The Old Oakhamian - Issue 111

The magazine of the Old Oakhamian Club

Issue Number 111

Oakhamian The Old

RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM OOs explore Oakham’s newest learning facilities

Passchendaele Remembered • OO Dinner at the Roof Gardens, Kensington • Class of 77, 94, and 07 Reunions

Dear Old Oakhamian Firstly very many thanks to all OOs who kindly made a contribution to my sponsored Walk in August from my home in Wymondham, Leicestershire to Exeter to raise funds for my dear colleague and friend John Poustie (Old Befordian), who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The final total for Age UK Exeter, Dementia Services was £5,000.

The last six months has seen a further increase in the number of OOs returning to Oakham for year group reunions for the first time since they left School. Such reunions take place at the Brian Smith Pavilion on Kilburn Road and it is a great venue for these gatherings. Already in the calendar for 2018 are reunions for those students who left in 1968 and 1978. See page 117 for details of all future events.

Huge thanks go to this year’s OO President Kat Hodge OO (94) who hosted a splendid evening at The Roof Gardens, Kensington.

Read about the night on pages 118–119.

I am delighted to inform you that the OO President for next year will be Ben Walsgrove who left Oakham in 1987. Ben is already well advanced in his plans for his main OO event for 2018. It is interesting to note that Ben and his sister, Hannah who was OO President in 1991 are the first brother and sister to hold this office and I know you will offer your best wishes and support

to Ben for the year ahead. Ben is the subject of this issue’s OO Interview on page 129.

It is very important to see the stronger and stronger links that are being forged between the OO Club and the School Foundation to the mutual benefit of both, and my sincere thanks to Eileen Fisher OO Alumni Manager and Anna Bentley Foundation Director for being the driving forces behind this development. Read about our first Hub breakfast meeting on pages 124–125; this event offered a great opportunity for OOs to get together and help each other with their careers. Hopefully this will be the first of many such events.

It was great to see so many OOs return to School for the official opening of the Faculty of Social Sciences and experience life back in the classroom. To read more about the day and other work that the Oakham Foundation does see pages 131–132.

In my role as School Archivist I have been delighted to receive into the Archives in College

113-116

Events and Future Events

116-119

Sport

121-123

The Hub

124-125

Births

126

Marriages

126

Death and Obituaries

127-128

The OO Interview

129

Foundation News

130-131

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Quasi Cursores, Jon Wills (73) Old Oakhamian Club Chairman and Archivist

SPORT

PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH

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From the Archives

If you have items that may be of interest, please do contact me. I am pleased to announce that I now have copies of all the Oakhamian magazines dating back to the first publication on January 1884, as well as a complete set of Red Books first published in Spring Term 1959.

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CONTENTS News

House the following items in recent months: • A Bottle of 1984 Quatercentenary Champagne • Johnsons and Ruddles House ties • Illustrated London News 27 May 1961–4 page feature of Oakham School • Oakham School Flag circa late 1970s returned from an OO in Australia • Book of Rutland published in 1920 • 1981 1st XI cricket jumper • 1933 Summer Term Oakhamian found in a junk shop in Dungannon!!

• Boer War and WW1 Medals of Joseph William Scott OO (1899) • Musical Scores from the estate of the late Peter Witchell, former Oakham Director of Music • 1977 1st XV programmes + photos from the Tour of Japan It is a pleasure to see the increasing number of requests for OOs, current pupils and staff to visit the Archives in College House.

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EVENTS

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

Due to upcoming changes in legislation, in order for us to keep in touch with you with information about OO news and events, and so that you can continue to receive our termly OO newsletter and all future copies of the Old Oakhamian magazine, we require your consent.

If you would like to hear from us in the future, please let us know via this link www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/Stay-in-Touch.

Without your consent we will not be able to keep in touch with you and we would really like to.

News

ACADEMIC ACCOLADES

BRIDGWOOD Lily (12) became the youngest female to complete the 100km non-stop run along Britain’s oldest pathway in July 2017.

Having only run her first marathon just over a year before, she now has four sub 3 hour 30-minute marathons to her name, and is on track to become the youngest amateur female to complete all six world marathon majors – with Tokyo, Boston, London & Chicago on the agenda for 2018!

Having completed the Race to the Stones on 14 July in 11 hours 5mins and coming home as 2nd Senior Female it’s unsurprising that it is still sinking in today.

This was a huge feat, and one which has spurred Lily onto the next challenge of the World Marathon Majors. Aside from the huge success on the day, both of finishing and achieving a Top 3 finish, Lily also raised £3,000 for charity. Here’s to the next one!

CAPENDALE John (49) ‘In April this year my wife and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary and my wife baked some special biscuits, heart-shaped and with ‘60’ piped in icing on them. She posted them to all our friends and family around the country who couldn’t come to our celebrations. Those to Cape Town, only 40 kilometres away, took two days, those to our granddaughter in Exeter Devon she got within a week. Those to the Town of George here about 350 kilometres down the N2 freeway from us took up to four weeks – not all arriving on the same day; those to Natal on our East Coast took between four and six weeks!!. Those to Johannesburg the same. A parcel she sent to a niece in Johannesburg was returned to us after about six weeks marked DECEASED. We talk to the lady almost daily. daily Thank goodness for email!

Attached is a photo of me and my wife on the occasion of our wedding anniversary.’

BLACK Lachlan (14) After receiving a college prize for achieving an average of 70% in his second-year Chemistry exams, Lachlan has been awarded a prestigious Haynes Scholarship from Somerville College, University of Cambridge.

DATT Mohini (95) has joined the Department for Trade and Industry as the Deputy Lead Negotiator for a trade deal with India.

BRAYBROOK Gail (13) was awarded a First Class Honours degree from Oxford University this summer.

CALDER Rhona (13) achieved a First from Leeds this summer in International Business and Marketing.

EVANS Alice (14) graduated this summer from Homerton College, Cambridge University with a First Class Degree in Education. She was also awarded a college prize and her name will appear on the Principal’s Life for achievement. Homerton College wrote to the Headmaster to say how delighted they were with Alice’s work during their time at Cambridge.

‘Alice has been an excellent student at Cambridge and has contributed well to the life of the college. Do please consider Homerton if you have more students of a similar calibre thinking of applying to Cambridge!’

Celebrating 60 years of marriage, John Capendale and his wife.

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News

Since my days of theatre lighting in the QET at Oakham I’d always wanted to work in TV. I still get the same rush now when we count down to transmission as I did waiting for the curtain to go up

GILMAN David (89) recently got in touch with the following news: ‘I work for Sky News as a Senior Director. For the past three years I was also responsible for the on-air look of the channel, and managed the gallery team of directors of over 30 vision mixers, directors’ assistants and floor managers.

The biggest recent highlight for me has been directing “May v Corbyn: The Battle For Number 10” – the only event of the General Election campaign to have both the main leaders taking questions from a studio audience, followed by a 1-to-1 grilling by Jeremy Paxman. Over the preceding week I oversaw the rapid design and build of a set in our two biggest studios (combined into one) at Sky. A huge team was assembled across the whole company, from studio crew to security, event management to audience liaison.

130 members of the public were selected from across the country, who headed down to West London to take part. We rehearsed the show throughout the May Bank Holiday weekend, ready for its transmission on Sky News and Channel 4.

With executives from both channels present, as well as the Prime Minister and Jeremy Corbyn’s team, police and sniffer dogs, it was tense but exhilarating. Since my days of theatre lighting in the QET at Oakham I’d always wanted to work in TV. I still get the same rush now when we count down to transmission as I did waiting for the curtain to go up, and despite the audience being bigger (5.2 million for BFNo10) it was my days in the theatre that set me up for what was to come.

The best thing of all is that although I don’t ever appear in front of the camera, I have a captive audience over gallery talkback, wired right into the ears of presenters, camera operators, sound, graphics and all the crew, so they can’t escape my consistently poor jokes.

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Sky News is going through some big changes over the next few months, particularly in terms of technology, but it makes it an exciting place to work and I’m chuffed to be part of it.’

GREENLAW Cecilia ‘C’ (97) sent through this picture taken at an impromptu reunion at Oakham School in June. C writes: ‘Rushebrookes girls 20 years on! The iconic bridge shot re-created: Katy Evans (née McCoy), Joanna Booysen (née Ward), Julia Outlaw (née Pritchett), Linsey Grindley (née North), Sarah Wheat (née McLean), C Greenlaw.

The girls were very happy to be here; we bumped into a lot of ‘old favourites’!’

C has recently started a new job as Deputy Head, Pastoral at King’s College School, Cambridge.

HEWLETT Peter (68) is organising, along with John Buckingham, the Class of 68 Reunion on 11 May 2018. See page 117. He reports that he remains active in business in Aberdaron, Llyn Peninsula, Wales in holiday accommodation and walking holidays but also resides in Nottingham with his wife, Helen.

Peter’s daughter Rebecca Hughes (née Hewlett) attended Oakham from 1990–1997.

After completing a Law degree at the University of Cardiff in Wales, she began her maritime career through Danish Shipping Giant Maersk. She is currently Head of Crew

The 1968 Invincibles – the School Athletics team

for Zodiac Maritime Limited in London. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband Neil, and two lively boys Joshua and Ethan.

Peter’s son Nicholas Hewlett (Oakham 1988–95) is working for Saipem in the offshore oil and gas construction industry. After spending two years in Azerbaijan, he has relocated to the Netherlands. He spends his weekends/spare time at home in West Sussex with his wife Lucy, and children Fenella and William.

HIBBERT Jeremy (66), after a 47-year career as a commercials director based in London’s Soho, is now turning his attention to the boutique hotel ‘Thyme’ that he and his wife Caryn run at their home in Southrop, Gloucestershire. Winners of the ‘Best Pub Restaurant in the Cotswolds’ last year, a Tatler Top World Hotel and one of Mr & Mrs Smith’s ‘10 Best Gourmet Getaways’, amongst many other accolades, he looks forward to seeing any OOs wanting to drop by www.thyme.co.uk

News

JOHNSON Harry (14) recently celebrated his 21st birthday at home with 29 fellow OOs. Standing left to right: Fred Hay (14), Barwell Field (14), Duncan Johnson (80), Richard Thewlas (99), Steve Makey (77), Lily Milne (14), Imi Gammidge (14), Anna Batt (14), Amelia Johnson (11), Jay CarvathStubley (14), Arabella Trower (14), Tim Juggins (14), Sarah Roper (14), Jenny Thorpe (14), George Fox (14), Lucy Scholes (14), Ellie Stainforth (14), Will Riley-Smith (14), Georgia Morrell (14), Alice Page (11), Josh Rawlings (14), Anna McCormack (11), Freddie Cracknell (14).

Kneeling front row left to right: Will Strawson (14), Charles Wilson (14), Sam Williams (14), Tom Wilson (14), Harry Johnson (14), Alex Hogg (14), Tom Home (14).

NEILD Philip (87) was spotted at a recent IB conference and is pictured here (centre) with Honorary OOs Head of Upper School, Simone Lorenz-Weir and IB Co-ordinator Vic Russell.

ROBSON Emma (86) (née Part) runs Bat and Bottle Wine Merchants’s Wine Club, an Oakham-based micro-business, with her husband Ben (an OU) and they were recently one of two wine clubs shortlisted for the IWC (International Wine Challenge) Wine Club of 2017 – the other was the Wine Society.

Emma explains: ‘Ben and I run our two-man operation from our warehouse on the old Ashwell Prison site. We do absolutely everything: from travelling to Italy and finding our wines (that’s the great bit), to sales, packing, bookkeeping and building our website, right down to painting our walls and wine racks!’

You can join their wine club online (batwine.uk) or contact them by email on emma@batwine.uk

SMITH Ian (Hon OO), Oakham School’s Director of Coaching was awarded earlier this year Life Member status by Leicester Tigers in recognition of his longstanding service to the club.

Ian, who joined Oakham in 1995, is a former Leicester Tigers player, captain and coach. Known as ‘Dosser’

in the rugby world, Ian was awarded his Life Membership in front of the Welford Road crowd during half-time in the Aviva Premiership opener against Bath. His son, Old Oakhamian and Tigers player, Matt Smith, joined him on the pitch to make the presentation alongside the Tigers Club Chairman.

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News and Events

STAPLES David (52) writes: ‘I received two welcome, unsolicited items of recognition over the last year.

I was elected Vice President of the Bourne Branch of the Royal British Legion and at 81 years marched with veterans, serving soldiers and County and Warwick School Cadets through Warwick Town Centre and Market Place. I managed to keep in step. I was also elected by other members of the Rotary Club of Bourne as its Rotarian of the Year. This was for my work as Foundation Officer dealing with the Charitable Trust side of Rotary and especially for our engagement in the Polio Plus Campaign worldwide in which Rotary has all but eliminated the scourge of Polio, helped more recently by the Bill Gates Foundation.’

IT’S A SMALL WORLD YOUNG Nick (04) has written in to say: ‘I was having lunch with my girlfriend’s family and whilst speaking to the gentlemen opposite me, we worked out that we were both at Oakham over 50 years apart! A Mr Anthony James Palmer who left in 1948 and me Mr Nick Young who left in 2004. We had a great chat, all about Oakham whilst he was there during the war and how he still thinks of the School fondly!’

