On 11th June this year, at an event in Long Beach, California, Max Park obliterated the existing official world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube. His time of 3.13 seconds lowered the alreadyastonishing mark of 3.47 seconds, which had stood for five years.
As a boy, I owned a copy of the 1984 Guinness Book of Records, where the record was listed as 22.95 seconds, and I held that in awed regard. Now, the world has moved on; achievements have been transformed through endeavour and innovation, and in every field, not just in this niche area of legerdemain, and not only in realms that are quirky and benign: we face the rise of ChatGPT, of environmental challenge, of financial crisis, of pandemics, and so much more.
In this context, we strive to provide a brilliant education preparing individuals for the challenges of today and the unknowable changes of tomorrow. This is the same mission that has connected our heritage schools, even with their distinct identities, across three centuries of combined history. It is a mission defined by the individuals across our community, and how they strive to change their worlds and, in turn, to make a difference for future generations.
I have been thrilled, then, to see the introduction of our development office and the launch of our alumni website, oaksconnect.com. At the time of writing, over 800 people have registered, with more joining every day. As well as connecting with alumni from across the world, the platform will enable individuals to bring their expertise and experiences to bear in supporting current and former students through careers education and mentoring.
For the future, we are eager to support more individuals and families in joining the school, and the launch of the AKS Lytham Foundation is driven by this aim. We hope that our new notable alumni gallery and the fantastic evening launching the Foundation will help inspire future generations. Whether that changes the lives of individuals or leads to world-beating achievements, we hope that to render the school’s strapline of Change your World a reality across our community.
From our Director of Development
Introducing AKS Lytham Foundation
Careers Spotlight Arnold School Memories
King Edward VII School Memories
Queen Mary School Memories
Upcoming School and Community Events
David Harrow, Headmaster
As we approach the end of the summer term at AKS, it has provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made for our alumni since the new Development Office was established last September.
Our new alumni platform oaksconnect.com was introduced at Christmas and the online network continues to grow, with nearly 800 people joining from across the globe. This is a valuable and free resource for alumni and former teachers from our heritage schools, as well as parents and grandparents of AKS today and we look forward to you joining this growing community if you haven’t already. It’s a great way of reconnecting with former friends and colleagues, seeing school photos from your past, booking onto events as well as keeping up to date with all your alumni news.
To recognise our heritage, we have installed a new Notable Alumni Gallery in the Sixth Form to recognise former pupils of the heritage schools and to inspire our current and future students. There is also an online version of the gallery on oaksconnect.com.
In May, the Upper Sixth Celebration Evening was a great opportunity to welcome the Class of 2023 to the OAKS alumni, with over 90% of our Year 13 students joining oaksconnect.com.
We also held a successful launch event at the school for the AKS Lytham Foundation on Friday 5th May.
110 guests attended, including our Foundation Patrons as well as alumna and alumnus featured in our new Notable Alumni Gallery. Our patrons represent notable alumni and leaders from each of our heritage schools who will support us to share the vision and
Mike Rhodes made the difficult decision to move on from AKS and relocate to the Lake District.
Sarah Shepherd now joins me on a full-time basis in the Development Office as Development and Alumni Relations Lead. As a QMS alumna, Sarah brings a huge amount of experience to the role alongside her marketing expertise.
We are both looking forward to working together and OAKS will be at Lytham Club Day in June with a heritage tent and at the Headmaster’s Cricket Match in July at the PTA Summer Festival.
We also have more developments planned this summer with the introduction of OAKS LinkedIn and OAKS Instagram, as well as enabling opportunities for our alumni to support AKS students with careers education and mentoring from September 2023.
If you have any suggestions or ideas for your alumni, then please do get in touch with us. We would love to hear from you.
Sarah Walton Director of Development01253 376040
sarah.walton@akslytham.com
On 5th May 2023, the Development Office launched the school’s new charity, the AKS Lytham Foundation at an event at the school. Historically, the heritage schools always supported people through the Direct Grant and elsewhere, and we hope to rekindle those opportunities through our first Bursary Appeal.
We believe that in an ideal world, the opportunities that an AKS Lytham education offers, would be available to any bright young person regardless of their family’s circumstances.
The school already supports a number of students throughout the Senior School and Sixth Form with bursarial assistance of some sort, and our ambition is to be able to offer many more fully-funded parental means-
tested bursaries. This would mean that an AKS Lytham Foundation Bursary would provide financial support to those families who would benefit the most and the support would cover not only tuition but all associated costs such as uniforms, curriculum trips and lunches.
To find out more and to request your free brochure, please email Sarah Walton (Director of Development)
sarah.walton@akslytham.com
(Charity No 1191646)
I joined Arnold Junior School in 2004 before then starting at KEQMS Senior School which later became AKS Lytham.
