MARTLET 69 - Winter 2022

MARTLET

THE MAGAZINE FOR OLD MILLHILLIAN CLUB MEMBERS

SPECIAL LEGACY ISSUE

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II OMs recollect the unforgettable day of her 1957 visit

Celebrating the ethos of a Mill Hill education through the lens of notable OMs Royal couturier Sir Norman Hartnell KCVO Festival of Britain Architect Ralph Tubbs OBE Nobel prize winner Dr Francis Crick OM FRS England cricketer Ethan Bamber and more...

The story of Winterstoke House 1924-1995 by Tim Corbett

On

1 July 1957,

Monday

Mill Hill School was honoured by the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to mark the 150th anniversary of The Foundation. Prefects escorting the Queen. From left to right: Alan Figgis, Alan Bennett, Alex Scobie (behind Bennett), Ted Ivens, Roy Moore, The Queen, Ian Halstead, Fred Higgs, George Graham

CHAIR’S LETTER

Much to the frustration of the Martlet team, I try to leave my editorial to the last minute!

This year, the extra time has meant that I am in a position to congratulate the Alford House Management and Board of Trustees on securing formal planning permission for their site after years of hard slog and patience. There is an article in this issue about their ambitious and exciting plans. OMs have been involved with Alford House for nearly ninety years and the hope on all sides is that the planning permission will ensure the good work continues for decades in the future.

The extra time has also meant that I have attended a reunion of Fleming beneficiaries (aka Middlesex Scheme) held at Eton College. The name “Fleming” originates from a report published in July 1944. The Government Committee (appointed 1942) chaired by Sir Robert Fleming submitted a report that, inter alia, recommended reciprocal arrangements between Local Authorities and Public Schools. The Committee included as members Maurice Jacks, a former Head of Mill Hill School, and Sir Arthur PickardCambridge, the then Chair of the Mill Hill School Court of Governors. Mill Hill dominated the 80 Year reunion along with former pupils of Eton, Rugby, Winchester and Westonbirt. A total of 250 pupils came to Mill Hill thanks to the Middlesex Scheme.

It saved the School financially at a very difficult time shortly after the end of World War II.

These events and the articles in this issue of Martlet strongly underpin the Club’s evolutionary path - one of respectful modernisation.

Modernisation is all about ensuring the Club’s current and future relevance to the membership. In this edition of Martlet we highlight the importance of female OMs to the Club in the coming decades (page 93). We discuss the challenges for women in the workplace (page 30), our support for the newly formed and quickly promoted ladies hockey squad (page 82) and the research we are undertaking to better understand female OMs’ needs and expectations from the Club. We report on our social reunions and career networking events which have been well attended by OMs and, in many cases, by sixth form pupils from the School. We welcome the 180+ new members to the Club who left Mill Hill in Summer 2022 (page 97).

Respect is all about ensuring we never forget our legacies, our traditions and our predecessors who have shaped the values of the School and the Club over the years. We publish OM reminiscences (page 42) of the visit to the School of Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 – how timely! We recognise the design legacy of OM Sir Norman Hartnell KCVO, who made the

Queen’s coronation robe and many of her dresses. We pay tribute to the architectural legacy of OM Ralph Tubbs OBE (page 52) who designed the Dome of Discovery for the successful Festival of Britain in 1951 and which was also the inspiration for the Millennium Dome (aka O2 Arena!!). We praise the philanthropy legacy of OM William Henry Wills, 1st Baron Winterstoke (page 72), whose generosity and commitment to the School estate are in daily view from the Quad. We spotlight wellknown OMs and mourn the loss of OMs in the past year. There are obituaries (page 116) that eulogise Alistair Graham, Headmaster 1979 –1992, and inspirational conservationist OM Tony Fitzjohn OBE whose legendary achievements were held in awe by his many OM supporters.

My thanks go to all who gave of their time to contribute to the content of Martlet and my thanks and congratulations to Clare Lewis and Laura Turner who are the brains and brawn behind the magazine and to David Palmer, our design consultant for this issue.

Social events are the beating heart of the Club community, John Hellinikakis (School 1976-1977/Murray 1977-1981) reports on the 2022-2023 social programme

expert Richard Lidwell (Murray 1959-1964) offers OMs sound employment advice and we catch up with the Club’s networking events

We explore the legacy of a Mill Hill education through schoolboy recollections and OMs memorable achievements both past and present

Sports Ambassador Dave Kelly (Ridgeway 1974-1981) rally’s support for OM sports and we catch up on their successful seasons

Mill Hill’s CEO, Antony Spencer shares news of the Foundation’s ambitious estates development plan embracing sustainability

Club Chair Peter Wakeham (Burton Bank 1960-1965) has trained his eye firmly on the future and YOMs Ambassador, Ted Macdonald keeps in touch with young members

OMs share the Club’s long history of philanthropic endeavours and invites us to get involved

OMs share tales of wildlife conservationist Anthony Fitzjohn and memories of esteemed former Headmaster Alistair Graham

Chris Kelly shares his delight at becoming 2022 Club President

The OM 2022-2023 Events Calendar is jam packed with tempting social events and professional networking opportunities to pop in your diary

If asked to nominate the two most memorable events of the year, I would name Remembrance Day for its parade at and through the school cenotaph followed by the chapel service, in November 2021, and McClure/OMs Day in June 2022. ’

‘

PRESIDENT’S YEAR 2021-2022

President’s

in office

As I approach the final lap in my year as President, I have the opportunity to look back at the year and relive some of its highlights. My first feeling is one of gratitude; to the broad membership of the Old Millhillian’s Club for electing me as your President, to Peter Wakeham, Laura Turner, John Hellinikakis and Clare Lewis, who keep the Club going, to the organisers of the various events that I have attended and enjoyed, and especially to Jane Sanchez, and indeed all at MHS, who have gone out of their way to befriend me at a personal level, and to involve me in so much. A big thank you to you all, and to many other unnamed heroes of our club.

Next, I must confess to a feeling of relief! Not that I have survived the year with my liver still intact, though perhaps that too! Rather, my relief is because so many events have gone ahead. Last year when I made the decision not to do any overseas trips, I wondered if I was being overcautious. In fact, sad though the decision was, it was the right one. As we all know Covid is still with us, travel has been far from easy, and people, particularly those of a certain vintage have been slow to attend large social events, especially where distance is involved. The City Livery Companies, Inns of Court, and other such institutions, have all experienced a sharp drop in numbers attending their various events, and we at the Club have been likewise affected. An unexpected upside to this has been that at less-well-attended functions, there has been a noticeable tendency among attendees to get stuck in. I realise that OMs have never been famous for being shy, but it has been gratifying to see the determination amongst members to make events successful no matter what the odds.

Perhaps the best example was the Northern Dinner held at the St James’s Club Manchester, and organised by Grahame Elliott (Weymouth 19521957). Quite apart from being the annual Northern event, we celebrated the life and contribution of the late John Elliott, (Weymouth 1950-1955) Grahame’s brother, and a past President of the Club and Chair of the Life Guardians Committee. There was, it is true, a low turn-out, but what ensued, was a large but personal dinner party, in an exceptional venue, with excellent food and wine and great ‘craic’. John was very much the centre of attention, and I suspect he would have loved the occasion. May I give a big plug for the event next year? It is thoroughly worthwhile making the effort to attend, and you will get a great Northern welcome from Grahame and his team.

I have already referred to the friendship extended to me by the Head, Jane Sanchez. I have been amazed by her input, dedication and commitment, and sheer hard work. She made the decision to follow in

the footsteps of Sir John McClure in this the centenary of his death, and to meet up with OMs wherever the Club was holding a function, and she has loyally done just that. The School, indeed, is fortunate to have such a committed Head in what have been far from easy times, and it is a credit to her and to all her staff that the Foundation is doing so well, and that there is such a demand for places. However, for the Club it goes beyond that.

Jane Sanchez is a real friend to us and has demonstrated that time and again. I suspect relations between the Club and School have rarely been better. That there has been no degree of complacency or self-satisfaction is one of the ingredients for this success and at the Club, long may we bear in mind our motto; ‘Non nobis, sed scholae’ (‘Not for ourselves, but for the School’). It may be hack Latin, but it is lofty sentiment.

In the light of all this, it may come as little surprise that If asked to nominate the two most memorable events of

Year 2021-2022 John Gallagher (Ridgeway 1963-1969) reflects on his busy but rewarding year

John Gallagher Old Millhillians Club

President 2021-2022

The Armistice Day Parade at Mill Hill, November 2021, one of the most memorable days of John’s Presidency

the year, I would name Remembrance Day for its parade at and through the school cenotaph followed by the chapel service, in November 2021, and McClure/OMs Day in June 2022.

Both events showcased School and Club working together as they should; both events were memorable in themselves; and both set off to the best effect the School, its grounds, its facilities, and its ethos. I was both grateful and proud to be there.

The Old Millhillian’s Rugby Football Club (OMRFC) has gone from strength to strength. It may seem odd to an older generation that this should even have to merit a mention, but the truth is that the rugby club was close to extinction a few years ago. The rugby playing scene is unrecognisable to what many of us knew, and enjoyed, with many famous clubs of old simply disappearing. We were down to fielding one under-strength team with no question of having reserves. Now, through sheer hard work, and with good recruitment from the School, the decline has been reversed. The 1 XV, playing thoroughly entertaining rugby have been promoted to the Herts/Middlesex League 1, and the 2 XV narrowly missed out on promotion from their league. Long may this success continue. Oli Avent (Weymouth 2008-2013) is a first-rate Captain, well supported by the likes

of Joe Wray (School House 1997 2000), Kieran Walsh (Honorary OM), Nick Schild (Murray 20082013), Sam Askham (Honorary OM), Ben Calder (McClure 2008-2011) and Aston Lester (School House 2010-2013), who has played as hooker, centre, and back row, while Phillippe Raphael-Hadji, Seb Kosmin, Alexander Spencer-Hope (Priestley 2011-2014), and Trevor Kennick have put in sterling efforts to make the 2nd XV into the happy and successful unit that it is. The input of Chair Ben Nash (Priestley 1986-1990), coach Will Wheeler, and behind the scenes work of the likes of John Tucker (Honorary OM), Will Samler and Rikki Bhachu also cannot be overestimated.

The Club has supported the creation of two new sports this season: OM Hockey which currently is a women’s squad, and OM football which currently is a men’s squad. Both are well set up for 2022/23 season thanks to a ton of hard work by everyone involved, but special mention to Nicole Harvey (Cedars 2012-2016) and Olivia Brown (Priestley 20072012) on the hockey front and Richard Whelan (Cedars 2005-2010) and George Ghaffari (McClure 2006-2010) with football. The hockey team, in particular, had a very successful season and has been promoted to a higher league. The success of the England women’s team in the UEFA championship has thrilled us all and has done wonders for women’s sport.

The Club is very keen to launch an OMs Netball team and will respond positively to any OM who would like to get behind such a move. Women’s football and men’s hockey are also natural developments.

Cricket continues with Totteridge/ Millhillians thriving, and on the professional front I am pleased to be able to congratulate Sophie Dunkley (Cedars 2011-2016) on her success in

the English Women’s Team; she has made her mark early and we all hope that a great career lies in front of her. Her contemporary at MHS (they both played together in the 1st XI), Ethan Bamber (Murray 2012-2017), has been opening the bowling for Middlesex, and great things are also hoped of him.

Of the events seemingly unaffected, the monthly Oakers lunches at The Boot Inn, Sarratt, must stand top of the list. I don’t think Gerry Westoby (Ridgeway 1956-1961) has allowed it to lapse even for a single month. Single handedly, he has kept it going with his regular informative and witty email communications. The result has been a hard core of regular attendees, supplemented by others who attend as and when they can, with the Christmas lunch being a sell-out.

Well done, Gerry, and don’t even think of stopping!

A big change this year was the venue for and format of the AGM and cocktail party in June. Traditionally this has been held at the National Liberal Club, with all attending. Now that our association with that club has ended, we have had to look elsewhere. We settled on the roof terrace at Gatehouse Chambers, Gray’s Inn, with its sixth-floor roof terrace. We held a hybrid AGM, digital and actual, which permitted many to attend who could not otherwise be involved, after which the

weather

‘Jane Sanchez is a real friend to us and has demonstrated that time and again. I suspect that relations between Club and school have never been better’

‘I am pleased to be able to congratulate Sophie Dunkley (Cedars 2011-2016) on her success in the English Women’s Cricket Team’

President’s Year 2021-2022

favoured us for the cocktail party. The event was a success (but I would say that wouldn’t I?), and is likely to be repeated there next year.

Other highlights with great memories, include the OMs Liveryman’s Lunch at the Guildhall, a unique venue; the Past Presidents’ Lunch at The Athenaeum, thanks to the ever-green Stuart Hibberdine (Scrutton 1950-1955); the Engineers Dinner at The Bleeding Heart, Farringdon, arranged as ever by Gordon Mizner (Murray 19651969); and the West Country Lunch at Exeter Golf Club arranged by Rob Priestley (School House 1970-1972) – all very well organised and most enjoyable. Another hardy perennial, Clive Weber (Ridgeway 1965-1969) put on the lawyers’ event at his firm’s offices, which this year I missed. My penalty, to speak at the next one!

I spoke last year of service. While what I have recited herein demonstrates the selfless contribution of so many over prolonged periods of time, the concept of service is perhaps best demonstrated by those who have given so much of their skills and time to Alford House in Lambeth. Nigel Baker (Burton Bank 1955-1961) has literally given years of his life to the club, and it is pleasing to be able to report that the proposed development is all set to go ahead. The efforts of the club Chairman, Nick Priestnall and William Maunder Taylor (Weymouth 1968-1973), cannot be praised too much. Put simply, without their determination, persistence and expertise, the project in all probability would not have gone ahead.

I hope that at the end of this year all of you are keeping well, and feeling more optimistic than perhaps you were this time last year. Please do continue to remain engaged and where appropriate renew your involvement. I have said it before, but it bears being repeated; the Club is you, and you are the Club, and it/we need you.

It was a joy to see so many of you at the final event of the year, namely the annual dinner, which this year was held in the famous Long Room at Armoury House, Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), City Road, London, on 30th September 2022. Many OMs served in the HAC in World Wars I and II and thereafter. It was a great occasion, at which I had the pleasure of handing over the Presidency of the Club to Chris Kelly, former master, rugby coach, and McClure housemaster. Chris, I am certain, will make an excellent President and will involve himself in every Club activity possible.

Last year I detailed my family involvement with the School over some 75 years or so. This year I am proud to announce that my grandson has been accepted for the school (as I hope his younger brother will be in due course), and so our connection continues…

As I sign off, all that is left for me to say, is once more a big thank you to you all for your support and encouragement throughout the year; it has been such a privilege and pleasure to serve as your President for 2021-2022. Please do give that same support to my successor.

John was a guest at Liveryman’s lunch at at Guildhall London

Manchester Dinner 2022 held at the St James Club

Engineers event: Jon Prout, John Gallagher and Paul Bowles

John Gallagher and lawyers at Penhurst

Property Dinner: L-R William Maunder Taylor, Graham Chase and John Gallagher

Former Club President Gordon Mizner and John Gallagher enjoy OMs day

‘The concept of service is perhaps best demonstrated by those who have given so much of their skills and time to Alford House in Lambeth’

President’s Awards 2021-2022

In his role as Club President, John Gallagher has had the privilege of recommending to the Nominations Committee three exceptional contributors to the Old Millhillians Club and associated societies for this prestigious award

William Maunder Taylor (Weymouth 1968-1973)

Current Vice Chair and a Governor of Alford House since October 2013 William, has brought his extensive knowledge of property development and financing to help Alford House youth club navigate its way through the testing planning application process for permission to redevelop its Lambeth site. It is partly through his dedication and expert knowledge this goal has finally been achieved thus allowing Alford House to start on the essential work to future-proof the club for the next generation. William is also a solid supporter of the Old Millhillians Club and an active member of the Golfing Society.

Gordon Hawes (Winterstoke 1945-1951)

The contribution made by Gordon and his family* to the life and health of the Old Millhillians Golfing Society (OMGS) has been unrivalled. From his glorious 1961 debut in opposition to Hailebury’s Michael Bonallack - who went on to be Britain’s finest amateur player - he has had a long stint as Club Secretary in the sixties and seventies and is the Society’s longest serving Vice President. Gordon is also remarkable for being the first person to undertake a two-year Captaincy and for attending more tours and Autumn Meetings than any other OMGS member. As a Society we are equally proud that he serves on the committees for the prestigious Mellin and Morrish golf tournaments. Last year he was appointed President Emeritus of the OMGS in recognition of his service.

*In 1930 Gordon’s father Alfred William Hawes (School House 1904-1908), entered the OMGS into the Halford Hewitt competition in Deal that we still compete in today; a legacy that also affords us the privilege of participating in the Mellin tournament, the annual public schools six-a-side competition.

Clive Weber (Ridgeway 1965-1969)

Clive trained as solicitor with an OM firm Badham, Comins and Main, where in 1974 he was articled to the Senior Partner OM Neville Atchley. He joined Wedlake Bell in 1977 as a Private Client lawyer, became a Partner in 1985 and is currently a Consultant. In the early eighties he founded the Pensions’ Law team acting for employers, trustees and scheme members. As the organiser of the Club’s legal events Clive has spear-headed the regular attendance of Mill Hill students in the firm belief it will help them understand more about the law and legal careers as well as the opportunity to make contacts. Over the years several Mill Hill students or former Mill Hill students have had informal placements at his legal firm. Clive is also an active member of the Golfing Society.

OMs in general are a friendly and inclusive bunch and many people, who have arrived at an event alone, have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. ’

‘

2022-2023 EVENTS

In celebration of the legendary headmaster Sir John McClure’s centenary we held all four of our regular Regional events*: the Welsh dinner; the East Anglian buffet lunch and evensong at King’s College, Cambridge; the South West dinner; and Northern dinner all of which successfully took place during the last academic year. McClure, who famously enjoyed positive relations with the OM community and, with the aim of recruitment, made a point of regularly visiting the regions. Taking inspiration from this legacy, regional event organisers took the opportunity to ask current Head, Jane Sanchez, to join them to share her thoughts on the ‘Maker of Mill Hill’s’ lasting imprint on the School and education today. These get togethers turned out to be hugely enjoyable but troublingly these once flourishing events, a throwback to the days when pupils came from across the country to board at Mill Hill, now suffer from an ageing attendance due to the School’s reduced boarding contingent and with many boarders now coming from overseas. While a concerning trend, with potential to affect the long-term viability of these gatherings, it is hoped there might be fresh support from an increasing number of Old Millhillians who post pandemic are following the trend to move from London to the regions for work and a better quality of life.

In our ambition to remain relevant and interesting for our more network focussed events, we have studied school surveys of leavers’ university course choices since 2014. While traditional subjects such as Engineering, Geography, History, Politics, Business, Management, and

Economics remain firm favourites, we saw increasing numbers enrolling in Computer Sciences, Psychology and subjects that include the keyword: International. In light of this, as a start we have re-introduced the popular Entrepreneurs careers event and, over the next couple of years, plan to continue to expand our offering. If you are interested in setting up an event for one of the new career strands identified above, please do get in touch.

Whilst our Career events programme has as its principal objective to provide OMs with opportunities to network and socialise with other members working in the same field, we also aim to share this opportunity with the School’s 6th formers who are considering a particular career path. The hope being these youngsters by joining the events in person, will better understand what that career might involve. The Club also sees this as a valuable chance for pupils just to mingle with OMs and hopefully acquire an appreciation of what the Club has to offer. I am pleased to be able report that the pupils who have attended these events have always impressed in their maturity, confidence, and the quality and relevance of their questions.

It has also been good to see that our careers events continue to be well attended benefitting from some excellent speakers, either OMs or external industry specialists, who come and share their expertise and tend to draw a crowd. However, these networking events’ attractions alone are not enough to make a successful gathering it also comes down to the efforts of the individual event organisers and Laura Turner, in the Club office, who is persistent in reaching out to members directly through email and on social media. We also want to thank John Barron, the School’s Assistant Head, 6th form, who has been instrumental in organising the pupils’ attendance. To all these individuals, the Club and its members owe their sincerest thanks.

Finally, I would once again like to encourage all OMs to attend the Club’s social and careers up-coming events, all of which can be found on the Calendar on page 128. Whilst it may sometimes feel uncomfortable to attend on your own, OMs in general are a friendly and inclusive bunch and many people, who have arrived at an event alone, have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Often times, old friendships have been renewed. Better still, rally some friends and come as a group!

Head of Communications Committee: John Hellinikakis (School 1976-1977 / Murray 1977-1981)

*If anyone based in the North-East or Scotland would like to organise a regional event, we would be pleased to hear from you.

‘We have re-introduced the popular Entrepreneurs careers event and will continue to expand our offering’

The 2022/23 programme of events is the first full one since 2019 and to date all bar one, have been in person. Although not everybody has felt comfortable socialising in crowds since Covid, attendance has been encouraging.

Summer Cocktail Party Gatehouse Chambers, Gray’s Inn Wednesday 15 June 2022

Mike Peskin, Chris Kelly and Dave Kelly

Andrew Nayager and Tim Corbett Anita Wakeham

OM Sports Club’s Ambassador Dave Kelly on the terrce with Mark and his daughter Izzy Donald

Left to right: Clare Erskine-Murray and David Woodrow

Left to right: Roger Streeten, Joanna Potter, Stephanie Miller, Head of Mill Hill Jane Sanchez

Left to right: John Hellinikakis, OM Club Officer Laura Turner, Tim Corbett and Mike Peskin

Clive Mence and John Hellinikakis Ronny Cohn and Roger Streeten Left to right: Graham Chase, Ronnie Cohn, Mike Peskin and Lindsay Sims

Communications Committee Chair John Hellinikakis and Chair of Alford House, Nick Priestnall

Left to right: Mark and Caz Donald, Head Jane Sanchez and Robyn Corbett

Left to right: Club Chairman’s wife, Anita Wakeham and Club President’s wife Gilly Gallagher; both are active and loyal supporters of the Club and its events

Left to right: David Woodrow, Tim Corbett, Mike Peskin, Rob Udwin

John Gallagher and Mark Donald

John Gallagher in full regalia with Lord Glendonbrook

Social Events Annual Dinner President

John Gallagher

Anni Winn and Alex Burtt

Peter Woodroffe

MHS Monitor

Sia Mirfendereski Mike Solomons and Nathan Clapton

Ben Nash, Dave Kelly and Nick Mann

Ben Calder and Luke Mathers

Ben Nash, Graham Chase, and Alex Nylander

Dave Kelly and Nick Vaclavik

Clive Weber and Andrew Croysdill

Bubbles Cherill Mann, Cliff Rose, and Nancy Hale

Left to right: Gordon Hawes, Mike Leon, Peter Wakeham, William Maunder Taylor and Nigel Baker

Gerry Westoby and Tim Corbett

Roger Streeten and Anni Winn

Graeme Turner and Micah Lazarus

Graeme Turner and Roger Streeten

Setting the scene

Reece Tanner and Aston Lester

Paul Bickerdike, Gordon Mizner, and Richard Amunugama

Harry Dawood and Ted Macdonald

Graham Chase and Julie James

MHS prefects

Julie James, Anita Wakeham and Gilly Gallagher

Jane Sanchez

Jane Sanchez and Peter Wakeham

Richard Llewellyn and Andrew Croysdill

MHS Prefects

James Stephens

Left to right: Nigel Baker, Peter Woodroffe, William Maunder Taylor and Clive Weber

Nick Vaclavik, Dai Rees and Jon Rosswick

Milena Stojkovic and Joanna Potter

Edward de Mesquita and Fiona Goldman

Nick Vaclavik

Kevin Douglas

Oli Avent and Nick Schild

Social Events Annual Dinner

President John Gallagher

Breaking for coffee

Justin Jacobs

Chris Kelly and John Gallagher

Reece Tanner

Micah Lazarus

John Cicale

Gary Lane and Mike Peskin

Graeme Turner and Luke Mathers

Kevin Douglas and Chris Kelly

Graeme Turner

Nick Schild and Mathew Thal

New President Chris Kelly entertains the guests

Jack Perry-Williams

MHS Monitor Cliff Rose and Nigel Nichols Reece Tanner

Welcome prosecco Harry Pateman and Kevin Kyle Christopher Dean and Joel Mangham

President John Gallagher

Alex Nylander

Jane Sanchez speech

Social Events Annual Dinner President

John Gallagher

Mike Petersen, Nigel Nichols, Stuart Hibberdine and Mike Leon

Kevin Douglas, Chris Kelly and Sean Robinson

Chris Kelly adorned in the Prrsident’s chain

From left to right: Luke Mathers, John Barron, Dai Rees, Ben Calder. Nick Schild and Oli Avent

A room full of OMs and their guests are welcomed by John Gallagher

Let the evening begin

OLD MILLHILLIANS

ANNUAL DINNER 30 September 2022

THE HONOURABLE ARTILLERY CLUB, LONDON

T A B L E 1

Graham Chase John Hellinikakis Stuart Hibberdine Mike Leon Nigel Nichols Mike Petersen Ronald Pole Gerry Westoby T A B L E 5

Nigel Baker Fiona Goldman Gordon Hawes William M-T Edward de Mesquita Gordon Mizner Nick Priestnall Clive Weber

T A B L E 9

Jennifer Alai Richard Amunugama Abhijit Gupta Dave Kelly Gary Lane Nicholas Mann Ahmed Mukhtar Jonathan Rosswick Jim Selman Milena Stojkovic Nick Vaclavick

T A B L E 2

Tracey Balch Katherine Barden Wendy Barrett Guido Bellotti

Sarah Bellotti Nick Miller Stephanie Jones Miller Antony Spencer Anita Wakeham Peter Wakeham

T A B L E 6

Sonia Corsini Rachael Cummings Harry Dawood

Justin Jakob Micah Lazarus Ted Macdonald Matthew Thal Sienna Turner Daniel W-P

T A B L E 3

Andrew Croysdill Gilly Gallagher John Gallagher David Kenning Joel Mangham Nicky Marlow Ian Nelson Jane Sanchez Paul Winter Peter Woodroffe

T A B L E 7 Oli Avent Ben Calder Aston Lester Luke Mathers Ben Nash Alex Nylander Nick Schild Reece Tanner Kieran Walsh

T A B L E 10

Aisha Aliyu Maeve Allen James Crossley Ivy He Georgia Ilardou-G Kevin Kyle Harry Pateman Sarina Sarmad Sisi Wu

T A B L E 11

John Barron Abby Cohen Ivan Eremenko Oliver Galgut Carolyn Ison Gillies Macdonald Graeme Turner Laura Turner Jack Perry-Williams Paul Williams

T A B L E 4

Denise Boon Ronnie Boon Nancy Hale Julie James Richard Llewellyn Cherill Mann Marcel Mann Cliff Rose T A B L E 8

John Cicale Nathan Clapton Rajeev Datta Siavash Mirfendereski Mike Peskin Windsor Roberts Paul Robin Lindsay Sims Michael Solomons James Stephens

T A B L E 12

Tony Armstrong Paul Bickerdike Trevor Chilton Tim Corbett Christopher Dean Kevin Douglas Chris Kelly David Rees Sean Robinson David Woodrow

T A B L E 13

Alex Burtt

Johnathan Huddleston Kyle Richards Maya Rosen Joanna Potter Roger Streeten Noah Tackaberry Anni Winn Mark Zudini

Social Events Old Millhillians Day Park, Mill Hill School Saturday 25 June 2022

Down on Memorial Field the OMs fielded three teams for a touch-rugby tournament against the school staff and pupils

A squad of MHS plus OMs George Sheppard and Gabby Kleimberg played MHS pupils in what turned out to be a challenging fixture

The OM cricket team getting reacquainted

The Arricale brothers. Pasquale, Giuliano and Gio

Mike Peskin

A delicious lunch was served for OMs and guests

The OM cricket team, captained by Vishal Bhimjiyani (School 1996-2000), played the MHS First XI in what served as a beautiful backdrop to another successful Old Millhillians Day

Jane Sanchez greeting Russell Cowan in front of the cricket pavilion

A few of the Rugby 7’s boys pop down to watch the cricket

The OMHC girls

Peter Wakeham tucks in

Nick Schild

Nick Hodgson and Nick Priestnall

Lisa Symes and Jane Sanchez

John Gallager at cricket

Jane Sanchez catches up with Adrian Williams Graham Chase in his Club Country tie

Angeli Moir, Abhijit Gupta and Alex Burtt

A visit from former MHSF teachers Peter and Helen Lawson

Russ Cowan and Gerry Westoby in their Club Country Ties

A delicious lunch was served for OMs and guests up by the cricket Pavillion

Gerry Westoby, Cliff Rose and Nancy Hale

Regional Events East Anglia Meeting

King’s College, Cambridge Saturday 12 March 2022

King’s College Chapel

‘ We were treated to a masterful exposition of choral music ’

A change of venue for this, our first in-person gathering since 2019, proved to be both enjoyable and well attended. Thirty-seven OMs and partners gathered in the Saltmarsh Rooms of King’s College for drinks and buffet lunch Our presence there was thanks to the Provost of King’s, Professor Michael Proctor, who generously ‘sponsored’ the use of the College facilities. Michael is a firm friend of the Foundation and was a highly regarded Chair of the Court of Governors. He joined the event as our guest and graciously accepted a gift of the Club’s cufflinks.

