Latymerian Spring / Summer 2021 by Latymer1624

SPRING/SUMMER 2021 NEWSLETTER FOR LATYMERIANS (ALUMNI OF LATYMER UPPER SCHOOL)

The Latymerian Council (UK) 1971 John Davidson 1973 Steve Faktor 1976 Paul Taylor 1976 James Graham 1979 Mike Cooper 1990 Harmeet Ahuja 1991 Rajesh Goyal 1992 Laurence Hopkins - Chair 1994 Kunwar Ahuja 2000 Alan Sendorek 2008 Suzanna du Plessis (neé Rennie) - Deputy Chair 2014 Connie Campbell 2016 Charlotte Collingwood

A SPECIAL THANK YOU…

The Asian Latymerian Council 1966 Victor Apps - Chair 1971 Malcolm Hanney 1990 Arif Anwar 2002 Leela Lamont (neé Pandit) 2009 Archie Preston The Australasian Latymer Council 1946 Basil Walby 1955 Clive Trotman 1956 Jim Tilley 1969 John King 1994 Eddie Gapper 1995 Thomas Correia 2004 Aleco Lazaridis The Canadian Friends of Latymer Board of Directors 1955 David Havard 1957 Trevor Jones - Chair 1957 David Stiles 1960 C. Hugh Grant 1962 Jeffrey Simons 1963 Peter Basey 1982 Jimson Bienenstock The US Latymerian Council 1964 David Godfrey - Treasurer 1965 Peter Taylor 1967 David Kendall 1968 Robert Stevens 1969 Simon Kisch 1976 Maciek Brzeski 1976 Jamie Grant 1980 Mark Bullimore - Chair 1989 Tony Hynes 1992 Anton Xavier 2004 Abi Ronan 2010 Josh Henderson The Foundation Office Team: Amanda Scott Director of Development The Latymer Foundation at Hammersmith ams@latymerfoundation.org Siân Davis Alumni Relations Manager sdd@latymerfoundation.org Rhianna Williams Alumni And Communications Officer rpw@latymerfoundation.org Natasha Nolan Bursaries Appeal Manager njn@latymerfoundation.org Linn Alexander Events Manager lda@latymerfoundation.org Johanna Ingram Events Manager jci@latymerfoundation.org David Jones Database and Finance Manager dvj@latymerfoundation.org Aliette Boshier EA to the Director of Development afb@latymerfoundation.org Independent Consultants (Alumni Relations): Nigel Orton nro@latymerfoundation.org Sally Markowska sjm@latymer-upper.org Chris Hammond latymerians@latymerfoundation.org

Latymer Foundation Office Latymer Upper School 237 King Street, Hammersmith W6 9LR latymerians@latymerfoundation.org www.latymerfoundation.org

Professor David PRICE (1973) joined the Board of Governors in December 2019.

Nick Jordan, bottom right

On behalf of the School we would like to thank Nick JORDAN (1977) for serving as a Governor of the Latymer Foundation for the past ten years. Nick has experienced the School from every aspect – pupil, alumnus, Latymer Parent and Governor and we’re so grateful for his insight and support of the trustee team. One of the founding members of Latymer’s Development Board in 2004, Nick has remained a stalwart supporter and advocate for the Bursaries Appeal ever since. Here he is, pictured with his crewmates, as a member of the successful 1st VIII of 1977. Ros Sweeting, Chair of Governors, Latymer Foundation says:

His Latymer education set him up to attain a PhD from Cambridge. David spent his early career as a Researcher in post at numerous high profile universities. In 1983 he moved to UCL and aged 33, was appointed as a Professor. He later served as Head of the Department of Earth Sciences, and as Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, before being appointed to his current position of Vice Provost in 2007.

“I’m so grateful to Nick for his hard work and support. The Board of Governors, former Chair James Graham and I have benefited enormously from Nick’s wisdom, advice and loyalty to Latymer over the past decade.”

David has also held a great number of non-executive positions, including serving as Chair of Governors of the UCL Academy School.

n Jamie GRANT (1976) has been elected as a Governor of the Latymer Foundation. Jamie attended Latymer in the Direct Grant era, and some of you will remember him as a School Prefect or member of the First XI Football team. Jamie chaired the US Friends of Latymer Board from its inception, working alongside fellow Latymerians all over America to establish social links and to lead fundraising for a Sixth Form Bursary, the fifth beneficiary of which joined Latymer this year. Jamie has played a key strategic role in Latymer’s Inspiring Minds campaign and is a member of our 1624 Legacy Society. Jamie also sits on the Boards of NY Shakespeare, NPR and Oxford.

n Kieran MURPHY (1976) has been in post as a Governor of the Latymer Foundation since December 2020. Kieran attended both Latymer Prep and Upper schools, having been a beneficiary of a free place (LEA Scholarship) throughout his time in the Upper School, which has inspired his support of our current bursary programme. He has built a portfolio of non-executive director and trustee roles (including sitting on the Board of the University of London) throughout his distinguished career. We are so pleased to have his knowledge and experience on hand as another fantastic addition to the Board of Governors.

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS 2. Ali HADJI-HESHMATI (2020) featured in an episode of Holby City in February. 3. Stefan SHAW (2002) was a semi-finalist on the most recent series of MasterChef.

4. Jack WALDOUCK (2007) is starring in the new Netflix Originals series, The Lost Pirate Kingdom.

NEWS

1. David BAINES (1951) and wife Maddie received the Bishop’s Cross award for Services to the Church from Bishop Kevin Allen of the Anglican Church.

5. Anais MARINHO (2018) has released her debut album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’ under the stage name Arlo Parks, and was nominated for three BRIT awards, winning Breakthrough Artist award! 6. Bishi BHATTACHAYRA (2001) has released her new single ‘Don’t Shoot The Messenger’, which she has recently performed live on BBC Radio 4 ‘s Loose Ends.

7. Peter ASPDEN (1976) is Visiting Professor-inpractice for 2021 - Hellenic Observatory, LSE.

8. Matthew SHAW (2012) has launched his own creative events agency, Sauveur in November and has recently been featured on BBC News on reimagining the events industry after Covid-19. 9. Otto TERRELL (2016) is in an online play ‘The New Normal’ by Rebcat productions.

10. Isabel ADOMAKOH YOUNG (2011) is set to play the title role of Juliet in Romeo & Juliet live at London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 17th June - 24th July 2021.

LATYMERIAN AUTHORS n Professor Jon DRORI (1979) has published his second book, ‘Around the World in 80 Plants’. n Mick THELNER (1968) has published his book, ‘Are You from the Council?’. n Peter PEGNALL (1967) has edited an anthology of poems responding to the pandemic. n Paul STRONG (1964) (pictured with wife Christine) has published his book, ‘Route 66 and all that’.

Special thanks to Jon Drori for speaking about his latest work at one of our virtual Inspiring Minds events on 29 April, as well as for donating 100 copies of ‘Around the World in 80 Plants’ to the Latymer Foundation to raise money for our Bursaries Appeal. We are also grateful to Mick Thelner and Peter Pegnall for donating copies of their book to the School Library.

MORE COVID-19 HEROES n Dr Leonardo Monzon RODRIGUEZ (1996) works as a consultant adult and paediatric interventional radiologist (Image Guided Surgeon) at St Thomas’ Hospital, Guy’s Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital. He finds himself at the epicentre of this crisis and is grateful for the ability to contribute thanks to his education at Latymer which enabled him to train as a doctor.

n Hassan JOUDI (2008) works as part of the COVID-19 response team at the Muslim Council of Britain, supporting mosques and Muslim communities. More information is available at www.mcb.org.uk/ coronavirus - The organisation has also been quoted in the Sunday Times!

n Dr Yahya IBRAHIM (2004) is working as a Registrar in Trauma and Orthopaedics—on the same rotation as two other Latymerians— Simon HISLOP (2002) and Anand PATEL (1998). n Matthew WHITEHOUSE (2008) has been working as part of the mass vaccination training programme being conducted by St John Ambulance.

EDUCATION n Safwan AL-AMIN (2002) has enrolled in the Master of Laws program at Yale Law School.

