Gigg:News May 2011

Gigg : news

staying in touch with Old Giggleswickians

Visitors are most welcome. Please contact the school for further details on 01729 893000. www.giggleswick.org.uk and www.giggonline.com

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OG Dinner to mark CCF Centenary

The Old Giggleswickian Club Founded 1897 COMMITTEE MEMBERS

President Simon C R Wilkinson President Elect David A Stockdale Treasurer Edward H M Sissling Secretary J Anthony L Briggs Committee Andrew Fraser (Chairman) Robert A Barker Michael J W Barr Andrew C Beales (Foundation Director) Geoffrey P Boult (Headmaster) Robert G Drake David P Fox (OG Liaison Officer) Chris W Harwood Nick W Jefferies Angela M Mills Dina Pejcinovic Alastair W R Sames

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Gigg : news 9 September 2011

Fifteen OGs, ranging in age from 20 to 85, attended a dinner in the Hobson Room on 25 March, to celebrate the centenary year of the cadet force at Giggleswick.

Together with their guests, the present Senior Cadet, one of the Heads of School and current CCF Officers, there were 36 in total, which included the complete sequence of Commanding Officers since 1967.

Following a delicious meal, there were just two speeches. Ms Sarah Williamson, Deputy Head, standing in for Geoffrey Boult, who was in New Zealand, was ‘…delighted, on behalf of the school, to welcome back a ‘band of brothers’ - the ‘happy few’ who have made an especial effort to be here this evening to celebrate the Centenary of the CCF. It is, however, with much sadness that I must mention the sudden death of Brigadier Richard Weston (OG) only last weekend. Always a strong supporter of the school, it was his intention to be here this evening, with his wife. Clearly his time spent in the CCF had a significant impact on his life. He enjoyed a distinguished career in the REME, promoted Brigadier in 1985 and appointed Aide de Camp to Her Majesty the Queen in 1987. A late cancellation is also Lt Patrick Crossland, who has received his papers for an earlier than anticipated departure for Africa. So, please may we at this point, raise our glasses and toast all of our ‘Absent Friends’.

After mentioning her own experiences as a member of a now-defunct wing of the Guiding Association known as the ‘Air

Rangers’: ‘I too learnt the rudiments of navigation; flew in gliders; waddled out to a Chipmonk or a Bulldog with a parachute awkwardly strapped to me - I even broke my ankle scaling the wall of an assault course at RAF Leconfield!’, Sarah then traced the long history of cadets at Giggleswick, from 1859 when local volunteer rifle battalions were formed to combat the threat of French invasion; through 1910 when the Rev. Pierce, School Chaplain, took command of the newly formed Officer Training Corps, despite his complete lack of previous military experience - a total of 49 boys were organised into 4 sections with heads of houses as section commanders; then on to the First World War, when numbers grew. On training days cadets could be seen cycling

DATES for YOUR DIARY 28 May

Speech Day 09.45 – Commemoration Service in Chapel Preacher: Mr Adrian Plass, Scargill House 11.30 – Speeches and Prize Giving Guest of Honour: Carol Vorderman 14.00 – Sports Day 6 June onwards RWT Summer Words Literary Month [see details on this page] 11 June Senior and Junior Schools Open Morning Lunch for 1512 Society 24 June 13.00 – Giggleswick Golf Day – 4-ball shotgun start Contact Wendy Lawson: wllawson@giggleswick.org.uk 01729 893004 2 July OG Day & Special Reunion for all former pupils of Morrison House 19.30 – Laurie Ashworth in Concert - Chapel 3 July 19.30 – Durban Girls’ College Choir in Concert – Chapel 4 July New U6 Higher Education and Careers Week begins 8 July Summer Term ends 12 – 14 July Giggleswick at the Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate Contact Wendy Lawson (01729 893004) or wllawson@giggleswick.org.uk 12/13 July National Student Drama Festival in RWT 4 September Michaelmas Term begins 19 September 19.00 – OG Committee Meeting in Hobson Room 30 September OG Yorkshire Dinner at Oakdale Golf Club, Harrogate Contact Chris Harwood on 01132 457027or at chris.harwood@cwharwood.co.uk 10 November OG Lancashire Dinner at Pleasington Golf Club, Blackburn Contact Anthony Duckworth on 01254 202088 or at tony.duckworth@ntlworld.com Lamberts Print & Design, 2 Station Road, Settle, North Yorkshire BD24 9AA • 01729 822177

Richard Whiteley Theatre Summer Season June Summer Words Literary Month Friday 10

An Evening with Chris Thorpe (7:30 pm)

Thursday 16

An Evening with Joanne Harris (7:00 pm)

Thursday 16

Up Close & Personal with Joanne Harris (5:00 pm)

Wednesday 22 & Laura Mugridge presents Running on Air Thursday 23 (3.45 pm, 5.30 pm, 7.15 pm & 9.00 pm) Thursday 30

An Evening with Simon Armitage (7:30 pm)

Sunday 12

Community Cinemas Rio (3.30 pm) (Doors Open 3.00 pm)

July Tuesday 12 Wednesday 13 August Monday 1 to Friday 5

National Student Drama Festival (NSDF): Robin Hood NSDF: Robin Hood Giggleswick School Promising Performers Summer School

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to the range in their khaki breeches and immeasurably from managed exposure to from everything the CCF can offer.’ tunic, peaked cap, knee length puttees, risk. I am not suggesting a return to OGs present were: TAF Barnes OBE (N brown leather boots, belts with ammunicycling to the range with rounds in their 38-42), Dr BS Brewster (N 42-48), JM tion pouches stuffed with a few rounds pockets and a rifle on their back, but so Caton (T/S 43-50), TR Coxon (P 04-09), and a long Lee Enfield slung over their much of what the CCF offers is preparaRG Drake (CH/P 54-64), MT Georgebacks. From its earliest days the Band and tion for the battlefield of adulthood.

Powell (C 55-59), RA Hargreaves (S 55music played a very important role in the In a modern world where the expecta60), RJ Hargreaves (CH/P 54-64), R King corps. tions of instant information and constant (P 76-81), EM Maley (P 60-64), MH After WWI, the school was presented communication are reliant on fallible techParkinson OBE (CH/P 44-51), EHM with a captured Howitzer, kept on the Flat nology, I have no doubt that the CCF Sissling (CH/P 74-83), HC Sissling (P 52during the 1920s. ‘Curious about its retains a very valuable national role.

56), DA Stockdale QC (CH/S/M 60-69), whereabouts, I consulted Barbara Gent, Independence, integrity, teamwork, leadAM Wade (60-64). creator of the wonderful displays of CCF ership and responsibility cannot be Hon OGs: PCR Andrew, DP Fox, Mrs M and OG memorabilia that are in the achieved by any virtual realities and I look Fox, NJ Mussett MBE, I Shevill, Ms SL Memorial Library at present. She replied, forward to many more cadets benefiting Williamson.

“Well, my dear, I have looked in the archives and I can assure you that it is not there!”’

Sarah mentioned the presence 25th July -5th August 2011 of the last five Contingent Commanders, who between them have led the contingent for the last 43 years and she also paid tribute Week One (25-29 July) to their wives for allowing them to choose two options, devote so much time to the CCF. one for the morning and ‘Please may we raise our glasses another for the afternoon. to them all, in recognition and thanks for the service they have Creative Artists - Age 7 - 15 shown not only to the contingent Outdoor Adventurers - Age 11 - 15 but to the school; I give you the Young Commandos - Age 7 - 10 Officers and Instructors.

The present OC, Major Darren Bullseye! - Age 11 - 15 Richmond, replying, spoke of his pride in leading a CCF Contingent in its 100th year and said he was ‘…often asked to defend the fact Week Two (1-5 August) that we have a CCF at courses are all-day activities Giggleswick.’ Pointing out that the Corps ‘has played an important Hockey Masterclass - Age 9 - 15 role in the development of over 4,000 cadets and 50 adults in its Freddie Flintoff Cricket Academy 100 years of service, he went on - Age 7 - 15 to outline the benefits to the Sporting All-Rounders - Age 7 - 15 personal development of cadets and the impressive range of activPromising Performers - Age 9 - 15 ities and qualifications open to them. His own enthusiasm for the CCF as an important cog in the education of young people was Weeks One and Two SUMMER FUN clearly set out and perhaps can best be expressed in his own English Masterclass - Age 7 - 15 AND ADVENTURE words, printed the CCFA Annual Mini Explorers - Age 3 - 6 Review 2010: ‘Cadets now, with ever increasing litigation driven by the summerfun@giggleswick.org.uk 01729 893000 Health & Safety Executive, gain Registered Charity No. 1109826

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he restored colour to its rightful place in English art. In one of his rare public discussions of art he once said that he was ‘…attempting, only attempting, to insist that ugliness may exist, We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us as cruelty exists, but that an artist can make all things beautiful by Footprints in the sands of time. his vision.’

HW Longfellow Smith’s development was not easy. At the outbreak of the Great War he and Gwen moved back to London. Having exhibited initially at the Salon des Indépendents in Paris in 1911, he subsequently showed more regularly at the (1879 – 1959) London Group from 1916 (becoming a member in 1920). His poor eyesight meant Matthew Arnold Bracy Smith was born in that initially he was excluded from the Halifax, one of three sons of a wealthy Artists’ Rifles, but so many had been killed Yorkshire industrialist, Frederic, who was by 1916 that he found himself at the front also a keen amateur violinist, composed a in command of a 100-strong labour little and collected musical instruments. It company, salvaging ammunition and was said (Penguin Modern Painters [1944] burying the dead. Badly wounded in 1917, – Hendy) that all musicians who came to he spent most of 1918 shell-shocked, not Halifax passed through ‘the hospitable surprising for one of his temperament. house’. At his death, Frederic left behind a In 1920/21 he lived and painted in library of 5,000 books and his son Matthew Cornwall a number of famous landscapes.

Arnold was named after the renowned By 1922 he and Gwen had separated and Victorian poet; he also collected works of a year later he met Vera Cunningham, art, although Matthew wrote in later life, ‘I herself a painter, who became the first of a was 21 before I saw a good picture.’ series of models who inspired what After a period at Halifax GS, Matthew became known as the Fitzroy Street nudes came to Giggleswick as a boarder in – he had taken a studio there and the September 1895. The Headmaster during painter Walter Sickert was one of his neighhis time was the Revd George Style. Smith bours. These paintings formed the basis of was a delicate boy and so short-sighted © National Portrait Gallery, London his first one-man show in 1926 in the that he couldn’t read what was on the Mayor Gallery, London. By 1929 he had again settled in Paris and blackboard until he was provided with spectacles – his poor continued to explore more of France, taking a studio in Aix-eneyesight was to haunt him and at times depress him throughout Provence in 1937. The outbreak of World War 2 forced him back his life. He was not a happy pupil at Giggleswick, not good at to London, having to abandon a substantial amount of work in Aix. games, somewhat diffident. He left in December 1897, aged 17, to Then, in 1941, both his sons were killed while serving in the RAF. work in a woollen mill in Bradford, before entering the family wireThis, together with separation from his wife, meant that he led an making business in Halifax a year later, as his father had planned. increasingly solitary life. The author, Roald Dahl, on sick leave from Two years later, escaping from the family firm (which he wanted the RAF in 1941 and visiting London art galleries, was so much nothing to do with) by means of his ‘persevering inefficiency’, he taken with Smith’s work, that he set out to track him down and did attended the Art Department of the Manchester School of so with not a little difficulty. The ageing artist and the young author Technology (1900 – 04) followed by the Slade, in London (05 – 07). became good friends and Smith painted Dahl’s portrait.