AKS played a crucial role in shaping my current life. The lasting friendships I made and playing in sports teams honed my competitive spirit whilst installing discipline and teamwork. Big thanks to Mrs Hanham for always being there for me. The support from my teachers Mr Dawson and Mr Sobey allowed me to achieve academically and I graduated Exeter University with a first-class Mathematics degree.
desk job, so I applied for a hospitality role.
at the Royal Household because of the uniqueness of the position, the opportunity to experience high-end hospitality and the chance to live and
It has been a momentous year for the monarchy which I have experienced first-hand. Travelling to, and working
well as being part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
September, unfortunately, saw the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II which was difficult for the whole country. It was amazing to be part of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla.
Within my current role of Page of the Presence my team are responsible for the from and back-of-house service, this can range from a lunch/ dinner service, a Garden Party or a State Visit. We travel for events such as Ascot in Windsor or Royal Week in Holyrood, providing a unique and tailored guest experience.
There will often be something that astonishes you, that makes you once again realise where you are standing and who you work for. Being part of the Coronation procession standing on the Scottish State Coach riding along The Mall with a view of the façade of Buckingham Palace was one of those moments, it can only happen once in a lifetime! Being able to quickly fall back into my day-today role watching the fly past from the balcony overlooking the palace gardens will stay with me for a very long time.
If you would like to share your careers journey since leaving school, please contact us at alumni@akslytham.com
Howard was born in Bolton in 1940 and moved to Blackpool in 1943 when his parents bought the ‘Seaview’ guest house. In those days the resort was always bustling and famous names abounded. He collected autographs of all the ‘stars’, most of which he still has.
Howard attended St John’s Primary School and then in 1947 joined Arnold Junior School. During his time with Arnold, Howard excelled in athletics. Howard left Arnold Senior School in 1956 and joined a local chartered accountants where he worked for 10 shillings (50p) per week with another much-loved Old Arnoldian, Michael Owen.
After 6 months he joined Barclays Bank in Preston where he first met his wife, Karen, when she opened an account with Barclays. Karen was a pupil at Arnold High School for Girls before joining the Lytham Land Registry as an exec officer and later a producer and presenter with Singapore TV in the 70s and 80s.
Howard qualified as an Associate of the Institute of Bankers and over the next 37 years progressed his career within Barclays Bank and later Standard Chartered Bank which enabled him to travel the world.
Howard was an Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank in Tanzania and Sierra Leone and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank of Uganda Ltd., where he was also the Honorary Finnish Consul to Uganda. Along the way, he held numerous senior management banking positions in Zambia, Singapore, Malaysia, Borneo, Hong Kong, Qatar and Dubai. In 1994, Howard was appointed a Consultant to The World Bank.
Upon retirement in 1994, Howard returned to the Fylde Cost where he took up residence in St Annes and was elected to represent St Leonard’s Ward on Fylde Borough Council in 1995 – a post that he held for the next 20 years. Howard was elected Mayor of the Fylde for 2011-2012 and was Consort to his wife, Karen, when she was Deputy Mayor of Fylde for 2014-2015.
A keen sportsman all his life, Howard is a life member of Fylde Rugby Club, Blackpool Cricket Club, Singapore Cricket Club and Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Athletic Club, where he was Track Captain in 1962 and has been Club President for the past 24 years.
Howard’s other main interest is travelling, especially to remote countries. As a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and the Travelers Century Club, Howard, and his wife Karen, have visited over 190 countries, including Bhutan, Papa New Guinea, Timbuktu, Pitcairn, Falkland and Easter Islands.
Howard was honoured by the Sultan of North Borneo in 1991 with the Award of Ahli Darjah Kinabalu (the Illustrious Order of Kinabalu) for services to the business community in SE Asia. The ADK is the Malaysian equivalent of the British OBE.
Howard is a past president of the Old Arnoldian Association whilst his wife, Karen, is a former President of the Arnoldian Ladies Luncheon Club.
In April, Sarah Walton had the pleasure of meeting Old Lidunian Ciaran Nelson, Director of Brand and Communications, Anglian Water Group. Ciaran attended King Edward VII School from 1989 to 1996 and visited AKS in April to feature in the new AKS Lytham Foundation film.
How do you feel visiting AKS Senior School for the first time since you left King Edward School in 1996?
It is really interesting to discover that whilst the look of AKS may have changed over time, it’s definitely got the same feel when I was at KES over 30 years ago. It feels like there is something in the fabric of the building that makes AKS the really special place that it is.
Do you feel your time at King Edward School helped support you for life after school?
Ciaran shares his story as a past recipient of the Assisted Places Scheme which was introduced by the Conservative government in 1981 lasting until 1997.
When did you attend KES and how was your experience?
I joined KES in 1989 when I was 12 years old and left in 1996 to study English at Oxford University. At the time I don’t think I was aware that I was being financially supported through the Assisted Places Scheme to attend the school. Without the assisted place I benefited from there would have been no chance I could have attended the school - and consequently I doubt I would have been able to attend the university I did or pursue the career I have.