NEWS

n George BARRON (2016) graduated with a Masters in Green Technology from Imperial College London last July and has secured a job in the solar power sector. n Dr Adam GYULAI-LANCASTER (2003) passed his professional membership exams to become a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych).

n Daniel MAYERS (2016) graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first and has now started at Goldman Sachs.

an internship at a Harvard Medical School laboratory in Boston, USA.

n Lin NI TRANH NHU (2017) graduated with 1st Class Honours in Biomedical Sciences from Royal Holloway and has now moved on to continue her studies with a Masters in Biological Sciences at UCL.

n Virginia PORTER (2014) completed her Master’s in International Security at Sciences Po in Paris in June 2020. Virginia has completed a number of internships and is now due to start an internship at a NATO Centre of Excellence in Sofia.

n Alice PEACH (2018) is studying Biomedical Sciences at the University of Bath and has just begun

n Dr Matthew WHITEHOUSE (2008) has completed his Medical Degree at the University of Leeds.

QUEEN’S HONOURS n Mark ROBSON (1979) - In the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Mark was made a CMG (Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George) for services to UK cultural relations through his role for the past 13 years as the Director of English & Examinations and Executive Board member at the British Council.

n Timothy HO (1986) In the 2021 New Year’s Honours list, Timothy was awarded an MBE for services to the NHS during Covid-19 in his role as Medical Director and Consultant Chest Physician at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Do you have an achievement or update to share? Please let us know on Latymerians@latymerfoundation.org

UPDATE TO THE SCHOOL’S MAIN HALL The walls in the Main Hall are looking great! The photographic portraits on display feature some of our inspirational alumni and celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our school community. The display will be dynamic, changing regularly. We will be asking you, our alumni, to nominate peers for the next display. The new portraits sit alongside some of the more traditional paintings of former heads. The remaining portraits of our former Heads are being rehung in prominent locations around the School.

LETTER FROM THE HEAD (APRIL 2021) Dear Latymerians, I write to you at a time in which the media are reporting on disturbing student testimonials of peer-on-peer abuse and sexual harassment in many UK schools and universities; these accounts have shaken our Latymer community to the core. As any Head will tell you, the safety and happiness of our young people are paramount. To learn that some of our pupils have suffered from such abhorrent behaviour is devastating to me, my colleagues, parents and, of course, to all our Latymerians. Many of you have voiced your concern and distress after reading in the press that some of these allegations have been attributed to your old school. Whilst I have been grateful to have received supportive emails from those who don’t recognise the picture of the School presented by the media, I have also been deeply saddened to read some accounts of a heart-breaking nature from those for whom school years were far from having been their happiest. To any Latymerian who has suffered personal trauma whilst at the School, be it sexual harassment, abuse or bullying of any kind, I am profoundly sorry. Such behaviour has no place in our school.

That Latymerians are so vocal in condemning such terrible behaviour, which we believe to be endemic in schools and society in general, should come as no surprise and I’m

extremely proud of our former and current pupils who have spoken out against this issue. Some of you have talked to me directly about your experiences and I am immensely grateful for your candour and courage. It is testament to the character of our alumni that so many of you have volunteered to come back to the School to help us run workshops in which current pupils will discuss the issue of harassment with their peer groups. Active listening will be important if we are to instil a change in attitude and each pupil has had the opportunity to talk through this subject in their tutor groups, and to have had their voice heard. The world is changing fast, not least through technology, and with these rapid advancements comes the need for new responsibilities and codes of behaviour. As the proverb goes, it takes a village to educate a child and we are fortunate in having an enviably supportive and tightknit community of parents, staff and alumni, all of whom have a part to play in setting positive examples of good conduct, and in guiding and supporting young people through their developing years. There is much work to be done by all educational institutions, but in true Latymer style, we will face this head on. We will listen and learn from our young people. After a period of intense self-scrutiny, I am confident that the School we know and love will emerge from this crisis a better version of itself. David Goodhew - Head, Latymer Upper School

MEMORY LANE Keith CARLEY (1950)

With the encouragement of my teachers, I completed the Grammar School course with one “very good” and a selection of credits and passes. My parents could not afford for me to have any further education so I was let loose on the world of work. As a commissioned officer in the Army at the time of the Suez War, I was promoted to Captain at the age of 22. I started at Latymer Upper School in September 1945. My early memories of the first days are of travelling from my home in Isleworth on a 667 Trolleybus and alighting at the end of Ravenscourt Road. King Street was then the A4 main road from the West of England and traffic was very heavy. The entrance to the school was through the eastern gate near Rivercourt Road. On the left were some bomb-damaged classrooms and the bombed-out gymnasium. The brickwork in the whole area was pitted with shrapnel damage.

I then was a production and factory manager in the food industry before joining the RAF logistics branch. I stayed for 20 years, becoming Wing Commander. This was followed by nine years as the General Secretary of The Institute of Physical Science’s in Medicine and Hospital Physicists Association Trade Union.

My first class was Form 2B with Mr Gibson (Peabody) as form master and French Teacher. There were 40 of us in the class seated at desks in 5 blocks of 8 desks. I had been granted a scholarship to attend the school, but I was to prove to be very much a “Curates Egg” pupil. My dyslexia had not been diagnosed. Thus, throughout my school years I was constantly being given school reports with remarks about bad spelling; Oral work very difficult, could work harder, more effort needed. “Toffee” Sharp was my English teacher and he instilled in me a lifelong love of reading. Our Chaplin, “Tinny” Cann, is remembered for the saying “Aim for the Stars and you might reach the Moon”. Major Tom Stewart MC was a hero with his war scarred face; he taught Maths with enthusiasm.

Looking back, at the age of 87, I know that Latymer Upper School and the Boy Scouts movement, set me up for life and all that I have been able to achieve. I recognise this by being member of the 1624 Legacy Society and a regular contributor to the Inspiring Minds Campaign. I have no doubt that a Latymer education makes a huge difference to one’s life.

Mr Keogh (Geography) said to me, “If you can run 660 yards in a school record time, you can run 880 yards in the athletic team.” I did and gained school colours for athletics. The physical giant of

MEMORY LANE

a man, “Puff“ Gregory, my form master in L5A, encouraged me to try to concentrate with greater determination. In my final year, Mr Greatwood, decided, despite 18% in the written exam, that my oral French was good enough to sign for my Boy Scout’s Interpreter’s Badge; I was then able to gain my King’s Scout award. I have always been grateful!

My last job was working with my son-in-law as his secretary and stockman on his farm of 400 cattle.

MEMORY LANE

David BAINES (1951) shares with us memories of his childhood in England during World War II. Chapter 1 In the beginning. Born in 1933, I was evacuated from London to Berkshire after the first frightening air raids of the war. It was a miserable experience so my parents insisted I return home to White City where Dad had found me a place at Latymer Upper School, two miles walk away. Most of the school had evacuated to Slough, but a working school was still operating in Hammersmith. At nine years of age, I joined Mrs. Wiggan’s 1B class. Happily, Geoffrey Howell (1950) whom I had met when evacuated, was in the School too. Some days we had to find a different route home because the usual street had been bombed. Dogfights happened overhead and warm shrapnel was a prize. If the sirens went off, we had to find a sanctuary. 1B went to the boiler room. The school received one direct hit when a firebomb hit the gymnasium and set fire to the adjacent woodwork shop. We were provided with lunch although no dining room existed. We used the “new building” classrooms and woodwork shop; there were two sittings and lunch cost five pence a day. Mrs. Crawley, the caretaker’s wife, ruled the operation. The meals were kept warm over steam; even for wartime they were pretty poor. We brought bottles of red and brown sauce (both ersatz) from home to hide the taste. Night times were the worst. We lived close to some field artillery, which made an awful noise, as well as the sound of falling bombs. Somehow, we went on living but I still have an aversion to sudden noise. We listened to the wireless for every scrap of news. We had screens to black out our windows and I had maps on mine and used little flags to mark the progress of the war. Dad was shocked to be drafted for military service just weeks before his fortieth birthday; he must have been one

