OA Bulletin Summer 2016

OA BULLETIN Old Albanian Club

June 2016

Wing Commander Martin Lowe OA: Inspecting Officer at the CCF’s Biennial Inspection

Highs and Lowe

OA CLUB www.oldalbanianclub.com President Mike Hodge

07774 161624

mike@mikehodge.co.uk Secretary David Buxton

01727 840499

Davidbuxton36@gmail.com Treasurer David Hughes

07701 027881 hughespost@hotmail.co.uk Membership Secretary Roger Cook

01727 836877

Rogercook@btinternet.co.uk OA SPORTS RUGBY www.oarugby.com President Richard Milnes

07940 255355 richard.milnes@oarugby.com Chairman Rusty Osman

07976 292737

rustio@hotmail.com Treasurer Rick Powdrell

07795 200125 rpowdrell@sky.com Secretary Peter Lipscomb

01727 760466 peter.lipscomb@oarugby.com Mini Chairman Mike Fisher

mikefisher2001@hotmail.com Junior Chairman Ian Tomlins

07867 971585 juniorchairman.oarugby@yahoo.co.uk OA Saints Chairperson Kate Barnes 07841 706250 Oasaints@gmail.com FOOTBALL www.oasoccer.co.uk Club President Simon Bates & Manager 07720 383600 01442 240247 Treasurer David Hughes & Club Secretary 07890 831315

2

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Sponsorship Secretary

01727 769237 dh@sherrards.com David Burrows 07841 431614

CRICKET www.oacc.org.uk President Tony Dalwood 07958 522261 adalwood@yahoo.com Chairman Richard Morgan

01727 843844 richard.morgan50@btinternet.com Treasurer Richard Ransley

07878 499432 richransley@gmail.com Secretary Alison Finley

01727 853985 ajfinley@ntlworld.com TENNIS Membership Enquiries Maureen Harcourt

07710 270361

m.harcourt@ntlworld.com OTHERS Rifle & Pistol

Angling

Golf

Andrew Wilkie 01202 424190 Andrew.Wilkie@ymail.com Geoff Cannon 01727 861622 /01582 792512 cannon.morgan@btconnect.com Peter Dredge 015827 834572 pjdredge42@aol.com

OA LODGE Assistant Secretary

John Williams 01438 715679 johntwilliams@talktalk.net

SCHOOL www.st-albans.herts.sch.uk

OA COMMENT

O A C O N TA C T

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Editorial

Improving with age

matter of advancing age, my own class of 1975 are approaching their “Age,” wrote Mark Twain, “is an landmark 60th birthdays later this issue of mind over matter. If you year. To celebrate and commiserate don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” in equal measure, a gang of us will Our most venerable OA, John be attending this year’s OA dinner Meulkens, is the living embodiment in September. Among those already of this sentiment. Born in 1918, confirmed are Colin Wray, Steve a mere eight years after the Smith, Peter Land, Gareth Thomas, death of the famous Rob Pickles, Richard American author, he is Parrack, Adrian approaching his 98th All proceeds from Harmer, Mike Lethem, birthday in August Ian Waterman, and with his usual energy John Meulkens Mark Waller. We’re and optimism. As still trying to track John describes in his latest book, a down more of our letter on page 23, his year group – if anyone retirement years – 35 history of the reading this would and counting – have like to join us or can been the busiest and piano, will be provide any contact most rewarding of details, please e-mail his fascinating life, me at the address on donated to the decorated with a page 4. colourful palette of St Albans School We are looking artistic endeavours forward to seeing the from painting and Foundation old place again. As piano playing to art I’ve noted in previous collecting and writing. issues, the buildings And in a generous gesture towards and furniture in 1975 were a his beloved old school, all proceeds curious mixture of old and new, from his latest book, a history of with Edwardian desks and freezing the piano, will be donated to the St outside lavatories co-existing with a Albans School Foundation (see page new dining room and School hall. In 26). his Headmaster’s report on page 8, Continuing on the delicate Jonathan Gillespie describes another

DIARY DATES

Founders’ Day – Saturday 2nd July 2016 OA Dinner – Friday 23rd September 2016 School Carol Service – Wednesday 14th December 2016 3

OA COMMENT

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Nick Chappin Editor Andy Chappin Design & Production Printing

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

President’s Notes outstanding term of achievement season (page 34), and acknowledge across the academic, sporting and their vital role in providing a artistic spectrum, with yet more new conveyor belt of talent for the building work planned. senior sides. As many of you will Sadly, old age has caught up with know, the First XV has regained several more OAs in the past few its place in National League One months. One particularly colourful after a scintillating play-off win character that caught my eye was against Sedgley Park in May, and Major John Semken, who left the Communications Officer Paul Plant School in 1938 and has reports on a club in died aged 95. He was excellent shape at all The OA Rugby awarded an MC and the levels.

American Silver Star in Finally, I would like mini and junior 1944, and subsequently to welcome the new OA had a successful career Club President Mike sections continue Hodge, who is following at the Bar and with the Home Office. You can in the footsteps of to grow, and read more about his his predecessor Alan exploits in an obituary Philpott in taking an the minis alone reproduced from the active and enthusiastic Daily Telegraph on and active role in the page 21. have over 500 Bulletin by securing Among the OA sponsorship and registered sporting fraternity, age eliciting contributions. is also becoming an My thanks, as always, members! issue for some of the to all the regular clubs. The angling club contributors, I will end in particular is keen to with my usual request attract some younger members (see to all readers to continue to send in page 36), and the golf society also their stories, anecdotes, memories issues an appeal for golfers of all and views, either by post or e-mail standards and ages to join in the fun to me or to the School Development (page 36).

Office. Enjoy the summer!

On a more youthful note, the OA Nick Chappin (75) Rugby mini and junior sections Editor continue to grow, and the minis alone have over 500 registered members! Their respective chairmen report on another hugely successful

Only helping out n As new OA Club President Mike Hodge takes up the reins, we say goodbye to two committee stalwarts: Nick Barnes and Brian Sullman

It is with a certain amount of trepidation that I find myself stepping into the shoes of Alan Philpott who has done such a magnificent job as President of the Old Albanian Club for the last three years. It has to be said that when I played cricket for the OAs with Alan all those years ago on the Beech Bottom wicket, never did I ever imagine I would be in the batting line up for the Presidential gong! And here I am.

My time at the school was September 1958 to July 1965 and I had an inspiring time. “Inspiring” is exactly the right word.

I played a huge amount of sport and made some wonderful friends, most of whom I still see. The sport probably affected my academic results but all those years

ago, it did not really matter. I taught myself to play guitar at School – hence the photograph of me busking outside the Cross Keys pub in Harpenden (see below).

I have a hat to collect the coins, which are subsequently sent off to one of three local cancer hospices with whom I am involved.

I have been involved with the Club – coaching mini and junior rugby – in the past but I was a hockey player. I guess my only regret is that I did not start an Old Albanian Hockey Club, but that would be another story.

I am really looking forward to my time as President and I hope I serve the Club well. Alan Philpott has achieved an amazing amount in his tenure and I only hope I can emulate him.

I have attended, in December 2015, the School Carol Concert in the Abbey.

There was some stunning music and I was so impressed with the fact that the Headmaster was sporting a brilliant pair of red socks! The Carol Concert is a wonderful occasion and in the most New OA President Mike Hodge busking outside the Cross Keys pub in Harpenden

Herts & Beds Printing 01923 234959

4

Please send your contributions to: Nick Chappin, Editor Post: 18 The Pleasance, Harpenden, Herts AL5 3NA Email: nick@chappin.co.uk

5

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

beautiful of venues. There was a London Drinks party in early March held at the East India Club. I missed this as I was on a long arranged holiday but my predecessor stepped in to the breach and made everyone welcome. The event was very well organised by the School’s Development Office (Chris Harbour and Kate Gray). Thank you.

