I have been touched by the personal messages I have received from the ON community since I announced my intention to retire in August 2025. It has been the privilege of my life to lead Nottingham High School and its fantastic team of teaching and support staff. I am so proud of all of the students (past and present) and of your remarkable achievements, across many generations. I will miss so much about the School and its valuable, vibrant community.
Since the announcement was made it has been very much business as usual:
The new Wellbeing Centre has been an amazing addition to our offering and is being well used in all sorts of different ways. Earlier last term we were visited by the Independent Schools Inspectorate for their three-yearly check on all that we are doing. They were very impressed with all they saw and gave us a clean bill of health on the all-important compliance items. The full report can be found on the School’s website. The coming pages are full of heart-warming stories, from across the globe, reflecting past pupil’s warmth for the School and for each other. We’re continuing to deliver an extensive events programme including a very successful ON London Dinner earlier on in the year. We’ve also managed to catch up with a great many of you at our regional dinners. We’ve had a record number of ONs back to the School for our anniversary reunions, as well as a number of overseas visitors including the families of ONs who have passed away, who feel the value of being connected with our community.
Whilst the School, undoubtedly, faces the most significant challenges of its time due to the impending imposition of VAT on school fees and
MAGAZINE SUMMER 2024
also the loss of business rate relief we should be heartened by the fact that both the School, and the ON community, are in great shape. It is only by embracing the strengths, resources, commitment and dedication of our community that we can ensure the life of the School.
As well as my personal commitment, I also feel it is my duty as Headmaster, to secure any potential gifts to the School. In addition to a modest income from a small number of sources, it is thanks to the generosity of an increasing number of ONs that we are able to deliver a Bursary Programme which currently supports one in eight students in the School today. I have no doubt that the Bursary Fund will play a significant role in mitigating the impact of the challenges that lie ahead. I would therefore welcome a conversation with any of you who feel you might be able to support the School philanthropically.
In closing I’d like to quote Rachael Alvey (ON 2018-2020) whose words will resonate with so many of us. ‘Nottingham High School will forever hold a special place in my heart for all the experiences I had that have made me the person I am today.’ You can read Rachael’s full feature on page 23 Kevin Fear (Headmaster)
Founder’s Day and Cheese and Ale Ceremony 15th June 2024
“Having been a Christian Minister for more than 20 years I have spoken at a variety of events, but this would be new. To be honest, I would struggle to remember much about Founder’s Day services when I was at school (40 years since).
The ten-minute slot for the sermon was a challenge, but I hope that the necessary brevity didn’t diminish the message. Despite 1500-plus sermons under the belt, my heart was pounding as I ascended the pulpit steps, and the legs a bit wobbly at the end! I always count it a privilege to have opportunities to speak about the Christian faith, and this was a special privilege and joy.
Afterwards, my first time at the Cheese and Ale ceremony. (We nearly missed the cheese, which was placed on tables at the far side.)
In the presentation I received a two-shilling piece and two sixpences, which I think I may have to cherish rather than spend! I didn’t meet anyone from my year group, but there was someone from my dad’s, which was quite a surprise. He even remembered dad’s middle two names!
Thank you for the day and for a new memory of the old school.”
Ian Smith (ON 1976-1984) - Visiting Preacher
More photographs from the day can be found at flickr.com/photos/nottshigh/albums
On Saturday 15th June, the annual Founder’s Day service was held at St Mary’s Church in Nottingham.
We were delighted to welcome Reverend Ian Smith (ON 1976-1984) as the visiting preacher.
After the service, many joined us for the Cheese ‘n’ Ale Ceremony where the chosen representative scholars for 2024, Neha and Kunarathan were awarded a Foundation Tie and framed certificate with a traditional groat coin.
ReuniONs
Class of 1994 – Saturday 8th June 2024
What an amazing Class of 1994 Reunion! Over 40 ONs came back to the School to celebrate their 30th anniversary. We were honoured to remember the seven classmates who have passed away and they were spoken about with sensitivity and warmth. It was also lovely to see some of their family members too. The Class of 1994 have sponsored a stone to be laid on Waverley Walkway in memory of their friends.
“Thank you so much for a really excellent reunion on Saturday. It was all expertly organised and there was a great atmosphere from beginning to end. It was a very impressive achievement to bring so many from one year group together - and certainly well worth all the effort involved.”
“I just wanted to say a big and heartfelt thank you for organising Saturday’s reunion.”
“I had an amazing time and really loved seeing everyone.”
“Seeing ‘old’ faces, and places, was immense fun, and helped rekindle not only nostalgia but a sense of belonging to something bigger.”
If you would like to help us arrange your anniversary reunion for your class year, please get in touch development@nottinghamhigh.co.uk
Class of 1974 – Saturday 15th June 2024
The Class of 1974’s 50th anniversary reunion was also very special.
We had a wonderful trip down memory lane, sharing stories and making new memories. Some things had changed and others were just as they remembered them.
“Thank you for organising a truly memorable event. “
“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many of my fellow ‘Class of 1974’ members and learning of their lives since leaving School. Geri’s tour of the School was a delight, with so many anecdotes of our time there being voiced.”
“I had such a good time sharing reminiscences of shared experiences at the High School with old school friends, several of whom I hadn’t seen since we left school in the summer of 1974.”
“I enjoyed it all so much and reconnecting with friends many of whom I haven’t seen for 50 years was very moving.”
Class of 2024 - Leavers’ BBQ
On Friday 21st June our annual Leavers’ BBQ took place and it was great to see so many students, families and teachers there to celebrate.
We look forward to keeping in touch with them in the years to come and hope to see them at some of our forthcoming events.
Junior School Letters
Letters to our Old Nottinghamians
Part of our work in the Development Team is connecting our community. Watching the interaction and engagement across the generations is heartening.
