pLOUgHing AHEAD
Jack Ward tells us about his career in the world of farming
HOUSE OF AFriCAn ArT
Maryam Lawal on promoting artists from Africa and the African Diaspora CAnOES, riFLES AnD SKiS
Hugh Pritchard reflects on his love of unusual sports
Rowing the Atlantic
Fraser Morrison (TR 2008-13) on why he is tackling the world’s toughest row
From the Head
It was an enormous pleasure to gather with 170 OKS at the House of Commons to formally welcome James Phipson in post as the new OKS President. Those in attendance were the lucky few, the event having sold out in record time – our very own Glastonbury! It speaks volumes for the strength of our brilliant network that occasions such as this gather so many, and gather so many with so much enthusiasm.
Earlier in the term I had the pleasure of hosting a reunion dinner in London with 21 former School Captains, and it prompted a dive into our archives to learn more about the early days of the role and the story behind the now-iconic purple gown. While much has changed since the 1630s, the essence of the role – leading with integrity, kindness, and purpose – remains much the same.
That same spirit was clearly evident at a lively
From the OKS President
In march, the OKS President’s Dinner took place in the House of Commons and saw 170 OKS and their guests come together for dinner. Not only was the event immensely fun, but it succeeded in delivering so many of the things that we are working hard to achieve. It seamlessly mixed the generations whilst engaging many younger OKS, and the event was oversubscribed from the outset – selling out in record speed. I was truly proud to represent the OKS Association at this exceptional event. The feedback was hugely positive, and due to popular demand, we are considering introducing a more frequent black-tie event to the OKS events calendar.
dinner held in school this term for our current 6a Purples, each of whom invited a staff guest to join them. Our hope for them echoes that of our predecessors: that they will lead through service and example, and continue to uphold the values that make our school community so special. We hope they will champion that distinctive King’s character - a culture of kindness, of inclusivity, of integrity, of engagement.
I feel very lucky to play my part in it – and I am profoundly grateful to you all for the part that you all play, and the support and friendship that you extend to King’s.
Jude Lowson
Cover: Fraser Morrison training for the world’s toughest row
The OKS committee, in collaboration with the Development Office, have been actively preparing the OKS Association to be fit for purpose ahead of its centenary in 2028. We have
produced a new OKS committee responsibilities and structure document, which will help us to ensure that committee discussions are focused and representative of the wider OKS community. This document can be found on the King’s Association website.
Our events programme continues to grow, and the team have also been meeting OKS overseas at drinks events in Dubai, Nigeria and Hong Kong. There are many opportunities to get involved and return to King’s, and I hope to meet you at an OKS event soon.
James
Phipson (SH 1988-93)
King’S ASSOCiATiOn: WinE TASTing
Friday 2 May
The Malthouse Theatre, The King’s School
Canterbury
King’S ASSOCiATiOn: BOWLS AFTErnOOn
Sunday 11 May
Canterbury Bowls Club
rOBErT rOSE SOCiETY LUnCH
Sunday 18 May
Green Court, The King’s School Canterbury
By invitation
CLASS OF 1985 rEUniOn
Thursday 22 May
Thames Rowing Club
Organised by Magnus Bashaarat (WL 1981-85)
King’S WEEK
Thursday 26 June to Wednesday 2 July
The King’s School Canterbury
OKS SUMMEr rEUniOn
Saturday 28 June
Birley’s, The King’s School Canterbury
CAnTErBUrY piLgriMS & KSCBC
HEnLEY rOYAL rEgATTA AnnUAL LUnCH
Wednesday 2 July
Henley Cricket Club
HOng KOng DrinKS
Friday 19 September
The Hong Kong Club
CLASS OF 1994, 1995 AnD 1996 rEUniOn
Friday 26 September
The King’s School Canterbury
LUXMOOrE HOUSE rEUniOn
Sunday 5 October
The King’s School Canterbury
OKS CHriSTMAS DrinKS
Thursday 4 December
The Cavalry and Guards Club, London
4 news from King’s: Legally Blonde, the Choir House and staff news
6, 10, 16 & 20 Features: Art, allergies, farming, and an Olympian
8 Development news: Boat Club fleet appeal
14 Events: Captains and the Commons
18 OKS Overseas: Volunteering in Ukraine
22 OKS network: OKS book review
24 OKS Update: News of OKS worldwide
32 Unknown OKS: Stained glass artist
34 Lives remembered: Obituaries
42 Sport: The world’s toughest row
To book your ticket, please visit kings-association. co.uk/events
OKS are warmly welcome to all King’s Association events.
We want to hear your news and so do your fellow OKS.
Fill in the form on the address sheet or contact Molly Burgess
telephone 01227 595669
email oks@kings-school.co.uk
website www.kings-association.co.uk
facebook.com/groups/oksassociation twitter.com/OKSAssociation linkedin.com/groups/35681 instagram.com/oksassociation
The OKS Magazine is produced by an editorial committee chaired by Jenny Grant (Director of Development and Alumni). The Executive Editor is Molly Burgess (Engagement Manager) who is assisted by Associate Editor Stephen Woodley (CR 1969-98) and Peter Henderson (School Archivist, CR 1969-). Unless otherwise credited, photographs are by Matt McArdle, the contributors, or from the school archives. The magazine is designed by Nick Ebdon (nickebdon.co.uk).
News from King’s
CHOir HOUSE
With the closure of the Canterbury Cathedral Choir House, the School will take over the building from September 2025. It is in the Brick Walk, next to Linacre, and will become a new day house with facilities for flexi-boarding. It will also accommodate the Wellbeing Centre and Chaplaincy. Originally built as the Table Hall, a dining hall for the Infirmary, c1265, it was later a Canon’s house before becoming the Choir School and then in 1972 the Choir House.
JAMES SiMMOnS AnD ApHrA BEHn
At midday on Sunday 26 January a new information board about Alderman James Simmons (KSC 1750-55) was unveiled in the churchyard of St Mildred’s Canterbury by Stewart Ross (Common Room 1974-89), Chair of the Canterbury Commemoration Society. The ceremony followed the parish eucharist service at which the Revd Brian McHenry preached on Simmons and his benefaction – with a comparison to Nehemiah. The board replaces a previous one which had become decayed and the
School contributed towards this restoration.
The School also supported the commission by the Commemoration Society of a statue to Canterbury’s Aphra Behn (1640-89), ‘playwright, poet and spy’, and was represented at the unveiling outside the Beaney. This was performed by Her Majesty Queen Camilla on 25 February.
LEgALLY BLOnDE
The School musical in February was Legally Blonde, an entertaining extravaganza based on the 2001 film. This spectacular all-singing, alldancing show in the Malthouse Theatre featured lots of pink, lots of laughter, a rotating cast and two important dogs. Directed by Rebekah Frances, it has been nominated for three National School Theatre Awards: for Best Musical, Best Ensemble, and Best Set, Lighting or Sound Design by a Pupil. On the Friday Andrew Dobbin (Common Room 1978-2000), the hugely influential drama supremo, visited the Malthouse changing room that now bears his name and met several members of the cast before the performance.
photos, clockwise from top left: Legally Blonde; Annabel Steadman and pupils; Liz Worthington; Luxmuralis light show
ViSiTing SpEAKErS
The Harvey Society welcomed back two scientists with King’s School credentials: Jonathan Allday (Common Room 1991-2004) and Professor Sarah Gurr (SH 1974-76). Jonathan displayed his extensive knowledge of science fiction movies and provided an informed, whimsical and sardonic commentary on the science portrayed in them. Sarah spoke of her time in School House as well as of her long-term interest in fungi.
The Morpurgo Society hosted visits from two OKS writers. Natasha Randall (BS/JR 1991-93), translator from the Russian and author of Love Orange, gave advice to would-be authors on such matters as adjectives and expletives (not just profanities). A fascinating evening with Annabel Steadman (MR 2005-10) speaking about her life as an author was engagingly entitled ‘Bloodthirsty unicorns to travelling assassins’.
FrOM THE COMMOn rOOM
Luke Bartlett (Common Room 2017-24), Deputy Head Academic, left at Christmas. He is now
Headmaster of Harrow LiDe School Hengqin in China. His successor is Matthew Key.
A portrait of Liz Worthington by Toby Ward (MR/MT 1979-83) is now in the Common Room. Liz was Senior Deputy Head 2012-24 and Acting Head 2022-23. She joins several of her predecessors as Hypodidascalus / Lower Master, including JB Harris, Richard Paynter, Paul Wenley and Paul Humberstone.
THiS AnD THAT
For nine evenings in December, St Augustine’s hosted a light show by Luxmuralis. This started inside the Fyndon Gate before moving on to the English Heritage Abbey site and made colourful use of images from Anglo-Saxon illuminated manuscripts projected on the ruins and the School Library.
In February, a Young Enterprise school team was one of nearly 400 from across Europe in the JA Marketplace competition at Tallinn, Estonia. They won the prize for Best Sales Strategy.
From the Great Stour to the Olympics –and beyond
Hugh Pritchard (MT 1981-85) tells us how he learned to canoe at the Junior King’s School, and then went on to make his debut in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Iwas inspired by Matt Willifer’s account of his athletic history in the OKS mag, not to cast away my sofa but to write my own history. I think I am in my fourth chapter now. I was not an athletic success at Milner Court and have photographs of myself on sports day finishing last in a running race and performing in the cricket ball throwing event where it appears that I held on to the ball a little too long, so that it thumped into the ground just a few feet from my toes. But like most who went through JKS, I learned canoeing on the river that flowed through the school grounds in the boats built by PG Edmonds. Further inspired by PGE’s summer trips to canoe on whitewater in France I became a fanatic and in my last year at King’s I was a member of the British team at the European junior canoe slalom championships in Austria. I then captained the Cambridge team and was on the British Universities slalom team, racing until I was 20.
Then I moved to London and got a job. What kept me sane through my accountancy exams
was the Territorial Army (the Honourable Artillery Company, where I must have met OKS President James Phipson and certainly knew John Phipson, presumably James’s father). The HAC led to an opportunity to try cross-country ski racing, which fitted well into the void left by canoeing. I discovered that my new Chartered Accountant certificate enabled me to get temporary jobs, and I spent half the year working and the other half ski racing and training therefor.