There’s little doubt much of what I’ve accomplished over the last three decades can be traced back to the head start I got joining King Edward VII in 1989 at 12 years of age. Those formative years did so much to shape my understanding of my place in the world, and to give me confidence to take on any challenge, no matter how alien it felt. It has also made me realise that excellence comes in many guises and from many different backgrounds and a school like AKS deserves to be full of the very best young people. Therefore, if additional financial support can be offered through the AKS Lytham Foundation to those families who would benefit the most, then the opportunities are immense.
What do you think about the AKS Lytham Foundation?
I strongly believe that the assisted place I received played a very important part in the opportunities I’ve been able to take advantage of for the last two and a half decades. I’ve subsequently become a strong advocate for social mobility, championing it as I have become a Board member in one of the country’s largest utility companies. Now it’s my turn to pay back some of that opportunity, in the hope it inspires others to nurture talent wherever it can be found. A bursary isn’t a substitute for hard work and determination, but it’s a helping hand you can’t put a value on until later in life.
To watch the full interview with Ciaran as part of our new AKS Lytham Foundation film, please visit https://oaksconnect.com/pages/ aks-foundation
Jean Salmon (née Bloxham), QMS 1940 to 1945, was one of the foremost British female racing drivers of the 1950s. One of the few to race regularly, she often beat her male counterparts, predominantly at the wheel of an Aston Martin. Born in 1926 in St Annes as Jean Noel Edwina Liver, she attended QMS and later became an air stewardess – serving Winston Churchill was a fond memory – and married the gentleman racer, Roy Bloxham. At the age of 18, her mother, Ethel, had become one of the first women to hold a driving licence, and shared her passion for speed and beautiful cars with Jean and her brother. Having initially competed in sprints and hill climbs in her Aston Martin DB2, Jean made her racing debut when her husband secretly entered her for the Ladies’ Race at Goodwood’s 1955 International meeting. She came third despite being terrified and racing against famous drivers including Pat Moss (sister to Stirling). During her career she accumulated over 60 trophies and 15 podium places including 7 victories. Tragedy struck when her husband, Roy Bloxham, crashed in a 1961 race at Goodwood and was killed, choking on a piece of chewing gum. Jean then retired from racing but remained as director of the Gerrards Cross Motor Company along with racing driver Michael Salmon, whom she later married.
Jean Salmon was elected as an honorary member of the British Racing Drivers Club in 1993, becoming a full member in 2001. As one of only a handful of women to hold this honour, she said it was the proudest moment of her life. Jean died in 2016 at the age of 89.
Sara Hanks, QMS 1969 to 1976, studied Law at Oxford University and had a stellar career after leaving QMS. She joined a London law firm and later emigrated to the USA with her American husband, a China expert for the Defence Department. By the age of only 31 she had been appointed as Chief of the Office of International Corporate Finance in the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (equivalent to the London Stock Exchange) in Washington DC.
Her success continued with a role as partner at one of the world’s largest law firms, Clifford Chance based in New York. As a corporate and securities attorney, Sara gained top-level experience of global industries including financial institutions, energy and technology companies. This expertise led to her appointment as General Counsel of the Congressional Oversight Panel, the overseer of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) during the depths of the financial crisis in 2009. In the course of this work on Capitol Hill, Sara gained a unique perspective on the consequences of government involvement in the financial markets.
Now living in Virginia, Sara is co-founder and CEO of CrowdCheck, which provides due diligence, disclosure and compliance services for entrepreneurs, enabling investors to make informed investment decisions. We are proud to have Sarah as onboard as one of our AKS Foundation Patrons.
We are delighted to announce that the Notable Alumni Gallery is now on display within the Sixth Form Centre. The gallery recognises former students of the heritage schools and we hope that it inspires our current and future students. We are proud to share the stories of two QMS alumna featured in the first instalment.
AKS PTA Summer Festival
Sunday 2nd July, 1.00pm to 4.00pm at AKS
Staff XI v Headmasters XI Cricket Match
Sunday 2nd July at 1.00pm to 3.30pm at AKS
The Old Arnoldians’
125th Anniversary Dinner
Saturday 30th September at AKS
Tickets available now on oaksconnect.com
Open Day
Saturday 7th October
Nursery and Preparatory School at 11.00am
Sixth Form at 12.00pm, Senior School at 1.30pm
QMS AGM and “Curiosity Corner” with afternoon tea
Saturday 4th November, 2.00pm to 4.30pm at AKS
Please contact the development office for more information
Remembrance Service
Friday 10th November, 10.30am at AKS
Register your attendance on oaksconnect.com
AKS PTA Christmas Fair
Saturday 9th December from 11.00am at AKS
Old Arnoldians’ vs Old Lidunians’ Boxing Day Match
Tuesday 26th December, 2.00pm at Fylde Rugby Club
oaksconnect.com is now live!
Stay Connected
Facebook: @AKSLythamOAKS
Email: alumni@akslytham.com
If you are a former pupil or teacher from Arnold, KES, QMS, KEQMS or AKS or are a current parent or grandparent of AKS today then this online network is for you.
Join today to find old friends and colleagues, attend events and reunions whilst also being able to support AKS students and graduates.
Create a profile and register in 3 easy steps and be part of this growing online network:
