OA Bulletin - Autumn 2009 Edition

OA BULLETIN December 2009

Frank Kilvington 1924-2009 Obituary on Page 24

Old Albanian Club

DIARY DATES Annual General Meeting – Tuesday 8th December 2009 School Carol Service – Tuesday 15th December 2009 OA Dinner at Woollams – Friday 19th March 2010

O A C O N TA C T

OA BULLETIN DECEMBER 2009

OA CLUB www.oldalbanianclub.com Stephen Burgess 01727 867868 hawkeyeb59@btopenworld.com Secretary David Buxton 01727 840499 d.buxton@virgin.net Treasurer Brian Sullman 01582 460317 Membership Secretary Roger Cook 01727 836877 Rogercook@btinternet.com OA SPORTS www.oasport.com RUGBY President Adrian Tominey 01727 830226 ajt@rudwickhall.fsnet.co.uk Chairman Rory Davis 01727 843538 rory.davis@oarugby.com Treasurer Bryan Short 01582 872112 bcbshort@hotmail.com Secretary Peter Lipscomb 01727 760466 peter.lipscombe@OARugby.com Mini Chairman Brian Clark 07764 682650 brianclark.home@yahoo.com Junior Chairman Chris Branagan 07810 180013 bran_cb@yahoo.co.uk OA Saints Chairwoman Tasha Saint-Smith 07971 849290 Tasha.saintsmith@club-concierge.com President

FOOTBALL www.oasoccer.co.uk Club President & Manager Simon Bates 07720 383600 / 01442 240247 Treasurer & Club Secretary David Hughes 07890 831315 / 01727 769237 dh@sherrards.com Sponsorship Secretary David Burrows 07841 431614 CRICKET www.oacc.org.uk President Aln Philpott Chairman Andrew McCree 07890 831315 / 01727 769237 andrew@oacc.org.uk Treasurer Denis King denis.king@btinternet.co.uk Fixture Secretary Julian baines Jules_baines@msn.com TENNIS Membership Enquiries Sue Barnes 07970 301345 sbarnes@st-albans.herts.sch.uk Coaching Enquiries Diana Wilkinson 07767 237474 diana@kennett37.freeserve.co.uk OTHERS Rifle & Pistol Andrew Wilkie 01727 856857 Angling Geoff Cannon 01582 792512 Golf Peter Dredge 015827 834572 pjdredge42@aol.com OA LODGE John Williams

01438 715679 jtwilliams@onetel.net

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

Nick Chappin – Editor Andy Chappin – Design & Production Roger Cook – Membership Mike Highstead – Gazette 2

Printing - Herts & Beds Printing 01923 234959

OA COMMENT

OA BULLETIN DECEMBER 2009

Editorial

Frank incensed

very little personal contact with the Headmaster; in those days his considerable presence loomed large As many of you will already be only in disciplinary matters. aware, former headmaster Frank However, during one particularly Kilvington passed away in October chaotic fourth form chemistry lesson following a long illness, and may I with Frank Carter I was close enough begin by expressing my condolences to catch the draught from a sweeping to his family on behalf of all OA forehand to the back of Dick Bulletin readers. An obituary by Frank’s former colleague and current Parrack’s head. Thankfully, I wasn’t present to witness the subsequent school archivist Mike Highstead series of sweeping cane lashes appears on page 24. administered to Dick’s posterior. I Frank Kilvington joined us in 1964 don’t recall the exact content of the from Westminster School. The lesson – with Frank legendary WT Marsh was Carter it could have been a tough act to follow, but anything from as Bob Dylan was A crash of the manufacturing dynamite singing in that year, “the door, a single long- to creating a times they are arudimentary atomic changin’” – and St bomb – but I do know legged bound up Albans School had to that it featured small change with them. As chunks of metal which, the monochromatic post- the steps to the as one or two classmates war austerity of the 1950s had discovered, made a gave way to the colourful stage in a manner satisfying clatter on the and vibrant 1960s, the reminiscent of glass cucumber frames in new Head took the more the Bishop’s garden next relaxed attitudes to John Cleese door when lobbed from dress, hairstyles and the upstairs window of behaviour in his the chemistry lab. considerable stride. I In an entrance even more dramatic joined the school in 1968 and one of than a morning assembly, the door to my abiding memories of Mr the lab suddenly crashed open and Kilvington is his dramatic entry to the Headmaster’s booming voice assemblies in the New School Hall on enquired rather forcibly as to who Tuesdays and Thursdays: a crash of was responsible for upsetting the the door, a single long-legged bound Bishop’s gardener (who apparently up the steps to the stage in a manner had been under the glass frames at reminiscent of John Cleese, and a the time). None of the culprits owned brisk nod to the pianist to strike up up, and Dick (who I believe was the first hymn. innocent) took one for the team. As Apart from the occasional Latin he put up a hesitant hand, the lesson, I’m pleased to say that I had

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rapidly advancing Mr Kilvington delivered a powerful, whipping forehand passing shot to the back of Dick’s head (with just a hint of topspin) before ushering him for an appointment with the cane. Not very PC by today’s standards, perhaps, but an effective deterrent nonetheless: there was a sudden waft of methane in the room that I’m sure didn’t originate in any test tube.

So apart from this near miss and a brief handshake when receiving a first year art prize, our paths didn’t really cross on a day-to-day basis. Of course, although we didn’t appreciate it at the time, Frank Kilvington’s time was devoted to meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing political, social and educational environment, and the strength of the School today is a lasting memorial to

Notes for budding authors Subject matter Absolutely anything you think would be of interest to fellow OAs, from anecdotes and recollections of your schooldays to the events and experiences over the intervening years. Your contribution can be in any form, from a letter or article to a snippet of news or a simple photo caption, and can be submitted electronically via e-mail or in hard copy format by post to the address below.

Length There is no limit to length, but as a guide a page in the Bulletin is around 450 words. Please note

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his superb efforts.

Fittingly, in this issue the current Headmaster Andrew Grant reports on another outstandingly successful year for the School, and OA President Stephen Burgess bids farewell after a rewarding term of office. Like the School in the 1960s, the Old Albanian Club is facing fresh challenges in remaining relevant to successive generations of leavers, and great strides have been made in tandem with the School Development Office in opening up new channels of communication with former pupils. Because, in the immortal words of Bob Dylan: “you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are achangin’.”

Nick Chappin (75) Editor

that we reserve the right to edit the text as appropriate.

Photos Photographs on any subject are always welcome.

They can be submitted either digitally (preferably in JPG format) or in hard copy format to the address below. Once scanned, the originals will be returned to the sender. Both colour and black and white photos are acceptable, as the Bulletin is printed in mono but appears online in full colour.

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

OA BULLETIN DECEMBER 2009

President’s Notes

Making great progress ■ Stephen Burgess delivers his last notes as President of the Old Albanian Club, and looks back on a rewarding term of office A review It is nearly three years since I became President of your club. It has been a rewarding period, as I think we have made great progress in improving communication within the club and I believe we are continuing to make progress with further developments.

The improved communication is reflected, can do more. We have decided to appoint in my view, with much improved regional and overseas representatives with attendance at club events, most notably at a view to keeping OAs in touch with other the Dinner and the London Drinks Party held at the East India Club in former pupils at local level. We November. The latter event had hope this may lead to local attracted a small but loyal dinners and social occasions.

All the sports attendance of 40-50 but now has At present we have had nine volunteers to act as local expanded to over 120 people and clubs are in effect representatives including the early indication is for an open clubs. If they France, Canada, USA, Ireland, excellent attendance for this Scotland and New Zealand! year’s gathering. The age group had not gone open One of my concerns has been is wide from 18 to over 80 and to get new blood on to the the gathering is a very lively they may have committee. Many of the one with many people going on committee have been connected for supper afterwards. All I can ceased to exist with the sports clubs and have say is keep coming – the East stayed in touch with OA India Club can cope with over matters through these 200. The dinner has some way connections. All the sports clubs are in to go and we are looking at keeping effect open clubs. If they had not gone open speeches shorter. Over 130 attended in they may have ceased to exist. This has March. The capacity at Woollams is around happened with other former pupil 140. Let us challenge this capacity. We may associations. As it is we have thriving have to consider another dinner, some have suggested in London. sports clubs providing great sport for St Our Committee is gratified by such an Albans and the area as well as for OAs. I upturn but with much better records and am proud of this, but as such the clubs are all independent. The OA Club should not the professionalism provided by Kate Le divorce itself from the sports clubs.

Sueur at the Development Office we feel we

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The whole HOG: your President astride a Harley-Davidson Woollams is a very valuable asset as was Beech Bottom before its sale.

However, I and your committee have taken the view that we must put more emphasis on those OAs outside the sports

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clubs in the future. We welcome further ideas for events from you.

My thanks I am nearing the end of my stint as

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that St Albans School works very hard to keep strong local rolls and connections with the community. Why do I mention this?

Well, the development office was set up to raise money for the school in the future and to improve connections with those who attended the school in the past and who will leave in future years. In the past when the school has raised money for new buildings the OAs have provided a high proportion of sums raised and they will be very important in the future. Your old school has to compete with other fine schools such as Haberdashers and Merchant Taylors and has to provide excellent Some thoughts on giving facilities such as those enjoyed The picture accompanying these notes was taken in As you may know, by local state schools, two of which, Beaumont and Verulam, California, where I took my have excellent new sports halls. the school also family for a holiday recently As you may know, the school and where my son-in-law hired also plans to build a new sports plans to build a a Harley Davidson with a hall as well as improving bigger engine capacity than my drama facilities. It also hopes to car! We rented a house near the new sports hall as provide more bursaries and local high school in Laguna well as improving scholarships and may be Beach. Now Laguna Beach is a required to do so as a result of lovely and very well-off town, drama facilities the most recent Charities Act. but all the local schools are A number of OAs have recently public and there are no private made donations to the school schools nearby. The school is and I hope that in the future, when excellent; the pupils seemed very well economic circumstances improve and a mannered and there was a strong local identity. I watched a school football game, a development campaign is launched, that friendly, where there seemed to be close to a you will be able to give generously to your old school and I would like to think that in thousand spectators in the two stands. The giving we shall be able to reinforce the local school’s facilities included tennis, identity of St Albans School. swimming, an all-weather running track As President I have been able to meet and a theatre, and were all available for use many OAs, sixth formers and recent by residents of the town. I am aware that in graduates from the school. It has been Inglewood or Watts some 30 miles away enjoyable and enlightening and I wish you things would be different. all the best for the future.

