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THE REEDER 2021
#COMMUNITYFORLIFE
THE MAKING OF THIS PLACE CALLED COBHAM Sam Brandon (Capel 2008)
In April 2021, we celebrated 75 years of Reed’s moving from Totnes (where it had been evacuated during the War) to its present-day Sandy Lane site. In commemoration, we put together a docufilm which really brought the OR and School community together in so many ways. Here’s one perspective from Sam Brandon (Capel 2008) whose production company, Frisson Creative, worked expertly on the film to bring it to life.
This place called Cobham…Reed’s School… somewhere I was fortunate enough to attend for seven years. A School that taught me values, gave me confidence, and the place where I made friends for life. I have always been thankful for what Reed’s provided me, both personally and professionally, so I was especially thrilled to be asked to stand on the Old Reedonian Committee in 2018, having always been keen to give back to the School wherever possible. It was at the start of 2020 when the School’s 75thyear anniversary at Cobham was discussed, but it wasn’t until later that year, after COVID struck, that plans were put in place to make a documentary of four-to- five minutes. However, after meetings with, and guidance from Andy Wotton (Mullens 1975) and Sharmaine in pre-production, it soon became apparent that to capture the story properly, this would just not be long enough. Thinking back to those earlier sessions, this guidance was hugely important in the framing of the film.