As well as sharing a bit about what they do at school, some of our wonderful Year 5 students wrote asking some really interesting questions of our Old Nottinghamians. They were fascinated about their time at the School.
Some of the questions asked were:
Did you have a lot of homework? What were the teachers like? Did you have delicious school dinners?
Did you sit at desks or tables? What was your favourite subject?
We are looking forward to repeating this project later in the year with a new Class of Year 5s. We wonder what questions they will ask!
Thank you to Mr Crossland (Assistant Head of KS2 and Head of Junior School Humanities) for his help with this project.
Pupils in the Junior School created a photo display linked to the letter writing project.
To book you place: trybooking.com/uk/DFFJ
What’s
Important announcement
London Dinner 2025
We are excited to announce that we are returning to the House of Commons, for the ON London Dinner, on 14th March 2025. There will be more on this to follow in the coming weeks, but for now, it would be great if you could ‘save the date’ - we would love to see as many of you there as possible!
ON Society Section
2024
ON Society Beeston Field Lunch
Beeston Fields Golf Club
To book email: secretary@oldnottinghamians-society.org
2025
ON Society President’s Dinner
Nottingham High School
For further details email: secretary@old-nottinghamianssociety.org
Community Choir Regional Dinners
The Nottingham High School Community Choir will be performing alongside the Main Choir at the events below. All ONs are welcome to join!
19th December 2024 – Carol Service
14th June 2025 – Founder’s Day Service
Register your interest by emailing development@ nottinghamhigh.co.uk
Proposed locations for 2025:
To register your interest, please email; development@ nottinghamhigh.co.uk or call 0115 845 2208
Staff Spotlight
My life in Athletics – Paul Allison
(Director of Athletics/XC, Head of Year 10, CCF Contingent Commander and Mellers’ Tutor)
Athletics has been a major part of my life now for 41 years. I was enthused to take up the sport by a very good PE teacher back in 1983, mainly because I couldn’t sit still and had too much energy. I had trials and one week later ran in the Nottinghamshire County Championships, gaining a county vest as an eleven-year-old. The sport quickly became my obsession, running in county races, club races and national competitions, also becoming Midlands champion for the steeplechase and receiving an invite to the England training squad.
I joined Nottingham High School PE Department in 1993 and under the guidance of Geri Thomas and Martin Smith I quickly became part of the team of staff that looked after the athletics in the summer and cross country in the winter. I was enrolled onto the UK Athletics coaching award scheme and by 1996 I qualified as a Senior Athletics Coach, now known as UKA Level 3. Athletics continued to be a major part of my teaching and co-curricular activities, taking teams to the National Cup Finals, watching our students qualify and compete in the English Schools championships and organising multiple schools events with Martin Smith for the next 25 years. In 2017, I was delighted when Mr Fear offered me the role as Director of Athletics and I have continued to teach and coach athletics and organise school events, including the annual sports day. I have built up a large archive of results over the past 31 years and I take pride in looking after the sports day and school athletics records, which go back to the 1950s when Geri Thomas started sports day and athletics in the School.
My love of athletics has continued outside of school as well. I have been a member of the Nottinghamshire Schools AA for 25 years, taking on roles as Chairman, Vice Chairman, Cross Country Secretary, Technical Official and ESAA Schools Cup Coordinator. I was delighted in 2011 to be voted onto the English Schools Athletic Association’s Committee, the national governing body, and in 2014, I was voted as ESAA National Cross Country Secretary, organising the national championships every year. I will be organising the 2025 championships in Ardingly, West Sussex..
In 2013 I was proud to be announced as the England Cross Country team manager for the U16 and U18 boys teams, a role I have continued to do each year with trips to Ireland, Scotland and Wales. A major highlight was in 2018 when I took an England team to Paris for the World Championships, finishing second behind Morocco.
The English Schools Athletic Association has continued to be a major part of my life and I was delighted to be nominated and voted as the Chairman of the English Schools Athletic Association in 2023 for a three-year cycle. I will guide the association through its centenary year in 2025 and we are in the process of planning a major event to include current internationals Dina Asher-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and many more.
Crossword SectiON
Can you solve it?
Stuart Thomas (ON 1987-1994) pen name Cagey has written/set cryptic crosswords for several national papers and has won the Ascot Gold Cup, Best Listener Crossword for the best puzzle of the year. Stuart wrote a blog on setting it which can be viewed by scanning the QR code.
Stuart has also set a cryptic crossword for you to try. Let us know if you complete it, we would love to know!
Answers to the crossword are on page 25.
Every answer requires the same modification before it will fit into the grid. Numbers in brackets give entry length. Modifications produce real words, names or phrases. These include an obscure variant spelling of a Shakespearean word from Henry IV. If you get that far the answer is obvious.
A big dictionary is recommended (e.g. Chambers).
Across
1. Tall birds and small birds circling lake (8)
8. Charge Glaswegian, maybe moving south (6)
9. Jung’s feminine side leaving snubbed man cuckoo (5)
10. Gutted boys bored by university coach (5)
11. Cagey starts to study inorganic chemistry (something to do with some particles) (7)
12. Amphibian was originally caught in webbing (6)
15. Peer embracing Queen Jane? (6)
17. Vacation touring Dutch keeps (7)
18. Waterproof mobile! A con - not working (5)
20. Dined in canteen now and again (5)
21. Devout Sikh ultimately attains a collection of religious texts (6)
22. Establishing time attorney can go at the front (8)
Down
2. Adolescent dropping a tab? No. (5)
3. Length is in Chinese miles (5)
4. Stretch marks splitting up couple (6)
5. Possibly pens answer supporting society women (7)
6. Silly Billy cut black & white flower (6)
7. Ignoring spelling ruined Spencer’s show (8)
10. Chop to off bead…… what is inside? (8)
13. Having cake before this activity makes it a doddle (6)
14. Mostly set in place (7)
16. Take time away from one’s colleges (6)
18. Reunited in home town (5)
19. Roman’s close to new jail (5)
If you managed to complete the crossword (without peeking at the answers!), contact us by the 1st September at development@ nottinghamhigh.co.uk and we will enter your name into a prize draw.