I personally like schools to have a strong Stephen Burgess local identity and an open approach – President, Old Albanian Club sometimes difficult in this country. I know

President and would like through these notes to thank the committee for their work over the last three years. I particularly thank Dave Buxton, the Honorary Secretary; Brian Sullman, your excellent and long-serving treasurer; Roger Cook, who was able to hand over the core of the OA records to the School; Phil Talbot, the representative from the school who provided such thoughtful advice; and Kate Le Sueur, who has become such an important link in the Development Office and on your committee.

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Headmaster’s Notes

‘An outstanding educational experience’

counsel of perfection and are things towards which we are already striving in any case.

They are firstly, that we should achieve greater consistency across and within departments, especially with regard to ■ An outstanding inspection report, record A marking, and secondly that we should level and GCSE results, superb sporting ensure that all staff challenge the most able achievement and the largest School Roll ever: pupils in lessons.

Headmaster Andrew Grant reports on The first of these is a fair cop and would another highly successful year be so in any school I have ever inspected, but it is true to say that most schools, A week or so before the A including this one, can always improve in level results came out, we this regard. As far as the second is received the final report concerned, it needs to be born in mind that following the Inspection the lesson observation on carried out in which the inspectors based May by a team from the Independent Schools In the Fourth Form, their judgement took place at a time when perforce, every class Inspectorate, which is to the was within a week or so of all fifteen of the independent sector what examinations. The majority of OfSTED is to the state sector fast-tracked pupils lessons were therefore heavily and reports on standards to the geared towards revision and Department for Children entered early for reinforcement of what was Schools and Families. already known – or should I am delighted to say that the GCSE French have been. I would have been overarching headline finding is quite worried if our ablest that: “The school provides an achieved an A* pupils were finding things too outstanding educational challenging at that stage and I experience which is successful have a suspicion that the in promoting pupils’ linguistic, inspectors might have received a different mathematical, scientific, human, social and impression at a different time of the year. physical development.”

So we won’t cavil at being advised to do Furthermore, within that overall context what we’re already determined to do but, of an outstanding education, a number of without complacency, will not be unhappy individual aspects of School life were also to be judged on our examination results. found to be outstanding in themselves. The This year’s have been available on the web Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural site for some time.

Development of Pupils, the Pastoral Care, It’s not unusual, apparently, for the Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils and the experience of an inspection to take a Quality of Links with Parents and the school’s collective eye off the ball and for Community all received this accolade. examination results to suffer in an There were only two recommendations, inspection year. That has manifestly not neither of which one can really quarrel happened. Our A level results, with over with, largely because they amount to a

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91% A and B grades and over 64% at A, were a record in all measures and that 57 students, or 45% of the year group, achieved Grade A in three or more subjects, was little short of extraordinary. A number of people surpassed all expectations, and I congratulate all our students very warmly on their exceptional achievements, which, according to The Times, were in the top dozen for co-educational sixth forms in the whole country.

If you have had the slightest exposure to newspapers, radio or television this summer, you cannot but be aware of how intense the competition for university places has become and how important it is to achieve those top grades so it is pleasing to report that the overwhelming majority of our own candidates made their firm offers and will be going to the university of their choice.

The GCSE results were, if anything, even more pleasing, with a record 87.7% of A*/A

grades. A* grades accounted for over 51% of all results, marking an improvement, worthy of Usain Bolt, of around 7% on last year’s figures, which already put us among the top schools in the country. 59 boys – well over half the year group – achieved A* or A grades in every one of their exams and 16 boys achieved more than 10 A* grades.

Among this latter group, 4 pupils gained 11 A*s and nothing lower.

In the Fourth Form, all fifteen of the fasttracked pupils entered early for GCSE French achieved an A* while of the grades in Mathematics, taken by the entire year group, a record 59% were at A* and a cumulative 90% at A grade, only marginally down on their immediate predecessors.

Mastering, with an heroic effort, my wellknown contempt for league tables, I note that, in August, in addition to The Times as mentioned above, all other newspapers ranked us in the top 50 at A level. At GCSE, The Independent, using points scores, ranks

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same tournament, with Harry and Alex us 7th in the country; using the percentage winning the U14’s trophy for the second of A*/A grades, The Times puts us 7th time for St Albans, whilst our Ladies team among boys schools and The Telegraph had of Amy Scott and Bethan Griffith made it to us in 22nd place overall. the semi final of the competition and Helen The net result of all this is that the School Roll has reached a record 780, which, Blacket and Sophie Hyde made it through to the final of the plate. at least in our case, gives the lie to the Not to be outdone, the U15 athletics team stories much cherished by certain sections won their half of the County league and the of the press this year about the recession District Championships. In the County causing meltdown in the independent League, the U13 team finished second by a sector. very small margin and when all the boys’ The holiday has been busy in other year groups’ points were added up we respects, too. finished third overall.

Whilst England was wresting back the The rugby squads then put Ashes, our own cricketers could summer pastimes behind them look back on a triumphant and, having seen off an OA cricket season, which saw a The pre-season challenge by the tourists of clean sweep at all age levels in cross country camp 2005, whose superiority in the District Cup competitions weight and strength was offset with wins for U12, U13, U14 and at Pen Arthur was by an inferiority in pace and U15 teams and the County Cup mobility, they set off on tour to in addition for the U13s. There the largest we have New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook was a highly successful U14 Islands returning in undefeated Dorset tour and an overall 77% ever taken with triumph with seven wins and a win rate for the School. draw from their eight matches.

The First XI finished an 36 runners This clearly stood them in good excellent season winning 82% stead in our season-opening St of their games, topping the Albans School/Saracens SchoolsSport Web Site league Tournament at Woollams, in which we (as did the U12s) and retaining the Bedford fought our way through to the final, beating Modern Twenty/20 tournament during which Chris Dobson set a new school record the mighty Tonbridge on the way, only to lose narrowly to an excellent Bedford side. for the fastest ever 50 against Highgate off However, with so many experienced First just 18 balls and being declared batsman of XV players moving on from the Upper the tournament.

Sixth, the 2009 season may prove something In tennis, we enjoyed success in the of a transition year.

County Schools Championships with our The pre-season cross country camp at Pen first pair of Jamie Dillon and Ben Carey Arthur was the largest we have ever taken winning the U18 Men’s for St Albans School with 36 runners, including OA stars of the for the third consecutive year. past, braving the traditional late August Our U14’s squad of Harry Hamer, Alex Welsh weather. Despite that, the week was Terry, Toby Sweeney and Nial Parkash a great success with our runners gaining played an all St Albans School final, in the

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Three Happy Warriors: the CCF from an earlier age.

Pictured from left to right, P. J Riley, M Groome and J Hancock (all OA 1946 vintage) valuable fitness ahead of their first races.

The CCF had a very busy summer: nine Sixth Formers spent the first part of their summer holiday on the Cadet Leadership Course, one of the Frimley Park National Cadet Training Centre’s most prestigious events. Our cadets impressed their mentors, with Gareth Gibson named best cadet of his course. At the summer camp at Wathgill in Yorkshire, activities were constrained by the weather, but Under Officer Matthew Gledhill nevertheless led his troops to a convincing victory in the Drill competition,

taking the Shield ahead of 36 other contingents at the camp. The cadets also did well on the assault course, finishing third, and the orienteering, where they finished second earning congratulations from the Camp Commandant. Following this success, eighteen cadets went off to Tulloch, near Fort William in Scotland, for the annual Adventure Training Expedition. Highlights included climbing Ben Nevis, ice climbing and white water rafting. The boys also visited the Lochaber Highland Games, where Robert Lilley was crowned Lochaber U18 haggis throwing champion.

The RAF section were guests of RAF Leeming along with several other school RAF sections and enjoyed a week of varied activities as part of the RAF station.

Leeming is home to the navigation school for fast jet pilots with a large number of Hawk trainers based there, as well as a mountain rescue team and a cloak and dagger “signals unit”. The cadets were able to glide in the Vigilant, fly in the Tutor and shoot on the range, as well as hone their leadership skills in various command task exercises.

Two Duke of Edinburgh’s expedition groups (comprising 12 students) successfully completed their qualifying venture in the Pyrenees on a demanding route, a new area of exploration for St Albans School, shared in part by a mountain stage of the Tour de France.

The group expected tough climbing and spectacular scenery but perhaps not snow in mid-July. All these students should, in due course, complete the remaining sections of the Award and receive their certificate at St James’s Palace.

Phil Talbot has retired after 28 years at the School, and an immensely distinguished career as Head of Sixth Form, a role which

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morphed into that of Senior Tutor. During many pupils directly in the years to come, his 22 years in the post, he took the whole even as all continue to benefit in less process of university applications and Sixth obvious ways from his hard work and long Form guidance to new levels of expertise service to the School on the Governing envied by other schools and I calculate that Board. there must be upwards of 3,000 Sixth Form The new Chairman, Stephen Eames, also leavers who have cause to be an OA, will be well known to grateful for his advice and many of you and has just guidance to see them on to the performed his first public One of the most next stage of their careers. It function in his new role, at significant was good to see so many OAs Prize Giving, where the Guest come along to raise a glass of of Honour was OA Charles retirements was Pimm’s with him at Woollams Crawford CMG; formerly Her on Founders’ Day. Majesty’s Ambassador to that of Chairman of Sarajevo, Belgrade and finally Finally, one of the most significant retirements was that Warsaw.

Governors Ian of Chairman of Governors Ian As I write, we are welcoming Jennings, after 17 years as a Nick Barnes’s 1966 Jennings, after 17 contemporaries to a reunion at Governor; eight of them as Chairman. Under his the School and I am delighted years as a Governor that these reunions are now an stewardship of the Governing Body the School has gone from annual autumn tradition. strength to strength and it is an I look forward to seeing appropriate tribute that his Chairmanship many of you over the course of the term, at should come to a close in the year of such the London Drinks Party at the East India an outstanding inspection report and record Club; on Remembrance Day or at the Carol examination grades. His extraordinarily Service, if not before. generous parting gift to the School of its Andrew Grant first Music Technology Studio will benefit Headmaster

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OA Lodge

Grand Charity ■ OA Lodge Assistant Secretary John Williams reports on a year of change for the OA Lodge, and a magnificent contribution of nearly £52,000 to the Hertfordshire 2009 Festival in support of the Grand Charity The Lodge year commenced at the Installation meeting in May when the new Master of the Lodge, Martin Straus, was installed in the Chair by the outgoing Master, Roger Shrimplin. Martin, who is a joining member of the Lodge, was elected to serve as Master in 2010 because our Senior Warden Chris Whiteside very sensibly decided to step aside - for the moment at least. Chris is standing for Parliament as the Conservative candidate in the Copeland constituency in West Cumbria where he now resides.