Neither provided him with particularly fulfilling experiences and he In 1949 Smith was awarded the CBE and a decade of recogniremembered later, ‘I was trying to learn what they were trying to tion of his work followed, together with a knighthood in 1954. A teach me, but it wasn’t what I really wanted.’ Perhaps, therefore, large number of his works were shown at the 1950 Venice this suggests that Matthew Yorke was right when he later Biennale (which he visited himself for the first time in 1958); and a described Smith as ‘…an instinctive artist, with nothing to pass on major retrospective of his work was held at the Tate in 1953. He in terms of theory and method.’ However, one happy outcome of died in 1959 and was buried at Gunnersbury, next to Gwendolen his time at the Slade was that he met there a fellow artist, and a memorial to his sons, Mark and Dermot.

Gwendolen Salmond, whom he married in 1912.

More recently – from 4 November 2009 to 31 January 2010 – From 1908 – 14 Smith lived and worked mainly in France, over 1,000 works by Sir Matthew Smith were exhibited at the initially near Pont-Aven in Paris, where he said his life ‘really Guildhall Art Gallery in the City of London to celebrate the 10th began.’ Briefly, before it disbanded in 1911, he studied at the Anniversary of its reopening.

Atelier run by Henri Matisse, an artist whose work greatly influWhen the late Cyril Harrington, a man of wide erudition, enced him. He began to work carefully on form and design, but it became art master at Giggleswick in 1960, he arranged an exhibiwas not until 1920 that he began to paint with the tremendous tion of some of Smith’s paintings for Speech Day. Cyril also wrote sweep and flow now considered typical of his work. His free and the obituary in the Chronicle. He ended with these words: generous use of paint reflected his open-handed, kindly nature. It ‘If during his schooldays at Giggleswick he appeared to be was from France that he acquired his sense of colour. The brilliant something of an ugly duckling, we may take pride in the swan he contrasts and striking richness of his colourings counter the grey ultimately grew into, for it is given to few schools to nurture such of his boyhood skies. Nothing in his background or upbringing, a painter.’ severe and dominated by a strict father; nor the respectability of Barbara Gent, School Archivist his native Halifax; nor the austerity of his time at Giggleswick, had David Fox, Editor anything to do with his love of vibrant colour. It has been said that

Famous OG Series

Sir Matthew Smith CBE

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Giggleswick in the Fifties Written by Tom Pakenham-Walsh (S 57 – 61)

Part 2: The Study The study was your home base. It was shared with at least two other boys, sometimes three. Once you had got some cloth to cover the walls and some carpet on the floor, it became far more welcoming. We could sellotape pictures onto the cloth but pin-ups were not allowed. In one of the houses (Nowell) which faced the front driveway, a boy proudly displayed a German swastika flag. It was one of his father’s war trophies from the western desert.

David Beaumont once put up a picture of Jackie Kennedy in his cube. Mr Dean, whose nickname was “Gabberdene” on account of his rich Oxford accent, said to him “I know she may be the wife of the President of the United States of America, but you can take it down.” Several years later, I managed to bend the rule by putting up a chart of the digestive system of a rabbit and all the enzymes the food would meet in the digestive tract. Mind Mapping had not been invented. It was a pity that I did not share my idea. Looking at it last thing at night and first thing in the morning fixed it into my mind for the ‘O’ Level Biology exam. Sure enough the question came up. I was much into doing imitations of the various members of staff and I soon mastered the rich Oxford accent of “Gabber” Dean.

If a master or visiting parent entered your study you all had to immediately stand up and remain standing until invited to sit down again.

The studies were cleaned by us. Every morning we would take it in turns to dust all the surfaces. At 08.15 sharp, a prefect would

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enter and ask who had done the swogging that morning. He would then run his finger along such surfaces as were not cloth covered.

If he found any dust then it was a fail. The punishment for this was that whoever should have done it had to get up at 7.00 am at the sound of the first bell, wash and get dressed quickly and report to the prefect who was still asleep in his cube. You knocked on his cubicle door and then said through the opening “I am just going to do early swog”. You then went downstairs and dusted all the surfaces, reporting back to the prefect before “Call over” at 07.30.

This had to be done for three days. If it was not satisfactorily done, or you overslept, you would get another three days added on…

Every Sunday there would be a Grand Swog Out, when all the tables and chairs would be transferred to the corridor. The carpets would be taken up and carried up to some clothes lines near to the CL’s where you would beat them with an old fashioned carpet beater. A new headmaster realised that it would be better if this job were not done wearing the Sunday blue suits and the day was changed to another one. The prefects’ studies remained dusty, with an occasional swog out done by the boys from the most junior end of the corridor, as punishment for some minor misdemeanour.

Other Duties We also had other duties on a rota. When it was your turn for Common Room duty, the whole study had to go and sweep it out, dust it, empty the litter bin, empty the ashes, lay the fire and restock the coal bucket. I forget who had the responsibility of lighting it in the evening.

Dustbin Duty – each house had two metal dustbins into which we emptied the swoggers each day. The duty was to carry them up between two of you to the incinerator near to the CL’s.

CL’s Duty – the study on this duty had to go up to the CL’s and tidy the towels on the heated rail and generally tidy up around your

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OG CLUB YORKSHIRE DINNER 8 October 2010 Oakdale Golf Club, Harrogate Name

Years at School

Bean, Christopher

59-63

Ehlinger, Mark

69-75

Ellacott, John

76-81

Fraser, Andrew

72-74

Gallimore, David

76-81

George- Powell, Michael

55-59

Hargeaves, Roger

53-60

Hartley, Christopher

86-94

Hartley, Stephen

70-78

Harwood, Christopher

64-71

I’Anson, Christopher

75-78

Illingworth, Edward

05-10

Jefferies, Nicholas

65-70

Jones, Raymond

78-07

King, Robert

76-81

Lofthouse, Mark

64-69

Moore, Simon

71-81

Roberts, Ian

69-74

Shevill, Ian

68.04

Stevens, Trudi (née Sutcliffe)

79-81

Stockdale, David

60-69

Sugden, John

70-77

Tetlow, Charles

63-67

Thomson, Alastair

52-59

Whitehead, Belinda (née Matthews)

80-82

Wilkinson, Simon

76-86

Williams, Guy

61-66

Williams, Julian

75-79

Attending from the School Boult, Geoffrey

Headmaster

Brotherton, Mark

Head of Giggleswick Junior School

Beales, Andrew Blake, Rebecca

Foundation Director Praepostor (Head of Style)

I’Anson, Chris

Praepostor (Deputy Head of School)

Lambert, Dorothy

Headmaster’s PA and Registrar

Proctor, Caroline (OG) Domestic & Lettings Manager Scholey, Alastair

Housemaster of Shute

Wharton, Emma-Jane Housemistress of Carr The return of the Yorkshire Dinner this year, following the alternative OG Ball at Coniston Hotel in 2009, was probably bound to lead to a slight falling off in attendance. Nevertheless, Chris Harwood had done us proud, as usual, and those present had a really good evening. Please note for your diaries that there will be a dinner at the same venue on 30 September this year, so please give it your support.

house’s changing area. The CL’s were for the four houses in the Hostel. The other house, Style, was situated in the village and had its own facilities.

Study Passage Scrubbing Duty – this was always regarded as a bit of a perk when it was your turn on the rota. The squad would be a mix of four people from the different years in the house. The perk was that you did it instead of the run everyone else was doing. The two older boys would scrub the stone passage with hot soapy water and long handled scrubbing brushes, while the two younger boys would follow them back along the corridor on their hands and knees, mopping it with floor cloths. It did not take very long to do it and was a weekly duty. You had to be dressed in games clothes to do it and could then take an early bath in the CL’s before the return of the runners.

Scrubbing floors? No problem!

The Common Rooms The Common Rooms for Shute, Nowell, Carr and Paley were located on the top of the toilets in the back quadrangle. They were reached by an iron staircase on the front of the building. They each had an open fire and easy chairs and a snooker table. I first heard stereo music when Clive Baker brought in a home-made stereo record player.

We listened in awe to the sound of express trains flying past, and “Espana”. You could sit and read there but you had to put up with the sound of the pop music of the day playing loudly in the background. I spent a whole wet afternoon (in 1960) engrossed in “Goodbye Mr Chips” to the accompaniment of Cliff Richard singing “Please Don’t Tease”. If I hear that tune now I still remember the book and the common room.

The Tuck Shop The Tuck Shop was located in the gatehouse to the Chapel field. In 1957 the going rate for a term’s pocket money was thirty shillings (£1.50). You were expected to make this last for the term and it was usually just enough. We could buy a Fry’s chocolate cream bar or a Crunchie bar for sixpence each (about 3p). I think they also sold ice creams from a fridge. Charlie Cresswell was in charge of the shop.

The Athletic Shop There was also The Athletic Shop below the library. Here during lunch break you could obtain toothpaste, stationery, and when sufficiently endowed, a jockstrap to hold your emerging manhood steady while running around Station Triangle. They also sold “spikes” which were the spiked running shoes. I remember asking my father’s permission if I might do so when I was elected to be a sportsman and run on the hallowed running track of the cricket field. Purchases were made by completing a docket in the shop and the bill was added to the end of term account to be paid by your parents.

Break Time Every morning we had a break between lessons. We would return to our studies and take off our shirts and vests and put on a gym vest and gym shoes. We would then go as quickly as possible out onto the front drive where the first there would already be jogging around in a circle. You joined the end of the line. When the whole house was there we would get into ranks of four abreast. The head of house or one of his prefects would take us for a short PE session. This would include press-ups, burpees and jumping with arms and legs stretching outwards. There would be a few stretching exercises and touching our toes. The session would only last for about ten minutes. Major Wardle who was in charge of PE and the CCF, would be patrolling around also dressed in gym vest and gym shoes and would give “words of encouragement” to us. We would then be dismissed and able to return to our studies to get dressed and go to the dining room. There we would queue up for a third of a pint of milk bottle and a stidger. This was a bread currant bun, locally baked. We would stand around in the small dining room chattering and drinking our milk. Many of us would return to our studies with the stidger to liven it up with a spreading of Shipham’s meat or fish paste in the middle. A bell would ring and we would return to Big School and further lessons till 12.30. There would then be a pre-lunch break with convenient time for Punishment Drill. Those of us not on it were free to sit in our studies and chat or read the papers. You could order newspapers and most of us did. I was a reader of The Daily Mail. Others read The Daily Express or The Times. The ordering of The Daily Mirror or The Daily Sketch was not encouraged; in fact I think it was banned. In my more senior years, I devised a break time game of selecting horses from the racing page and writing my selections on a piece of paper. The next day we would see if I had won. The other occupants of the study joined in the game, all making their own selections. Jimmy Taylor extended it to actually placing real bets at the local bookmaker.

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OG LANCASHIRE DINNER

PictureConundrum 17

11 November 2010 Pleasington Golf Club, Blackburn

To accompany Tom Pakenham-Walsh’s further account of Gigg in the 1950s, the Picture Conundrum this time is of Break PT. This photograph was probably not taken at that time, so when was it taken, which House was doing its Break PT and can anyone name any of the boys being put through their paces?