Chris Ford - Adbolton Lane
Truly fabulous sporting facilities, down on the banks of the Trent at West Bridgford.
Following on from my recent article in the Winter 2023 ON magazine, I would like to remind you all of the fine rugby and cricket facilities open to all High School pupils throughout the sporting seasons.
All new rugby and cricket players and spectators will be afforded the warmest of welcomes to the Old Nottinghamians’ sports ground.
Anyone interested in playing or supporting cricket or rugby please contact myself through the School or email directly: chrris5862@outlook.com
Chris Ford (ON 1970-1980)
Woodwork Class
David Atkins (ON 1943-1948) made this table, in the High School woodwork class in 1943, with the last oak supply available until after the war – what did you make during your time here? And, have you still got it? If so, we would love to hear from you!
Cullen Cup
In 1967 Roger Rann (ON 1960-1967) was awarded the Cullen Cup but the cup was never engraved. We rectified that and Roger came in to be ‘awarded’ the cup and it was lovely to hear stories of his time here at School.
Congratulations
Harry!
Harry Smith (ON 2005-2016) is heading to Harvard Business School to pursue an MBA. Harry was previously Vice President, Digital Private Market at JP Morgan. We wish him well for the next two years in the US.
Retirement for Saracens RFC
player Alex
After 14 years, Alex Lewington (ON 2003-2010) has retired from professional rugby at the end of this season. We wish him well for the future!
This could be you!? Send us your news! A wedding, retirement, a catch-up with former school friends, your holiday snaps, your achievements and special events.
New venture for Oliver
After working for a global commercial real estate firm in London for 13 years and making Partner, Oliver Christy (ON 1996-2002) quit to pursue a more fulfilling and environmentally positive cause. He launched devOATed in 2023, the UK’s first plant-based milkshake. They built a manufacturing facility on the farm, have fully recyclable packaging, a zero-to-landfill production process and is powered by renewable energy (wind turbine on the farm). devOATed is the fastest growing plant-based drink in the UK, available nationwide. devoated.co.uk
This is OUR Nottingham High School
Stories behind the stones
James Forsyth (ON 1967-1975)
Sitting here waiting for my UK State Pension, I have had plenty of time to reflect on the last 50 years and put in words, it is “Personal Integrity”. Below is an outline of a varied career in the Marine/Offshore Oil Industry, spanning 42 years, proving that “The University of Life” can be an option, even today. Having married in 1981, moving to Cornwall, my wife and I have travelled the world, working/living and visiting over 90 countries on six continents. Since 2002 we have made a home in the Canary Islands (Lanzarote) where the “slow pace of life” suits.
Leaving school “under a bit of a cloud”, having achieved moderate academic and sporting success I embarked on a career in the Merchant Navy
with Shell Tankers (UK) Ltd., rather than continuing with academia. Following a fouryear apprenticeship, I continued sailing as a Navigating Officer, gaining my Master Mariners (FG) License in early 1985, whilst redundancy beckoned in mid-1986.
As the Iran/Iraq War was in full swing a vacancy occurred in Kuwait for a Petroleum Surveyor (bachelor status), working as a 3rd Party Controller of Oil Quantity and Quality, where I headed in late 1986. Please note that the Oil Industry always pays well in a War Zone. Working throughout the Persian Gulf I witnessed first-hand the effects of what an “Exocet” missile can do to both Commercial Shipping and Offshore Oil Terminals. Not a good time to be a seafarer.
During an Offshore Oil Transfer in the Port of Umm Sa’id, Qatar in early 1989, I was approached by the Port Marine Superintendent with the offer of becoming a Marine Port Pilot (married status). Whilst at the time having limited ship handling experience, years later I was told the offer was based on my “work ethic” and perceived “pleasant persona”. After an intense threemonth “familiarisation” my wife arrived in Qatar as I took on this new role of berthing vessels up to 320,000 (VLCC) SDWT. A true expat lifestyle of work/social balance, meeting people of varied nationalities and cultures.
A social meeting in 1996 with representatives of a new LNG Terminal (Ras Laffan) being built in the north of Qatar led to a career change, becoming an Independent Marine Consultant. After project completion late 1997 we returned to Cornwall to embark
on the renovation of a redundant farm, built circa 1631.
I continued to work in the Persian Gulf and India on an ad hoc basis primarily through Lloyds of London, overseeing various Offshore Marine Incidents/Projects e.g. Hydrotesting LNG Tanks, Oman (1999); Salving MODU (Mobile Offshore Drilling Units) Jimmy Puckett, India (2001); Dubai Drydock Wall failure (2002); BHN Fire Mumbai High, India (2005), BHN rebuild (MNW) 2007-2012.
I returned to ship handling in 2014, relocating MODUs as a Rigmove Master predominantly working Offshore Saudi Arabia.
“Swallowing the Anchor”, I retired in 2017 to this idyllic island, whilst not “Eutopia” day to day living is easy and the sun shines.
In life I believe everyone is given a chance/ opportunity, unfortunately only 1% realise it is a chance/opportunity and less than 1% take the chance/opportunity.
I believe I did!!!!!!
“LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL”
SPONSOR A STONE
Since its launch in 2017 our Sponsor a Stone campaign has raised over £50,000 for the School’s Bursary Fund. Waverley Walkway is lined with personalised stones, a permanent feature of the school, celebrating our shared history. Order yours now oldnottinghamians.co.uk/product/sponsor-a-stone/
Where Are You Now? Simon Holliday (ON 1985-1992)
Simon Holliday was picked to play for Wales in the Inaugural Over 40s cricket World Cup which took place in South Africa in February and March this year.
Simon played pool matches against New Zealand (28 runs), UAE (54 runs and 8 overs 1-28), Sri Lanka (13 runs) and in the playoffs against Canada (66 runs and 4 overs for 17 runs) and lastly Namibia (14 runs and 4 overs for 1-17 runs).
Wales won against Canada in the playoffs but lost to Namibia in the plate final still achieving their primary aim of ‘not finishing last.’ They were presented with the sportsmanship award, mainly for singing so many songs even when beaten. When Simon left Nottingham, he went to St George’s Medical School in London (also playing cricket for them in the inter medical schools’ cup which they won five times in a row).
While working in Cardiff he played for St Fagan’s 1st team until he moved to Pembrokeshire playing for Haverfordwest until Dafen Cricket Club offered him his first pro contract aged 45!
Simon works in A&E, is married to fellow doctor Annaleene and they live in Pembrokeshire. They have three children: Seren aged 17 now taking her A levels who is considering studying Medicine and joining the army, Gethin aged 15 who has GCSEs this summer and Huw aged 9 who is a keen chess player. None of them have any interest in cricket.
Simon hooking happily against New Zealand
Wales Team (Simon holding the flag on the far left of the picture)
Where Are You Now?
Mark Shardlow (ON 1973-1980)
Every four years I have a job where I live out my childhood dream! As you read this I’m preparing to head to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. These Games are remarkable events. The Olympics alone will bring together more than 10,000 athletes along with 20,000 media representatives, 20,000 officials and coaches and several hundred thousand spectators. The hours are long and frequently tense, but honestly, it’s never felt like a proper job.
When I arrived at Nottingham High School in 1973 I loved sport and, like many youngsters, had ambitions to make a living playing cricket or football or some other yet undiscovered athletic pursuit. But despite the inspiring efforts of the wonderful coach Mr ‘Chalky’ White and the ever positive and encouraging Mr Thomas I soon realised that my route to getting paid in the sporting world would be to report on it.
In my second year at NHS I discovered the thrill of the immediacy of journalism. In those pre-digital days, I’d go and photograph a school rugby match and then, guided by Mr ‘Chas’ Stephens, develop the film and make prints the following morning in the school darkroom. Hot off the press!
A careers talk in my third year from Trevor Dann (ON 1963-1970), then of BBC Radio Nottingham and later Radio 1 and Live Aid, gave me all the encouragement I needed to chase a career in the media. I was fortunate enough to bump into Trevor at Trent Bridge a few years ago and thanked him for what really was a life-defining careers talk in the old science lecture theatre.
Mark at School (3rd from the left)
Mark interviewing gold medal winning swimmer Adam Peaty for the BBC
Where Are You Now?
My actual sporting prowess was limited. Yet days at Valley Road and in the gym were my favourite times at school. I had three seasons as a stalwart of the newly invigorated football team, under Mr’s Slack and Eastwood, both chemistry teachers. Mr Slack had played at a decent level and introduced us to a fitness programme which generally involved a lot of running around fields and up and down hills.
Football had no presence at Valley Road in those days, so our home matches were played on the lesser-maintained pitches on the Forest Recreation Ground. Over three seasons I managed just one goal from right back position.
I played cricket for the 2nd XI and the midweek social team, where we played adults and local pubs didn’t seem to mind 17 year olds coming in for half a lager. A highlight was a clubbed 50, much to the amusement of our umpires, history teacher Mr Sparrow and linguist Mr Hayes.
Whilst at school, I set up a football commentary service for hospital patients in Nottingham, along with Richard Townsend (ON 1973-1981). This rather overtook my life and my studies! There were no media-related university undergraduate degree courses back then, so I carried on my pursuit of a journalistic career alongside a BA in accountancy and finance.
In 1984 I got a much sought after place to study for a postgraduate degree in radio journalism at the London College of Printing and from there joined the BBC in 1985.
I had 35 years in newsrooms at the BBC, latterly combining a Sports Editor role at BBC East Midlands Today with a wider role as part of the senior planning team at BBC Sport for the Olympics, Wimbledon and other major events. London 2012 was definitely a highlight, reporting from the main stadium on Super Saturday, the opening and closing ceremonies and from the pool watching Becky Adlington. I also got to travel with Carl Froch to the majority of his world title fight, he gave me great behind the scenes access and even invited me to travel with him to one bout in his stretch limo.
I’ve enjoyed meeting many ONs along the way and sharing special moments with them. I’m still in touch with Richard Townsend from my year, along with Mark Dillon, Simon Maxwell and others.
And from my school bus days I regularly see Jason Glover (ON 1978-1985) and am in touch with Phil Lacey (ON 1968-1975) and Richard Clark (ON 1974-1981). I’ve also come across many ON’s in the course of my work.
I left the BBC in 2020 to spend time with my wife Sophie who had been diagnosed with bowel cancer. She died in 2023 – a heartbreaking time for me and the three children.
I’m starting to get myself back in to work. I’ve also just been asked to help with the Dame Agnes Mellers Charity, which has been doing great things for Nottingham for many years. And I’m busy remembering the passé composé taught so enthusiastically by my tutor Mr Lush, amongst others, as I prepare for a summer in Paris working now as a freelance for BBC Sport and for the Paralympics GB team.
Ultra Trail Snowdonia 2024
Harry Ashdown (ON 2011-2018)
This endeavour wasn’t just about testing my limits. I decided to turn this challenge into a meaningful cause, raising money for Parkinson’s UK. About 15 years ago, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Watching the disease progress and seeing its impact on him and those around him fuelled my determination to make a difference. Parkinson’s can affect anyone, it worsens over time, and currently, there’s no cure. Yet.