Martin is very much involved with the wine trade and the Lodge is looking forward to some fine wines during his year in the chair!

Following his installation, the new Master appointed the Lodge Officers for the ensuing year. The OA Lodge is one of the strongest in Hertfordshire and this year there were some significant changes. Alan Smith was appointed Secretary, with John Williams stepping down after eight years to become Assistant Secretary. Dick Knifton relinquished the role of Charity Steward to Don Carnell and was appointed Director of Ceremonies. Nigel WoodSmith was appointed Almoner following many years of unstinting service by

Richard Wedgbury. And also after eight years, Jo Giffen stepped down from his role as Director of Ceremonies to become Assistant DC. During the Lodge Installation meeting a cheque for £7,700 was presented to the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Brian Tierney, by Charity Steward Don Carnell, taking the Lodge’s overall contribution in aid of the 2009 Festival in support of the Grand Charity to a magnificent £51,229, almost – but not quite - the largest donation from any Hertfordshire Lodge. The Lodge was well represented at the Festival Banquet, held in London in June and attended by over 500 – including President of the Grand Charity, Grahame Elliott and the Pro Grand Master, Peter Lowndes – where it was announced that despite the financial crisis at the end of our six year effort, Hertfordshire had raised a total of £3,300,000 for the Grand Charity.

As it was announced that Hertfordshire’s 2009 Festival had raised £3.3 million, the charity revealed that several non-Masonic charities across England and Wales will benefit from generous grants totalling almost £2 million. The grants have been awarded to worthwhile causes in the areas of medical research, youth opportunities and vulnerable people and include £500,000 for adult and children’s hospice services and £192,000 for the air ambulance services. Complementing funds raised by masons in their local areas, the Grand Charity has been making

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regular donations to hospices since 1984. During this time over £7.5 million has been donated across the nation. These grants will help hospices including those in Hertfordshire - in Berkhamsted, Watford, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Letchworth and Barnet - to continue providing free physical, emotional, social and spiritual care to patients and their families.

The largest individual grant of £250,000 was awarded for research at Moorfields Eye Hospital into ocular scarring, which can cause blindness.

It will fund the Freemasons’ Grand Charity Senior Research Scientist and Senior Research Technician.

Other charities supported include: Barnardo’s which is set to receive £45,000 for a vocational skills instructor who will help support young people with learning and behavioural difficulties during their training; The Alzheimer’s Society’s Carers’ Programme - which delivers training to the thousands of family members who are the principal carer for a loved one with dementia - was awarded £50,000; and Lifelites will receive £150,000 towards its work providing IT equipment for education and entertainment to children’s hospices across the country.

Aided and abetted by his father and fellow Lodge member George Giffen, this year our former Director of Ceremonies Jo Giffen has taken some time out to raise money for charity to celebrate the centenary of his family firm – the specialist electrical installation, maintenance and engineering company with a

Cowes: Ready for the off!

Rounding Gurnard Point

Jo Giffen - on the home straight! history dating back to 1909 – www.giffengroup.co.uk/. To mark this centenary, Company Chairman Jo decided to take part in the Fastnet Yacht race in aid of the Cancer Treatment and Research Trust (CTRT) Appeal, based at Mount Vernon Hospital. After 10 months’

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training and preparation: Competent Crew; Day Skipper Theory; Day Skipper Practical; Race-training weekend; 2-day ISAF sea-survival course; 3 Qualifying Races – The Myth of Malham; Cowes-Dinard-St Malo and the RORC Channel Race, finally the day came for the start of the Rolex Fastnet Race.

To date Jo has raised a magnificent £20,041.00 for the CTRT Appeal. Jo Giffen’s Fundraising Page will be open for further donations until August 2010: www.justgiving.com/jogiffenfastnet At the September meeting of the Lodge, the brethren stood in silent tribute to the memory of two distinguished Past Masters of the Lodge. Stuart Alexander Ogilvie (OA 1928) died on July, aged 97 years and Raymond Hughes, MBE (OA 1931) died on 14th August, aged 95 years.

Stuart, who during his professional life was a Consulting Mechanical Engineer, was initiated into the Lodge in September 1946 and installed as Master in 1960. In 1967 he received his first appointment in Hertfordshire as Provincial Grand Pursuivant and subsequently received a number of promotions, the last being in 1995. He was elected Treasurer of the Lodge in 1972 and served with distinction until 1982.

Throughout his life Stuart was passionately fond of cricket and gardening.

Ray Hughes was born in Hornsey in 1914. After his father was demobbed from the Navy, the family moved to Woodstock Road, St Albans where his grandparents kept a shop

at No 1 Approach Road, off London Road. He attended Hatfield Road School from which he – and most of his class – gained scholarships to St Albans School. His best friend was Terry Newell (father of Mike Newell of ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral fame’). Ray became a choirboy in the Abbey and learnt to play the organ, becoming ‘unofficial’ organist in the Abbey for a period after his teacher, the then Organist died suddenly.

After finishing school Ray went into insurance in the City for 10 years, specialising in fire damage. On the outbreak of war he dearly wanted – and applied – to join the RAF, but with his experience he was drafted to join the Fire Service - in which he remained following the end of hostilities, eventually rising to become the Deputy Chief Fire Officer for the County of Hertfordshire, receiving the MBE on his retirement.

Ray was initiated into the Lodge in April 1953 and first appointed Lodge Organist two years later in May 1955.

Having subsequently passed through the usual offices he was installed as Master by his predecessor Ivan Hopkins, in 1966. In 1968 he was again appointed Lodge Organist, an office he held with distinction until the mid-1990s. In 1973 he received his first provincial appointment in Hertfordshire as Provincial Grand Organist and subsequently received a number of promotions, the last being in 1996. Over the years Ray has played the organ not only for the Old Albanian Lodge, but for many other Lodges, and has also been the organist for St John’s Church in

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assist in the restoration work being Harpenden, St Francis in Welwyn carried out. A number of Lodges Garden City and latterly All Saints, based in St Albans are affiliated Datchworth. including: St Albans Lodge; The Old Ray was always proud that when Albanian; the Old Verulamians; at School and as a member of the Verulam; Romeland; and Halsey. St OTC he had been privileged to take Albans Lodge hosted part in the feu-de-Joie, the ‘Gathering’ about 10 the salute fired to years ago at The Royal celebrate the laying of Masonic Girls School in the Keystone of the new Rickmansworth, so this 1st Form block in year Romland Lodge September, 1928. The laying of the Keystone took on the task of of the Entrance organising the event.

Archway of the New The guests stayed in St Ray Hughes at the organ Buildings took place, Albans and a with full Masonic honours, on programme of events was organised Monday, September 24th 1928, the covering the whole weekend. There ceremony being performed by Mr was a Masonic Meeting at Ashwell Charles Keyser, MA, JP, FSA, House on Saturday 5thSeptember Provincial Grand Master. Although which was attended by the Deputy the laying of foundation stones, Provincial Grand Master for including a previous one at the Hertfordshire, Alan Atkinson. While School, had frequently been made the the men were at the meeting the occasion of Masonic ceremonial, this ladies were taken by coach to was the first time that a KeystoneWaddesdon Manor where they laying ceremony had been accorded enjoyed a tour of the house and that honour. The close of the gardens and a buffet lunch. ceremony was signified by the firing On the Saturday evening a of a feu-de-joie by the OTC, and the banquet was held at the hotel and on singing of the National Anthem. Full Sunday morning over 50 masons and details of the Key Stone ceremony their wives attended a service at the can be found in history section of the Abbey attended by the Sub Dean, the Lodge website at: www.oa-lodge.co.uk In September Romeland Lodge hosted the International Gathering of Lodges named for St Alban. This, as it name suggests, is an International event in September or October of each year at various locations throughout the world. Each year any money raised at the ‘Gathering’ is The magnificent Waddesdon Manor near forwarded to St Albans Abbey to Aylesbury

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Rev Canon Stephen Lake. The with the School, including fathers of photograph shows the presentation of past or present pupils are welcome to a cheque for £800 from the Chairman apply for membership, for which of the International ‘Gathering’ John purpose the first approach should be Clyburn from New Jersey USA – and to any Lodge member, the Assistant Russell Combs from Philadelphia Secretary as below; or Nigel USA handing over a WoodSmith, Alan Smith framed picture of St or Mark Pedroz at the Alban to Canon Lake.

School. Members of The International other Lodges, be they Gathering of Lodges OAs, parents of past or Named for St Albans present pupils, staff or website can be found at: Governors are www.stalbanslodges.org encouraged to visit the The Lodge meets Lodge whenever they The presentation at only five times a year wish, and the Assistant the Abbey on the second Secretary will be Saturdays in January, March, May delighted to hear from them. The and September and the first Saturday Lodge website address is: in November. All those connected www.oa-lodge.co.uk

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Development Officer’s Notes

Welcome back ■ School Development Manager Kate Le Sueur reports on a busy summer of reunions, and highlights some of the main social events coming up over the next few months.

It has been a pleasure, as always, to welcome so many OAs back to the School and the OA Club at our recent events.

Two sunny days in July saw leavers from the 1950s gather for their Founders’ Day ‘Gaudy’, preceded by a drinks party on the previous evening at Woollams, kindly hosted by the OA Club. We welcomed

87 OAs in total, many of whom hadn’t visited the School since the day they left. Similarly, 39 OAs from the year group who started in 1959 gathered for a two-day reunion on 17th-18th September which marked 50 years to the day since their first day at School.

Other events included the Service of Remembrance and a book launch reception for the recently published book St Albans School at War 19391945 on Friday 6th November, to which ‘wartime’ OAs travelled from across the country and overseas. We hope that he London Drinks Party at the East India Club will build on last year’s record numbers, and have

The Class of 1966 at recent Jubilee Reunion – 50 years to the day since their first day at School, 17th September 1959

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booked the large ‘Smoking Room’ at the club in anticipation. If you haven’t received your invitation to this, please let me know.

For years we have had to disappoint many OAs who have asked for tickets for the School Carol Service, as the Abbey fills up to capacity with boys and parents. To remedy this, we are holding a second School Carol Service this year, with a large seating allocation for OAs. This will be an evening service, by candlelight, with carols sung by the School Choir, and will be followed by mince pies and mulled wine in the School Hall. This will be held on Tuesday 15th December at 7.30pm, and I do hope that many of you will be able to join us for this special event. Tickets will soon be available from the Development Office.