After lunch, the Head of Mill Hill, Jane Sanchez, addressed the group with particular reference to Sir John McClure and the arrangements commemorating the centenary of his death in 1922, which took place in June. The Chair of the Club, Peter Wakeham, then reported on the progress of various initiatives and developments, following which both speakers took questions from the floor, covering a wide range of topics including the impact on the School and those pupils from Russia and Ukraine of the invasion of the latter by the former three weeks earlier. The Head also explained the aims and values to the Foundation of the newly formed collaborations with Cobham Hall School and the two preparatory schools, Keble College and Lyonsdown School.

A tour of the College gardens followed, conducted by the Deputy Head Gardener. This included the Provost’s garden, Bodley’s Court and its ancient quince tree and the extensive collection of trees in the Fellows’ garden. The tour led us finally to the world-renowned College Chapel, considered to be one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture, where we were privileged to experience Evensong. The Choir, founded in the 15th century, is one of the world’s best-known, so we were treated to a masterful exposition of choral music in optimum surroundings with excellent acoustics for choral singing somewhat less good for the spoken word.

After Evensong at 6.30pm, the group dispersed replete with special experiences in splendid surroundings for which we are grateful to the Provost and members of King’s College staff. This event was a good example of what we aim to provide, namely a blend of Old Millhillian hospitality and a cultural experience courtesy of what Cambridge and its University can offer.

Event organiser: Dr Russell Cowan (Weymouth 1958-1963)

East Anglia Event attendees outside King’s College Chapel, Cambridge

Ronald Pole and Roger Higginson

Roger Graham

Stephen McDonnell Professor Michael Proctor

EA Hosts David Short and Russell Cowan

John Hellinikakis, Gina and Stewart Wernham, Anthony Marris and Evelyn Taylor

Christopher Dean, Tim Phillips and Tim Corbett

Regional Events South West Lunch Exeter Golf and Country Club

Sunday 8 May 2022

1970-1972)

The Oakers

Yes, we still exist. We haven’t been cancelled by the woke brigade yet. In fact, the number of Oakers has increased to 120. Attendances this year (2021) have been good culminating with over 20 at the November lunch and well over 40 for the December Christmas lunch. There has been an influx of some younger OMs aged in their late 60s to early 70s. Bear in mind that when I say younger, a high proportion of The Oakers are either side of 80 years old. Over the past few months, attendances have been moderate to good. Some have had to drop out at the last minute due to testing positive with Covid. There are also some, who were regulars in the past, but due to advancing years are unable to attend. We try to keep in touch.

So, you might awake feeling stressed, weary and irritated. These feelings could easily dictate your day, but if you are having lunch at The Boot with The Oakers, those feelings are immediately washed

away. We are very old friends, enjoying each other’s company, reminiscing and for the most part, we are not interrupted by today’s Twittering technology.

Who attends these lunches? A Trio of Tims, a Jumble of Jims and Johns, a Gaggle of Grahams, a Potpourri of Peters, a Drove of Davids, a Melange of Mikes, a Rabble of Richards, an Arthur, a Cliff, a Kip, a Marcel, a Russell and many more, and of course, Tom and Gerry. Finally, I noticed after 63 years, that my initials on the wall of the pavilion are incorrect for the 1959 Cricket 1st X1 (GWJ), but are correct for 1960 /61 (GJW). Never mind. Until the next time, keep enjoying life.

Event organiser: Gerry Westoby (Ridgeway 1956-1961)

Event organiser: Robert Priestley (School

Rodney Coffin, Dagmar Von Behr, Robert Priestley, Julie James

Rodney Coffin, Vicky Coffin, Richard Coffin, Gilly Gallagher

Peter Wakeham, Martin Saunders, Sheila and Clive Parker, Chris Kelly

Martin Saunders, Jeremy Akhavi, Micha Lazarus

Left to right: Colin Barnes, Peter Helm, Chris Kelly, Nigel Ward, Anita Wakeham, Frances Ward, Martin Saunders, Peter Wakeham

Left to right: Clive Parker, Gilly Gallagher, Sheila Parker, Nicholas Lowe, Micah Lazarus, Jeremy Akhavi, John Gallagher

Regional Events Northern Dinner

The St. James’s Club, Manchester

Friday 20 May 2022

We were honoured to have the Head of School, Jane Sanchez, present who made a delightful statement of how the School has developed over the years, particularly during Covid and its plans for the future. The Club President, John Gallagher and his Vice President, Chris Kelly, were also present. We were also delighted that the Chair of the Old Millhillians Club, Peter Wakeham and his wife, Anita, were able to come as he has done so much towards getting the Club up to modern standards and achieve a closer link to the School Foundation itself.

There were many stories around the table of people’s experiences, not only from their time at Mill Hill but also in the Club. Even nonOM guests greatly enjoyed the banter. The meal was well received, as was the wine (!). We were delighted to receive Panos Yianni (School 2004-2009), for the first time at this Manchester-based dinner who has an interesting consultancy with one of the four large national firms of Accountants’ Local Office.

We also happy to toast absent friends, including a tribute to John C K Elliott MBE (1950-1955) who had been Club President and Chair of the Life Guardians during a very important stage of its development. The eulogy was given by Noyan Nihat (Collinson 1982-1988) Past President of the Life Guardians and current Governor of the School.

While we would like to have greater numbers in attendence - only 14 made it this year - the comments received since the dinner have been immensely positive. Partly because of the stunning location but mostly due to the more intimate nature of the evening. Many of those present found it one of the most friendly events in the OMs Calendar and it was felt the atmosphere in the St James’s Club should be retained in future. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to get involved.

Event organiser: Grahame Eliott (Weymouth 1952-1957)

Joining the Oakers

Here is a reminder to those who are unaware of the Oakers’ luncheon format. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month at The Boot, Sarratt WD3 6BL. Oakers who wish to attend, contact me, Gerry Westoby, by email in advance (wescam21@aol. com) and I send you a menu choice. The cost of the lunch is £30, which covers the pre-lunch drink at the bar, a two-course meal, the wine and coffee. We usually sit down at 1pm. All Old Millhillians are very welcome to join us, please get in touch.

From left to right: Grahame Eliott, Noyan Nihat, Behind them is, Panos Yianni , Fern Nihat, President John Gallagher, Chris Kelly, Jane Sanchez, Anita Wakeman, Peter Wakeman, Jim Walker, John Farmer, Edward De Mesquita, lane Walker, Peter Belshaw

The Oakers meet for lunch at the Boot on the first Tuesday of the month

‘Many of those present found it one of the most friendly events in the OM’s Calendar’

‘

To help young OMs in Higher Education and in work, the Club organises occupational networking events. ’

CAREERS & NETWORKING

Careers and Networking

Every year, 15 months after graduation, all (first time) degree graduates are invited to take part in a Higher Education Statistical Agency national survey: ‘What do Graduates Do?’. In 2022 198,875 UK domiciled 2018/19 graduates responded. This annual publication – well worth a read –contains information on the outcomes for individual subjects with a commentary on the changing market, the impact of events and articles on particular issues and trends. This year it focusses on outcomes for LGBT graduates (ie finding employers with robust equal opportunity policies), the increase in self-employment and freelancing (currently recorded at 3% of graduates), and an evaluation of ‘success’ and ‘self-esteem’ (the issue of concern being mental health, and its increasing importance in our ‘image’ conscious world). Interestingly, the report records graduates’ high satisfaction rate with their Higher Education experience and current work situation.

One issue many are concerned about is the impact of AI. In October 2020, the government’s Business, Education, Innovation and Skills (BEIS) department published a report by PWC that showed around 7% of UK jobs could face a high (over 70%) probability of automation over the next five years, rising to around 18% after 10 years and just under 30% after 20 years. However, AI will also create many jobs through the boost it gives to productivity and economic growth. While some of these extra jobs will be in areas linked directly to AI and related technologies (eg data scientists, robotic engineers or people involved in the design and manufacture of sensors for driverless vehicles and drones), most of the additional employment will not be in high-tech areas. Instead, these additional jobs will mostly be in providing relatively hard-to-

Careers Advice for the 2020s

Deciding on one’s career path is, for most people, a complex and evolving process. What is attractive when choosing school subjects at 16 may change during sixthform studies, and will influence degree choice. Moving into the larger and diverse student community creates greater opportunities for exploration and self-development; these personal experiences will further widen and enhance selfknowledge. Taking full advantage of these opportunities and ‘academic’ skills such as critical analysis, writing, argument, etc, develops those vitally important ‘transferable skills’ that are increasingly demanded of by employers.

automate services (eg health and personal care) that are in greater demand due to the (hopefully) additional real incomes and spending arising from higher productivity generated by AI.

The future: overall, demand for graduates is expected to increase, with about a 10% increase in expected roles due to AI. Broadly, demand for post A-level qualifications is expected to increase while demand for qualifications at A-level or below is expected to fall. It looks as if a degree is likely to hold its value in times of disruption for a little while yet.

Female graduate outcomes

International Women’s Day is on 8 March, a day for celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Did you know that women made up more than half, 58%, of all 2018 graduates? Some of their outcomes make for interesting reading: 7% of female graduates are selfemployed or have started their own businesses; 18% carried onto further study, academic and vocational, to further their expertise and/or follow their interests, academic or for pleasure. Another interesting observation is that 76% felt fulfilled in their employment situation.

Pay differentials however remain a continuing source of frustration; statistics show that 15 months after graduation, men still have more representation in the higher earning brackets. 28% of men but only 16% of women earned more than £30,000 and twice as many men as women earned over £39,000. Gender Gap reporting is an obligation for employers with more than 250 employees. Results need to be publicised more widely to expose the problem and to assist women

Many students discover that this widening of experiences alters what they thought they knew about their career destination. Seemingly vocational degrees need not lead only to those areas of work. For example, almost as many non-law graduates enter the legal profession as do law graduates. This can produce excitement and opportunity, but may also create uncertainty and stress. This is totally normal and needs to be explored.

It is tempting to leave careers choice ‘until I’m about to graduate’. In former times that was the norm, but with the increasing (for now) student numbers creating competition, a widening of career options into new fields of employment and more sophisticated recruitment systems of employers,

Former Oxford University Careers adviser, Richard Lidwell (Murray 1959-1964), explores graduate employment opportunities and shares how the OM community can help you navigate changes in the employment landscape

Basic

2017-2018

seeking receptive employers. Unfortunately, there remains a need to tackle ingrained discrimination and false perceptions of career stereotyping.

Another key difference is that women who enter the labour market in low-paid jobs seem to experience ‘the sticky floors’ syndrome, rarely progressing upwards. By contrast, such jobs are often seen as springboards for men into higher paid positions. Surprisingly, this ‘springboard vs sticky floor’ dichotomy appears to have worsened over time.

In many workplaces, persistent norms of overwork, expectations of constant availability and excess workloads conflict with unpaid caring responsibilities; the majority of which still fall on women. Unpredictable work demands linked to casualised forms of labour also pose challenges, as do the requirement in some fields of the necessity for geographic mobility to progress.

it is essential to take steps earlier in one’s student career. The degree subject and class aren’t enough on their own to ensure success, other factors, ‘transferable’ skills, and work experience increasingly come into play to contribute to successful applications.

If you are reading this as a current student, do seek out your institution’s careers services. They will provide skills sessions, eg writing applications and handling interviews, promote vacation and permanent vacancies, offer employer fairs, etc. Many of these services are provided ‘virtually’ which increases access, but personal discussions, both ‘drop-in’ and by appointment are usually available. Remember many graduates change career direction during

Part time vs full time

There continues to be a shortage of quality part-time work, and part-time experience offers very little return on experience in terms of wage growth. While there is evidence of an increase in the proportion of female senior part-timers, the evidence suggests this is largely because already senior women negotiated a reduction in hours. Meanwhile, part-timers in lower occupational jobs (most of whom are female) receive low wages with limited opportunities for progression. Evidence from the UK also suggests there is the potential for flexible workers to suffer negative career consequences

Observations on policy solutions

The largest barriers to women’s progression in the workplace continue to arise from a conflict between organising work and caring responsibilities. Long-hours cultures, expectations of constant availability and a lack of part-time progression are enduring features of modern workplaces. The stigma associated with part-time and flexible work is likely to persist so long as these ways of working continue to be associated with women, while men work long hours. Policies that encourage and enable men to take on greater childcare responsibilities are thus essential if women are to maximise their potential. This suggests that the policy focus should be on reforming organisational cultures away from norms of overwork, and supporting the construction of non-extreme jobs, which do not require long hours and constant availability as a proxy for commitment, and which support part-time women’s progression in the workplace. Changes in the structure of the working week accelerated by the Covid epidemic with the growth of WFH (Working from Home) and policies to support work-life balance may alter perceptions of ‘traditional working life’ and allow for more opportunity for growth in equal opportunities.

their working lives, and these services are available in the years after graduation, too.

To help young OMs in Higher Education and in work, the Club organises many occupational networking events. The website advertises these, which include finance, engineering, creative arts, medicine and law. An initiative is being developed to offer sessions on developing entrepreneurial activity. Additionally, the Young Old Millhillians (YOMs) run pop-up events in universities to encourage social and experience sharing – valuable in maintaining and increasing one’s networks.

‘ Overall, demand for graduates is expected to increase, with about a 10% increase in expected roles due to AI. ’

Careers and Networking Events Medical Professions Meeting

The Royal College of Anesthetists, London Thursday 17 March 2022

The College of Anesthetists provided a most acceptable venue with its wellappointed lecture theatre where the Scientific Session, a characteristic of this meeting, was held entitled ‘The SARS CoV-2 Pandemic as experienced by Old Millhillians’. This was delivered by a faculty of six OMs from a wide age range, each of whom experienced the pandemic from different occupations within healthcare and therefore different perspectives.

Three described their ‘front line’ hospital experience and three spoke to the wider health impacts and responses. Much interest was generated in the audience which, as usual included pupils from the sixth form at the School who are considering a career in healthcare and two from the Foundation’s partner school, Copthall in Mill Hill. A panel discussion after the talks dealt with a wide variety of questions.

A lively and much needed buffet supper followed, allowing interaction between the OMs and the pupils. It was a pleasure to welcome the Head, Mrs Sanchez, and the Old Millhillian President, John

Gallagher to this event. The hub-bub accompanying supper indicated a well received and informative meeting that showcased the depth of expertise and size of contribution made by OM medics and dentists.

The programme for this event did not include a Keynote Speaker as we dedicated the Scientific Session to one subject covered by six speakers. However, at the 2021 meeting, conducted online, the Keynote Speaker was Professor Ian Needleman (Murray 1974-1978), Professor of Periodontology at The Eastman Dental Hospital, who described his dental career alongside the achievements in his personal life, not least as an organist and rock climber, as outlined in the accompanying synopsis. As an example of what Old Millhillians can achieve Ian agreed to provide this overview of his dental career and personal life illustrating his many abilities and achievements.

Event organiser: Dr Russell Cowan (Weymouth 1953-1958)

Careers and Networking Events Finance and Accounting

Asif Ahmed, (Belmont 1990-1992), Managing Director of Acclivity Advisors and Treasurer of the Old Millhillians Club Committee, has recently published a book The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs: build a solid finance department for your highgrowth business, without the trial and error. Aimed at entrepreneurs who are either new to the world of operational finance or business novices who would like to benefit from the best tips and tricks used by the most successful companies when they first start out. Asif believes ‘when there is so much information out there, some of it conflicting, why not make your life easier by learning from those that have done it already’. Asif and Acclivity Advisors work across all areas of finance but are best known for their work with first-time entrepreneurs who are looking to rapidly scale up and expand. Asif also sits on the advisory committees of both HM Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs.

Recently published, The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs is by Old Millhillians Club Treasurer, Asif Ahmed (Belmont 1990-1992)

Adrian Jordan and Andrew Croysdill

Dr Alex Mentzer and Dr Leanne Armitage

Dr Mark Simmonds

2022 Scientific Session Programme

Scientific Session: The SARS CoV-2 Pandemic as experienced by Old MillhilliansThe Front Line Experience

6.00-6.15pm The Infectious Diseases Expert’s Perspective

Dr Alex Mentzer (Collinson 1994-1998) Registrar and Academic Lecturer University of Oxford and John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford

6.15-6.30pm The Intensivist’s Perspective

Dr Mark Simmonds (Murray 1991-1996) Critical Care Consultant and Divisional Director in Medicine Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

6.30-6.45pm The Principal Investigator’s Perspective

- Research under Pandemic Pressure

Dr Matthew Frise (McClure 1992-1997)

ICU and Acute Medicine Consultant Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS Trust,

6.45-7.00pm Providing a dental service during the pandemic

Mr Adrian Jordan (Murray 1973-1978)

Civilian Dental Practitioner for the Royal Navy

7.00-7.15pm The psychological and physical impacts on medical staff from different ethnic groups

Dr Leanne Armitage (Ridgeway 2011-2013) Foundation Year 2 Trainee

7.15-7.30pm Participating in the roll-out of the vaccine programme

Dr Roger Chapman (Weymouth 1960-1965)

Retired General Practitioner and volunteer vaccinator

7.30-8.00pm Panel Question and Answer Session

Medical Professions Meeting Keynote Speaker 2021

Professor Ian Needleman (Murray 1974-1978)

My time at Mill Hill was not distinguished. I was very lucky to win a First Prize for organ in 1975 but left with grades at ‘A’ level of two ‘Es’ and an ‘O’. However, Mill Hill did give me a lasting love of music and performance as well as endurance events (the Lyke Wake) and mountains following Dentdale trips. A following year spent raising my grades elsewhere was just enough to be allowed into Guy’s to study dentistry (1979-1983). I loved university and took every opportunity to perform with orchestras, choirs and chamber music, hang glide and become a runner, inspired by spectating at the inaugural London Marathon. My ambition was achieved, or so I thought, when I secured my first general practice post. What I learnt quickly however was that I didn’t feel fulfilled by practice.

Some at Guy’s had seen something and encouraged me to pursue specialist training in periodontology (gum health) during 1985-1987. This was life changing. I discovered a love for research and the specialty with an emphasis on understanding and working with tissue biology, surgery and behaviour change. Unexpectedly, towards the end of training, I was approached by the most established specialist practice in the West End just when I had made up my mind to pursue a full-time academic career. 30+ years, later I am still there. So, the die was cast and I have had the privilege of following parallel clinical academic and specialist practice careers.

The attraction of academia is the freedom to explore. I have been fortunate to work with remarkable teams who have taught me so much. An early involvement with systematic reviews led to appointment in 2002 as an Editor with the Cochrane Collaboration and a fascination (and determination) to shape how research informs clinical practice. Another theme has been patient centred care. This has led us to work in Critical Care units to understand how oral health deteriorates and impacts on life quality but can be improved by pragmatic interventions. It also led to the incredible privilege of running a study in the Olympic Village at London 2012 where we were able to show (and in subsequent studies) that elite athlete oral health was poor with common performance impacts. However, we have also successfully mitigated these impacts in studies in high performance sport by integrating behaviour change, science and participant engagement. The journey continues.

The Symposium in session at the Royal College of Anaesthetists

Head Jane Sanchez with pupils and OM Dr Leanne Armitage

Dr Matthew Frise and Tim John Dr Roger Chapman

Careers and Networking Events Property Dinner Cavalry and Guards Club,

Piccadilly, London Wednesday 23 March 2022

The Property Dinner was as usual, a well attended and entertaining evening. Hosted in the splendid surroundings of the Cavalry and Guards Club on Piccadilly OMs from the property professions enjoyed a lively reception and delicious threecourse meal. Antony Spencer, CEO of MHS Foundation, addressed the guests and shared some updates of estate development plans. In his usual humorous and theatrical style well known to many (!) Club President John Gallagher also addressed the guests. Graham Chase and Mike Peskin were, as always, excellent hosts, another reason why this event has continued to run so successfully.

Event

Organisers: Mike Peskin (Burton Bank 1980-1984) Graham Chase (Burton Bank 1967-1972) Stuart Hibberdine (Scrutton 1950-1955)

Eugin Song, Luca Inzani, Manav Sharna

Andy Clarke, Andrew Halstead

The pre-dinner drinks reception was held in the Waterloo room of the Club

The grand staircase at the Calvary and Guards club

William Maunder Taylor, Graham Chase, John Gallagher

Sitting down for dinner in the Peninsula room

Neir Gigi, David Matthews, Marc Eden, Nick Priestnall

Careers and Networking Events Engineer’s Dinner

The Bleeding Heart, Clerkenwell, London Friday 13 May 2022

After a three-year gap, the Engineer’s Dinner was back at The Bleeding Heart in London’s historic Clerkenwell. We enjoyed an excellent turnout: 27 in all with some new faces including some YOMs who had previously attended while still pupils at the School. We were also pleased to welcome four current MHS Lower Sixth pupils accompanied by the Head of Design & Technology, Andrew Walmsley.

Our guest speaker, Dr Stewart Kempsell, has had an extensive career in the energy industry and experience of working on alternatives to current fuels. He spoke about the timeline of electrification of the car population and the many engineering challenges that lie ahead as the transition scales up from being niche to mass market. These include installation of vast number of fast charging points, upgrading parts of the national grid, much more renewable energy backed up with nuclear, and the strategic supply of lithium and other rare metals.

This generated interesting questions and a vibrant discussion about climate change and the transition to Net Zero Carbon Dioxide which only came to an end when people had to leave to catch trains. We were also fortunate to have a number of attendees whose careers currently involve them in this field, as well as a number with broader but overlapping interests. This subject is of course very topical and quite understandably generated a lot of interest, opinion, and a fair degree of passion around the table.

It would be great to see even more new faces joining us at next year’s event which has been booked for 12 May 2023 and we shall attempt to replicate the successful format experienced in 2022.