An inclination to enjoy sports that few others do
The Army is traditionally keen on practical sports like cross-country skiing, and especially so when there is clear military application. Adding rifle shooting to cross-country skiing therefore makes it terribly keen on biathlon, and my interest snowballed until I found myself on the British team with a bunch of regular soldiers and marines who had been ski racing so long that they no longer knew how to shine a pair of boots.
With some generous support from the HAC I was able to spend a couple of summers in Germany,
training with a very strong German group in Bavaria. That produced great improvement, and I was named to the British team for the Olympics in Salt Lake City.
The Olympics are another story, and when I got back it really did seem time to stop playing around and get a proper job. So I did that, and the police insisted that I could not keep my biathlon rifle as a mere memento, so I sold it.
A succession of improbable events then had me living with my small family in a small town in Vermont and not thinking about biathlon for 15 years. Vermont is well known for its skiing, but when I noticed that the US team trials for wildwater canoe racing were nearby I had to borrow a boat and join in, just for old time’s sake. Wildwater racing is a fringe discipline in canoeing that has some similarities to slalom racing, and several of my Cambridge contemporaries were fanatics who had roped me into doing enough of it to make a good team for the universities’ wildwater championships. I had not intended to do more than enjoy the team trials, but when I realised that I could be on the US team for the world championships I decided to get back into training. There is a river behind my office, perfect for a quick lunchbreak workout, and while it normally freezes solid all winter I was able to find open water somewhere nearby every week that winter, which I supplemented with a kayak training machine and a lot of cross-country skiing. I raced as a member of the US team in the wildwater world championships in Slovenia and again, two years later, in Vienna.
Not long after that, I remarked to a skiing neighbour that the US national biathlon championships were to be in Vermont. He said that he might have an old biathlon rifle in his cellar, which I was welcome to borrow if I wanted to join in. Vermont is known for ‘interesting’ downhill skiing conditions and the same is true for cross-country and biathlon: I raced one day in a gale and the next in a downpour. That’s fun for some of us, and I realised that I wanted more of that so I bought a biathlon rifle.
Left: Hugh at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Below: Hugh racing in the US national Biathlon 2024 (photo: aparadis photography)
My daughters are both members of their school’s cross-country ski team and do biathlon on the side with a local club. Last winter we all competed in the US national biathlon championships in Maine, and next spring we will all go to Norway where my younger will compete in a junior biathlon festival. The photo shows me on my way to winning my age group. My younger daughter also won hers. Did I overtake her or did she overtake me? Both, actually.
My most significant athletic attribute is an inclination to enjoy sports that few others do and that, coupled with a tendency to do a lot of what I enjoy, has led to opportunities for a great deal of fun: from canoe slalom gates on the Stour in Sturry via working for a whitewater rafting company in Peru to racing at the world championships; and from army ski races as a novice through biathlon at the Olympics to ski racing with my daughters.
Development News
Support an exciting future for Rowing at King’s
Luke Reiser, our new Head of Rowing, introduces the Boat Club Fleet Appeal and shares more about his bold vision for the future.
From the winding River Stour to our dedicated Lakes at Westbere, the King’s Boat Club has a proud history. Nurtured by King’s legends such as David Goodes, the Club has produced fantastic results and more Olympians than all the other Sports here at King’s combined. I am honoured to be continuing this impressive legacy into the future.
Today I work with a Club of around 100 pupils, training six days a week on a great body of still water. Our members have created a strong and supportive team culture, and it is a joy to witness how the sport is helping these remarkable young people to develop skills which translate into all areas of their lives.
As one of the only schools in Kent to now offer the sport, my focus is to foster a Club where every individual, whatever their level, is supported to reach their highest potential. My vision for the next 5 years focuses on three key areas:
CULTUrE
I’d like to foster a culture of enjoyment, ambition, sportsmanship, passion and dedication, making sure it’s the ‘WE’, not the ‘ME’ that runs through everything we do.
grOWTH
A large squad that is enjoying our sport will inevitably lead to better performance. My focus will be on increasing rowing access at the Junior School and in Shell.
COMpETiTiOn
achieving regular representation at GB trials, with some international vests in the next 2-3 years.
To achieve this vision, our area of greatest need is our fleet and blades, which are made up of mostly lower end equipment. Whilst these are fine for training, to cater for our ambitious and growing squads we need to increase volume, improve durability and push top-end performance with race-worthy equipment. And so I am delighted to be launching King’s first ever Boat Club Fleet Appeal to renew and expand our fleet, of which I share more on the opposite page.
Our wider rowing community is our greatest strength. Thank you to all those who have pledged their support in whatever way. None of the above is possible without you and I am very grateful for the fantastic community of rowers, parents, Pilgrims, OKS and staff we already have supporting the Club. Your commitment is enabling rowing to flourish at King’s.
Luke Reiser Head of Rowing lr@kings-school.co.uk
My ambition is for King’s to be a rowing programme regularly achieving medals at the National Schools Regatta; progressing further and further at the Henley Royal Regatta; and King’s Henley Royal Regatta Lunch Wednesday 2nd July, 12.30 – 2pm Canterbury Pilgrims & KSCBC marquee at Henley Cricket Club.
Left: a King’s eight rowing on Westbere lake
Below: members of the King’s School Boat Club and rowing community
Scan me to make a donation
Boat Club Fleet Appeal: The First Milestone
The fleet appeal seeks to build on these great foundations by renewing and expanding our fleet to race-worthy equipment, and through this, enable all of our rowers to achieve their potential. With the generous support of our community, our first milestone would be to purchase the boats and blades listed*.
Following this, our longer-term focus would be to invest in two new eights (£30,000 each) and two new doubles/pairs (£12,400 each). This would provide us with two ‘performance’ shells of each boat type. We plan to purchase Hudson boats and Concept2 oars, as they are excellent value for money with outstanding performance and durability.
We are so grateful to all those who have already donated. Thanks to their generosity, we are well on
* BOATS AnD BLADES
our way to being able to purchase our first boat. If you are able to support and or would like to discuss this further, please contact our rowing team directly – they would be delighted to hear from you. You can also donate via the methods below. If we are unable to secure enough to purchase the boats, all funds raised will go in support of other essential equipment for our rowers.
SUppOrTing THE AppEAL: WAYS TO DOnATE
1 Visit our website to make a donation online (www.kings-school.co.uk/support-us/how-to-give or scan the QR code)
2 Fill in the form on the back of the Magazine covering letter
3 Get in touch with our Development Team (Bryony Dutta, b.dutta@kings-school.co.uk, 01227 595613)
Thank you for your consideration.
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Ploughing ahead: a career in farming and agriculture
Jack Ward (MR 1973-76) tells us about his career in agriculture, and how he became the Director of the British Growers Association.
Leafing through the Autumn edition of the OKS Magazine, a small note saying there would be a King’s stand at the East Kent Ploughing Match caught my eye. Agriculture doesn’t normally get much of a mention, so I was intrigued to see this new interest in the world of farming. Having not been to the Match for several years, the presence of a King’s stand seemed like an added attraction and well worth making the journey south from Stamford in Lincolnshire.
I have to say Molly made me very welcome and plied me with sparkling wine. During our conversation, I mentioned that agriculture rarely (if ever) featured in any of the OKS Magazine articles which was inevitably followed with the question – will you write something?
Back in the seventies I am not sure a career in agriculture featured high on the list of choices for leavers. Inevitably there were some returning to the family farm but for those without parents
already in the industry, the range of careers in the wider industry was largely a mystery.
The UK’s
fresh produce sector has provided endless challenges
On leaving Seale Hayne College in 1982, I was faced with the decision about what to do with four years of agricultural college education. Not having a family farm to return to someone suggested I look at the NFU (National Farmers Union) as an option. Three days after finishing at Seale Hayne I began work for the NFU in Wiltshire, mainly selling insurance. I can’t say I was the world’s greatest insurance salesman and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, I moved to a role within the main function of the NFU. Happily, it involved moving back to Kent.
Agriculturally, Kent is an interesting county with arguably the most diverse cropping of any county in the country and with it a wide range of political challenges. High on the list of issues in the mid-eighties was the accession of Spain and Portugal and concerns over the threat of displacing home-grown production. 40 years on, Spain is the largest supplier of fresh produce to
the UK, exporting a massive million tonnes of produce a year. As I finish this article there is a row brewing over the displacement of perfectly good fields of Cornish cauliflowers with Spanish imports.
Among the other issues in Kent in the 80s were plans for the first high speed rail link. The proposed route from Folkestone to St Pancras cut through 65 farms. The CEO of HS1 was genuinely keen to understand the impact and together we spent three weeks visiting every farm and farming family affected by the line. Travelling on the line now I still recall the meetings with the affected farms and listening to their concerns.
feature of my work with the NFU. In the space of 12 years, I worked through three major reforms. 30 years on the future shape and direction of the UK’s agricultural policy is still in the melting pot. The current Government is the first in 50 years to have a free hand with no direct or legacy involvement from the EU.
In 2004, I was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship to look at how farming lobbies operated around the world. My travels took me to Canada, USA, New Zealand and several EU countries in a quest to understand why farming in other parts of the world got an easier political ride (or in a few cases didn’t).
On the wider political front, my start in the world of agricultural politics coincided with the period of milk lakes and grain mountains, and a turning of the favourable post-war political tide.
Reforming the CAP and the impact of the changes on UK agriculture became an enduring
Above: lettuce planting in Cambridgeshire
Below: Jack at 10 Downing Street
In 2014, after a seven-year spell of running the City & Guilds land-based portfolio of vocational qualifications, a period in which vocational education came a poor second to the big increase in university places, I joined the British Growers Association as its CEO and took on the challenge of representing the fresh produce sector. The
UK’s fresh produce industry mostly operates in a free market and outside the normal agricultural subsidy structure. But the decision to exit the EU brought its own issues. Most notably how to make a fresh produce system work which relies heavily on seasonal workers from Eastern Europe once the free movement of labour came to an end.