And finally…. thank you to those OAs who have already become

Annual General Meeting ■ David Buxton, Secretary of the Old Albanian Club, wishes to invites members to the 117th AGM of the Old Albanian Club, to be held in the ‘948’ room at Woollams on the 8th December starting at 20:00 This is ‘your’ club and is not just a sporting club. There is much effort going on in how we run the club and how we can provide benefits to all the membership. So we invite all members to attend and indeed

supporters of the St Albans School Foundation – we have been extremely heartened by the interest and generosity shown by Old Albanians since it was launched earlier this year. The Foundation has been established to renew the tradition of benefaction to the School, with the aim of allowing the most talented and deserving young people to benefit from a St Albans School education, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay the fees.

If you would like further information on any of the events mentioned above, or about the St Albans School Foundation, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Kate Le Sueur School Development Manager Tel: 01727 814 391

development@st-albans.herts.sch.uk

welcome those who would like to join the Committee and share some in of the duties, some of which were outlines in the circular by the President, Steven Burgess.

Agenda Apologies Minutes of the previous meeting Presidents Review of 2009 Developments Sports Clubs reports Bulletin and Website report Annual Accounts Election of Officers A.O.B. 19

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1 Pondwicks Close St Albans AL1 1DG Telephone: 01727 836877

Membership Secretary’s Notes

Index-linked ■ Missed a Bulletin article?

Membership Secretary Roger Cook invites readers to consult the index he’s compiled of the letters, articles and death notices that have appeared in the Bulletin over the last five years – see page 45 OA history As I reported in the last issue, the OA history is being updated to include Nigel Cartwright’s history of the rugby club. By the time you read this, it should be on the web site.

Waifs & strays A list of Waifs and Strays from 1995 onwards can be found on facing page.

Bulletin contents I have produced a contents list of the last five years’ issues of the OA Bulletin. It includes only letters and articles contributed by OAs and reports of deaths. It can be found at the back of this Bulletin.

OA ties I still have a stock of OA ties (silk @ £12.50 bow-tie @ £15, post free).

Roger Cook Membership Secretary

Cooking Pastry Strips: Ian McMillin, James Swinstead, Robert Garnier and David Page making pastry strips to cook on an open fire. Probably c. 1943 or 1944

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Waifs & Strays If you know the current whereabouts of the following, please let Kate or me know 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998

P. Baroni Jamie O. Chalmers Sean E. Hancock Nicholas J. H. Harding Bradley A. Hart Daniel L. Jerrard Norman Johnston Thomas A. Perchard M. J. Rinberg Andrew J. Robinson Stephen P. Robinson Alastair D Shipp Alistair Walter Edward J. O. M. Almeida Scot L. Baker Harriet Bradley David J. H. Carden Daniel J. Carroll Sarah E. Catton Andrew S. P. Charlwood Daniel J. Davies Natalia Edwards Robert F. Fleck Wesley J. Fogel Adam D. Leveson Tony J. McBride Adam P. J. McCann Adam M. Osper Samuel L. Potter Jalal U. S. Saad Matthew J. Timmis Matthew B. N. Trudgill Ben B. White Andrew Davis Hiren M. Davis Stuart Day Christopher J. Harnetty Gavin Khalin Dean C. Morgan Tony Morris Dean M. Smith Alex Wood Christopher J. Wright Iain J. Buchanan Sean N. Carroll James R. Colebrook Natasha Laurier Joseph M. Leveson Samuel A. Michaelides Clinton B. Mitchell Robert J. Nevill Luisa Newman

1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2002 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003

Yuya Nishida Thomas G. Perrin Craig E. Prescott Michael J. Rawlings Wing-Guy Tang James W. Targett Sophie Waters Peter H. Embling William A. J. Fletcher Daniel R. Gilson Daniel Graves Anan K. Mallick Krishan Ramyead Benjamin T. Rodney Andrew Chandraraj Daniel J. Egerton Andrew M. Fine Robert J. Garber Jonathan Grossman Benjamin J. Hibberd Christopher J. Hudson Timothy A. Leek Robert Lerner Nicholas C. Marks Holly C. Ripper Alexander Schilling Kim A. Simmonds Jonathan N. Bateman Jenny E. Brooke Edward Lowe Andrew Malkin Erol Mehmet Thomas Mobbs Oliver Overton-Morgan Samuel Thimbleby Matthew I Davis Richard J. Gibson Graham Heap David A Hine Thomas E Korn Jonathan Newell Michael P. Wright Marc D Dobber Christopher J. Elwick Andrew W Fyvie-Rae Ashley S Guy Alexander Lesseps George K. Mobbs Callum M. Redfern Fiaz Siddiqui Cameron J Spowart Denny Wong

2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007

James J Goldman Joshua S Green James M Gundry Nicholas A Hepburn Sophie Knight Daniel N Korn Frederick J. Motson James Noorani Mark A Rundle Christopher J. Taylor Gemma N. Wolff Adil L Khan Christopher Stephens Rory G. Young Cem Aytacli Colin Hockings Orion Modebe Oluwabusayo B Taiwo James O. Barker Daniel J Cornell Jonathan C. Simmonds David L. Wilson

Telelephone: 01727 814 391 E-mail: development@stalbans.herts.sch.uk

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De fortunis Albanorum ● Professor J (Jack) Goody (38) writes to say that he has just had his 90th birthday and his brother Richard Goody (39) came over from the USA for the celebration. Richard has been elected to an Honorary Fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge. ● Brian Donne (40) left school to join the banking fraternity where he worked for eight years. He then entered Fitzwilliam and Cheshunt Colleges, Cambridge in 1951 and completed his post-graduate degree in Theology in 1953. In that year, his book Christ Ascended: A study in the significance of the Ascension of Jesus Christ in the New testament was published by Paternoster Press. In 2007, Scottish Academy Press, Edinburgh republished the book for inclusion on the Internet. Professor Stanton, Lady Margaret’s Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, suggested its republication and wrote a foreword.

It is recommended to clergy and teachers and can be found at the web address at the bottom of the page. ● Nicholas Tarling (41) went from school to Christ’s College, Cambridge where he was awarded a Ph.D. He moved to the University of Queensland and whilst there he wrote three books relating to the Malay world. 1965 saw him as the Associate Professor of History at the University of Auckland where in 1968 he became a full-time professor. He was President of both the New

Zealand Asian Society and the Association of Teachers of New Zealand. He was appointed to the Queen Elizabeth the Second Arts Council, Chairmanship of the Symphonia of Auckland and Directorship of Opera New Zealand.

He was awarded Litt.D. by both Cambridge and Auckland Universities and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. ● Robin Ollington (47) adds to his many publications in his latest book St Albans School at War 1939-45, which is available from the School Development Office (see page 27). ● Stephen Hawking (59) has added to his many accolades by being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the USA’s highest civilian award. He received the medal from President Obama, who said: “from his wheelchair he has led us on a journey to the farthest and strangest reaches of the Cosmos. In so doing, he has stirred our imagination and showed us the power of the human spirit.” ● Richard Lupton went from School to Sandhurst and was then commissioned into the Green Jackets. He served in Northern Ireland and has now left the army.

Richard is not well yet has become involved in ‘Help for Heroes’, a charity for the benefit of soldiers who have been wounded or injured. In May he took part in the ‘Band of

www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/sap/pdfbooks/ChristAscended.pdf

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Brothers’ bike ride around the WW2 battlefields of France, personally raising around £4,000 of the £500,000 generated by the event. In less than two years, ‘Help for Heroes’ has raised nearly £23 million, and you can find a report of the bike ride at www.helpforheroes.org.uk

Births It is a great pleasure to announce that Stephanie, wife of Justin Pollard (86), gave birth to their second daughter, Felicity Aelith, on 29th September 2009.

Deaths It is regret that the following deaths are announced: ● Frank Kilvington, Headmaster of St Albans School from 1964-1984, died on Sunday 11th October after a long illness. An obituary by Mike Highstead appears overleaf. ● Stuart Ogilvie (28), a Past Master of the OA Lodge, died on 15th July 2009, aged 97. His daughter Jill wrote to say how proud he was to have attended the school, that he had kept all his school reports and wore his OA tie with pride. He gave his sports colours to his granddaughter. ● Raymond Hughes MBE (31), another Past Master of the OA Lodge, died on 14th August 2009, aged 95 years. ● Rev. James Pollard (32) died earlier this year. Jim Pollard was a man of great faith and achievement. Regular

readers of the OA Bulletin will have read, over the years, much about these achievements as they were made. He was a devoted family man and the death of his wife Rita was a devastating blow for him. He was an enthusiastic and generous grandfather and very proud of his grandchildren. Jim won a scholarship to the school and became head Chorister from 1936-7. He went on to be appointed Assistant Organist at Wesley’s Chapel, City Road, London.

After school he worked for the National Provincial Bank and then joined the Royal Engineers in 1944, being invalided out in 1947. He subsequently took theological training and had many and varied ministries after which he began a long association with Merseyside.

Thereafter he worked for the Leprosy Mission in the North West until 1990.

From the 1960s to 2002 he was the Religious Services Producer of Radio Merseyside, and his success was rewarded when he was received by the Queen Mother in 2000 when he presented her with a CD of the broadcast he had made to celebrate her 100th birthday. He also enjoyed the Royal Maundy Service in Liverpool Cathedral and meeting the Queen to present her with his collection of Bishops’ signatures.

This is but a snapshot of his life: the full obituaries are in the Archive for those who wish to read them. ● Richard L Beckett (41) died on 11th August 2009 following a long period of ill health.

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● Derek C M Giddings (47) died on 8th June 2009. ● Dr. Anthony Harrison-Barbet (55) died peacefully on 29th May 2009 aged 70. After enjoying five very happy years at the school from 195055 he went on to the universities of Dublin (Trinity) (MA), Gottingen (DAAD Stipendiat), Oxford (Magdalen) and Sussex (D.Phil). His achievements include Housemaster at Westbourne School, Chichester, and Founder and Director of Verulam Tutorials, the Verulam Institute and the Verulam Society.

From 1988 to 1994 he was a teacher at Bandon Grammar School, and from 1998-9 lecturer in Continental Philosophy at Trinity, Dublin and in 1989 Honorary Visiting Fellow at University College, Cork. His daughter Cliona tells us that he always followed developments at the school over the years and proudly belonged to the Old Albanian Club.