Race day arrived after three months of rigorous training, during which I covered 1,000 km and logged just over 100 hours of running. I was eager to start. Despite the unusual Snowdonia sun and temperatures exceeding 25°C, the race went remarkably well. I finished with a time of
The idea to run an ultramarathon struck me, as all great ideas do, while I was at the pub with a pint in hand. Having conquered a few 5Ks during lockdown, the next logical challenge was an ultramarathon. With my love for the outdoors and all things hilly, the Ultra Trail Snowdonia seemed like the perfect fit. And so, on the 11th of May 2024, I set out to run 58km and tackle 3,500m of elevation through the breathtakingly beautiful hills of Snowdonia.
09:45:34, placing 108th out of 1,053 starters and 38th in my category - an achievement I am incredibly proud of. Crossing the finish line and receiving my local Welsh beer was the perfect reward!
The fundraising effort was equally successful, raising £3,350 for Parkinson’s UK. I was deeply moved by the outpouring of support and generosity. Parkinson’s UK is an exceptional charity, and I know that every penny will contribute to their relentless pursuit of a cure and ensuring that no one faces Parkinson’s alone.
For me, this was more than just pushing my physical limits and raising money for a brilliant cause. My dad has always supported me in
everything I do, sacrificing much so I can be where I am today. Doing something for him and raising money for others in similar situations is my way of saying thank you.
Reflecting on this journey, I remember the early mornings, the long runs, the moments of doubt, and the overwhelming support from friends and family. Each step, each kilometre, was a tribute to everyone battling Parkinson’s. The physical strain of the ultramarathon pales in comparison to the strength and resilience shown by those affected by this dreadful disease.
Thank you to everyone who supported this journey and the mission to make a difference in the lives of those affected by Parkinson’s disease. Now, it’s time to rest my legs, enjoy some relaxation over the summer, and start planning the next one…
You can support Harry’s fundraising for Parkinson’s UK by scanning the QR code or following the link: justgiving.com/page/harryashdown-1705603408737
Where Are You Now?
Rachael Alvey (ON 2018-2020 and Head Girl 2019-2020)
I joined the High School in 2018 for sixth form where I studied English Language, Psychology, Maths and Further Maths. I was part of the 2020 cohort affected by Covid, meaning my time at the school was cut short and farewells very hurried. However, I have had the honour of returning to the school each summer and Easter to work at the Holiday Clubs with the junior school children - an often challenging but fun experience.
Since leaving the School, I have been studying at Loughborough University, graduating with a first in English with Creative Writing last year and now studying for an MA in Creative Writing and the Writing Industries. Since my first year I have got involved with the student life, taking on lead roles in Hall and Welfare and Diversity committees, writing for the student magazine, as well as joining both the tennis and volleyball teams, to name a few. All of these experiences have prepared me for the role of Loughborough Students’ Union President which I will be taking on for the next academic year.
For me, the decision to do an MA was simple. I have always had a passion for telling stories and being able to dedicate a year of study to writing my young adult crime/romance novel before entering ‘the real world’ was an opportunity I did not want to miss and over the course of the year I have so far managed to add over 40,000 words to the word count.
Besides writing my novel, the MA has provided me with the opportunity to run an entirely student-led literary festival. This was a challenging feat: coordinating budgets, booking and liaising with guests, and publicising between ten students, but the events were very successful. Although everything didn’t run entirely smoothly: one of our guest speakers had Covid so had to join virtually and an under 10s cheerleading competition next door meant we were invariably interrupted by the Macarena, we still received overwhelmingly positive feedback from audience members and lecturers. A highlight for me was a talk by satirist, Jasper Fforde, with an audience of around fifty and a very successful collaboration book sale with Waterstones. It was great to see so many people from outside the university community there to support us!
One important highlight of my time at Loughborough was taking part in the BBC2 quiz show University Challenge. This was a very surreal experience with a constantly encroaching feeling of imposter syndrome. After going through trials with the university to be selected for the team, we then trialed with the BBC in Birmingham. Over 110 teams trialed for the show and we were one of 28 selected for filming. Whilst the result wasn’t quite what we hoped (getting panned in the first round by Sheffield!) and it took a while for me to be proud of myself for making the show, it was still an incredible experience that allowed me to
meet some amazing people.
I am currently working on my dissertation researching representations of disability in modern dystopia and writing my own piece of fiction to support my findings which I will hand in in September, after which I will be taking up the role of President at the Students’ Union. Alongside this I will be aiming to finish my novel as well as continuing my parttime job as a subtitle editor for Time Team. My aim is to work in the publishing industry or as a copywriter whilst hopefully getting a signing for my novel once I’ve completed my term as president, although travelling is a potential.
Nottingham High School will forever hold a special place in my heart for all the experiences I had that have made me the person I am today. The passion of my
English teachers inspired me to study the subject to postgraduate level and my time as Head Girl gave me the confidence boost I needed for leadership roles and public speaking which I take on at university. I made lifelong friends at the High School and the sense of place it gave me for my final years of school will stay with me.
Rachael Alvey at LitFest
Where Are You Now?
Chris Pedder (ON 1993-2000)
In 1513, the year Nottingham High School was founded by Dame Agnes Mellers, the “Information Age” had been in full swing for almost eighty years. The first movable printed type printing press, developed in the 1440s in Germany, led to an explosion in the availability of the printed word, with books coming off the new “Gutenberg” presses numbering more than 20 million by 1500. The birth of mass communication resulted in concerns for the social and political fabric of renaissance Europe, and the Industrial Revolution it enabled would seem to be a threat to the entire precept of work. Indeed, it is now believed that this ability to communicate across large distances with many people enabled Henry VII to establish myths about his own ascent to the throne, and the unsuitability of his predecessor, Richard III, that live on in Shakespeare’s eponymous play. It was in the melee of this appearance of a new technology that our founder decided that education was key, and
particularly education for the young and underprivileged of Nottingham city. She believed that founding such an institution would unlock human potential, and enable Nottingham to play a more important role in the future of the nation.