of the oldest soldiers in World War II. He went to France for D-Day, but thankfully came home safely. At School, life went on. With the gym destroyed, we did PE in the school hall with minimum equipment. Mr. Treacher found some off-cuts of wood and we were able to make a gardening dibber and a small footstool in woodwork. I enjoyed Mr. McIntyre’s art class; paper was in short supply so we wrote in pencil, erasing every page to re-use with ink. We wrote with scratchy steel nibs and had blue-black fingers. Mr. Harmon was in charge of music. Geoffrey and I joined the school choir and sang at assembly each morning; our privilege was having seats to sit on! Mr. Stollery did wonders on the unconventional organ. Fortunately, I passed the Scholarship Exam and the remainder of my schooling was paid for. Later with Mr.Tuttle in charge, Geoffrey and I learned descants and special “amens” to sing on Fridays. We also sang parts of The Messiah and The Saint Mathew Passion which were performed in Saint Paul’s Church on Hammersmith Broadway. In the third year I joined the Middle School Society which later became The Guild. One day at school (8th September 1944) we heard an explosion at Staveley Road Chiswick. We later found out it had been the victim of the V2, Hitler’s rocket bomb. Had the war not been brought to an end, these bombs might have caused the downfall of Britain. There was great rejoicing on VE Day; we cut out cardboard shields and made flags to decorate the balcony. Mother and I walked, with my little brother Donald in a pushchair, to Buckingham Palace to see the Royal Family and Winston Churchill come out onto the balcony. I remember with excitement as the streetlights were turned on again. Old neon signs flickered back to life. We all celebrated VJ day. The evacuated schools returned and life slowly returned to normal. I was then twelve years old.

David BAINES (1951) also reflects on the Jantaculum 6

He says, “It was the highlight of my year. One year especially when we performed “Poison, Passion and Petrifaction” by George Bernard Shaw. An absolute whoop with the cast finally eating the ceiling (actually meringue). Ah, happy days!” He wonders if other Guildani remember this too!

Mick THELNER (1968) recalls some of his Latymer days in the sixties and how it helped to shape his working life.

I joined Latymer in September 1961 when the School was a boys’ direct grant school; the education authority funded my place as my parents could not have afforded to send me privately. That first year posed lots of new challenges. There were so many new subjects; science, geometry, languages, drama, music and woodwork. I took a while to settle at Latymer and, at first I was bottom of the class. My efforts on the sports field were just as bad. How I used to long for the final whistle and the chance to thaw out in the communal hot baths up at Wood Lane! My grades increased and I secured a place at Kings College London, where I earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Rolls Royce Aero Engines sponsored me as an undergraduate apprentice, and on leaving school, I found myself living in a former RAF station in Bristol where I saw the first flight of the British prototype of the Concorde in the spring of 1969; it felt as though we were at the forefront of technology.

I have been back to Latymer on two occasions since leaving. The woodwork shop has long gone. There is a magnificent sports centre and swimming pool where the canteen used to be. The new theatre has replaced the old drama room in one of the Victorian villas on Rivercourt Road. In the music studio, astounded to see grand pianos and synthesisers. I recalled the bucket of recorders back in my day. One of my group, remembering the cardboard keyboards, lapsed into his own version of the famous Monty Python four Yorkshire men sketch.

MEMORY LANE

accommodation. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the job was the work under the Sports Grounds Safety Acts which was part of the improvements put in place following the Hillsborough disaster.

In retirement I have written a novel called ‘Are you from the Council?’ set in a fictional town hall where nothing ever goes according to plan. I am hoping it doesn’t come back to me with bits crossed out in red pen and a little note at the end saying ‘see me’. I regret that the direct grant system is no more; it became a casualty of the political mood of the seventies. However, the bursaries’ scheme offers an opportunity for bright students, who would otherwise not be able to attend the school. I wish Latymer every success in achieving the targets it has set for this by 2024.

Later I returned to Hammersmith where I retrained as an Environmental Health Officer. This would be my job for the rest of my working life, most of it being spent in the town hall extension a few hundred yards from the school in King Street. There are many facets to that profession: hoarders, noisy neighbours, attending exhumations, health and safety and dealing with substandard housing

GET INVOLVED

Campaign update The past year has been a time of great uncertainty for many in our Latymer community and for our neighbours, as the global health crisis has taken hold. Early on we reassured current Latymerians on bursaries (some 230 in September) that their places were secure. Meanwhile, thanks to the generosity of many donors, our Emergency Bursaries Fund has been providing bursarial support for Latymer families most acutely impacted by the economic repercussions of the pandemic. Another fund supported the Latymer Hub which hosts vulnerable children and children of key workers from Latymer and the local community during the school day. Amidst lockdown and school closures, we have continued to raise funds for our Inspiring Minds campaign. We have already raised £33million towards our goal of £40million by 2024, which has allowed us to respond to the record need for bursaries for entry in 2021. We continue to be grateful to our amazing School community who continue to inspire us with their fundraising ideas. RAIS£, our student-

led fundraising club, has paved the way with a range of initiatives in support of the Bursaries Appeal. The 2021 Prep Challenge saw our Prep pupils inspired to complete a widerange of demanding challenges, from squats and cookery, to reading and learning songs on the piano. As a result, over 100 friends and family members donated over £4,000 for our Prep Bursary Fund! Over the past year we have also focussed on immediate concerns within the local community. A

An evening of Musicals and Jazz Mark Wallace (Head of Economics) and Midge PARRY (2013)

Zoom has allowed us to keep active with many events online. For example: n Festive evening of Musicals and Jazz n Latymerians’ Annual Dinner 2020 (virtually!) n The 1624 Legacy Society’s Virtual Afternoon Tea

n Evening courses run by former Latymer parents Gay Search (parent of alumni Dan (2004) and Nathan (2008) and Nikki French (parent of Tom (2006) and Jack (2009).

Missed an Inspiring Minds Virtually Speaking event? You can catch up using our Video Library— find it under News & Events on our website. Pre-event behind the scenes photo of renowned legal commentator Joshua ROZENBERG (1967)

Do follow us on Instagram!

Community Response Fund was set up to provide support to local students in digital poverty and with the generous support of our Latymer community, we provided over 300 WIFI dongles to local schools to help their students learn online during lockdown. In other news, we recently launched our Instagram (@ Latymerfoundation1624) alongside our other social media channels to keep the wider Latymer community up to date on what we’re up to - such as our Ask an Expert career events, created for young alumni and Virtually Speaking series, where donations have reached over £26,000! All in all, we’ve made the best of a tumultuous year. Thanks to the fantastic support of our Latymer community we are well on our way to meeting our Inspiring Minds goal of offering bursaries to deserving children who would not otherwise have the means to attend Latymer.

By our Foundation’s 400th anniversary in 2024, we aim to able to offer 1 in 4 of our pupils a bursary. If you’d like to help, please see the cover of this magazine.

Get Involved! STRAVA CHALLENGE

Strava is a free smart phone app for walkers, runners and cyclists to measure and manage their activity and share with friends. We would love you to join our Strava team— Latymer Upper School. Sign up online or on the app. It could just be for fun or to have some healthy competition between your peers and your former teachers! As you know, we have been working hard to raise money for our Inspiring Minds campaign. There are so many ways that you can get involved in this campaign. For more information and to get inspired, go to www.latymerfoundation.org/ inspiring-minds/get-involved-2

Jim Smith (1972) and David Goodhew, Head of Latymer Upper School

We have been unable to hold our 2Bridges Run over the past year because of the pandemic and the closure of Hammersmith Bridge, so we challenge you to walk, run, cycle or otherwise navigate 8km (the distance of the 2Bridges Run) wherever you are!

Some of you will remember former Governor and Latymerian Jim SMITH (1972) and David Goodhew’s Cycling Challenge in the Summer of 2020 to raise money for the bursaries appeal.

Join us on Strava then find us on Virgin Giving under Latymer Foundation at Hammersmith to set up your fundraising account!

We invite you to take on your own sponsored challenge in support of our campaign.

CALLING ALL LATYMERIAN WOMEN This September sees the 25th anniversary of co-education at Latymer.

GET INVOLVED

As the warmer weather arrives, we have a great way to enjoy being with friends and family whilst staying active.