A full obituary can be found at www.philosophos.com in the ‘Philosophy Lovers Gallery’, and a fascinating account of his time at school, extracted from his autobiography, appears on page 28. ● John Nicholas Lawson died on 30th October at home with his family, aged 77. He always kept in touch with school news via the Alumni magazine and had happy memories of his time there where he was encouraged to follow his interest and skill in art. This culminated in a long career as a stained glass artist - first at Faithcraft in St Albans, and then

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more than 30 years as the chief designer for the London Studios Goddard & Gibbs. He leaves hundreds of windows both here and abroad (including Westminster Abbey).

After being born and brought up in St Albans he then lived in Leverstock Green for the next 48 years with his wife Frances, and three children.

Obituary Frank Kilvington 1924-2009 Headmaster 1964 to 1984 Frank Kilvington was born in West Hartlepool in 1924 and died on the 11th October 2009 and between these two dates a remarkable life was to develop.

He began his education at Rosebank Preparatory School whence he was awarded a scholarship to Repton where it became apparent that he was a very gifted student – he had passed his School Certificate when aged twelve.

From there he went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, to read Greats but, as with many young men at that time, he spent only six months at university before going into the forces – in his case into the RNVR as a Sub-Lieutenant. After his initial training he joined a LeaseLend Destroyer, HMS Kilchrenan, and spent the next two years hunting U-boats off the West African coast.

Towards the end of the war, being a good German and French speaker, he was posted to Hamburg to join the Naval Control Commission for two years. Before he left he asked to meet

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his Repton Headmaster, Michael Clarke, who invited him to lunch together with his daughter Jane.

There began his first love and he and Jane began a correspondence during the two years he spent in Germany.

On his return he resumed his studies at Oxford and graduated with an Honours Degree in Greats in 1948.

That year saw him appointed to Westminster School as Assistant Master and Housemaster of a Dayboy House. He and Jane were married soon after, in 1949, whilst she was still a medical student at the Middlesex Hospital. During the mid fifties Sally and John were born and in 1957 Frank was given a Boarding House, Rigauds, where he stayed as Housemaster until he left Westminster in 1964 to come to St Albans.

He was particularly interested in St Albans because it was a Direct Grant School; his application was successful and he became Headmaster in 1964 and here began his second love – the School, all within it and all it stood for.

The 1960s and early 70s saw much change and many challenges in the world of education, some externally imposed and others internal developments. 1968 saw the opening of the New Hall and the expansion of Drama and Music. Later followed the building of the Technical Centre, the conversion of part of School House for use as a Sixth Form Centre and the Old Hall modification to allow a hall to be established at first floor level, this later to become the School Library. During the same period he

Frank Kilvington with wife Jane created new posts in the School – Heads of Sixth Form and Middle School and Professional Tutor being amongst these. This restructuring led progressively to the changing way in which the School was managed.

During this time competition from other schools was becoming greater, the curriculum was expanding and the catchment area growing; these changes were taken in his stride. He made sure that the School spread more widely into the community and some more Friday afternoon activities were introduced into what had once been the preserve of the CCF. These included the DEAS and Social Services, both of which in part involved boys going into hospitals and the homes of elderly people to give assistance. There were many firsts during this period, not least among them was his vision in supporting the acquisition and expansion of Pen Arthur, the Field Centre, and its inclusion in the formal curriculum allowing First

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Form boys to visit during the Summer Terms. All of these changes took place in a relatively short period of time and required a lot of attention to be given to them. But there was more to come.

In 1977 the Direct Grant was abolished by the Government of the time and, although this was replaced by the Assisted Places Scheme in 1980 by an incoming Government of a different colour, the School was not confident that it would last and, indeed, it was scrapped after a further change of Government in 1997. Even though the date could not have been foreseen in Frank’s time, the decision not to take up many places in the Scheme proved to be a wise one. The inexorable route to independence had begun.

Something else was happening as well. The more rigid discipline of the ‘50s and early ‘60s was giving way to a more relaxed approach. Changes in styles of dress, haircuts and general behaviour were evident but Frank took these in his stride, as he had those other changes mentioned previously. Because he valued the individual and always looked for the best in everyone he kept his School in good spirit, his manner being benign and encouraging, and this earned him wide respect from boys and staff alike as the great number of letters received by Jane testify.

The restructuring of the School and so many changing social and political attitudes all took place during his time, but his energy and general aura of calm never left him, and he saw the School through these

changes with confidence and success.

This did not, however, see him losing sight of the need to keep on promoting the School in the wider community. To this end he became active in a number in local spheres.

The Achaeological and Architectural Society made him their Secretary and President, he joined the Rotary Club, was a Trustee of Kentish’s Educational Foundation, Chairman of the Marriage Guidance Council, and later of the CAB, and a frequent visitor to our catchment schools.

Added to these was the involvement of the school with Heathlands School for the Deaf and the Youth Training Scheme. Amid all this activity he still found time to make extensive researches into the school’s history leading to the publishing of his book A Short History of St Albans School and also resulting in the accumulation of a large variety of documents now in the School Archive.

On his retirement he had more time to spend on his birdwatching,

Frank Kilvington

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about which he was very keen and knowledgeable, and also to spend time working in the Abbey Archive which he did for ten years. After that he assisted researchers at London University by translating into English many Ancient Greek and Medieval Latin texts. This he continued doing until he was eighty.

He and Jane, members of the family and some friends were able to celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversary in August this year.

He left a rich legacy. How lucky we were to have such a scholar, such a gentle man and such a gentleman as our Headmaster. He will last long and affectionately in the memories of those who were with him during his twenty years at St Albans School.

Mike Highstead

The Museum Many items keep coming into the museum and all are very welcome.

Recently, J A J Walker (43) has given us 98 copies of The Albanian, and a Daily Mail article on Tommy Hampson and his Olympic gold medal for us to copy. In addition, he donated a remarkable collection of documents relating to his entry to the school – rising times, breakfast, prep times etc – and copies of the 1934-35 athletic events and results.

The museum develops slowly but surely and it is thanks to Nigel Wood-Smith, who has joined me as a ‘developer’, that we now have full display cabinets – although not in their final form – and that we are getting a lot of ‘OA family tracings’ done.

St Albans School at War Ploughing, stretcher bearing, potato picking, water purifying, harvesting, fundraising, home guarding, aircraft spotting, trench digging, hedge laying, panzer stopping, fire watching… not shown in the prospectus, but all part of a wartime education at St Albans School.

This fascinating book collects memories from 50 ‘Old Albanians’ and also pupils evacuated to St Albans from Hastings Grammar School. It tells the story of those years when for the first time in its long history, the School became part of the ‘Home Front’ with the threat of air raids and invasion. Education continued, however, punctuated with the odd alarm, episodes of humour, total disregard for health and safety and, of course, the sadness of sacrifice.

Copies can be obtained from the

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Development Office at a cost of £15.00 + £2 postage and packaging, by contacting Kate Le Sueur on 01727 814 391 or: development@st-albans.herts.sch.uk

Carols on CD ■ A CD of the 1958 School Carol Service has been produced by John Ellerton (64), and is on sale to OAs for £10.00 via the Development Office The recording was originally made on a reel-to-reel tape recorder (borrowed from the Modern Languages department) positioned in the organ loft with a microphone hung from an improvised boom in the Chancel.

Whilst some of the tracks are sadly deficient in quality due to background noise and limitations of the recording equipment, other tracks surprise with their power and precision. Above all, there is no mistaking the authentic sound and atmosphere of the School and Abbey in the late 1950s.

School blazer, anyone?

Emrhys Barrell (66) is looking for an old School Blazer, of the striped variety. Does anyone have a spare in their loft which they would be willing to sell? If so, please get in touch via the Development Office.

St Albans School in the 1950s ■ Excerpts from the the autobiography of Dr Anthony Walton Harrison-Barbet recording his time at St Albans School In the 1950s, St Albans School was in the top rank of English schools and has remained so to the present day.

Indeed the ’fifties were to be vintage years – though hardly through any contribution I may have made. A year or two ahead of me was Colin Renfrew, destined to become one of

Brain Teaser ■ Frank Deamer has sent us another fiendish brain teaser Answer on page 44 The vicar is outside church as the curate, who has been taking the service, comes out. “How many today?” he asks the verger. “Only three,” replies the verger, who continues “and the product of our ages in whole years, is 87837.” Intrigued, the vicar tries to calculate the individual ages of the congregation but is unable to do so. When he tells the verger this, the latter says “Oh, no! Well, you know my age, and I am the oldest of the four of us.”

How old are they all?

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Britain’s top archaeologists, Disney Professor at Cambridge and Master of Jesus College (and now Lord Kaimsthorn). A couple of years below me was Stephen Hawking, now a world-famous cosmologist, author of A Brief History of Time and Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge (a Chair once occupied by Newton). Between such twin peaks my own achievements were to be relatively insignificant. But I was to flourish in that environment – described in Gribben and White’s book about Hawking as “perfect for cultivating natural talent”.

Early in 1950, full of apprehension, I arrived in School House to face W T Marsh, OBE, MA a former classical scholar of Queen’s College, Cambridge, and one of the school’s most outstanding headmasters of recent times, perhaps even since the refoundation. The interview took place in his study in School House early in 1950. Fortunately, my answers to a few general knowledge and algebra questions must have satisfied him that I had sufficient nous to be able to cope with the rigours of the school curriculum, for I was duly offered a place. In his letter to my father dated 1st March he wrote: “I hope your young man will be happy and successful with us.

I discovered that he had plenty of quick wits about him but that he is not overfond of games, and he said he liked being a boarder which is a great point towards happiness!” I entered St Albans School at the beginning of the summer term. And, looking back, although I could not

have appreciated it at the time, I see my six years as a boarder in School House as a happy, stable, and enormously influential period of my life.

I was quite content with the daily routine. We were called by the Matron at 7.30, breakfast was at eight, and then after bed-making and tidying up it was off to school for Assembly at nine. Hymns were sung lustily by the six hundred or so crammed into the Hall and around the gallery, and the School Prayer (dating back to the refoundation) was read by a prefect. In the presence of the Headmaster this was generally a stressful experience for the reader; if any mistake was made he would be required to start over from the beginning. Several times a week the morning assembly was held in the Cathedral, thus giving us the opportunity to hear some splendid organ music – I remember in particular Bach’s Toccata and Fugue (not to everybody’s taste of course).