Coming up we have the 50th celebrations for those lads who left in the summer of 1966, including golf, dinners, and tours of the School. We have the Old Albanian Presidents’ Summer Garden Party and an Old Albanian Legends of Cricket match at Woollams at the end of June. There is also School Leavers, Founders Day and a Lords Taverner’s Cricket match. The diary is really packed!

In my view, the OA Bulletin goes from strength to strength. It will continue to be published twice a year and the format will be largely the same. As previous Presidents have done before me, I am asking for anyone with connections with the School or Old Albanian Club to consider submitting an article on something relevant to the organisation. Our grateful thanks go to Nick and Andy Chappin for their hard work on the Bulletin.

Sports clubs I have watched some of the 1st XV rugby matches this season under the inspirational leadership of “Shanners”. The rugby played is wonderful – it is a style of game with which I was never familiar. As I said, I was a hockey player and, in my youth, I would turn out for the Extra Bs at Beech Bottom if the hockey matches had been called off on the Saturday morning. I suppose that was a 4th or 5th team. Much

6

Guard of honour: Minis welcome the 1st XV pitchside trundling about with a very heavy ball, in deep mud, with boots weighing a ton.

Today’s Old Albanian 1st XV in full flow is a fantastic sight – I congratulate all the guys involved in the Club. There is more in the Bulletin on their season.

Cricket has started though, as I write this, it is another cold and damp day.

The weather will improve and there will be runs scored, wickets taken and tense competition at Woollams during the summer.

The Golf, Tennis, Shooting and Angling Societies continue to offer the Old Albanians the opportunity to be with like-minded souls. The organisers of these societies are to be supported.

The Committee No sooner had I become President at the December 2015 AGM than Nick Barnes retired as OA Sports Association Secretary and Brian Sullman retired as OA Club Treasurer! I don’t think their resignations had anything to do with my appointment!

My Presidential notes would not be in any way complete without a huge vote of thanks to those two individuals who have both been involved with the development of the Old Albanian Club for many years. I think it would be true to say that the Old

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Albanians would not have the fantastic facilities they have today had it not been for the energies and application of Nick and Brian. The Club hosted a dinner of thanks to them in February at Woollams.

It was an excellent evening although neither Nick nor Brian wanted “any fuss made” as it “was all part of being an Old Albanian”. Nick became Secretary of the Old Albanian Ground Sub-Committee at the age of 20 in 1968. I guess he was too young and impressionable to say “no” to his persuaders. He then became Secretary of the Old Albanian Sports Association in 1977. As a reward(!), he was made President of the Club in 1993 and Secretary in 1994.

With the use of a high-powered calculator, I have worked out that Nick has been “Secretary” in one way or another for 47 years so he is probably due a rest!

The Old Albanian Club is, without doubt, a complicated organisation with Trusts and charities in the matrix. Nick has spent, probably, thousands of hours on getting the structure right. No tribute that I could write could do justice to what he has achieved over the years. All I can do is to thank him most sincerely from all the Old Albanians. He has achieved an extraordinary Sports Club.

Brian became the Treasurer of the OA Club in the year of the Old Albanian Centenary in 1992, and he has been Treasurer ever since! I think I make that 25 years and the Club owes Brian a huge debt of gratitude for keeping it afloat through some very difficult times in those years.

The move from Beech Bottom to Woollams has been, as one would expect, not without its “challenges”.

Both Nick and Brian have worked tirelessly over the years to provide us with

the facilities we have today. We are so fortunate to have had two such committed Committee Members. The Woollam facilities are the envy of many other clubs.

Thank you so much is not enough but, as Nick and Brian would say, “we were only helping out”.

We, as a Committee, have been able to fill both these roles which I have found really encouraging. Alan Philpott, your recently retired President, has taken on the role of Secretary of the Old Albanian Sports Association and David Hughes (OA Cricket) has taken on the mantle Old Albanian Club Treasurer. I would like to thank all the committee members for their commitment to the Club.

So, as you will read later on in this Bulletin, the Old Albanian Club is in good heart. The clubhouse is buzzing with the minis and juniors on a Sunday morning. All the sides are winning all sorts of trophies, and Ladies Rugby goes from strength to strength. There is always a great turnout for the important games.

The social side of the Club is buoyant as well and I would like to express my thanks to Paul Watkins, Alex Jackson, Jen Cooke, Fiona Campbell and all the staff for making everyone so welcome at the clubhouse. I have, in the past few months, enjoyed several social evenings at Woollams with a sit-down meal. The chef, Keith Burke, is providing some really excellent fare.

In closing, may I take this opportunity to wish all of you a splendid summer with plenty of time for relaxation. I shall be reporting further towards the end of this year.

Mike Hodge President

7

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Headmaster’s Notes

Star performers n Jonathan Gillespie looks back on a Spring term of notable artistic achievement and sporting excellence

It is, as ever, a pleasure to respond to the request to pen a biannual update for the OA Bulletin. I write this in the first week of the Summer Term: the School has got quickly back into the swing of things after the holiday, helped by some wonderful spring sunshine, and we look forward to the busy weeks ahead.

Readers may be interested in news of staff changes this year as some of the names that follow will be well-known to recent vintages of OAs. In December we

said farewell to Mr Ian Black who left the Economics Department to take up a post at Tonbridge School and to Mrs Sue Offord (Biology) who decided not to return from her maternity leave. Mr Bruce Balden, Mr Chris and Mrs Sue Hudson, Mrs Melanie Jardine, Mr Tim Jenkins, Mr Mark Pedroz, Mr David Richards and Mrs Hilary Swain are retiring at the end of this term, and others are moving to pastures new: Mrs Tracey Black (to Durham School), Mr Jordan Blaxill (to Canada), Miss Bethany Nichols (to begin a PhD), Mrs Dhara Patel (to Jumeirah College, Dubai), Mr David Payne (to be Head of Sixth Form at Victoria College, Jersey), Mrs Allison Puranik (to be Head of English at Stowe School), Mr Tom Robinson (to City of London School for Boys) and Mr Tom Ross (to be Head of Rugby at Exeter School).

Defensive Wall: Senior and U15 footballers on tour in Valencia during February half-term

8

Memorable: The School’s production of Into the Woods in November

I am sure OAs will wish to join me in wishing them all the very best for the future.

Mrs Sue Barnes continues to be very sadly missed by her many friends and colleagues here. Her life was fittingly celebrated in a service in the Lady Chapel of the Abbey in early December at which there was standing room only. Dr Pines, the Chaplain, led the service and the Choir’s fine singing, something that Sue loved, added tremendously to the occasion as did the reception held in the Hall afterwards.

During the Spring Term my senior colleagues and I were busy with the recruitment of new members of staff. We are delighted with the calibre of candidates we have attracted and subsequently appointed. I am pleased to announce two internal appointments at this stage: Mr Martin Langston, currently Assistant Director of Sport, will succeed Mr Hudson as Director of Sport; and Mr Chris Johnston will take over from Mr Payne as Head of Geography.

School groups have travelled widely in

recent months. In the February half term week language exchange trips journeyed to France (Chambéry) and Germany (Usingen) and the senior and U15 footballers to Spain (Valencia). The Easter holiday saw several D of E practice expeditions at both Silver and Gold levels (with the stormy weather adding significantly to the characterbuilding nature of these ventures for some of the groups!), trips to Spain (Santander) and France (Normandy), the ski trip to Vermont, the cricket and tennis camp at Millfield and pre-season training on home turf, all of them enjoyable and successful in their different ways.

The highlight of this year’s Performing Arts calendar was undoubtedly Mr Blaxill and Mr Stout’s collaboration on the production of Into the Woods which resulted in memorable performances of a demanding show in November. Warm congratulations are extended to all members of the cast and crew as well as to all who performed in the many other excellent music and drama events during this year: the two Carol services, the Autumn Concert, the Chamber Concert,

9

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Sax appeal: performers at the Jazz Evening displayed a wealth of musical talent

High hopes: Wing Commander Martin Lowe OA reviewing the CCF at Woollams for the Biennial Inspection

the Spring Concert, the Music Award Holders’ Concerts (in the plural for the first time given the wealth of musical talent in the School), the Joint Schools’ Concert, the Jazz Evening, the Shakespeare Schools’ Festival and assessed performances for GCSE and A Level Drama are all worthy of a congratulatory mention.