We would love to hear from our wonderfully talented alumnae - let us know where you are and what you are doing. Spread the word to all your Latymerian friends too! We look forward to seeing you all in the Autumn to celebrate this anniversary.

GET INVOLVED Latymerians have used our Alumni Networking site Latymer Connects to find and secure new job opportunities as well as to keep in touch with old school friends. Networks are a powerful tool, so do remember to utilise them!

Email us on Latymerians@ latymerfoundation.org

CALLING CANADIAN LATYMERIANS—CAN YOU HELP? We’re looking for a volunteer to take on the role of Treasurer for the Canadian Friends of Latymer (CFL). The CFL was created as a taxfriendly way of raising money for Latymer’s bursary programme, so that bright young children can come to Latymer despite their family’s financial circumstances. The Latymer Foundation is very grateful for the fantastic work the CFL does in helping us to reach our Inspiring Minds campaign goal.

As CFL Treasurer you would assist the Chair, Trevor Jones (1957) with responsibility for book-keeping; producing twice yearly reports to the Canadian tax charity, communicating with donors and arranging tax return forms. For a relatively small demand on your time, you’ll be making a huge impact on the School’s much valued bursary programme. The role of CFL Treasurer is also a great way of becoming involved socially with fellow Canadian Latymerians. For more details, please email Sian Davis (Alumni Manager) sdd@latymerfoundation.org

New ventures during the pandemic ABI RONAN (2004) - US LATYMERIAN COUNCIL MEMBER

NEW VENTURES

While 2020 will, for many people, be defined as the year that doors closed and time stood still, for me it was the year my life changed. In January I was the Global Head of Marketing and Communications at Garrard, the world’s oldest jewellery house, enjoying the sparkle and excitement of a fast-paced working life in Mayfair. In February, I handed in my notice. My husband’s company had offered him a transfer to the New York office and he had managed to persuade me that leaving my friends, family and life as I knew it would be worth it. He very generously told me that he would support me in whatever I wanted to pursue in New York, so I was given the extremely rare and precious gift of deciding, at 34, what my dream job would be. Whilst I loved my career in the luxury industry, I have always been an active volunteer in my spare time and care deeply about supporting those in less fortunate positions. Outside of my academic studies at Latymer, I trained at the Royal Academy of Dance and the Rambert Dance Company studios in Chiswick, and I decided that I wanted to use these skills to inspire and support the next generation. My aim was to become a dance teacher for children and young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over the summer I retrained with the National Dance Institute in the USA and took exams to become an American Ballet Theatre® certified teacher – all via the magic of Zoom from our spare room in London.

lives. The timing was perfect, as the school was short of staff, with previous teachers fearful of coming into the studio (although strict social distancing and masks are now mandatory) or having relocated out of the city. After my first term of teaching, I can confidently say this is one of the most rewarding and heart-warming things I have ever done.

After covid-induced travel delays, we eventually arrived in New York in early September. A few weeks later, I started teaching at a dance school in Harlem that offers free classes to girls as a safe space to express themselves and develop the pride, joy, cooperation and discipline needed to confront adversity in their daily

Being away from home during a pandemic is tough, there’s no doubt about it. Yet every time I walk into the studio, I feel extremely grateful for the new doors that have opened to me over the past year. I’m hopeful that my classes will, in turn, help to open doors for the young girls in Harlem in their futures.

LEE TAN (1991) I had no idea that 2020 would be the year I’d start an advertising agency (Motelcompany.com) . It was a terrible year in so many ways, but the upheaval also brought an opportunity. For once, we stopped running, looked around and actually thought about what was important to us. Work included. This allowed some social-distanced walks with Rob, a friend who also works in the industry. We’d both spent about 25 years at agencies big and small, and it turned out we shared many ideas on how we’d like to work if we struck out on our own. We both wanted to simplify how we worked and get back to basics make great work, see our clients as partners. We also wanted to build a company that welcomes great ideas wherever they come from. We were lucky to have a client contact who was also looking for a

new start. So we had to rush to set up the agency. Some stuff just had to be done the good old way. Register the company. Get a bank account. And so on. But many others could be done totally differently. We had no office. In fact, we couldn’t have an office. So when assembling a team, it didn’t matter whether they were actually in London or half way across the world. A designer in Sao Paolo. A writer in Mallorca. A creative director who wants to spend half the week on her film directing career. A strategist who is also launching an app. A CFO and busy mum who works one day across the week. Remote working, international talent, outside projects... these weren’t new ideas, but we could now put them into practice immediately. I was surprised how working virtually didn’t get in the way of collaborating and coming up with strong ideas. We

saw each other on-screen so often, that any doubts a culture could be built working this way were quickly forgotten. Fast forward a few weeks to our first social-distanced film shoot. Though most of us had never met in person, it felt like we had. Oddly, it didn’t really matter. We’re now at 16 people. Most of the things we’re doing, we’ll keep doing. When this pandemic is finally over, we may even get an office. But there won’t be any desks. It’ll just be a place to have some face-to-face time - for those of us who live in London, at least. The rest is up for grabs. We’ll just keep building what feels right to us as we go along. And that’s probably the best part of this unexpected enterprise.

SAM SMITH (2014)

I noticed that loads of others were doing the same during lockdown. My Instagram feed became full of people showing off what they’d been growing whilst stuck at home. Trouble was, like me, most of them didn’t know what they were doing. Enthusiasm was ruling over experience. They weren’t clued up on what seeds to plant when or how to look after them, let alone where to get all the components from without a car. If you’re new to growing veg and herbs, it’s all a bit of a mystery. Then, when you go looking for it, most of the advice out there is pretty ‘gardeningy’ and serious – more for allotment owners or plant lovers. I felt like there was nothing making growing veg and herbs fun and easy for people who didn’t have a clue. So, alongside my day job, I decided to set up Pot Gang. A grow-yourown subscription, with monthly

drops of seasonal veg and herb seeds, the pots and compost for growing them in, plus some really straightforward guidance that makes it easy and a bit of laugh. Once it lands on people’s doorsteps, they have all they need to get growing. We started off in August, going round London dropping off boxes and bags of compost to a handful of mates. I still hadn’t passed my driving test, so my girlfriend was tearing round as the city’s politest white van woman. Over the past few months, we’ve grown and now have a load of van drivers on the road with us, dropping across town to all sorts of people who fancy doing a bit of growing. It’s been really rewarding, building a community of people successfully growing veg and herbs who wouldn’t have otherwise. We’ve been able to get them trying varieties of veg that are far more interesting than what’s in supermarket, plus have a satisfying, soothing escape within

their homes. I feel like I’ve got to know a lot of the gang, as we meet on the doorstep and speak on Whatsapp, so seeing how we’ve played a small yet positive part in their lives has been properly humbling.

NEW VENTURES

Last summer, having never planted a seed in my life, I got properly into growing veg and herbs in pots on my balcony. I felt like the Millennial Monty Don with radishes, chard and spinach popping up all over the shop. It was such a rewarding escape, raising them from seeds into plants into really tasty food.

It’s www.potgang.co.uk or drop a follow @pot.gang on Instagram.

MARIUS NIGOND (2009) Most people would say that launching a travel business in 2020 probably wasn’t the best of ideas. A few Latymerians would argue otherwise. This is the story of Vidi Guides – a travel start-up that creates podcast tours of cities, neighbourhoods and cultural sites. In late 2019, all was looking rosy. We had raised a small round of funding to develop our technology, launch a few European cities and spend on marketing. It was also around this

time that my childhood friend and Vidi Guides co-founder Alex JONES (2009), joined the team. As our team was getting ready to launch the app, disaster struck. Countries started shutting down their borders and the travel industry collapsed. At that point we were faced with a real dilemma. Do we pivot? Or do we take the crazy option and double down on travel? We stuck to our guns and went long on travel, figuring that this was the time to build whilst the rest of the industry stood still. We cut costs, kept our marketing budget dry, and focused on UK-based experiences and partnerships. We fully moved to remote working and started doing recordings over zoom rather than in-studio. And when it came to building the team & searching for talent, we knew exactly where to look – Latymer!