The school uniform was basic – grey suits (short trousers initially: we were allowed ‘longs’ in, I think, the Second or Third Form) and the multicoloured school tie. In the summer we could wear a similarly striped blazer (blue and black with thinner red and yellow lines).

Boarders could also wear boaters with a striped boater band. Today it would be considered pretentious, but I loved having one perched on my head when I went down to the Belmont field to swim or play cricket.

Our dormitories (euphemistically named after hotels – Ritz, Savoy,

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Dorchester) were tolerable, albeit bare and almost unheated. The brick walls were painted light and dark green, and the beds were comfortable enough. We could read or chat before lights out. One year a few of us got hooked on crystal sets, which we made in matchboxes. The aerial was attached to the bedsprings, the earth to the water pipe. (This must have been about the time that Hawking, a day-boy, was building his own computer. That’s a measure of the difference!).

As for games, there was always something going on. There were two or three afternoons a week scheduled for Rugby football in the winter and spring terms, and for athletics, cricket, tennis, or swimming in the summer. Throughout the year there was also PT in the Hall. Additionally we had the opportunity for basketball in the upper playground, and there were occasional cross-country runs.

(In my first year many of these games sessions were in fact spent stone-picking on the new King Harry Lane field.) I lived up to expectations, participating fully but showing no great competence. This was arguably a handicap in the House where considerable emphasis was laid on sporting prowess. There was always great rivalry in competitions between the various ‘houses’. Teams from School House, urged on by Marsh, and from Woollams, generally emerged victorious against the day-boys.

School House was of course no holiday camp. The formidable WTM ran a tight ship – as one would

expect of a former Royal Navy Lieutenant-Commander (a nickname for him commonly used in the school during the ‘forties was “Stoker Bill”).

Described by many Old Boys as absolutely terrifying, he terrified my parents too. In my second year it became evident to some of the staff that I was myopic. Marsh rang my parents. “Marsh here. The boy can’t see; come and get him”, he barked peremptorily down the telephone.

They did so, and were relieved to find I had not been struck blind. After I had been fitted with spectacles by my local optician, my father rang Marsh to inquire whether I might stay the weekend at home. “What! No, he must return at once”, was the uncompromising reply.

Life in the House for the most part was thus not uncongenial. But we did of course operate within a disciplined framework. And much of the responsibility for maintaining ‘law and order’ was devolved to the house prefects. While the use of the cane was confined to WTM (rarely) and the housemasters (more frequently), many of the prefects were quite expert in applying the back of a hairbrush to pyjama covered buttocks. There was also some ‘fagging’, but this was not on the scale of anything that occurred in schools such as Eton, Harrow, or Winchester. The duties of the juniors were confined to such menial tasks as washing the seniors’ Rugby kit in the footbaths of the changing room next to the JCR, and occasionally preparing tea and toast. On the whole, however, provided we toed the

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line, we were generally fortunate with the housemasters and matrons responsible for our well-being. John Willé in particular comes to mind. He was an outstanding maths teacher in the school and totally committed to his responsibilities in School House, ably assisted by O C Buck.

I settled quickly enough into school life, but my first term was not easy. Forms were streamed (A, B, and C). I was placed in 1A. However, being only just eleven I was well below the average age of the class and found it a bit of struggle to keep pace. At the end of that summer term I was thirtieth out of thirty-three in the examinations. It was therefore decided – sensibly – that I should remain in the First Form for another year. From then on all went well.

When the time came for me to take the GCE in 1955, in Form 5A, I was well enough prepared and passed in both Elementary and Additional Maths, as well as in Chemistry, Physics, English Language, English Literature, French, and Geography – in fact in all the subjects I had sat for. Much of my success was due to the teaching staff. Over the years since the First Form I had passed through many hands. But as far as specific preparation for O levels was concerned a few masters deserve specific mention. Geoffrey Pryke was outstanding for physics and chemistry. He had himself been a boy at the school and returned to teach after he had taken his degree. We were fortunate too in having P R Heather for English. He was the author of several text-books and

instilled in us a sound grasp of grammar and a sensitivity to vocabulary. J R Stephenson taught French excellently. I also was given a sound grounding in Latin by A J Coles, though I did not sit the O level examination at this stage. WestgarthWalker was our geography master.

(He frequently delighted in reminding us of the cold baths and cross-country runs he had experienced as a boy at Sedbergh.)

Unfortunately, my academic future was not to be decided at St Albans.

Shortly before the end of the Christmas term Dad told me that I would be leaving. His financial circumstances made it no longer possible for him to pay the school fees. Instead I now found myself saying goodbye to staff and fellow pupils, bidding farewell to the ancient Abbey Gateway and to School House, and in the spring term starting at a new school at a crucial stage in my school career.

The original article is also available to download from the OA website, www.OAConnect.co.uk, or a copy can be obtained by post from Kate Le Sueur in the Development Office.

Please send all items for inclusion in the Gazette to: Mike Highstead, 33 Cornwall Road, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 4TQ

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Who are they?

■ Ian Murray thinks he’s identified the mystery pupils featured on the front cover of the last Bulletin I am nearly certain that the pupils on the front picture are Poovan Naidoo, and Philip Dale. They are both in the picture on p16, along with GEP, and, far right, Wayne Dumpleton, a crosscountry star. Perhaps Nigel WoodSmith knows more certainly.

Athletic support ■ David Phillips adds further insights to some of the recent recollections of school athletics in the 1950s Recent recollections of athletics in the 1950s included a suggestion that the arrival of the Cambridge ‘blue’, J M K Finley, to teach at the school

was entirely a personal decision by the headmaster, W T Marsh, and I am sure this was so. Finley had won the Oxford v Cambridge 100 yards in 1950 and the 220 yards in 1952, and though he was never quite of international standard he wasn’t far off – he ranked 9th fastest at 220 yards in Britain in the latter year.

Despite this background I don’t recall him playing any significant role in coaching the athletics team. He certainly turned up from time to time at the King Harry sports field in a Cambridge tracksuit and did some starting practice, which some of us thought was a shade pretentious, but it was John Willé who was the coach, and he performed the function in an agreeably affable manner.

It might surprise those who recall the headmaster’s somewhat fulsome girth that he was an excellent athlete himself in his youth. He won the

Sports Day 1954: R. E. Pahl winning the long jump with a new School record of 21ft 0in

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The Juan More lineup, with John Foster on the far right of the picture

Cambridge University three miles in 1921 in a time of 14min 52sec and The Times reported: “W T Marsh created a surprise by beating W R Seagrove in the three miles, the time being the best since 1904”. Seagrove was a very reputable athlete indeed who had placed 6th in the Olympic Games 5,000 metres in 1920. At the InterVarsity match a fortnight later Marsh was defeated by Evelyn Montague, of Oxford, in a slightly slower time, and though this might have been a disappointment to him it was certainly no disgrace. Montague was another who competed in the Olympic Games and, coincidentally, also had a 6th place, in the steeplechase of 1924. He later became the athletics correspondent of the Manchester Guardian.

W T Marsh also ran in the InterVarsity cross-country matches of 1920, when he was 4th, and 1921, when he was 3rd and captained Cambridge to a one-point victory. No

doubt he took some satisfaction in the 1950s when Old Albanians at Cambridge won both the three miles track race and the cross-country event against Oxford. John Knopf set a record of 14min 12.2sec in the three miles in 1954. Then Mike Palmer, the most accomplished of all Old Albanian athletes, won the crosscountry in three successive years, 1956-57-58. Not only that but on the last of those occasions the Oxford man who came in 2nd was Paddy Montague, nephew of W T Marsh’s conqueror of 37 years before.

Rock on ■ Still rocking: John Foster (83) has blown the cobwebs off his guitar and is gigging again with local St Albans party covers band ‘Juan More’ When I was a firmly mediocre (mediocria firma?) student at the school (76-83) I spent my spare time –

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largely during lessons – trying to master how to draw the AC/DC logo on my rough book cover (at the time of publication I will have relived the experience of seeing them live at the new Wembley stadium, 30 years after seeing them at the old one!) – never managing to get it quite right, and day-dreaming about rocking the free world.

The band I was in at that time, with fellow alumni Matthew Warburton, William Dean and Charlie Lefeber – never had a fully adopted name (rather harshly being dubbed “the John Foster ego-trip” by Nigel Roper) and we had our only public performance, which was at the school music competition, under the name ‘the Steaming Beatroots’, with Neil MacEwan joining us as guest vocalist.

Our version of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ got us precisely nowhere, and we split, being too apathetic and disinterested even to have musical differences.

In the era of the re-formed band it has occurred to me that we might enjoy a resurgence on the ‘retro’ tide currently bringing the likes of Simple Minds, Take That and The Nolans (!) back into our lives, but I realise that in order to have a resurgence there has to have been a surgence(?), which in our case was sadly lacking.

After leaving school I was in a band called Ideal Dave and the Superbs, with ex-Habs and Cambridge University cricket captain Dave Price and two ex-St Columbans – and we enjoyed a short, but highly enjoyable stint playing at various universities and parties. Anyone who

has one of the 200 copies of our cassette album ‘Bounce Down’ is sitting on a highly prized item (completely worthless of course!).

ID&tS scattered to the four winds (Australia, Japan, Chalfont St Peter) and I got married and had three kids, effectively moth-balling my guitar for the next 14 years!

28 years after ‘Paranoid’, I am enjoying a mid-life (crisis) revisitation of those early, heady days, having for the last six years been in a party covers band called ‘Juan More’ – playing parties, weddings, summer balls and the like. We have even, on a number of occasions, played at the magnificent Woollams clubhouse!

No AC/DC in the set, but plenty of other classics from 60s right through to the present day – with one song remaining from the ‘Beatroots’ days – a version of Comfortably Numb to indulge the class of ’79 in some depressive Pink Floyd nostalgia!

For those interested in a musical trip down memory lane, we can be seen playing locally at pubs in and around St Albans – so if you fancy an evening out with some live music, come on down! For more info on Juan More, and to hear a few demo MP3s, we have a webpage on www.lemonrock.com/juanmore.

Making headlines ■ St Albans schoolboy pranks make the national press in this cutting from the Daily Mail of Tuesday 12th March 1957, sent to us by Ian K Watson (53) I was sorting out old papers the other

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day and came across the press cutting below. It reminded me of David Gambling’s article on page 39 of the latest OA Bulletin. Typically banal journalistic embellishment to call Froggy “Monsewer” and Percy “Stinks”.

In the second paragraph on page 33 the writer gives the impression that School House boarders also stayed on the corner of Belmont Hill. That was, of course, a seventh house called “Woollams”. ‘Dad’ Reid was housemaster, a very nice man.