TRAWFORD David (72) writes: ‘I left Oakham in 1972 and the 45 years seem to have flown by. I qualified as a dentist from the Royal London 40 years ago and now work a 3-day week and I still enjoy it. We recently purchased a 13-metre American RV with a view to some serious touring in the future. This also involved taking a Class 1 articulated lorry test which was a great experience and my wife says this has made me a better driver for it! We are now living in the small village of Greatford, Lincs.’

News of YOUNG Rory (11): Rory and three other OOs – Oliver Khan (11), Andrew Dawson (11) and Henry Camamile (12) formed the band the Sea Girls a few years ago and are now starting to get proper recognition, having been aired on Radio 1 several times and performing at sell-out gigs in London.

They are now doing a tour in February 2018.

CLASS OF 77 REUNION

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Events

CLASS OF 94 REUNION Jon Wills Following on from the wonderful OO London Dinner two nights before, many of the year group of 1994 reassembled in Oakham for the weekend of 11 and 12 November.

It was the first time that the recently refurbished Sports Hall was used for hosting afternoon tea and delicious cakes, made by a number OOs, on the splendid balcony overlooking the 1st XV pitch on Doncaster Close. (It was great that the OOs were also able to witness a 50-14 win for the 1st XV against Oundle!)

After tea there followed a tour of the School with many questions being fired at the OO Club Chairman, most of which, excluding any relating to the World of IT, he could answer!! The group then moved on to have dinner and musical entertainment in the BAFS Pavilion. A significant number stayed overnight in Oakham and were able to attend the School Service of Remembrance in the Chapel on the following morning.

All in all a very enjoyable and successful weekend and huge thanks must go to this year’s OO President Kat Hodge and Eileen Fisher, OO Alumni Manager, for all their efforts. It has certainly set the standard for such year group reunions for the future.

After tea there followed a tour of the School with many questions being fired at the OO Club Chairman, most of which, excluding any relating to the World of IT, he could answer!!

DATES FOR THE DIARY CHRISTMAS DRINKS IN LONDON

CLASS OF 2007 REUNION Jon Wills It was an absolute pleasure to see very nearly half the 2007 year group return to Oakham for their 10-year reunion on Saturday 28 October, of which more than a dozen came for the weekend from Germany.

After a tour of the school campus, in particular to see the new areas built since 2007, a wonderful informal supper took place in the Small Barraclough. It was a very unique

atmosphere and it was great to hear so many stories of schooldays and life since Oakham shared amongst this group – many of whom clearly have a great deal of affection for their School.

The evening concluded with some lovely comments made by Jethro Hancock, Head Boy and Alex Middleton Head Girl.

All in all a very uplifting occasion for all.

Monday 18 December 2017 6.00–10.00pm The Finery off Oxford Circus Drop in to this ever popular FREE festive event.

CLASS OF 1968 REUNION Friday 11 May 2018 • BAFS

CLASS OF 1978 REUNION Saturday 19 May 2018 • BAFS

MIDSUMMER DRINKS AND FIVEYEAR REUNION CLASS OF 2013 Saturday 16 June 2018 • BAFS

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Events

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BIRD’S EYE VIEW

OO DINNER AT THE ROOF GARDENS, KENSINGTON Jon Wills In the opulent surroundings of the Roof Gardens in Kensington, OO President 2017, Kat Hodge (94), hosted a London OO Dinner with over ninety OOs in attendance. It was very pleasing to see such a diverse group of OOs together, dating from 1953 in the person of Richard Taylor to the more recent vintage of 2015 OO leavers.

Kat gave a very passionate and heartfelt speech detailing her progress and determination to become an airline pilot in spite of setbacks and obtaining a degree not usually associated with becoming a pilot, in Russian Linguistics!

Now a passionate advocate of STEM subjects for women, Kat described how her education at Oakham School helped her achieve her dream job and how she believes the nurturing and encouragement of key skills and behaviours at School supported the tenacity of her ambition.

The task was made a lot easier because she didn’t do it alone: she found mentors. Now a mentor herself, Kat spoke of how she believes that passing it forward is the best she can do to help others. She has joined the Oakham Hub in order to do this and considers Oakham’s strength is its people. Kat concluded by describing the wonderful life she now has, including the views she has of the world from the comfort of the cockpit of a Virgin Atlantic 747 Jumbo Jet. Nigel Lashbrook, Oakham’s Headmaster, spoke of the recent developments at the School and the ever-increasing importance of the Oakham Foundation to the School’s progress and the continued support of OOs both towards future building projects as well as increasing the number of Bursaries that are now available.

Before a Toast to both the School and the OO Club was given, Christopher Clarke (62), gave an impromptu speech on the importance of everyone supporting the School in their own way, however small their contribution, and he also commented on what a splendid evening he had enjoyed with his fellow 1962 OO cohort.

He finished by saying that he would, wherever possible, be supporting future such events.

It was a truly memorable and uplifting occasion.

Nigel Lashbrook, Oakham’s Headmaster, spoke of the recent developments at the School and the ever-increasing importance of the Oakham Foundation to the School’s progress and the continued support of OOs both towards future building projects as well as increasing the number of Bursaries that are now available.

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Events

It was very pleasing to see such a diverse group of OOs together, dating from 1953 in the person of Richard Taylor to the more recent vintage of 2015 OO leavers.

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Sport

RUGBY

Brian Needham

CRICKET

Oakham’s current three First Class cricketers were all engaged with Second Division teams challenging for promotion to the First Division for the 2018 season. Stuart Broad (06) played a good number of games for Nottinghamshire at the beginning of the season before Test Match duties took him away from his county, with the effect that Nottinghamshire, having won the Twenty20 and the One Day competitions, gained promotion in second place, having led the division for much of the season. Just failing by coming third was Josh Cobb’s (08) Northamptonshire, only 5 points behind Nottinghamshire. It was Tom Fell’s (12) Worcestershire that emerged as champions with 16 points more than Nottinghamshire.

Tom scored 323 First Class runs, @ 14.68 with 7 catches, taking his First Class career aggregate to 2,972 runs from 59 matches with 49 catches.