Schools’ Cup. Our team gave an excellent account of themselves in the final, frustrating a strong Haileybury side for much of the encounter. A long toll of injuries had an adverse effect on results in other 1st XV matches, but the season culminated in two hard-fought wins against local opposition, ensuring a victorious conclusion to the term. Many successes were celebrated by other teams during the term, with younger year groups achieving a ‘clean sweep’ of victories and significant points tallies on several occasions, including against some traditionally strong rugby schools. The future of SAS rugby therefore appears bright as boys progress into older year groups. Following their performances in this year’s U15 NatWest Schools’ Cup competition, Cameron Furley and Ayo Olukoton have been selected in the 15-strong academy squad that meets at England’s training base at Pennyhill Park on 22 May. Congratulations go to our swimming

James Lear singing in Young Musician of the Year

10

The School was well represented in the St Albans Young Musician of the Year competition: Thomas Dilley, William Drake, William Foxton, Arjun Kolli and James Lear put in performances of exceptional quality in the finals with Thomas’ organ playing being chosen by the adjudicators as the winner of his event.

We have this year instituted new awards so that achievements and contributions in the performing arts receive similar recognition to those in sport: the first awards of colours for drama and music were made in January.

The CCF gave an excellent account of itself at its Biennial Inspection held at Woollams on a day of glorious March sunshine. It was a great pleasure to welcome Wing Commander Martin Lowe RAF OA back to the School as the Inspecting Officer.

The Autumn Term’s sporting headlines featured the 1st XV’s successful run to reach the final of the Hertfordshire

and skiing teams on their successes in national finals during the Autumn. With our squads in these sports featuring several younger pupils competing in older age categories there is good potential for future development. The netball team fared well during the Autumn Term, recording pleasing wins against local competitors

Bright future: Ayo Olukoton selected for England

11

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Shooting star: Hamish Tyler (on left), selected to shoot for Hertfordshire in the Home Counties match against New Zealand

Internationals: South East School title winners represented England at the World Schools’ Cross Country Championships in Budapest. They came a very creditable 7th out of 25 countries competing and enjoying close-fought encounters with the usual rivals. The cross country team has also been on good form, successfully defending the King’s Trophy and the Haskell Cup, winning the Harrow Ten Schools’ race and coming a close second in the Judge Cup and our own SAS Relays.

After retaining the South East Schools’ title in their final outing of the Spring Term, they had the honour of representing England at the World Schools’ Cross Country Championships in Budapest at the start of this term. With 25 countries competing they secured a very creditable 7th place.

The lacrosse team made very encouraging progress during the Spring

12

Term, finishing with pleasing victories against Oakham (15-0) and St James’ (115). The hockey 1st XI also finished their season on a high, winning the inaugural St Albans Hockey Club U18 tournament. They recorded some good wins during the term (7-0 v Aldenham, 2-0 v Haberdashers’, 4-1 v Watford Grammar), but in other fixtures they struggled to score goals, resulting in drawn matches that might otherwise have been won (1-1 v The Leys and Haileybury, 0-0 v Dulwich).

As in rugby, the promise shown by younger teams is encouraging.

The shooting team has had a successful year to date, retaining the Hertfordshire Schools’ Trophy (The Emsall) for the sixth

year running and entering several teams in the British Schools’ small-bore competition.

The Captain of Shooting, Hamish Tyler, was selected to shoot for Hertfordshire in the Home Counties match against New Zealand.

The first week of the Summer Term has seen the cricket 1st XI get their season off to a strong start with victories against Forest School (by 9 wickets), Dr Challoner’s Grammar School (by 6 wickets) and Haileybury (by 83 runs), against whom our A teams from U12 to U15 level all enjoyed convincing wins.

I am pleased to be able to announce that the School has recently submitted a planning application to replace the existing one-storey CCF building (located between Aquis Court and the Sports Centre) with an exciting new building which will provide a bespoke home for the Mathematics Department on the upper ground and first floors with improved facilities for the CCF on the lower ground floor. This new facility will enable us to create a centre of mathematical excellence, providing the space needed to accommodate the increasing numbers choosing to study mathematics and further mathematics in the sixth form as well as supporting our

ability to further our partnership links with local schools. This will, in turn, permit the current mathematics classrooms to be converted into additional science laboratories, thereby resolving another current space challenge for the School.

The £5m cost of the new mathematics/CCF building has been pledged in full by a very generous OA, so we are hoping that the planning process works promptly in our favour. I look forward to sharing further news about this exciting project with you in due course.

Amongst other, more modest, developments the 1928 block in the Upper Yard has been refurbished. These four classrooms, used mainly by the English department, now feature state-of-theart teaching walls in addition to the much-needed refreshment of the interior decoration.

We wish all our examination candidates the very best of fortune over the coming two months. As they begin their final term here, particular good wishes go to upper sixth formers for success with both their A level grades and their conditional UCAS offers. It won’t be long before your President is welcoming more than 140 new members into the ranks of the OA Club at the Leavers’ Graduation on the final day of June.

I look forward to welcoming a good number of you back to the events we are hosting for OAs over the coming months, and we hope that our website and other digital media enable you to keep up to date with the School’s news.

With warm good wishes from the Abbey Gateway, Jonathan Gillespie Headmaster

13

O A U P D AT E

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

14

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

OA Lodge

Past masters n OA Lodge Assistant Secretary John Williams reports on the Installation of Master Elect, Alex Bain-Stewart as he follows in his father’s footsteps

The Lodge year duly commenced at the Installation meeting on 14th May when the outgoing Master of the Lodge, Chris Whiteside installed the Master Elect, Alex Bain-Stewart as the 89th Master, ably assisted by the Master Elect’s father, Alex Bain-Stewart JP. The new Master then appointed his officers for the coming year. This year the ceremony was somewhat shorter than usual because Alex was already a ‘Past Master’. Alex became a Joining member of the OA Lodge in 2009, having been initiated into Freemasonry in January 1996, into Farringdon-Without Lodge no.

1745 in the City by his father, who also installed him as Master of that Lodge in 2013.

Alex entered St Albans School in 1993, at the same time as Andrew Grant was appointed Headmaster, and a time of great change within the School. Never a sports enthusiast, his primary interests were computers and classic cars, two themes that have dominated his life since that time. On leaving in 1997, a brief but – in his words: “disastrous spell in further education” - resulted in his decision to pursue a career in IT without the assistance of the halls of academia. Several years were spent in IT support without any real

impact on the world. Very sadly, a few years after he was initiated into Farringdon-Without Lodge Alex lost his long-term partner to illness, and Freemasonry provided much support and kindness, as indeed it had to his father on the loss of Alex’s mother some years previously. In addition to a career change into the transport industry, Alex has become increasingly involved with Freemasonry with its founding principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. Alex was proposed as a member of the Old Albanian Lodge in 2009 by the late Alan Smith, the pipe-smoking computing teacher and like many we remember from our school days, is sadly missed by those that knew him.

Alex Bain-Stewart

Another past member who is remembered with great affection is the late Geoff Goodman and one of his pet projects was the Goose and Gridiron Society. This was formed in 1995 for research into Masonic taverns, and so on. The aim is to meet in pubs with Masonic connections, enjoy a few beers and record details of the building for posterity. The society is named after the alehouse at which Grand Lodge first met in 1717, and the Chairman in 2005 was one Geoffrey Goodman, the year that he was the Master of the Old Albanian Lodge. On 15th June 2005 an historic Masonic event took place in the shadow of St Paul’s when the Lord Mayor of London, Michael Savory, together with representatives of the United Grand Lodge of England, unveiled a blue plaque to commemorate the site of the world’s first Grand Lodge of Freemasons.