1 9

2

4

3 6

5

Picture Conundrum 16 8

7 12 13

10 14

Name

Years at School

PJ Ainsworth JEJ Atkins RA Barker A Bracewell JAL Briggs JM Cook DG Crossley BL Cunliffe PK Davies JH Davies MJJ Day AR Duckworth RW Edge RB Farley D Garforth DCS Grant RJ Hargreaves WN Hopkinson NM Hutchinson NW Jefferies WH Oddie RD Reader WD Robbins DW Sames AWR Sames CR Sames CR Shuttleworth DA Stockdale RR Waldie JW Walsh FM Ward JS Westhead F Whittaker SCR Wilkinson

(CH/N 74-83) (CH/N 78-86) (S 58-63) (CH/C 43-49) (CH/N 55-64) (CH/St 54-62) (CH/St 51-60) (CH/C 37-44) (CH/C 48-54) (CH/St 48-55) (staff 75-03) (CH/S 69-77) (CH/P 45-52) (S 58-62) (CH/C 46-55) (CH/St 53-59) (CH/P 48-58) (staff 63-69) (N 53-58) (CH/N 76-84) (C 65-70) (CH/St 51-60 (CH/C 51-60) (St 64-68) (CH/C 46-53) (CH/N 78-82) (CH/C 48-57) (N 65-70) (CH/S/M 60-69) (N 81-86) (CH/S 44-50) (CH/C 34-41) (CH/P 48-56) (CH/C 42-48) (CH/M 76-86) (OG President) (T/S 39-47)

J Whittaker

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Attending from School:

15

18

7

17

16

19

GP Boult P Adams Miss CS Bellis JP Bellis DP Fox Mrs DM Lambert Mrs WL Lawson Miss CJ Proctor PM Wilden

Picture Conundrum 16 elicited more responses than any other conundrum so far – 15 in all: Anthony R Coates (N 46 – 50), Eric H Hopkinson (N 48 – 50), Steven M Gent (CH/N 46 – 54), Richard JG Sharp (N 51 – 56), Michael B Ainsworth (CH/N 46 – 53), John Duxfield (CH/N 48 – 54), J Richard Jameson (CH/C 40 – 49), Robert C Saunders (CH/N 39 – 49), Robert E Illingworth (CH/N 45 – 53), Robert A Gent (CH/N 46 – 53), R Earl Pick (N 46 – 52), James M Caton (T/S 43 – 50), David J Park (N 47 – 53), Gordon W Hartley (N 44 – 49), David A Sheard (N 42 – 48).

Thanks to all of you, especially for the associated remarks and reminiscences.

The consensus on the missing names (numbered on the photograph) seems to be: 1 – GH Berry, 2 – Jackson (initials?), 3 – AE Newsome, 4 – GD Whittaker, 5 – DH Blackledge, 6 – JD Parker, 7 – CD Leake, 8 – AR Coates, 9 – RE Pick, 10 – R Bancroft, 11 – GN Fawcett, 12 – DJ Park, 13 – JR Hunt, 14 – AV Sheard, 15 – RC Saunders, 16 – GW Hartley, 17 – JHA Ripper, 18 – RM Latham, 19 – Godson (initials?). Also, Waterman should be JB Waterton.

(Headmaster) (current staff) (Praepostor) (HM Style) (OG Liaison Officer) (Headmaster’s PA) (Foundation Asst.)

(CH/St 84-90) (Domestic Manager) (Praepostor)

OG President, Simon Wilkinson, writes: ‘Organised with his usual efficiency by Anthony Duckworth, the Lancashire Dinner at Pleasington Golf Club provided a warming winter evening in chilly November. We had an excellent meal and a large attendance made up of both young and old OGs. Speeches (or I should say a Speech/Quiz in the Headmaster's case) were followed by an open invitation for OGs to share 5-minute stories of their time at Gigg – two took up the challenge - and then everyone retired to the bar until the Club shut and we were kindly asked to leave.’

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SPORT

Girls win Birkenhead 7s

Sarah Clough

Sarah wins North of England honours Congratulations to Sarah Clough (U6 C) who has been appointed Captain of the North of England U18 women’s rugby squad.

Sarah, from Liversedge in West Yorkshire, who plays prop forward, has represented Yorkshire since 2004, both at U15 and U18 level. She was also selected for England Schools at U15.

In addition to playing, Sarah has also qualified as an RFU referee, officiating at a number of games including a recent Yorkshire 2nd XV (men’s) county match. Her most difficult refereering moment was at a local colts’ derby in Cleckheaton. “Most of the boys were at the same school, but on opposing teams, and the scrapping got so out of hand that I was forced to abandon the game”, says Sarah.

Sarah has received five offers to study Sports Events Management at university next year, but hopes to go to Leeds Met, which has the strongest women's university team in the country.

Yorkshire U17s Man of the Match

Playing at No 8, Andrew Fradgley (L6 N) was voted Man of the Match in the Yorkshire U17s game against Eastern Counties on the last weekend in January. In the first match of their County Championship campaign Yorkshire secured a 26-3 victory at Bury St Edmunds, scoring four tries after an excellent display from the forwards.

On Sunday 6 March 2011 the Giggleswick Girls’ Rugby 7s squad won the North of England 7s competition for the first time. Having finished runners-up to Welbeck College at their own 7s tournament, the girls were desperate to win what turned out to be the first piece of silverware in the ten years of Giggleswick girls’ rugby history!

The final was held on the main pitch of Birkenhead Rugby Club and was a repeat of last year's final, only this time the score was reversed in a tense, yet convincing, 26-0 victory to secure the Gill Burns Trophy. Captain Sarah Clough also received the player of the tournament trophy from the former England Captain, although special credit must go to the other stars of the show - top tryscorers Lottie O'Connell and Katherine Sharp. Hannah Edmiston and Sophie Patchett were the only other girls in their second season and their experience really counted, with the rest of the squad - Claudia Kuehn, Tatjana Festl, Harriet Belk, Jo Hornsey, Hannah Renwick and Alicia Turner - all having only played the game since January. This was a well-deserved victory for the girls and a fitting reward for all their extra sessions, bravery and good humour.

Lloyd wins Rawthey Run – 27 Jan 2011 Lloyd Hobson-Davies (Yr 8 Catt) took the U13 boys by surprise as he demonstrated how to run up - and more importantly down - the short steep hills of Sedbergh’s Rawthey Run course. After his second place at Giggleswick in the Catteral Shield, he went one better, bringing home the ‘Big G’, as Daley Thompson used to call it. This was a fantastic achievement at this top class race, which attracts entries from many Cumbria maintained schools as well as northern Prep and Senior Schools.

Lloyd was supported by Harrison Russell (Yr7 Catt) in 20th, who had a much better race this week, ahead of Oliver BrierleyJones (Yr 8 Catt - 27th), Archie Hancock (Yr 7 Catt - 31st), Laurie Daws (Yr 7 Catt - 35th) and Ben Taylor (Yr 7 Catt - 36). Finishing as a team in fourth place these runners certainly did well in the absence of a full strength team, due to hockey matches.

In a field of 48, the U13 girls started off gently and worked their way through to the front of the field. With seven runners per team and five needed to score, the spirit of the team was best displayed

by Molly Moon (Yr 8 Catt), who, with a painful twisted ankle, struggled all the way to the finish and was determined not to be the last finisher, outsprinting her nearest competitor so as not to be classed ‘La Lanterne Rouge’, as they say in the Tour de France.

Phoebe Alton (Yr 8 Catt) made excellent efforts to finally finish fourth, having been as high as second at one stage and was ably supported by Olivia Shaw (Yr 8 Catt - 7th), Clara Mondragon (Yr 8 Catt - 8th), Eliza Alton (Yr 8 Catt - 10th) and India Birley (Yr 7 Catt - 15th) who were the scorers and with Allana Jones also supporting they won with a magnificent 44 points to the nearest team’s 69 points, repeating their clear victory of the previous week.

Varsity Match 2010 Former Head of School, Jack Davidson (N 08), who is currently reading Economics and Management at Queens’ College, Oxford, was selected to play for Oxford in their annual match versus Cambridge on Thursday 9 Dec. Jack was on the bench in last year's game, but this year was in the starting line-up, playing at No 8.

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9

Tree Planting in Style

Technology Team

A new elm tree was planted by Head of Grounds at Giggleswick School, Craig Eccleston, in the garden of Style House on 11 February 2011.

Giggleswick School has been chosen as one of the first 250 schools to take part in The Conservation Foundation’s Great British Elm Experiment. Successive generations of pupils will be monitoring and caring for an elm tree over the years, from sapling upwards, in an experiment to unlock the mystery of why some trees survived Dutch elm disease, which killed 25 million elms from the 1960s onwards.

Giggleswick’s elm has been planted at the start of the International Year of Biodiversity. Schools will be asked to log their elm’s progress over the years on the Conservation Foundation website–www.conservationfoundation.co.uk.

Height, girth, biodiversity and any signs of Dutch elm disease will be recorded and it is hoped that with time - and luck - a new generation of elms will become established throughout the country and a new generation of children will be encouraged to have an interest in elms and biodiversity.

This new national elm planting campaign is using young trees, propagated from mature healthy native elms, which The Conservation Foundation has discovered still growing in the English countryside. It is part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of Elms Across Europe, the project which led to the setting up of the Foundation by David Shreeve and David Bellamy in 1982.

Hundreds of schools, community gardens, local authorities and landowners contacted The Conservation Foundation when The Great British Elm Experiment was announced last autumn. The first 250 schools were chosen to give a broad geographical spread with different environmental conditions.

More young trees will be available in the autumn.

Each small tree is accompanied by a certificate showing its species and the location of its parent tree and a poster with growing tips and project ideas. Further materials will be added to The Conservation Foundation website which will report on the experiment as it develops. The data recorded will be reviewed by an 'Elm Advisory Group', made up of elm experts and enthusiasts, which the Foundation hopes to establish.

A Year 10 team consisting of William Ludlam, Oliver Longbottom, Carolina Mondragon and Holly Ross has won the KS4 category of a Technology Tournament organised by Dave Mitton, for local Rotary Clubs, and held in Gargrave on 15 March 2011.

The challenge, which is designed to develop team building, communication skills, planning and time management, as well as solving a design and technology problem, required students to design and build a movable crane to remotely extract radioactive materials, using combinations of levers and pulleys, powered by a small electric motor.

The tournament is an annual one-day event for KS3/4/5 teams of four students from local schools and colleges, who undertake a previously unseen challenge. It has been running for six years and Giggleswick teams have won one of the categories five times.

This is the third time that the KS4 team has won.

The team’s design concept will now be re-judged by the ‘District Judges’ in competition with other winning teams in the area and the winning school will receive £300.

Members of the Environment Committee (from left to right): Bryony McQuade, Ellie Coultherd, Eleanor Pickles, Chloe Page, and Head of Style House, Becky Blake, with Head Groundsman Craig Eccleston and Style Housemaster Jim Bellis, following the planting of the Elm tree.

CW Harwood & Co

solicitors

Wind turbine commissioned Giggleswick School’s new wind turbine was commissioned on 17 February 2011, much to the delight of the School’s Environment Committee, which comprises students from all year groups, as well as a number of staff.