More importantly, he was there and on the pitch, having overcome such serious illness. He will return to First Division battles in 2018, having extended his Worcestershire contract. Josh Cobb scored 473 First Class runs @ 33.78, took 3 wickets @ 52.33 and held 4 catches in the season (with most of his appearances being in limited over matches) and has taken his First Class aggregate to 4,503 runs in 113 matches, along with 17 wickets and 50 catches. Not being required by England for limited over cricket, Stuart Broad was able to play many more matches than normal 120

for his county (5) in the early part of the season and took 16 wickets @ 20.88 as well as scoring 171 runs @ 42.75 and holding 4 catches. In his 179 First Class matches to date (109 of them Test Matches), Stuart has scored 4,533 runs, taken 641 wickets and held 63 catches. The headlines, however, came with his performances for England against South Africa and the West Indies, playing a strong role in England’s winning both series. Although in statistical terms these were not his best returns (129 runs, 20 wickets, 2 catches) his wicket haul would have been far greater had so many catches off his bowling not been dropped (5 in the Headingly Test for a start). In his 109 Tests he has scored 2,820 runs @ 21.04, taken 388 wickets @ 28.82 and held 34 catches, and over the course of the summer became England’s second most successful Test Match bowler.

His fifth and final wicket in the Edgbaston Test took him to 384 Test Match wickets for England, past the 383 of Sir Ian Botham and into second place behind his opening bowling partner, Jimmy Anderson.

Those 384 wickets came in 107 Test Matches (2007–17) from 21,883 balls, with a best performance in an innings of 8-15 and in a match of 11-121, at an average of 28.47 with an economy of 2.99 per over and a strike rate of 1 wicket per 56.9 balls; he has scored 2,678 runs and held 33 catches in those 107 Test Matches.

His supporters look forward to him adding to his aggregates in the Ashes series in Australia this winter.

With summer over, Old Oakhamians turn their sporting interests onto the Rugby Premiership where four Old Oakhamians were involved: Tom Croft (04) and Matt Smith (04) with Leicester Tigers, Alex Goode (06) with European champions Saracens and Charlie Walker (10) with Harlequins. Up in Scotland Hamish Watson (10) maintained his position in the Scotland squad for the Autumn Internationals; he played in one of Scotland’s Summer Internationals against Australia (scoring the match-winning try) and one against Fiji, a defeat, taking his Scottish cap total to a dozen.

SAILING

In September Emily Nagel (12) was selected as part of Team AkzoNobel in the world’s toughest sailing event, the Volvo Ocean Race. The 9-month long, 46,000-mile race is held every three years and started on 22 October in Alicante, Spain, Emily, who left Oakham School in 2012 and studied Engineering at Southampton University, followed by an internship with America’s Cup team SoftBank Japan, is the youngest female sailor to join this team.

Her selection comes after two months of trialling and participating in every stage of the Volvo Ocean Race’s qualifier series.

During her time at Oakham, Emily sailed RS Fevas and was part of the British National Squad competing at the World and European Championships.

After Fevas, she moved into the Schools’ Team Racing Circuit and won Bronze at the European Championships.

From the Archives

THE GREAT ESCAPE Jon Wills I recently received the following email from Pippa Langlois, the daughter of Roy Brouard Langlois, who attended Oakham School from 1932 to 1935. He was in School House and was a fine all round athlete who played in the 1934 1st XV, being awarded his Colours as well as winning several races on Sports Day in 1935.

‘My father spent his entire career in the RAF as a pilot, achieved the rank of Wing Commander, earned a DFC before WW2 for operations in Palestine, was shot down during the war in his Wellington bomber and escaped from Stalag Luft III in Sagan by means of a tunnel. He was recaptured. This escape attempt by 76 prisoners (50 were murdered by the Gestapo under direct orders by Hitler), has become known as The Great Escape. In the film my father was, in reality, the one at the end of the rope in the bushes, getting other men to safety, when the tunnel was discovered and he therefore was immediately recaptured.

My father died in the UK in 1993 aged 75 after a career that took him to many corners of the world. He remained fond of sports all his life, especially sailing, and always spoke highly of his time at Oakham.

Perhaps the place that was dearest to his heart was Italy where, after retirement, he chose to build a house and live with his family on the shores of Lake Bracciano, just north of Rome.’

This photo was taken in February 1942 whilst Roy Langlois was a POW, before he was moved to Stalag Luft III. Roy is on the left of the photo. To the right is his friend Tom Kirby-Green, who was one of the 50 prisoners murdered upon recapture by the Gestapo.

TALBOTS – THE END OF AN ERA

This photo was taken in summer 1997 just before the day girls who belonged to Talbots moved to their new Houses of Gunthorpe and Hambleton at Schanschieffs. I would love to hear from anyone who can name the girls in the photo for the Archives. Please email me at jw@oakham.rutland.sch.uk

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From the Archives

PASSCHENDAELE, THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES JUNE TO NOVEMBER 1917 In his ongoing series chronicling the events of World War I and their impact on the lives of OOs who took part in the fighting, Brian Needham describes the casualties caused at the Battle of Passchendaele.

Passchendaele was the offensive, sub-divided in many individual battles, on the Western Front of the summer of 1917 designed to wrest control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres so as to disrupt the vital supply system of the German Fourth Army. But the resistance of that German Army, in unusually wet weather, was successful enough to avoid a general withdrawal, particular when the Allied Forces had to divert troops to the Italian Front after the defeat of the Italian Army at Caporetto, and it was not until November that the Canadian Corps seized Passchendaele. In this cataclysmic struggle, the wisdom of which is much debated, the Allied Forces lost somewhere between 200,000 and 450,000 men (the estimates are disputed still) and the German Forces somewhere around 210,00 to 410,000 men, sufficient to make a German victory highly unlikely, especially since American troops began pouring onto the battlefield over the winter of 1917–18.

Thirteen Old Oakhamians lost their lives on the Western Front during the summer of 1917.

Captain, acting Major, Malcolm Arthur Neilson (Oakham 1908–12, Rugby and Cricket Colour and School Prefect) emigrated to Ontario and returned to Europe with the Eastern Ontario Regiment, fighting through 1915 before being invalided home, but returned to France in 1916 and was killed in action on 9 April during the Battle of Vimy Ridge, aged 23. Second Lieutenant Francis Underwood (Oakham 1902–08, Rugby and Cricket Colour and School Prefect) 122

The Allied Forces lost somewhere between 200,000 and 450,000 men (the estimates are disputed still) and the German Forces somewhere around 210,00 to 410,000 men... was a civil engineer graduate from Birmingham University, enlisted and was commissioned into the Royal West Kent Regiment but was attached to the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry when he was mortally wounded on 18 April, dying at a Casualty Clearing Station, aged 27. Private Harold Hill (Oakham 1906–10, a Rugby Colour) who on leaving Oakham attended Culham Training College to become a schoolmaster, enlisted in the East Yorkshire Regiment and

saw action throughout 1915, being wounded on the Somme; he was missing, presumed killed in action, in the attack on Hoppy Wood during the Arras Offensive on 3 May, aged 24. Lieutenant David Rhys Cadwgan Lloyd (Oakham 1911–14) at the outbreak of war was with the Essex Yeomanry and transferred to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment; he was a member of the British Expeditionary Force but was invalided home in 1916. He transferred to the Royal

Flying Corps and returned to France in April 1917 but was killed in action when shot down over Marquion on 16 June, aged 20. Second Lieutenant John Ernest North Albrecht (Oakham 1908–15, and the younger brother of Charles Esmond Redlin Albrecht who was killed in action at the Battle of Mons in August 1914) of the Royal Field Artillery was killed in action on 2 August.