Woollams was closed in the early 1950s; I was there from 1944-46.

These reminiscences are great fun for me as I now dwell in ‘Old Fartdom’. There’s a picture of my elder brother Hugh on page 51 (School House 1944-49).

More on Williams ■ Regular correspondent Anthony J Lane (48) adds some further details to the Wikipedia profile of literary giant, OA Charles Williams.

In a recent issue of the OA Bulletin, School Development Officer Kate le Sueur introduced us to a most distinguished OA – “a literary giant” as he’s described – Charles Williams, 1886-1945.

His output in different genres was indeed amazing. To the Wikipedia entry which provided this information I would just add that he was noted too as something of an authority on Dante’s Divine Comedy, on account of his book The Figure of Beatrice.

Although I was familiar with Charles Williams, even being able to

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claim that I’ve read two or three of his books and knew of his C S Lewis/J R R Tolkien connection through the Oxford literary circle known as the ‘Inklings’, I had not previously heard that he’d attracted the notice of T S Eliot and W H Auden, or that he was devoted to Kierkegaard.

This means that I can now confidently claim that the “Williams” mentioned along with the names of Lewis and Kierkegaard in Auden’s poem A Thanksgiving must indeed be our Charles – giving him, I suppose, a kind of immortality.

In that poem Auden records the influence that had affected him on his way through life, expressing gratitude to those who had helped him back to Christianity – Charles Williams among them, apparently.

Life after death ■ Philip Watling (89) writes of a lifechanging experience in his autobiography

Abbey with my local Headway group, but there was no one there with whom I could chat about my book.

In September last year I met an American Teacher of English as a Foreign Language. I visited China just before Christmas to be with her and we returned to England in February, as an engaged couple after I proposed at midnight on Chinese New Year’s Day – in Beijing!

Flight of a Lifetime (excerpt) After university I got my dream job, working with horses. All was going well until December 1994 when my life changed forever. Crossing the road on the way to work, I was hit by a car... I ‘died’! Since being hit by that car I went through a period of great change and learnt many things; I had experiences I did not understand and saw things mankind maybe should not see. I started writing these things down. I will never preach to anyone, but what started as an autobiography about my life, my death and my resurrection has evolved into a truly inspirational book, designed to motivate readers to better themselves and help others.

Flight of a Lifetime (see web address above right) is a very good I attended the school between 1987 read; it will make the reader laugh and 1989 to do my A levels, before and cry at the same time. In spite of going to the University of London its theme, it is not a until 1992. I then took a miserable book – I job in South London wrote about my death until 1994 when I was and made it funny! hit by a car. I have told I urge you to read the this tale to one or two book and be inspired; people at the school and better yourself and the library may have think about how your obtained a copy of my actions affect the world. autobiography. I even It will cheer you up popped into the school and, though it may not last year, as I visited the Author Philip Watling

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Philip in the Trauma Unit, The Royal London Hospital, December 1994

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flight-of-a-Lifetime/7620224075?ref=ts

change the world, it may make people’s perception of the world change. If enough people read it we may all end up getting along and stop fighting – a book to end all wars?

Available on Amazon, Flight of a Lifetime has the ISBN Number 978 1 84748 307 2, and the cover price is £7.99.

Calling the roll ■ Frank Armour sends us some recollections of his wartime classmates – and wonders how many are still with us I write to thank you for sending me a surprise copy of the bumper copy of the OA Bulletin for June 2009. I think the 55 pages are an all-time record, are they not!

I can still call the roll for Form 3A Upper – although I can’t recall which year it was in the thirties. Was it 1935 or 1936? I remember that when war broke out in 1939 it became the Fifth Form, I think.

I can affirm that Dick Fookes (the

boarder) was killed in the war, as were two or three others, mostly in North Africa in about 1942-43. I was called up in 1942, and after 12 months of radio training in Birmingham (six months) and Bolton (four months) we were sent out to India by troopship.

It took three or four months from Liverpool to Bombay, via the Suez Canal. After about three months ‘leave’ there we went on to Calcutta to work on wireless maintenance, until the Japanese suddenly surrendered. The very next morning we were flown to Bangkok, where we found hundreds of the POWs waiting for us after their three or four years in the Burmese jungles as their prison!

In Form 3 Upper I sat next to Dick Beckett, of course. Dick was also still with us earlier this year when I had a brief contact by letter, although I’ve lost his address. I wonder how many of that 24 or 25 still survive now? I met John May one dark night in Calcutta in the forties!

I will not bore you with 20 or so of the names I can still recall!

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Rugby

Looking good ■ Robin Farrar sends a brief report on a strong opening to the season for the club After stumbling in their opening game against Hertford, OARFC have moved up the gears winning the next three fixtures on the trot in the revamped National Three London and South East League.

A fine 10-6 victory at Woollams against a strong Bracknell outfit has been the pick of performances to date with a powerful contribution from the pack as illustrated by the action shot below (by David Buxton).

OAs’ mission is to improve upon the fifth place achieved in 2008/9 and, with their increased strength in depth, are fancied to compete

for honours.

Regular success is also being achieved across the other four senior men’s teams, the Second XV having established an awesome reputation for big wins.

The Women’s sides have both made a sound start to the new season while the Mini and Junior sections with in excess of 600 members goes from strength to strength.

The First XV in action against Bracknell. Above: OA Saints at the Garden Party lunch

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Cricket

Season with Dill â– Richard Morgan looks back on a successful summer under returning captain Graham Dill OACC has had a pretty good summer. In the Saturday Saracens Herts Cricket Leagues our 1st XI had their highest position for a few years, finishing 12th out of 20 in Division 2, winning 8, losing 8 and drawing 3.

Graham Dill returned to us from his spell playing Home Counties League with Radlett to captain the 1sts and his leadership was effective in improving all-round performances.

Our West Indian fast bowling allrounder, Kwesi Roy, was with us again and made telling contributions.

Mainstays in the batting were Dill, Alf Rehman, Jon Smithers and Simon Gray. Bowling honours were shared around and we occasionally had to rely on veterans Perry Hall and Tom Preest. Dan Foster had a good first season in the 1st XI, successfully switching to slow left arm from seam-up.

The 2nd XI had a poor season, being relegated down into Division 6,

and the 3rds and 4ths, in Divisions 11 and 12 respectively, each finished reasonably comfortably in the bottom half of those Divisions without too many relegation worries.

On Sunday our two sides playing in the Chess Valley League had mixed seasons, but it was good to see several father-son pairs turning out in the Sunday 2nds. 12-year old Richard Thrale was a star, topscoring in one game with 40.

Andrew McCree is taking a rest from Committee and is standing down as Chairman. His batting average in the 2nds this season was still over 50, so we hope he will carry on playing, though.

We integrated another club this season into OACC. The Cavaliers from Harpenden became the OA Cavaliers and run as an autonomous part of OACC running a Sunday side and making best use of Woollams.

We’re always keen to hear from those who want to join us, at any level of skill or athleticism! Please contact Richard Morgan Richard.morgan50@btinternet.com or Alf Rehman alf_rehman@hotmail.com Richard Morgan

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Golf

Major successes ■ Don Carnell reports on an exciting year for the OA Golf Society under new secretary Peter Dredge Under the new secretary Peter Dredge, 2009 has been an exciting and interesting year for the OA Golf society.

The first event, our annual golf match against Mid Herts Golf Club in May, saw 16 OAs take on the might of Mid Herts in a stableford pairs competition. The result was a win for our hosts by 5½ to 2½, our only winners being Captain Rick Draykard and Gareth Burger. It was good to have a master playing for the society.

Two weeks later the Captain’s away day was held at Gog Magog golf club through the good offices of OA John Smith. The 30 members played in a three ball competition with the winners being Mike Lamprell, Derek Ingham and Bill Catling and second place going to Tony Redford, Tony (Birdie) Draykard and Graham Hutson.

In June, 30 members fought it out for the OA Cup (for genuine OAs) and the Dockree Trophy (for the antelopes i.e. non-OA society members) at Dunstable Downs. The OA Cup went to Ross Murray on count back from Graham Tate both on 36 points with Jim Putterill third with 35pts.

Our annual match against Old Cholmeleians was held on Friday 21st August at Mid Herts where 12 OAs took on the best that OCs could

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muster. For the first time in this encounter the OAs triumphed by 4 to 2.

Fresh from that success an OA team of Stuart Watson, Ross Murray, Kevin O’Donaghue, Tony Clarke, Peter Dew and our secretary Peter Dredge entered the Old Boys Inter Schools Festival at Highgate. This was a foursomes competition with all to score. Against teams from 11 other schools the OAs again triumphed.

Well done to them.

In early September Peter Dredge organised an away couple of days at Thorpeness. This was the first overnight trip for some time and it was good to see 16 members making the journey to this Suffolk golf course. Consequently this event was a great success with good weather and keenly fought competition and I am sure will be repeated next year.

The winners on the first day were Don Carnell and Bede Fox (an antelope) and on the second day a team of Captain Rick Draykard, Colin Spur and Lewis Hawke.

Thanks to our Secretary, Peter Dredge, it has been an exciting year as well as a successful one for the OA Golf Society. He has provided something for everyone who aspires to swing a golf club at whatever standard and at many different courses. New members are always welcome and if you would like to be kept informed of future events please contact Peter on 01582 834572 or email to PJDredge42@aol.com Happy swinging.

Don Carnell

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Angling

Game on â– OA Angling Society Secretary Geoff Cannon reports on another successful summer of game fishing across the British Isles Summer 2009 saw again the usual activities of the Angling Club.

Following the end of the coarse fishing season, the game season commenced starting with a trout fishing weekend in Norfolk and Suffolk followed by outings to the Piddle in Dorset, the Wye in Derbyshire and the loughs and rivers in both north and south Ireland.

We also had a sea fishing expedition from Poole in very rough weather and had to return to Poole harbour where Adrian (again) caught a 5lb bass, the largest bass caught in the harbour this year to date.

Now that the autumn and winter is approaching, the trout season comes to a close and our thoughts will again turn to our autumn visit to Norfolk.

Once again, any Old Albanian who is interested in joining our merry band, please do not hesitate to contact Geoff Cannon.