The 5Kw Evance R9000 turbine is ‘grid connected’ and the school will benefit from the Feed-in Tariff regime, so that it will be paid for by electricity generated, whether consumed on site or fed back in to the National Grid. It is anticipated that the turbine will generate the equivalent of the electricity demand for the Chapel and Pavilion.

Funding for the turbine was secured from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 and the British Gas ‘Energy for Tomorrow’ Fund.

The turbine was supplied by Aeolus Power of Gloucestershire and took two days to install, the groundworks having been carried out by the school’s own staff and local contractors.

The Headmaster, Geoffrey Boult, said: “This is a further demonstration of the school’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. The wind turbine will be an excellent educational resource, and help us in our goal to make our pupils aware of the need to develop sustainable energy sources”.

The turbine will also be useful as a cross-curricular teaching aid, particularly for subjects such as science, technology, mathematics, history and geography.

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Camino Arles Route Arles to Santiago de Compostela From April to June this year, I will attempt to walk along the Camino Arles, from Arles in southern France, to Santiago de Compostela in North West Spain. This is one of the old pilgrim routes and is about a thousand miles in distance. I will pass through or near to Montpellier, Toulouse, Pau, crossing the Pyrenees at Col de Somport and then on to Puenta la Reina, Burgos and Leon, before arriving at my destination, the cathedral of St James in Santiago. It will take me about 8 weeks to complete, all being well. I will be carrying all my gear and will be self funded.

However, I have chosen two charities that I would like to raise money for: Help for Heroes – Helps wounded service personnel www.helpforheroes.org.uk Barnardo’s – Dedicated to caring for abused and disadvantaged children www.barnardos.org.uk To help you donate money, I have put two pages on the online charity fundraiser website Bmycharity: www.bmycharity.com. This online fundraiser does not charge commission, so all your donation and any gift aid will go to the charity of your choice. You can go direct to my web pages at: Help for Heroes: www.bmycharity.com/nicholasmoodyH4Harle sroute Barnardo’s: www.bmycharity.com/barnardossantiagoroute This is a testing challenge, so to help spur me along, please donate to these charities. You can also donate in the tried and tested way; just send a cheque made out to the charity/ies (separate cheques) to: Nicholas Moody, Neville House, Holywell Lane, North Cowton, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 0HE. Tel. No. 01325 378769 Email: wnpmoody@yahoo.co.uk Thank you - Nicholas Moody (M 70 – 75)

PLeASe SuPPoRt Nick MooDY

Oman/UK Intercultural Laura Watson (C 02-06) wrote on 14 January this year: ‘I left Giggleswick in 2006 and on the 4th of January 2011 set off on a Tahaddi Extreme expedition to the Empty Quarter of Oman as a member of the first all female team to climb the 3rd highest sand dune in Oman and raise the British, Omani and Tahaddi Flags on the summit.’ She subsequently sent this account of the expedition:

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On 3 January 2011 four Omani girls (Intisar Al Tobi, Wafa al-Samari, Raja a Al Maqbali and Fatma Alzedjali) and four British girls (Shannon Edwards, Alison Davies, Clare Howes and Laura Watson), supported by three camels, set out on an estimated 100km hike across the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) to climb and raise the Omani, British and Tahaddi flags on top of the third highest sand dune in Oman. The expedition was organised

by Outward Bound Oman, a non-profit charity organisation, and the expedition’s patrons were Dr Noel Guckian OBE - Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Oman, and His Excellency Abdulaziz Al Hinai - Oman’s Ambassador to United Kingdom. The expedition was taking place to:

Exchange •

promote intercultural dialogue between young people from UK and Oman;

•

celebrate the long standing, historical ties between Oman and UK;

•

support His Majesty’s initiative to recognise the potential and celebrate the capabilities of women in society in Oman;

•

showcase Oman as a centre for peace and intercultural dialogue;

•

celebrate His Majesty’s 40th year on the throne.

When the British girls landed at Muscat airport on 4 January we were warmly greeted by our fellow travellers, the Omani girls. After quick introductions we were led to the landcruisers that were to drive us to the Empty Quarter, and the local film crew was standing by them waiting to interview us for the local news network. It was at this point that we learnt our journey was to be published in the Oman Observer every day and a daily audio blog was to be broadcast on a local radio

channel. It took eight hours to drive out to the desert, at which point the British girls had been travelling for nearly twenty hours and so most of us were sound asleep and missed seeing the views going out into the desert. It was dark by the time we reached the first desert camp. The Omani girls, who had never slept away from their families before, let alone camped, had to be taught how to put up a tent. This was our introduction to working as a team and helping each other learn how to live in the desert for the next nine days. We woke at 6.00 am the next day, un-zipping the tent door and peering out into the vast desert, seeing it for the first time. It was clear to see why they called it the Empty Quarter. After breakfast we packed the tents and had a meeting with the expedition coordinator, Mark Evans. Mark explained the route that we would be taking, using satellite maps and we had a quick lesson in how to use a GPS, as this was are only means of navigating in this moving landscape. We then had to decide which team member would be performing which jobs that day. The jobs included team leader, 2 navigators, water monitor, motivator, environmental manager, time manager and back marker. We then set off on our first day hiking across the sand and flint plains. It quickly became apparent that hiking in sand dunes with boots on was not the best idea and so I decided to walk in my socks, which felt fantastic and even when walking across the flint pains the ground was so soft that you did not feel the flint beneath your feet. We reached our lunch spot at roughly 12.30. Most of the British girls were struggling with the heat. At lunch we continued to discuss various aspects of British and Omani culture.

Over the next nine days, as we got to know each other better, our conversations changed from basics like: What is it like living in Oman? What are your families like? What music and films do you like? – to: Do you think women should be able to vote? What are your opinions on extremism? Why do you wear the abiya and hijab? It was a testament to our friendship and respect for one another

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that we felt at ease to ask each other any question, without fear of offending each other. After lunch we would continue to walk to our campsite for that night. Once at camp we would have a carton of juice before putting up our tents and deciding who would be cooking that night. Those not cooking would go and collect fire wood. When we had enough fire wood Amer, our bedou, would show us how to make traditional bread on the embers. The taste, smell and texture of the bread was amazing and so simple to make. All you need is salt, flour and water. Evening camp was a great opportunity for we British girls to get together and discuss what we had learnt during the day and have lengthy debates about what we thought about the Omani culture and our experience of British culture as we all came from different backgrounds. Every night each of us also had to take turn to write a blog for the web site and an audio for the radio station. Once everyone had eaten and the washing up had been done, we would go to sleep ready to start the day all over again.

For one evening meal we British girls cooked potato hash. Mark was worried that we might destroy the long standing ties between the UK and Oman (!); however, the Omani girls were very polite and declared it to be very tasty. On our last night in the desert the Omani girls cooked – mira culously, three chickens appeared in the kitchen larder and we had fried chicken and chips, which was a fantastic surprise. To round off the evening we had marshmallows.

Once the hike was completed we were driven back to the capital, Muscat, where we had one day to prepare our speeches for a presentation that we had to give at the British Embassy, which was filmed and broadcast on the local news channel.

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Letters…

Sent: 03 December 2010: Having just read the latest Gigg:news and seen the recent photograph of Big School and the Flat, reminds me of my first term at Gigg in January 1942. There was snow when I arrived and still snow when the term came to an end! Very few games at all, although I think we did manage to play the House Rugby games before we left.

Lots of walks and PT in the Covered Playground. A lot of time was spent sitting on the very large pipes in the Paley studies.

Unfortunately, quite a number of persons finished with chilblains on their fingers.

A memorable first term, but still looked back on with good memories.

Geoffrey L Kitchen Paley 1942 (1) 1945(2) Mrs J B Dutton wrote on 16 November 2010: ‘I was very moved by Bury’s article in November’s Gigg:news about EHP I was his Secretary all through the War and lived with him and his wife Brenda until I married Dut in 1945.

What Bury did not mention was EHP’s amazing gift as a self-taught artist. I have in my sitting room a very large and very beautiful pastel painting of geese flying over an estuary. He didn’t ‘fix’ his pastels in those days, so I have to be careful when cleaning the glass!

I recall many wonderful visits to the estuary with him and Dut in the early morning to watch the geese as they rose from their night’s sleep – then our dash back to school in time for prayers.

He was indeed a great man to whom Dut and I owed much.’

Richard Jameson (CH/C 40 – 49) wrote last November concerning Picture Conundrum 16, but also added the following: ‘I was very glad to read Bury’s tribute to EH Partridge in the November edition and to see the photograph of him. I succeeded Bury as Head Boy in the summer of 1948 and for four terms saw a good deal of Partridge. He was indeed a great man and from his appointment as Head in his early 30s – unusually young and a tribute to the governors’ skill in selection – to his time in the 40s and early 50s when he was at the height of his powers, he dominated the school.

I first knew him when I arrived in Carr from CH in 1943 and he was Housemaster of Carr (as well as Headmaster) for a time, following the departure of Benson to the armed forces. Both the books by Partridge,

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to which Bury refers, are well worth reading. Like him, I hope you will feature EHP in 2012.’

Three Peaks Gigg2Gigg – OG John Parker (N 52 – 57) recalls his own experience of walking what he calls ‘the famous round’ over 50 years ago: The article about the Three Peaks Challenge reminds me of my Three Peaks ‘School to School’ outing before leaving Gigg in 1957. It was the custom when Alevels were over to make an attempt on the famous round in the days before the end of term. Roger Mason (CH/N 48 – 58), John Waddington (N 53 – 57) and I decided to go together and a day was fixed.

Housemaster ‘Billy’ Middleton was in agreement and we did some very rudimentary planning. I had a compass and a Bartholomew’s map of Wharfedale which showed Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough, but Whernside was off the map. A few weeks earlier we had the ‘Ascension Day Outing’ when each house was led on a full day ramble; Nowell had been taken to Clapham by bus and climbed Ingleborough. As the route was fresh in our minds, we decided to repeat the walk for our first peak.

The day arrived; kit was rugger shirt and shorts, socks and gym shoes. We picked up the packed lunches; we must have had some sort of haversack but I don’t remember it. The standard packed lunch was a huge bread roll filled with a sandwich spread unique to Gigg. Then the shock horror news - there was a bus strike, so how to get to Clapham? We walked of course, and ascended Ingleborough to find the top in mist. We spread out and found the cairn. As we descended on the path towards the Hill Inn a fine view of Whernside revealed itself. None of us had climbed this one, and more bad news, I had left the map at school and only had the compass. At the Hill Inn we sampled the delights of our lunch. While debating how to find the top of Whernside, also shrouded in mist, a fellow walker of mature experience assured us that it posed no problem and he would show us the starting bit and then just go up to the ridge and then turn right. He was right and we soon had the second peak in the bag. John W remembers he was a Mr Moulson, who was later killed in an accident in the Alps. We carried on along the ridge and soon had a fine view of Ribblehead Viaduct to guide us. I recall a discussion whether we dare walk over the viaduct or not, but the decision remains confidential.