Event organiser: Gordon Mizner (Murray 1965-1969)

The delicious French food at the Bleeding Heart restaurant makes this the Engineer’s preferred venue for its friendly and informative networking events

Gabriel and Robert Grays

Theo Jones, Lukas Vanhaesebroeck

Nolan Newman and event organiser Gordon Mizner

Nigel Andrew, Angela Mizner

Clive Mence, Stewart Kempsell

Careers and Networking Events City Dinner

The Lansdowne Club, London Thursday 5 May 2022

The City and Financial Services Dinner was, as usual, a well-attended event by OMs as well as several sixth formers from the school, capably chaperoned by John Barron. Networking is a core element of this event and no one missed out. Our guest speaker Kristen Weldon, Global Head of BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI) Sustainable Investing, arrived early and was an excellent mixer. Her expertise in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors underpinning investment decisions is unparalleled, but she amused us all with her comment that her three years’ experience makes her an industry veteran. ESG is new to the investment agenda!

Kristen’s after-dinner talk was highly instructive and was followed by one of the longest Q&A sessions in memory for a Professional Networking event. ESG is a topic that divides opinion, no more than now some six months after the event, as investment professionals – few of whom have ever experienced stagflation and war in Europe – grapple with the trade-offs facing the global economy.

Event organiser: Solon Satanas (Murray 1990-1993)

Richard Tray, Victor Hoyek and Ellias Hoyek

Peter Wakeham, Stephen Renton and James Newbery

John Hellinikakis, Kristen Weldon and John Cicale

From left to right: Adrian Griffiths, Nina El-Imad, Charles Winch, Aneesh Bari and Arabella Owide

The event was also attended by current MHS Sixth Form pupils, from left to right: Will Proctor, Adam Rohald, Noah Tackaberry, Arabella Owide, Aneesh Bari, Luca Inzani, and Alexander Subramaniam

Solon Satanas and John Barron

Peter Wakeham

Kristen Weldon

Klaus Wang and Aman Galani

John Cicale, Aris Savva and Layken Senior

James Newbery and Will Proctor

Aris Savva and Aneesh Bari

Ivan Keane

Alexander Subramaniam and Abhijit Gupta

Alex Burtt

Charles Winch and Adam Rohald

Careers and Networking Events Legal Networking Event

Wedlake Bell, City of London

Thursday 17 November 2022

We invited the Club’s most recent President and distinguished barrister, John Gallagher, as guest speaker at our most recent Legal event which took place at Wedlake Bell’s offices in Queen Victoria Street. The wideranging title of John’s talk ‘Is the law meeting Society’s needs in the 21st century?’ included domestic issues (such as whether the public has sufficient access to legal representation and whether current sentencing and parole policies make sense) and international issues such as the role of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Besides being a very entertaining speaker with many anecdotes, John has a great variety of legal experience and expertise gathered during his long legal career. Having taken in a BA in classics and theology at King’s College London en route, he was called to the Bar in 1974. Since then he has built an extensive legal practice including diverse areas such as clinical negligence, professional indemnity insurance, ecclesiastical law, gun licensing law and sports law – the latter bringing him into contact, metaphorically speaking, with notable Premier division rugby footballers and professional footballers. He is a Crown Court Recorder, Chancellor of the Diocese of Rochester and Deputy Chancellor of Chelmsford.

We hope that everyone who attended enjoyed one another’s’ company and the fine views of St Paul’s Cathedral from Wedlake Bell’s offices who kindly hosted the event again this year. This evening’s meeting included drinks, buffet supper as well as the Guest Speaker’s talk, followed by a Q&A session.

Whether you are considering a career in the law, are on the career ladder or an established or retired lawyer, the OM Legal Event provides an opportunity to socialise, network and hear a stimulating talk. Non-legal OMs are also most welcome.

Event organiser: Clive Weber (Ridgeway 1965-1969)

Legal event guest speaker Club President and Barrister at law, John Gallagher

An Old Millhillians Club Lawyers’ Dinner 1958

Careers and Networking Events Creative Arts Club

One Blackfriars, London Thursday 24 November 2022

Amanda Stavri (McClure 1990-1992) is a commissioner for ITV entertainment. ‘I get to choose who goes in the Love Island Villa’

We have invited ITV’s Commissioning Editor of Factual Entertainment

Amanda Stavri (McClure 1990-1992) to be our guest speaker at this usually lively and popular event in the stunning viewing lounge at One Blackfriars. Amanda who started her career in TV working on Come Dine with Me, Temptation Island and The Pride of Britain Awards, has made a stellar rise in the world of TV production. She is currently working across ITV, ITV2 & ITVBe channels and is involved with such blockbuster series as Love Island, The Cabins, The Only Way is Essex, Real Housewives of Cheshire, as well as Keeping Up with the Aristocrats and Bear Grylls celebrity specials. Amanda will be sharing her inside knowledge on how to get into the industry and what it’s like once you get there, so if you are keen to get into TV this event is a must! In advance of her appearance, we asked Amanda about how her time at Mill Hill helped shaped her and for her tips on how to get started on a career in TV.

Event organiser: Tom Lincoln (School House 1998-2003)

What are your most significant memories of being at MHS?

The rites of passage moments I remember most are from my time in the sixth form. I threw myself into everything: netball (and the gossip on the Mill Hill mini-bus), drama (the dress rehearsal for the school’s production of Amadeus fell flat when the audience bused in from a local nursing home nodded off); trips away which included getting lost on Hadrian’s Wall and going to the Bull & Bush on a Saturday night. Mill Hill had such a strong sense of community and belonging, it allowed me to be myself, take opportunities and thrive. I’m still best friends with many of the girls I met there, so my time there still plays a big part in my life today.

Who was your most influential teacher?

I really need to thank Mr Ede, my biology teacher who, without knowing it, started a chain of events that would see me land my dream job as a TV. I knew early on that I wanted a career in TV Production and when a crew from The Six O’Clock Show [a topical magazine show that aired on a Friday night in the early Nineties] enquired about using Mill Hill as a location, Mr Ede made a condition that of course they could come but they had to give me work experience on the show. They agreed and I spent a week at London Weekend Television: it was everything I’d hoped it would be and I met people who would give me opportunities to enter my now career. In the years to come they have now become friends.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in TV?

Watch loads of television: this will help you decide the genre of TV you are interested in. Get work experience: watch the end credits to identify the Executive Producer who is the person to contact for work experience opportunities. Be proactive: create your own ideas and make your own content or example filming on your phone and editing on your lap-top, to showcase your passion.

Fame and legacy are attributes of many former pupils of Mill Hill School. The fame and legacy of Nobel Prize winner, Dr Francis Crick OM FRS, the discoverer of DNA will likely go on forever. There are many, who have found fame, but left no legacy. And there are many, whose fame was only as lengthy as people’s collective memory, but who have still left a legacy.

Reminiscences

Reminiscences A ROYAL LEGACY

On Monday 1 July 1957, Mill Hill School was honoured by the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to mark the 150th anniversary of The Foundation. During this period of national reflection on the legacy of her reign we caught up with some OMs who were on parade to hear their recollections of the day

‘I was Senior Monitor on the occasion of the Queen’s visit. I believe there is a picture of me and her in the Octagon unless it has now been removed. The school was of course smartened up for the occasion. I recall the posts holding the chain in front of the school all having their chocolate and white paint refreshed. There was a rehearsal just before the visit. As the visit was on a Monday I think the rehearsal must have been on the previous Friday. Anyway, I missed it as I was in Oxford for a college entrance exam. My place as Senior Monitor was taken by Alex Scobie and the place of the queen was taken by the pretty young secretary (Veronica Cooper, 19) from the “Lackery” (the stationery store in the basement of the Marnham Block). This was all recorded by the local paper. I believe it was the night before that there was a heavy thunderstorm which was very worrying but the day of the visit was bright and sunny. The band of the Scots Guards played on Top Field, the school looking at its best. The Queen’s Rolls-Royce arrived via an entrance by St Bee’s and stopped just south of School House. Her arrival was photographed by a member of the Photographic Society who was able to present her with a finished print 20 minutes later. I suppose that seemed quite an achievement in 1957! In front of the portico she inspected a detachment of the CCF. I have often been asked what we talked about as the Queen and I walked together but I am afraid I cannot remember any of

the conversation as I led HM across the quad to the front of the Science Block and introduced her to my fellow monitors, nor when we all walked down to the Fishing Net. I do recall having tea in an enclosed area of the Headmaster’s garden across the Ridgeway – with raspberries and cream. Then it was back to the Headmaster’s study where she signed the visitors’ book with a specially-acquired Parker pen. Thence through the French doors to the portico where Major Alan Bush’s daughter presented a bouquet. Finally, I made a farewell speech which had been carefully vetted by the Head Master, Roy Moore, (I still have the text of it inside a programme) and called for three cheers. Then HM left. I was editor of the Mill Hill Magazine in which the royal visit is fully described. I was also able to acquire quite a few Press photographs and newspaper cuttings as the visit received a lot of coverage in the national papers and in the Illustrated London News. I seem to remember it also featured in the BBC television news which some of us saw in that evening in Major Bowring’s sitting-room. He was housemaster of School House. It is hard to believe that now, when I am aged 83, the Queen who I met as a schoolboy was until recently still on the throne. It was a great day - amazingly 65 years ago!’

Frederick Higgs (Ridgeway 1952-1957)

The original programme for the 150th anniversary celebration of the Foundation in the prescence of Her Majexty The Queen

Reminiscences A Royal Legacy

‘I was a member of the CCF band, playing the bugle for the Royal Salute on her arrival. I remember the Queen planting a cedar tree and seeing newspaper photographs the next day commenting that she must be left handed as she planted the tree holding the spade to her left.

It was compulsory for every boy to be a member of the CCF or the Scout Troop. The vast majority opted to join the CCF, and the Scouts probably numbered only about 30. The School Chaplain was the Scoutmaster. The CCF Contingent Commander was Clive Baker, the Art Master, who had been a Commando in the War. Another Officer, Alan Bush, who was my English Master, had been awarded the Military Cross at Arnhem, serving with the Parachute Regiment. I believe he climbed onto German tanks and dropped hand grenades into the tank’s hatch. He wore SAS wings on his uniform, so he must have served with the Special Air Service too.’

Robin B Watts (Weymouth

1953-1958)

‘I was at MHS and well remember the preparations for HM’s visit. We were carefully rehearsed in where we stood and clapped and so on. And two days before she came I was admitted to

the San – I can’t now remember why, but it wasn’t all that serious. I was, however, the only boy in the San, and therefore missed all the excitement. What annoyed me, when I found out a few days later was the HM The Queen and Roy Moore walked along the path from the Chapel right in front of my room on the ground floor. It can’t have been beyond the width of man (or Matron) to have had the bed turned through 180 degrees so that the afflicted one might have been the recipient of a Royal Wave. So much for the power of the Sovereign to cure by a mere touch. But it wasn’t scrofula I had, luckily.’

Robin Lloyd Owen (Winterstoke

1954-59)

‘How could we ever forget the Queen’s visit in 1957 but for some of us it was only from a distance! I was captain of the Colts cricket team at the time and we had a ‘staged’ match on Memorial Field (higher teams were on The Parks). From a distant mid-off position, I caught a fleeting glimpse of HM the Queen as she passed down the road above the tennis courts and Gears! No more!’

Arthur Ferryman (Burton Bank 1954-1959)

‘For some reason I was playing cricket on Park, I was not a cricketer, my parents were very impressed, her visit confirmed that they had done the right thing in sending me to Mill Hill. By the time of her visit the place had been given a face lift, all gates and posts had been repainted in brown and white, lawns cut, hedges trimmed and flower beds planted.’

Mike Lunan (Burton Bank

1955-1960)

‘I was just about to take my O level exams at the time of the Queen’s visit. My parents collected various newspaper cuttings and I still have these including The Illustrated London News which has a full page on the event. I, myself, was in the band playing the tenor drum and that is about all I can remember!’

Marcel Mann (Murray

1956-1961)

‘I was in my first year in Burton Bank but have few memories of any particular interest: fagging was what I mostly recall that year. We were all assigned to some activity or other. In my case it was playing cricket on The Parks, in front of the pavilion where the Queen was sitting. I remember it only because I never played the game before or since!’

Rodney Bennett (Murray 1956-1961)

Her Majesty the Queen inspecting the Scout Troop with Headmaster Roy Moore

‘Her arrival was photographed by a member of the Photographic Society who was able to present her with a finished print 20 minutes later’

I was indeed at Mill Hill for the Queen’s Visit in June 1957. It was towards the end of my lowly first year. I had done nothing to get picked out and presented to her in any way. There were plenty of black-and-white professionalstandard photographs taken and were subsequently available for purchase. We were lined up along the bank to the north of Top Field and all had to bow as she walked past. She planted a small tree along that bank somewhere.

Robin Thorn

(Burton Bank 1956-1961)

I well remember the visit by HM The Queen and the build-up to it. My year pupils were in a corps style squad positioned near Top Field by the two, grass covered ex-air raid shelters which were hobby accommodation. It was an impressive visit which all were very excited about.

John Patterson (Weymouth 1956-61)

I was at school in 1957 when the Queen toured the school. Very formal I recall with all us boys being told what to do and line up smartly. I had some photos but they have become lost in my many moves over the years. She did the usual planting of a tree somewhere. I hope it survived.

Anthony Lawson-Smith (Burton Bank 1955-1959)

It was at the end of my first year. I was in the Boy Scouts and, if I remember correctly I was positioned somewhere on the main cricket pitch on Parks and had to look out for the arrival of the Queen at the pavilion and then run somewhere with the message that she had arrived. The other thing that I have a vague memory about is that there were some swimming competitions put on for her to witness and Grimsdell jnr (from Winterstoke) may have won one of them.

John Stuckey (School House 1955-1959)

on the day but I can only find page 35 of The Illustrated London News dated July 6th 1957. It has five photos, one of the Queen planting a small tree, two with the Monitors, one with the athletics captain and the large centre photo of the CCF. I was centre of the second row and although I can see we were presenting arms I can’t identify myself even after using a magnifying glass. I believe, but may be wrong, the officer saluting is Major Baker who was also our art teacher, and he lived in the house opposite the school which was noted for having a window in the chimney. Nearest the camera is shown an ex-army NCO, he may have been Quarter-Master for the CCF, I regret I can’t remember his name. I applied to him to learn the bugle but couldn’t blow a note so then applied to play a drum but couldn’t get the hang of that either however I needed no special skills to be in the Guard of Honour.

Brian Wates (Winterstoke 1956-1961)

Robin B Watts (1953-1958), in the lab coat far right, took the Queen’s photograph on arrival and, along with his photography lab partner, John Wain, processed the image in

I was in the CCF Guard of Honour when her Majesty visited the school, my wife thought I had some actual photos taken

Appeal Fund donation thankyou letter to photographer Robin Watts who sold his pictures of Her Majesty.

Reminiscences A Royal Legacy

‘All I remember is that HM watched me play cricket (wicket keeper)!’

Stephen Wand (Collinson 1956-1961)

‘I was batting in front of the cricket pavillon. My Dad filmed it but forgot to turn the film over at the end so he then later filmed a model yacht over the top. He destroyed the film and camera.’

David A B Brown (Burton Bank 1956-1961)

‘The only memory I have is that it was a lovely summer’s day and HM was late, apparently because of traffic from Windsor. I was in the Guard of Honour at the Portico in full uniform and it was hot. We had to stand ‘at ease’ for quite some time before coming to attention and then presenting arms for the Royal Salute.’

Chris Driscoll (Collinson 1956-1960)

‘I was in the guard of honour as a member of the CCF.’

Martin Saunders (Ridgeway 1954-1959)

‘I was in the Mill Hill School Swimming and Diving team (which had great success all these years including 1958 in which MHS had a clean sweep in its whole season of competition.) I was one of the team that gave the diving display for Her Majesty’s visit and it still feels a fantastic privilege to have been there and be part of the celebration. When we did the “triple piggyback” we tried to dramatise it a little by emitting a few oohs and aahs as we “staggered” along to the end of the diving board. It was fun!’

Mike Leon (Winterstoke 1953-1957)

‘I was at Mill Hill in my second year. Unfortunately, during the events portion of the visit, I was

participating in an exhibition cricket match to be viewed by the Queen. I was not a serious cricketer, but had fun taking big swings, going for broke, and occasionally hitting sixes. This story line was picked up by the papers and around the headline “Baseball boy hits a six for the Queen”. Lots of embellishment and inaccuracies, untrue quotations in an effort to make good reading. The papers have not changed much!’

John M Newson (School House-Scrutton 1955-1958)

‘I was in the cadets Guard but she did not speak to me as she walked past. Later she watched us play cricket.’ Richard Ehrlich (Collinson 1955-1960)

‘I was playing the bass drum...’ Bob Hudgell (Winterstoke 1954-1959)

‘Being a monitor, I was involved in the smooth running of the day. We were even instrurcted not to initiate conversations and only to speak to answer her queries. This young lady, only ten years older than me, did not seem interested in the school let alone its nonconfirmost foundation. So we had a nearly silent day. Hardly exciting stuff and Prince Philip didn’t turn up to use the prepared swimming costume. He could have cheered us all up.

Teatime was held in the Headmaster’s garden. Of course, we Monitors were last to be served and I remember eating one strawberry only before being chivvied to hurry up and stand in front of the school for a grand farewell. To catch up with e bigwigs I charged through a classroom only to find the Queen being dolled-up by two courtiers. Perhaps I am the only person alive to see our monarch being done up.

This day has remained with me for 65 years. From today’s thinking it is extraordinary that we were in the middle of ‘A’ levels. We were not given any bonus points to bring us up to the required level of our expectations. Of course not. We accepted the situation and got on with it (I loved our photos in all the main papers). It was a day with which I have bored countless dinner parties. I think of the bored young lady and what a wonder she turned into. But I would not recommend my daughter to apply for the post.’

Alan Figgis (Murray 1953-1957)

‘I clearly recall the HM’s visit walking with the monitors – Senior Monitor Fred Higgs (Ridgeway 1952-1957) and watching cricket on The Park with Headmaster Roy Moore (1951-1967), Lord Sellers (Chair of the Governors) with other Governors, including my father. From a very distant memory, I recall playing cricket - I think! I also recall being in CCF uniform for a Guard of Honour but again memory is sullied by the passage of time. The weather that day in 1957 was mixed. I still have some photos of Her Majesty planting the commemorative tree on Top Terrace.’

Tony Millard (Collinson 1953-1957)

‘I remember The Queen opened the new Science Block and that she was shown around by my father Lyle Bee, who was Housemaster of Burton Bank (1945-1957) at the time. We pupils were doing experiments when she came into the Physics Lab. She spoke to Mike Cohn (Weymouth 1953-1958). I was on the next bench but she did not stop again’

Richard Bee (Murray 1953-1958)

Reminiscences: Fashion Legacy

Sir Norman Hartnell KCVO

(MHS 1914-1919)

Courturier, Sir Norman Hartnell (12 June 1901-8 June 1979) was just 21 when, armed with ‘£300, a box of paints and the enthusiasm of ignorance’ he opened his Mayfair salon in 1923. He dressed the Queen for some of the most important ocassions of her reign

Hartnell was born in Streatham, southwest London. His parents were then publicans and owners of the Crown & Sceptre, at the top of Streatham Hill. Educated at Mill Hill School, Hartnell became an undergraduate at Magdalene College, Cambridge and read Modern Languages. Thanks to his Cambridge connections, Hartnell acquired a clientele of débutantes and their mothers, who desired fashionable and original designs for a busy social life centred on the London Season. Hartnell was considered by some to be a good London alternative to Parisian or older London dress houses, and the London press seized on the novelty of his youth and gender.

He earned rave reviews after showing his designs in Paris in 1927, rapidly establishing himself as London’s most soughtafter couturier. Hartnell designed for members of the Royal

family from 1935, an association culminating in Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown in 1947, and her magnificent Coronation dress six years later. Best known for romantic eveningwear glittering with embellishments and embroidery, he also established a successful ready-to-wear line, dressing high society and film stars, cementing London’s position as an innovative fashion centre.

Hartnell produced a range of collections, including bridalwear, perfume, shoes, furs, menswear, jewellery and ready-towear. In 1977, he was knighted by The Queen Mother for his services to the Royal Household – the first fashion designer to receive this honour and still remains one of a handful of British designers to have been knighted; the others are Hardy Amies, Zandra Rhodes, Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood. He was depicted in The Crown by actor Richard Clifford.

Hartnell sketching

Sir John McClure our headmaster, encouraged me to concentrate on my sketching, and my mother, with her great feelings of beauty, was an unfailing source of inspiration.’

Hartnell designed the Queen’s coronation gown, which was hand embroidered with 10,000 seed pearls and thousands of white crystal beads, all meticulously arranged to render emblems of the Commonwealth

‘

Reminiscences: Fashion Legacy Sir Norman Hartnell KCVO

In his autobiography, Silver and Gold (1955), Norman Hartnell reminisces about his nascent fashion talent and the formative years he spent at MHS where none other than Sir John McClure encouraged his interest art and sketching.

‘Soon I was given a box of watercolour paints; and with it sketched my first dress design. My cousin, Constance, saw this sketch, asked permission to have the dress made up by a local dressmaker and wore it at a Fancy Dress Ball, winning the first prize that New Year’s Eve. All my school books on mathematics, geometry and algebra, were covered with doodled designs of dresses and likenesses of the leading actresses of the day ¬– Miss Doris Keane, Miss José Collins and Gaby Deslys. I had bought and studied so many picture post-cards that I could draw them or their dresses from memory. Easiest to draw was Doris Keane in the lovely picture frocks she wore in the film 1920 film Romance. The dresses, I knew, were made in Paris. They were designed by someone called Jeanne Lanvin – a name unknown to me then but later to mean magic. So there was Miss Doris Keane swirling through algebraic symbols in rose tulle crinolines embroidered with blue butterflies, or a voluminous dress of green velvet and Brussels lace, but the majority of my sketches depicted her in a dress of swaying black velvet, white ermine jacket and cascades of limpid pearls weighted by a diamond cross.

At Mill Hill I first met Miss Kate Day, now the successful milliner of Mount Street, who has recently enjoyed the honour of making some hats for Her Majesty The Queen. At that time, she was being splendidly finished off at a neighbouring

academy for young ladies dimpled and stus. I used to leave love notes for her in the hollow of a nearby oak tree. One Wednesday afternoon, she encouraged my friend Edward Higham and myself to meet her and her friend, Adele Blackwood, a young Irish beauty, at a neighbouring inn called The Green Man, which was out of bounds, where we took tea illicitly. Higham was a prefect; I was not. Prefects were allowed to carry a cane when walking out, but I was not. So, I casually stuffed a spare cane down the leg of one of my trousers as we escaped from school, and I waved it about like Charlie Chaplin when I met Miss Day and Miss Blackwood. On returning to school I realized I had been discovered, for the Housemaster met us on the cinder path that leads up by the playing fields. He conducted me straight away to his study. The curly end of the cane still stuck out between the back buttons at the top of my trousers. The master removed the cane and administered punishment on the spot. Miss Day has not led me into any similar misbehaviour since.

Sir John McClure, our Headmaster, encouraged me to concentrate on my sketching, and my mother, with her great feeling for beauty, was an unfailing source of inspiration; but I never felt that Father really approved of my interest in art. And yet, some years later when I found premises and decided to start a fashion house of my own, he paid my first year’s rent.’

Honours and Awards

• 1939 Officer of the Ordre des Palmes académiques

• 1953 Member 4th Class of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)

• 1977 Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO)

Defence Medal for service in the Home Guard

Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal

Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth in 1940, and Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957

Portrait of Hartnell at home

Sir Norman Hartnell has a commemorative Blue Plaque outside his Mayfair artelier

‘ My interest in Fashion began with a box of crayons. Because I was a sickly child, forced to remain in bed for long periods, I would sit propped up with pillows, with a drawing block against my knees weaving crude but fantastic designs. “Give the boy his crayons”, was the cry when I became tiresome. ’

Ivory silk tulle gown 1939

Reminiscences: Architecture

RALPH TUBBS OBE FRIBA

(MHS 1925-1930)

One of Britain’s most notable modernist architects Ralph Tubbs (9 January 1912 - 23 November 1996) left an indelible mark on our national collective memory by lifting everyone’s post-War spirits with his Dome of Discovery for the 1951 Festival of Britain. John Hellinikakis shares his intrigue for an OM who might have only had fleeting fame, but certainly left a legacy

Ralph Tubbs designed the Dome of Discovery for the Festival of Britain’ is a short sentence about one of many forgotten Old Millhillians featured in ‘Nobis – The Story of a Club’ published to celebrate the Club’s centenary in 1978. This sentence, however, piqued my interest, because of my particular interest in the 1951 Festival of Britain and Modernist architecture of which Tubbs was a notable exponent.

The son of a chartered accountant, Ralph Tubbs OBE FRIBA was born in Hadley Wood in 1912 and educated at Mill Hill School, shortly after Maurice Jacks took over the headmastership after Sir John McClure’s untimely death in 1922. Tubbs gained his professional qualifications at the Architectural Association and went from there to work with Ernö Goldfinger, a Modernist architect and furniture designer from Budapest, who was instrumental in popularising the Modern Movement in Britain from the 1930s onwards. While working with Goldfinger, Tubbs was involved in drawing the plans for 2 Willow Road (now listed), built in London’s Hampstead in 1939 and now managed by the National Trust. A home for Goldfinger and his family as well as a showcase for his work, its design was Cubist in shape with clean lines, light and airy, incorporating large windows; and somewhat plain compared to the more decorative Art Deco period that it superseded. 2 Willow Road was also notable because it was built using both brick and concrete; the latter being very new building material at that time.

If the name ‘Goldfinger’ rings a bell, it is not by coincidence: when 2 Willow Road was proposed, the architecture was regarded by many local residents as not in keeping with the surrounding area and indeed several pretty cottages were razed to accommodate the building. One of those residents was James Bond author Ian Fleming, who was so incensed by it that he named one of his nastiest villains after the architect.

Tubbs went on to work for another of the more avant-garde architectural practices of the period, Maxwell Fry and Walter Gropius, who created the Bauhaus architectural style with a particular interest in high-quality, low-cost housing. At the outset of the war Tubbs was unable to join up because of a school sports injury, so he made himself useful by joining the St Paul’s Cathedral Fire Watch, while becoming Secretary of the highly influential MARS (Modern Architectural Research

Group), where he helped in the design of factories for the War effort. In 1940, he designed an exhibition for the British Institute of Adult Education and the Council for Encouragement of the Music and Arts. This was regarded as a ‘futuristic exhibition’, for which he wrote the book called ‘Living in Cities’ (Penguin 1942) which looked at the way people lived and how the country could ‘build back better’ after the destruction of Britain’s cities after the war. He continued to develop these ideas in ‘The Englishman Builds’ (Penguin 1945).

At the end of the war, Britain found itself with a terrible burden of debt, its empire diminishing and in 1948, the country was still under rationing; it was grey and depressed and confidence was low. To raise the country’s spirits, the Labour government came up with the idea to mark the centenary of the Great Exhibition of 1851 with a celebration of Britain. A gesture of defiance in the face of austerity, the 1951 Festival was to remind the people and the world what was great about Britain, its history, its people, its innovations, and its future. Time was short, however – only three years to devise the concept, design and build the structures and exhibits around the country, with the centrepiece being a complex of buildings and pavilions on the South Bank of the Thames, a bombsite and former warehouses and poor ‘working class’ housing. The buildings and layout were designed to promote modern building with an emphasis on light, airy structures in the Modernist style using concrete in construction.

To complete the works on time, military precision was required, and this was achieved under the chairship of General Lord Ismay who recruited ex-Army officers as overseers, while the cream of young British architects, designers, and artists were pulled in to create the pavilions and content. And young they were. Architects included Hugh Casson (38), who was the lead architect, Misha Black (38), and Ralph Tubbs (36). The festival site was dissected by a rail bridge; Casson was made responsible for the upstream and Tubbs for the downstream. Tubbs was also appointed the architect for arguably the most impressive building of the complex, the Dome of Discovery. Working alongside engineers Freeman, Fox, and Partners, Tubbs designed a structure, 365ft in diameter representing the number of days in a year, with aluminium arches supporting the roof for lightness.

A site visit to the South Bank Exhibiton. Ralph Tubbs is accompanied by HM The Queen & Gerald Barry, Director General of the Festival of Britain

The Dome of Discovery exactly 365 feet in diameter was the largest dome in the world. ‘Ralph’s son John recalls his father saying that this dimension was chosen as it was an easy one to remember. He also claimed that it was twice the length of the axis of the Albert Hall.’ Architect, Richard Rogers’ subsequent 2000 Millennium Dome was inspired by Tubbs’ design and shares the same 365 diameter

Ralph Tubbs OBE FRIBA

Far left, Ralph Tubbs at the drawing board with colleagues

In Living in Cities (published 1942) Ralph Tubbs, a spin off from an exhibition at the British Institute

1951 Festival of Britain catalogue

Reminiscences: Achitecture Ralph Tubbs OBE FRIBA

Support for the arches came only from the exterior walls of the building, which created a large void – perfect as an exhibition space making it one of the first and largest prefabricated building in the world, with much of the structure made offsite.

And indeed, as a nod to the original, when the Millennium Dome was designed by Sir Richard Rogers some 50 years later as an exhibition space celebrating the passing of the 20th Century, he also chose to give it a diameter of 365ft.

The Festival of Britain was a great showcase of Britain, past, present, and future and attracted a huge attendance. Out of a then population of 49 million, it is estimated that about half attended over a four-month period of the Summer of 1951. Huge site-specific works of art were on display including colourful murals and statues by such artists as Henry Moore, while a rocket-like sculpture, the Skylon, punched high through the drabness of everyday life. People felt a sense of an optimism for the future, not least by seeing the new domestic gadgets on display that would make housewives’ lives much easier (remember this was 1951!), while scientific exhibits bordering o n science fiction heralded the Festival as a ‘Beacon of Change’.

Labour, who won the second post-war election in 1950, felt that they would benefit from a subsequent bounce after the Festival. They miscalculated and the election held at the end of 1951 returned a Conservative government, which was a death sentence for the Festival buildings.

The Conservatives had been opposed to the Festival of Britain from conception, regarding it as a socialist propaganda enterprise. A view, ironically, shared by Hugh Casson and many of his colleagues. The entire complex, including the Dome of Discovery, but excluding the Royal Festival Hall, was demolished.

For Tubbs, if his reputation was solid before the Festival of Britain, it was now sealed. He once commented that after the Dome of Discovery, he never again had to seek work – commissions kept rolling in. His preference was to keep his practice small. Ralph Tubbs Architect founded in 1948, employed only 26 assistants to ensure that he was always on top of each project.

As the Festival used concrete in abundance, it soon became clear to property developers that this was the building material of the future being both cheap and enabling quicker construction, especially of tall buildings. The consequence was that Modernism gave way to Brutalism, which Tubbs thought brutalised people where he felt that Modernism promoted: ‘form and proportion, renewed delight in spatial sensation, precision, and alliance with nature.’ Sadly, while most of Tubbs’ buildings exist today as his legacy, his futuristic Dome of Discovery is gone, but even then, the Millennium Dome (or O2) as designed by Richard Rogers was inspired by Tubb’s design and can legitimately be regarded as another of Tubb’s legacies.

As a postscript, Tubbs also had an outside interest in insects and the natural world. He became president of the Royal Entomological Society of London from 1982 to 1984.

1959-1973

1952–1953 YMCA Indian Student Hostel, Fitzrovia, London

1956–1961 Baden-Powell House, Kensington, London (1961 Gold Medal winner of the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers)

1960 Granada House, Manchester

Charing Cross Hospital, Hammersmith, London

Ralph Tubbs Buildings

1939 2 Willow Road (now listed), built in London’s Hampstead

As a result of a school sports injury, my father was unable to undertake active service in the Second World War and so became a member of the Night Watch at St Paul’s Cathedral. Coincidentally, this became a magnet for a large number of poets, artists, sculptures, writers and pacifists, who were allowed to volunteer to this substitute duty. My father soon found himself in the milieu of many of the leading contemporary artists of the day. A number of whom also congregated on the sub-tropical island of Tresco, along with Lucien Freud who was billetted with the Island’s proprietors, the Dorrien-Smith family. Here, they met and became friends with the Gibbons, another local family, whose modest cottage became the meeting place for this artistic network. It was here that they drew inspiration and laid down the roots for the Festival. I believe the roof of St Paul’s, where my father spent so much of his wartime experience, was also part of the inspiration for the Dome design.

Central to his belief for the displays inside was to include exhibitions celebrating humanity’s needs and achievements and for them to be empowering and creative, referencing time rather than people, which he felt limited ideas.

Although I was only born in 1954, I remember as a child we’d go and visit the likes of Henry Moore or John Piper, driving to their studios in my father’s vintage Bentley, the only car he ever drove, also as a consequence of his school injury. Despite a huge roster of artist friends, my father was never keen on the whole social circuit thing. When we visited his artist and architect friends, it was very much in private. Wining and dining with the glitterati was never my father’s style; he was shy and restrained, but surprisingly perhaps he was a remarkably relaxed and confident and amusing speaker and people always warmed to him. For my part, the nearest I got to any involvement with the Festival

of Britain was to help put together the artwork and graphics for the Festival of Britain bus, which was included within the Millennium dome exhibitions. I have no doubt that the designing of the Dome of Discovery was my father’s greatest delight and gave him the greatest satisfaction of all his projects. I’ve also no doubt that the incoming government’s almost immediate destruction of the Dome for scrap, for political reasons caused him great dissatisfaction. That the Festival site over 70 years later still lives to tell the tale, says a great deal about the whole enterprise and enthusiasm of the original pioneers, which enabled the Festival’s spirit to live on for now and the future. Indeed, you can now buy Festival of Britain wallpaper, so the vision lives on, even if it is only two dimensional.

Prior to the Festival Project, my father had written a couple of books, ‘Living in Cities’ in 1942 and ‘The Englishman Builds’ in 1945

The Englishman Builds, Ralph Tubbs, 1942

The 1951 Dome of Discovery was affectionately known by the family as ‘Ralph’s Ark’

Jonathan Tubbs (Ridgeway 1970-1975) shares his recollections about his father Ralph

Reminiscences: Conservation (Weymouth 1959-1963) TONY FITZJOHN OBE

On December 14, 2006, HRH The Prince of Wales awarded Tony Fitzjohn (Fitz) with the prestigious Order Of The British Empire for his outstanding work for the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust in Tanzania.

Anthony Fitzjohn, was a highly respected, globally renowned conservationist who dedicated over 50 years of his life to the successful rehabilitation of animals into the wild. He worked extensively with George Adamson at Kora in Kenya and subsequently worked with wildlife authorities in Tanzania, transforming a virtual desert into National Park status in Mkomazi over a period of 30 years.

He established and stocked the first successful rhino sanctuary in Mkomazi and also set up a successful captive breeding program for the endangered African wild dog including ground breaking veterinary research into the immunity of the African wild dog.

He didn’t restrict his commitment to Africa wildlife. He helped the wider community through the construction of a new secondary school, upgraded classrooms in local primary and secondary schools; constructing and equipping a new vocational training centre (VTC) for young adults in welding/metal work, carpentry, masonry, electricity, car repairs and mechanics, farming and agriculture, and computer lessons as well as provided local communities with clean water supply, dispensary and medical services. His obituary is on page 118.

Tony and Komonyu

OMs Legacy Science

Ernest Edmund Maddox

An opthamologist specialising in abnormal binocular vision and phorias who invented devices to better investigate several eye conditions: Maddox rod, double prism Maddox, red glass Maddox cross and Maddox wing.

Walter Russell Brain FRCP (School 1908-1912)

A neurologist and principal author of the standard work of neurology, Brain wasa fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and President from 1950 to 1956. He is also eponymised with “Brain’s reflex”, a reflex exhibited by humans when assuming the quadrupedal position.He was knighted in 1952, made a baronet in 1954, and in 1962, was created Baron Brain, of Eynsham of Oxfordshire.

Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS (Ridgeway 1930-1934)

Molecular biologist, biophysicist and neuroscientist who played crucial roles in deciphering the helical structure of the DNA molecule. Together with Maurice Wilkins, he was jointly awared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Nicholas Peter Franks (Ridgeway 1963-1968)

Professor of Biophysics and Anaesthetics at Imperial College London since 1993. His research focuses on how general anaesthetics act at the cell and molecular levels as well as with neuronal networks. Franks holds patents on use of xenon gas as a neuroprotectant.

Reminiscences: Sport ETHAN BAMBER

I arrived at school already loving cricket and probably thinking I was a lot better than I was. The coach at the time, Ian Hutchinson, gave me a lot of time and pushed me to produce more than I was. Just playing first team school cricket for me seemed the absolute pinnacle. I feel really fortunate that I was able to play at that beautiful ground for four years with some of my very closest mates. In my last year at school, Sanjay Patel came in as coach and the boys loved him, we played some good cricket and I just remember it being so much fun. I think now I realise what a privilege that time was.

Favourite Cricket moment from your time at MHS?

The main one was my final game for School against St Benedicts. There were eight of my closest friends in that team, it was a perfect ending to a perfect season. After the game, we sat on the square like we’d won the ashes…I took a stump that I still have in my bathroom at home, hopefully the school won’t invoice me for that.

How did you develop as a cricketer after leaving MHS?

I think much like anything, the more you are exposed to a high level the more it moulds and pushes you to be better. After being in the Middlesex academy during my A Levels I went off to University in Exeter and then was really fortunate to have to opportunity to play for the U19s in South Africa and New Zealand that winter, giving me a bit of belief that my dream (of playing professional cricket) was possible. Middlesex then offered me a contract in March, thanks to a good deal of luck with injuries and players leaving, I was able to make my 1st team debut. It went ok and have just tried to build from there with each season. Some moments, 2020 in particular, and this year in parts, have been really challenging but I love what I do, and feel incredibly fortunate that it is my job and hugely committed to being as good as I can be.

How did you get into the Middlesex Academy?

Years ago, the Academy recruited through the local club system by means of the County open trials – you

would attend two trials and then be selected or not. Sadly, I wasn’t able to do those as I was at boarding school in Cambridge before MHS which made it difficult. Later on, Middlesex started a pathway system: if you played for your Borough (made up of a little collection of clubs), you could then be selected for your region, then cricketweek, then they would eventually pick a team. For some reason, and I have no idea how as I was so average, they picked me to train that winter. I then played for them in the summer too, which really helped me get noticed: I was the first person to go through the Borough system and end up on the professional staff.

What do the next five years hold for you?

During lock-down I really struggled. I hit a bump in the road for sure. I wasn’t certain if I wanted to carry on playing or if I was good enough but, thankfully, I had great support from family and friends. They helped me to re-focus and understand what I wanted out of cricket. I am currently playing for Middlesex, we managed to get promoted this year so the lads are incredibly excited to play First

What was the state of play for School cricket in your day?

Ethan Bamber (Murray 2012-2017) is one of cricket’s leading lights, playing for Middlesex and England in the U19 teams

Ethan is awarded the Middlesex Team cap

Ethan was selected to train with Middlesex Academy whilst he was a MHS

Ethan Bamber playing for Middlesex

Division cricket next summer. The squad seems in a really exciting place, as if we are building towards something, and I am determined to be a big part of that. A lot of us have come through the academy together, we are a very close group, so its our ambition to try and achieve success together. I’m also about to head off to Adelaide for the winter to play club cricket which I can’t wait for, although I am rather petrified of spiders! It is my ambition to play for England and I hold it as a beacon to work towards, but it’s so far off I hardly think of it. I try and trust that if it is meant to be it will be, and I just have to do that work. If I feel as if I am continually improving then I will be as good as I can be, whatever that is.

My housemaster, Mr Hodgson who was so supportive. He just has a brilliant way of keeping you so grounded, I am still in touch with him and when he came to Lord’s Cricket Ground earlier this year to watch the team play we had a great chat. I had bowled like a drain and we had a good laugh about it. There were four other teachers who made the biggest impact on me: my two RS teachers Ms. Miller and the Rev (Dr Warden) who I think encouraged me to explore everything I could academically. Mr Dickinson and Mr Bingham, too we’re just two of the most inspiring teachers and speakers, I just remember loving listening to them both. I have really good memories, particularly of my time in the 6th form, feeling free in the school, and of it being a place that wanted you experience and enjoy things as much as was possible.

OMs Legacy Sports

Peter Dunsmore Howard (School 1922-1928)

was a British journalist, playwright captain of the England national rugby union team and won a world Championship bobsleigh medal in 1939.

Jim Roberts (Collinson 1945-1950)

An England rugby wing from 19601964 who won a total of 18 England caps: his final against the All Blacks at Twickenham in January 1964. Jim continued playing for Sale until his retirement in 1965.

Michael Wells Corby (1953-1958)

A field hockey and squash player who represented the UK at the 1964 and 1972 Summer Olympics in Hockey and represented England at the 1967, 1969 and the 1971 World Team Squash Championships.

Tom Lindsay (Priestley 2001-2006)

A former professional rugby union player. Having trained at Saracens Academy he made his senior debut with WASPS and gained over 100 caps. He went on to play for Gloucester and Bristol where trained the women’s team.

Nick Auterac (Weymouth 2006-2009)

A graduate of the Saracens Academy Nick is now a professional rugby union player currently playing at prop for Edinburgh Rugby. He was a regular starter in Bath’s successful 2014–15 English Premiership season.

Sophia Ivy Rose Dunkley (Cedars 2011-2016)

In June 2021, Dunkley was awarded her first contract with the England women’s cricket team and in the same month made her Test debut, becoming the first black woman to play Test cricket for England.

Which teachers had the biggest influence on you and why?

Ethan Bamber

Reminiscences: Pro Bono

Overseas Partnerships: NICARAGUA

In a 45-year teaching career, many moments stand out, but the most memorable and rewarding for me occurred outside the classroom. I do not here refer to the wonderful years in Collinson House, nor even the hours on The Park and Fishing Net where I vainly practised my inadequate coaching skills, but those times when I left the sanctity of MHS behind altogether in the exhaust plume of an ageing minibus to explore the great outdoors with a group of unsuspecting pupils.

In an expanded landscape, a wider vision becomes possible, way beyond the constricting confines of an examination specification. OM biologists will readily agree that I rarely approached the complexities of cellular physiology in the classroom with the same evangelical zeal with which I introduced my captive field students to the wonders of barnacle reproduction in a rockpool.

With the naivety of a new teacher at Mill Hill in 1978, I was recruited by Chris Sutcliffe, then Housemaster of Winterstoke, to take a group up to the North Yorkshire house in Dent for the weekend. Driving a loaded bus up to the Dales on Friday evening and back on Sunday afternoon would seem a tad wearisome now but we managed to fit in an ascent of two of the three peaks as well. Chris, I learnt, was a puritan by all instincts (he blamed his alma mater Oundle) paying little heed to the niceties of bodily comfort or culinary taste. Every expense was spared. Despite all, I loved it. Subsequently, I was fortunate to join the exchange parties in Rouen and Agen, assist with the visits of ‘Transition’ pupils to York and the south coast and, latterly, lead a sixth form project in Nicaragua. All of these activities left a valued legacy for Old Millhillians who expanded their education in a world beyond the school. Those who were fortunate to experience these trips would agree, to various extents, that the experience helped to change their perspective about the world and themselves, none more so than those who went with me to Nicaragua.

In the great outdoors unexpected things happen. Doubtless, we took risks in those times which might be deemed unacceptable now. Indeed, it takes courage for a school to promote overseas trips and for staff to lead them in an age of acute sensitivity to potential litigation. William Winfield is therefore to be commended for his courage in leadership as Headmaster when he determined that the school would mark the Millennium with the foundation of charitable exchange projects in India, Ethiopia and Nicaragua.

Why Nicaragua? My connection with the country started with a project in tropical forestry in 1970 and continued ever since through my marriage to Marcia. We had become familiar with the work of an organisation there called Los Pipitos, a

voluntary aided charity founded in 1987 by a group of parents of disadvantaged children. It has grown into a nationwide network of regional centres with the stated aim to ‘promote the rights of children with special needs so that they might enjoy a full life in conditions which ensure dignity, encourage selfreliance and facilitate active participation in the community.’ Parents are encouraged by the Association to share in the experience of their children, to understand their problems and join efforts to find solutions. By their strong emphasis on ability as opposed to disability, Los Pipitos has done much to break down barriers and has encouraged various community groups to take responsibility for the integration of disadvantaged children into the wider life of Nicaraguan society.

My aim was simple: to place a small group of Mill Hill sixth formers with a local family and let them organise afternoon activities for the children in one of three Pipitos Centres in the south of the country. I provided the transport and a small budget to be spent in the local market and was delighted with the ideas they came up with. There were fashion parades of clothes and hats made from plastic bags and scraps of cardboard, wall paintings, puppets, dancing and all manner of team games. The volunteers very quickly realised that language barriers did not exist between them and the children. It was all tremendous fun, and a kind of communication arose that was more meaningful than spoken words. We took some of the children home at the end of the afternoon as I was keen to show the Millhillians the reality of life for their small playmates and the amazing commitment their mothers showed in bringing them to the centres, often unable to afford even a small bus fare. Cameras were not allowed on these occasions.

Funds for the project were raised by generous donations from parents and OMs and an annual concert bringing together the best of Mill Hill’s musical talent. This originated with memorable performances from Sheryl Lee, now director of Haw Par Music, Hong Kong and Barry Green, an accomplished jazz pianist. Barry’s younger brother Robin, now working with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, continued the tradition

and joined us on the project. He and fellow Millhillian musicians, Owen Bubbers and James Owen took time from the project to perform with the Nicaraguan Orchestra in the National Palace, making new friends in the process.

It was rare for any afternoon to pass without music and dancing. On our first trip in 2002, I was intrigued to see a little boy called Gustavo I knew to be totally deaf moving with great enthusiasm and no little skill to the beat of the salsa. A disturbing number of the Pipitos children had been born deaf and, a few years later in Nandaime, our project took on an additional focus. Marcia spoke to the mothers having contacted the National Deaf Association (ANSNIC) in the capital, Managua. With funds raised in Mill Hill, the children were able to make accompanied trips to Managua every Saturday, learning to sign and later to write. Those early students thrived due to the company and support of others from all over the country and have since gone on to establish a lasting connection between ANSNIC and their local communities. Gustavo and others are now qualified teachers of the deaf. Marcia and I were thrilled to attend his graduation ceremony on our last visit.

We worked with children in outlying areas of the country with various learning and physical problems, supported only by their families with extremely limited resources. The afternoon activities briefly brightened their lives and enhanced the ambience of the centres, but the momentum continued after we left. With the aid of local parents, for example, we were able to decorate and furnish a physiotherapy room in Nandaime and to resource mobility aids. Eduardo arrived in the centre unable to stand upright but was able to complete his education in a normal school thanks to a walking aid and is now a qualified doctor. He and many others found a new confidence and a higher expectation, and they are a testament to the lasting legacy left by Mill Hill School in Nicaragua.

It is very rewarding to meet with these friends in Nicaragua and see them now with their families and professions but that is all a bonus – the original aim was not to establish a charity. My concern was for the education of Mill Hill students, to introduce them to a world far apart from my Biology Lab, with different values, different priorities, a world I had found in 1970 which changed my life forever.

1978-2009,

(Collinson House 1985-2000)

OMs Legacy Creative & Media

Frederick Richard Dimbleby (School 1927-1931)

English journalist and broadcaster, who became the BBC’s first war correspondent, and then its leading TV news commentator covering state events from Queen Elizabeth II’s to Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965.

Patrick George Troughton (MHS 1933-1937)

An actor who is probably most famous for playing the second incarnation of Dr Who a part he played from 1966 to 1969. Other work appearances in several fantasy, science fiction and horror films.

Sir Simon David Jenkins (Ridgeway 1956-1960)

British author, a newspaper columnist and editor. He was editor of the Evening Standard from 1976 to 1978 and of The Times from 1990 to 1992. Jenkins chaired the National Trust from 2008 to 2014. Jenkins currently writes columns for The Guardian.

Jasper Britton (Burton Bank

1976-1982)

The English actor is known for his extensive appearances on the stage at Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as the West End. He has numerous film and TV credits including Terrence Malick’s The New World and BBC’s My Dad’s the Prime Minister.

Tanika Gupta (McClure 1980-1982)

A leading playwright who has had over 25 stage plays produced in theatres across the UK; she has written 30 BBC radio plays; several television dramas and scripts for Eastenders, Grange Hill and The Bill.

Daniel Andrew Sharman (McClure

2000-2004)

An actor who started his career at The Royal Shakespeare company followed by the London Academy of Dramatic Art. He is best known for his TV roles in the mini series Medici: The Magnificent and The Cursed.

Harry Edward Melling (McClure

2003-2007)

English actor, known for playing Dudley Dursley in five Harry Potter films, his role as Harry Beltik in The Queen’s Gambit, and as Roy Laferty in the Netflix thriller The Devil All The Time.

Ben Glassberg (McClure 2007-2012)

A British conductor, Ben is currently Principal Guest Conductor of Volksoper Wien, Music Director of Opéra de Rouen and Chef Invité Associé at Orchesetre Natioanl de Lyon.

Trevor Chilton, Teaching staff

Housemaster

‘

William Winfield is therefore to be commended for his courage in leadership as Headmaster when he determined that the school would mark the Millennium with the foundation of charitable exchange projects ’

Reminiscences: Pro Bono

Overseas Partnerships: NICARAGUA

Flora Lai (Cedars 2001-2006)

‘I was fortunate enough to have taken part in the Nicaragua Partnership Project at Mill Hill twice. I still have very fond memories of my time there. From the smiles of the children and their families, the paintings we did, the games we played, to the humbling gifts that they prepared when we departed, they were lifechanging experiences for me. I am now a teacher and my experience in Nicaragua has helped shape the kind of educator I have become. Teaching and learning should always be about the technology of ‘being human’ – it is about experiencing learning in positive ways, while developing a profound sense of the art and craft of being human. The children, their families and the staff we worked with in Nicaragua were all incredibly adapting, accepting and resilient –they were never afraid to step out of their comfort zones to give things a go, and were always so welcoming. I learnt just as much, if not more, from them than they did from us.’

Owen Bubbers (Collinson 1999-2004)

‘The memories that have most clearly stayed with me were the times spent with children at the Los Pipitos School in Jinotepe. Every day was filled with simple, wholesome play and learning together: we painted wall murals and invented games. It was a real lesson in how much one can learn from others despite not speaking the same language and hailing from different countries and cultures.

Good will, curiosity and fun were in abundance. It was so valuable to be taken outside of one’s comfort zone: the sights, sounds, smells, architecture and history were a world away from North London and that was priceless. I felt as though I was entrusted to represent our group and School and did so proudly. This is where the Nicaragua project excelled: caring for open-minded students while trusting in them as capable young adults to show initiative, model common decency, and to seize all the opportunities on offer.’

Robin Green (McClure 1999-2004)

‘The trip to Nicaragua was a pivotal moment in my life. The experience opened my eyes and heart to the beautiful people of the country, but also to what we can do as individuals in society, and how it can enrich us to be better. Meeting such generous people with a warm human spirit was such an important lesson for many of us, especially coming from a privileged background.