Second Lieutenant Leonard Arthur Kingham (Oakham 1910–15) was commissioned from Sandhurst into

From the Archives

REMEMBERING HAROLD MUSSON

1914–15 1st XV Rugby team Killed at Passchendaele: standing third from right H.A.V. WAIT, standing third from left J.E.N. ALBRECHT, sitting far left L.A. KINGHAM. Others in the photo killed in the war – standing far left B.F.W. MOGRIDGE, standing with cap teacher and coach H.P.B. GOUGH, sitting second from left W.R. HILL, sitting second from right L.J.A. DEWAR, and sitting far right A.F. TAVERNER

the Princess Charlotte of Wales’s Own Royal Berkshire Regiment and was killed in action on 10 August at Inverness Copse, aged 20. Lance Corporal Charles Horace Grey (Oakham 1892–94) had emigrated to South Africa where he enlisted in the army and served in the Second Boer War and was demobbed but then re-enlisted into the South African Infantry on the outbreak of war. He was killed in action on 20 September at the Battle of Menin Road Ridge, aged 38. Second Lieutenant Harold Methven Musson MC (Oakham 1899– 1902) had emigrated to Argentina to be a rancher but returned to the UK to enlist in the Royal Field Artillery.

He died of wounds received in action on 26 September, aged 33. Private Paul Meredity Steeds (Oakham 1908–11) had emigrated to New Zealand, where he enlisted in the Canterbury Regiment of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was killed in action at the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October, aged 23. Captain Basil Stainforth Mann (Oakham 1910–13) was engaged in the wool trade and enlisted in the West Riding Regiment but died in action on 27 November at Bourlon Wood during the Battle of Cambrai, aged 21.

Lieutenant Claude Cressy Horsley (Oakham 1898–99) of the North Staffordshire Regiment was wounded

in 1916 near Ypres, repatriated but returned to the Front and died of wounds received in action on 17 November in the Battle of Cambrai, aged 35. Lieutenant Herbert Alfred Vincent Wait (Oakham 1910–15) was commissioned from Sandhurst into the Royal Berkshire Regiment and was killed in action on 2 December in the Battle of Cambrai, aged 19.

Second Lieutenant Alfred Cecil English (Oakham 1898–1900) of the London Regiment was killed in action on 30 December in the same battle, aged 30.

Eight of these Old Oakhamians are buried in military graves: John Albrecht in the Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, Malcolm Neilson in the Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Leonard Kingham in the Birr Cross Roads Cemetery, Charles Grey in the Bedford House Cemetery, Harold Musson in the Etaples Military Cemetery, Francis Underwood in the Cayeux Military Cemetery, David Lloyd in the HAC Cemetery at Ecoust St Mein, and Claude Horsley in the Wimeraux Communal Cemetery – but five do not have graves and are remembered on memorials – Harold Hill on the Arras Memorial, Alfred English on the Thiepval Monument, Paul Steeds and Herbert Wait on the Tyne Cot Memorial, and Basil Mann on the Cambrai Memorial.

Almost 100 years after OO Harold Musson’s death at the Battle of Passchendaele, his descendent Jim Kennard visited Oakham School in September to honour his grandfather’s life.

Jim’s wife, Sheila, accompanied him on this trip and kindly donated to the Oakham Archives a copy of Sky Full of Stars, a book she has written that was inspired by the letters Harold Musson wrote to his wife from the trenches in France.

In Sky Full of Stars Sheila has reproduced the letters that Harold wrote and interspersed it with letters she has written back to him a century later telling Harold about his friends and family.

Sheila describes the book as “the culmination of a promise made to my granddaughter to create a book of letters from her great, great grandfather, Harold Musson… Little did I know what that promise had in store for me, that I would become penpals with a man who was long dead. …

With the help of modern technology I was led on a journey of discovery about Harold, his circumstances and his friends”.

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The Hub

ONLY CONNECT

Eileen Fisher

OOs from 1972 to 2017 gathered for The Hub’s inaugural breakfast networking event at the Institute of Directors on Wednesday 28 November.

The Hub was launched earlier this year in May as a way for OOs to help each other with their careers.

As an online network that has seen nearly 900 OOs sign up, this breakfast event was the perfect way for members to meet and chat with each other in person over coffee and pastries.

It was particularly pleasing to see former OO President Rhia Douty (10) there, as the Hub is really a culmination of an idea Rhia had during her tenure in 2015–16.

Whilst OO President Rhia had hoped to establish some sort of formal networking facility for OOs as she herself had benefited from having an OO mentor at the start of her career. We discussed how the network would have to be available to all OOs no matter where they were in the world, and that OOs at every stage in their career would be able to benefit from and make use of it After a fair bit of research, I found a system I thought would work and the Hub was born.

We’ve received great feedback so far; I am overwhelmed by how very generous OOs have been with their time and knowledge and so many of them are willing to help.

By holding the event in the morning, people had the chance to talk to each other about their current careers and future plans without taking up too much of their working day. We were also delighted that our new OO President for 2017–18, Ben Walsgrove, was able to attend the event and speak about the impact his Oakham network has had on his career. To read our interview with Ben, please see page 129.

Thank you so much to everyone who attended this event. I hope you enjoyed yourselves and found the occasion a useful way to meet other OOs and benefit your own careers as well as those of other members of 124

our community.

Our Oakham alumni are the lifeblood of the School and we are continuously grateful for your enthusiasm and support.

I hope this will be the first of many such networking events for the Hub. In the longer term, our aim is to build on the Hub and hold more professional networking events both in and outside London.

Quasi cursores!

“It is great to have the opportunity to reach out to such a variety of OOs on a professional basis.

I was so pleased that an OO instantly responded to my message and was happy to speak to me about my application to their company. I will certainly continue to use the Oakham Hub to form professional connections.”

Georgia Johnson (13)

The Hub

JOIN THE OAKHAM HUB Visit thehuboakham.com You can sign up in less than two minutes using your Linkedin or Facebook login details or by clicking on the ‘Email’ tab beneath these two options.