The last 10 years representing the UK’s fresh produce sector has provided endless challenges. How to persuade politicians to help halt the slide in home production and reduce the reliance on imports (the UK only produces 17% of its fruit and 55% of its vegetable requirements). A point finally addressed by the last Conservative Prime Minister at one of his Downing Street summits three weeks before calling a general election. Arguing the case for better returns from the most competitive food retailing system in the world is
an ongoing battle – the UK spends less of its disposable income on food than virtually any country in the EU which largely explains why. And occasionally waking up friends and family with appearances on the Radio 4 Farming Today programme.
How we produce food and manage our environment in the future is a massive issue requiring a co-ordinated effort from politicians, food retailers and manufacturers and those at the sharp end of the primary production process. The past 40 years has been a fascinating journey but the next 40 promise to be equally challenging and no less interesting. For anyone interested the future of our food system, the opportunities are wide-ranging both in interest and skill requirements, from the practical to the technical to the scientific and research and of course not to forget the political.
Above: harvesting peas in East Yorkshire
Below: Jack (left) filming BBC politics East
Events
Former Captains of School Dinner
On Thursday 30 January 2025, 21 former Captains of School came together to enjoy a three-course dinner at the Cavalry and Guards Club in London.
The captain of School at King’s holds an important role in representing the School, assisting the Head and leading pupils. Jude Lowson (Head) was in attendance and gave a speech about the history and evolution of the role, including a biography on William Chafy who was one of the first recorded Captains in 1796.* Since the event, our archivist has identified the Captain from 1779 – Charles Abbott.
It was the first time an event of this kind had been held, and we had a fantastic response from former Captains all over the world who wished they could join. The Captains in attendance represented a range of captaincies from 1967 to 2024 and had gone into a variety of jobs, including child psychology, opera singing, teaching, medicine, law, and professional rugby.
CApTAinS OF SCHOOL: A BrIEF HISTOrY
Nothing is known about the origins of the office of Captain of School. There are however plenty of references to monitors. The revised Cathedral Statutes of 1637, issued by Archbishop Laud, established monitors at the School. They were to be chosen from the ‘steadier pupils’ (gravioribus discipulis) and their duties were: “to keep an eye on the behaviour of the other boys as well in Church as in School and elsewhere lest anything unseemly or disgraceful be done”.
The first Captain of School we know of for certain was Charles Abbott in 1779-81. A nephew in his life of the future Baron Tenterden and Lord Chief Justice noted that “Young Abbott in due
Luxmoore House and The Grange were most represented, with four OKS from each house.
A toast was raised to the School, and after dinner, guests spent time catching up with each other and making new friendships.
It was a pleasure to hear the experience of Captains from different decades, under different Heads and from single-sex to co-ed. It was an unforgettable evening of joy, reconnection and memories, and we look forward to holding another Captains’ event in the future.
course became Head Monitor of the school” – and added “as such, by the by, he was found eminently useful”. As the son of a barber in the Cathedral Precinct, his rise to fame was particularly notable.
A few others from the next 50 years can definitely be named. Family records state that William Chafy became “Captain of the School April 5 1794”. George Gilbert in his amiably informative reminiscences explained that “the Senior boy” delivered the speech on the School Feast day, as he did in 1813, though he added “or if he had spoken on the previous year, by the next in seniority”. The Feast Society accounts refer to a payment of 2 guineas to the boy who ‘spoke the oration’ from 1762 onwards. It may be therefore that most of these, but clearly not all, were also Captains
of School. It is only from the 1840s onwards that Speech Day programmes, school lists and finally the rotulus enable us to link office and name with certainty.
What generalisation can be made about this august body? From 1813 to 1900 half went on to become clergymen. In the 20th and early 21st centuries there have been much more varied choices of career. In the early 20th century, experience of leadership came at a cost. Five of the thirteen Captains of School from 1901 to 1915 – Edward Roper, Roland BrinsleyRichards, Charles Adams, Charles Kidson and William Janson Potts – were to be killed in the First World War. Four Captains have so far made it into the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Charles Abbott (1779-81), William Chafy (1794-96), William Nassau Molesworth (1835) and Sir Frederick Bovenschen (1901-03). More will undoubtedly follow.
The OKS President’s Dinner at the House of Commons
On Thursday 6 March 2025, 170 OKS and guests attended the OKS President’s Dinner. Formerly known as the OKS AGM Dinner, this event is held in the House of Commons and celebrates the introduction of a new OKS President. The event is a highlight in the OKS calendar and sold out in record time.
The evening started with a drinks reception in the Strangers’ Dining Room – a magnificent room that was originally a Peers’ committee room. The main event, a three-course meal, took place in the Members’ Dining Room with fantastic views of the River Thames and South Bank landmarks such as the London Eye.
New OKS President James Phipson (SH 198893) introduced himself to the room and shared his plans for the OKS Association. Since his Presidency, the OKS Association has introduced a new community website, new events and a monthly email newsletter. James emphasised the importance of connection in an uncertain age, and how the OKS Association strives to foster these connections. A thank you gift was presented to Robert Gibbs (GL 1980-84), Director of Catering at the House of Commons, who kindly made the event possible by being our venue sponsor.
Over tea and coffee, the Head, Jude Lowson, shared updates from King’s, including news about a new day house opening in Autumn 2025, the impact of VAT on fees, and a new King’s School in Cairo, Egypt.
Year groups from 1950 to 2024 were at the dinner and Linacre was the most represented house, closely followed by Luxmoore. We were delighted to hear from OKS who had travelled all the way from California and Portugal especially for the occasion!
It was a wonderful evening with a strong sense of OKS pride, rekindled friendships and new connections.
photos, clockwise from top left: former Captains; OKS president’s Dinner guests; Marc Dath; William Chafy
The Allergy Team: two OKS on a mission
Sarah Knight (LX/JR 1991-96) and Jen Meakin (née Stubbings, LX 1991-96) are co-founders of The Allergy Team – a company that supports families and businesses with resources on food allergies. Sarah tells us about its creation – and the award of a Purple Plaque.
As I was introducing a top-up feed to my five and a half month old baby, a Health Visitor told me: “You can’t be that allergic to milk, carry on trying”. I’d already explained that he had really bad eczema and seemed to be developing small white lumps when I had tried to give him a bottle. When I attempted feeding him again, Will developed swelling around his face and started to gasp for breath. We ended up in hospital and were told he’d had a life-threatening allergic reaction to milk, called anaphylaxis. Later that day we were sent home clutching two EpiPens and a carton of milk free formula.
Little did we know, this was just the start of our allergy journey. Will turned out to be allergic to egg, wheat, soya and various nuts. Thankfully he has outgrown a lot of these allergies, but milk and egg stubbornly persist.
Will’s allergy diagnosis turned our family life upside down. It was 2012 and allergy awareness was scant. I was working as a senior TV Producer
Millions of parents were facing the same isolation and difficulties my family had encountered
for the BBC, and on one occasion, just before we were due to go live on BBC One, Will’s nursery called to say they’d accidentally fed him milk and he was having an allergic reaction. Juggling motherhood, allergies and a career became too much. I, like 43% of parents and carers of children with allergies, took a step back at work, settling for a more junior role with more controllable hours. I felt lonely.
I knew other families were going through this – a doctor told me allergic disease is the most common chronic medical condition in childhood – but I didn’t know how to find other people who understood what I was going through. And I was frustrated too – even working as a journalist I was struggling to find reliable information about Will’s condition and how to help my family cope.
In 2019 I went on holiday with my school friend Jen Meakin. She had just returned from living in Africa for ten years, and whilst we’d remained in touch (she was my bridesmaid!) it was wonderful to spend days properly catching up. Together
we discussed the challenges of living with allergies: how millions of parents were facing the same isolation and difficulties my family had encountered. Jen, a huge foodie, had lots of positive and brilliant ideas on how to make allergy-friendly food and help my children thrive. Since our school days when we ran a fashion show in King’s Week, Jen and I had often chewed over business ideas, so it felt natural when we finally launched our company, The Allergy Team, in 2020. Along with our third co-founder, Katharine Carpenter (a former BBC correspondent), we started the company with the ambition of supporting the parents and carers of children with allergies.
Soon we were approached by catering companies and food businesses such as Greggs, who wanted to use our lived experience and television skills to provide impactful training and allergy support.
But the one consistent message we were hearing from families, caterers and clinicians was that a lack of allergy awareness and understanding in
Above and below: Sarah with her children; Sarah outside 10 Downing Street
schools was putting children at risk. Parents tell us they feel incredibly anxious waving their child with allergies off to school every day. We set about creating a training programme and schools started to ask us to audit their practices.
Five years on, we have co-created the Schools Allergy Code, a Department for Education backed framework of best practice for schools to follow, and we have just won a Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK, the government innovation agency. This is to develop an AI Portal to streamline support for schools and led to an invitation from the Prime Minister to Number 10. They are also awarding me a Purple Plaque to be mounted on the wall at King’s, just by my old boarding house. As we build this portal, step out of our comfort zone and learn about AI and new technology, we keep our key focus in mind: to support children with food allergies to thrive.
• To find out more, visit theallergyteam.com
Left: Sarah (left) and Jen (right)
Do Something Positive
David Ury (SH 1973-76) tells us about volunteering and helping the people of Ukraine.
It started when Covid ended and the Russians invaded Ukraine. Depressed by the relentlessly bad news, I asked myself halfjokingly “what if I did something positive every time I heard some bad news?”
“Yeah, good luck with that!” I told myself. It got me thinking. I don’t like bullies. And here was a big powerful country behaving exactly like a bully to its smaller neighbour. What could I do? There was a demonstration held outside the Russian embassy in London, so off I went. There were many young Ukrainians there angrily shouting with tears in their eyes. I’d been to demonstrations before, but what do they achieve? This required something more, I felt.
I heard that there were thousands of dazed
and displaced people crossing the border from Ukraine into Poland where they were placed in a disused shopping centre. This was in Przymysl. (I couldn’t pronounce that either, when I arrived.)