‘There are too many wonderful memories to share, but my favourite experience was possibly playing Mozart concerto No 23 with the Nicaraguan National Orchestra. Sharing this music with new friends and colleagues from a completely different walk of life was a revelation and formed the base for my life as a musician, and a constant reminder to be generous and enthusiastic. I’m extremely grateful to Trevor Chilton and his wife Marcia for providing this experience and it will live on in the hearts and minds for the future.’

Robin Green is a concert pianist and Professor of piano and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Owen Bubbers has gone on to become an organisational mediator and conflict resolution consultant

Flora Lai currently Director of Upper School and IB coordinator, International College Hong Kong

‘With funds raised in Mill Hill, the children were able to make accompanied trips to Managua every Saturday, learning to sign and later to write.’

‘ Funds for the project were raised by generous donations from parents and OMs and an annual concert bringing together the best of Mill Hill’s musical talent.’

Tom Heyden (Weymouth 2001-2006)

‘Our trip to Nicaragua was an incredible introduction to Latin America, and I went back at the first opportunity – first by travelling to Argentina, Peru and Bolivia a year or two afterwards, and then later as a journalist in Colombia and Mexico. Everything about visiting Nicaragua was a special experience, but nothing more than the opportunity to work with and spend time with the Pipitos. It was amazing to experience the wonderful connections we were able to make with all the children. It mattered little that some were deaf, or that we could barely speak any Spanish, there was such warmth and joy in spending so much time with them every day. Of course, we had no experience in painting a mural at that point (or since for that matter), but I’m so proud of what we produced on that wall. Not because it was ‘good’. It wasn’t. Not in a conventional sense anyway! But the big, bold, beautiful array of colours and animals (and some rather bizarre not-quite-animals) that did make it onto the wall all came from the imaginations of the children themselves. We just helped them make their school truly their own. I’m not over-romanticising it, I just feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to go there and meet such lovely people of all ages and backgrounds. And I still have some of the drawings they made me to this day, one from a girl called Karla, more than 15 years later!’

OMs Legacy Law/Public Service

Michael David Bishop, Baron Glendonbrook (School 1955-1957)

British businessman and life peer who rose to prominence as owner of the airline BMI. He sold his stake in the airline to Lufthansa on 1 July 2009 and (as of 2008) had an estimated personal fortune of £280 million.

Robert Graham Marshall-Andrews (Burton Bank 1962–1967)

A barrister, author, and Labour Member of Parliament for Medway 1997-2010. He defected from his former party at the 2017 general election and endorsed the Liberal Democrats.

Roger Grenfell Toulson, Lord Toulson (Weymouth 1959-1964)

An outstanding scholar who broke the School’s one minute mile record at 16. After Cambridge he qualified for the bar and rose to Justice of the Supreme Court the UK’s hightest appeal court.

Tulip Rizwana Siddiq (Weymouth 1999-2001)

British politician serving as the Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Kilburn since 2015. A member of the Labour Party, she previously was the Camden London Borough Councillor for Regent’s Park from 2010 until 2014.

Tom Heyden has gone on to become a senior producer-director in the Science unit of BBC studios

Gustavo, at the Pipitos centre in Jinotepe, graduating as a teacher of the deaf

Reminiscences: Philanthropy & Friendship

Diary of a Ukraine Aid Drop

Formed in 1988 The Bunker Club is an informal group of OM boarders from Collinson, Winterstoke and School House who met at the end of each school day in the World War II bunkers to discuss current affairs and events of the day. Also, the odd cigarette might have been smoked! They reconvened in earnest in lockdown when Nic Leon (Winterstoke 19871992) reached out with a Zoom call. They have continued ‘meeting’ on Thursday evenings for a chat and a game of poker acquiring some new members along the way. The Bunker Club is happy to report that no one smokes cigarettes any more. The Bunker Club’s trips delivering aid to Ukraine are not only a testament to OMs generosity of spirit but also the enduring friendships made at School. Bram Tan (Siang Eu Tan) (Collinson 1987-1992) reports

TRIP ONE:

Wednesday 9 March 2022

After the reports of Russia’s general invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, I semi-seriously posted a message to the Bunker Club chat: ‘Bunker Club aid convoy to Romania or Poland?’ Nathalie Kampe (St Bees 1990-1991) replied, suggesting we could bring items as far as Berlin and forward to Ukraine. Nic Leon (Winterstoke 1987-1992) also replied that he had been thinking the same and would contact a Ukrainian, Lana Levchenko-Petrovska, who was collecting aid at King’s Langley Football Club, and had stuff but no way to transport it. We hatched a plan that night. We would drive a vanload of aid to a collection point in Poland. Lana would then arrange for it to be forwarded to her hometown, Zaporizhzhya in Ukraine.

Thursday 10 March 2022

Nic Leon (Winterstoke 1987-1992) and Conan Sturdy (School House 1987-1992) collected a load of aid from King’s Langley, boxed it up and filled Nic’s ‘Leon Catering’ van to the brim. From here, they drove to Lille where, travelling from my home in Paris, I was to meet them. The rendezvous was planned for 1am but we didn’t meet until at 2am because Nic doesn’t believe in GPS and relied on road signs to get here. Nevertheless, I was really pleased to see him; It was our first meeting in ten years. I set up my GPS in his van and we were off.

Friday 11 March 2022

We drove all night, taking turns and grabbing power naps. We blasted through Belgium, The Netherlands and arrived at our planned stopover in Berlin at our friend Nathalie Kampe’s (St Bees 1990–1991). After a lovely reunion lunch, a shower and short nap, feeling a lot better we set off again on the road to Poznan in Poland where we were to stay with Kuba, an old friend of Nic’s, and his young family. However, we hadn’t realised how exhausted we were until, at a fuel stop, we accidentally filled the van using the pump reserved for lorries. The pressure was so high, our tank filled in under four seconds and diesel spurted everywhere. Luckily the ‘truck diesel’ didn’t ruin the engine. To make matters worse, we had to keep going to complete our 2,000-mile mission and be home by Sunday in time for work on Monday. It really didn’t help that the van had a speed governor: we had to drive right across Germany on gorgeous autobahns at a maximum speed of 70mph! We made a mental note not to make such hasty plans for a road trip again.

While driving, we chatted about our reasons for wanting to take on this endeavour rather than stay at home watching the bad news on TV. We thought that having families of our own helped us appreciate the fear and desperation Ukrainian parents would be experiencing. We also believed taking some action to help a little might even inspire others, and that is a good thing surely? It definitely helped me feel useful in a terrible situation. In the meantime, Conan and another OM, Nick Goldman (Collinson House 19981990) stayed in the UK and organised fundraising to cover our fuel costs, and hopefully have some left over to donate to charity. We kept in touch during the trip: they checked traffic conditions and kept us entertained. I also discovered that I had forgotten to do the previous day’s Wordle. Nic was happy to stand in and give me clues verbally, while driving. This little tradition of analogue Wordle continued on this trip and the next. We finally arrived at Kuba’s at 9pm Friday. We had time for a quick catchup, dinner, then went straight to bed.

Saturday 12 March 2022

The next morning, we set off for Bydgoszcz enroute to Gdansk. It quickly became obvious we would never make the ferry home if we travelled that far east. An alternative drop-off was speedily arranged with Lana’s 20 year-old-brother-in-law, Artem, a Ukranian refugee from the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea. Having left his family behind five years ago, he now lives alone in a tiny converted holiday chalet near Glogow. He seemed slightly nervous of us at first – to be fair he only found out about his role in our crazy mission that morning –but as we chatted over tea he soon relaxed and shared his worries for his family, his brother and father both of whom are serving in Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

We unloaded nappies, medical supplies and warm clothes and stacked them into Artem’s small dwelling – our cargo took up nearly half his living space, nevertheless he was very happy to help. He even made us a platter of fried pork strips, sliced tomato and bread. As an artist, I felt it would be nice to bring art materials and included some of my own block printing supplies to donate to the cause. Artem agreed to write instructions for my box to go to a schoolteacher as I think they would know how to make best use of them.

Once the job was done, we said our goodbyes and left for Vught in the Netherlands where we were to be put up by our old friend Tara Slippens (nee Sicka) (McClure 1990-1992). We were due in time for dinner but had fallen well behind schedule: it was already 4pm and we had 580 miles to drive. Google maps estimated a nine-hour journey, but our ETA kept slipping. Eventually after a punishing 11-hour drive, much of it in in the dark, we turned up on Tara’s doorstep at 3 am. Nevertheless, Tara, our amazing host, not only stayed up, but kept her word and cooked us the steak and chip supper she had promised us. We hadn’t met for 30 years so enjoyed a great catch up and finally crashed at 5 am.

Sunday 13 March 2022

As we set off for Lille through Belgium, we were shocked to be rudely pulled over on the highway by French custom officials. Alas for them all they found was a perfectly empty van with ‘Bunker Club’ stickers pasted all on the outside and ‘Fuck Putin’ pasted inside the doors. They were suspicious of our bizarre story but had nothing on us. Did we feel smug? Yes, we did.

Thank you to everyone who donated at King’s Langley Football Club and everyone who helped fund us. The trip was documented on Instagram@bunkerclub92 and even inspired at least one couple to do the same shortly after we got back.

TRIP 2:

Friday, 1st April

On April Fool’s we announced a second trip but this time two vans were going: the drivers were once again Nic and myself in the ‘Leon Catering’ van and Conan Sturdy and Nicholas Bliss (Collinson 1987-1990) in an ‘Original Jerk BBQ’s’ van. Nic and Lana collected the aid from the Hemel Hempstead Cricket Club.

Tuesday, 5th April

Once the vans were packed Conan and Nicholas set off to Lille and around lunchtime, I boarded a train in Paris to meet them there. I was excited at the thought of seeing them both again; it would be the first time I’d seen Conan, whom I work with, in 5 years due to the pandemic, and Nicholas the first time in10 years. I had to pinch myself slightly, I couldn’t believe I was doing this trip again but I soon twigged that this is is exactly what the Bunker Club was always about, hair-brained ideas and adventure

Wednesday, 6th April

Once again, we were ripping through Belgium and The Netherlands on or way to Tara’s. On this occasion we arrived in good time for dinner and a catch up. Nic, who only left he UK at midnight, was driving thought the all-night drive, was to rendezvous with us here in the morning. He arrives at 7 am not surprisingly exhausted. As Tara had to do her school run, I cooked everybody breakfast in her immaculate kitchen and we got fueled up with bacon butties for the long journey to Nathalie’s, 400 miles away in Berlin. I braced myself to do most of the miles as Nic would surely be sleeping.

We had a good journey and arrived at 7pm. We spot the same oddly placed grandstand seating facing the main road, from last time which baffled us first time round. Nic reckons, they are for Berliners to sit and watch each other’s considerate driving skills. I, crazily, think they were erected for past F1 street races. I wasn’t far wrong it was the 1937 Avus Street Race Grandstands. Luckily, these trips were characterised by us being happy to laugh at each-others ‘dad’ jokes for the second and even third times. Nathalie’s neighbour has graciously let us use his apartment while he is away. We instantly convert it into a makeshift dormitory, Bliss is dorm prefect and gets the double bed. In the evening Nathalie takes us to a lively German restaurant and gives us a tour of the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall. Later Nic’s eyes suddenly begin to swell and become bloodshot with exhaustion. We call off our planned Poker session and get to bed.

Reminiscences: Philanthropy & Friendship

Berlin Germany Vught Netherlands Thursday 10 March 2022

Sunday 13 March 2022

Friday 11 March 2022

King’s Langley UK

Bunker Club meeting to discuss our trip

Clockwise - Conan Sturdy - School House, Bram Tan - Collinson House, Nic Leon - Winterstoke House, Nick GoldmanCollinson House

Berlin.

Leaving Berlin to Poland

Lana Levchenko-Petrovska collecting at Hemel Hempstead Cricket Club

UK Aid Collector

Lana Levchenko

Before setting off at MHS

Filling

Berlin Germany

Poznan Poland

Gdansk Poland Glogow Poland

Saturday 12 March 2022

Berlin. Nic and Conan

One of several flags seen along the way

Thursday, 7th April

Up for breakfast at 8am and back to the vans. As we leave Berlin, Nicholas who happens to be a commercial pilot in Africa and our van happen to have walkie-talkies so we asked Captain Bliss to do his post take-off passenger briefing from the OJ BBQs van. We recorded it and its hilarious you can see it on our instagram feed. As we drive I imagine years ago the crossing into Poland from Germany would have been marked by an abrupt change in road surface quality, but now, Poland who has benefited greatly from EU funding has truly excellent highways. I think they must hold the record for the highest number of purpose-built wild animal crossings ever. We take the northern route to Gdynia via Szczecin. I discovered on the first trip my GPS is not equipped with maps of eastern Europe so it was lucky we had our phones and walkie-talkies as we had to partially rely on the Original Jerk van for navigation. Amongst all our stops, lunch at Dziki Dom was memorable for their burgers.

We made it to the drop off point in Gdynia in the early afternoon, it was a bit sketchy as it was at the back of a small warehouse being used as a car repair garage. Lana reassured us it was the right place and her Ukrainian friend, Volodymyre soon arrived with his friend Iermolenko and both kindly helped us unload. Conan brought one of his huge BBQs as a donation, they were very puzzled but impressed.

When I asked why the drop off point was so far from the Ukrainian border, Lermolenko explained that trains were constantly running between the border towns to safe places in Poland far away from the fighting, since no one is buying tickets to go towards the war, end of the line cities like Gdynia are perfect to collect and stockpile aid that will be taken back on these empty trains. We have an appointment to be at Nic’s family friend Maria’s house in Bydgoszcz for dinner and stay overnight, but the Original Jerk van crew have different plans. We made a quick detour to the beach at Gydnia to see if we could see the Russian enclave Kaliningrad, in the distance! Luckily this didn’t make us too late for dinner at Maria and Marek’s who had prepared a truly lavish Polish meal for us. It is incredible how much hospitality we have received on this trip.

Friday, 8th April

We have done what we came to do and it’s time to go home. With one last stop in Finnentrop to go, we receive a message from our German hosts who are housing two refugee Ukrainian families and these lovely people have insisted on cooking us a proper dinner. We can’t be late for that!

Finnentrop is a small village about 60 miles east of Cologne. The function room of the church has been converted by the villagers into a fully equipped apartment, complete with partitioned bedrooms for the adults and children. The two families are accompanied by the children’s grandmothers, but only one of the fathers was present as he was exempt from military service for medical reasons.

We took the opportunity to ask questions and hear about their experiences fleeing the war, and also how the children were adjusting to life in Germany. I really felt sorry for them, it had clearly been a very stressful situation back home to make them decide to leave everything behind. One of the young boys had marks on his face, apparently from scratching himself due to anxiety.

The German beer, great Polish food and conversation put us in a better mood but we were really tired. After dinner the four of us had a final celebratory nightcap at the hotel bar and headed back to our rooms. Nic and I set our alarms for 4 am so we could get a really early start. I had a train at 10am two countries away, and Nic, had to catch a ferry in Calais at noon. Bliss decided to visit Cologne and fly home instead, Conan also got back a little earlier than planned.

Heartwarmingly, a few weeks later, Lana sent us photos of happy Ukranians, including some soldiers, with our cargo. It was lovely to see our efforts come to fruition.

Handing over the goods

Ukrainian children and their new toys

Berlin restaurant

Finnentrop Dinner hosted by Bernward and Carmen - top left and Ukranian refugees

Notes from the Bunker Club:

‘I helped collect donations and load up the Leon Catering van on Nic and Bram’s first run out to Poland. really wanted to go but couldn’t due to work. However, when the second trip was materialising I was all in and took the heavier items in my van and was joined with CAA safety officer Nicholas Bliss.. Reconnecting with old school friends, lots of banter and being put up along the way by OMs by Tara in Vught and Natalie in Berlin. The hospitality was really heart-warming and hopefully we helped a few people with our efforts. Doing something positive was an absolute pleasure’

Conan Sturdy (School 1987-1992)

‘We plan on another trip later in the year!’

Nic Leon (Winterstoke House 1987-1992)

‘Through the Bunker club zoom calls and chat, I had heard about a mission to go to the Ukraine, and was only too happy to help out on The Netherlands stopover hosting Nic, Bram, Conan and Nick a couple of times for dinner, bed and breakfast. We had a brilliant time till the very early hours catching up about the old days and it was wonderful to see them again after so many years!’

Tara Slippens nee Sicka (McClure 1990-1992)

‘I can safely say that some of my closest friends have come out of the Bunker club so I was over the moon when the club reformed during lockdown and was without hesitance to be a part of the ‘Bunker Club - Ukraine Aid’ effort to deliver supplies direct from the UK to Poland which would later on be transported to the borders and distributed. Sadly, I couldn’t make the journeys myself but I did manage to raise over £1000 from fellow Bunkers, friends and family to help with costs and I was in constant communication with my friends who were making the trip over from start to finish, ensuring they were safe and not alone during this time.’

Nicholas Goldman (Collinson 1988-1990)

‘When Nic started initiating the weekly Zoom calls during the pandemic I was so happy to be back in touch. I hadn’t seen any of them for almost 30 years. I work for a pharmaceutical company here that is very active in Ukraine and have colleagues there. When the invasion happened I felt very sorry for them and the worst was that it felt as if there was nothing I could do to help. When I heard that Bram and Nic were planning to drive all the way from London and France to Ukraine, my first thought was that it was just too far and I was worried that they might have an accident. I was so happy to see them after all those years. I didn’t do much but it was good to at least support them in their mission. They only stayed for a quick meal and a shower and continued their drive without even sleeping. When they came for the second time, they planned some more time and stayed overnight. It was great to also see Conan and Nicholas and actually spend some time together. We went to see Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of the separation of Germany and also Europe - the Western free part and the Soviet one. Given the war situation, this symbol seemed to be more important than ever. I was glad to hear when the party returned safely and also that the goods have actually arrived in Ukraine and were helpful for the people there. It was so nice to support the boys in this great initiative! I am proud to be a member of the Bunker Club!

Nathalie Kampe (St. Bees

1990-1991)

Boxes laden with goods for the Ukrainian cause

Trip 2 dropoff

Last box

Reminiscences A LIfe of Service

CLUB REGALIA

Like many clubs, the Old Millhillians Club has more than its fair share of mementoes ranging from 1XV and 1XI blazers of yesteryear to old team sheets, colours ties, touch judge flags, and the like, to team photographs. As a general rule, the Club is more than happy to receive mementoes, though it probably draws the line at the likes of the jock strap worn by the late and great Jim Roberts when scoring the winning try in some now long-forgotten rugby match.

However, in this article I am not concerned with the likes of the above, but rather with the small collection of bling that the Club has accumulated over the years. The first and most obvious, in every way, of these is the Presidential Chain of Office. This is passed on from President to President, with each President having a link engraved with his (and soon to be her) name on the back, and usually his years at MHS, though oddly not his year of office. Former assistant masters at MHS who have become President of the Club do not for some reason have their years at the School recorded, nor do those with long names! Thus, and by way of examples the likes of ‘William Earl of Stamford’, and ‘Richard William Bowry Buckland’, whose name appears on six links, have no particulars recording their years of office or times at the School. Gowen Bewsher says that the dates of office are on the front of each link, but I must confess to having been unable to find them. Perhaps I need to go to Specsavers! I find it surprising that the year of office is not recorded against each individual, and if I am correct, it makes it all the more important that the links are kept up to date. Rather like the grave reservation system in the parish churchyard, there are two or three links reserved for the names of future Presidents. The origin of the Chain goes back to the presentation to Lord Winterstoke, who was President in 1896, of a gold medallion bearing the School crest in enamel and with the motto taken from the Loggia at Verona, ‘Pro summa fide summus amor,’ which translated reads ‘the greatest love brings the greatest faith (or trust)’. Subsequently, in 1924, the collar of silver gilt was made. Naturally the Chain gets ever bigger (and ever more valuable), and its increased weight may well account for the aldermanic stoop of a number of recent incumbents of the Presidential office. There are already three loops to the chain, and soon enough an alternative will have to be considered before we run the risk of the President literally collapsing under the weight of office!

The next item will also be at any rate relatively familiar to most of my Club readers. I refer to the Vice President’s badge which is handed over by the incoming President to his new Vice at the Annual dinner. Its provenance may be less well known. Inscribed on the back appears these words, ‘MHS 1920 from the OM Club’. More is revealed from the manuscript note attached to the box which holds the badge. This reads: ‘Presented by the OM Club to AP (Miss Pearce, Lady Resident of School House) and left by her to mother.’ Underneath that are the initials ‘M.Mc.M.’, while on the back of what is a very small piece of paper is simply the name: ‘Annie.’ I understand ‘Annie’ to have been Miss Pearce who was what a later generation would have referred to as Matron of School House, but I do not know her precise years. The badge must have been left to Lady McClure, I assume by Miss Pearce, and was then presented to the Club by Lady McClure’s daughter. Something of the esteem in which Miss Pearce was held, and of the service she rendered the School can be gathered from two entries in Gowen Bewsher’s excellent ‘Nobis’. On page 83 when dealing with McClure’s funeral he reports: ‘Lady McClure who remained at the school was with Miss Pearce the Lady Resident at the Entry Hall,’ while later, on page 89, he states when referring to an OMC dinner in 1928: ‘Talk might also have centered around Miss Annie Pearce, the former Lady Resident who had just retired after twenty-seven years. The Club had made her a presentation of a jewelled watch and she, in turn, had presented the Pearce Cup to the School.’ Thus, the OMC has a real and tangible treasured connection both to the great Sir John McClure himself, but also to one who loyally served the School during his tenure of office, and must have been beloved by many members of the Mill Hill School community, but whose name like that of many others has largely passed into history. What a great memento of service for our Vice President to wear, and what an historic connection with the school’s past.

‘There are already three loops to the chain, and soon enough an alternative will have to be considered before we run the risk of the President literally collapsing under the weight of office! ’

The Presidential Chain of Office comprises a gold medallion bearing the School crest, presented in to the 1896 Club President Lord Winterstoke, which in 1924 was attached to the impressive silver gilt chain

‘ Rather like the grave reservation system in the parish churchyard, there are two or three links reserved for the names of future Presidents. ’

Reminiscences A LIfe of Service

The final piece I wish to refer to is the least well known. I have mentioned Richard Buckland above. Brett James in his book ‘Mill Hill’ notes that Buckland was one of only three School Treasurers to have served during McClure’s 31 years of office, and informs us that his portrait hangs in the School House dining hall. There is also a Buckland Memorial Window in the School chapel. Brett James provides more about Buckland at page 141 where he has this to say: ‘(Below the Fishing Net) is the Buckland Swimming Pool, presented by Old Boys and other friends of the School to commemorate 50 years of devoted service to the interests of the School by Richard Buckland.’

Dickie Buckland (MHS 1878-1884) was one of the finest examples of a life of service that MHS has produced, and in his own way one of the most influential OMs. It was he who in July 1891 sent out from the Club a request for donations to enable the appointment of the then young Mr McClure, a copy of which is reproduced in ‘Nobis’: he was Honorary Secretary of the OMC 1886-1899, and President 1914-1919. He was also a School Governor for nearly 60 years, from 1889 right up to the time of his death in 1947!

Upon his retirement from being Honorary Secretary of the OMC in February 1900 a fine gold pocket watch was presented to Buckland by ‘Old Mill Hill Boys’, so says the engraving. The watch is apparently thought to be worn by the Vice President though I have never seen this done. It has until very recently been left to decay but has now been restored and is subject to what I have to say below, ready for the next Vice President to wear. There is though, a fly in the ointment. There is no record of this particular watch coming into the possession of the Club! Gowen Bewsher at page 138 records in some detail that after Buckland had served 50 years as the Honorary Treasurer of the School, the Club presented him with an inscribed gold watch which he greatly valued, and that he bequeathed the watch to his good friend Jimmy McGowan who in turn presented it to the Club, as the Buckland Watch, to be worn by the President on ceremonial occasions. Either there were two watches presented which I suspect to have been unlikely or there has been some confusion; certain it is that the watch in my possession is engraved as set out above. Could the wrong watch have been presented to the Club with no one spotting the difference? Could there have been two watches? Could the 1900 watch have been substituted for the later one? Answers please on the back of a post card to the President. I am going to stick my neck out and suggest that confusion has arisen about the origin of the watch.

Gowen Bewsher, to who I am much indebted, mentions a fourth piece of ceremonial regalia, namely the gavel, which a bit of research has shown to be in the Club office. This, though, can hardly be described as bling, consisting as it does of a gavel containing an Army rations biscuit from World War I, and preserved for posterity by the biscuit’s recipient,

‘Old Mill Hill Boys’ presented the watch to Buckland on his retirement as School Treasurer

The Buckland watch is part of the President’s regalia

There is no official documentation of this watch coming into the possession of the Club

Ford Young DSO (MHS 1897-1900), who presented it to the Club in 1919. One must hope that some future President, feeling peckish, does not consume it.

I hope the above stirs some interest and maybe debate among OMs about the Club regalia. Any errors in this artcle are mine and mine alone, and I for one would welcome any information that anyone can give on the history and/or provenance of the pieces I have described.

2021-2022

John Gallagher

Old Millhillians Club President

The gavel was presented to the Club by Ford Young in 1919.

The gavel contains WWI army ration biscuits

The gavel comes out of storage from the Club office to call order at the Annual Dinner

‘The watch is a great memento of service for our Vice President to wear and an historic connection with the school’s past.’

Reminiscences: Benefactors

Winterstoke House 1924-1995

Former Housemaster Tim Corbett recounts the 71 year history of Winterstoke House and colourfully depicts life in the house through the decades

On the 26 March 1995, a large marquee was erected on the lawn outside Winterstoke House at the top of Wills Grove and a large gathering of past and present pupils and staff met to deliver the last rites: the universal decline in boarding numbers and the need to find a venue for a prepreparatory school has meant its inevitable closure. Emotions were mixed; there was deep sorrow at its passing – the end of an era – but there was also a sense of celebration and gratitude. Winterstoke had been home to many Millhillians since its foundation in 1924, having an impact on so many lives and holding a special place in their memories.