Will JARVIS (2014) joined as our first employee and now heads our content team. Antoine NIGOND (2016) rebuilt our website and sorted out our e-commerce strategy. Juliet CROSSAN (2017) has added some creative spark to our design and Miles KNAPP (2014) brought his art history expertise to craft some amazing tours. There are so many other who have helped us get Vidi Guides off the ground: George BOWMAN (2009), James FAKTOR (2009), Archie PRESTON (2009) and Tom SKINNER (2009) to name a few. After months of quarantine and lockdown, we are adamant that travel is going to bounce back in a big way, and we feel that Vidi Guides is well placed to make a real impact on post-Covid travel (whenever that may be). As we gear up to our next steps, slowly build the team and work towards our next funding round, we’ll continue to look for value from the Latymerian network. If you’d like to get involved in any way, please get in touch!

SIXTH FORMER ‘YOUNGEST CEO OF B CORP IN THE WORLD’

SCHOOL NEWS

Well done to Sixth Former, Lysander (U6) who has been featured in the Metro newspaper as ‘the youngest CEO of a B Corp in the world’ His company, Leo’s Box is an eco friendly, subscription box service which brings people sustainable, natural and plastic free products to help reduce climate change.

LATYMERIANS CELEBRATE UNIVERSITY OFFERS

SUPERHERO DAY RAISES THOUSANDS FOR OUR NHS

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, our Upper Sixth students have yet again been successful with their university applications. Since 2017, over 70 Latymerians have chosen to pursue a higher education overseas, representing about 10% of each year group. The US (54 students) remains the most popular destination, with Latymerians enrolling at highly selective colleges, including 25 who have enrolled at Ivy League colleges: UPenn (6), Yale (5), Columbia (5), Brown (3), Harvard (2), Princeton (2), Dartmouth (1), and Cornell (1). Significant numbers have also enrolled at other leading research universities and liberal arts colleges, including UChicago (4), Stanford (4), Georgetown (4), NYU (4), Pomona (2) and Claremont McKenna (2). Outside of the US, Canada and Europe enjoy significant student interest too, with McGill (5) and Bocconi (4) leading the way. Post-Brexit, Ireland is increasingly popular as a university destination, as UK students will continue to pay EU fees. This year, 15 Latymerians applied to Trinity College Dublin. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SUCCESS: Congratulations to our Upper Sixth student, Ariana, who has secured a place on the prestigious Huntsman Programme at the University of Pennsylvania. The Huntsman Programme in International Studies & Business is a unique undergraduate dual degree programme in language, the liberal arts and business, jointly administered between the Wharton School and the College of Arts and Sciences at UPenn. It supports the development of globally-minded scholars who go on to become leaders in a wide variety of sectors. Just 50 students are enrolled on this extremely selective programme each year from the many thousands who apply. Ariana is the first Latymerian ever to win a place on this programme and we are incredibly proud of her achievement.

As a thank you to our amazing NHS key workers, Latymer held its very own Superhero Day on Friday 12 February, with donations going to The Imperial Health Charity. The whole community became involved with staff and students coming up with some fantastic superhero costumes. Prizes were awarded and over £3,000 was raised.

ATTAIN Attain is our new outreach programme developed to support local children from low-income backgrounds whose education has been affected by the pandemic. When the programme launched in January, school closures meant that delivery had to immediately pivot to remote learning. Latymer teachers, together with teachers from St Paul’s School and St Paul’s Girls’ School, have been tutoring pupils in Year 5 and 6 at 12 neighbouring primary schools. Since schools reopened in March, the programme has adapted to support children through a mixture of online and in-person sessions. So far, 165 sessions have been delivered! It has had such a positive impact already that we are working to expand our primary offer for next academic year.

In April we launched a new secondary school version of Attain, offering in-person catch up support in select GSCE topic areas. So far, lessons in Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Spanish have been made available.

220 households registered for The Post-Pandemic World, with Stephanie Flanders and Bill Emmott, a new record – the perfect way to celebrate the 6 month anniversary of online talks!

ARTEMISIA: A WOMAN PAINTER IN BAROQUE ITALY On 26th November, Letizia Treves, curator of the highlyacclaimed exhibition dedicated to Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1654 or later) talked about the extraordinary life and art of the most celebrated female painter of the 17th century.

THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD On 2nd February, Bill EMMOTT (1974, former Editor of The Economist), was joined by current Head of Bloomberg Economics (and Latymer parent), Stephanie Flanders to discuss what will governments and other public bodies need to think about in order to deal with the aftermath of the past year, as well as how to avoid any repeats in the future.

HOW WE CAME TO BE FROM EGG TO ADULT

AN INSIGHT INTO PORTRAITURE

On 1st December, Jim SMITH (1973) explained how we all come from a fertilised egg that divides many times and eventually forms a human being consisting of about 40 trillion cells, and why it’s important.

On 9th February, Peter ASPDEN (1976, Arts writer and Latymer parent), interviewed internationally renowned portraitist and Latymer parent, Jonathan Yeo about his craft and the role of portraiture in the digital age - as well as its status in the past.

A FESTIVE EVENING OF MUSICALS AND JAZZ On 8th December we were treated to a magical evening of Musicals and Jazz with Midge PARRY (2013), and Mark Wallace (Head of Economics, LUS). It was a truly festive way to close the autumn term that got us all in the Christmas spirit!

A TUTORIAL IN FRENCH LITERATURE: MADAME BOVARY BY FLAUBERT On 19th January, Peter Winter (former Head and Teacher of French) led a discussion on Gustave Flaubert’s novel, Madame Bovary, in the second in the series on French Literature.

ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE? HOW JUDGES SHAPE SOCIETY On 26th January, Joshua ROZENBERG (1967), Britain’s best known legal commentator, discussed his latest book, Enemies of the People? How Judges Shape Society in an interview with Paul Goldsmith (Latymer Teacher of Economics and Politics).

EVENTS ROUNDUP

Over lockdown we launched our Inspiring Minds Virtually Speaking series of virtual talks and performances. We have now delivered over 45 events, all of which you can find recordings of in our Video Library: www.latymerfoundation.org

A TUTORIAL IN FRENCH LITERATURE: LE MISANTHROPE BY MOLIÈRE On 25th February, Peter Winter (former Head and Teacher of French), considered Le Misanthrope, by Molière, for the final in his series of discussions on French Literature.

CONTRASTING USES OF SYMBOLISM IN ART: MEDIEVAL RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM On 4th March, Robert Orme (Art Historian and former Latymer teacher), led a lunchtime talk where he contrasted the symbolism of Medieval and Renaissance art, and that of Romanticism with Modernism, focusing on Medieval Religious Symbolism.

CONTRASTING USES OF SYMBOLISM IN ART: RENAISSANCE INDIVIDUALISM On 11th March, Robert Orme (Art Historian), led a lunchtime talk where he contrasted the symbolism of Medieval and Renaissance art, and that of Romanticism with Modernism, focusing on Renaissance Individualism.

DIVIDED; WHY WE ARE LIVING IN AN AGE OF WALLS

EVENTS ROUNDUP

On 16th March, Tim Marshall (Latymerian parent and Diplomatic Editor and foreign correspondent for Sky News), looked at the reasons for the huge growth in border fences and walls this century. After thirty years’ experience in news reporting and presenting, he left full-time news journalism to concentrate on writing and analysis.

On 11th May, we were joined by Charlie WIJERATNA (1986, Latymerian governor) in conversation with Tracey Scoffield, (fellow governor and film producer), giving us an incredible insight into the making of the recent Small Axe series, directed by Steve McQueen.

CONTRASTING USES OF SYMBOLISM IN ART: ROMANTIC MOOD SYMBOLISM

AN EVENING OF POETRY: TOWARDS THE LIGHT

On 18th March, Robert Orme (Art Historian), led a lunchtime talk where he contrasted the symbolism of Medieval and Renaissance art, and that of Romanticism with Modernism, focusing on Romantic Mood Symbolism.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF MEDIA? On 26th March, Andrew Knight (Latymer grandparent, expert in global media and Chairman of Times Newspapers Ltd) and Zanny Minton Beddoes (Latymerian parent, expert in global economics and Editor-in-Chief of The Economist), shared their insight and expertise in a fascinating conversation on the future of media.

AN EVENING WITH CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN AND EMMA FREUD On 21st April, Claudia Winkleman, (Latymer parent and TV presenter), spent an evening in conversation with Emma Freud, (Latymerian parent, broadcaster, producer and writer), exploring Claudia’s early career and how she has continued to be so successful in the tricky world of journalism, TV and radio.

A LITERARY TOUR DE FRANCE WITH PETER WINTER On 22nd April, Peter Winter (former Head and Teacher of French) took us on a literary guided tour of France.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLANTS On 29th April, Jonathan DRORI (1979) returned to Latymer to discuss his new book Around the World in 80 Plants; sharing stories about 80 plants from around the globe that are full of surprises.

THE POLITICS AND ECONOMICS OF THE POSTPANDEMIC WORLD

THE MAKING OF SMALL AXE

On 4th May, Bill EMMOTT (1974), returned to continue the discussion he started on 2nd February and debated the evening away with Paul Goldsmith (Latymer Economics and Politics Teacher.)

On 26th May, Peter PEGNALL (1967), shared with us a distinctive programme of freshly composed poems and music, including readings from ‘Pestilence’, an anthology of poems focusing on the COVID 19 Pandemic.

THE GREAT LATYMER ALFRESCO WEEKEND On 11 to 13 June 2021, we held a fun weekend for everyone in the Latymer community. Thank you to all those who hosted or attended a gathering in support of our Inspiring Minds campaign.

LATYMERIANS’ DINNER Although the pandemic may have prevented us from meeting in person, we were thrilled that so many Latymerians rallied to join us online to celebrate the 107th Latymerians’ Dinner last November. We enjoyed music, hearing the latest school news, and the Head’s top nine Latymer personalities throughout the ages. It was, admittedly, with a certain amount of trepidation that we decided to experiment with breakout rooms for over 90 people on zoom, but we were very keen that Latymerians had the chance to talk together, and where possible, with former teachers. Lots of positive feedback was received – it is heartening to hear how many Latymerians’ reconnected with old classmates not seen for years, or decades in some cases - and it was great to see so many Latymerians based overseas who can’t usually attend the Dinner in person. The father of the house, Michael PHELPS (1951), joined us via Zoom and shared his story from when he started at Latymer in 1943 during the Second World War. Michael has fond memories from the end of the war, when “our brilliant Headmaster, Mr Wilkinson, said that we should forgive”. He said we should “love and not hate”. So he started the exchange with a German school in Hamburg. Michael said it was good to see that 70 years later the spirit of forgiveness and inclusivity is still strong at Latymer, especially during this terrible pandemic.

In December we launched Ask an Expert, our new, virtual career series. Aimed at Latymerians wanting to explore different career paths, each of our Ask an Expert events features a panel discussion and Q&A with alumni who are already successful in their industry. These events are available to watch on our online video library.

ASK AN EXPERT: ENTREPRENEURS

On 3rd December, we launched the first in our new series of Ask an Expert career events on Education, chaired by Sally Markowska (former Latymer Teacher of English and Head of Year in Sixth Form) with a panel of former Latymerians including: Jan BALON (2001, Headteacher, London Academy of Excellence); Becca CRAN (2011, Regional Manager at Explore Learning); Charlie KENNARD MBE (2004, Principal at London Screen Academy) and Jennifer Mainwaring, former Latymer Outreach Coordinator, who changed her career to go into teaching. The panellists shared their own personal journeys into the sector along with tips and advice on how to join the world of education with current and former students.

On 4th February we ran the second in our series of Ask an Expert events with Entrepreneurs from across the Latymer community, including Toby ASTOR (1998), Taymoor ATIGHETCHI (2007), Adam BALON (1990), Fran BOORMAN (2000), Richard DAVIDSON (1993), and Ollie GOLD (2008) as they discussed he highs and lows of their journey as they built their businesses.

VIRTUAL REUNIONS We have held fun, informal gatherings with alumni who attended Latymer during the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. David Goodhew, Head of Latymer Upper School gave an update on school life before we shared old photographs and stories.

ASK AN EXPERT: DIGITAL GIANTS On 6th May, we ran the fourth in our series of Ask an Expert career events on Digital Giants.

EVENTS ROUNDUP

ASK AN EXPERT: EDUCATION

ASK AN EXPERT: CHARITABLE SECTOR On 9th June, we ran the fifth in our series of Ask an Expert career events on the Charitable Sector.

ASK AN EXPERT: MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY On 10th March, we ran the third in our series of Ask an Expert career events on Management Consultancy with panellists Richard KHALD (1993), Emily SCOTT (2015), Anna SHERRIFF (2006) and Chuck STUBBS (2008) who shared their knowledge and experience of working in the world of management consultancy.

CLASSES OF 2015, 2016 & 2019 REUNION 22 June 2021 Latymer Upper School

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

BEN MURRAY RUGBY FESTIVAL

28 August 2021 - Wood Lane Rugby Festival in Memory of Ben MURRAY (2017) Tag rugby tournament open to everyone in the Latymer Community.

CLASS OF 2020 DRINKS RECEPTION 3 September, 2021 Latymer Upper School

TWO GUIDED TOURS OF THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM WITH TAYLOR DOWNING (1971)

4 September 2021, 10-12noon and 5 March 2022, 10-12noon You are invited to explore the three floors of the Imperial War Museum’s world-class collections with Taylor Downing. Join us to hear Taylor’s exceptional stories of wartime weaponry and their profound impact on people’s lives, followed by coffee and conversation in The Tankard pub close by.

We mark the following Latymerians who have sadly passed away recently.

Derek GASH (1947)

Gordon TYLER (1943)

Jake FEARNSIDE (1988)

Geoffrey DUNSTER (1960)

Mike GLEED (1953)

John THWAITES (1948)

Barry SAUL (1961)

Alan DAVIS (1958)

n George Graham STANLEY (1959) We are grateful to Christine Stanley for the following tribute After school, George studied Pharmacy at Leicester and then worked for Boots for 46 years. He credited his education for his excellent foundation in the sciences and mathematics. He continued to learn in retirement, taking several Open University courses. His lifelong passions, begun at Latymer, were squash, choral music and drama. He also loved playing the piano to the end of his life. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

ASK AN EXPERT: FINTECH

9 September 2021 We have the first Ask an Expert event of the new academic year, this time on Fintech.

LEGAL NETWORKING EVENT

20 September 2021 - Middle Temple Hosted by Derek Sweeting QC, Latymerian parent and Chair of the Bar Council.

1624 SOCIETY AFTERNOON TEA

30 September 2021 Latymer Upper School This annual event will be hosted by the President of the 1624 Society, James GRAHAM (1976), for all those who have included a legacy to the Latymer Foundation in their will.

FESTIVAL OF COMEDY

26 September, 2021 Latymer Upper School Bill Bailey (Latymer parent) heads the line up in what promises to be a hilarious Festival of Comedy.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF CO-EDUCATION AT LATYMER 13 October, 2021 Latymer Upper School

2010 & 2011 - 10 YEAR REUNION 5 November, 2021 Latymer Upper School

108TH LATYMERIANS’ ANNUAL DINNER 26 November, 2021 16

Obituaries

To register for any of these events please visit our website: www.latymerfoundation.org

n John Angus (Gus) BAKER (1957) We are grateful to Rick Stubbing and Lucy Hughes for the following tribute Born at the outbreak of WW2, Gus lived with his parents and elder brother in Isleworth. His childhood memories are of hiding under the stairs, hearing sirens and whistling bombs overhead. During the Steinbeck Offensive of 1943, the back of their house was blown off when a neighbouring house was hit. Gus and his brother were evacuated to Devon during the V2 strike of 1945. Following his brother to Latymer, he became Vice Captain of the School, as well as Captain of Athletics and Rugby, and Hon. Secretary of the Geography Society. Gus also won the 440 yard dash at the English Schools’ Athletic Championships. Famous for his exuberant post-match celebrations at the now defunct Old Latymerians AC and at Osterley RC, he still found time to enjoy jazz on Eel Pie Island. Gus was a member of the Commonwealth Youth Movement, and thought about an army career after serving as a sergeant in the Cadet Corps. He attended Loughborough University where, trying to sell copies of the student newspaper, he first set eyes on Mari, his much loved wife; they were married in 1967 on an August day that was, he always said, the happiest day of his life. After university, a teaching career beckoned and he returned

to his alma mater, Latymer, where he restored the Athletics Club to its previous prestigious position. He will be much missed by his wife, Mari, his daughter, Lucy, son-in-law, Chris, and his grandchildren Alex and Clara.