I’m retired and have a fair bit of strength and health, so off I went. I hired a minibus locally and registered with the police as a volunteer. (Sadly, one outcome of war is the proliferation of people smugglers with all that that entails, hence the necessity to declare myself.) I spent a couple of weeks ferrying people from the border to the centre and on to the train station to points west. There were mums with their babies. There were children with their pet rabbits. There were grannies in wheelchairs and elderly confused men. It was a mess.
Naturally, I met up with many volunteers from all over the world, all with extraordinary stories. Friendships were formed and Volunteer WhatsApp groups were created. Some kept going, others fell by the wayside. Now, over two years later the war still goes on, but it feels like
yesterday’s news to many of us, with another horrible war waging in the Middle East and fatigue in general. The need for support is still extreme, though.
I am in the middle of my 11th mission over here. I have teamed up with charities helping displaced people escape from danger including Rubikus, the Norwegian Refugee Council and an organisation called Transport a Sister. As well as helping traumatised families to their new lives in Norway and Denmark, Transport a Sister focuses on bringing aid to animals. Sadly, as people flee west, they arrive at the border and are not allowed to take their pets with them. Thousands of dogs are simply left in petrol stations near the borders. Transport a Sister supports groups which look after these animals.
aid is forwarded. I pay for these trips myself, but Transport a Sister is always looking for funds to fix its buses, to pay for fuel and so much more...
I spend my days collecting displaced people in the west of Ukraine, driving them to Warsaw, where they travel on to their new lives in Scandinavia. Then I turn round and fill my bus with aid and head back to Ukraine, where the
photos, clockwise from top left: protests outside Downing Street; David and some of the people he has helped; David preparing for a trip with his van
One of the most moving moments on my travels is when we finally arrive in Warsaw – at a former school and now shelter for displaced people. I park the bus, open the doors and the passengers step out. They look around them and can’t quite believe they are safe. The centre is located near to the main international airport and my passengers haven’t seen peaceful airplanes since the outbreak of war. At first, the sound of an approaching plane landing is quite scary, but then they realise that they’re commercial planes and they always grin. A child asked me recently, “are we really safe here?” She was asking for her Dad who suffered from PTSD. I assured her they were safe.
Here’s a challenge: Try doing something positive every time you hear bad news. You might be surprised.
Introducing House of African Art
Maryam Lawal (LX 2004-09) is a lawyer and the founder of The House of African Art (HAART), a contemporary art gallery exclusively dedicated to promoting artists from Africa.
My time at both Junior and Senior King’s was pivotal for shaping my interests, both academic and non-academic.
I first began making artworks as a student at JKS primarily using charcoal and graphite, and I vividly remember the pride I felt seeing one of my framed artworks exhibited on the wall in the hallway at JKS. I kept up my passion for creating art during my years at King’s, and I think that the encouragement the School places for students to engage in a wide variety of activities helped me cultivate what has proven to be a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
At a basic level, HAART is a pop-up gallery: we hold art exhibitions in different locations and provide our artists with a larger market for their work. However, HAART’s shows aren’t limited to visual art. We also incorporate events into our programming including talks, performance art and live music, as a way of creating a more engaging, inclusive environment in the art sector.
There are a number of reasons why I decided to set up HAART. Firstly, artists from Africa and its related diaspora are still largely underrepresented on an international level. HAART aims to help redress this imbalance by providing a platform for underrepresented artists from across the African continent and the diaspora, giving them greater exposure, recognition and support for their work.
HAART aims to break away from the
traditional experience
Secondly, I think that the traditional art gallery experience where you walk into a space and just look at pieces on large walls, with little to no interaction with the gallerist or the artist who made the works is out of date and in need of a revival. HAART aims to break away from the traditional experience by creating a more welcoming, inclusive environment in which people properly engage with the artwork, feel that they can understand the pieces on display or freely ask questions if they don’t.
People always say that starting your own business is hard but I don’t think that I fully
appreciated just how much work it really is. Back in early 2018 when I had the idea, I remember sending out email after email to people in the industry to get them to spare just 30 minutes of their time to listen my ideas; then in the lead up to the exhibitions in 2019, I recall having to review and negotiate contracts that I’d never seen before and having meetings and discussions with a variety of people and organisations to get them on board with the whole idea. In many ways, I think that getting a new business off the ground really is one of the most challenging things you can do. However, it has also been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. I’m learning new things, meeting new, interesting people and evolving as the business does too.
Above: Maryam and HAArT’s ‘The playground’ exhibition at Copeland gallery, London (March 2023)
images courtesy of HAArT
I love that I have the ability to tailor things to be how I want them to be and to craft and shape HAART so that it continues to embody the visions that I have for it.
I think that training and practising as a lawyer has assisted with my work as a gallerist in a number of important ways. From the moment I decided that I was going to set up HAART, I knew that I would have to take certain steps like incorporating the company, registering its trademark and drafting and reviewing a variety of contracts. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to running an art gallery and putting on public exhibitions, and I think that the knowledge and skills that lawyers use on a day-to-day basis when dealing with clients or working to tight deadlines, laid a firm foundation for me in my work with HAART.
• To find out more about HAART and subscribe to their mailing list, visit houseofafricanart.com or follow on Instagram: @houseofafricanart
OKS Network
I suppose you think you are a man now, Hopkins!
David Hopkins (SH 1970-75, Common Room 201422) has published a book on his father’s wartime experience in the Merchant Navy. Ian MacEwen (Common Room 2008-21) writes this review.
Tony hopkins left Pangbourne Nautical College in Berkshire in 1942 aged 17 and immediately signed into the employ of Alfred Holt and Co, founded in 1866 and known as The Blue Funnel Line, one of the larger British shipping companies. Over the next five years he served on seven different company vessels at the height of the Second World War, during which time he graduated from teenager to young adult. It was on his first voyage into the North Atlantic as a midshipman on MV Myrmidon following a duty watch on the bridge that the Chief Officer remarked ‘Well I suppose you think you are a man now Hopkins!’ – hence the title of the book.
The text is written by Tony himself, who in 2013 decided to commit his memoirs to paper after attending the 70th anniversary service of the Battle of the Atlantic in St Paul’s Cathedral. Tony’s account describes his voyages and the conditions on board, with some ships still being powered by coal. One notable incident was when MV Myrmidon was torpedoed and sunk by a German U boat off the West Coast of Africa in 1942. It must have been a terrifying
experience but Tony describes abandoning a sinking ship as if it were an event to take in one’s stride, a daily hazard of wartime at sea.
Tony seemed to benefit from the advantage of youth, where everything is a novel experience without time to think of being frightened. One was forced to grow up fast in that wartime world where the support of professional counsellors and mental health coaches were far away into the future.
Describing his experiences crossing the North Atlantic as well as supplying the Allied forces in North Africa during Operation Torch and in Normandy after D Day, Tony’s account is also a reminder of the vital role played by the Merchant Navy, an oft overlooked and under-appreciated part of the war effort. The formidable U-boat wolfpacks, hunting in the Atlantic, came close to starving Britain into submission during the depths of the war in 1941 and 1942. And to be posted on to the Arctic convoys was surely to be given the shortest of many short straws.
David has embellished his father’s story with supporting historical detail and analysis, the result of many hours of meticulous research: how the convoy system worked, the history of the U boat 506 which torpedoed MV Myrmidon, and why all British Liberty ships were prefixed by ‘Sam’ are but three examples. Many photographs and maps are included to complete an easy and highly informative read.
• Copies can be purchased at £20, including P&P. Please contact the OKS Office to be connected with David (oks@ kings-school.co.uk). All book proceeds are donated to the Tall Ships Youth Trust.
An Unmissable Summer at King’s
THE KING’S SUMMER SCHOOL IS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE IN LEARNING, CULTURE, AND ADVENTURE.
Running throughout July and August, it offers students aged 8-17 the chance to study, create, and explore under the same historic roofs where so many OKS began their journeys. Whether it’s refining English skills, preparing for university, exploring international relations, delving into the world of music, or igniting a passion for the arts, the programme’s curriculum is as rich and diverse as King’s itself.
This isn’t just another summer camp – it’s designed by those who know King’s best. Teachers and specialists from King’s, the Junior School, and International College have crafted the programme to reflect the high standards and unique ethos of a King’s education. OKS, too, play a key role, mentoring students and sharing their own stories of where a King’s education has taken them.
Beyond the classroom, students experience the best of British culture – excursions to London, Cambridge, the Kent coast, and historical sites bring learning to life. Evenings are just as full, with debates, drama, sports, and creative workshops ensuring the social side of the programme is just as enriching as the academic.
For OKS, this is an opportunity to stay connected to the place that shaped them. Whether returning as a mentor, an educator, or simply an ambassador, The King’s Summer School is a way to pass on the traditions, values, and magic of King’s to the next generation.
Applications for Summer 2025 are now open. If you know a young person who would thrive in the inspiring surroundings and enjoy a taste of what King’s has to offer – or if you’d like to be involved –visit thekingssummerschool.co.uk for more details.
Left: David Hopkins with book
OKS Update
1950s
Roger Sutton (WL 1950-56) sends this update: “I am now living in Sanctuary Cove which is just 45 minutes south of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. I would welcome being contacted by any of my contemporaries at King’s especially those in the cricket XIs of 1954/55/56 and hockey XIs 1954/55/56. Simon Lainé (SH 1952-56) visited when I lived in Melbourne – I could not keep him away from the MCG and the Museum there! Sanctuary Cove is a lovely golf resort with an equally nice village. Any visitor must bring their golf clubs.”
John Drew (LN 1952-57) has published his latest book Bangla File: Essays and Verses. It contains literary, cultural and historical subjects, originally published in Bengal Lights and The Daily Star. His writing has been praised for its imagination and erudition, damned for its originality and perversity.
John Man (WL 1954-60) has published a new book, Conquering the North: China, Russia and Mongolia: 2,000 Years of Conflict. It’s a selective account for non-academics, including his own travels over 25 years.
1960s
Peter Kirby-Higgs (GL 1961-64) sends this update: “The International Club of Lisbon recently held a debate on the subject “National defence in a time of global geopolitical redefinition”. Most of the attendees were leaders of Portuguese business and public life, members of parliament, representatives of the US and Russian Embassies as well as the Turkish Ambassador. And, of, course
representatives of the press. As President of the Club, I was on the head-table and pictured with the leaders.”
Richard Heslop (MR 1961-65) and Geoffrey Bailey (MR 1960-65) met at Junior King’s and have rekindled their friendship through sport. Richard says: “I have been very lucky in life, living and working in seven different countries across the world, jumping from IT to pilot training in the RAF, to advertising and on into the publishing world. I retired to Canterbury, re-settling comfortably into the English way of life. I am the product of Fred Shirley and the proud son of Xavier, a WW2 hero. On 7 July 2024, as part of the celebrations of the D-Day landings, I was invited with family members from all over the globe to an event in the village of Echallon in northwest France, as my dad operated as an SOE agent in the area and the French will never, ever forget. I made a speech in French and then we were treated to a superb lunch.”
Geoffrey says: “I have had a privileged working life as a Chartered Building Surveyor specialising in listed and period properties, and am still working part time. I have been playing village
cricket for Otterden for several years and Richard joined us in 2006 when I organised a 50-over charity match against a Bank of England team captained by Mervyn King. We raised just under £4,000 for the Children’s Trust in Tadworth, Surrey, and my wife, Jane, and friends were stars with a hot lunch and tea. Richard has played ever since. In the last home game of this season, we were given the honour of opening the batting against Bethersden and Little Chart. The opposition scored 207 for 4 in the allotted 35 overs, and we reached 208 for 3 with overs to spare. Need I say any more? I hope not!”
Andrew Troup (GL 1961-66) has discovered that wherever you are in the world, an OKS cannot be far away. Andrew and his wife Cynthia were cruising the French Polynesian islands in February. They had heard a fascinating talk by an on-board speaker, Estelle, a marine biologist who spoke with great knowledge about the coral reefs and formation of the Pacific islands and atolls.
A day later, Andrew found himself wading into the sea from the beach on the isle of Fakarava (yes, really!) – an idyllic atoll replete with palm trees, silver coral sand, etc – you get the picture.
photos, clockwise from top left: geoffrey Bailey and richard Heslop; Estelle Davies and Andrew Troup; peter Kirby-Higgs (third from left)
Sitting in the shallows pulling on her snorkel and mask was Estelle. A conversation followed which revealed that she is a resident of Hong Kong and a regular speaker on cruise ships. She let slip that she had been educated in England, Canterbury to be exact, and within seconds the connection was made: this was Estelle Davies (JR/HH 199297), the founder and owner of Living Oceans Education, promoting students’ awareness of the sea and inspiring them to become guardians of the oceans. For over 20 years she has worked as a marine biologist for Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society and combines that with lecturing on cruise ships all over the world.
It’s not often that two OKS, a generation or more apart have the chance to meet and wallow together in the shallows of a Pacific atoll and reminisce about the Green Court, the Mint Yard and all that King’s meant to them. To mangle what’s left of their Latin: Floreat Cantuar in Pacifico!
Emmanuel Olympitis (GL 1962-66) was featured in the Church Times of 6 December 2024. He mentioned that he was sent to King’s “because the High Church of England is identical in dogma to the Greek Orthodox Church, and I was allowed to take communion there”. He has now written a book that originated from bedtime stories for his own children. Whispers in the Park, illustrated by his daughter Olympia, is about St James’s School for squirrels in St James’s Park. The Headmaster, OKS will be interested to hear, wears a purple gown. Copies are available from olympiaolympitis.com
Stephen Williamson (MR 1967-72) has written with a query about the end of personal fagging. This probably happened in the late 1960s / early 1970s but seems to have left no trace in official school records. Was it abolished or did it just fade away? Fagging is well recorded in reminiscences from the 1930s to the 1960s, but its demise is not. If anyone can provide relevant information or anecdotes, please contact the OKS Office.
Dr Andrew Mackintosh (GL 1968-72) was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in September 2023. He became a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours List in 2024.
1970s
Nick Brown (MR 1970-74) has published a semifictionalised narrative of his great-grandfather’s experiences in the Second Boer War. Sergeant (later Captain) William Brown, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, is sent to help choke off the supply line being used by the Boers to supply the Transvaal and Orange Free State. The book is entitled Komatipoort Bridge. Copies are available from Amazon, in paperback or electronic form.
John Cotton (GR 1971-75), Paul Sheridan (LN 1971-76) and Paul Gent (LN 1972-76) got together in Oman in March 2025. They hiked the Al Hajar mountains and sent a picture of themselves together with a couple of goats for company.
John McCabe (BR/GL 1972-77) has published a book about the German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer – The Last Eight Days tells the full story of Bonhoeffer’s final week by revisiting original, newly published and unpublished sources in six languages. Stephen Plant, Dean of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, calls it a “profoundly moving book that deserves attention well beyond the ranks of those interested in Dietrich Bonhoeffer.”
John is a research associate at the Von Hügel Institute, Cambridge, and served as Rector of St Mary’s Church Byfleet from 2006 to 2024. The book can be purchased online via the Baylor University Press website or Amazon.
In May 2025 Michael Cordy (TR 1974-79) published his seventh novel Manhattan Down. The story takes place on the anniversary eve of the 9/11 terror attack, where everyone on Manhattan Island, with the exception of main characters Samantha and Nick, falls unconscious. Samantha and Nick must work together to unravel what has happened and save what matters to them most.
The book has been described as “a pulsepounding contemporary thriller which dares to
Top: nick Maynard and King Charles
Below: John McCabe’s book
imagine the unimaginable, a leaderless world being held to ransom by forces unknown for reasons unknown. The questions it asks are terrifying – and so are some of the answers.”
The book is available to purchase at Amazon, Waterstones and WH Smith.
Guy Hindley (GR/BR 1974-79) has become Chairman of the Baltic Exchange – a membership organisation that represents a global community of shipping interests.
In February 2025, Professor Nick Maynard (WL 1975-79) was awarded one of the first ever Humanitarian Medals by His Majesty King Charles. The Humanitarian Medal is awarded to individuals for their support of human welfare during or in the aftermath of a crisis.
Nick is an Oxford-based surgeon who was the Clinical Lead for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)’s first EMT mission into Gaza in December 2023. He has since returned to Gaza and actively advocates for Palestinian rights to health and dignity. Nick wrote about his work in Gaza in the Spring 2024 OKS Magazine.
Sir Hugh Robertson (BR 1976-81) became Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Kent in January 2025, after ten years as a Deputy Lieutenant.
On 12 March 2025 Stephen Paine (LN 1979-83) hosted a dinner at Deutsche Bank for Sarah Lonsdale (GR 1981-83) to celebrate the launch of her new book Wildly Different: how five women reclaimed nature in a man’s world. The dinner was held for women clients and members of staff who heard inspirational stories of the five women in the book who had to overcome sexism and belittling to go out and achieve great things.
1980s
Ben Wrench (SH 1983-88) sent this update: “I continue to serve in the HM Forces: now the Defence Land Safety Regulator, following commanding Headquarters Scotland and 51st Infantry Brigade. I am living in Wiltshire.”
Two OKS finished in the top ten in the Veteran Fencing World Championships in Dubai in October 2024. Alexander Ellison (MO 1987-92) came 6th and Shafik Saba (SH 1986-91) came 8th. These were the two best British results in the Sabre.
Robert Clayton (GL 1988-93) sends this update, on behalf of his OKS family: “I moved to Edinburgh to study medicine where I have remained ever since. Gillian Clayton (née Luther, WL 1990-94) was one of the first post co-ed cohort of Remove girls. We married in Canterbury Cathedral in 2003, with Anthony Phillips (Headmaster 1986-96) officiating for us. I am now an orthopaedic surgeon in NHS and private practice with a subspecialist interest in surgery of the foot and ankle. I have been appointed President of the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society for 2025. Gillian is doing voluntary work with refugees and disadvantaged families. We live in Edinburgh and have three children, William Clayton (SH 2019-24), Annabella (current WL Pupil) and Alexander (current LN Pupil).
1990s
Typescript drafts of a short story and three novels by Elanor Dymott (BY 1990-92) have been presented to the School by Andrew Dobbin (Common Room 1978-2000). The books are an early short story One Summer Night (2011) and three novels: Every Contact Leaves a Trace (2012), Silver and Salt (2017) and the unpublished Singapore Sins. They have been added to the Walpole Collection.
Richard Hagan (LN 1991-93), minister at Emmanuel Church Canterbury, returned to King’s on 7 February 2025 to deliver a talk to the Cranmer Society. Pupils had been looking through the New Testament book of James, and Richard’s talk helped explain Chapter 2: ‘Faith vs Works.’ Mark Smiley (Carlyon Housemaster and Cranmer Society Lead) said: “There were some astute and heartfelt questions from the pupils afterwards showing that they had been listening hard. We all left encouraged and challenged. Thank you Richard!”
Ben Browning (MT 1994-96) is now FilmNation’s President of Production. In 2025 the company’s Conclave won Best Film and Best British Film at the BAFTAs and Anora won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or and Best Picture at the Oscars.
Above: Sarah Lonsdale
Below: Alexander Ellison (left) and Shafik Saba (right)
2000s
Jasmina Hostert (JR 2000-02) has been reelected to the German Bundestag.
Arabella Willing (BR 2000-05) has been named by Madame Arabia as one of seven UAE expats making waves. Arabella is the Head of Conservation Outreach and Citizen Science at Emirates Nature WWF –the local environmental charity that works in association with the global conservation organisation World Wide Fund for Nature. She moved to the UAE in 2013 to work at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, and one of her main tasks was to study and protect the turtle nesting beach in front of the hotel. Now she works to grow their citizen science and conservation outreach programmes. This includes encouraging field volunteering as well as dialogues about the environment and programmes, allowing the general public to contribute to scientific research and conservation work.
Tristan Hambleton (MO 2002-07), Tom Kelly (LN 2003-08) and Jack LawrenceJones (GL 2003-08) performed together at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg in December 2024.
Oleg Ignatyev (TR 2002-07) appeared on the Channel 4 series Four in a Bed, which sees four B&B or hotel owners take turns to stay with each other and be crowned the best host. Oleg is the landlord of Newquay Beach Hotel – a four star boutique hotel located opposite Tolcarne Beach. Oleg’s hotel came third in the competition. The episodes aired in early March 2025 and are available to watch on demand.
Annabel Steadman (née Church, MR 2005-10) has been shortlisted as Author of the Year in the British Book Awards. She is alongside Sarah J Maas, Sophie Kinsella, David Nicholls, Percival Everett and Lynda La Plante.
Aruhan Galieva (MR 2006-10) plays Tiffany Jenkins in the BBC audio drama Doctor Who: The
photos, clockwise from top left: Jasmina Hostert; Tristan, Tom and Jack in Hamburg; Cuppy with King Charles; isobelle Ford (pictured on the right); Oleg ignatyev
Trials of a Time Lord. Released in August 2024, Aruhan stars alongside Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford.
Florence Otedola (BR 2007-11), also known as Cuppy, has been appointed the first ever King’s Trust International Ambassador by His Majesty King Charles. On 22 May 2024, Cuppy was invited by the King to a reception at Buckingham Palace to talk about her role as an Ambassador and the importance that education has played throughout her life; especially as a female born in Nigeria. Just a few days earlier, as an International Ambassador, Cuppy presented the Global Young Achiever and Global Sustainability Awards at the Prince’s Trust Awards.
Isobelle Ford (CY 2008-10) has won a social impact award for her company, Skylight. The award recognises Skylight’s work in supporting refugee entrepreneurs with accessible, interestfree credit to scale their early-stage business, alongside financial literacy training and access to financial advice. They have distributed more
than £55,000 in micro loans to 62 entrepreneurs, with 64% of projects funded being female-led. Their goal over the next year is to distribute £500,000 in micro loans to 450 refugee entrepreneurs.
Isobelle was also listed in the Big Issue’s 100 Changemakers for 2025. The list celebrates those who are stepping up to advocate for people arriving in the UK.
Emily Aisher (JR 2009-14) and Paige McCulloch (HH 2009-14) were married at The Canary Shed on 28 September 2024.
2010s
Tatyana Kalaydjian Serraino (BY 2013-15) has published her first book Love, Heartbreak, & Tragedy in Art . It contains a personally curated selection of artworks that tell stories united by a theme of heartbreak and tragedy. You can purchase it via her website: aboutartbytatyana.com
In December 2024, Francesca Maini (CY 201520) was crowned the first ever Red Bull King of the Air in the women’s division. The competition is described as the “craziest and most progressive kiteboard contest on the planet” and sees the world’s top riders competing in Cape Town, South Africa. It is considered one of the biggest titles in kiteboarding.
Francesca said: “It was so amazing to be a part of this event, even though we didn’t get the super strong wind we dreamt of we still managed to put on a show. Having a women’s division in this
Above: Emily Aisher and paige McCulloch
right: Francesca Maini (photo: Tyrone Bradley/red Bull Content pool)
Below: Harry Baxendale (photo: Sky UK/Kevin Baker)
event is a huge step in women’s kiteboarding and I hope we managed to inspire more girls to be part of the sport.”
In March 2025, Lucy Procter (JR 2017-22) reclaimed her world record title in the Hyrox open women’s category in Glasgow. She beat her old record by one second and finished with a time of 57 minutes and 35 seconds.
On 6 December 2024, Theo Amies (SH 2018-23) delivered a talk to pupils in the Cranmer Society at King’s. Visiting from Sheffield University, his talk was focused on his gap year experience working for Jackie Pullinger’s charity St Stephen’s in Hong Kong.
2020s
Harry Baxendale (TR 2022-24) plays Rowan Radley in the new British comedy horror film, The Radleys. The film, based on a novel by Matt Haig, is about a seemingly average suburban family with a secret: they’re vampires. The Radleys is available to watch now on Sky Cinema and Now TV.
Imogen Melrose (KD 2019-24) was awarded the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Award in recognition of her exceptional achievement in Cambridge exams. Imogen, who has gone on to study English Literature at Durham University, received the award for gaining the highest mark in the world for her Cambridge International A-Level Drama.
A life-long connection, a lasting legacy
Remember King’s in your will and shape the next generation.
To find out more, please visit kings-school.co.uk/support-us/legacies or contact Bryony Dutta on b.dutta@kings-school.co.uk 01227 595613. Thank you.
Charity No. 307942
Charity Name: The King’s School of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury
Rupert Henry Corbould: Artist in stained glass and church decoration
the firm of Alfred Octavius Hemming in 1885. In 1896-97 the Chapter House in Canterbury Cathedral was restored under the direction of Sir Arthur Blomfield, and Hemming & Co. were responsible for the stained glass windows at the east end. Then in 1904 Hemming returned to design the west windows as a memorial to Dean Farrar. It is possible, therefore, that Corbould worked on the images of St Augustine, King Aethelbert, Queen Bertha, Archbishop Theodore, St Alphege, the Black Prince and others.
When Hemming died in 1907, Rupert took over the business. In the same year he married Isabel Hamilton Soley. The parish register stated that she was ‘single & unmarried’, but an amendment was added in 1921: ‘for “single & unmarried” read “Formerly the wife of William Henry Piercy Fox from whom she obtained a divorce”.’ Isabel was a pianist and LRAM, who performed and gave music lessons as Mrs Hamilton Soley. She died in 1921.
Rupert corbould was born in 1866 at Newbury, where his father the Revd Edward James Corbould was Headmaster of Woodspeen House School. Edward was later curate at St Andrew with St Mary Bredman in Canterbury (187377) and then at Harbledown (1877-78) before becoming Vicar of St Mary, Teynham from 1878 to 1908. Rupert’s elder brother Edward (KSC 1873-81) had been a Scholar, Captain of School and multiple prize winner before going with a scholarship and a Rose Exhibition to Hertford College, Oxford. He was a schoolmaster and then a private tutor, but died in 1899.
Rupert joined King’s in January 1878. He became a probationer scholar in July 1880 but left in July 1882 when in the fourth form. There is little indication of his academic achievements nor of any artistic interest. William Boone was the art master in his first two years, but left and was apparently not replaced.
The details of Rupert’s later career are not entirely clear, but he seems to have joined
There seem to be few records of Corbould’s work, but one major project was at St. George’s Perry Hill, where he worked alongside Percy Bacon, another stained glass artist. Corbould executed two wall paintings ‘The Annunciation’ and ‘The Epiphany’ as well as a ‘Stations of The Cross’ series. At some point the ‘Stations of the Cross’ were stolen and when the church was demolished in 1999, the London Architectural Salvage and Supply Company (LASSCO) rescued the wall paintings. ‘The Annunciation’ was sold to a private buyer, but thanks to The Friends of Friendless Churches ‘The Epiphany’ is now on long-term loan in St. Mary’s Church, Woodbridge in Suffolk.
Some other works are well recorded. In the church of St Mary Magdalene, Wookey Hole, Somerset are two memorial windows to Julia Cazalet Hodgkinson, dedicated in 1925. Each window has two lights, each depicting an angel to illustrate worship and music: two carry a censer, one is playing an organ and one a bassoon. One of his last projects was appropriately in the south transept of Teynham Church. A memorial window to Bridges Richard Dixon depicts the Good Samaritan and was unveiled by Lord Harris in 1939.
Rupert died in 1957. His work has largely been forgotten.
Memorial windows to Julia Cazalet Hodgkinson at St Mary Magdalene, Wookey Hole
Lives Remembered
Christopher Wenban
(MO 1943-48)
Richard Christopher Wenban died on 25 August 2023, aged 94. His sons, Michael (MO/TR 1972-77) and Mark (TR 1975-79), have chosen to share an extract from ‘My Life’, the memoir Christopher wrote during his retirement.
In january 1943 I went to The King’s School, Canterbury at which both my father and his younger brother, Uncle Ted, had themselves been educated. The entire school had been evacuated to Cornwall to the Carlyon Bay Hotel, near St. Austell, together with other pupils from Canterbury. Most of the teaching staff had left for the war and so we combined with St. Edmund’s School, Canterbury, evacuated at the same time as ourselves, under Headmaster Canon FJ Shirley. Somewhat ironically, the area subsequently suffered bombing from the Luftwaffe.
I always considered myself fortunate to have
been posted to Meister Omers under JB Harris. I remember getting involved in Rugby, Athletics, even Hockey. I had two seasons with the First XV. I also was pretty fast as a sprinter and my best time for the 100 yards was 10.3 seconds. Apart from Maths, my favourite subject was History, and I was quite upset that I had to choose for further school progress between History, and Maths and Science. So it was group IV Maths and Physics and Chemistry, with English as a subsidiary from then on. From this I gained a place at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge to study Mechanical Engineering.
Between School and Cambridge I did National Service with the Royal Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). When we were practising grenade throwing with four or seven second fusing, he amazed us all by throwing his grenade vertically upwards. On another occasion we were in line firing Sten sub-machine guns at targets on the range. Someone spoke to him, and he turned round still keeping his finger on the trigger. How was it that no one was injured…?
Michael Baragwanath
(MO 1949-54)
James Michael Baragwanath died on 21 December 2023, aged 88. His friends and employees sent this tribute.
Michael loved being a boarder at King’s and was always telling wonderful stories about his time spent there. After leaving King’s he went on to become a chartered accountant in London for Athena Fine Art Prints.
During the late 70s he had a career change and in 1980 along with his wife Lilian (‘Lyn’) purchased a Gothic mansion, and they became Restaurateurs. The successful Knowle Restaurant then also became a wedding venue and in 1985 it was the first venue in Kent to hold on-site wedding ceremonies. Michael was still working right until he became ill doing the company accounts.
Michael held a great knowledge of antiques and
was an avid collector. He was well known in the London Auction Houses and beyond. He was a member of the Bentley Motor Club and was invited by the Royal Family of Malaysia to fly out Michael and his 1958 Bentley Continental along with other members of the Club to tour Malaysia for a month.