The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor, Alderman Michael Savory, said at the unveiling: “On St John’s Day, 24th June 1717, the first Masonic Grand Lodge was founded very close to this site. Four London Lodges which met at various alehouses – the Goose & Gridiron in St Paul’s Churchyard, the Crown, Parkers Lane, the Apple Tree, Covent Garden and the Rummer & Grapes, Channel Row, grouped together under the first Grand Master, ‘a gentlemen’, one Anthony Sayer, with jurisdiction over the cities of London and Westminster. Many thanks are due to the Goose and Gridiron Society

Left to right: Geoffrey Goodman, Alderman Michael Savory, and Peter Lowndes, Deputy Grand Master

for organising this important plaque, and for all your work in researching and documenting establishments where Lodges used to meet, mainly ale and coffee houses. It is much appreciated. I am very pleased to unveil this plaque marking the birth of the Masonic Lodges as we know them.”

When the members of the four London Lodges met on St John’s Day in 1717, they could not have imagined the impact that meeting would have on the world of Freemasonry. These Lodges, which formed the first Grand Lodge in the world, had been in existence for many years. Indeed, three of these Lodges still meet in Freemasons’ Hall, London, and they are known today as the Time Immemorial Lodges. Although the Tercentenary falls on 24th June 2017, it was agreed within the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) to hold the major celebration on 31st October of that year, thereby giving a window of 16 months

15

O A U P D AT E

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street, London

16

(from the start of the 300th year) for UGLE, Provinces and Districts to host events. Every Province and several Districts have already outlined their plans. Totalling over 80 events, the most popular are Services of Thanksgiving; many in the great Cathedrals across England and Wales including St Albans, as well as fetes and fun days, dinners and balls. UGLE-organised events include organ concerts in association with Supreme Grand Chapter, the opening of a garden at the National Arboretum, classic vehicle rallies across England, and a Grand Ball in Freemasons’ Hall.

On the steps of Freemasons’ Hall, paving stones will be laid to recognise the sacrifices of those awarded the Victoria Cross. Sixty Freemasons who were awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War will be named in the engravings. This follows a national initiative and will take place on the anniversary of five Freemasons winning the VC on the same day in the month of April.

As part of the Tercentenary celebrations the Masonic Charitable Foundation will be asking Provinces to nominate national charities to receive substantial sums of money to support their future work.

Preparations for the celebrations in the Royal Albert Hall and the associated theatrical extravaganza are well under way. Invitations have been sent to Grand Lodges recognised by UGLE. With around 4,200 places available, it is likely that Provinces such as Hertfordshire will receive invitations on a 1/70 ratio with its membership. A streaming of the event will be available, with a rough-cut version ready for that evening and a professionally edited copy on-line by the end of the week.

The banquet following the event at the Royal Albert Hall will be held at Battersea Evolution and those who are lucky enough to get one of the 2,000 places will be taken by coach and after dinner returned to transport hubs for onward movement to home. The special meal with champagne and wines will be a fitting finale to what will be a special day.

The Province of Hertfordshire will be celebrating 300 years of Grand Lodge with a number of events during the course of 2017, the plans of which are already complete. There will be a Service of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans on Sunday 18th June 2017.

This will follow the format of the very popular bi-annual services where members of the Province,

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

with their friends and families, can join the Provincial Grand Master, his Executive, and the Dean of Saint Albans in a Service of Thanksgiving for the preservation of the United Grand Lodge of England and Freemasonry over the last 300 years.

Following the inaugural Family Fun Day being held this year, Hertfordshire is joining with the Province of Middlesex in 2017 to stage an even larger event, featuring a wide variety of stalls and attractions, with live music and fireworks later in the evening.

This ‘Grand’ Family Fete and Fun Day will be held in the beautiful surroundings of the Royal Masonic School for Girls at Rickmansworth on Saturday 22nd July 2017, and will be a wonderful day out for the whole family.

Hertfordshire has been invited to participate in an Inter-Provincial Sporting Challenge, together with Middlesex, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Individuals or teams will compete in a number of different events: golf, quiz, bowls, motorcycle run, cycling, running, shooting, fishing, car rally, boxing and tug-of-war. Anyone interested in participating should email sportingchallenge@pglherts. org and their details will be passed on to the appropriate Provincial Representative.

Masonic centres in Hertfordshire are also being invited to host open days, inviting members of the public to visit the building and have a guided tour of the Temple, with a

short explanation of Freemasonry, and its aims and activities. This will provide an opportunity to better connect with each local community.

To conclude the festivities in Hertfordshire, the Provincial Grand Master will preside over a Celebratory Banquet which will be held shortly after 31st October 2017. During the evening, edited highlights of the UGLE event at the Royal Albert Hall will be shown, enabling those who were not present to witness this very special and historic occasion.

The Lodge meets only five times a year on the second Saturdays in January, March, May and September and the first Saturday in November.

All those connected with the School, including fathers of past or present pupils are welcome to apply for membership, for which purpose the first approach should be to any Lodge member, the Assistant Secretary as below; or Nigel WoodSmith or Mark Pedroz at the School. Members of other Lodges, be they OAs, parents of past or present pupils, staff or Governors are encouraged to visit the Lodge whenever they wish, and the Secretary or Assistant Secretary will be delighted to hear from them.

John Williams Lodge Assistant Secretary johntwilliams@talktalk.net

A meeting of the United Grand Lodge of England will be held in the Royal Albert Hall on 31st October 2016

17

O A U P D AT E

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

School Development Office

Membership Secretary’s Notes

Diary dates

Write away

Founders’ Day All OAs are warmly invited to join our Founders’ Day celebrations, which this year will fall on Saturday 2nd July. The Commemoration Service will take place in the Abbey at 10.45am where the preacher will be The Reverend Canon Richard Watson, Sub Dean of The Abbey and Cathedral Church of St Alban. We would be delighted if you could join us for a drinks reception after the Service. Please do let us know if you are planning on joining us, either by e-mail to development@st-albans. herts.sch.uk or call 01727 515 178.

There will also be a gathering of OAs who left School between 1986 and 1996, for their ‘Gaudy’ reunion. The reunion includes attending the Service in the Abbey, followed by lunch, drinks and tours

Founders’ Day Commemoration Service will take place in the Abbey

18

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

of the School. In the afternoon OAs are welcome to come along to Woollams and enjoy an afternoon of sport. We regret that partners and families cannot be included in the Abbey service or lunch due to limited space, however they will be welcome to join us for School Tours with prefects and in the Pavilion at Woollams. If you are interested in attending please contact Chris Harbour in the Development Office at development@st-albans.herts.sch. uk or call 01727 515187.

25 Year Anniversary OA Netball Tournament, in memory of Sue Barnes This year we are delighted to be celebrating our 25th anniversary of welcoming girls into the Sixth Form. We will be organising a netball tournament between female OAs and the current netball squad on Saturday 17th September. We will be holding the tournament in memory of Sue Barnes, who sadly passed away in November 2015. Sue was instrumental and passionate about organising the Netball Tournament in the years she worked at the School. Netball matches will take place from 2pm at Woollams followed by School tours and a champagne reception tea at 4pm here at the School.

If you are interested in either playing in the OA team (all ages and abilities) and/or the champagne reception then please contact Hannah Nelson at hnelson@stalbans.herts.sch.uk.

n Membership Secretary Roger Cook makes a plea for more contributions to the OA Bulletin from club members

As always, we need your help by providing letters, (short or long – but not too long!) and photographs of interest to other OAs. So, get your pencils out and send me or Nick

Chappin something!

A few OA colleagues meet for lunch at the Cross Keys, Gustard Wood on the last Friday of each month. If you would like to join us come along at about 1 o’clock.

I have a few OA bow ties (not pretied) at £13 including postage.