Geoff Cannon Honorary Secretary, OA Angling Club

The OA rugby squad that won the Herts 7s held at Woollams

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Tennis

Stepping up the ladder ■Membership Secretary Sue Barnes reports on a highly season for OA Tennis, and invites players of all ages and levels to join the club After their sixth season of competing in the Watford District League, the OA Tennis Club has are proud to announce that they have gained promotion in all three of their divisions. The Men’s, Ladies and Mixed A teams all won their divisions this season and will now play in Div, 3, Div 4 and Div 3 respectively. It is now up to our new Mixed B team to get off the ladder!

So many congratulations to all members who have played for any of the teams.

The OA Tennis Club is situated at the Old Albanian Grounds on the Harpenden Road. The tennis members are privileged to play on

four fantastic astroturf courts, set within the magnificent grounds of Woollams. We are a relatively small but friendly tennis club with roughly 100 members, but we are looking forward to increasing our membership. The current members are made up of a combination of Juniors, Coaching, Social and team members. We are fortunate to have two LTA trained coaches at the Club and we will be pleased to welcome all new players, whether they be beginners, Juniors, Seniors and of course, those who would be interested to play in our successful teams.

At the moment we are applying for floodlights, which would make it possible to play during the evenings, all the year round.

If you would like more information on joining OA Tennis, please contact Sue Barnes on 07970 301345 or at home in the evenings on 01727 868857.

Sue Barnes Membership Secretary The OA 1st V1 Mixed Tennis Team, L to R: Anthony Drexler, Matt Hume and Jonny Barnett; Tara Murray, Margi Edge and Sue Barnes

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Shooting

Missing targets ■ Club Captain Andrew Wilkie reports on a rollercoaster small bore season – and the mysterious case of the targets that were lost in the post!

With results of an A and two Bs it looks like we managed to pass the year’s shooting test with heads held high. The ‘results’ I refer to are those for three club members who have been selected to shoot for the Hertfordshire County Reserves, ‘A’ and ‘B’ Teams over the coming 2009/10 winter season. The three selected are Andy Moore, Moray McMillin and yours truly. Here’s looking forward to a successful winter shoot.

The summer small bore season was something of roller coaster. Our team average from the winter 2008/09 season put us at the top of division 4, so in theory we were well placed and the team to beat; but disaster struck from the off! For the first time that I can remember in over forty years shooting our targets were ‘lost in the post’ and failed to reach the divisional scorer. So the net result for round one was ‘null point’, putting us firmly in last place. By round two things had improved and we found ourselves in third position where we stayed until round five when we slipped into fourth, where we held on until round eight. Then it all changed and we leapt into second place following round nine when the teams in second and third place at round eight lost their matches and failed to score any points. Then, to everyone’s

surprise we beat the leading team in round 10 to snatch 1st place at the last opportunity; an excellent result.

All we have to do now is beat our average in the handicapped shoot off against the other divisional winners and who knows we might lift the county trophy. Watch this space…

Full bore this summer has not produced the results we would like to shout about. It does seem that despite a good showing we are up against teams from schools that have strength in depth and international experience to call on. That sort of background takes nurture and years to evolve so we have some way to go and we haven’t really taken the first step as yet.

Our final shoot of the year against the Old Alleynians took place at Bisley on 3rd October in cold and windy conditions. The result was a win for the Alleynians 360.22 to our 354.19.

The annual dinner was held in the North London Rifle Club, Committee Room. The wine and tales of shooting exploits flowed well and were enjoyed by all. Many thanks to the Alleynians for making the arrangements at short notice after our own club was found to have been booked for a wedding reception.

I am delighted to record that Owen Simmons found his way down to the range the other night to see if he could remember what it was all about. Seems that it’s like riding a bike, and he does, so we look forward to our President’s return to competitive shooting, possibly next summer.

Hon Secretary O L Simmons 2, Honeymead, Welwyn AL6 0EG 01438 840674 Hon Treasurer A Q S Moore 69, Long Fallow, St Albans AL2 3ED 01727 830344 Captain A W B Wilkie 5, Batchwood Drive, St Albans AL3 5RZ 01727 856857

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We start our Winter 2009/10 Herts Small Bore Rifle League campaign back in division four. I shall make sure we don’t suffer from a second lightning strike and with a number of things going our way here’s to a positive start to the season.

If you would like to join us and show us what you can do we can be

found at the school range on Monday nights during term time; but you will have to make contact before joining us as we have to work our way around the school security provisions.

Good shooting.

Andrew Wilkie Hon Captain

Brain Teaser Solution The answer is 3, 19, and 23 (the only factors of 87837 are 3, 19, 23 and 67. The verger must therefore be 67).

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Index of OA Bulletins A quick guide to the articles, letters and death notices recorded in the OA Bulletin over the last five years, compiled by Membership Secretary Roger Cook

June 2009 ● DEATHS: Kenneth Baycock (32)*, Jack Richardson (36), David Hartley (38)*, Jim Pollard (41), Brian Banting (42), John Church (44)*, Desmond Harper (48), Gerald Batty (49), Roger Euinton (55)*, Kenneth Langley (41)*, James Deekes (43)* *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 26 School carols – John Ellerton 28 Wheeler dealer – Steve Burgess 30 History boy – Nick Tarling 30 House music – Tony Fothergill 31 A literary giant – Kate le Sueur 32 Pet hate – Brian Davidson 32 Sporting behaviour – The Berts 36 More master memories (1) – The Berts 38 More master memories (2) – David Gambling 39 More master memories (3) – Guy Chapman 40 No oil painting – Ken Garrett 42 Underground attraction – John Hartley 44 Finding a niche – Yann Lovelock 46 Black books & blazers – Gavin Rowe 50 A sword dancer remembers – Neville Gibbs

November 2008 ● DEATHS: Donald Green, Kenneth Langley (41), Peter Saunders (44), John Sait (40s)*, Bill Groom (50), Alan Torry (53), John Daykin*, Michael Gaubert* *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 19 50 year reunion 20 Class of 88 – Justin Davidson 21 Golden Daze – Nick Corble 22 Mystery banker 24 Hot stuff – Friendly Fires 25 The Green Man – Maurice Cain 26 Singapore Sailing – Chris Sykes 27 Law unto himself – Michael Jones 29 Old Masters – the Berts 35 The triathlon experience – Jeremy Newby-Ricci 36 60 years on – Brian Evans 37 Remembering the fallen – Frank Amour

June 2008 ● DEATHS: Richard Thrale*, Bryan Straker (46), George Cooper,

Peter van Horne (39), Alan Hawes, Peter D Smith *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 21 Starter for 10 21 Memories of Pen Arthur – David Camplin & Pat Taylor 24 Centenary celebrations – Noel Cassidy 28 Old Hall memories – Cliff Pope 29 The persuaders – Angus Kinnear et al 30 Brain teasers – Frank Deamer 31 Forceps delivery – Robin Ollington 32 Juggling work and life – Peter Knight 33 In loving memory – Chris Dunkerley 34 Lane honoured – Anthony Lane

November 2007 ● DEATHS: Owen Buck (staff), Stanley Reece (32), Frank Drakard (35), Dick Taylor (43), Richard Stephenson (56), J Brehaut, Malcolm Garfield (70), David Cavenagh (79) *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 24 Jubilee day for class of 57 – Andrew Barnes 26 A time for renewal or reminiscence – Tony Quance 28 St Albans Old Albanians or zombies – Stephen Burgess 30 Life under the flag – Nick Hallet 32 Miles back – Donald Green 33 Warship week 1941 – Malcolm Mitchell 34 Birds of a feather – Mike Harvey 36 With and without engines – Tony Wadley

May 2007 ● DEATHS: Lancelot Baenzinger (30s), Len Moody (37)*, Robert Judges (40), Anthony Holdham (40), Donald Plenderleith (41)*, John Timbers (50s)*, Anthony James (staff), Pip Mitchell (staff) *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 21 The class of 82 – Mike Peters 21 Wight side of the law – Ian Pratt 22 Where are they now – Stephen Burgess 23 Early dinner – Brian Moody 24 Acting the fool – Martin Evans 25 Owers indepted – Colin Owers 26 A gentle jibe – Stan Armstrong 27 The summer of 37 – Cyril Mobbs 28 Getting on – Dave Varty

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Out of Africa – Chris Smith Old Bangers – Alan Bridgman

October 2006 ● DEATHS: Oliver Hunter(38), Len Druce (36), Dickie Deekes (40), David Freeman (55), Peter Andrew (staff), Roger Cockbain*, Cliff Lavin (76)* *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 24 Furlong marker – O M A Butler 24 Memory lane revisited – Anthony Land 27 Organ pipes and radio valves – Rupert Thorogood

May 2006 ● DEATHS: Nicholas James, Alan Richmond (46)*, Michael Walker (48), Robert Padmore (80)* *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 20 Cambridge in America – Colin Smith 20 Six of the best – Patricia Buxton 22 Flora marathon – Mike Harvey

October 2005 ● DEATHS: Maurice Wiggs, Peter Evan, John Turner, Paddy Croker, Ralph Hines, Charlie Alliston, R Farquarson (50)* *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 20 Getting connected – Mark Freeman 20 Long live reconnection – Arthur Lewis 21 Monty’s boy – Raymond Hughes 21 Let’s hear it for WTM = Mike Walker 22 Widening horizons – Anthony Lane

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May 2005 ● DEATHS: Leslie Hider (27)*, Peter Newbold, Sir Chbarles Pereira (31), Robert Blowers (33), Robert Plenderleith (35)*, Anthony Dorman (46)*, Michael Maloney (51), John Rooley (57) *Obituary ● ARTICLES: 23 Reverend recognised 24 The class of 97 – Davinia Ankerson 25 Our man in Basra – Calvin Mann 31 Chinese whispers – Ben Robson 32 Old flames – David Buxton 32 Road to Damascus – Tom Martin 33 Morning prayers – Michael Millard 35 Aces of rhythm – Trevor Forecast 37 Athletic support – Bob Phillips

November 2004 ● DEATHS: Bob Hunter (25), Gordon Penhey (28), Henry Farr (29), John Leggett (36), David Ashton-Davies (40s), John Bebb (46), B J N Newby-Galliers (38), Paul Newman (70), Bill Fernie (staff) ● ARTICLES: 26 Sir Thomas Spencer Wells – Robin Ollington 27 Sixty years on – Os Butler 28 Coming Home – Roger Seymour 29 Our man in Basra – Calvin Mann 34 Kong and little kong – John Hartley 34 Face value – Geoffrey Munns 35 Total recall – Miichael Thorp 36 Fellow travellers – Rupert Thorogood 37 Beery and happy – John Billington 38 Memory lane – Anthony Lane 40 Let’s band together – Trevor Tyson