Two down, we might as well bag the third, after all it was on our way back to school. We realised that we had to cross the Ribble at some stage to make access to Pen-

y-Ghent shorter than going as far as Horton. But the bridge at Nether Lodge Farm was unknown to us, so we walked on the road hoping to find a bridge, any bridge. As the third peak came closer, still no bridge appeared, so we decided to wade across the river. Deep but not too deep, all safely across but now we had wet shorts and shoes. I remember a long slog in boggy ground that seemed to go on for ever without bringing our last peak any closer.

Were we on the correct route? We stopped to finish off the well-squashed bread stidger. We decide we must be OK; if we kept the river on our right and the high ground on the left, we must find it. That refreshed our spirits and at last we got to grips with Pen-y-Ghent. At the top we realised we were running out of time to be back at school before 9 o’clock. I remembered from the map that if we walked about south from the top we should find the road to Stainforth. This was the steepest way off and a bit tricky. It was still light - the first week in July is not long after the longest day - and we were in good spirits after bagging the third peak. We did find the road but it seemed to be another long slog. We rustled up some coppers and Roger phoned school from Stainforth at about 8 o’clock to tell then we were OK but would be late.

Even if there were no bus strike it was too late to expect any transport, so we just walked back to school. On Settle Bridge we saw several day boys on their way home.

Were they cheering or jeering? We reported to the head of house and the housemaster, expecting a scolding or worse, but we were the heroes of the day. No other groups had completed the round and we had done it ‘School to School’ thanks to the bus strike!!

We later reckoned the distance to be about 28 miles.

John Parker (N 1952-57) Sir, I was very sad to read of the death of Ian Roberts. Having met him again recently, it was obvious to me that his many strengths illuminated my weaknesses. Whilst having been to only two OG events (Centenary Scarrig & H of C London Dinner of that year) I had been lucky enough to be seated next to Ian for both; he amused us all with an incite into past as well as present Gigg, and many a precious memory was ignited by him.

My current location of Genève precludes my attendance at Chapel on the 14th, but I send my condolences to be added to surely the host of others that might be passed to Ian's family. Thank you.

Duncan J F Cameron (CH/C 63-73)

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Last November, following up his order for Margaret Holman prints, OG Dr Mike Horner (CH/C 58 – 64) wrote to our Foundation & Marketing Assistant, Wendy Lawson: ‘I have a bit of news! At Gigg I developed a passion for the River Ribble and used to fish on the ‘School Pool’ just above the Gas Works (Dairy/ Creamery these days I think). For the last thirteen years since I retired, I have been heavily involved in river environmental matters at local and national level.

One project I have particularly worked hard on for ten years was stuck in the doldrums. To revitalise it I gave a presentation to Lord (Chris) Smith of Finsbury, Chairman of the Environment Agency, last year. This summer the Secretary of State signed it off. The project is worth over £5 million and restores flow to two rivers heavily abstracted to dryness in summer periods. To my amazement I had a call from the Environment Agency to tell me that the project had been short listed as one of three finalists for a national environment award!

Further information is on the link w w w. e n v i ro n m e n t - a g e n cy. gov. u k / news/124833.aspx and the project is listed under ‘Cleaner water award: an organisation that has achieved outstanding results in preventing or improving water quality in rivers, seas or lakes’ and is entitled ‘Brennand and Whitendale Environmental Improvement (Lancashire)’.

Best Regards…

Sadly for Mike, his project was one of the two runners up in its category: Cleaner water award: An organisation that has achieved outstanding results in preventing pollution or improving water quality in rivers, seas or lakes.

WINNER: Sun Salads Ltd – Improving the Quality and Cleanliness of Water (Cranborne, Dorset) RUNNERS UP: Axminster Carpets Limited (Yarn Division) – Effluent Treatment and Water Recycling (Axminster, Devon). Brennand and Whitendale Environmental Improvement (Lancashire) Energy Secretary Chris Huhne MP, who presented the awards at the Environment Agency’s annual conference ‘environment10’ in London, praised the calibre of all the finalists, especially the winners.

On 22 February this year K Westerveld (née Loynd, St 99 – 01) wrote: I have just received my forwarded copy of the November Gigg:news and, as usual, loved catching up with happenings at Gigg.

I particularly enjoyed the 'Plague Week' journal excerpt from 1978. I wonder how it would have affected us in 2000? I was also delighted to read that the the Richard Whitely Theatre is now up and running, and look forward to catching a show there in the future.

As I say, I have only just received my forwarded mail; this is because I have moved to the other side of the world! After my marriage to Shaun Westerveld at the School Chapel in 2008, we began to make plans to move to his home country of Australia, and in August of 2010 we finally made the move. Shaun being a Queenslander, we have moved to Morayfield, which is in the far northern suburbs of Brisbane. Since I have arrived we have had unusually high rain levels (which makes a Scot feel at home). As you will have heard, we recently suffered devastating floods and a cyclone, and indeed are now enjoying thunderstorms and hail!

Morayfield was badly damaged, with some shops and a couple of banks closed until further notice. We are right in the middle of the devastation; however, we luckily rented a house that is on a hill, so although we were completely cut off for the day, we were otherwise unaffected. Local spirits are not dampened and everyone pulled together to clean the mess up in just a few days. Household stores are doing huge discounts for those affected and all the local businesses are collecting donations for the Premier’s flood appeal. The sense of community spirit is unreal, and reminds me of my childhood on the Isle of Mull, where everyone looked out for each other, helping and sharing where needed. I feel so blessed to be here and feel like I have found my home away from home.

This is a feeling I first experienced when stepping into Gigg Chapel for the first time, and consequently spending two glorious years studying at Gigg.

I would like to pass on my congratulations to the teachers and students for the outstanding A-level results and shall look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Best wishes for 2011.

Re - Gigg:news No. 58 for November 2010

AN APOLOGY We apologise that the mailing house we use to distribute Gigg:news took it upon themselves to change the layout of the data we sent them for last November’s edition. This resulted in the inclusion of company names on the address labels, which was not intended, and also the use of ‘first names’ rather than ‘preferred first names’.

We have sought assurances that this should not happen in future.

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Sixth Form Scholarships The following Sixth Form scholarships have been awarded, following examinations and interviews on 1 and 2 March: Academic: JKyran Beadle (Giggleswick) Jessica Holden (Skipton Girls' High School) Jedsada Lertthanasarn (Giggleswick) Jessica Ogden (Skipton Girls' High School) Charlotte Smith (St Bees) All-Rounder: Robbie Davidson (Settle College) Hannah Renwick (Giggleswick) Art: Eleanor Coultherd (Giggleswick) Annabelle Thews (Giggleswick) Sport: Jack Robinson (Sedbergh School) Sport Exhibition: Thomas Frik (Giggleswick) Scott Rogers (Sedbergh School)

Year 7 Scholarships awarded The following awards have been made for entry in September 2011: The Partridge Academic Scholarship: Henry Doble (Giggleswick Junior School) Academic Scholarships: Charlie Husband, Isaac Ladds (GJS) Sebastian Ironside (St Bees Village School) Freddie Morse (Ghyll Royd) Academic Exhibitions: Miles Taylor (GJS) Samuel Wilson (Austin Friars) The Biddle All-Rounder Scholarship: William Farrar (The GS at Leeds) All-Rounder with Sport Scholarships: Pollyanna Bell (Hunter Hall) Edward Leech (Westville House) Ben Wilkinson (Ashville College) All-Rounder with Drama Scholarship: Matilda Jaggar (Westville House) Sport Scholarships: Samantha Baker-Jones (Belmont Grosvenor School) Matthew Ramshaw (Bradleys Both CP School) William Roberts (GJS) Charles Smith (Ghyll Royd School) Ben Smith-Price (Belmont Grosvenor School) James Ward (Bronte House) Eli Wright (Belmont Grosvenor School) Sport Exhibition: Matthew Dew (Settle Middle School) Music Scholarships: Anna Mills, Will Rees-Jones (GJS)

This page is sponsored by a friend of Giggleswick School in support of the work of the Annette Fox Leukaemia Research Trust at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

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News…News…News…

Peter Macdonald (CH/P 83 – 91) has recently established his own business; for information go to www.petermacdonaldrecruitment.co.uk.

We have become aware recently that David Manduell (OG – CH/St 72- 80) was one of four rescuers who were awarded the New Zealand Search and Rescue Council gold award for the most significant contribution to search and rescue in 2009, at a ceremony in the New Zealand Parliament on 21 April 2010. The team from the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter Trust plucked a fisherman to safety, after he was trapped at the base of a cliff. Michael Muggeridge was being pounded by two metre waves against a cliff face after he was thrown from a boat while crossing the Patea Bar in February 2009.

The waves made it impossible for a boat to reach him and the rescue helicopter was unable to lower a winch directly to him.

Paramedic Rob Berry was winched into the surf, put Mr Muggeridge in a rescue nappy, moved him from under the cliff into the open and the pair were winched back to the helicopter. The winch operator, Noel Watson, had to time Mr Berry's descent so he arrived between waves, while pilot David Manduell had to keep the helicopter steady against the wind and close to the cliff.

James Mabbitt (P 95 – 00) now lives in Mold, North Wales, working as a physiotherapist in Wrexham.

Congratulations to Alexandra Breare (CH/C 98 – 06) who has been awarded her MSc for her work on Memory and its Disorders.

Hartleys, based in Loughborough, received the award as Best Small Midlands Estate Agency at a ceremony in London on 3 December 2010. Founder and Senior Partner Gary Hartley (CH/C 71 – 80) said, ‘…we were delighted to win, it’s a great accolade. Personally, it’s the culmination of a lot of years of hard work. It is dedicated to my staff, many of whom have been here a long time and form the backbone of the company.’ The Sunday Times judging panel wrote: ‘With superior service levels and attention to detail, the team is kept fully engaged with the direction of the business and there is a culture of sharing ideas and innovations which has enabled them to retain and expand their energetic and quality employees.’

The photograph shows James Cracknell (double Olympic gold medalist) who presented the award, Sue Moores (Head of Sales), Gary Hartley and a representative from the sponsors.

We were first alerted to Gary’s success by RAC Meredith (Headmaster 70 – 78). Gary writes: ‘That Mr Meredith saw this locally in Loughborough is possibly a story in itself – he was Headmaster for most of my time at school. After my degree at Nottingham Trent University (as it now is), I joined a local independent firm in Nottingham, later worked as a Partner in two other agencies, before opening Hartleys in May 1995, growing to a sixbranch firm today with sales, lettings, professional surveys and mortgage divisions across the North Leicestershire area’.

After leaving school I continued to play rugby and social cricket.

The rugby took me to England Students, U23s, England ‘A’ and eventually England Classicals, with whom I toured Bermuda in 1995, 17 years after the Giggleswick Tour there in 1978. The final cherry on the rugby career, via Nottingham and The Midlands Division, was three Barbarian caps; alas a full England cap eluded me, despite being in the squad for two seasons, carded for the

Don't miss Laurie Ashworth on OG Day – an important diary date!

Laurie Ashworth, soprano, who teaches singing in our excellent Music Department, was awarded the Kathleen Ferrier Song Prize in 2010 and is increasingly in demand as a concert soloist.

She appeared recently on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night and has announced several new dates for 2011, including a concert in the Richard Whitely Theatre on the evening of Saturday 2 July to coincide with OG Day.

Australia Tour in ’88 and playing in the final trial of the Possibles v Probables twice!

Married, with four boys, my eldest leaves university this year, No.2 leaves school this summer and the younger two will soon follow. They are all good sportsmen and I hope one or more makes it to full England level; we have broadened the chances with a hockey player, a cricketer and two who are rugby mad.

Andrew Mabbitt (CH/P 96 – 04) is currently an IT Strategy and Transformation Consultant at Accenture Australia, working in Sydney.

Also now in Australia is Glenn Williamson (M 89-94), living in Perth, working in Education Management at Perth Institute of Business & Technology, but also offering private tuition at home.

The last we heard of Jessica Roberts (C 00 - 02) she was a Specialist Recruitment Consultant leading the SAS Department at Advanced Resource Managers in Portsmouth.

Georgina Watson (C 97 – 02) is currently studying for her Masters degree at SOAS in London on the Anthropology of Food. Her brother William Watson (P 95 – 00) is working towards his PhD at Sussex University, which involves building and running complex computer simulations of the very early universe, though the detailed description of his work is much more technical than this!

OG Tom Figgins tour launch

Tom Figgins (Nowell 04 - 09) returned to the Richard Whiteley Theatre on 6 February this year at the start of a UK tour.

From his early years in London to life in the North, Tom has been on a journey ~ a journey through music and film and theatre and the 'everyday ordinary', which has formed a talent mature beyond its years. A guitarist of skill and subtlety. A songwriter of depth and imagination. A voice that makes you sit up and listen ~ lean back and dream. www.tomfiggins.com.

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year after the First School was opened at Giggleswick and our speaker read out the names of the Clive Hallam-Baker OG (S 51 – 56) Giggleswick men who were listed was the Cavendish Society’s guest on the ‘Flodden Roll’ which cataspeaker at their meeting on Thursday logues those who fought in the 14 October 2010. His talk covered the battle. political intrigue that led to the Battle The battle resulted in an overof Flodden and the tactics of the battle whelming victory for the English itself. Dr Hallam-Baker came armed and disaster for the Scots. Many of (quite literally!) with replicas of the the most important members of weapons that would have been used Scottish society were killed or slain in this famous battle. As he and U6 in the conflict, including twelve former Tristan Griffin both wrestled earls, fifteen lords, many clan with an 18-foot long pike, it became chiefs, an archbishop and above immediately clear why this traditional Photo: Dr Hallam-Baker with (from left): Tom Backhouse, James all King James IV himself. It was fighting method of the Scots was not Gould, Ezz El Defrawi, Fabian Plambeck, Fergus Milligan, Nicole said that every great family in suited to the battle. In contrast, the English billhook proved to be devas- Rushworth and Jack Humphrey at the reception following the talk. Scotland mourned the loss of someone at the Battle of Flodden, remembered in the famous tating on the day. Dr Hallam-Baker went on to explain that other Scottish pipe tune The Flowers of the Forest. Today, a large granite reasons for the outcome of the battle included the superior English cross marks the site of the Battle of Flodden, inscribed: artillery pieces, which were lighter and easier to load than the TO THE BRAVE OF BOTH NATIONS cumbersome Scottish guns.

Michelle Hannah, Head of History The Battle of Flodden took place on 9 September 1513, just a

Cavendish Society Lecture

Births To Clare Charles (née Ashwin, C 93-95) and her husband George, a daughter, Elizabeth Angela Hope, born 12 December 2010.

Deaths William (Bill) Harrison (Town 33- 40) died on 2 October 2010, aged 89.

Born of farming stock in Bolton by Bowland, Bill Harrison spent his formative years at Craven Ridge, near Giggleswick, attended the village school and in due course passed the entrance examination for Giggleswick School. He very much enjoyed his time as a dayboy at school, was an excellent pupil, especially in the Classics and was expected to gain a place at Cambridge University, his intention being that this would lead to a teaching career.

However, WW2 intervened and he received his call-up papers in 1941. Drafted into the Dentistry Corps, he was training in Scotland with the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment when he met his wife, a nurse from Ayrshire; they married in 1945. At the end of the war he felt it was too late for university, so took a correspondence course and became a company secretary. After a successful career, he retired as Financial Director UK for Jefferson Smurfitt.

Bill had many interests but his one passion was golf. He joined Stand Golf Club, near Whitefield, in the 1950s, served on its various committees, was Captain in 1968 and later became President. He was also President of the Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs in 1980/81. He retained his interest in both these organisations and was at the past captains’ dinner at Stand

only three weeks before his death.

Extracted from a tribute to her father, written by Joyce Berry.

A Peter Willmoth (CH/C 44 – 52) died on 10 October 2010, aged 76.

Nigel Indermaur Mallinson (CH/C 47 – 57) died on 17 November 2010, aged 72.

John Fraser Robinson (CH/St 49- 56) died on 24 November 2010, aged 71.

Henry A Richardson (C 39 – 43) died on 3 December 2010, aged 84.

Alan Shallcross died on 22 December 2010, aged 78.

Alan made his reputation as one of the most influential producers of television drama at the BBC in the 70s and 80s; from Giggleswick’s point of view Alan was, for many years, a very supportive President of the School’s Drama Society; he was also influential in putting together and then compering the performance of Words & Music for September, as part of the Festival of Flowers & Music in September 1996 to support the Chapel Centenary Appeal.

Josephine A H Robinson (HM’s Secretary, Catteral Hall, 88 – 00) died on 11 January 2011, aged 70.

At Jo’s Funeral Service in St Alkelda’s, Giggleswick, on 20 January 2011, a former Headmaster of Catteral Hall, Martin Morris, paid this tribute: “It is, with all sincerity, an honour to be asked to give Jo’s eulogy. Although she was a very big part of my, and my family’s, life for the years we lived in Giggleswick, there are many of you here today who played a much larger role in Jo’s life. I know that there will be many details that I will leave out, but I hope that the memories that I do

have of Jo will trigger your own personal ones, and give you comfort – and make you smile (because I know she would want that).

The story of Jo’s life could read like the back cover of a novel: born and raised in Settle and Giggleswick – educated at Aberdeen University – travelled – married – had three daughters – returned to Giggleswick – worked for various local concerns – attended St Alkelda’s.

Loved reading, Scottish country dancing, animals, her grandchildren, the Archers, cricket and...curiously...Richard III, rare breeds and...steam locomotives! But, if that is all you know about Jo, then you are missing a lot.

For a start, you need to know that Jo was the eldest of five children, her younger siblings all being brothers. If that’s not character-forming, I don’t know what is!

Perhaps that’s why she chose to go to the most northern university she could – Aberdeen. It was there that she met her life-long friend, Margaret. And if you knew some of the things the two of them got up to over the years you would realise how deceptive looks can be. And a lot of them seemed to involve sherry...

After graduating, Jo joined the WRNS, training as an air traffic controller. Being a controller would have suited her down to the ground! Despite her degree she did not go in via officer training, choosing instead to go through the ranks. So typical of Jo, following her own path, maintaining her independence; both qualities I know she was determined her daughters should inherit. This particular path led to Gibraltar, which wasn’t really so surprising because Jo had a passion for travel. As a child she and her family had lived in Malta for a

This page is sponsored by a friend of Giggleswick School in support of the Martin House Hospice, Wetherby, North Yorkshire.

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while when her father was in the Royal Navy. So perhaps she inherited this wanderlust from him. If so, it wasn’t the only characteristic she inherited. I gather, in his retirement, Jo’s father was often to be seen on his own particular stool in the Black Horse pub, and woe betide anyone who tried to sit there. A few yards further down the road the same could be said of Jo’s pew seat in this church...

It was in Gibraltar that Jo met Michael.

She went on to marry him in Brazil, leaving England with a wedding dress and cake in her luggage! Although, sadly, their marriage was not to last, Jo had no regrets, as he gave her three beloved daughters (Alexa, Jessica and Mira). They in turn presented her with seven wonderful grandchildren. I first met Jo not long after the eldest of these - William - was born, so I know first-hand just how much she loved her grandchildren and how very proud she was of their achievements.

After a couple of spells living in Fiji, the intrepid Jo returned to first Settle and then Giggleswick, and became a pillar of society.

At least, that is how she appeared. She worked part-time as clerk at Settle Town Hall, librarian, receptionist at Townhead Surgery, then full-time as School Secretary and PA to three headmasters at Catteral Hall until her retirement, when, not content with resting on her laurels, she worked at Booths supermarket and back at Settle Library. She was also Churchwarden at St Alkelda’s and a Deanery Synod representative. She even found time to start a Scottish country dancing group, one of her passions.

But beneath this facade of respectability lay a uniquely non-conformist individual – someone who wore a hat whilst doing the washing-up to cheer herself up (she hated housework and insisted she never dusted because the dust was meant to be there to protect the furniture). She worried about her cholesterol levels – as she helped herself to another piece of cheese, loved her garden – yet insisted on keeping chickens, which decimated it.

But, if there is one quality for which I will always remember Jo, it was her total loyalty to me when, as a new, rather naive Headmaster, I joined Catteral Hall. A stickler for spelling and grammar, she must have despaired of me, a dyslexic scientist. I simply could not have managed without her. On the days when we were “up to our eyes” in it, Jo would ban everyone from her office and my study, including any staff member who wanted to use the one and only photocopier that resided with her.

Feisty as she could be, Jo was also prepared

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to take on the whole of Giggleswick School to defend Catteral Hall, such was her loyalty to the prep school.

During Jo’s time at Catteral, the world saw many changes, particularly in the area of IT. But Jo adapted in her own inimitable way. She was never someone who would hold up her hands to attempt to stop progress. Rather, she was someone who would follow on behind, picking up the pieces, raising her eyebrows and rolling her eyes in that “I told you so” way of hers.

Jo was wonderful with parents, empathising especially with those living abroad, and was totally committed to the children at the school. To go into her office was to experience an eclectic mix of humorous posters and cuttings on the wall, small children (mostly ours) and animals (again mostly ours). Somewhere underneath it all was Jo, probably with Fritha (our youngest daughter) on her lap teaching her to play solitaire on the computer, and with cricket on the radio in the background. Reports? What reports?

As an avid cricketer myself, how glad I know Jo would have been to see England not only retain, but win the Ashes in Australia shortly before she died.

Finally, no reflection of Jo’s life would be complete without the inclusion of her animals. Even here her glorious sense of humour was apparent – who but Jo would name her three Cavalier King Charles spaniels after that particular monarch’s mistresses! And then there were the cats, the aforementioned chickens...and the sheep.

You didn’t know about the sheep? Oh yes, she shared two black sheep that lived up in the Ghyll Field behind Catteral Hall.

I am so conscious of the many chapters in Jo’s full and varied life upon which I have barely touched; there simply isn’t time to do justice to it. But how comforting to know that it is these recollections – and so many more – that will keep Jo alive in our memories for many a year to come. I finish with words written by Jessica...

“Mum had no regrets in her life, even when things seemed to be very bad and she could make no sense of why events had happened, causing her sadness. She would always reflect back later and say...’actually, I couldn’t see the big picture at the time, and now I understand what God had in mind for me’. Her faith was very strong.”

We can, therefore, with confidence, take comfort in the fact that today, in Heaven, Jo’s big picture is complete and she is happy, sitting up there with a cat on her lap, dogs at her feet and a sherry in her hand, mischievously looking down on us.

Here’s to you, Mrs Robinson!”