Unfortunately, Michael suddenly became ill three weeks prior to his peaceful passing on 21st December 2023. He was married to Lyn who sadly passed away in 2012, they met in 1955 and married in 1981.
Michael will be fondly remembered as a lovable, generous, eccentric and unique man who is so very much missed by his friends and employees.
Silvester Mazzarella
(GR 1950-56)
Silvester Mazzarella died on 17 January 2025, aged 88. Silvester was a member of the Robert Rose Society and we are grateful for his support to the School. His family sent this tribute.
Born in manchester in 1936, he was educated at the King’s School, as a boarder in The Grange, and at the University of Oxford (St Edmund Hall, 1956-59). Throughout his life, Silvester remembered his time at King’s fondly, frequently returning to the School for reunions and other social events, most recently in 2024.
From 1965 to 1987, Silvester was a lecturer in English at Helsinki University where he was a
Left: Christopher Wenban (top row on the left) pictured with the 1947 1st XV
Top right: Michael Baragwanath
Bottom right: Silvester Mazzarella
specialist in phonetics, taught an English Music proseminar, and ran the English Social Club for several years.
After his career as a lecturer in Finland, Silvester moved back to Canterbury. Returning to his father’s language, he gained a First in Italian from the University of Kent. Together with the Swedish he had learned during his years in Finland, Silvester’s rediscovery of Italian set him up for a second career as a prize-winning literary translator.
As an avid fan of cricket and the Goon Show, an aficionado of trad jazz and classical music, Silvester was at heart a historian. He is survived by his children William, Miranda and Cecilia, and by his grandchildren Amelia and Jacob.
Norman Gillett
(LN 1953-1958)
Norman David Gillett died on 28 January 2025, aged 85. Michael Dover (LX 1962-1967) has sent this tribute.
Norman was born in Nairobi, Kenya in November 1939. In 1953 his parents returned to England and he was sent to The King’s School and to Linacre House. ‘Fred’ Shirley, his headmaster, noted he was ‘good and reliable – very shy and self-deprecating in outlook, unwarrantedly so: a nice lad’. ‘Shy’ and ‘cox’ do not normally go hand in hand, but small of stature and with a ready wit, Norman was soon in demand at Pluck’s Gutter, coxing the 1st VIII for three years from 1956 to 1958.
In his last year Norman was a regular attender at hostelries outside the precincts for a pint and a cigarette – to keep his weight down, he claimed. Throughout his life a pint in one hand and a cigarette in the other was a feature of many a photograph taken of Norman.
From King’s Norman went up to Trinity College, Dublin in 1958 to read Natural Sciences – and
to cox, immediately securing the cox’s seat in the DUBC Senior VIII and IV. From Trinity he moved to Keble College, Oxford where he coxed the college boat and in 1965 one of the OUBC trial VIIIs. He was elected to Leander, a great source of pride, and his pink socks and battered DUBC blazer were a constant presence at Henley Regatta for decades thereafter.
His subsequent professional career encompassed the US company Western Geophysical and British Petroleum. Post-retirement he returned to his beloved Ireland and became a ghillie on the legendary River Blackwater at Lismore in Co Waterford, but as an Englishman the post-Brexit legislation required a final move to Warminster in Wiltshire.
He inherited his father’s devotion to freemasonry, taking his duties extremely seriously, and was twice Worshipful Master of the East and Central Africa Lodge in London, in 1991 and 2020. He was very proud of his record.
An impish, convivial and witty man, he will be much missed by his many friends in the rowing and fishing worlds.
Above: norman gillett (sat on the ground with the trophy) pictured with the 1958 1st Viii
Gerald Peacocke
(Common Room 1962-68)
Gerald Sydney Philip Peacocke died on 25 November 2024, aged 93. His friend, Richard Jarman (GR 1962-67), sent this tribute.
Gerald peacocke joined King’s in 1962 and was an inspiring teacher of modern languages, whose lessons were long remembered by many of us lucky enough to be taught by him, not only for his ability to bring languages and literature vividly alive, but for his wide range of interests. At any moment you could find yourself diverted from the text under study to a discussion of politics, music or theatre.
Outside the schoolroom he loved to direct plays and was a distinguished Manager of King’s Week. This led to his appointment as Director of the Becket Festival in 1970. He then went on to become headmaster of prep schools, most notably as Master over the Choristers at King’s College, Cambridge, where he relished touring the world with the Choir.
Left: gerald peacocke
Below: Willie Kendall (photo: Andrew Waltham)
It was at Cambridge that his marriage to Meg broke down, but it had produced four children in Tamsin, Barnaby, Tully and Hattie, who were as diverse as their names and of whom he was very proud. Luckily, he found happiness with his second wife, Anne, and after he retired they moved to Oxford, where Gerald continued to teach courses on his beloved Dante until well into his eighties.
He was an exceptionally warm and engaging man, who took a keen interest in all around him. Speaking personally, he was a fundamental influence on my choice of career, and he remained a mentor and friend to me until the end of his life. I had a very lively lunch with him, aged 93, just weeks before he died and learned a lot about his early years.
Willie Kendall
(WL 1965-70)
William ‘Willie’ James Mackenzie Kendall died on 26 December 2024, aged 73. He was considered one of the finest church tenors in the world. His friend, Anthony Dawson (MR 1965-70), wrote this tribute.
My dear friend William Kendall died on Boxing Day in Winchester. He and I started at King’s on the same day, at the start of the summer term in 1965. We sang together all through our time in King’s under the inspirational direction of Edred Wright and were then choral scholars together at St John’s College, Cambridge.
Willie went straight from school to Cambridge and I took a gap year, so he was well ensconced when I joined him. He had become noted for his wit as well as his singing. It was always fun to visit his rooms and enjoy one of his favourite cocktails: champagne and brandy. He went on to London to join the BBC Singers and to sing in the choir of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London. He studied privately with Sir Peter Pears.
Willie was an exceptional tenor but he had
no interest in performing in opera and little ambition to make an international reputation as a soloist. He preferred to sing as an oratorio soloist and in choirs, and moved from London to Winchester where he was for more than forty years a lay clerk in Winchester Cathedral choir. He was highly respected and became a legend.
Willie returned to Canterbury for Edred Wright’s memorial service in the Cathedral, making a deep impression on all present with his beautiful voice and marvellous way with words. He was a regular soloist for John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir, and his recording of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Hill, is considered by many to be the finest recording available. Willie was a unique individual; a keen motorcyclist, a bon viveur and a wonderful musician.
Stephen Barlow (GR 1968-72) said: “I shall remember him for his wonderfully natural musicality, vocal ease and beauty. He was exceptional. His humour seemed so natural too. I remember so well how wonderfully he sang at Edred’s memorial. I was at the organ – it was always a pleasure to play for him.”
Christopher Mullens
(MO 1997-2002)
Christopher ‘Chris’ Mullens died on 20 February 2025, aged 40. His friend, Freddie Clough (MO 1997-2002) sends this tribute.
Anyone who met Chris will remember him. He was a memorable chap. Tall, handsome and full of an infectious positive energy, people would say he was destined for a career in PR.
Coming from St Andrews, Chris was well liked by pretty much everyone. Across all the social groups that made up our year, Chris managed to make waves with all of them thanks to his big heart and consideration of others. Excelling at football and drama, Chris gained colours for the first XI and won the drama prize for his starring
role in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. Going on to Leeds Metropolitan University, via a gap year travelling around New Zealand and a ski season or two, he eventually settled in London. Working at Strutt & Parker, Chris transferred to their Harrogate office so he could care for his mother in her final years. Tragically, Chris had to do the same for his father who sadly passed away only a few years later.
Now in Eastbourne, Chris took the bold move to buy a kayak hire business on the promenade. He was in his element, giving locals and tourists alike the time of their lives as they paddled along the Sunshine Coast. Chris’s enthusiasm and vision made the business a huge success and a go to destination for anyone visiting or living in Eastbourne. Adopting the moniker Kayak Kris, he also found time to get involved in local politics and underwent lifeguard training.
In his short life, Chris made an unforgettable impression on the people he encountered and his absence will be felt by many and deeply. He was always driven by a genuine desire to make people smile, which seems like a difficult thing to do now, but his legacy, in time, will be a happy one.
Above: Christopher Mullens
John Parker
(Common Room 1974-2008)
John Roland Parker has died at the age of 73. Peter Henderson has written this tribute.
John went to Aylesbury Grammar School and the University of Hull, where he read Botany, before joining King’s to teach Biology and PE. He saw himself as an outsider, yet he played a full part in the life of the School. After a year as a tutor in Linacre he joined Luxmoore, first in the New Dover Road then in the Precincts, and after ten years moved to Mitchinson’s, where he remained and was assistant housemaster, including a stint in what became Carlyon House, in his last few years.
He headed the Careers Department for twenty years, providing expert guidance for pupils as they manoeuvred their way through the complexities of the university admissions process (UCCA, then UCAS), and he was always on hand to deal with any issues on results day. Housemasters and housemistresses were very grateful.
He took rugby, hockey and cricket teams. He went on numerous school trips, notably skiing in the Alps, and he particularly enjoyed the bemusement of Soviet officialdom when he went to Russia in 1978 alongside fellow biologist Mrs Sheila Parker (no relation).
In all he did, John was a great performer. He was a memorable Bill Sikes in Stewart Ross’s production of Oliver! in 1977 and he put in a show-stopping cameo as Queen Victoria in the 1996 King’s Week production of The Pirates of Penzance. He appeared in jazz concerts playing alto saxophone,
but he was equally adept on the hosepipe. He was one of the stars in staff revues, dressing up or down and doing dubious magic tricks. Anything he did anywhere would be entertaining.
In 2000 a package arrived addressed to the School but with no name on it – just a picture of a brick. It went straight into JRP’s pigeonhole – and the envelope is now in the Archives. John was indeed a ‘brick’. I shall remember him as someone who both helped me and made me laugh: as a fellow rugby coach with the 70+ Under 14s not in the A and B XVs; as a minibus driver at the Oxford Hockey Festival; and much more. He was a larger-than-life character, impossible to describe, impossible to forget. I owe him a lot.