• Expand your professional network.

• Advance your career through connections working in top companies.

• Give back – introduce, advise, employ or be a mentor to our graduating students.

• Re-connect – find and reminisce with classmates, see what they have been up to and stay in touch.

YOUR DATA PROTECTED The Hub is a secure and closed network, only accessible by OOs. We have no access to your Linkedin or Facebook profiles other than your work information but you have the choice to edit that on your profile.

You can find Oakham School’s Privacy Policy on our website and both the School and Graduway will comply with the new Data Protection legislation due to come into effect in May 2018.

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Births and Marriages

BIRTHS

MARRIAGES

CLEGG James (05) and his wife Sarah are pleased to announce the arrival of their daughter, Hannah, who was born earlier this year.

James writes: ‘I’m working for Microsoft Research at the moment trying to develop augmented reality displays. Managing to play a spot of cricket but haven’t been drumming much in 2017.’

BRUGHA Cillian (07) married his wife Katie Louise on 7 October 2017 in Preston Church, Rutland. The service was officiated by John Taylor (former Chaplain at Oakham) and the organ was played by Ivan Linford (former organist at Oakham). There were over 20 OOs, mostly from the class of 2007, in attendance.

Photo by Lizzie Adams – Shoot It Momma Photography

FITCHES Craig (02) and his partner Emily are pleased to announce the arrival of their son, Hugo, born on 18 October 2017, weighing 6lb 4oz.

CHAPMAN Lucy (10) married her husband Vikram on 24 August 2017 at Cecil Peak in Queenstown, New Zealand on a beautiful sunny winter’s day.

WARD Laurence (Hon OO – Head of Politics & Senior Tutor in Sargants) and his wife Céline (teacher of French at Oakham) celebrated the arrival of their son Charlie Gérard André Ward on Tuesday 10 October 2017 at 2.56am, who weighed 3.8 kg/8lb 4oz.

GREEN Yannick (05) married Kate Dow on Saturday 26 August 2017 in St Michael’s Church, Highgate, London.

The reception was held at Lauderdale House in Highgate. There were many OOs in attendance, including: the best man, James White (05), Felicity Milton (05), Hannah Blackford (née Trembath) (05), Julian Adeniran (07), Nikki White (07), Emilie Green (06).

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Deaths and Obituaries

BAILEY Vanessa (85) 29 December 1966 – 16 August 2017 Written by David Bailey, Vanessa’s father Vanessa Bailey MA (Oxon), known as Moo whilst at Oakham, died in New York on 16 August 2017 after a two-year fight against bone marrow cancer. She was Head Girl in 1984 and hosted the Queen’s visit to celebrate Oakham’s Quatercentenary.

After Oakham Vanessa was one of the first women to enter Oriel College, Oxford University, where she read Modern Languages. On graduation,Vanessa took a gap year in Japan and taught English to Honda executives. She learnt Japanese while in Tokyo. There she met Oakham’s largest donor John Jerwood, who introduced her to the owner of America’s biggest recruitment firm Russell Reynolds, who Vanessa subsequently worked for before starting her own firm in the USA, Cressida Partners. For over 20 years Vanessa ran marathons in every state of the USA in aid of dog rescue charities. She also became a master milliner despite being a left-hander. Her parents would like to express their profound thanks for all the wonderful tributes that they have received from all Old Oakhamians.

BURCHNALL Bob (Hon OO) died on 27 November 2017 after a long illness. Bob taught at Oakham from 1969 to 1990. At Speech Day in 1990 the Headmaster, Graham Smallbone, perfectly summarised Bob’s Oakham career: “Head of Geography, Master in Charge of Cricket, and most of all in my experience the most remarkable and authoritative Housemaster of Johnsons, where the Common Sense Rule prevailed victoriously. Bob’s contribution to Oakham life has been immense.”

A full obituary will be published in the next Old Oakhamian magazine.

BUTLER Dr Claire (née Walters) (92) 26 April 1974 – 21 June 2017 Written by Claire’s husband, Darren Butler Claire was born on 26 April 1974. Together with her younger sister, Jenny, Claire was a day girl at Oakham School, in Ancaster, Talbots and Hodges.

Her research findings helped to improve understanding about Multiple Sclerosis and how drug therapies could be delivered.

Claire excelled at School. As well as enjoying academic success, Claire was a good swimmer and enjoyed tennis and badminton – going on to captain the school and her university badminton teams. Besides becoming a Prefect, she completed the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award for cycling after trips that included camping in the snow in the Brecon Beacons and setting her tent alight in Normandy. Claire was also really excited to travel to Madagascar on a science trip.

Claire went on to Bath University gaining a BSc in Biochemistry (1996), which involved placements at Unilever Research Centre in Bedford and at Duke University in North Carolina.

Claire’s first job was as a research assistant at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, later moving to the Institute of Ophthalmology where her Doctoral research into the blood-brain barrier was funded by the MS Society. Her research findings helped to improve understanding about Multiple Sclerosis and how drug therapies could be delivered.

Claire married Darren Butler in Sri Lanka in 2002 and initially they settled in Melbourne, Australia. Darren and Claire returned to live in Harpenden and their son, Josh, was born in 2008.

Claire suffered optic neuritis in 1999, aged 25, leading to a formal diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis in 2004; Claire recognised the symptoms at an early stage because of her PhD research. Claire fought bravely and with characteristic fortitude, retaining her kindliness and mischievous sense of humour throughout.

Claire passed away, surrounded by her family, on 21 June 2017, aged 43.

Claire’s funeral was held at the West Herts Crematorium on 6 July 2017 and was attended by several OOs, including Claire’s sister, Jenny Brace (née Walters), Lynn Irving (née Woolley) (92), Andrew Brockhurst (92), Miriam Stoate (née Renner) (92), Richard Lancaster (92), Neil Cumming (92) and Caroline Bystrom (née Ball) (92), with many other OOs sending messages of condolence.

eldest of three children, Elizabeth and Roger (also an Old Oakhamian.) He attended a local Kindergarten in Wellington, Shropshire, followed

by Kingsland Grange Prep School in Shrewsbury, before embarking on his education at Oakham.

The sports field was always more attractive than academia but he achieved his necessary qualifications to pursue his training in law, later to join his father in the family firm.

Richard proved to be an excellent athlete as a senior, winning the ‘mile’ three years consecutively and was also one of Oakham’s best cross country runners. He represented the School at the White City Schoolboys Championship in 1954, coming fifth. He was also an excellent hockey, rugby and cricket player. After completing his education he did his National Service, serving in Cyprus during the 1955 troubles.