Fast forward to the start of my time at the school in 1993, Britpop was just starting to become known, mobile phones were the size of a breeze block, necessitating the making of plans through landlines which always involved meeting at the “left lion”, and crucially the internet was just starting to appear. We might, if we were lucky, be allowed to research an A-level essay in the computer lab, but the internet played a fairly minor role in the school education of me and my cohort - it was mainly a means of finding extra facts to bolster our arguments. It functioned as a copilot and a helpful provider of facts, rather than a guide to the process of learning. Our teachers, on the other hand, were there to encourage, cajole and occasionally push us to put in the hard work of learning how to learn. They would teach us not just dry facts, but how to structure arguments, how to think critically, and how to understand our own prejudices of thought. It might seem a strange thing for someone with such a scientific background as myself to latch onto, but the single most influential lesson of my life in the High School came from William Ruff, my GCSE English teacher, who taught us to question not just the pretext of an argument, but also the purpose it might serve for the writer.
Fast forwarding thirty years to the present day, we have supercomputers in our pockets far faster and more capable than the most powerful desktop machine that ever adorned the top-floor computer lab in my school days. These devices can serve us information at incredible speed, in the case of YouTube or Netflix faster than we even know what we want to see next. Powerful
Where Are You Now?
Crossword answers to puzzle on page 13. Computing
laboratory 1983
machine learning algorithms seem poised to revolutionise the world of work, making humanlevel tasks less valuable and more commoditised, and depending on whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist either freeing us from the drudgery of busy work, or putting us all out of a job. At the same time, we have legitimate fears about the effects of these new technologies on the fabric of society, and their ability to divide us from our neighbours. These concerns would perhaps not be so unfamiliar to Dame Agnes Mellers. The pace at which technology is changing is undoubtedly accelerating, but the effects are the same - first we fear the change, then we adapt to it, then we find a new way to use the time it saves us. More often than not, it is in this saved time that the next wave of technology is born. The most important thing we can do as
students, throughout our lives, isn’t to learn, it’s learning to learn.
For the next generation of High School students, the world will change at an even faster pace. For my parents, one career would suffice. Personally, I’m now on career number three, and for the next generation, I suspect that job families will come and go so fast that there will be no such concept as a “job for life”. For the coming generation, my advice is simple to state but hard to follow - don’t be afraid to change, and think critically about not just the message, but also who is providing it. Like our founder, I too believe that education is the single most important thing we can do for our successors; It’s not the facts that we learn that matter, however, but how we learn them that will keep us ahead of the revolutions that will push us forwards in the 21st century.
Fancy yourself as a Quiz Master? Send us your quizzes or crosswords and we will select and publish some lucky entries in future issues.
This was my nomination:
Where Are You Now? Ellie Molloson (ON 2019-2021)
Ellie is currently on an Operational Resiliency placement in IT Service Continuity at Experian as part of her 4-year degree in International Business at Nottingham Trent University. Here Ellie tells us about her nomination earlier this year.
“I was nominated for the Community Champion award as part of Three’s WeSeeYou Network. This award is for women who work and volunteer to grow women’s football.
“Ellie deserves to be seen because she has a huge passion for equality and social justice. From a young age, Ellie initiated fundraisers at her school to raise money to send young girls to school in Ghana. Alongside this, she introduced a long-standing partnership with The Rosie May Foundation in sixth form which raises money to pay for safe transport to school for girls in Sri Lanka. Ellie also helped initiate diversity campaigns in her school for LGBTQIA+ and ethnic minorities, she made 150 essentials bags for the homeless, took part in toy collections for inner city schools & voluntarily spent a day serving underprivileged kids a Christmas meal.
On top of all of this, Ellie volunteered as a coach in her spare time for Nottingham Forest in the Community.
Ellie is the Her Game Too Ambassador for Nottingham Forest, where she is working with the club to create a women’s supporters’ club. Despite only being 20 years old, Ellie has achieved so much and made such a positive impact on the community already. She is such an amazing human and worthy of this nomination!”
“Since being nominated, I have been focused on Garibaldi Girls and, as part of that, was invited to speak on the panel of Nottingham Forest’s, Harvard University’s and Lilian Thuram Foundation’s Racism and Gender Inequality in Football 2-day conference. UEFA and UN delegates were in attendance as well as much of Forest’s first team, women’s team, Thierry Henry, Viv Anderson, John McGovern, Lilian Thuram, Lewis Grabban, Wes Morgan and many more.
I am also Nottingham Forest’s Her Game Too Ambassador. Her Game Too are an international organisation focused on tackling sexism in sport. We have won the Gold award at the FCAs for two consecutive years in the Women in Football section and this year also the EDI award as well as being nominated at the National Diversity award for EDI alongside huge campaigns such as Sky×Women in Football.”
If anyone would like more information about the Garibaldi Girls, email: elliemolloson@gmail.com or garibaldigirls.nffc@gmail.com
Where Are You Now?
David Oxland (ON 1959 -1969)
I joined the cross-country club in 1967 relatively late in my school career and therefore only achieved moderate success, but it sparked a lifetime interest in competitive athletics. The pressures of work, marriage and having a daughter in my very early twenties meant that I only attended the ONs XC match with the school once in the 1970s.
A few Nottingham Robin Hood half marathons kept me interested in the sport but it was not until 2003 that I found the time to join an Athletics Club. One thing led to another and I soon joined a Masters club within four years found myself competing in European and World Masters Athletics championships which has taken me literally all over the world. Medals including three World Championships and one World record were to follow.