In the early 1920s, Mill Hill had increasing boarding numbers and needed a residence to accommodate them. It was considered inadvisable in an uncertain economic climate to build a new boarding house. So, after protracted negotiations, an arrangement was made with the the local parish of St Pauls that the School would secure the vicarage at the top of Wills Grove in exchange for a few thousand pounds and a plot of land on Hammer’s Lane where a new vicarage could be built. Inevitably the conversion of the old vicarage into a boarding house for 40 boys took longer than expected but eventually, in October 1924, Winterstoke House was opened.

Lord Winterstoke was a generous benefactor to his old school and under Sir John McClure's tenureship he donated money to support an estate expansion plan of sports fields and buildings (see page 34 in Sir John McClure: His LIfe, Times and Legacy). Winterstoke House was named in his honour

It was formally opened by a niece of the then late Lord Winterstoke, a generous benefactor of the School, and after whom the house was named. Lord Winterstoke was a liberal and non-conformist, and a former Mill Hill pupil, who had made his wealth through the tobacco industry. The links between acquisition of wealth and colonialism are today a controversial topic and there is much that with hindsight we would change, but our sense of discomfort must be contextualised within an historical perspective. Importantly, Lord Winterstoke was a genuine philanthropist and the Wills Foundation did so much to benefit Non-conformist Schools, including Mill Hill, which were founded to provide opportunities for pupils disadvantaged by educational and religious prejudice.

But what of the boarding house and what did it offer its residents? Undoubtedly the lay-out of Winterstoke made for a close family atmosphere where pupils found stability and often lifetime friendships. Of course there were pupils who were less happy and undoubtedly life was sometimes robust in terms of living conditions as well as social interaction. For instance, in the very early days, morning ablutions involved an almost Dickensian experience of washing in icy water.

Also, when considering the legacy of boarding, it must be noted that over the last 100 years, attitudes and focus have changed to a much more civilised, caring and inclusive environment. The fagging and the ‘year system’ were abolished and anything that could remotely be considered bullying was no longer tolerated. Yet a clearly defined and disciplined structure where everybody – from the most senior to the youngest resident –had a responsibility or a ‘duty’ to the community was essential.

Winterstoke 1966

Winterstoke 1979

Winterstoke 1995

Winterstoke 1976

Winterstoke 1974

Winterstoke 1972

TimCorbett

Reminiscences: Benefactors Winterstoke House

Like Colllinson, Winterstoke was a more intimate building than the larger Burton Bank and Ridgeway with their long draughty corridors. The various dormitories and study rooms were centred very much around the the Quiet Room and the Housemaster’s kitchen. The kitchen provided a hub where the house staff could keep a close eye on what was going on and have the informal proximity to have an encouraging word with pupils. For many years, all meals were eaten in boarding houses, but even after central dining became the norm, pupils were able to learn the hidden arts of pancake tossing on Shrove Tuesday or scrub the pans after the house ‘hog’, the often riotous end-of -term celebration suppers. The Quiet Room, whose nomenclature became somewhat ironic, was essentially a large central social recreation area and eventually gave way to providing a television and a billiards table.

Winterstoke had only 10 incumbents as Housemasters, half of whom served for 10 years – stability for all concerned – and were supported by dedicated resident tutors, such as Tony Slade (who also acted as Housemaster for one year in 1991), long-serving, kindly matrons such as Miss Gordon (1964-75) and Mrs Turner (1983-92) and, of course, the housemasters’ wives. One major upheaval was during the stewardship of Warren Phillips when he had to evacuate the House to St Bees in the Lake District during the War. As for parents, they were generally very supportive and understanding, though they could cause their own problems, such as a mother from the Far East who rang to speak to her son and then hastily apologised as she realised she had miscalculated the time difference and it was the middle of the night.

Size meant that Winterstoke often struggled in School competitions where large houses were inevitably favoured, but it excelled where a smaller unit was required. For instance, in 1972, Winterstoke won the Newcastle for a record sixth successive year. In the 1950s, the House boasted a special crop of racquet players and provided three of the four members of the School tennis team that won the Youlle Cup, the public schools’ tennis championship, in 1958. Success was also achieved on the squash courts with individual victories in national schools’ competitions – on one famous occasion, the House provided all five members of the School squash team.

There was also academic and cultural talent: Winterstoke was particularly successful in the House drama competition. Often the whole House would be involved in a particular production and Emmanuel Ajayi’s (Head of House) humorous direction of ‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’ was a joyous creation.

Many former pupils went on to be highly successful in different spheres. On the sporting front, PD Howard captained England at rugby between the wars and won international acclaim for his work in Moral Rearmament (as well as winning a world championship bobsleigh silver medal in 1939). Mike Corby was recognised as a leading amateur sportsman of the 1960s, representing Great Britain at hockey at more than one Olympic Games as well as being an outstanding squash player, representing England in three world team championships and winning a host of individual titles. Tim Phillips was Chairman of Wimbledon for 11 years, from 1999 -2010, when he oversaw the rebuilding of the Centre Court as well as developing much greater opportunities for Junior Tennis.

Running to the telephone box at the top of Wills Grove, tearing out a sheet from the phone booth to prove you’d been there. 26 seconds was the record time.

Being woken up every morning for years by the house hand bell, which was rung by a duty boy at 7.15 am, and struggling out of bed to go over for breakfast.

Endless ‘round the table’ tennis matches after prep in the common room with many players of all ages in the house, some using books as bats.

A new pupil from abroad, not fully conversant with English traditions, putting pre-buttered bread into the toaster and setting off the fire alarm.

Practising for Newcastle (the house CCF marching competition) on dark evenings in Wills Grove comically sporting dressing gowns and trainers.

As for the pupils, their legacy will include so many different memories, often humorous but not always so: here are a few listed at random

Achievements have not been confined to sport; Bob Marshall-Andrews was a Labour MP from 1997-2000 and a regular acerbic pundit on television; Dr Philip Seaton is presently a Professor of Japanese Studies at a Tokyo university as well as being a talented composer; others in the last cohort of leavers include a Head of Africa trading for Standard Chartered, a Consultant urologist, a senior British Airways pilot, and an owner/manager of City Club in Atlanta, Georgia. Varied, indeed, have been the paths taken.

Today the function of the building has changed. The guttural conversations of testosterone boosted adolescents has given way to the high-pitched chatter of younger inhabitants. The heavy stomping of feet in the corridors and on the staircases has been replaced by a lighter footfall: Winterstoke is now home to the flourishing Pre-prep School, Grimsdell. The name ‘Winterstoke’ is still carved in the stone lintel over the front door and a billboard outside records its heritage. The usage has changed but the spirit of the boarding house lives on and the ghosts of those to whom it was home perhaps still walk the corridors. The legacy of Winterstoke is that it was a secure and homely environment for its residents, enabling them to fully benefit from a sound Mill Hill education and providing an essential springboard to later life. And many took with them personal memories of being part of a special club.

And one or two more random historical entries from Winterstoke Notes in the School magazine:

1926

At intervals during the General Strike we lost Mr Bee (Housemaster) who became a ‘special’ and devoted his time to quelling the brighter spirits of Edgware.

1931

Once again we are in the midst of disease. Last term it was scarlet fever and flu, and this term over half the house succumbed to German Measles.

1937

We have been honoured by the visit of the President of the Old Millhillians for Burns Night. While expressing his disgust at the absence of haggis, he did justice to a meagre sausage, said a Scottish Grace, and then went ‘over on the other side’ (presumably Collinson) for yet another meal.

1943

Arrived at St Bees. Learned that a new boy, having gone for a walk on his first day at the School, had fallen off St Bees Head and been killed.

1953

On the Quiet Room wall there is now a board recording university awards. On it are the coat of arms of 14 colleges representing Open awards gained by past Winterstokians.

OMs telling tales on Housemaster

Tim Corbett

Austin Vince (Collinson 78-83)

‘I was a C grade English student when I arrived at MHS but got promoted up a set at the end of my removes and suddenly was in A-set English for my fifth form. In August 1981 when the O-level results came through my Dad couldn’t understand how I had scored A grades in literature AND language. I basked in the glory: my Dad, having left school at 15, was easily impressed. However, let the truth be told, I did not get those grades, Tim Corbett got them. He was a brilliant teacher and I don’t think even he realised it...’

Fiona Smyth (Winterstoke 1978-1983)

‘Mr Corbett used to take our English Literature class between 1994 and 1996. When he went out of the room, we used to hide his briefcase above the door frame. He was always mystified as to where it went and always in good humour about it… ‘

Jason Romesh Virasinghe (Winterstoke 1988-1994)

‘Mr Corbett was my Housemaster and one of my English A level teachers. He was always full of humour and gave us 6th form boys a cheeky beer on a Saturday night if we did not go home for the weekend. Legend!’

Gary Lane (School 1985-1990)

‘Mr Corbett made both English Literature and Language really fun’.

Peter Crussell (Ridgeway 1973-1978)

‘Mr Corbett was my English teacher from 1973-1974. Thanks to him I went from 4D to RemB and into Harry Stringer’s class. Thanks to these two, I am now a professional writer.’

Kerim Emre Serter (Collinson 2000-2005)

Corbett = Legend

Abs Mahi (Winterstoke 1990-1995)

‘Corbett was my Housemaster from 1991-1994. He genuinely cared for everyone.’

‘ Whether it’s thriving as the team that everyone wants to beat, or suffering defeat after defeat, sports clubs are about camaraderie, teamwork and sticking together. ’

Sport Clubs 2021-2022 Reports

INTRODUCTION

I was honoured to be asked to help support the sporting ambitions of our School leavers and our sports clubs. I spent 20 years playing rugby for Old Millhillians Rugby Football Club (OMRFC), making life-long friendships, tasting victory and defeat, relegation and promotion. Whether it’s thriving as the team that everyone wants to beat, or suffering defeat after defeat, sports clubs are about camaraderie, teamwork and sticking together. Oh, and don’t forget the fun…

It’s been an exciting year in the world of Old Millhillians sports clubs: two new clubs have been formed – Ladies hockey and Men’s football – and the rugby club had a fantastic season, winning their league and promotion, and being victorious in two cup finals. With the Golf Society, Cricket Club and Fives also returning to a sense of normality after two difficult years, the year ahead looks positive. The club reports on the following pages provide an insight into their seasons.

The challenge for all six clubs is maintaining and increasing participation and support. Improving and maximising the links with the School are vital to encourage our school leavers to continue playing the sports they enjoyed, see their friends, and create memories to last a lifetime.

Working with Aaron Liffchak, Director of Sport at the School, and the Heads of Sports, offers the chance to introduce pupils to the OMs sports clubs earlier in their school lives, and before they disappear to university and the wider world.

We are continually investigating opportunities to improve the links between the School and the OMs clubs: our successful Ladies Hockey team now train and play their matches on the school Astro Turf pitch. We hope the men’s football team will play matches at Mill Hill, as soon as pitch availability and conditions allow it, whilst the Golfing Society is keen to attract more female players to reflect the ever-changing profile of the school leavers.

Additionally, the school leaver event later in the year at The Stonex Stadium will be an opportunity for the sports clubs and leavers to engage and understand how to get involved and keep in touch.

Millhillians Sports Ambassador Dave Kelly (Ridgeway

1974-1981)

Old

Our newly appointed Sports Clubs Ambassador Dave Kelly in action on the field playing for the OMRFC

Sports Clubs Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club (TMCC)

The 2022 cricket season got off to a good start at the beginning of May. The ground was in superb condition thanks to the hardworking duo of Shaun O’Brien and Ben Howgego, the clubhouse and changing rooms had been painted and the hanging baskets were up.

Over the winter new nets had been installed so there was no excuse not to get practising!

Following on from the first XI’s success in reaching the 2021 final of the Saracens Hertfordshire League Premier Division we started the 2022 season with high hopes even though, much to the team’s disappointment, we lost the match to Hertford. At the time of writing the team is competing in the 2022 Royal London National Knock Out Cup and has already won their first match (with the final to be played at Lord’s). To date things are looking positive with the 1st XI having played three league matches and won 2 and lost 1. In the second match away to Hoddesdon, TMCC bowled the opposition out for a 21 with Joe Wray (School 2007-2012) taking seven wickets for 11 runs – surely a record! TMCC knocked off 25 runs without losing a wicket. The 2nd XI play in Division 3A and finished a very respectable third last season, and the 3rd XI who play in Division 8B finished sixth.

With matches being played on Sundays too these are equally busy cricketing days, with teams competing in the Middlesex Development League, North Herts League as well as an U17 team. Charlie Plummer (Weymouth 2013-2018, son of former Master-in-Charge of Cricket and Fives at MHS Steve, will continue as captain of the Middlesex Development League when matches start and he returns from uni. Mitesh Bhimjiani (1994-1998) is a stalwart of the club playing regularly for the 2nd XI and occasionally for the 1st XI.

Juniors are also well catered for at the Club under the supervision of Shaun O’Brien who is a Level 3 Coach. On various weekday evenings throughout the summer there are either coaching sessions for U9s, U11s, U13s and U15s or matches being played.

For many years now, John Nelson (Murray 1957-1962) has brought an Admiral’s team of mainly Henley CC players to play against a Nigel Wray invitational XI at Totteridge. The games are always hard fought, and Jimmy Cooke (Winterstoke 19701973) provides a tasty lunch and a scrumptious tea for players and spectators with dinner to follow at Saracens Rugby Club, StoneX Stadium.

In addition, local Totteridge resident, David English and organiser of the Bunbury Festival, an annual cricket tournament for the best under-15 boys players in England, brought a team comprising ex-professional cricketers and stars of the entertainment industry to play a Nigel Wray (Ridgeway 19611966) XI including many of the Saracens Rugby Club players. It’s a fantastic family day out with lots of activities for children so do come along next year and join the fun. In September the TMCC held a summer ball at Totteridge to help raise funds for various projects. The 2021 Fireworks Night was a sell-out and a tremendous success and another very successful fireworks evening was held this year with a nearly full moon and lots of very happy OMs, children and adults enjoying themselves.

TMCC would be delighted to welcome new members of any category – junior and senior cricketers or social – and in particular would love to see more MHS students join us in the lovely surroundings in the heart of Totteridge.

Club President Ann Bunyard Email: annbunyard@icloud.com

The 1st XI was taken in 2018 when they won The Saracens Cricket League Premier Division Trophy (pictured)

Sports Clubs Old Millhillians Golfing Society (OMGS)

The Golfing Society is in rude health but is always looking to attract new members, young and less young, and is gender inclusive. To encourage you to join us, here is an outline of what we are all about.

The Society has at least six matches a year against the Old Boy Golfing Societies of other schools. These take place on premium courses in and around London such as Moor Park, Porters Park and The New Zealand Club, usually at discounted rates. The Society also participates in the Halford Hewitt Cup every April, a prestigious public school’s tournament with a high standard of golf. In addition, the Society hosts its own Spring Meeting in May, at a premium course chosen by the Captain, and a weekend-long Autumn Meeting every September at the historic Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Kent. Every other May, there is a three- or fourday golfing tour for our members. Recent tours have included The European and Druids Glen in Ireland, Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart and the Skibo Club in Scotland, and Purdis Heath and Aldeburgh in Suffolk. The golfing calendar concludes at year end with the Annual Dinner, which takes place at a private members’ club in Central London – recent venues have been Home House, the East India Club and The RAF Club.

Sports Clubs Old Millhillians Football Club (OMFC)

OMGS Annual Dinner

Which explains what we do but, more importantly, why do we do it? The OMGS is about coming together, developing new bonds and maintaining old ones, within the relaxed, welcoming and fun framework of the Old Millhillian spirit. It’s a chance to meet up occasionally, have a good laugh, enjoy some amazing golf courses (even if the quality of the golf sometimes doesn’t quite match), break bread and share a drop of something. All of this occurs when we meet up at matches and even more so when we have a couple of days together either at the Autumn Meeting or the Spring Tour. In short, it’s a good craic, with a good bunch, at some great places.

We are a mix: young and old – the youngest member is 19 and the oldest (and still playing) is 92 – some scratch and very low handicappers James Ellis (Weymouth 2004-2009) was a

recent captain of the Scratch team and was a Middlesex County champion and some weekend warrior golfers too, or hackers as we are known! We’ve recently had a host of young OMs join the Society and hopefully they have been enjoying it. If your interest is piqued, reach out to Nick Marlborough (Murray 2012-2016), Sam Sherwood (Atkinson 2011-2016), Nick Schild (Murray 20082013) or Ed Amery (Cedars 2006-2009) and see what the young cohort make of the OMGS! One thing we don’t have is a mix of genders. We are trying to address that and particularly welcome lady golfers. Beej Chandaria (McClure 1981-1986)

Society Secretary Colin Nunn (Burton Bank 1976-1981) Email: colinvnunn@hotmail.co.uk

This season, due to a number of teams dropping out of Division 5 North, we have decided to switch leagues and play in the Southern Amateur League (SAL) which promises a higher standard of play as well as more fixtures running from the beginning of the season in September to the season’s end in April. We think this will suit the club better as it grows in stature and popularity among Old Millhillians.

The club is run by myself, Richard Whelan (Cedars 2005-2010) and George Ghaffari (McClure 2006-2010), and currently boasts a strong squad of around 20 players; the vast majority of whom attended one if not all of the Mill Hill School Foundation Schools. After holding talks with the Southern Amateur League,

there is scope for the exciting possibility of further OMFC teams being able to join the league in the future, given how impressed they were with the set-up and results of the team this season. If you are looking to play regular and competitive 11-a-side Saturday football we are always open to new players to improve the squad.

Club Organisers:

Richard Whelan (Cedars 2005-2010) George Ghaffari (McClure 2006-2010) Email: georgeghaffari@gmail.com

Back row, left to right: Ben Hafte,l Bukkiah Belgrave, Matthew Wood, Christopher Alexander, Adam Shabatai, Michael Fox, Daniel Warwick, George Ghaffari, David Gilbey Front row, left to right: Navid Samilian, Aaron Millman, Richard Whelan, Joshua Walmsley, Ben Abbiss, James Kelsall

Tim John, Anthony Ward and Marc Eden at Beaconsfield May 2022

OMGS winning team in a triangular competition vs Old Leysians and Old Aldenhamians

Elliot Hamilton tees off at Beaconsfield Golf Club’s Spring Meeting

One way to start the Annual Dinner!

The

Old

Millhillians Football Club has enjoyed a strong start to their return to 11-a-side football in 2021/22. Playing in the Old Arthurian League, we recorded eight wins, one draw and only one defeat, even managing to beat the previous Junior League Cup holders along the way.

Sports Clubs Old Millhillians Ladies Hockey Club (OMLHC

)

The Old Millhillians Ladies Hockey Club was set up in September 2021 by friends Olivia Brown (Priestley 2007-2012) and Nicole Harvey (Cedars 2007-2012) who were keen to get back into hockey, keeping fit and socialsing after the pandemic. The OMLHC encourage players of all abilities to get involved; as a player, an umpire, a goalies or to support the team from the-sidelines.

As a newly formed team the beginning of the first season was tough but as we gained in skill and confidence through regular practise we managed to end the second half of the season on a high having won all our matches. This has led the team to be promoted to the London Women’s Division 5 North West which means the 2022 season will see us playing some very established teams such as Eastcote 5, West Hampstead and Chiswick.

September 2022 - April 2023

The next hockey season runs from September 2022 through to April 2023. Training is held every Tuesday from 19.30-20.30 on the School’s new Astro Turf providing us with the opportunity to learn new drills and practice short corners, skills which we ultimately we use in the games, as well as invaluable time to practice as a team. The training session is open to all abilities and the coach makes it fun and interactive. Matches are played on Saturdays at various times but we always get together afterwards over tea or a drink for a debrief and most importantly to vote for ‘player of the match’. We also hold quarterly socials when we sometimes join forces with the Old Millhillian Rugby and Cricket teams.

Club Captain: Layken Senior (Cedars 2005-2010)

omlhc01@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @omclub.co.uk/sports/hockey-club

The new strip

The OMLHC have as a good a time off the pitch as on the pitch

Founders of the OMLHC Nicole and Olivia were firm friends back in their schooldays in 2012

OMLHC Team

Club organisers; Nicole and Olivia

Sports Clubs Old Millhillians Rugby Football Club (OMRFC)

It is an honour to be able to lead this club – it is 10 years since I first pulled on the shirt and it is amazing to see how far we have come during that time. Not just in terms of results but also in the social aspect as well. As I write, there is a real buzz around the Club following an unbelievable season and as the squad has an average age of around 26, it is reassuring to know that the potential is there for the next couple of seasons to maintain a high level of rugby. This all goes to making the OMRFC a pretty enjoyable place to be right now.

Looking back to when I was in Lower Sixth, I remember being asked, along with several other School players, to come and run out at Headstone Lane for the Choccy and Whites. The likes of Jake Gore, Mitchell Leigh (Priestley 2007-2012), James Roycroft (Murray 2007-2012) Tom Dunn (McClure 2010-2012), Nick Schild (Murray 2008-2013), Josh Charkin (School 20072012) and myself turned up at the historic Headstone Lane to give as good an account of ourselves as we could. This initial taste of men’s rugby was one we relished and enjoyed; having played as a team through school, to be able to go to the next level and continue to play together for the old boys was something special. That afternoon we ran rings around the opposition and were welcomed by the then crop of OM players with open arms and a few beers. Our rightful passage from School to the OMRFC was secured.

After university, I came back to OMs when the Club was in slight disarray. OMRFC had been relegated, several players had left, and we were struggling to field a full 1XV, let alone two teams. We had no permanent coach, and many of us took took to training ourselves at Stone X stadium, with limited numbers

in attendance, trying to implement some fluid, attacking rugby. Things slowly started to pick up. Skipper Sam Aksham led us on and being able to play with lads who I had played with year in year out at school, enabled us to find a footing and to relaunch the fortunes of the Club. While fixtures were a mixed bag, the social element really took off. With big nights at the Lane in full swing, the club house felt alive again.

I took over the captaincy from Sam in 2018, and with the help of many others we have together restored the respectability and the credit that the Club deserves. We have gone from a squad of about 20 to putting out two teams each weekend with great success. The 2s managed promotion two seasons ago and reached the playoff semi-final this year, while the 1s, who missed out on promotion three years in a row, were finally and deservedly crowned champions

Over the years we have had some big moments, ones that have created strong bonds and will last long in the mind. Two of my most fantastic and unforgettable memories are: winning 35-34 against Thamesians with only 13 men, causing a complete upset. The second moment was playing in front of about 200 people at Stone X stadium and scoring a last minute try to secure us all promotion. Our recent success has seen more spectators come down to the Club and their support on match day, while shy of the likes of Sarries or Harlequins attendances, provides an encouraging atmosphere for the lads. There is also something really great about playing in a team alongside others who were either a couple years above me or a couple of years below me at school. I believe there is still a lot of life left in the Club but in order for it to succeed there is a need for OMs coming to join us after leaving school or on return home from uni is imperative to keep it going.

Email: bnash2001@yahoo.com oldmillhillians.rfu.club

First XV Captian Oliver Avent (Weymouth 2008-2013) shares his experience of playing for the OMRFC

Sports Clubs

Old Millhillian Rugby Football Club (OMRFC)

The club performed exceptionally well as a burst of young talent came into the squad allowing us to field two extremely strong teams throughout the season. This resulted in the formation of a united squad and a club which had 68 players turn out in the famous choccy and white colours.

The 1st team succeeded in their target of promotion and exceeded it in winning the league outright. This coupled with back-to-back HM2 League Cup wins for the delayed 19/20 season and the 21/22 season meant the famous treble was secured, something never seen before in the annuls of HM2.

The 2nd team performed heroically in their new league following last season’s success. Looking to claim back-to-back promotions, the team finished second in the regular season only to be undone in an entertaining HM2 Semi Final Play Off against Harrow.

Overall, the OMRFC is prospering and there is a real buzz about the 2022-2023 season and making a challenge for back-to-back promotions. With several former schoolboys involved in the club, many of whom left in the past 5-10 years there is a young, highly talented squad. The team are rolling back the years to schoolboy rugby days, with former school 1XV teams taking to the pitch together once again.

Names such as Aston Lester (School 2010-2013), Reece Tanner (School 2010-2015), Ben Calder (McClure 2008-2011), Joe Wray (School 2007-2012), Oli Avent (Weymouth 2008-2013), Noah Zenios (MHS 2020) and others have been a mainstay in the team and performed week-in week-out for the club. It is an exciting place to be at the moment and we are always keen to get more of those who played at school to get involved, so feel free to get in touch, there are 2 huge seasons ahead for the club for both teams.