Roger Cook Membership Secretary

Old Albanian Blazers l As usual, we maintain a stock of the OA blazers in the shop at Woollams and the price is still £120.00. These are quite unique and many members wear them with pride at OA events at Woollams and away fixtures. They are also popular with members around the world and are worn as “smart casual” at many different types of occasion. The shop is open on 1st XV home match days but if you are interested and are unable to visit the shop, we can offer mail order at a UK mainland surcharge of £12.50, overseas mail cost on application.

The sizes in stock will change, of course, and we can only afford to hold a limited number of sizes but if you would like to email your jacket size and fit (short, regular, long) we will let you know if we have stock. Where we do not have your size, we will look at adding it to the next manufacturing run.

For stock, ordering and payment details, please e-mail the Club Secretary, David Buxton, at Davidbuxton36@gmail.com. If you already have a blazer, why not e-mail in a photo of you wearing it at an event other than those held at Woollams that we can publish in the Bulletin – especially those members overseas?

Ladies’ blazers are also now available.

19

OA GAZETTE

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

De Fortunis Albanorum Deaths It is with regret that the following deaths are announced: l John Semken (39) died on 8th March 2016 at the age of 95. An obituary from the Daily Telegraph is reproduced below. l Brian Edgar Moody (43) died on 20th December 2015 at the age of 90.

A short obituary appears below. l Ian Nelsey (47) passed away peacefully on 21st March 2016. l John Josling (48) died on 5th January 2016. A memorial service was held in St Alban’s Abbey on Friday 22nd January and an obituary will appear in the next edition. l Joseph Windsor (50) died in December 2015. l Charles Samphier (56) died of a heart attack on 3rd February 2016. l Peter Gore (64) died at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Greenwich on 20th March 2016 following postoperation complications. l Gerald Bevan, who taught at the School from 1979 to 1993, died on 30th April 2016. A gathering of friends to share memories will be held in the summer. For further details please contact Wendy Davies on 07766 978414 or e-mail elizabeth308@btinternet.com

20

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

l Sue Barnes, long-serving and much-loved School secretary, passed away peacefully on 20th November 2015 with her family at her side. A service to celebrate her life was held in the Lady Chapel of St Albans Abbey on Wednesday 9th December, followed by a reception in the New Hall, St Albans School. A tribute to Sue appears as part of the OA Tennis Club Secretary’s report on page 37, and a 25 Year Anniversary OA Netball Tournament will be held in her memory on Saturday 17th September (see page 18).

Obituary l Brian Edgar Moody Brian was born in St Albans and spent most of his life here. On leaving the School in 1943 he volunteered for the army and was commissioned into the Royal Horse Artillery with whom he served in India and Egypt. He then read Natural Sciences with Part II Physics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

On graduating, he took a research job with United Glass in SE London, but the company moved their research and development department to larger premises in St Albans!

So, with his wife Kathleen, Brian came back for a further 50 years, until his death on 20th December 2015 at the age of 90. Brian was a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and an Honorary Fellow of the Society of Glass Technology.

Obituary l John Douglas Semken Major John Semken, who has died aged 95, was awarded an MC and the American Silver Star in 1944; he subsequently had a successful career at the Bar and with the Home Office.

On 11th June 1944, shortly after landing in Normandy, the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry’s Regimental HQ was in a farmyard at St Pierre, near Tilly, when it took a direct hit from an artillery shell. The CO was killed and Semken assumed command of A Squadron from his role as technical adjutant – in which he had re-equipped SRY from scratch as an amphibious armoured regiment for D-Day. On 26th June, the second day of the battle for Fontenay-le-Pesnel, the regiment was ordered to attack south. Semken was leading his squadron through the village to his start line when he came face to face with a Tiger tank. He immediately ordered his gunner to fire. He fired four shots before the Tiger was able to retaliate, knocking out the tank.

A and B Squadrons’ advance was then held up by enemy tanks which attacked in strength to their front and from their left flank.

The Germans were dazzled by the setting sun and the reflections off their hulls made them easier to spot.

Semken exploited this and deployed his squadron with such skill that he knocked out eight tanks and reached the village of Rauray without a single loss to his own force. He was

awarded an Immediate MC. John Douglas Semken was born in London on 9th January 1921 and educated at St Albans School. In 1938, he was articled to Sir Louis Gluckstein of Bartletts & Gluckstein, a London firm of solicitors, of which his father was a partner, and he joined the Inns of Court Regiment at the same time.

He was commissioned in March 1940 and joined the SRY in Palestine in October that year just prior to their being converted to an armoured regiment. He took part in the whole of the North African campaign as a troop leader, starting with the battles of Alam Halfa and El Alamein.

In November 1944 the SRY was supporting the 84th US Infantry Division in an action to breach the Siegfried Line at Geilenkirchen.

Semken led A Squadron in an action to force a crossing of a railway line which was guarded by a minefield.

When the flail tank ahead of him was immobilised by a mine, he took over the lead and his luck held until he was almost through the field. His tank was then blown up by multiple explosions.

His squadron was through but they had to continue without him.

That evening, the padre went in search of him and found him in a captured block-house reading poetry.

He was awarded the Silver Star.

Semken was demobilised in 1946 and went up to Pembroke College, Oxford, where he read Jurisprudence. He was one of a

21

OA GAZETTE

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

group of undergraduates who subscribed for and commissioned a Junior Common Room war memorial, a fine sculpture, which stands by the door of the chapel.

He was called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn in 1949 and practised at the Chancery Bar until 1954 when he joined the Legal Adviser’s branch of the Home Office. He became head of that department in 1977, and a member of the Criminal Law Revision Committee in 1980, retiring in 1983. He endeared himself to the junior lawyers at the Home Office by visiting them in their own rooms to discuss their work and would pepper his advice with aphorisms like “that cock won’t fight” or “that’s a horse of an entirely different colour”.

He retired to Aldeburgh. He was appointed CB in 1980 and was awarded the Légion d’Honneur in 2015.

John Semken married, in 1952, Margaret Poole. She predeceased him and he is survived by their three sons.

OA sets new shooting standards l Ashley Abrahams (08) has achieved a new shooting achievement and set the record as becoming the youngest ever competitor in the recent Woomera Match, held in Australia. Ashley returned in March following a very successful tour of Australia with the Great Britain Match Rifle Team.

22

Ashley was fortunate enough to be the top scorer for the victorious Great Britain team and contributed to GB’s win, the first since 2004 in Australia.

Ashley was introduced to target shooting by Nigel WoodSmith here at the school and went on to develop his passion at Cambridge University. In his 3rd year, whilst studying Management Studies, Ashley captained CURA (Cambridge University Rifle Association) in its 150th year. A huge congratulations from us Ashley!

Entrepreneurial OAs revolutionise student lettings market l StudentBricks is a start-up created by 2012 leavers – Nima Salehi and Thomas Brooks. The concept is the “Tripadvisor of Student Housing”, to give advice and reviews to student peers on the standard of student accommodation. The idea came when the duo were working in a lettings agency whilst studying at the University of Birmingham. Nima and Thomas wanted to create a platform that allowed past tenants to review overall living experience, which in turn held the landlords/ agents accountable and provided an incentive for the market to improve the level of housing in that particular area.

The site had its official launch

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

at the beginning of 2016 with over 600 reviews across 19 different universities around the UK. This has led to the University of Birmingham approaching the duo to collaborate in the beginning of the 2016/7 academic year. The second phase of the site is planned to go live this July and their aims are focused on becoming the largest student agency in the UK. Nima comments: “We spent much of our academic lifetime in the classrooms of St Albans and regard our time there as having an influential role in our ability to create this Start-Up. However, we are still on a learning curve and are always looking for more landlords, investment or mentoring/advice, so feel free to contact us if you would like some information or have any questions at all. We also urge all OAs to review the student houses they lived in (no matter how long ago!)” Visit www.studentbricks. co.uk for more information.

Letter

Life starts at 65, not 40 n As he approaches his 98th birthday in August, the remarkable John Meulkens OA reflects on his busy retirement – an inspiration to us all!

Now that I have had nearly 35 years of retirement I thought it might be of interest for OAs to have an

insight in the way that these years – to a considerable extent – may well be seen as being perhaps the most interesting and satisfying years in a somewhat long life.

Although I was born in London (Hampstead) and lived in Golders Green and Edgware (I was a “trainboy” from Mill Hill) I found myself living in Holland in 1937. Both my parents were Dutch, and my father, who was with Shell in London, had died earlier that year and my mother wished to return home to her family in Holland.

Admittedly a conditio sine qua non for many interesting and worthwhile years of retirement is a reasonable state of health, but as experienced, is often still possible when faced with unavoidable upsets.

In my youngest years I had already developed a strong interest in music and the fine arts that I shared later in life with my companion Joanna until she so sadly passed away 15 years ago.

Like me, she had started taking piano lessons at a very young age.

It was mainly these and many other cultural interests that have sustained me during these many years of retirement and have, thereby, avoided an otherwise possible humdrum existence.

Perhaps not surprising, for as the artist Whistler once said: “… as music is the poetry of sound, so is painting the art of sight…” and as Sir Simon Rattle says: “…if you love music you’re never lonely”. In spite of old age I’m still driving my

23

OA GAZETTE

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

24

beloved “Jag” that has now – to a certain extent – been downgraded, more or less, to a shopping car.

During the first years in Holland I experienced first-hand the consequences of the German occupation: the bombing of Rotterdam, the murdering of Jewish colleagues, friends and neighbours, the “razzia” held for enforced labour in Germany (that I managed to avoid because of highly exaggerated infectious illnesses). The bombings of The Hague nearby, the Hunger Winter (1944-1945) following The Battle of Arnhem, the unfortunate breakdown of specific family relationships because of their support for Germany and their Nazi convictions, the RAF machine gunning of trains (with on one occasion a young girl sitting next to me receiving the full fatal blast), and so on.

One never forgets.

After a short spell with Shell, I joined Unilever where for many years I worked as a management consultant. Although I am a qualified accountant, accountancy has never been my great love but more of “a means to an end”.

Reorganizing administrative departments, management information systems and computer systems with computer specialists was where I felt most at home – to a certain extent as a “lone wolf”. In many instances the work involved long-term projects which meant that, fortunately, Joanna and I had to live abroad for considerable stretches

of time in Hamburg, Stockholm, Finland, Athens, and Madrid. Where the projects were more short-term – in places such as Algiers, Ghana, Zaire, El Salvador, and Bogota – I unfortunately found myself on my own. But the inherent love of travelling was a great compensation.

The European countries brought provided the exceptionally pleasant combination of challenging work and hours spent with the fine arts during many evenings: regular visits to the La Scala Opera in Milan and operas elsewhere, piano recitals in Paris listening to the world’s top pianists (too many to name), concerts in Hamburg and London, painting exhibitions, and so on. A major organisation job covering some 10 years (mostly during my retirement years) was with one of Unilever’s transport and storage companies in Paris and in the major provincial towns.

Languages in general had always been my favourite subjects at school. (“Froggy” Garnier would be happy!)

The great cultural interests have, inter alia, kept me intensely busy during my retirement. The more so since having bought a new grand piano a few years ago this has brought with it daily piano playing, culminating in a most interesting visit to the Bechstein head office and showrooms in Berlin and dinner with the company’s CEO and friends.

Recently I have been busy with recording sessions for a CD playing the popular tunes of yesteryear.

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Not the easiest of projects. As a result of attending piano recitals in a nearby town I have had the privilege of meeting and chatting with highly successful international pianists from Hungary, Brazil, and the Ukraine, who have played with the Vienna Symphony, The Berlin Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestras.

Some 35 years ago we were bitten by the “collection bug”.

With the help of international art dealer friends and yearly visits to The Maastricht European Fine Arts Fair we have managed to build a collection – in the first instance – of 18th and 19th English watercolours and then concurrently of Impressionist and Fin de Siècle paintings. At the same time considerable attention was given to

forming mini collections of Dutch 17th/18th century silver, 16th / 17th century glass and James Butler’s sculptures. Acquisitions have from time to time been lent to exhibitions in museums in Holland, Germany (Cologne), France (Auvers–sur–Oise, Le Mans and Dieppe) and to dealers in London and The Hague.

Besides the above, writing of books has kept me busy for long stretches of time. First on sculpture friend James Butler´s oeuvre (including the bust of Sir Nicholas Bacon in the library), and then on his Croix Rouge War Memorial in France (having been present at the unveiling a few years ago). Besides one or two other books (for example, The Joys of Collecting and Painting) I have recently written a book on the history of pianos covering the

John Meulkens tickles the ivories

25

OA GAZETTE

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

300 years of its history (see panel below) that has found its way to Los Angeles, Nairobi, Belgium and China (and of course England and Holland).

Where paintings are concerned, oil painting has kept me and continues to keep me busy.

Although international travelling is no longer as intense as it was in the past, some 2–3 years ago I managed to pay a visit to America with a friend (Washington, Winston Salem in North Carolina, Atlanta and in Georgia in the middle of nowhere) staying with friends. Over many years there have been twice yearly visits to our “Alma Mater“ for the Founders’ Day Service and Carol Service, resulting in new friendships with the Headmasters, members of the Board of Governors, School Staff and OAs, and happily with many visits to Lord’s.

About a year ago I decided to move home to an absolutely perfect retirement apartment with all the necessary amenities nearby Oosterbeek, with a beautiful view The Piano: A Short History John’s book, The Piano: A Short History is available to buy via the Development Office at the School. John has very kindly pledged for all funds raised from the book sales to be donated to the St Albans School Foundation. To purchase your copy, please contact Hannah Nelson on hnelson@stalbans.herts.sch.uk or 01727 515178. Many thanks to John for his continued support of the Foundation.

26

of the Arnhem countryside halfway between the river Rhine, where the Allies were forced to withdraw, and the War Cemetery where an OA now lies buried. During the 1944 battle of Arnhem (now more than 70 years ago) Oosterbeek was the scene of heavy fighting and suffered serious damages. Every year veterans of the battle and members of their family visit Oosterbeek to attend the Memorial Service at the cemetery and para landings are staged in the nearby historical fields.

So, all in all, “never a dull moment“. I sincerely hope that this short résumé may be an inspiration for future OAs – each in his or her own way – to organise their (hopefully) many years of retirement.

Letter

Reflections n Peter Knapp, who attended St Albans School from 1958 to 1965, reflects on his long and successful career as a professional opera singer

I was singing the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the London Coliseum and at the end of Act I, in order to escape my pursuers I had to run up a staircase at the back of the stage, grab on to a chandelier and swing myself across half the stage, about 20 feet up, to reach a balcony where I was safe from arrest. The life of an opera singer therefore requires you not

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

only to be able to sing, and keep in time and in tune with the rest of the ensemble, it requires you to do fairly athletic things: sword fighting, chandelier swinging and even horse-riding, if the performance has been planned to take place in the open air. It was fortuitous therefore that my father took the job of CEO of the YHA and we moved to St Albans, the ideal environment to feed the process of nurturing a young singer. It was there that I was very fortunate to have enjoyed the intellectual, creative and sporting stimulus provided by St Albans School. I also sang in the Cathedral Choir for most of my time at the School under the superb musical direction of Peter Hurford, which laid the solid foundations for a career in music and theatre.

I then went to St John’s College, Cambridge, where I read English and sang in the Chapel Choir, and relished the many opportunities for dramatic and musical performance on offer there.

After Cambridge I sang for a year in the Welsh National Opera chorus, learning my trade, and then I travelled to Italy to study in Florence with of one of opera’s alltime masters, Tito Gobbi, the great Italian baritone, who sang often with Maria Callas. Returning to the UK, I began my professional solo career at Glyndebourne and went on from there to sing most of the major roles written for my baritone voice, with companies at home and abroad.