After National Service, he was articled to his father in the family law firm R.A. Clarke & Son in Wellington, Shropshire, qualifying in 1962. Later that year he married Shropshire girl Margaret. They had three children: two sons and a daughter. After work and family, sport was always uppermost in Richard’s heart and he played hockey for Shifnal and Shropshire County. Summers were taken up with cricket at Wellington Cricket Club where he latterly became Treasurer and Chairman.

During his professional life Richard also served as President of the Shropshire Law Society for the designated 12 months.

Richard retired aged 65 and in 2006 he and Margaret relocated to Instow in Devon where sadly he passed away peacefully at the North Devon District Hospital, Barnstaple on 10 September 2017.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Margaret, son Tim, daughter Diana (sadly their eldest son Paul passed away at the age of 34) and three grandsons, Luke, Eddie and Tom. He was much loved and is sadly missed.

CLARKE Richard Anthony (54) 1 March 1936 – 10 September 2017 Written by Richard’s daughter Diane Jones (née Clarke) Richard was born on 1 March 1936 to Mary, wife of Dick Clarke (an old Oakhamian, as was his father, also Richard) a Shropshire solicitor, the 127 35

Deaths and Obituaries

HARRISON David (43) 1 September 1925 – 2 March 2017 Written by David’s son Mark Harrison (75) David was born in El Salt, in what was then the capital of the British Mandate of Transjordania, as his father was a Surgeon Commander in the Colonial medical services. After a variety of schools his pre-war education finished at Oakham which he left in 1943 to join the Royal Navy. Following a period of training he was posted to the Far East theatre. Here he spent most of the time ferrying supplies in LST’s (Landing Ship Tanks) across the Bay of Bengal and up the Irriwaddy: a hazardous occupation as the vessels had only been designed for the relatively short hop of the D-Day landings.

After he was demobbed in 1946, David completed his education and decided to make a career in agriculture. By coincidence, whilst undertaking his agricultural training at Sutton Bonington, David’s future wife Hazel had a spell as a Matron at Wharflands. They were married in June 1955.

David enjoyed his life in agriculture and whilst expanding the business, was a keen conservationist. He retired in 1990 to look after Hazel whose health was deteriorating with Multiple Sclerosis. During his retirement years he maintained his passion for social history and traced the family back to the 1520s, when they had emigrated from France due to religious persecution.

Sadly Hazel died in May 2005, only six weeks short of their Golden Wedding anniversary.

David was active all his life and was very fortunate in having driven himself out for lunch on the day he died. He is survived by Mark (1970– 1975) and Rod.

WITCHELL Peter James (Hon OO) 22 November 1945 – 21 September 2017 Written by Ann Lewis How fitting that Peter was born on Saint Cecilia’s Day. Music’s patron saint surely blessed him with the musical talents he so clearly possessed and which he so ably nurtured in others. Appointed Director of Music in 1978, Peter arrived at Oakham School and instantly set about creating lively music and fostering a love of music in his pupils. Under Peter’s leadership girls were introduced to what had been a boys’ choir; lunchtime concerts and concerts in a variety of non-school venues were performed; instrumentalists featured in the Symphony Orchestra; a Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir were created, as well as a Big Band. The Choral Society, set up in 1979 and drawing in singers from School and town, thrives today. Throughout the 1980s, music flourished, with over fifty concerts being performed in one term, and with orchestra and choir tours to Germany – twice, Jersey and Zimbabwe. In 1991, the School’s many chamber

ensembles won the National Chamber Music for Schools Competition and the Senior String Quartet won the award for Best Individual Performance. And how wonderful it was that two instrumentalists from this winning quartet, Jenny Kelly (née Kelsey) and Peter Coates, played Peter’s own compositions so movingly at his memorial service.

Throughout his time as Director, a role he relinquished in 1995, and, thereafter, in his new role as Head of Academic Music, Peter’s energy, enthusiasm and passion were revealed in his choral, orchestral and individual instrumental compositions for his pupils, most memorably for horn player, Matthew Rushton, violinist, Jenny Kelsey, cellist, Peter Coates, and oboist, David Firmin. In 2001, his jazzy organ composition, Over the Top, was played by Dan Hyde, OO, now Organist and Director of Music of Saint Thomas, New York. As well as composing for special occasions such as Christmas, the School’s 1984 Quatercentenary and Rutland’s Independence, he composed a number of musicals for Lower 1 and Jerwoods and, with librettist, Mark Pitter, Peter composed Showhome and the highly entertaining Nero – the musical, the latter performed in 1990 (and taken to the Edinburgh Fringe) and revived in 2000. Peter’s creative output was both unusual and phenomenal but he encouraged creativity in others, too, with regular concerts featuring pupils playing their own compositions. He recognised that the use of computers in producing an orchestrated sound was a motivation to young musicians.

Peter retired in 2004 but the music-making did not cease as the Central Composers’ Alliance website testifies. In 12 years of retirement, before pancreatic cancer took its grim hold, he indulged his abiding passion for music, his fondness for Dvorak, Shostakovitch, Sondheim and many more, attending concerts at home and abroad. He roamed the footpaths of Britain, sending his famous postcards to friends and family; he photographed glorious countryside; completed innumerable Telegraph crosswords, delighting in puns, rhymes, rhythms and subtleties of language; and he visited and entertained friends, maintaining those strong and lasting bonds forged over the years. He will be sorely missed.

Peter’s creative output was both unusual and phenomenal but he encouraged creativity in others, too, with regular concerts featuring pupils playing their own compositions. He recognised that the use of computers in producing an orchestrated sound was a motivation to young musicians.

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The OO Interview

OO CLUB PRESIDENT 2017–2018 AND MANAGING DIRECTOR I-DESIGN FURNITURE LIMITED Ben Walsgrove (87)

Incoming OO Club President Ben Walsgrove describes how three friendships he formed while at Oakham have been integral to shaping his post-school career.

A

rmed with a degree in Estate Management from Reading University when the housing market was in the doldrums, Ben decided that this was not the moment to join a London firm of surveyors. Whilst Ben was on holiday with David Webb (86), his friend recommended that Ben join the Army. Ben duly did and spent the next five years travelling the world, serving in Bosnia and Northern Ireland, among other locations.

The housing market had picked up by the time Ben left the Army in 1995 and after doing his apprenticeship with Hamptons International in London, he founded a property development company with Ollie Wheatcroft (83). Nearly twenty years later, Braemore Group, the company Ben and Ollie set up, is still designing and building award-winning properties in the UK and Turkey.