Written by:

Club Chairman Ben Nash (Priestley 1986-1990)

Email: bnash2001@yahoo.com) Instagram: @oldmillhilliansrugby Twitter: @OldMillhillians Facebook: Old Millhillians Rugby Football Club

Sports Clubs

OMRFC vs Brunel, StoneX Friday 25 March 2022

1st XV team Captain Oli Avent with the pandemic delayed 2020 HM2 Cup after a 55-19 win vs the Old Actonians

First XV at StoneX

Mike Petersen, Noyan Nihat, Tom Oxenham, Graham Fear, Gerry Westoby

Grahame Chase, Clive Sutton and Club Chair Peter Wakeham

Fiona Whelan and Windsor Roberts

David Woodrow and Tim Corbett

Aston Lester and Nick Schild

Oli Motisi, Reece Tanner, Aston Lester and Issaac Ellcock

Will Donald sporting an OMRFC chocolate and brown striped blazer at StoneX

Sports Clubs

OMRFC vs

Brunel, StoneX Friday 25 March 2022

Mike Peskin, Mark Mortimer, Ben Nash and Vic G OMRFC

Mark Mortimer and Mike Peskin

Layken Senior, Ciera Radia and Kim Balcombe

Martyn Thomas

Sav Arricale and Paul Tanner

Dave Kelly and friends

Mike Peskin, Steve Davis, Marc Eden and OMs

THE FOUNDATION

The Foundation

Those of us working at Mill Hill can only look back in awe at all of John McClure’s achievements and in so doing question what our lasting legacy will be. Working in schools should always be about the difference we can make to the next generation and beyond. That’s why teaching is a noble vocation, and as we tabernacle in this time and space of Mill Hill, conscious of all those who have gone before and those who will follow, we all have our part to play.

serving one another, of caring deeply for those in need and seeking the best of every child, remains intrinsic to Mill Hill. So, legacy is about people, relationships, supported and served by the buildings and physical space around them.

Science, Sport & Dining Science,

Well, here we are talking about John McClure, a colossus on the stage of Mill Hill as Head, and with a lasting legacy on the stage of the School today. This is about more than buildings, as essential as they are to daily life at Mill Hill. McClure’s era knew how to build buildings of beauty that lasted the test of time, a challenge to many building developments we see these days. But McClure’s legacy is also about ethos, and a set of values that have served the rich diversity of Millhillians over multiple generations. A man of deep personal faith, McClure would probably have recoiled from the craven selfishness that affects so much of modern life; the idea of

New dining hall

I reflected on this recently at a small gathering in school to remember Patrick Conolly (Ridgeway 1952-1957) who departed this earthly stage two years ago. He left a generous bequest towards our bursary programme, being grateful for the support he had received as a boarder in Ridgeway House. His main love was music, and he went on to build a career in the industry. Newly in place is a bench outside the recently refurbished McClure Music School, looking out to the quad and the view Patrick would have enjoyed all those years ago. When I passed it the other day, there was a current pupil sat on that bench, quietly contemplating as music drifted from the building. It was a vignette of legacy: people and buildings in harmony. John McClure played a huge part in that legacy, and so did Patrick, and so do we all.

Estates Development Plan

We have recently been working with architects to plan the long-term campus improvements for Mill Hill School, with the other schools to follow. The challenge has been to identify the areas of greatest need and ensure that the resulting facilities stand the test of time. Intrinsic is the principle of sustainability, particularly in the future use of energy. We are at an early stage of engaging with planners and the school community about the outcome, and consultation events will follow, but there are three main elements to the designs:

• A brand-new Science School, leaving the Francis Crick for alternative use (day houses and Sixth Form).

• A central dining facility that meets the needs of the current number of pupils.

• Enhanced indoor sports facilities, including an additional sports hall.

We have more pupils than ever at Mill Hill School, and we need to invest in our facilities to provide the excellent education we are renowned for. At the same time, we need to demolish and replace the buildings currently containing Atkinson, McClure, and Winfield Houses as well as the Sixth Form Centre, built in 1970 with a planned life span of around 50 years.

The ability to finance these investments will rely significantly upon the goodwill and philanthropy of the wider Foundation community, and the hope is that OMs will engage generously with helping the next generation of Millhillians to thrive in the School. A capital campaign will follow, alongside a rejuvenated programme for bursary provision. We believe these plans would have met the approval of McClure, ‘the Maker of Mill Hill’.

CEO, Antony Spencer, in this centenary year reflects on Sir John McClure’s living legacy and unveils the School’s ambitious estate development plan and his living legacy and the Schools ambitious estates development plan

Science, Sport & Dining

Provisional plans for the estates development plan are subject to change. The aim is to build facilities that will outlast the ones of John McClure’s day

MH Masterplan - science, sport and dining

For McClure, these events were, in a very real sense, vital to the School’s survival and his aspiration for growth, with the emphasis of his networking being on fundraising and pupil recruitment. For me, they have been a welcome opportunity to share with Old Millhillians news of our various events and activities to mark this important milestone, and to update those gathered on my vision for the future of the School, as

The cycle of OM dinners began, as is customary, with the Annual Dinner in London at which I was pleased to announce the McClure Centenary Celebrations of the coming year. McClure’s speeches at this event became eagerly anticipated, ‘…the occasions which most endeared him to the Old Boys were the Annual Dinners of the Club. From the first they realised that they might expect a good speech, and as year by year he added to his reputation, they listened with increasing excitement to what he might say next.’ These dinners continue to exert a strong pull on OMs, including those who fly from overseas to attend. Equally, the loyalty of the London-based alumni is such that a fair number joined me at the regional events; sometimes we travelled together,

The notion of McClure’s ‘living legacy’ has been widely explored, whether in the beautifully produced Martlet supplement dedicated to his life, or the programme for our spectacular celebrations on Saturday 25 June, which brought together pupils,

The Foundation Head of Mill Hill Jane Sanchez follows in McClure’s footsteps

What better year than this commemorative centenary for me to follow in McClure’s footsteps, attending regional OM lunches and dinners just as he did, but with a different purpose and focus?

The commitment Jane Sanchez gives to the OMs is much appreciated

Head of MHS, Jane Sanchez giving her address at the 2022 Annual Dinner

past and present, staff, parents and the wider community. It is alive in the form of the buildings he commissioned, the bursaries endowed in his honour but most importantly in what might be termed the Mill Hill spirit; intangible and evolving yet in many ways a single thread since 1807.

Those who were able to join us for the celebrations will, I hope, have attended the memorial Chapel Service, watched the Corps of Drums, enjoyed the excellent catering, joined us for the concert, which marked the day’s culmination and gazed up at the firework finale which lit up Top Terrace to marvellous effect. McClure allusions and tributes were, of course, in evidence, and the obvious enjoyment and enthusiasm of the numerous attendees was another manifestation of the legacy, which remains very much alive. The planting of a rowan tree in the McClure Music School Garden provides a lasting memorial of the day.

Each occasion representing a different point of the compass, I was delighted to have attended OM gatherings in Cardiff, Cambridge, Exeter and Manchester. At the Wales dinner past President Ronnie Boon (Murray 1954-1960) welcomed mountaineer, explorer and inspirational public speaker, Tori James. It was wonderful that Tori could join us on home turf having been our Guest of Honour at Foundation Day in 2018. I was delighted to pick up our conversation where we had left off four years earlier. One focus for discussion was how the School could best utilise the generous funding from the Jack’s Bequest Fund to maximise the outcomes for pupils by investing in our teachers and support staff through Continuing Professional Development opportunities.

The Cambridge lunch in King’s College was facilitated by Former Chairman of the Court of Governors, Professor Michael Proctor, and included a Service in the College’s magnificent Chapel as well as a lively Q&A session, with discussions about Cambridge’s admissions policy regarding Independent School pupils. With this in mind, it was satisfying that OM (and full bursary recipient) Evelyn Taylor (2019-2021), who has just completed her first year reading Law at Downing College, was able to join us – illustrating the point that our sector is as committed to social mobility as the universities.

Exeter Golf Club was the venue for the South West lunch, where I was delighted to meet Host: Robert Priestley (School 1970-1972) who organised the event; the third generation Old Millhillian member of his family, immortalised in Priestley

House. It was wonderful that as well as chatting with an OM who left in 1949, I was also able to catch up with Micah Lazarus (Ridgeway 2012-2017) and Jeremy Akhavi (Ridgeway 2012-2017). The common bond was very much in evidence, regardless of age.

As McClure was a Lancastrian born in Wigan, where he was ultimately bestowed the honour of the freedom of the city, it was fitting that the final dinner which I attended this year was in Manchester. Organised by Graham Elliot (Weymouth 1952-1957) at the St James’s Club, the occasion provided an opportunity to pay tribute to his brother, John Elliot MBE (Weymouth 1050-1955) Former President of the Old Millhillians Club who sadly died in 2018. I was also pleased to reconnect with YOM Panos Yianni (School 2004-2009), who flew the flag for recent leavers.

After two years in which the pandemic made such events impossible, it was all the more rewarding to get out and about – looking at the School from a distance, as it were, and returning to NW7 with a fresh perspective and much food for thought. I was particularly appreciative of what Sir John McClure achieved in his 31 years as Head, reflecting on the fact that while he was fighting to build pupil numbers on his tours of the provinces from a base of around 100, I was a reporting on a roll of 885, which we hope will level out – such is demand for places. The seed which McClure nurtured, has become a mighty tree – like those on Top Terrace; the legacy of Peter Collinson, which we continue to enjoy.

My thanks go to all those who organised, and attended, these regional gatherings; in particular John Helinikakis, who coordinates the planning and logistics, Peter Wakeham, Chair of the Old Millhillians Club and John Gallagher, the President. I look forward to attending many more, reporting on further developments, taking the opportunity to socialise with OMs to strengthen the links between the School and OM community.

‘

The seed which McClure nurtured, has become a mighty tree’

Jane Sanchez and OMs at the Northern Event. From left to right: Grahame Elliott, Noyan Nihat, Behind them is, Panos Yianni , Fern Nihat, President John Gallahan, Chris Kelly, Jane Sanchez, Anita Wakeman, Peter Wakeman, Jim Walker, John Farmer, Edward De Mesquita, Jane Walker and Peter Belshaw

Jane Sanchez and OMs at the East Anglia Event 2022

OLD MILLHILLIANS CLUB

The 2021 agreement with the Foundation, whereby life membership of the Club for Mill Hill leavers is automatic, was an important modernisation initiative. Club membership growth became sustainable, and your Management Committee could focus exclusively on member engagement. A lesson from the mid-Nineties is the Club’s slow response to Mill Hill going co-educational and the unstoppable increase in the number of female OMs. Your Committee is alert to the inevitability of demographic trends.

By 2032, current Club members will either be dead or 10 years older, bar the odd resignation. We will also have had 10 years of automatic life membership. If no one dies, membership will be nearer 4,600 compared to 2,850 today. In short, in 2032 youth will dominate

the member profile. Compared to 2022, female membership will be significantly higher in total and proportionately. Moreover, these estimates do not include any growth in Club membership as a result of possible links in the future with Cobham Hall whose Elders Association is 1,857 female members strong.

The Club is therefore planning to undertake a programme of independent research among female OMs – members and nonmembers – with the aim of understanding what the Club must do to ensure it is equally relevant to female and male members. I know from recent experience that our emphasis on career networking has been a move in the right direction, but I would be the first to admit that event attendance has a male bias, despite a decent proportion of female speakers.

Should we organise events exclusively for female OMs? Are we organising too many events for career paths that are male dominated? Do we need to invest in additional female sports? The Management Committee has debated these questions regularly but, in all honesty, we are not well enough informed – hence the plan to invest in professional independent research among our female customers. I look forward to reporting back on our conclusions and plans in my 2023 AGM report.

Chair Peter Wakeham (Burton Bank 1960-1965)

Peter Wakeham (front row, third from right)

Chairman of the Old Millhillians Club Peter Wakeham and Foundation CEO Anthony Spencer signing the all important website sharing agreement.

From left to right: Communications Committee John Helinikakis, 2021-2022 Club President, John Gallagher, Chair of OMs, Peter Wakeham and Treasurer Asif Ahmed

AGM attendees

Vice Chairman of the Old Millhillians Club Chris Kelly

Stephanie Miller, first female Vice President of the Club

Chairman of Alford House and Honorary OM Nick Priestnall

MILLHILLIANS CLUB

The Old Millhillians Club Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Gatehouse Chambers, Gray’s Inn Wednesday 15 June 2022

Honorary Old Millhillians 2022

Chris Jewel-Clark

Chris was introduced to the OMRFC by John Tucker whom he initially met by virtue of their respective wives being students at Oxford University together. In his playing days Chris proved himself to be a very loyal and motivated lock forward, who gained a reputation for really giving his all and more. Always considered a first class and very popular club man Chris, although forced to retire from the game through an injury sustained whilst playing for us, remains active in the OMRFC as a committee member. He is the first Old Etonian to be an Honorary OM, which must prove that we are not discriminatory!

Kieran Walsh

It has been 15 years since Kieran started playing for the OMRFC having been introduced by Sean Hardy (Weymouth 1998-2000) whom he met as a student. As 1st XV captain between 2009 – 2012 Kieran saw us through three seasons and some of our darkest hours but stuck loyally with us and to his task. Unfortunately, he got badly injured and was unable to play for about two years; frankly, one would have expected him to retire, but he came back, and this season he has played more than any other prop for the club. A real achievement in the year when we have at last been promoted. He really has anchored the scrum game after game.

The premise behind awarding Honorary membership to the Old Millhians Club is to reward a person who has rendered exceptional service to the Club, the Foundation or Alford House but is not eligible for full membership. As Club President, John Gallagher had the pleasure of putting forward and officially welcoming to the Club two individuals who have diligently served the Foundation loyally for many years

Chris Jewel-Clark former OMRFC lock

New Honorary OM Keiran Walsh

Ridgeway

Winfield

Young Old Millhillians (YOMs)

The YOMs ambassadors organise a series of leavers reunions and university pop-up socials for the under 35-year-old club members so if that’s you, please do come along to these events, fun is always top of the agenda

YOMs 2017 School Leavers Reunion

The Adam and Eve Pub, The Ridgeway, Saturday 30 July 2022

Micah Lazarus and Jamie Davies.

Ksenia Kleymenova and Will Kilbourn

Jake O’Riordan, George Eldridge, Tai Judge Turnball, Jake Elliot and Mark Nasha

Ed Goode, Sonia Oberoi and Xavier Adams

Sam Chadwick, Daniel WP and Felix Naylor Marlow

Francesca Forte, John Gibbons, and David Krestin

Matthew Berrick, Rory Pyrke and Edward Holland

Jamie Stewart, Graeme Turner, George Eldridge, Jake Elliot Gabriella Timanti and Tai Judge Turnball

Olivia Boxer and Helen Sceales

Ewart Adams, Nick Hellinikakis and Xavier Adams

Ethan Bamber, Ted Macdonald

Ed Holland and Jake Sugg

Ed Holland, Ed Goode and Tacita

YOMs University Pop-Ups 2021-2022

Upcoming Events 2022/23

YOMs Christmas Drinks 2022

15 December: Adam and Eve Pub, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1RL

Sixth Form Leavers Event 20 December 2022 StoneX Stadium

University Pop-up Events 10 March 2023 Nottingham University YOMs Reunions 2023

21 April: 2013 leavers

10 May: 2008 leavers

22 October: 2018 leavers

To register for any of the events please contact Ted Macdonald on t.henry.mac@gmail.com.

Keep in the loop by following our socials and we’ll catch you there!

YOMs Ambassadors

(Dr) Oji Onyedikachi (Burton Bank 2002-2007); Ciera Radia (Weymouth 2010-2012) – who also helped start the amazingly successful OMs Girls Hockey team; Edward Holland (McClure 2012-2017) - many congratulations to Ed who has just passed out at Sandhurst; Ruby Atkins (MHS 2015-2020) who is studying Fine Art in bonnie Glasgow, and Jay Popat (Weymouth 2014-2019) who is studying Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham.

YOMs Events Organiser: Ted Macdonald (Priestley 2011-2016) t.henry.mac@gmail.com

Edinburgh university pop-up, left to right: Sona Visavadia, Leonardo Shaw, Amelia Barzilay who organised the event and Aimée

Nottingham University pop up, was organised by Iwan Lewis and Alfie Griver

Oxford University YOMs pop-up event was organised by Theo Sergiou

‘

YOMs are incredibly lucky to have such a good team of ambassadors and I personally want to thank them for their continued hard work.’

YOMs

ambassador

and events organiser Ted Macdonald

Travel Award 2022

To promote Sixth Form travel and adventure, the Old Millhillians Club has launched a Travel Award. It has similar aims to those of the Van Moppes Award that was so popular with Upper Sixth formers in the Sixties and Seventies. The new Travel Award will support Upper Sixth form school leavers who want to embark on any worthwhile travel adventure or challenge for their general interest and personal development or even to raise money for charity. The Club will offer up to £1,000 towards travel costs (not a donation to a charity if one is involved) and there will be two awards each year.

Old Millhillians Club. It followed an application process which involved an interview and a presentation of entrants’ travel plans and how they intended to spend the money. Discovering they had won the award produced squeals of delight – the grant allowed the trio a more enriching trip as they were now able to explore a wider variety of museums and sites, which all have hefty entry fees.

On 27 June, Sienna, Harriet and Jack embarked on an Interrailing trip around Italy which, as three keen Classics students, was something they had talked about for years. After months of researching the best places to visit, backpacks, youth-hostels and where to buy the best gelato… they were ready to go. To finally be able to immerse themselves in the Roman sites they had studied for not only A-levels but also GCSEs was going to be ‘something very special’. They felt fortunate to have been in classes with Miss Griffiths and Mr Plummer whose teaching afforded them a nuanced perspective when visiting galleries and sites. They anticipated the trip would also broaden their knowledge of Roman life and discover its legacy on modern Italian culture.

Jack shares his account of their trip

We landed full of enthusiasm in Bari where our journey began and quickly learnt to appreciate unexpected places and experiences. We revelled in the city’s many basilicas especially if they weren’t popular or grand, our favourite being the Basilica De San Nicola. Evening gelato purchases were a ‘must’. In retrospect, we could have spent longer here, but at least we had enough time to get into the beauty of basilicas. Next stop was Naples which gave us a whole new perspective on everyday Italian metropolitan life. For many different reasons this city is vastly different from London; what we noticed particularly was its apparent total lack of road safety. On the other hand, there appeared to be great nightlife coupled with excellent street food. Of course, being the birthplace of pizza, sampling it was a must: the pizzas were delicious but what we hadn’t anticipated was their size, they were bigger than our plates! Averaging 22,000 steps a day helped us burn off the additional calories in no time.

From here we took the train for a day-trip to Pompeii which was one of the highlights of our whole tour. We were blown away by how well preserved everything is and even got to enjoy our leftover pizza in the famous forum, once the heart of the Roman city and its thriving market centre.

Our next destination was Rome, somewhere we planned to stay for a more substantial time as there is so much to see and do, both classical and modern. To pack it all in

Travel Award Winners 2022 Sienna Turner (Weymouth 2017-2022), Harriet Shrimpton (School 2017-2022) and Jack Curtis (Weymouth 20172022) on their last day at school

The Old Millhillians Club presented the 2022 Travel Award to Sienna Turner (Weymouth 2017-2022), Harriet Shrimpton (School 2017-2022) and Jack Curtis (Weymouth 2017-2022) by the

we started our first day at 6am with a trip to the Trevi Fountain; perfect timing to beat the crowds, grab some good photos and toss a cent into the water. Afterwards, we visited the Pantheon which was filled, surprisingly to us, with Roman Catholic iconography as opposed to the ancient statues and mosaics we were expecting.

We were then first to enter the Vittoriano, or the ‘typewriter’ as it is commonly known, a national monument in the centre of Rome where we learnt about Italian military history. We paid a bit extra to go up on to the roof where we enjoyed a spectacular panoramic view and spotted our next destinations: the ruins of ancient Rome, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, all of which we had read about in the works of Virgil and Ovid.

The following day we saw other famous landmarks including the Colosseum and the Spanish Steps. We also visited the Keats-Shelley museum where we learnt about 18th-century Romanticism, and popped out onto a little balcony which proved a great spot to admire the Spanish Steps away from the crowds. On our last day, we threw caution to the wind and let Sienna drive us round the Villa Borghese gardens in a pedalpowered buggy. Despite the lack of spatial awareness Sienna displayed on the busy paths and the breakneck speed we travelled, we all survived another day.

From Rome we travelled to Florence, the art capital of Italy, where we felt obliged to make the most everything and take in as many of the beautiful statues, mosaics, frescos, and paintings as we could in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the

Leftover Napoli pizza kept the wolf from the door on a day trip to Pompeii

Heading towards the Basilica Reale Pontifica San Francesco da Paola, Naples

Sheltering from the heat in the shade of Bari’s narrow street

Exploring the streets of Bari on the first leg of the tour

Our first gelatos in Bari melted very quickly in the 39 degree heat

Sienna packed and ready to go

Jack all set for adventure

Hattie trying on backpack...it was too big

Letting the train take the strain en route from Napes to Rome

Travel Award 2022

in Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence

Palazzo Vecchio, and the Uffizi Gallery. Although Florence is extraordinarily pretty, the heat was truly unbearable especially at our hostel which was in an old convent without airconditioning. Notwithstanding, it was still one of our favourite places visited and, given the opportunity, we would all definitely return.

To escape the heat, we headed to Vernazza one of a series of pretty towns strung along Italy’s west coast in an area known as the Cinque-Terre. It is an immensely beautiful place lined with colourfully painted houses perched on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea and surrounded by vineyards. This proved the perfect antidote to the hot and sticky city as we were able to relax and swim in the sea. We also took

advantage of the local seafood on offer which we highly recommend: Sienna and Hattie even managed to convert me into a seafood enthusiast.

It was at this point where our trip got a bit more stressful. Our six train, eight-hour journey to Bergamo wasn’t as straight forward as we’d hoped: in future we’d make sure to check train times and book seats. Despite the tumultuous journey we instantly felt at home in Bergamo with its cooler weather and alpine landscapes. As we took the funicular up to the medieval Citta Alta, dominated by the Rocca di Bergamo fortress, we were surprised at how much we enjoyed the quieter parts of Italy that aren’t oversaturated with tourists. It was here we saw some of the most beautiful basilicas too.

To escape the heat the trio headed to Vernazza in the Cinque Terra

The decorative facade of Florence’s Cathedral of Santa Maria Fiore

Prepping to explore the Roman Forum and the House of Augustus in 41 degree heat

Rowing on the lake at the Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome

The trio visited the Keats-Shelley House overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome

Reconnecting with OM Reggie Heward who joined them for dinner in Rome

Harriet, Jack and Sienna beat the crowds with a 6.30 am visit to the Trevi Fountain

A delicious pasta supper on our first night in Rome

Taking

Our next train ride was a leisurely one to Crema where we easily hopped onto our connection to Lake Garda. This is the town where Call Me by Your Name, an adaptation of Andre Aciman’s book and one of our favourite movies, was filmed. Here, we made a beeline to the tourist office where props from the movie were on display including the actor’s bikes which we were actually allowed to ride! We had fun re-enacting some of the best scenes from the movie using the original props.

From Lake Garda we took a day trip to Sirmione to see the ruins of Grotto de Catullus, the home of the Roman elegiac poet whose work we had briefly studied in our classical civilisations ‘love and relationships’ module. However, the visit wasn’t solely educational as we allowed ourselves to have fun and relax at Gardaland, a local theme-park, and stopped later to eat lunch on a canal boat in Peschiera del Garda.

Sadly, we were now heading to our final destination the remarkable city of Venice. Here we spent our time exploring the small streets and canals on foot as well as taking an ‘essential’ gondola ride. We celebrated Sienna’s 18th birthday with a delicious dinner alongside the Grand Canal. Our friend, Sonia Corsini (Burton Bank 2020-2022) made the trip to Venice to celebrate with us. It was lovely catching up and we had a great evening together with lots of laughter.

We all agree that one of our standout memories from this trip was our book swap where we dipped into each other's favourite genres. Among our top books were Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim, Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin, and The Gold Rimmed Spectacles by Giorgio Bassani. Another memory we all cherish was our final evening in Florence eating dinner alfresco by the Basilica de San Lorenzo: we had the best meatballs, the best view, and the very best company.

Without doubt we had an absolutely unforgettable trip with memories we will treasure for a lifetime. It’s hard to put into words how lucky we felt to be traveling together, having spent five years side by side at Mill Hill, all having just finished our A-Levels, especially in the knowledge this was our final trip before heading off to different Universities. Our heartfelt thanks go to the Old Millhillians Club for helping us to finance this journey for which we will be forever grateful.

Van Moppes Travel Award 1964 winner Peter Wakeham

(Burton Bank 1960-1964) recalls his travels

My co-winner Guy Gill (MHS 1960-1964) and I toured Italy and, what is today, northern Croatia via a small part of Slovenia. We budgeted for a four-week trip at a total cost for the two of us of £120. I still have the prize-winning submission – five pages penned in green ink – and the envelope which contained the prize. There was no presentation but Lewis van Moppes (1917-1922) always met the winner(s) and I vividly remember the occasion when Guy and I were invited to lunch. Van Moppes was a charming man and we were entertained royally to a slap-up meal in a private dining room at his offices in Basingstoke. I recall to this day how well dressed he was. He gave me my long-lasting taste for custom-made shirts and suits!

Our trip was culturally very rewarding. In addition to time in Bologna, a wonderful city with strong communist representation at the time, Guy and I spent lots of time in art galleries in Florence and Venice and saw the amazing mosaics in Ravenna. I bought dozens of postcard photographs of the paintings and sculptures which I kept for decades until I recently scanned them in for posterity. Florence remains my favourite Italian city to this day.

We each planned to write a dissertation on ‘The practical differences between Italian and Yugoslavian communism’. I did actually put pen to paper and submitted the dissertation for a Trevelyan Scholarship to Cambridge University. I didn’t win that award. I had an argument with one of the judges, who said my submission was inaccurate because there was no threat of communism in Italy. I referred him, indignantly, to the photo of a communist party poster included in my dissertation. He was not persuaded, despite me also informing him that the Italian Communist Party had over 30% of the vote. In hindsight I now see this as my first encounter with confirmation bias or possibly fake news.