I joined the Masters Athletics movement and contacted Paul Allison to enquire about the ONs’ XC race, the first time I think in 2006, when I was 55. I won unexpectedly, again the following year, and this sparked a rivalry with two youngsters, James Taylor (ON 2003-2010) and Craig Woods (ON 2002-2009)
In the case of James the very friendly rivalry continued for
some years and involved his comeback from a very serious motor accident and he won the race around 2009. The rivalry with Craig has continued right up to Christmas 2023 although my days of beating him (I am 73 and Craig is in his prime!) are long gone and I recall Craig winning the race three or four years ago. His parents still support the race annually. I managed to get my mother to the race (in her nineties) once but my wife enjoys being amongst the “mums” !
One of the features for me of the races is drinking hot chocolate and eating mince pies, often in the freezing cold, whilst Paul Allison, forever enthusiastic and inspirational, presents the trophies and then manages the free raffle so that several of us go home with a free box of chocolates. Paul also keeps detailed records, on display
during the prize-giving. Christmas starts for me with the ONs match, which I have not missed once since 2006.
Numbers of ONs attending during the noughties dwindled to the extent we only had three “scorers” in the team one year but these days there are usually a good double-digit number of ONs attending. I have been the oldest ON racing for some years. I used to hope that someone in my school XC team from 1967-69 would turn up but as the years move on this is becoming less likely. Of course, the race is no longer “Old Boys”-v-the School, and we now have several girls running for the School as well as the occasional female ON.
From the Archives
Nottingham High School Accounts 1577-1699
By Ms Yvette Gunther, Head Librarian and Archivist
Last summer Nottingham High School’s previous solicitors returned ten boxes of documents and other items that they no longer needed to keep as a statutory requirement and I was asked if I was interested in taking a look before they were disposed of. Buried deep in one of the boxes was an item I had been wondering about for many years.
I had read in A History of the Nottingham High School about the very early School Warden’s Accounts so I knew that at the time Dr Adam W. Thomas wrote it in the 1950s the accounts were in the School and in a fairly good state of preservation. I’d seen some very poor photographic prints of them in the present Archive but not the originals and I was afraid they were long gone.
To find them in the bottom of a box of miscellaneous and mainly irrelevant “stuff” was an archivist’s dream. Running from 1577 to 1699 most of these annual returns are written in Latin but the layout and content follow a clear pattern to which, for a non- Latin reader, the several later pages written in English hold the key.
AW Thomas describes that the accounts were originally written on single pieces of paper rather than a ledger so it is no small miracle that so many survived. By the time they reached me in the present archive these were bound together in an elegant book, glued to supporting paper and covered by red calf with gilt tooling. Much of our 19th and 20th century binding was done by Derrys of Wheelergate but although
this book is similar in binding and marbled endpapers, there are no commercial labels. Our antiquarian book experts Type and Forme of Grantham estimate the binding to be later Nineteenth Century which was when we moved from the dilapidated building in Stoney Street, our premises from the mid sixteenth century, to our present building on Arboretum Street. The book we now hold shows beautiful, high quality conservation methods which have stabilised and preserved the fragile 450-year-old papers, some just scraps, very well.
The School was not as fundamentally financed by donations from the people of Nottingham. In 1512 the foundress, Dame Agnes Mellers, Widow and Sir Thomas Lovell, then Governor of Nottingham Castle were granted a royal licence to acquire property to the value of Twenty Marks for the foundation and building of “ a certain school, evermore to endure”. (Our Foundation Charter with Henry VIII Seal is kept in Nottinghamshire Archives.) Although Sir Thomas Lovell was one of the most powerful figures in England at this time, Dame Agnes Mellers also plainly had great influence in the town and a list of the donors exists detailing each original gift, some as an annual donation such as that of Henry Cost, Sheriff of Nottingham 2 Shillings pa; or as a one-off donation like that of the fletcher John Awod, a gift of 12d. By the time of the first of the accounts, the income shown was from the rental on property and small pieces of land given, a tenement; a piece of garden in St Peter’s Churchyard; some three acres of land in Todeholes, and
From the Archives
later in the mid-16th century the tithes of hay from the fields and meadows surrounding the town left for the benefit of the school in the will of John Heskay, Innkeeper and Mayor at the time of his death in 1558. The records of accounts show that the income from this particular piece of land amounted to almost exactly the salary of the Master of the Free Grammar School for the next 300 years.
At the top of each balance sheet is the date, the year and title of the reigning monarch, the account title and the names of the school wardens who had drawn up the account. Under the ordinances of Dame Agnes, school wardens were appointed by the burgesses of the town and acted as trustees of the School’s income. Occasionally, in an obvious conflict of interest, the School Wardens were also the Aldermen who audited the accounts they wrote. From the accounts we also learn the names of the Masters and later Assistant Masters or Ushers of the Grammar School of the town of Nottingham who taught the sons of the town in those early years.
The first set of accounts in English, which are of the year to Michaelmas 1687-8, gives an indication of how the school functioned in the last year of the reign of James II.
In that year payment to the Headmaster Gowin Knight was £50.00, a sum it had been since at least 1663, my knowledge of written Latin numerals at this point sadly lacking. The Usher, or assistant master Samuel Birch was paid £28. Both also earned a living as a vicar to a local church, Knight at Ashby-de-la Zouch and Birch at Basford. The Master was also allowed to teach private pupils and would take payment direct from them
to supplement his own income. He also had the use of a furnished two-bedroom schoolmasters’ house beside the School charging for boarding pupils who lived a distance away, an inventory for which sits beside the accounts. Amongst other items Gowin Knight had to sign for two dressers, five shelves, iron bars for the fireplace; a bucket, a chain and a rope at the well. In this same year a payment of four shillings a year was made to the sexton of St Mary’s for the Tolling of the Scholars’ bell, a payment which remained the same until 1801, and two shillings a year to the chamberlains of the School house, again a cost that didn’t change until a long way into the 19th century.