In 2014 Ben co-founded a new company with Adam Ross (89), a friend he had known since the age of 4. The company, i-Design Furniture, specialises in the design, production and installation of furniture for the educational sector, with clients ranging from Oxford and Goldsmiths, University of London to various public schools.

Most recently, they installed a new kitchen in School House and their next Oakham School-related project will be to add a fresh look to the bedrooms in Round House.

One of Ben’s strongest memories from his time at

The event raised an incredible £4,000 for Macmillan Nurses.

Over two decades later OSCA is still going strong with Oakhamians raising thousands of pounds every year for some very worthwhile causes.

Becoming OO Club President for 2017–18 isn’t the first time that a member of the Walsgrove family has held this title. Ben’s sister, Hannah, served as OO Club President in 2001–2002, which we believe makes Ben and Hannah the first siblings to both hold the office of OO Club President.

During his year as President, Ben is particularly keen to get involved in raising awareness of The Hub, Oakham School’s networking platform for Old Oakhamians. Ben knows from first-hand experience how much Old Oakhamians can help one another, in particular how they can help develop each other’s careers.

Most recently Ben was the keynote speaker at the School’s first ever Hub breakfast networking event.

During his speech Ben described how his career path had been aided by his fellow OOs and he expressed his desire to pass on his knowledge and give something back to help his fellow OOs. “Much of what I have achieved in my life is thanks to the friends I made at Oakham School.”

Oakham was also inspired by a friendship made at School. Ben’s sister Hannah (85) had a friend whose sister tragically died of cancer whilst a pupil at the School.

Encouraged by Reverend Darryl,

Ben founded Oakham School Charitable Association (OSCA) in 1986 and organised the charity’s first event: a sponsored fancy dress race around Oakham from the Sports Hall to the Market Place.

Read about Oakham School’s first ever Hub Networking event on pages 124 and 125. To find out more go to thehuboakham.com

“MUCH OF WHAT I HAVE ACHIEVED IN MY LIFE IS THANKS TO THE FRIENDS I MADE AT OAKHAM SCHOOL.” 129

Foundation News

PASSING ON THE TORCH “Et quasi cursores vitai lampada tradunt” ‘Like runners they pass on the torch of life’ The words of our School Motto have been very much in my mind over the past few months. Never more so than at the official opening of the Faculty of Social Sciences in September.

This day of celebrations, which saw Oakhamians past and present exploring together these state-of-the-art facilities, including taking part in demonstration lessons, provided the perfect opportunity for our OO donors to see just how their generosity is benefiting current and future students.

The day also saw the Social Sciences ‘pass on the torch’ to Music and Drama, as we launched our fundraising campaign to raise money to build a new Performing Arts Centre, and to provide more SpringBoard Bursaries and Sports Scholars.

Director of Music, Peter Davis, had composed a specially commissioned work for the day entitled Vitai lampada, inspired by our School Motto and this was performed by members of the School’s Chamber Choir.

Our aim is to raise £2 million in phase one of the campaign and we have already been overwhelmed by the generosity of our community to achieve this goal. I am delighted to report that we have already received pledges and donations to the total of £874,000 and counting.

If you would like to join us to ensure that Oakham School’s future continues to burn brightly, providing a world-class education for our pupils, please contact me or you can make a donation by going to the website at www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/Donate-Now Anna Bentley Development Director Tel: 01572 758808 • aeb2@oakham.rutland.sch.uk

Oakham School Campaign – Phase one Project Q Performing Arts Q SpringBoard Bursaries Q Sports Scholarships

Amount £1,425,000 £525,000 £50,000

GRADUATE INTERNS PASSING THE TORCH Our first ever Graduate Intern, Holly Singlehurst (12), completed her internship in September and has now moved to a full-time position working for the University of Cambridge Development Office. We were delighted that the experience Holly gained working at her old school helped her to make such a positive move forward in her career and, in turn we are delighted to welcome her successor, Georgia Johnson (13).

Georgia left university in June and has hit the ground running since her arrival at the end of September, impressing us with her enthusiasm and willingness to take on fresh challenges and responsibilities to support us in our development work. Georgia was able to attend Oakham because of a Scholarship and it is great to see her give something back to the School that helped to shape her formative years.

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“I am really enjoying the variety of tasks I undertake on a day-to-day basis and the level of responsibility I am given. The Development team have gone above and beyond to ensure I am learning as much as possible from my time at Oakham and am developing key skills – communication, marketing, organisational, time management and task prioritisation – that will help me succeed in my future career. I am also looking forward to having the opportunity to organise the recruitment of the next intern.

This internship is a great opportunity for a recent graduate who is looking for professional experience to develop key skills and enhance their CV. It is not only beneficial to anyone who is interested in the fundraising or education sector, but any individual who wishes to develop a wide range of transferable skills for their future career.”

If any OO is graduating in 2018 and would like some more information about our internship, please contact Development Manager, Asha Hickin at ah@oakham.rutland.sch.uk

“This internship is a great opportunity for a recent graduate who is looking for professional experience to develop key skills and enhance their CV.”

Foundation News

FOUNDATION PROJECTS 2017

Lower School Boarders enjoying the new books in their reading library Students in Form 6 using the lecterns for the Senior Interhouse Debating Competition

Pupils in Form 3 applying carbon fibre sheeting to the GreenPower kit car that they hope to race next year

Not all our fundraising is directed at our large campaigns. The Foundation Project Fund, established in 2015, allows Oakham School to introduce projects that further enrich and have an immediate impact on the learning experience of our pupils, both inside and outside the classroom. Foundation Projects always benefit our current pupils, as they are established each academic year.

Thanks to your support, pupils of all ages throughout the School are enjoying the benefits of this year’s projects.

FOUNDING FATHER How Archdeacon Robert Johnson ‘lit the torch’ for Oakham’s journey of development.

Ever since Archdeacon Robert Johnson brought to life his vision to build ‘as many free schools in Rutland as there were market towns therein’, Oakham School has been on a continuous journey of development, of which fundraising is an essential part.

In his book The Story of Oakham School John Barber describes how Johnson’s religious beliefs, combined with his business ability and organisational skills, enabled him to found our School.

Barber concludes: “In this day and age he would doubtless have earned himself a name as a successful ‘fundraiser’.”

It is thanks to Archdeacon Robert Johnson’s far-sightedness, generosity and determination that our School was founded. Over the years, and particularly in the last century, Oakham has seen major changes as it seeks to remain as a centre of educational excellence. Long may his legacy continue.

How fundraising has changed the face of the School

“In this day and age he would doubtless have earned himself a name as a successful ‘fundraiser’.”

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01572 758758 • admissions@oakham.rutland.sch.uk • www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk