by England in Ashes history.

Conversely, upon returning Down Under in 1921, his First World War depleted side suffered a 5-0 whitewash. He played 23 Test matches for England, ending with a respectable average of just under 30 with the bat and 33 with the ball.

He, along with his father, had virtually saved the Club from extinction in 1907, paying off one of the mortgages on their old ground in Leyton. In many ways, Essex County Cricket Club owes its existence to Douglas.

He died just two years after his retirement, in tragic circumstances, when a ship he was travelling in sunk off the coast of Denmark and he drowned. It was believed he was trying to save his father at the time.

GORDON BARKER Whereas Douglas was a Felsted pupil who had a big impact on Essex County Cricket Club, Gordon Barker was an Essex player who has an incredible influence on cricket at Felsted. The former Essex batsman joined Felsted as cricket coach after he retired from the first-class game at the end of the 1971 season.

It is difficult to sum up Barker’s impact on his fellow players and staff, the Felsted School community and, indeed, the game of cricket in Essex. Barker was to play a huge role in the lives of many pupils at Felsted. “Gordon was a genius” is how one of those pupils, Derek Pringle, described his mentor.

Barker was a Yorkshireman who got his break when spotted by Essex legend Doug Insole. He was an extremely accomplished batsman. A glance at the Essex CCC Yearbook tells the story of a great accumulator of runs, a model of consistency. He reached 1,000 runs in a season 15 times. He is the sixth highest runs scorer in the County’s history with 21,895. He compiled 30 centuries in his first-class career, just one fewer than former England captain Nasser Hussain managed for Essex.

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FEATURE …continued It was in his post Essex career, however, that Barker really excelled. As Pringle writes in the Wisden Cricketer: “During his long career with Essex, Gordon Barker was said to be one of the finest county batsmen never to play for England.

As a coach, his vocation after retirement, there was no such ambiguity. He was simply without peer.”

RIGHT Ben Waring BELOW John Cockett and Gordon Barker with Felsted’s First XI cricket team in 1977

He believes having a former player as director of cricket is crucial. “The coaching and knowledge that school players gain from ex-international players really helps them develop through school.”

It was with the arrival of Barker that it truly went from strength to strength. When Felsted began to produce players of the quality of Pringle, Knight and Stephenson, Essex started to appreciate just how good a coach he was, says Cockett.

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The current Felsted director of cricket, Jason Gallian is a former Essex man, part of the last side to win a trophy, the Friends Provident competition in 2008. He was appointed in 2009 following his retirement, as part of an effort to improve ties between the two.

Pringle recalls playing several friendlies on The Front against the Essex First XI. “I made a few runs against them and took a few wickets and that is how they first noticed me,” he modestly recalls. Cockett has a slightly different version of events. “I can remember in Pringle’s last year that it was quite a tussle with some of these county chaps struggling to face him.”

role in a sustained period of success, with all of the County’s six Championship titles secured in this time.

Pringle credits this, alongside Barker “boring Keith Fletcher and his old muckers” about his ability, as the reason he got a chance in Essex’s Second XI. Barker, then, almost singlehandedly created a pathway between one of the oldest independent schools in the region and Essex CCC. It was not solely through his cricketing past that people responded to him, however. “He was really quite a hoot,” Cockett recalls. Pringle remembers Barker and Cockett as a great team.

“John was the moderator to Gordon’s provocateur. They were the perfect double act, neither of them immune to the other’s mickeytaking.”

All three achieved Test caps. Stephenson just the once, somewhat unfairly, at a time when England’s selection policy was a scattergun approach. Knight made his name in One Day International cricket, making 100 appearances for his country. Pringle played 30 Test matches, and was an integral member of the 1992 World Cup squad who lost the final to Pakistan. He would have featured more for England, but often found his way blocked by Ian Botham.

Two years after leaving Felsted, Pringle was part of the side that won the County Championship with Essex for the first time. He would play a key

There is now a formal arrangement in place.

Felsted is a sponsor of Essex, with the Felsted brand adorning a stand at The Essex County Ground in Chelmsford, and family tickets for weekend cricket are titled ‘Felsted Family Sundays.’

This provides Felstedians access to county players, such as Jaik Mickleburgh, who has spent time coaching at the school. OF Tim Phillips played almost 250 matches for Essex. He benefitted not only from the wisdom of Barker (by his time head groundsman at Felsted) but also then Felsted coach, Lancastrian Frank Hayes, who scored a 100 on Test debut for England against the West Indies.

John Cockett, master in charge of Felsted cricket from 1951 until 1981, is in no doubt that Essex and Felsted owe Barker a great deal for the development of relations. “Quite frankly, I didn’t find them particularly friendly or helpful,” says Cockett of the early exchanges. “My relationship with Essex was fine when Tom Pearce was president but things had changed.”

His popularity among his former team mates at Essex was another reason this partnership grew in strength. There were no formal arrangements, but Barker’s contacts at Essex and his ability as a coach added an extra incentive for talented youngsters like Pringle, Knight and Stephenson to succeed.

THE FUTURE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

Stephenson would join this triumphant side in the mid to late 1980s. Knight came through in the early 1990s, and eventually made a move to Warwickshire, but only after helping Essex to the County Championship in 1992, the last it won.

No matter, Barker’s ‘crackerjacks’ had done their coach proud. It was a relationship that was not merely coach and player. It was more player and mentor.

Pringle recalls phoning Knight one evening in 2006, as their mentor lay ill in hospital, to tell him Barker did not have long left. Knight, on his way to Wales for an evening meal, turned round and drove 150 miles back to Essex, and arrived just in time to say goodbye. That alone tells you all you need to know about the influence of Gordon Barker.

“The link with Essex is enormous,” says Gallian.

“Obviously, coverage at The Essex County Ground is invaluable. The ability to say to our cricketers that there is a pathway in place for them to aim to play for Essex County Cricket Club is a brilliant position to be in.”

The increase in popularity of girls’ cricket is playing its part too. Essex recognise Felsted as an inspirational school for girls’ cricket. The school hosts training sessions for age group teams, as well as two First XI matches a year. “We have players from all the age groups at the Club, both boys and girls, and this again helps consolidate the link,” adds Gallian.

He is clear that his main job is to encourage participation in the sport. With regard to the elite players, he is under no illusions about where the partnership should go. “We want to start to develop players to represent Essex, both boys and girls. We are looking to find the next Nick Knight, but with county squads getting smaller and the quality improving, players need to be motivated and exceptional.”

Could Gallian’s target be within reach? Ben Waring, who last season broke Derek Pringle’s long standing record with 68 wickets for the Felsted First XI at an unbelievable average of 7.78, has joined the Essex Cricket Academy. He also featured towards the end of the season for the Essex Second XI. If he can continue to emulate Pringle’s achievements, Essex might just have another brilliant Felstedian on their hands.

OF SPORT

GOLF SOCIETY HAS ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR WINNING THE MELLIN PLATE by OFGS Secretary, Stuart Mott I am happy to report that the society has had another enjoyable year. As ever we are grateful to those who take the trouble to organise our events and our existence is heavily dependent on their efforts.

The major team event in our calendar is the Halford Hewitt. With our record of drawing stellar opposition in the opening round it came as little surprise when Will Doe’s side was pitted against Charterhouse. We ended up losing 4-1 in a contest that was closer than the result might suggest. James Stammers and Dave Robson played superbly and won their match whilst three of the others were pretty close. A slightly friendlier draw is long overdue!

On the subject of the Halford Hewitt sadly, during 2015, we said goodbye to two great stalwarts of our society who both played in the event on numerous occasions.

In February Tim Mason passed away, a great character and Norfolk resident, his hospitality at the Grafton Morrish was the stuff of legends. During the summer Dennis Cottier also passed away. Dennis was a very good golfer who played for Essex. He is fondly remembered by many OF golfers.

is a six man event and we won the semi final and final with only four players.

In May, for the second consecutive year, Phil Graham’s side qualified for the Grafton Morrish finals. So in late September, we headed up to Hunstanton for a match against George Heriot’s, a strong Scottish side. This was a close contest that narrowly went against us. I would like to think we can now look forward to being regular attendees at the final stages of this great tournament.

In September Phil Graham led an eight man side in the Essex Public Schools foursomes at Thorndon Park. All of our four pairs scored respectably and we wound up in a mid table position.

It was good to see Charlie Duke, who left Felsted in the summer, playing for us in the Thorndon foursomes and the Grafton finals. We are always delighted to bring new blood into our group and we have a lot to offer.

Our fixture list contains a nice blend of events and we have access to the best courses in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent and Sussex.

by Robins Secretary, Ed Hutley A first round visit to St Edwards, Oxford in June for the Felsted Robins Cricketer Cup team was sadly met with defeat.

A positive start from Chris Huntingdon, Josh Wells and Lloyd Paternott helped to build a solid platform but sadly none of them were able to convert their start into a big score and Felsted ended up with 214 for 8. It has been over five years since a Robin has scored a hundred in the competition, something that needs to change if the team is to post some big scores.

A solid performance by the Robins’ bowlers resulted in a tight finish but St Edwards just managed to scrape a victory in the last over. Next year the Robins host Shrewsbury Saracens at Felsted on 12 June.

In other cricket, the Robins enjoyed victories against Old Ampleforthians and Lloyds of London. The latter being a comprehensive performance with Jack Hebron and Ollie Grayson both just falling short of centuries.

This was followed by two tight matches, in which the Robins just lost out to Bishop’s Stortford and Gents of Essex. A respectable draw against the MCC made up of the rest of the fixtures during Robins cricket week.

In July at West Hill we lifted some silverware when Tim Chetwood’s Mellin side won the Plate for the second time in five years. In so doing we defeated Bedford, Lancing and Cheltenham. It is worth recording that this

ABOVE: Mellin Plate winners Justyn Bailey, Tim Chetwood, Paul Markey and Stuart Mott.

ROBINS LOSE OUT IN EXCITING CRICKETER CUP MATCH

ABOVE: Twenty-five years on and the Felsted team that won the 1990 National Hockey Finals still has it.

They took on the Headmaster’s XI in a special 25th anniversary match and won 2-1. The match, which took place at Felsted on 19 September, was a competitive game against a headmaster’s team comprising OFs, Common Room, Felstedians and indeed the headmaster himself. The champion team won the last anniversary match celebrating 20 years with a comfortable 8-4 victory. Five years later and the team played a brilliant game, coached by Mark Surridge. Goalkeeper Mark Young said: “It was a great match and glorious win. I had a wander around and so many memories came flooding back.

It seemed like yesterday we were there”.

The club’s annual fixture at Maldon in memory of a former pupil David Randall was again a huge success.

The Robins also played a number of Sunday 40 over games and would like to encourage more players to represent the club as it looks to grow its fixture list.

If you’d like to find out more please contact ofs@felsted.org to register your interest.

Played: 10 Won: 4 Draw: 1 Lost: 3 Abandoned: 2

ABOVE: Robins v Gents of Essex

ABOVE: Guy Sellers, James Percival, Graham Appleyard, Simon Bastin, Hugo Sellers and Marcus Hoare returned to Felsted on 27 June to enjoy a day of tennis. Marcus said: “It is always a pleasure to play on the Chapel courts but too many of us use these matches as our only practice ahead of the following year’s get together”.

LEFT: Old Felstedians were runners-up in a special Felsted netball tournament following an extremely close final against the current students on 28 June.

Holly Buttleman commented: “It was great to play netball again with many of our school team and catch up with friends we haven’t seen for a while. The students definitely took advantage of our fitness (or lack of) and played some excellent netball. It was a super event that we hope to continue each year”.

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OF SPORT PROFILE

Hutchinson makes the junior grades as he looks to make his premiership rugby debut Rory Hutchinson (fh 07-12) is an extremely promising young rugby player, who is currently plying his trade at Northampton Saints. The 19-year-old back is a regular fixture in Scotland’s under-20s and has played in two Under-20 World Rugby Championships, the first in New Zealand in 2014 and this year in Italy. He talks to the OF magazine about his life as a professional rugby player

Jonathan Davies or Johnny Wilkinson who is the best fly half? Discuss. (Sorry couldn’t find a Scottish one? Apologies to Jon Rutherford.)

Finn Russell looks promising. Jonathan Davies was a bit before my time so it has to be Johnny Wilkinson. He took goal kicking to a new level of accuracy and his defence was awesome.

This Old Felstedian celebrates those OFs who are making a difference in life. Tell us one thing that you would like to do that would make a difference to the world?

Apart from helping Scotland win the Rugby World Cup!?

How come you get to play for Scotland? You’re not Scottish are you? Weren’t you brought up in Cambridgeshire?

I would love to be able to encourage under privileged youngsters, to improve their selfesteem and confidence through sport. I am a qualified sailing instructor and I will always remember the excitement shown by a group of disabled children from London being taught to sail on the Solent.

Although I have lived most of my life near Cambridge my mother’s parents are both Scottish. My coach and mentor at Shelford Rugby Club, Rory Finlayson (you can guess his nationality by his name), put me in touch with Scotland Exiles so that’s how I followed the Scottish path.

Who was your rugby coach at Felsted and how important has their influence been in you getting to where you are now?

I went to Felsted Prep in 2007 when I was 11 and worked my way through the year groups so I had a few coaches over the years. Andrew Le Chevalier saw my potential when he elevated me to the 1st XV when I was U16. It was then that I realised I had potential to do well at rugby.

When did you first think that you’d like to play rugby professionally and when did you realise you were potentially that good? What’s your ambition in the game?

As well as playing for Felsted I used to play for Shelford Rugby Club on Sundays. They were in National League 2 South. I was pretty apprehensive when the coach, Dick Matthews, selected me for the senior team a few days after my seventeenth birthday but I adapted quite quickly. Soon afterwards Northampton Saints were showing interest, so I thought I was doing something right.

I see you were in the Saints squad for their opening friendly against Saracens. How did it go?

I came on for the last 10 minutes and played opposite England winger Chris Ashton. He didn’t get the better of me and I played pretty well.

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n Feb 2013 – National League 2 South

What are your personal goals this season? More first team rugby?

n Oct 2013 – Northampton Saints U19

This season’s ambitions are to play in my first premiership game and to play in my third Junior World Cup.

n Feb 2014 – Scotland U18 debut v

What’s your typical training regime a week? Are you having to pump a lot of weights in the gym?

Last season stretched from 1 July, when preseason began, to 20 June when I returned from the U20 Junior World Cup in Italy. We generally work five days a week with two days off depending on when matches are scheduled.

During the week we work from 0800-1400 and our daily schedule will involve strength and conditioning sessions, various skills training sessions and meetings. I have to eat around 4,000 calories a day.

Wow, 4,000 calories a day. What’s your favourite food to dine out on to hit that figure?

Full English, pasta, chicken, steak, protein shakes etc.

What’s the biggest difference you have noticed in the transition from schools to professional club rugby?

Fitness and skills. Pre-seasons at Northampton Saints have been very tough. The higher the level you play the smaller the gaps, the bigger and faster the players and the harder the tackles.

debut for Shelford v Bournemouth

debut v Leicester England

n Mar 2014 – Northampton Saints U18 Premiership Champions

n Apr 2014 – Northampton Saints Wanderers debut v Army

n Jun 2014 – Scotland U20 debut v South Africa in New Zealand at U20 Junior World Cup Championships

n Jul 2014 – Joined Northampton Saints Academy

n Jan 2015 – Northampton Saints debut v Leicester in LV Cup

n Feb/Mar 2015 – Scotland U20 6 Nations campaign

n Jun 2015 – Scotland U20 Junior World Cup Championships

International Caps Opposition Scotland U18

4

Scotland U20

14

(England, Wales, Portugal, Italy) (South Africa, Samoa, Italy (2), Argentina(2), New Zealand, Australia, Ireland(3), England, Wales, France)

Thank you to all those who have contributed pictures to this edition of The Old Felstedian, in particular to Dr Charles Lee.