On most pages during this period there was a credit balance but that was rarely carried forward and was apparently absorbed into the expenses incurred by the town corporation on other unconnected activities. In 1807 it was ordered that the school warden’s account should be kept separate from other Corporation’s moneys, specifically in Messrs. Wrights’ Bank. This doesn’t appear to have happened as 20 or so years later the Charitable Commissioners and the Commissioners appointed to enquire into municipal corporations both selected this feature of treating school income as corporation wealth, for special condemnation. As an insight into the unique position of the school within the fabric of the administration and life of Nottingham over the last 500 much more will be drawn in future.
We already store the much more detailed school warden account books and ledgers from 1795 to 1837. For now, I’m keeping a sharp watch out for the ledgers of 1699-1795. They’re here somewhere!
Archives Accounts 1577
ReflectiONs
Phil Lee (ON 1962–1969)
111 Places in Nottingham
That You Shouldn’t Miss.
Looking back after all these years, I can see that I was far from popular with the School’s English Department: my fall from favour came after my mother wrote a letter to the headmaster complaining that the teaching of D. H. Lawrence was corrupting my oh-so impressionable brain.
I can’t honestly say whether or not I was corrupted at the High School – the more likely culprit was university – but I did always enjoy writing and so, after a lucky break or two, that was the career I pursued, mainly with the Rough Guides; I hope many of my fellow Nottinghamians will have heard of them.
Over the years, writing commissions have come and gone, but although I stayed in Nottingham, when most of my fellow scholars had left it well behind, I never had the chance to delve deep into my home city until 2022. It was then that Emons, a German publisher, asked me to write 111 Places in Nottingham That You Shouldn’t Miss – one of a series of 111 books that now cover most of the UK’s big cities.
Researching the book was both timeconsuming and a delight. Time and again I was surprised as to how little I knew about my home town: I had, for example, no idea that the lions in front of the Council House were originally called Agamemnon and Menelaus before city folk rechristened them Leo and Oscar; I didn’t know that the highspeed motor bike on which T. E. Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – met his untimely end was built in Nottingham; and I was not aware that Newstead Abbey possessed one of the fancy helmets Lord Byron commissioned for himself before his ill-fated expedition to save the Greeks from the Ottomans. Neither did I know the whereabouts of the grave of the prize, bare-knuckle fighter Bendigo Thompson, who teased and tormented his opponents in a manner akin to that of Muhammad Ali, nor had I heard of the charming – and recently rediscoveredmurals of St Martin’s church, painted in the 1940s.
It had also escaped my attention that Graham Greene worked here as a journalist – his offices have survived – and that the Danish Homestore, on Derby Road, boasts a simply fabulous selection of vintage Danish furniture, sleek, stylish and immaculately made. I did know that Nottingham was a centre of alabaster carving in medieval times, but I don’t think I fully appreciated the full beauty of the carving – the tombstones in All Saints church in Strelley village are
simply remarkable - and although I was aware of the architect Watson Fothergill (18411928), I had not realised just how prolific he was and neither did I recognise just how exquisite, sometimes playful, his buildings were. Other titbits included the grave of the American soul singer, Edwin Starr – how strange he should meet his maker in Notts – not to mention Smalleys, a gentleman’s outfitters of distinction, and Warhammer World (if you don’t know what this is, your teenage grandkids probably will).
I could hardly complete 111 Places in Nottingham That You Shouldn’t Miss without reference to Nottingham High School and so one of my 111 Places is the War Memorial located in front of the School, featuring an army officer beckoning his men forward - as he has done since 1921.
Copies of 111 Places in Nottingham That You Shouldn’t Miss are available online and at leading bookshops.
Phil Lee with his book
Phil Lee on Parade in 1969
In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of the following members of the Nottingham High School Community
Mr John Allen (ON 1951-1959)
Mr Bryan Ansell (ON 1964-1972(74))
Mr George Beaumont (ON 1945-1954)
Mr Peter Best (ON 1957-1964)
Mr Stephen Best (ON 1950-1956)
Mr Michael Butler (ON 1947-1952)
Mr James (Jim) Chettle (ON 1942-1950)
Mr Leon Coates (ON 1946-1948)
Mr Chris Curtis (Retired Teacher of Classics)
Mr John Fee (ON 1950-1955)
Mr Michael Hill (ON 1941-1947)
Mr Paul Jackson (ON 1965-1974)
Mr David Jeremiah (ON 1941-1952)
Mr John Knifton (Retired Teacher of French)
Mr Roy Ledder (ON (ON 1943-1949)
Mr Frank Mason OBE FCA (ON 1954-1964)
Mr Geoffrey Mather (ON 1946-1952)
Mr Leigh McGowan (ON 1953-1962)
Mr Ian McKay (ON 1959-1962)
Mr Stewart Mee (ON 1946-1952)
Mr Ian Pyefinch (ON 1968-1975)
Mr Neville Stebbings (ON 1937-1944)
Mr Charlie Truscott (ON 1954-1962)
Dr John Westmoreland (ON 1951-1959)
Dr Richard Whitehead (ON 1946-1956)
Mr Richard Wolfe (ON 1956-1961)
Earlier in the year we lost two former teachers – Chris Curtis and John Knifton
Chris joined the School in 1964 as a teacher of Classics, becoming Head of the Lower School in 1985. Chris sat on many school committees and was Chair of the Common Room Committee. Alongside these roles he also found time to go on Classics trips both in the UK and abroad, visiting Greece, Turkey, Italy, Israel and Egypt.
John joined Nottingham High School in 1975 as Assistant Master. He taught a wide variety of subjects such as Religious Studies, Russian Studies, Film Studies, Politics and Current Affairs, but it was as a French teacher that he left his greatest mark at Nottingham High School.