Brian, born in 1945, followed his father, Reginald, to Latymer. He achieved a MA in Natural Sciences at Churchill College, Cambridge, and then studied for a postgraduate diploma in Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey. A long and successful career in the civil service followed. In retirement he continued working as a consultant, helping to establish the Government Horizon Scanning Centre which explores strategic futures thinking. Brian lived in Arbroath, Scotland with his wife Barbara who survives him, and latterly at Downe House in Berkshire where Barbara is a house mistress and history teacher. He will be much missed by his family and friends.

OBITUARIES

n Brian BRADER (1963) We are grateful to Barbara Brader for the following tribute

bowled a googly that went flying across the grounds, hitting one of the young ladies in the head. David was quite worried and rode in the ambulance, accompanied by the young lady’s friend, Audrey. As it turns out, Audrey’s friend recovered without any significant damage, and that experience was one that would change the course of David’s future. He and Audrey got to know one another under those unusual circumstances, and on the 7th May 1955, they were married, spending 62 wonderful years together before Audrey very sadly died on 28th February 2018. Known for his keen interest in the latest technology, and with guidance from his faithful annual subscription to Which Magazine, David always managed to possess the trendiest and most current appliances; the most efficiently working dishwasher, best TV for viewing Sky Sports, the latest in video recording! David was always grateful for those highly valued treasures and they also served to feed his interest in technology. We remember David for his thoughtfulness, the ways he loved those special people in his life, his resourcefulness and devotion, for how he could be counted on for support, and for the endless ways he deepened everyone’s lives.

Derek, seated n Derek Arthur LING (1954) We are grateful to David Ling for the following tribute Born in Fulham in 1935, Derek was evacuated to a farm in Sussex. Later he was awarded distinctions in Latin and Literature at Latymer but left School at 16 to find work. He worked for the same accountancy firm all his life in London and Scotland; his career was only interrupted by National Service where he achieved the rank of Lance Corporal (the same rank as Hitler, he used to joke!) A keen cricketer and footballer, Derek lived with his much loved wife in Edinburgh and is survived by his three children, David, Alan and Rose. He was lucky enough to be visited by his former best friend Ron HARBOUR (1954) (pictured with Derek) who is still healthy and active. n David Charles Ross LAKE (1949) We are grateful to Alison Keech & Susie Lake for the following tribute David passed away on 6 August 2020, shortly after his 90th birthday. He was always very proud of his connections with Latymer Upper School. A keen sportsman as a young man, one day he was practising his bowling at the Barclay’s Sports Ground in Ealing. Two young ladies were playing netball nearby. To David’s astonishment, he

Brian, 2nd from right n Brian ‘Gerry’ BINDING - Former English Teacher and Rowing Coach We are grateful to Peter PEGNALL (1967) for the following tribute and poem Brian Gerald Binding, who has died at the age of 82, was a life-long student and teacher of literature; a musician of some prowess, playing both the viola and the harpsichord; a man of great style, integrity and panache who inspired others to follow Polonius’s sound advice: ‘to thine own self be true/ And it must follow as the night the day/thou canst not then be false to any man’ Brian was born in Harrow, to Evelyn Thora and Edward William Gerald Binding. He achieved scholarships to Haberdasher’s Aske’s School and Downing College, Cambridge. F.R. Leavis was the guiding spirit at Downing, establishing Literature as a cultural barometer, the ‘common pursuit of true judgement’. It may have partly been the crusading zeal of Dr. Leavis that persuaded Brian to resist the allure of television, radio and sound recordings. For a man with his passion for music, this must been a compelling conviction, but it will also have lent greater delight to attending concerts and his own music making. Unlike the good doctor, Brian was by no means an ascetic: he loved fine food and wines, relished conversation and companionship, was no stranger to close relationships. He could play the fool with gusto, featuring in a number of pantomimes and entertainments. In fact, it was the irresistible mixture of gravitas and mischief which endeared him to generations of pupils. His first post was at Latymer Upper School during an astonishing vintage of boys and staff: Alan Rickman, Robert Cushman, Mel Smith, Raphael Wallfisch, Christopher Guard and Hugh Grant were among the illuminati benefitting from

OBITUARIES

Brian’s rigour and good humour. His own star quality could be gauged by his BMW motorbike, his cashmere overcoats and his ever- present pipe, which could be used to emphasise a point, or signal a pause. Coupled with an incisive intellect, these characteristics made it cool to be clever, improved the quality of life immensely, well beyond the confines of school. Such a man never retires: after leaving the profession, Brian pursued European languages to a higher level and became a freelance translator, sharpening his awareness of his native language in the process. It is a matter of some regret that he did not leave behind any substantial written record. He was, perhaps, too modest to embark on such an endeavour. A couple of anecdotes might flesh out the picture. His nephew, Nick, received an extraordinary Christmas gift at the age of about 9: a fully operational Hot Air Balloon Kit. Whether or not it took to the air is irrelevant! At the same time of an earlier year, he tobogganed down a snow-covered Richmond Hill, egged on by an ex-student and his girlfriend; the evening ended with a violin sonata, hot chocolate laced with brandy and bouts of incessant, sparkling laughter. Brian needed support in the final three years of his life, suffering from micro vascular disease, which bereft him of mobility, memory and joie de vivre. He died on 27th December 2020, from complications of Covid-19. Lauda finem- praise to the end. Child, Adult, Adult , Child (For Brian Binding, on the occasion of his death) There are those who’ll hold you tight and those who’ll let you go. Neither complete the picture. You’re on your own, given enough luck and comfort. Not entirely so. Without love, you’ll never leave, claw back and back to find warmth in a place of ice. Too much love, you’ll never leave, outgrow your blanket and be smothered. The real gift is to belong, to fly away; it is the adult, more than the child takes the bigger risk. Just imagine, that sudden movement takes them out of sight, beyond your patch of earth! Now it is for the child to return, to mourn the great unsaid, the body torn away. We do not seek gratitude, nor reward. Child and parent release each other to find themselves. At the end, they cast no shadow.

n Hon. Michael CATLIFF (1947) We are grateful to Geoff, Chris and John Catliff for the following tribute

The Honourable Michael Ivor Catliff passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack in his sleep on Thursday morning, September 24th 2020, at his Vancouver home. Michael was born in 1928. While he lived through the Battle of Britain and the Blitz as a young officer’s cadet, he did not reach the age of 18 until the war ended. He served as a lieutenant in Germany in the 1946-7

Michael CATLIFF 1st from right, front row peacekeeping force and then earned a scholarship to Oxford where he got his Bachelors and Masters in Law. He practiced briefly as a barrister in London before immigrating to Canada in 1956. Landing in Montreal in the winter, he got on a train looking for a town without snow, disembarking for good in Vancouver. He joined the law firm Douglas, Symes and Brissendon and met Joyce Meilicke at the Vancouver Racquets Club. They were married in 1958 and for 62 years were a perfect match. They bought their cabin at Hood Point, Bowen Island in 1960 where Joyce had summered as a youngster and this has remained the family’s centre of gravity. Michael was appointed a judge in 1975 and served on the Supreme Court of BC, retiring in 2003 at the age of 75. He always embraced his new nationality, believing fiercely in the ideal of Canada. He in his small way, with his groundbreaking judicial decisions upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada, improved our collective rights and freedoms. He was an avid squash and tennis player and loved his golf, which he played right up until his passing. Well read, he loved any debate or intellectual discussion on current affairs, which to him was basically from the 17th century onwards. He was a keen member of Probus Club of Vancouver, the Wranglers and the Thackray Group. Always with a twinkle in his eye, Michael was a great inquisitor, continuously amused and intrigued by life. He will be greatly missed. He will be missed. In lieu of flowers, donations or pledges can be made to the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation via bowenhealthcentre.com. n Peter WEINER (1968) We are grateful to Helen Binstead for the following tribute Peter died on 31st December 2020 after a private battle with cancer. He was a pupil at Latymer Upper School from 1962 to 1968 where he acquired his lasting love of tennis. After being awarded a degree from Bristol university in Economics and Statistics, he had a distinguished career in pensions where he was held in high regard for his knowledge, quiet manner and dry sense of humour. He was a true gentleman. He leaves a myriad of friends who will miss him. n Dr. Ieuan DAVID— Former Head of Chemistry We are grateful to Nicholas David for the following tribute Ieuan was born in Port Talbot on 1st March 1927. He attended Port Talbot Secondary School which later came to be known as Dyffryn Grammar School. Together with a schoolfriend, he was one of the first pupils from his school to go to Imperial College, London, where he studied chemistry from 1945 to 1948. After graduating, he then continued with academic life and was awarded a PhD from Imperial College in 1950. His main fields of interest were in inorganic chemistry, in particular x-ray crystallography.