T Ian Roberts (CH/St 65 – 74) died on 26 January 2011, aged 54.

The following address was given, at the family’s request, by Judge David Stockdale QC MA (OG – CH/S/M 60 – 69): Whether as Giggleswick schoolboy, Oxford undergraduate, City solicitor or local historian and genealogist, Ian Roberts was a one-off. He was different and he was brilliant. And, if he was in a mischievous mood, he kept you guessing. A true story, told to me by one who was there: it was the boardroom of Irwin Mitchell, solicitors, at their offices in London. The occasion: a partners’ meeting, attended by young, thrusting, ambitious, macho City types, who, if they weren’t showing off their legal knowledge, were boasting of their prowess on the rugby field or scuba diving or skiing down the black runs at Val d’Isère. It was all too much for Ian, who shocked his colleagues into stunned silence with the pronouncement, “You know, I did once win First Prize for my Victoria Sponge”.

Ian won many prizes in his life, although he was always too modest to say so. It began here, at Giggleswick, where he was an outstanding scholar and, by a distance, the most gifted historian of his generation. But his interests at school extended far beyond the bookshelves of the library. He played a full part in the life of his House and in the life of the School: Head of House (Style), School Praepostor, Captain of Fives, an all rounder and, in every sense, a team player. He also showed a quality which, in addition to his intellectual brilliance, was to come to the surface repeatedly throughout his life: that quality was courage. Amongst his many activities as a schoolboy he was Editor of the school magazine, known as the Chronicle. A harmless enough occupation, you may think. Not when Ian Roberts was at the helm. Perhaps he’d grown tired of his usual contributions to the publication. (He needn’t have done so: they were all fluent and witty and are still a very good read). Be that as it may, he sat down one day, and, fired with anger, launched a blistering, twopage attack on Tilcon Ltd, the owners of Giggleswick Quarry. As an environmental piece, it was about 30 years ahead of its time, deprecating, as it did, the irreversible damage being caused to Giggleswick Scar by quarrying. It was courageous of Ian to write it and it was courageous of the School to print it. The article was taken so seriously by Tilcon that the next Editor of the Chronicle, faced with the threat of legal action, was forced to print Tilcon’s response (and a limp response it was). This was an 18 year old schoolboy who was making his mark.

At Queen’s College, Oxford, Ian made his mark again, going up as an Exhibitioner and coming down three years later with a First in Modern History. His Oxford friends

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(and they were friends for life; many are here today) remember his time there with great affection. He was an assiduous scholar, always well-prepared, always up to speed with his work. And it was at Oxford that he developed further his interest not just in history but in local history, a passion that would remain with him for life. One Oxford friend recalls being invited to stay at the Roberts family home in Settle. He was looking forward to a peaceful few days in, as he saw it, this Yorkshire backwater. His hopes were dashed at 7.00am on his first morning, when Ian banged on his bedroom door, ordering him to get up. There were 27 churches in the Ribble Valley alone, all to be visited and catalogued before lunch.

At Oxford, Ian stood out in more ways than one. A conservative with a small ‘c’ and a capital ‘C’, he did not adopt the long hair, beard and faded denim style of the day. Some say he lived as if the 1960’s and 1970’s had never happened. The evening meal at Queen’s was a choice: either the informal, self-service supper at 6.30, picked up from a counter, or the full, formal dinner in Hall - dress code: jacket and tie and academic gown. No prizes for guessing Ian’s choice. And he was a devoted Royalist. The Queen’s Silver Jubilee fell in 1977, whilst Ian was at Oxford. To mark the occasion, he hung a large portrait of Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh in his College rooms. A couple of his friends, fuelled no doubt by over-refreshment in the College Bar, happened to be alone in his room and happened to see a black marker pen lying nearby. They thought it would be a clever idea to ‘improve’ the Royal portrait with the pen. When Ian discovered this vandalism, to say he was upset would have been like comparing the eruption of Vesuvius to a small firework. With talk of treason and hangings, he hunted down the culprits and extracted from them, under pain of death, an apology, an oath of allegiance to the Crown and a fresh portrait, produced just in time for the Jubilee celebrations. They never said anything disrespectful about the Monarchy again.

Ian could easily have opted for the life of an academic historian but he had always wanted to go into the law. He cruised effortlessly through the qualifying exams and, after spells with the famous Leeds

firms of Simpson Curtis and Booth & Co, settled for partnership with Irwin Mitchell at their Sheffield office and later in London.

His field was corporate work: mergers and acquisitions, company flotations, banking and tax. This was difficult, high-pressure work, done against deadlines, usually in negotiation with the brightest City lawyers of the day. Ian thrived on it. He was brilliant at it but he was different. Don’t forget the Victoria Sponge. On one occasion, armed with the help of just two assistants, he is remembered for taking on a team of 24 lawyers from Clifford Chance, a Golden Circle firm, and coming off the victor. He is remembered, on another occasion, for conducting an all-night negotiation with Slaughter and May, at their offices, with a 7.00am deadline for a Stock Exchange announcement - and infuriating everybody by holding up proceedings with an obscure point of tax law, which at 5.00am they finally agreed he’d been right about all along. Typical Ian. The story didn’t finish there. At 6.55am, 5 minutes before the Stock Exchange deadline, he announced that he had found another error in the agreement. It was another pin drop moment. It took enormous courage to do what Ian did. Again he turned out to be right, although on this occasion, to everyone’s relief, the point was held over and the deal went through.

Ian was a very popular and highly respected member of his legal team. The younger solicitors were particularly grateful to him for his patience and understanding and for the time he took to advise them and help them. As a lawyer, as in every other sphere in which he moved, Ian was plainspeaking, fair-minded, scrupulously honest and, of course, although he would have been the last to say it, frighteningly intelligent. And even when at his busiest at Irwins’ London office, Ian managed to bring something eccentric and familiar to his hi-gloss, hi-tech surroundings. The partners were frankly surprised when he installed in his office a chiming grandfather clock. Asked what on earth he said to people on the telephone when it chimed the hour, he reassured them, “No problem.

I just tell them it’s our well-tested back-up equipment”.

Throughout all this, Ian always remained a Settle man and a Giggleswickian. He served on the Old Giggleswickian Club Committee for over 20 years (3 years as Chairman) and in 2005 he was proud to serve his year as President of the OG Club. In that role, typically, he placed at the heart of his Presidency the importance of the whole Giggleswick community – pupils and former pupils, staff and former staff, Governors and all friends of the school. To him, all were part of the whole. He worked untiringly behind the scenes. It is a little known fact – because he would never have

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publicised it – that during Ian’s Presidential year, whenever an OG died, even one he hadn’t known personally, he not only wrote to the widow but, whenever he could, he paid her a personal visit to extend condolences on behalf of all fellow OGs. As the Quincentenary of the School approached, the Governors wished to commission a new History of the School.

Naturally they wanted to find an accomplished historian who had a special, personal association with the School. They didn’t have to look far. The name Ian Roberts is synonymous with the heritage of Giggleswick School. Ian’s researches into the history of the School have been breathtaking in their scope, meticulous in their detail. He has interviewed scores, if not hundreds, of former Governors, retired members of staff and former pupils, many now very elderly, far and wide; he has searched archives and libraries up and down the land; he has read the minutes of every Governors’ meeting since records began. He has done all this without remuneration, motivated only by his love of history and his love of this place and of the people in it. It is nothing less than a tragedy that Ian has been taken from us just as this work was coming to fruition. We shall do all we can to see that it is completed. His knowledge of Giggleswick was encyclopaedic. It is no exaggeration to say that, with Ian’s death, there died the man who knew more than any other living person about the history of this School. I would go further than that: he knew more than anyone has ever known. We have lost - far, far too soon - a man of immense intellect, a man of quiet modesty, a man of patience and kindness and a great friend. It is not possible, just now, to imagine any Giggleswick event without him. We shall all miss him.

William (Bill) J Spinks (CH/N 66 – 72) died on 7 February 2011, aged 56.

‘Only last September Bill joined the OG Golf Tour in Scotland, and we were extremely privileged to be invited to play at his exclusive club, Archerfield. On the final day of our tour, Bill returned the best card at Longniddry in our annual Roses Match.

Bill has served the OGGS unfailingly since leaving school in the early seventies. He was Captain in 1986, and had won every major trophy at some stage in his career.

An utterly charming and unassuming fellow, you could totally depend on him for his friendship, loyalty and integrity. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him; it is indeed a very sad event in the history of the club. I am sure that every member of the OGGS will share with me a sense of grief, as we pass on our sympathy to his wife and family.’N.W. Jefferies, Captain OGGS David E Butterworth (P 41 – 46) died on 13 February 2011, aged 87.

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Book of Quotations otherwise known as

David Thornton (Staff 63 – 94) died on 18 February 2011, aged 76.

The First Book of David 1

Now then, Philip, do you fancy buying a few hoggets?

2

What’s all this tarryaddle about not working?

3

Butter and jam lurking in the studies.

4

You’re looking pretty compost now.

5

You’re a couple of pothooks.

6

I’ll just nosey along and see how the troops are diddling.

7

Nay, Ainsworth, lad, put that immersion heater down or I’ll perm your hair with it and you’d look a right bobby-dazzler then, eh ?

8

The next time thou dost something wrong, I’ll give you a right bell-ender.

9

You should see little Wimpenny, he’s hunched his shoulders with sunburn so he looks like he’s going into a saloon.

10 There’s a Tanganyikan catfish lurking under that rock somewhere.

11 More meat Tommy, lad? You live like fightingcocks on top table.

12 If you don’t behave yourself lad, I’ll connect you up to this Van der Graff generator.

13 The dial would be fair ragging round.

14 The charge went into the battery, it was jitted up and came out frisky.

15 This may well be over 4 amps. If it is, we’ll just blow the place up, and that’s that.

16 Nay lad, don’t carve up the paintwork with your bread knife.

17 They even use a dotted line for the gubbins between A and B. 18 Have you got this junket squared up?

19 Do you two topers want something to drink?

20 If you need any help dragooning players lad...

21 I see that only you and I are here and no offcumduns.

22 Tell them to cut their junketings short.

23 Walker needs gyping up.

24 When I told them there were no mice, they were foaming at the mouth and gnashing their teeth.

25 Is your motor the same breed as this?

26 There’s no need fulminating about it.

27 Inadvertently broken the latent hook.

28 Give them to me, lad. I’ll use them for firelighters.

29 The maids do not want to heave things onto the bed.

30 Well, I’ll see miladdo then.

31 It’s not often you see us all having a junket.

32 Can you take a bit more trouble about ties, there’s one member whose tie is like a hangman’s noose.

33 There’s no room in these teams for pukka tactics.

34 Every time I think of you lads, three hours in exams and no let-up, I get the screaming abdabs.

35 You can vegetate quite well in those lessons.

36 Comeback in, dog, you’ve had your canter for tonight.

37 Your service is really killer-diller 38 Its not so much your staying up to watch T.V. that bothers me, its the junketings afterwards. There’s too much ranting about after 11 o’clock.

39 Don’t push too hard or you’ll have the whole bag of tricks over.

40 Its you who put the kibosh over the thing.

41 Tell these bodies to get the place spiced up by the evening. If not, heads will roll.

42 Now, then, sober citizens, get yourselves squared up.

A Service of Thanksgiving for David’s life was held in Long Preston Church on 2 March, in front of a packed congregation representing every aspect of his long and outstanding life, including many OGs and former teaching colleagues from Giggleswick.