I also enjoyed a busy concert and

recital career, which took me to farflung places including the Sydney Opera House and Alaska. (In Alaska I met an optician who said he shot moose from an aeroplane. This was actually illegal but he seemed to turn a blind eye to it.)

Mid-singing career, having accumulated a little capital from winning a singing competition (sponsored by Benson & Hedges!), I pursued a desire to produce my own adaptations of the operatic repertoire and set up my own company, which toured throughout the UK and France and gave London seasons at Sadlers Wells and the South Bank and Barbican concert halls.

I also encapsulated my operatic experiences into a show entitled The Opera (‘All you ever wanted to know about the divas, the dramas and the unforeseen disasters!’), which takes a light-hearted look at the world I have happily inhabited for the last 40 years. The show has proved very popular at corporate and charity fund-raising events because I like to encourage lively audience participation.

More recently I have developed skills in training the next generations of performers, working mostly in the beautiful setting of The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, as well as at the Drama Centre at Central St Martins, near St Pancras. I also offer my skills and experience to business folk who, like us stage folk, need to offer a consistent and high standard of vocal performance. The privilege

27

OA GAZETTE

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

28

of teaching and working mostly in an environment of young people continues to teach me a great deal and prompts me often to reflect on those wise words: ‘we teach what we most need to learn’.

It while I was working with my company that I began conducting and although I still occasionally sing (and keep the voice in shape), my current work is focused mostly on being in the position of musical director, where I can help and prepare singers and musicians for an operatic or concert performance.

In the process I try to pass on all the amazing teaching, direction and experience of the repertoire which I myself have accumulated. Here again I think St Albans School and the Cathedral sowed the seeds of a life where one never stops learning and developing. I’m currently preparing to conduct Puccini’s Madame Butterfly in London in July and relish the detailed language and musical study this involves. I shall also write the sur-titles, which have become an integral part of operatic performances, preferable often I think, especially with a work like Madame Butterfly, to singing the repertoire in English. When I was working at the Coliseum, where the resident company sings everything in English, I felt sometimes they didn’t get the translation quite right. I remember once watching a performance of a Mozart opera in which the mezzo soprano expresses her deep distress with the words ‘Smanie implacabili che

m’agitate…’ (literally translating as ‘the implacable mania that stirs me up…’). The translation on offer that night was: ‘Come now you basilisks, consume my vitals!’. The reason I began my company was to try and make opera appeal to a much wider audience. With the comic repertoire, adapting the music and developing new ideas about production, this is the way I believe will keep the genre alive.

Working Life

Read all about it n Little did Robin Ollington (47), sitting in his English class in 1945, realise the impact this was to have on his future life and career and indeed is still doing so some seventy years later

The subject that day was Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and the lesson was taken by David Franklin, a larger than life character who had recently joined the staff following service during the war, although in fact he had been an opera singer in Glyndebourne before the outbreak.

At the end of the lesson he announced that the subject chosen for the evening’s homework was to write up the death of Caesar as it would be reported in the twentieth century by the popular press of the day... and it all started there.

Such was Robin’s enthusiasm for the idea that not only did he write up the crime in all its gory

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

details including eye witness accounts, he also created the whole front page of the paper including a Latin masthead, illustrations and advertisements for such products as Toga White, Bar Bachanalia and chariot repairs.Franklin’s positive response further lit the fuse and he was hooked, so much so that within a short while he was appearing before the Head charged with being a subversive for daring to produce a rival to the Albanian which at that time of print restrictions was only in black and white and boring in content. Further issues were of course forbidden but his spirits were not dampened.

On leaving school, determined to follow this career path despite parental and other protests, he found another outlet during National Service where he contributed to the regimental magazine and has also done so recently.

Eventually, following training at art school, he set out his chosen career in advertising and design where there were ample opportunities to follow his interests.

As the years passed he found himself being called upon to work with a wide variety of organisations ranging from the National Trust, The Daily Telegraph to assisting with campaigns for Age Concern and even working today with the Royal Hospital and National Army Museum amongst others.

In August this year he was informed that his Newsletter for the Friends of the latter had been

voted best Friends Newsletter for museums with over 750 members as well as amusingly, breaking the tape ahead of the Royal Navy Museum and HMS Victory.

However if there are laurels to be laid he has rightly said that they should belong at the School for that original inspiration together with the memory of David Franklin whom he hoped would have been pleased with the eventual outcome of his lesson... so you never know what might lie ahead in that form room.

Robin Ollington with some of his artwork

29

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

OA Sport Woollams home of: - Old Albanian RFC - Saracens RFC training ground - Old Albanian CC - OA Tennis LTC Regular venue for representative rugby fixtures at both county and international levels

Our nationally recognised state of the art pitches and pavilion facilities are also available for: - Corporate sports and social events - Private weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and other social functions - Fundraising events for local charities www.oasport.com The place to meet, relax and have fun! www.oasport.com

OA SPORT

OA Rugby

Flying high n Communications Officer Paul Plant looks back at an excellent season throughout the club – and a bright future on every level

It has been a terrific season right across the entire club, and we go into the summer break in better shape probably than we have been any point in our history.

The OA First XV is back in National League One – hurrah! After last season’s final day relegation disappointment, which saw the team relegated from National League One by a single point, and through no fault of their own, the

comparison with this season could not have been greater. From their first match back in September, Shanners’ Boys have been the most impressive team in the league, and but for a couple of blips in key games, they could – and perhaps should – have gained automatic promotion. In the end it came down to a play-off, at Woollams on 14th May, against the runners-up of National Two North, Sedgley Park. OAs put in a majestically disciplined defensively display to see off the gallant northerners, winning comprehensively 24-0.

But it is not just our First XV that is celebrating. OA Rugby has strength throughout its ranks and

For more information please contact one of the events team on 01727 864 476 Or email fiona@oasport.com Woollams Playing Fields 160 Harpenden Road St. Albans Herts AL3 6BB Phone: 01727 864 476 Fax: 01727 737 644 E-mail : fiona@oasport.com OA Sport is a registered charity

Future firsts: OA Minis await the 1st XV in their promotion play-off against Sedgley Park

31

OA SPORT

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

all age groups – read the reviews of the junior and mini sections below as they celebrate another wonderful season.

The Saints have had a rollercoaster of a season, facing up to some tough decisions and challenges that always test the unity of a squad. These challenges have made them a stronger unit, and finishing 4th in Championship SE2, is a highly admirable result.

New Head Coach Grant Hathaway has brought fresh ideas together with a clear strategy to improve training and a drive for recruitment.

One of the key focuses this season has been to attract new talent, using social media and other forms of advertising. This has delivered positive results, with 14 new players, including four university students, registering with us. We are now positively looking forward to next season, with another big recruitment drive in order – the goal being to build the depth of the squad, while striving for a top-two finish in

Championship SE2.

The club’s AGM in May saw the ratification of a new Old Albanian RFC constitution, accompanied by an overarching mission and values.

A new committee was elected, with Rusty Osman replacing outgoing Chairman Rory Davis. Club President Richard Milnes made a presentation to Rory, thanking him for his unstinting service to both the Mini & Junior section and also the senior club over the past twelve years. Rory will continue to serve on the new committee as Executive Vice President.

As they make their return to National One, the First XV 201617 fixtures are now available on the club website so you can start planning your weekends away! In the meantime, we wish everyone associated with OA Rugby an enjoyable summer break, and we look forward to seeing you all next season. Happy holidays!

Paul Plant Communications Officer, OA Rugby

Junior Rugby

competed in the Saracens Herts Middlesex Junior Leagues and the Hertfordshire Cup.

Teen spirit n Junior chairman Ian Tomlins looks back on another hugely successful season for the youth section

The 2015-16 season was another very successful one for the youth section.

We fielded 15 teams over the six age groups from u13 to u18. They

32

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

all 15 Herts Junior Cup Finals at Woollams. It was a very busy and successful day for OAJRFC. We won the County Cup at u14 and u17 while the u13B team, the u14B team and the u16C team won their respective Plate finals.