Ben Browning
(Common Room 2012)
Hedley Benjamin Browning died after a short illness on 5 October 2024 in Bogota, Colombia at the age of 51. He was the son of Bill and Vicki Browning (Common Room 1992-2006 and 19922005) and brother of Head of Classics Matt Browning (Common Room 2009-).
Educated at dartford Grammar School and the University of Reading, Ben taught at Bearwood College (2001-11) before coming to Canterbury for two terms in 2012. He replaced his father, who had filled in at short notice during the previous term. His wanderlust then took him to Moscow, Milan and São Paolo, with a break taking a Film Studies MA at the University of Kent. His final post was at the Colegio Anglo Colombiano.
One tribute from a former Bearwood pupil included this comment: “The life I have now I can directly trace to his encouragement when I got involved in a debating competition. It really felt that he believed in me and you can never underestimate how important it is to a child who lacks confidence to have a teacher that believes in them.” Worthy praise for a dedicated and inspiring teacher.
Below: John parker
The Very Reverend Dr Robert Willis
(Dean of Canterbury and Chairman of Governors 2001-22)
The Very Reverend Dr Robert Willis died on 22 October 2024, aged 77. Mark Taylor, Bursar and Clerk to the Governors, writes:
Dean robert will be remembered with deep affection and gratitude for his many years of devoted service as Chairman of the Board of Governors at The King’s School, Canterbury.
A gentle and generous presence in the life of the School, Dean Robert brought warmth, wisdom and unwavering care to his role. He was not only a guiding hand in governance but also a beloved friend to pupils, staff and families alike. Whether attending concerts, drama productions, or Speech Days, he radiated joy and genuine interest in the life of the School, often moving hearts with his thoughtful words and quiet humour.
During the pandemic, Dean Robert became a
source of comfort far beyond Canterbury through his daily reflections from the Deanery Garden. His calm voice, spiritual depth, and the charming antics of his cats, Leo and Tiger, brought peace and hope to thousands around the world.
Dean Robert’s legacy at King’s is one of compassion, inspiration and enduring kindness. He leaves behind a community shaped by his faith, touched by his love, and forever grateful for his presence among us.
• Robert’s funeral took place in New Haven, Connecticut, USA on 13 November 2024, and has been viewed by over 500,000 people online. A memorial service took place on 2 February 2025 at Salisbury Cathedral. The Head, Bursar and many members of the wider King’s community were in attendance. Tributes and prayers were delivered by Edmund de Waal (MR 1977-81) and Sir Nicholas Lyons (BR/LN 1972-77 and former governor). Many obituaries and tributes honouring Robert’s life and legacy can be found online.
Andrew McFall
(Common Room 1991-2023)
Andrew McFall died on 29 December 2024, aged 59.
Andrew was educated at St Dunstan’s College, Catford and went to the University of Kent to read Mathematics and to St Catherine’s College, Oxford for his PGCE. He taught at the Geoffrey Chaucer School, Canterbury from 1988 to 1990 and then at Canterbury High School for two terms, before joining the King’s School Mathematics department in January 1991. He left because of ill health in February 2023.
During his time, he had a variety of roles including Head of General Studies, Head of Activities, Head of the RAF section in the CCF, tutor in School House and Jervis, and President of the Common Room. His circulars to colleagues in this last role always mixed business with a huge dollop of witty entertainment. He
Left: Dr robert Willis
right: Andrew McFall
was also the voice of King’s on Sports Day and even more obviously in the ‘Green Court Finals’ where his running commentary on the interhouse races added immensely to the enjoyment of the occasion.
Although Andrew spent his entire working life in Kent he never lost touch with his Scottish heritage. His kilt came out on special occasions and he proudly regarded himself as perhaps the southernmost supporter of Stenhousemuir FC.
are typical and more can be seen on the OKS Facebook group:
Jonathan Allday (Common Room 1991-2003): “I have so many memories of happy years spent at Canterbury, many of working and socialising with Andrew. One memory instantly springs to mind. Hard though it is to believe, a student once fell asleep in one of Andrew’s lessons. Having noticed this, Andrew quietly organised the entire remainder of the class to creep out and continue the lesson in another classroom, leaving the unfortunate sleeper to wake up later and wonder what on earth had happened… We’ve lost a great teacher, and great friend and a wonderfully funny human being full of the joy of life.”
Andrew Ribbans-Opara (MO 1993-98): “He never actually taught me, but it is testament to the size and warmth of his personality and heart that he was one of the most memorable teachers at the school. Was so glad to have reconnected with him in later years and he will be sorely missed.”
in MEMOriAM
Christopher Mulford (MO 1954-59)
7 January 2025
Claude Fielding (MO 1940-41)
2 April 2024
There was a very strong Common Room turnout at his funeral, where his brother Julian and his son Joshua spoke movingly but positively of the ups and downs of his life. Those present heard of DJing discos and speed punting on the Cherwell at Oxford; his love of motor vehicles (motor bikes, lorries, a hovercraft…); his gifts as a raconteur and mimic; the 39 Steps from Gordon Cottage in Bridge, his home from 1996, to his home from home in the Plough and Harrow; and his wholehearted embracing of Facebook to the amusement of the wider community. He deservedly had more friends than he knew.
Many tributes were received. The following
Lynda Horn (Common Room 1996-): “Andrew was extremely kind and caring and often thought of others before himself. He was a very good friend to me and is sorely missed. He was generous with his time and was always willing to help – nothing was too much trouble. He had a clever wit and always made me laugh (usually at my expense!). He was a great support on the numerous school trips we did together – his sense of fun made every trip enjoyable. Vienna (the daily schnitzel review); New York (the auction at McCann which he oversaw and ended up with me mistakenly bidding for a piece of stone from one of the buildings at King’s because I scratched my head; luckily an OKS stepped and made another bid so I didn’t have to pay the $300); Prague (only speaking Flemish as we drove through Belgium); and the list goes on. He was an incredibly funny and witty man who had time for everyone.”
Modupe Reis (JR 2011-15): “He was certainly cherished by many. My favourite memories were of him doing the rounds during prep as the tutor on duty in Jervis and popping into our rooms to say ‘Is everything tickety-boo and hunky-dory, girls?’ Such a kind and humorous soul.”
Bankers on Boats: From the Canaries to the Caribbean
The aptly named ‘World’s Toughest Row’, formerly The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, is a 3,000 mile rowing race across the Atlantic ocean from the Canary Islands to Antigua. This year Fraser Morrison (TR 2008-13) is setting off with a friend in an attempt to win the pairs race.
Q What actually is it?
A The race is considered one of the most gruelling endurance challenges on the planet with fewer people having rowed the Atlantic than climbed Everest.
In December, I’ll be setting out in an RX25 ocean rowing boat made by Rannoch Adventures. The boat is 30 feet long with a ‘cosy’ cabin at either end. The race can take more than 100 days but
our aim is to do it in under 40 and to win the pairs race category in the process.
I will be taking it in turns to row for two hours and rest for two hours nonstop. There are no breaks along the way, no support vessels to tow you out of trouble. It is just us and the big bad ocean… and a fishing rod! We are reminded before we set out that there may be a time while you are in the middle of the ocean that the nearest human is on the International Space Station.
Q What rowing experience do you have?
A I’m afraid my only proper rowing ‘career’ took place while I was a Shell at King’s. For those of you who remember, we were all encouraged to give a variety of sports a whirl, just in case we accidentally turned out to be the next great athletic prodigy. Spoiler alert: It turns out I was not the next Steve Redgrave. The coaches quickly determined that I had about as much rowing ability as a duck on roller skates and gently suggested I focus my talents elsewhere… anywhere else, really. So it’s fair to say my rowing
experience is pretty limited, having never picked up a set of oars since those early days at King’s, yet here I am – rowing an Ocean!
Q What do you expect some of the Highs and Lows to be?
A I’ll start with the bad stuff. My biggest fear for this race is the ‘graveyard shift’. Every night there are going to be 6-8 hours where I’ll be rowing alone on deck in the pitch black. On some nights, this will be incredible with unpolluted skies and a clear view of the night-sky but on other nights (a lot!), this will mean triple checking my safety harness is correctly attached to the boat so I’m not washed over the side while my teammate sleeps not-so-peacefully in his cabin.
On the flip side, this is the chance to see some incredible wildlife. There are stories where boats are escorted by pods of dolphins for days at a time. The biggest draw for both my teammate and me is the adventure. While day-to-day it could be a bit monotonous to pull an oar more than a million times, the overall challenge is exciting –an opportunity to test our limits and come back with a story worth sharing for a lifetime.
Q How do you prepare for this?
A We have a great team supporting us. Our race coach is Charlie Pitcher, former solo world record holding ocean rower and maker of the RX25 boat. He has rowed the Atlantic and rowed around GB, and when you combine this with his knowledge of the RX25, it gives two London bankers – and entirely inexperienced rowers – a glimmer of hope that we might actually be able to pull this off!
Balancing the training schedules with our day job (investment bankers to the renewable energy sector) has been a feat in itself, one that we’re only just getting the hang of three years into this venture.
Q Why are you doing this?!
pictured: Fraser and his teammate preparing and training for the race
building at an alarming rate since I started my desk job post-graduation.
The other is to raise awareness and money for the Blue Marine Foundation. We have set ourselves the lofty goal of raising £250,000 to promote ocean conservation. Our team name – Gone Fishin – speaks to both our love of the activity itself and our recognition that the commercialisation of fishing has destroyed much of the world’s largest resource and will continue to do so unless we do something about it.
A We get this question a lot – though it’s usually our exasperated, but somehow still saintly, partners doing the asking! There are plenty of reasons, but they can be boiled down to two main categories. The first is that it will satisfy my growing need for adventure, which has been
Now please excuse my inelegant segue here, but I would love to think that the OKS network might support a fellow alumnus in making this happen by picking up their cheque book and donating to the cause via the links below…
goFundMe: gofundme.com/f/y3b8g-marine-conservation
Team website: www.GoneFishin2025.com