In addition to family memories from his eldest son, Mark, and stories about ‘Grandad Router’ from his grandson George, David’s old classmate and life-long friend, John Forster, paid him a warm and glowing tribute. He began by wondering whether Mark, Julian and Rebecca had any idea of how outstanding their father had been at school. His nickname was ‘Thor’ and this was entirely appropriate, given the god-like status in which he was held by his contemporaries. John described David as one of the most complete sportsmen ever to come out of Ermysted’s Grammar School, at a time when school sport at Skipton had

a very high reputation. In his first year he won the school cross-country race and went on to win it in every succeeding year, establishing records for the course. His greatest strength, however, was as a supremely gifted miler and half-miler, both at school, regionally and nationally. He proved talented at other events as well, winning both the long jump and the javelin. In addition, he played at centre for a very successful 1stXV and represented Yorkshire Schoolboys U18 XV against Wales.

David was also gifted academically, showing the remarkable ability to succeed at whatever he turned his mind to and winning a place at Christ’s College, Cambridge, to read Natural Sciences. Two years later, following National Service in the RAF, David won the Freshers’ Trials at Cambridge in both the mile and half mile, watched by none other than Harold Abrahams, who then worked for The Times as Athletics Correspondent. David eventually became President of the Cambridge University Athletics Club.

After graduation, he began his teaching career in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, where he also married Shirley, whom he had known since primary school days in Cononley. In 1963 he was appointed to teach physics at Giggleswick. He retired in 1994, which then gave him the time to devote to his love of woodwork and his family’s houses became the beneficiaries of his talents in this sphere as well.

Following John’s tribute, Warwick Brookes also spoke with sincerity and good humour about David’s outstanding contribution to Giggleswick School. He had done so 17 years earlier in The Chronicle, extracts from which follow here: It is a privilege to write a few words about David Thornton, though whatever is written would probably be inadequate to describe his contribution to the School as a member of staff during the last thirty-one years. Actually his association with Giggleswick in one way goes back further still, to the Autumn Term of 1949, when aged 14, David played on the wing for Ermysted’s 1st XV against Giggleswick.

One of his contributions during that match was to cause a diversion amongst the spectators because in the course of the game his rugby shorts became badly torn. In the same academic year, he was also picked to play for Ermysted’s cricket XI against Giggleswick; perhaps, typically, the match was rained off.

So it is nice that David is really a local person, coming from Cononley just beyond Skipton and perhaps it is from that area that David gets his extremely vivid turn of phrase. Soon after he came, word began to filter back to The Chronicle editor of the idiosyncratic remarks emanating from the Physics Laboratory, or games field, or

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Paley. These were duly compiled in The Chronicle on two occasions under the heading “Book of Quotations otherwise known as The First Book of David,” but known colloquially to pupils as “The Sayings of Dick the Lad.” One or two examples spring to mind. “What’s wrong lad?

You've got a face as long as a puddle.”; “This all happens because God made little fishes.”; “Nay, Ainsworth, put that immersion heater down or I’ll perm your hair with it, then you’d look a right bobby dazzler, eh?” My favourite is, “Nay, lad, Nuffield Physics is not about woolly mammoths” -and what could have been said to provoke that retort still baffles me. I remember David telling me that in the immediate aftermath of publication, he became so aware of pupils waiting with pens poised to take down his every word that he nearly stopped talking altogether.

David came here to teach physics. For nearly all his time at Giggleswick, there was a new scientific formula: Phys=IGB+DT, because David and Ian Burgon worked so well together. Physics became one of the most lively and successful departments and was usually the largest in the Sixth Form, pupils voting with their feet to study a subject which stimulated them academically and in which they were likely to gain success at A Level.

But David knew that in a place like this it is necessary to do many other things. He is one of the few people to have coached both the 1st XV and the 1st XI. Also, since 1973, he has been responsible for the playing fields and so the consistent improvement in the quality of our grounds is something else for which we have to thank him.

But the sporting activity for which David will be most remembered is athletics, which with cross-country running, he organised for nearly all his time here. In the early 1960s, athletics was stuck in the dark ages at Giggleswick and I don’t just mean that we were in yards and not metres. It hardly seems credible now, but athletics and Athletic Standards were done in the Spring term, starting in February. There was a cinder track of sorts, the remains of which can still be seen round Top Pitch, measuring some 574 yards, which led to some interesting middle distance races and strange relay starts. Also, unique to Giggleswick I should think, was a straight 220 yards grass track on Eshtons along which people ran in singlet and shorts into the prevailing wind, or often prevailing blizzard, and were sometimes blue with incipient hypothermia at the end of an afternoon’s sporting activity. Well, David soon stopped that; a grass track was marked on Lord’s, athletics moved into the Summer term and became a far more enjoyable, popular and successful pastime, occupying a much higher profile, with

many winners at County level. This reflected David’s expertise as a former President of the Cambridge University Athletics Club.

David was soon involved in Paley as well, first as a wholly admirable House Tutor and then for fifteen years as Housemaster, doing so conscientiously all those things Housemasters do. Paley was a happy, active, slightly eccentric House, successful in many House competitions. In this, as in so many other ways at Giggleswick, David was immensely helped by his wife, Shirley. What a hospitable pair they were and how well they cared for those in their charge, trying to get the best out of them, never totally damning anyone, always ready to see merit in even the most disreputable character.

And all that - teaching, latterly as Head of Department, housemastering, games coaching, grounds, Initial Teacher Training

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in recent years - has taken an enormous amount of time, effort, enthusiasm and dedication. David is known here as a great character, a man of distinction and charm, loyal and devoted to the School, which has indeed been fortunate to have his services.

He is an immensely respected, not to say revered, member of the Common Room who will be much missed. The whole School community at Giggleswick wishes David a lengthy, contented and active retirement, which he has certainly earned.

Warwick Brookes (staff 57 – 96) Brigadier Richard A Weston CEng MIMechE MRAES (CH/St 44 – 51) died on 19 March 2011, aged 76.

Rolls Royce (51-57), REME (57-retirement): Queen’s Jubilee Medal 1977, promoted Brigadier 1985 – Commander of Maintenance at Bielefeld HQ, Germany, Aide de Camp to the Queen 1987.

Is there space for Giggleswick in your will?

Thanks to the support of OGs who have made space for Giggleswick School in their will, we remain one of the country’s finest schools. A Giggleswick education continues to inspire young people with the confidence to go on and make a difference to their communities and the wider world.

Today there are Old Giggleswickians helping to solve many of our world’s most important issues from medical research to climate change. The young people who follow them will doubtless go on to tackle the important issues of the future.

Leaving a gift to Giggleswick in your will cannot solve all the world’s problems, but the young people who benefit from your generosity can.

If you would like to know more about how leaving a gift to Giggleswick can make a real difference to those who follow you please contact the Foundation Director, Andrew Beales.

When the time is right for you, please remember Giggleswick School in your will.

Andrew Beales, abeales@giggleswick.org.uk, 01729 893 008, Giggleswick School, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 0DE, Registered Charity No. 1109826

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Giggleswick 1st VII Rugby – Historic Win! Schools 1st VII makes history as the team wins the Stonyhurst Sevens Tournament for the first time!

Squad: Our semi-final against Shrewsbury was equally tight.

Shrewsbury spent the entire first half pinned in their own 22m as Gigg took a 12-0 half time lead following some outstanding presL6 AD Fradgley (Nowell), PT Reid (Paley), JWS Mitchell sure in defence and attack. Shrewsbury restarted the second half (Shute), AD Shepherd (Shute) and after a great restart scored a try. Possession of the ball is key Y11 JS Beaumont (Shute) in sevens but the excellent restarts from Shrewsbury meant that Gigg found it difficult to secure the ball. Eventually, on the third The 1st VII returned from their last competition of the year with a attempt, Andrew Fradgley took a great restart and from this trophy in hand and by doing so created a little piece of history by possession Gigg scored. The final try saw Gigg victorious with a being the first ever 1st VII team from Giggleswick to win a 24 – 12 score line. The final would see us play against King’s competition.

School Macclesfield, the team that had beaten us comfortably at The Stonyhurst Sevens is a well attended event (20 schools) the Birkenhead tournament earlier in the term. with teams travelling from as far as London to take part.

The worst possible start resulted in a very early score for Giggleswick has done well in the previous two years at the King’s, with some poor competition, reaching defence allowing a soft 7 both the semi-finals and points. Gigg were quick quarter-finals. in their response and The group games saw some excellent handling us play against St saw them back on even Edward’s College terms half way through Liverpool, Audenshaw the first half. A poor School Manchester, mistake off Gigg scrum Mount St Mary’s School ball resulted in a loose Sheffield and Lancaster pass going to the King’s Royal Grammar School. centre who ran in under Gigg started slowly, as the posts to give them a is usually the case, with a 14 - 7 lead. With only 14-all draw against St enough time for one more Edward’s. Gigg had well play in the half, Gigg over their fair share of ball received the kick-off and and territory, but unfortuafter some strong running nately did not take their broke through to even the chances. St Edward’s scores at half-time. The went on to win the Plate minute break gave only competition.

In the enough time for water second and third games, against Audenshaw and Back row, l to r, Joe Mitchell, Alex Shepherd, Jonathan Beaumont, Phil Reid, Andrew Fradgley. and some firm words Front row: David Hickling, Will Davidson (capt), Hugo Muller, Joe Stamper, Fergus Voigt from the coach about the Mount, the team started opportunity that we had in front of us. The second half started with to play with shape, but lapses in concentration helped our both teams playing some great rugby. A break from King’s led to opposition to stay in the games. The final group game was against Joe Stamper being left floored with a bang to his head. The an unbeaten Lancaster team. The disreferee allowed for play to continue and from a subsequent appointment of our Daily Mail fixture penalty King’s scored to take a 21-14 lead. With three minutes to against Lancaster last term provided play Gigg got back on even terms and from the restart kept the team with a much needed focus as possession. Some outstanding handling and a great break from we put in our best VIIs display of the David Hickling saw Gigg take the lead for the first time in the year, winning easily 17-0. game. Solid defence saw out the game and the duck was broken This was our third quarter-final of as the 1st VII secured the School’s first ever sevens trophy. the season and the team was keen to The progress in the Schools Sevens has been very noticeable progress. The game remained close this year. The systems that have been practised over the last three throughout as a gutsy Birkenhead years are now becoming natural for the lads and consequently we team defended well and took their have seen an improvement in our play. The U13’s won this year’s opportunities to score. At half-time Plate Competition at the Terrington Prep. School Sevens; the Birkenhead led 7-0. Two very well U14’s won the Plate at the Kirkham Sevens; our U15’s lost in the worked tries saw Gigg take the lead, Final of the Arnold Sevens and our 1st VII have now achieved but a score by Birkenhead kept them success as the winners at the Stonyhurst College Sevens. All in all in touch. After a scrappy couple of a very successful term on the rugby sevens front! minutes, the game ended with Gigg David Muckalt, Director of Sport winning 14 – 12.

U6

HJR Muller (Morrison), DM Hickling (Paley), JJ Stamper (Paley), WAV Davidson (Shute), FJ Voigt (Shute),