Commiserations to the u18A and B teams who lost out in their County Cup and Plate finals.

The U18s had a great run in the National Colts competition. A powerful 22-6 win away at Ipswich on 31st January set up a last 16 tie away to Brentwood. A last minute penalty from the half way line saw Brentwood through by 11 points to 10.

Junior Saints – Girls Rugby Our ambition is to be the biggest and best girls club in Hertfordshire.

Our girls numbers have grown really well this year where we finished with 7- U13s turning out, 18U15s and 24- U18s. We had 12- U15s represent County and 4 went on to represent the LSE Divisional team.

12-U18s also represented County and 3- LSE Div. Holly Brando and Olivia Almond were also included in the U18 Talent Development Group (TDG) squad, Eng U18 squad for the Sainsbury games and Holly was invited to the England U20 trials in May. We had some very good results on the field as well.

The u10s on tour in Jersey

Leagues The u18 and u17 A teams both topped division 1 for their age groups. In addition the u16B team won division 3.

Cups On Sunday 24th April we hosted

33

OA SPORT

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Despite all our success on the field our principal purpose remains to encourage as many boys and girls as possible to play and love the game of rugby.

Ian Tomlins Junior Chairman

Future firsts n Joint chairs Mike Fisher and Steve Pope applaud the tireless volunteers who are so vital to the continuing success of the OA Rugby mini section

Firstly, an apology that with such a large and thriving OARFC mini rugby section this is a first missive in a while and ironically at the end of the season. Hopefully we will fix this and from now provide regular contributions to the newsletter

with regards to the state, successes, tribulations and future plans of mini rugby at OAs. Despite it being the end of the season we are delighted to inform you that our mini rugby section is in very rude health! Across eight individual age groups ranging from Rugby Rats for under 5s to the oldest of the mini age groups at u12 we have over 500 registered players!

That’s a lot of enthusiastic rugby players at all levels of ability to organise on a Sunday morning.

This is, quite simply, only possible with a committed and enthusiastic group of volunteer coaches, administrators and social organisers.

Our thanks go to these tireless volunteers who, week in and week out, ensure players and parents are usually in the right place at

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Introducing the new U9s coach… the right time. Mini rugby at OAs is generally focused on Sunday mornings and it really is a sight to behold. Please do come down, it’s a revelation. Rugby Rats through u8s train and play on the OARFC side of the land whilst the u9s through u12s work closely with the groundsman and use the school pitches.

There is simply not enough room here to tell you of all the successes of the season just finished, so to

set the scene for future newsletter pieces maybe we start at the business end of this season. On Friday 13th (yes!) the mini section descended on Woollams for the end year BBQ and Awards where no less than 600 players and parents saw the highs and introspectives celebrated through each age group.

The following day, as the National League 2 play off final was contested between OAs and Sedgley Park, the mini section provided a pre game Guard of Honour and half time demonstration games – whilst 1st XV players grown through the M&J section went on to to win. We hope the new generation were watching themselves in the years to come...

Mike Fisher and Steve Pope Joint OA Mini Chairs

Cricket

Summer Sundays at Woollams Some cricketing dates for your 2016 diary OA Legends v “Special K” XI Sunday 26th June 2016 You will have to come to find out who they are! And an appeal for a missing OA: David Rogers (1974, I believe) agreed to join the Legends for this game, however I have lost track of him. Could someone reading this please assist the President in tracking him down, we need an elegant left-handed opening batsman!

The u10s on tour in Jersey

34

Lord’s Taverners v The Willow Foundation Sunday 3rd July 2016 The OACC is proud to host a star-studded match in order to raise funds for two great charities.

Watch out for details nearer the time.

35

OA SPORT

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Golf

Beached at Woburn Sands n OA Golfing Society Secretary Peter Dredge reports on an enjoyable Spring Meeting and looks forward to a busy golfing summer

Captain Tony Clarke presided over the Annual Dinner which was held at Woollams and well attended by members and their ladies. We were honoured by the presence of Stephen Eames, Chairman of School Goverrnors, and his lovely wife Anne.

The Spring Meeting of the OAGS was held, once again, at Aspley Guise and Woburn Sands Golf Club on 1st April with a good turn out of OAs and Antelopes. The Stableford Competition was won by Tony Walters and Simon Cooper with 44 points, an excellent score taking into account a number of wellplaced bunkers around the course.

A subsequent handicap review was ordered by members after a

stewards’ enquiry. John Cash and Ross Murray were runners up with Mike Lamprell and Brian Bysouth third.

The major events for 2016 are the OA Cup and Dockree Tankard at Sandy Lodge on 13th June and Tony Clarke’s Captain’s Day and the Pop Rush trophy at Hammond’s End on 29th July. The Briggs Goblets competition will be held at MidHerts on 19th October.

Matches have been arranged against Mid-Herts GC, Old Berkhamstedians, Old Haberdashers and Old Cholmeleians, and the annual trip to Thorpeness will be on 25th, 26th and 27th September.

The OAGS is endeavouring to expand the database of all OAs, including recent school leavers, who have a golfing interest. High and low handicaps are most welcome, and should contact Peter Dredge at pjdredge42@aol.com or telephone 01582 834572 for further information.

Peter Dredge Secretary

Angling

Tackle fishing n Honorary Secretary Geoff Cannon invites any would-be anglers to join the society

The membership of OAFS is declining, which affects the

36

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

activities of the club by reducing the frequency of organised events.

Outings by individual members continued over the winter period and the annual Fishwives Supper was held in November, attended by a dozen members.

Old age is taking over our

president and restricting other members’ activities. However, a visit to Ireland took place in the spring and the usual trips to Norfolk and Derbyshire are planned for the

summer.

Anybody interested in angling would be welcome in our society.

Geoff Cannon Honorary Secretary

Tennis

A very special lady… n OA Tennis Club Secretary Maureen Harcourt reflects on the huge contribution that the late Sue Barnes made to the thriving OA Tennis Club that will forever be her legacy

Sue Barnes was one of the original founders of the OA Tennis Club.

Sue never did anything by half measures and the tennis club was no exception. It was through her dedication and enthusiasm that so many of us enjoyed tennis on the four glorious astroturf courts at Woollams. It was her determination that led to the success of the newly formed club in 2003. Teams were entered in the Watford League and for many years Sue captained both the Ladies and Mixed Team (no one else could do it as efficiently as Sue!). Latterly, she had introduced a club coach and this is something we hope to continue to do.

It has been a sad year for OA Tennis, as not only did we lose Sue but also Carol Bramston, another lovely lady and great stalwart of the club. We intend to hold a

tournament later in the year in order to raise funds to buy some benches in memory of both of these special ladies.

Meanwhile, we are working to keep the club running. We have Mixed, Men’s and Ladies teams entered in the Watford League and we are having regular club playing on Sunday mornings at 10.00am – do come and join us. There is also a regular coaching session on Thursday mornings at 9.00am.

Do give me a call on 07710 270361 or e-mail m.harcourt@ntlworld.com if you would like more information about the club.

Sue’s pride and joy were the floodlights which were installed in 2014, after much fund raising and negotiation. I am sure that when playing under the floodlights, many of us will look upwards to see the stars and hope that Sue is looking down on us and approving of our play!

Maureen Harcourt Secretary

37

OA SPORT

OA BULLETIN JUNE 2016

Rugby Special

Family man: OA 1st XV coach and fly-half James Shanahan – ‘Shanners’ – celebrates after the 24-0 play-off win against Sedgley Park which secured promotion back to National League One

Refuelling: sporting OA bow ties (still available...) players relax after their hard-fought win

38

Your local agent… with the national and international advantage!

Put your property on the market with John Curtis in Harpenden, St Albans, Wheathampstead and surrounding villages… and we’ll take it all the way to our 33 London branches of Hamptons.

Harpenden office 01582 764471 St Albans office 01727 890770 Wheathampstead office 01582 839200

O RT P R O U D TO S U P P N S !

IA THE OLD ALBAN