n Andrew DOUGLAS - Former Head of English We are grateful to Stephen PARRY-JONES (former History Teacher) for the following tribute. Those connected with Latymer in the 1980s will, I am sure, share my sadness at the death of Andrew Douglas at the early age of 65. He and I were appointed to the staff, along with Andrew Rees (Modern Languages), in September 1979. Although our career paths diverged, the three of us would stay in close touch over the years. After school at Clifton, where he was Head Boy, Andrew went on to take a first in English at Oxford. He then worked in the City for a large Japanese trading company; here, he found the work well remunerated but not especially congenial. He therefore took the bold decision to follow his wife Avril, the spirited Derry girl he had met as an undergraduate, into teaching. It proved to be the right move: Andrew joined a talented English department, led by Chris Owens, which then included Peter Broad, Peter Fanning, and Piers Heyworth, all of whom would go on to distinguished careers from Latymer. He would later be joined by our Oxford contemporaries, Emma Woodhouse and Philip Watts. Although never prepared to compromise academic rigour or the highest standards of scholarship, Andrew knew instinctively how to keep a class both stimulated and amused: the boy who thought he didn’t like English or the future Oxbridge applicant both gained immeasurably from him. Quite possibly, Andrew’s tweed-jacketed exterior and correct demeanour allowed him to be a little more outrageous than others of us might have dared, endearing him further to Latymer boys. He was also a very ‘complete’ schoolmaster, unafraid to make a fool of himself at the Jantaculum – he was Publick Oratour of the Gild - or to endure the spartan conditions of Chris Hammond’s famed Activities Week trip to the Brecon Beacons, where the nearest one came to a bath proved to be the chilly waters of the River Usk. Andrew and I both appeared in a Gild production of The Birthday Party as McCann and Goldberg. I don’t know if we projected the right degree of Pinterian menace, but Colin Turner was heard to remark that ‘no one would want to buy a used car from those two.’ Laughter is an essential part of school life , and Andrew had a keen sense of the absurd, though his satire - he adored teaching Swift - was without malice. Many a dinner party was enlivened by his anecdotes, which spared no-one, especially Andrew himself. Yet he was also extremely kind: the vulnerable pupil or colleague under pressure would find him wonderfully sympathetic and eager to help in any way he could, doing

much good by stealth. After a few years, Andrew moved as head of department to Colfe’s in South London, but it was not long before he returned to Latymer. Maurice Isaac, in a story that passed for a while into Latymer lore, had invited him to dinner at his club. At the coffee and brandy stage, Maurice said ‘You can consider this as your interview: I’d like you to return as Head of English.’ Things were done rather differently then. Andrew greatly enjoyed this second spell at Latymer. During his mid 50s, Andrew began to show symptoms of IBM, the rare muscular disorder that would affect the last decade of his life. He was able to work with undiminished energy until the age of 60 and his inner world remained as rich as ever. In November 2020 Andrew was admitted to hospital with a severe chest infection from which he did not recover. n Michael ROTH (1965). We are grateful to Danny Roth for the following tribute. Michael died on Wednesday January 27th as a result of organ damage and complications from COVID-19. With two masters’ degrees, he could look forward to a brilliant career in the United Nations, UNESCO or similar but at the end of the 1960s decade, his mental health collapsed. Warning bells had sounded some years earlier when, after a magnificent start at Latymer, his A-level results were significantly below the standards he had achieved previously. Nevertheless, they were still good enough for him to be able to sit for an exhibition at University College, Oxford, where he earned a creditable second-class degree. He went on to follow our father’s footsteps to the London School of Economics to take a qualification in International Relations and thus become one of very few people who could write both M.A. and M.Sc. after his name. In addition to his linguistic interest, he had success as a historian.

OBITUARIES

Ieuan met his wife, Bridget, when he was an undergraduate at Imperial College. They met through amateur dramatics, or “Dram Soc” as it was known. Ieuan’s passion for amateur dramatics went back to school days and he often liked to speak of his stage appearances with a certain Richard Burton! Ieuan continued working at Imperial College as a lecturer until 1956, when a quieter, rural life beckoned for the upbringing of his young family. He moved to become head of science at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire. As well as running the science department he was involved with a number of extracurricular activities, in particular sailing and school theatre visits to Stratford Upon Avon. Ieuan was also a member of the school choir. By 1967 Ieuan and Bridget were looking to move back to London. This was partly for the benefit of their children’s education and partly for a different lifestyle. He was appointed head of chemistry at Latymer Upper School where he remained for twenty years until his retirement in 1987. Three of his sons also attended Latymer however Stephen, his eldest son, was already established at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe by this time. Sadly, Bridget died in 1991 and this left an enormous hole in Ieuan’s life which he was never able to fill. He lived alone in Suffolk for the next 30 years, with support from his family until he moved to a residential home in Woodbridge for his final few weeks. He died peacefully on 16th January 2021, aged 93. In addition to his four sons, Stephen, Christopher, Nicholas and Philip, he also leaves a younger brother, Peter, two grandchildren, Andrew and Sophia, and a great granddaughter, Grace.

n Kenneth WEBSTER (1945) - known at Latymer as W. Webster or Bill Webster We are grateful to Liz Bowden for the following tribute Born in 1928 in London, Kenneth attended Latymer 19391945. Although his schooling was disrupted by the war and evacuation, it made a big impact on his future life. Known as Bill or W. Webster at school, he regularly attended the reunion dinners and contributed to various Latymer projects. Qualifying as a Public Finance Accountant Ken’s career was in Local Government. Having worked for a variety of local authorities, he became City Treasurer at Leicester City Council 1972-1983. During this time he became President of the Association of District Treasurers and an active member of Leicester Rotary. Following early retirement in 1983, Ken became a freelance consultant. He worked for a time with the Audit Commission, the Community Development Foundation, a Leicester real property company and his local parochial church council. He was a regular contributor to the Local Government Chronicle and a CIPFA exam invigilator. Following the death of his wife in 2000, he decided to move to Northumberland in 2006 to be near his younger daughter and family. He transferred to Hexham Rotary, was a Reader for the Tynedale Talking Newspaper and helped in his grandsons’ school library. He enjoyed an active life – watching sport, reading, travelling and walking. In later years he developed Alzheimer’s which he bore with a stoicism developed during the war years. He died on 11th January 2021 from COVID leaving two daughters and five grandsons.

Enjoy a selection of recordings from our Virtually Speaking series of online events, now available on our website www.latymerfoundation.org

An evening with Claudia Winkleman and Emma Freud

An Insight into Portraiture with Jonathan Yeo

Tutorials in French Literature with Peter Winter

The Post-Pandemic World with Bill Emmott and Stephanie Flanders

Connect with Latymer online

Latymer Connects: www.latymerconnects.com Website: www.latymerfoundation.org Twitter: @edward_latymer @latymer1624 Facebook: @latymeriansnetwork Instagram: @latymerupperalumni @latymerfoundation1624 #InspiringMinds

Latymerian is printed on wellmanaged FSC paper using vegetable based inks. Printing plates are aluminium and are recycled, as are any surplus/ old inks, while printing blankets are shredded and used for rubberised play areas and footpaths.