School friend Sonia Corsini joined the gang in Venice to celebrate Sienna’s 18th birthday

Peter Wakeham’s prize money envelope: “It’s empty so I imagine there was a cheque inside which I banked and spent”

PRO BONO

Pro Bono Alford House Youth Club

With the 2021 Martlet you received the history of Alford House and the first details of Alford@70, the plan to raise the money to refurbish the buildings the Club had first occupied 70 years before. A number of OMs generously sent one-off gifts or committed to regular giving. Every one of those gifts contributes to our ability to provide facilities fit for the 2020s and beyond, and the human resources needed to reach the largest number of young people we can. One of the ways we can do this is to increase the number of hours of Youth Worker time we can provide. Specifically, this enables more time and effort to be deployed working with pupils at local schools in an effort to avoid exclusion, something closely associated with susceptibility to gang culture and knife crime. We have just been able to commit to do exactly this thanks to the generosity of the Roger Raymond Charitable Trust who specifically wanted to support such an initiative. Very many thanks to the Trustees who include Michael Raymond (MHS 1968-1973) and Clive Sutton (Burton Bank 1969-1974) who helped make this happen.

Alford House Trustees are delighted to welcome Beej Chandaria (McClure 1981-1986) to the Board. We look forward to working with Beej over the coming years and to the experience and expertise he can bring to Alford. We have also been pleased and privileged to receive visits from Old Mill Club recent and current Presidents Gordon Mizner (Murray 1965-1969), John Gallagher (Ridgeway 1963-1969) and most recently Chris Kelly (MHS Master). Representatives of the OM Liverymens Association Adrian Williams (Weymouth 1951-1956) and Archie Galloway (Weymouth 1951-1956) have also been kind enough to make the time to visit.

I have also been pleased to host visits from the Mill Hill School Foundation Chief Executive Antony Spencer and former Chaplain Antony Wilson. Head of Mill Hill Jane Sanchez continues as a Trustee. Alford House is delighted to have this very positive interest and looks forward to some of the great ideas which have been suggested to increase the School’s

A big thank you to all OMs who support Alford House. Some have been doing so for many years while others responded to the launch in 2021 of Alford@70 fundraising campaign. You continue almost a century of OM commitment to Alford House.

active involvement with Alford House and its young people. We are also grateful for the donation of the collection from the School Carol Service.

In the last Martlet I said that the first phase of the development plan will begin soon; it did. The refurbishment of the Alford House buildings will be funded in a large part by the sale for development of some land the Club doesn’t use. So, the first phase was to engage a professional team to submit a planning application for such a development, as we were advised that we would maximise the value of the land by selling it with planning permission. Our planning application was submitted in December 2021 with an expected determination in the spring. As in so many other places we are pleased to have OM development expertise available from William Maunder Taylor (Weymouth 1968-1973), Chris Lloyd (Weymouth 1994-1996) and experienced project manager Jon Rosswick (McClure 1978-1984) to guide us through these challenging but exciting times. This is an enormous relief as it enables the Development Group led by William Maunder Taylor to crack on with the process of selling the land. This in turn means we can re-energise the fundraising campaign and start to finalise the exact plans for the refurbishment work with a view to starting on it in spring 2023.

The Alford House buildings have two distinct uses – during the day they are rented out to theatre and opera companies as rehearsal space and in the evening, they are used by Club members, the local young people. The revenue

generated by the rehearsal rentals is crucial to funding the work of the Club. A key part of the preparation will be the scheduling of the refurbishment work to enable Alford to maintain both functions while it is being done. As in so many other places we are pleased to have OM expertise available from experienced project manager Jon Rosswick to guide us through this. Challenging but exciting times.

2023 will mark 100 years of the links between Mill Hill School and Alford House and the chance to celebrate a truly remarkable century of commitment to the young people of Lambeth by Old Millhillians. Among other activities there will be an open invitation to Old Millhillians to visit Alford House, and on 4 October 2023, there will be a golf day with the Old Millhillians Golfing Society and others in aid of Alford House.

Once again, thank you to those Old Millhillians who have supported Alford House.

If you are interested in learning more, donating or being part of the work of Alford House in any other way, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Chair of Trustees: Nick Priestnall Email: nick@alfordhouse.org.uk Tel: 07850 484488 alfordhouse.org.uk

Pro Bono The McClure Memorial Trust

Bursaries have been at the centre of Mill Hill history and heritage since the school was established in 1807. The primary target audience identified by the founders was ‘meritorious individuals, who possess the promising talents, which would otherwise be lost’. The McClure Memorial Trust funded scholarships are a legacy of Sir John’s tenure at the school. Lorcan Brannigan (Ridgeway 2009-2014) shares with us his reflections on Mill Hill and being a McClure Scholar

How did you first hear about the McClure Scholarship?

After my GCSEs, it became apparent that my family would not be able to afford to pay my school fees for sixth form at Mill Hill, despite my wishes to do so. I applied and got a place at another, this time state, school, and rather solemnly informed Mill Hill of my decision. It was then that I was made aware of the McClure Scholarship, the discovery of which made it extremely clear how to make my sixth form wishes come true.

How did it make you feel to be selected?

Even at that age I knew it was a profound honour to be awarded such a historic scholarship that afforded such fantastic opportunities, both curricular and extracurricular, for my last two years of schooling. I was deeply involved in many different aspects of school life, aspects that would have been unavailable to me were I to have changed schools. So, gratitude, motivation to succeed, and actually relief, were my three primary feelings.

On reflection what comes to mind about MHS?

Honestly a sense of fullness or contentedness comes to my mind, as so many parts and passions of my personality could find stimulation, and ultimately expression, at school. Sixth form was the first time I felt fully invested into nearly all of my academic, creative, and sporting ambitions, whilst also maintaining a vibrant social life. You can say then that my school days reencoded the notion of being ‘busy’ to me, which nowadays is invaluable!

Lorcan in Ridgeway with some housemates, left to right: Nikhil, Lorcan (seated), Elizaveta, Yasin, Sharon and Linda. 'There's probably five different nationalities here!'

What aspects of your time at Mill Hill have been significant since leaving school?

It’s hard to identify aspects that haven’t been significant to be honest. Beyond the more obvious academic aspects, even things that I may not continue to practice now have contributed to long-term confidence and mental and physical wholeness throughout my life so far – for example drama and rugby tick both of those respective boxes.

Did you board and if so did you like it?

I did board, even though I live in London. As a gregarious kid, there were times when I found Saturday school a little frustrating! But on the whole I enjoyed it – I was head of house for Ridgeway for my whole upper sixth year, and actually living in that house helped my sense of community, and leadership within that community, really flourish.

I am also grateful for the diversity of Mill Hill students, including boarders. Amongst many other things, being put in a room with a Chinese student for my lower sixth year jump-started my ability, and subsequent delight, in crosscultural communication. It brought out a latent worldliness, that definitely contributed to my later move to Shanghai for two and a half years. Also, with the benefit of hindsight, boarding was perhaps necessary in keeping me focussed on my responsibilities in spite of my aforementioned gregariousness!

Did you make lasting friendships at MHS?

Some of my best friends even today were made at Mill Hill. Not only that, but friends of Mill Hill friends who went to other schools helped me form a large social network across London, which continues to this day, which again I would say helped engender my sense of community.

Did any teachers make a lasting impact?

There were many teachers at Mill Hill to whom I am extremely grateful for sharing with me not just their knowledge, but also their sense of wonder and passion for their subject matters. My drama teachers Mr Proudlock and Miss Holdstock, my chemistry teacher Mr Turner, physics teachers Mr Luke and Mr Turnerman, and English teacher Mr Bingham all come to my mind – though I’m sure there are some that I have missed and to them I am deeply sorry! I retain passion and interest in all of these subjects, which helps me live a whole and cultured life.

In a pastoral sense, Mrs Sanchez and Mr Gregory both provided great models of leadership that I no doubt retain to this day. But none more so than Mrs Farrant, who helped award me the McClure scholarship in the first place. At a few difficult times in my life, Mrs Farrant not only showed me how wide a support network can be, but also gave me the confidence to carry on in spite of such difficulties. Helping me overcome my own adversity has given me a mental resilience for which I will be eternally grateful for.

What school activities did you do and what did you get out of them?

I was involved in first XV rugby for two years; house drama actor and director; two schools council positions; ski trips; and was beginning to DJ outside of school. On what I got out of them, I refer back to my previous answer about a sense of fullness in life. In my opinion there is no greater edifying gift than nurturing in someone a passion for life in all its infinite variety. Whilst I wouldn’t say I love everything, I certainly have more than enough passion and curiosity to make life extremely interesting, and extracurricular activities at school provide a foundation for that.

How has your experience at MHS as a McClure scholar shaped your life after school?

Every step I have taken since leaving Mill Hill has partly been a result of the opportunities for personal growth afforded to me by the McClure scholarship. My First Class university degree, my subsequent move to China for two and a half years, and my resilience in the face of a long job hunt after returning last December to a rather tumultuous West – these are all things that my five years at Mill Hill helped prepare me for. I now have a great job and feel settled back into my life here.

In the face of a rapidly shifting and increasingly unstable world, I remain optimistic and energised, but nonetheless with a strong desire to contribute to making the world a nicer place for everyone again. A lot of that confidence and ambition, and those virtues, I credit to my time at Mill Hill, the completion of which would not be possible without the McClure scholarship. So, thank you!

‘

It was a profound honour to be awarded such a historic scholarship that afford such fantastic opportunities’

Pro Bono The Old Millhillian Liverymen’s Association (OMLA)

The OMLA seeks to encourage OMs to become involved with one of the City Livery Companies: members span the gamut from the most ancient to the more modern, and can assist other OMs to progress through becoming Freemen of the City to joining Livery Companies. OM Liverymen share their experiences.

The City of London Livery companies form one of the largest philanthropic movements in the world with their 35,000 strong body of Liverymen, history stretching back over 700 years, and their ability to donate over £60 million each year to charitable causes. The Livery Companies or Guilds began in medieval times as ‘fraternities’ or ‘misteries’ to protect the interests of particular trades and to maintain high standards of business conduct and product quality. They also helped in the education of future generations in the particular ways of the trade or craft and supporting those members of the company or their families who had fallen on hard times or were suffering poor health. Charitable fundraising and giving to a variety of worthy causes have largely taken the place of the original trade functions. Today, there are 110 City of London Livery Companies, some of very ancient origin (eg Weavers, Goldsmiths, Fishmongers) and some very new (Management Consultants, International Bankers, Tax Advisors). Liverymen play an integral part in the life and governance of the City to this day in electing the Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs at Common Hall in Guildhall.

The Worshipful Company of Glovers

Past Master OMLA 2017-2019 J Michael Phillips (Winterstoke 1959-1964)

If you would like to find out more, or would like assistance in becoming a Freeman of the City of London or progressing to Livery Membership contact Laura Turner email: omrelations@omclub.co.uk

As an example of what a Livery Company might do, I set out what my own Company, the Worshipful Company of Glovers, does specifically in my role on The Glove Trade Committee. Our principal aim is to support the gloving trade, which we do in a variety of ways. For example, most recently we successfully intervened to secure better quality combat gloves for the Army. Its charitable arm provides gloves and glove associated items for the needy – for example gloves for wheelchairs users and safety gloves for emergency workers. The Glove Collection Trust, of which I am Trust Secretary, owns and displays the national glove collection at the Fashion Museum Bath. Livery Companies own major Halls in the City of London, many of which – like the Cutlers – house significant trade exhibitions. Social events in my own Company range from an Annual Banquet in the Mansion House, to an annual carol service in our City Church, to firing the most modern SAS weapons with our adopted Regiment, to visiting our adopted nuclear submarine, and a fearsome croquet day in Sussex. If you are living or working in London, OM Liverymen will welcome you. Formally, we hold an annual lunch at London’s Guildhall, masterminded by the Association Clerk, Archie Galloway OBE (MHS 1951-1956).

There are three primary methods of becoming a Member; patrimony is the usual route but also by servitude (apprenticeship) or by redemption with or without a ‘fine’. A member needs to be or become a Freeman of The City of London first and is then admitted as a freeman of the Company before going on to be clothed with the Livery (which is not automatic). I have found it to be very rewarding.

I am a member of the Loriners Company who used to make the metal horse bits that form part of the reins and for the stirrups. They are closely associated with the Saddlers and used to make metal tips for arrows and other unusual uses for metal. One of my overriding passions is horse racing – I have had the privilege of owning National Hunt horses - and was introduced to the Loriners by a member of one of my Masonic lodges. Livery represents tradition and stability. It is both charitable and social. If you join at a young enough age and are sufficiently keen, you can progress to becoming Master of the Livery Company for a year – a great honour and where you mingle with the Masters of all the other Livery Companies and often form life-long friendships. I would be delighted to meet and encourage any people connected with Mill Hill who have an interest in Livery with a somewhat `horse` relationship. I think I can admit now that I used to abscond from Mill Hill School on the Wednesday of every Royal Ascot for my last three or four years at the School, sometimes with another pupil who subsequently became a racehorse trainer.

Worshipful Company of Loriners

David Roe (Weymouth 1960-1965)

I have been a member of the Worshipful Company of Needlemakers, since 1988 which means I am also a Freeman of the City of London which allows me the right to drive sheep across London Bridge! Dating back to 17th century the Needlemakers was granted its first Charter by Oliver Cromwell in 1656, the first of only two such Commonwealth Charters. After the restoration a Royal Charter was granted by King Charles II in 1664. As the name suggests the Company has historic links to the needlemaking industry although few remain in Britain. I joined because I worked in the City and wanted to come involved. As far as I am concerned I get no material benefit from being a Needlemaker, it is purely social. I was introduced to the company and signed up by former OM president Eric Dangerfield (House 1960-1966), who was a Master of the Livery. The Needlemakers used to have quite a few OMs as members, along with Old Brentwoodians.

I am a Liveryman of The Haberdashers Company which is 8th in order of precedence. Unusually, I am also a Freeman of The Fishmongers Company (4th in precedence) as my family have been Freemen continuously since the 1780s. My ‘clothing’ as a Haberdasher followed a tradition that as the Senior Partner of the firm who were the Company’s Surveyors and Estate Managers for London Without, I should be given that reward for services. I was active in that role until the policy changed and the Company divested itself from direct investment in property, apart from some Central London premises. I am now actively involved in various of the Company’s activities and events. The Company’s main thrust today is as an educational charity and there are 17 schools nationwide founded and/or funded through The Haberdashers. Several Histories have been written about how the Company was originally founded and how it has developed. My three children all took part in the Company’s annual exams and were each successful in gaining exhibitions or scholarships. During my Presidency of the Old Millhillians Club, the dinner was held at Haberdashers Hall.

I was elected Master of the Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers’ Company in January 1997. Initially incorporated in 1623 in the reign of King James 1, the Company is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2023. Historically, the Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers’ Company required necessary standards for the ancient art of gold and silver wire used in the embroidery of ceremonial costumes, military uniforms, clerical vestments and jewellery. In modern times they are particularly keen to maintain trade links with the Goldsmith’s Craft & Design Council and Hand & Lock (who have been producing some of the world’s best embroidery since 1767) by supporting young people working in gold and silver wire with prizes and grants. The Company also provides grants and donations to carefully selected charities, especially those with low income, benefitting greatly from a limited sized grant. The Livery also strongly supports the Lord Mayor and the City of London.

Worshipful Company of Needlemakers

Mike Leon (Winterstoke 1953-1958)

I am a member of the Merchant Taylors Livery Company, one of the Great Twelve. I became a member by redemption as a thank you for my services to the Company; I was the headmaster of one of their schools for 20 years.

Worshipful Company of Haberdashers

Christopher Maunder Taylor (Weymouth 1960-1965)

Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers

Nigel Nichols (Burton Bank 1954-1959)

The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors Chris Kelly (MHS Master 70s-80s)

‘It is a great privilege to be a liveryman: to attend spectacular dinners; support charities and all the educational interests’

The Old Millhillian Liverymen’s Association (OMLA) Lunch, took place at The Guildhall on 25 May 2022

Master of the OM Liverymen’s Association Adrian Williams, on the right, and the Association’s guest, Deputy Headmaster the late Tony Binns

Pro Bono Old Millhillians Lodge

Freemasonry is one of the oldest social and charitable organisations in the world. Its root lie in the traditions of medival stonemasons. Four guiding principles help define their path through life: integrity, friendship, respect and charity. Lodge Member John Helinikakis (Murray 1976/ School 1977-1981) keeps us up to date

Old Millhillians are famous for their bonds, their bond with the School and their bonds with each other. In October 1938, in the period between Prime Minister Chamberlain’s return from Germany declaring ‘Peace in Our Time’ and his declaration of War with Germany on Sunday 3 September 1939 the Old Millhillian Lodge was consecrated creating a new bond of fellowship between Old Millhillians within Freemasonry.

One of the notable founders and Masters of the OM Lodge was Eric Dangerfield (19201924), who was also one of the OM club’s most active members and was 1975–1976 Club President. An exemplar of the freemasonary principles it was Dangerfield who in 1928 encouraged Alford house founder and philanthropist Frank Briant to submit a proposal for the youth club to be taken over by the Club. Although this took six years it eventually happened in 1934 and since then the OMs have played a significant role in Alford House and the bond between the Club and Alford persists to this day.

Another of Dangerfield’s charitiable endeavours was born from recognising the difficulties older school leavers and some OMs had in finding work, particularly in a time of high employment especially in the 1970s. His idea was to create a register of OMs to provide career guidance and share contacts. This became known as the The Dangerfield Scheme and had some success but was not as much as was hoped. Ironically nearly 50 years on, this subject remains a preoccupation and an objective of the Club.

As mentioned above, one of the core objectives of Freemasonry is charity. For 2021-22, the Lodge was pleased to make the following donations: £1800 to Alford House; £1500 to the Mill Hill School Foundation/Allan Phimester Prize Fund, and £1500 to the Grand Metropolitan Grand Lodge’s nominated charity, which is the London Fire Brigade

It is with sadness that we report the death of Richard Horton (Winterstoke. 1965-70) an obituary will appear in the next edition of Martlet, but as someone who was a stalwart of the Lodge, we felt it apt to offer a brief tribute here.

A gifted rugby player and scholar in 1982 Richard became a Freemason and joined the Old Millhillian Lodge. He held many senior positions including Worshipful Master in 1990 and latterly Director of Ceremonies. He was awarded London Grand Rank in 2009. A terrific ritualist, immaculate in his presentation and fabulous fun at the festive board afterwards. A committed Old Millhillian and loyal friend. He passed after a long and debilitating illness well fought with his typical humour and fortitude. He will be sadly missed and long remembered.

Eric Dangerfield, founder member and Past Master of the Old Millhillian Lodge, creator of the Dangerfield Scheme and the Club’s President from 1975-1976.

Richard Horton

‘

Another of Dangerfield’s charitiable endeavours was born from recognising the difficulties older school leavers and some OMs had in finding work’

‘ One of the core objectives of Freemasonry is charity ’

The Old Millhillian Lodge has recently been admitted to the Public School Lodge Council (PSLC). While the PSLC is composed of 35 schools that have traditionally ‘rivalled’ each other membership opens new opportunities for networking through attending each other’s Lodge meetings, sharing experiences with respect to each other’s schools where mutual support can help to achieve best practice, and, finally, charity.

Like the School, the Lodge has gone through moments of crisis, when dwindling numbers almost forced closure, but when the chips are down, Old Millhillians always dig that little bit deeper to save the day. Nowadays, the Lodge enjoys a healthy number of members from across the age range but is always pleased to welcome OMs to join as new members and enjoy the camaraderie. For those interested in joining and would like to meet with members of the Lodge.

Lodge Secretary Clive Sutton (Burton Bank 1969-1974)

Email: clive.j.sutton@btinternet.com

Far left: Worshipful Master Kirill Arakcheev (Burton Bank 20052009) will be handing over to Ravi Dadlani (School 1993-98), far right, in November Middle left Onkar Sharmar (McClure 1980-1986) and, middle right, Vivek Chopra (Atkinson 2008-2013) were initiated as Entered Apprentices, on their way to becoming Master Masons, at a Lodge meeting on 22nd September at the Grand Lodge, Covent Garden

Archer Malcolm Scrutton 1958-1962

Attarzadeh Bahram Winterstoke 1969-1974

Binns Tony Past Staff Member

Butler David Scrutton 1949-1954

Dalton Timothy Ridgeway 1955-1959

Fitzgerald John Ridgeway 1944-1950

Fitzjohn Anthony Weymouth 1958-1963

Funnell Christopher Past Staff Member

Graham Alastair MHS Headmaster 1979-1992

Haigh Donald Collinson 1960 - 1963

Heffernan Patrick Collinson 1971-1976

Henderson Michael Weymouth 1946-1950

Nolan Patrick School 1972-1976

Payne George Winterstoke 1941-1945

Phillips Charles Burton Bank 1948-1951

Rowland Elyot Murray 1938-1941

Shaw Joshua Ridgeway 1929-1932

IN MEMORIAM

In Memoriam

Anthony Raymond Fitzjohn, OBE (Weymouth 1959-1963)

7 July 1945-23 May 2022

Anthony Raymond Fitzjohn, OBE was a British conservationist who worked extensively at Kora in Kenya with George Adamson, who with his wife Joy, rehabilitated orphaned and rescued lions and reintroduced them into the wild. They were famously depicted in Born Free (a book and film) based on the true story of Elsa an orphaned lioness cub the Adamsons had raised and later released into the wild. After Adamson’s death in 1989, Fitzjohn moved to Tanzania to manage the Mkomazi Game Reserve and White Rhino sanctuary. He married Lucy Mellotte in 1997, with whom he had four children, Alexander ‘Mukka’, Jemima and twins Imogen and Tilly. In recognition of Fitzjohn’s service to wildlife conservation, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2006. He died of cancer on 23 May 2022, at the age of 76.

There is an apparent irony that we are here today in this lovely Norman church surrounded by the calm beauty of the sublime English countryside and the English summer to celebrate and commemorate Fitz whose life was spent, was indeed defined, by the raw heat, dust and majesty of the African bush. I say ‘apparent’ because those who knew him as we all did, know full well that while Africa was his passion, he loved and appreciated both. I have stood with him, as we all have, transfixed by both England and Africa, and he invariably said the same memorable thing ‘Just like Cockfosters, isn’t it?’

When one has the privilege and honour to deliver a eulogy one looks first for a theme, a central purpose and unique thread in the life being commemorated. Sometimes it is not easy but in Fitz’s case it was not difficult. In a word it is ‘renaissance’. Not in the grand sense of the European enlightenment but in its simple meaning of revival, reclamation, rebirth. It is the central thematic canvas of both his extraordinary life and his extraordinary work and achievements.

Orphaned and adopted, Cockfosters was his first renaissance, shortly followed by Mill Hill, which is where we met 64 years ago. In his early youth he was famously wild. Those of us who knew him well at that time remember a gifted, fearless, recklessly brave and dangerous rugby player, often to members of his own side. Rugby was an essential part of Fitz and made him many lifelong friends. On the wall of his workroom in Africa, there still hangs the team photograph of that hugely successful OM’s side, which includes his captain and vice-captain Andy Mortimer and Alan Toulson both giants of men and both stalwart trustees and founders of the George Adamson Trust. Both, I am sorry to say, are unwell and unable to be with us today. Alan went on to be one of England’s finest lawyers who, as a footnote, extricated Fitz from the Bow Street Magistrates Court before Africa and his next renaissance.

Tony with his wife and family

John Oldroyd (Scrutton 1958-1963)

‘

He was a rambunctious schoolmate for five years and a study mate for one year, restless, determined and uncomfortable in civilisation.’

With the benefit of hindsight, it was inevitable that that Fitz would arrive at Kampi ya Simba, George Adamson’s Kora camp in the wildest part of the remote African Bush. He did so having forsaken his early training as a junior manager at Express Dairies. He had been directed there by a despairing careers master who told him by way of inducement that the training included luncheon vouchers. In Africa with George he discovered an extraordinary natural gift rooted in the land, the habitat, and above all the animals and wildlife. It was a unique symbiosis to which he added 18 years of patient absorption of bush craft, knowledge of mechanics, engineering, of subsistence and a profound understanding of his natural environment. The many endlessly recycled pictures of Fitz embracing massive male lions became, if I am honest, something of an irritation to some of us over the next 30 years. But that does not detract from the fact that there are very few human beings who have that natural empathy with the greatest of wild animals. His new notoriety enabled him to play Tarzan in a film produced by a Japanese film company. He quickly mastered the part, the script consisted largely of grunts but ‘Mehi Tarzan, Yehu Jane’ remained the only Japanese he ever learned.

All of which led to his next and most important renaissance. It came with the unsought, unsolicited, and entirely serendipitous invitation from the Tanzanian Government to assist in the restitution of the Mkomazi Game reserve, 1400 square miles of bush reduced by poaching, grazing burning and game trophy hunting to the point of desertification. With this mighty challenge came restoration through sobriety and marriage, both of which lasted for the rest of his life, over 30 years. Both bore testament to enormous will power, determination and fortitude. In sobriety and AA those virtues came from Fitz, and in marriage they came from Lucy. Lucy, who many of us were surprised and shocked to learn from the East African press obituaries was a former nun. It must have been a shock to Amanda, her mother, as well. Fortunately, it was no more than an understandable Swahili mistranslation of ‘convent girl’. Lucy not only bore their beautiful and talented children Mukka, Jemima, Imogen and Tilly, who it is wonderful to see here, but became the utterly indispensable partner and administrator in the greatest the renaissance of all – the restitution and rebirth of Mkomazi into one of the most beautiful rich and abundant National Parks in Africa. When we first visited in 1989, we saw one elephant making its way across a treeless and burnt landscape. By 2020, when stewardship was returned to Tanzanian Authorities, the forest and indigenous wildlife had returned, including migrating herds of up to 600 elephant. Fitz’s endangered species programmes included the largest Rhino Sanctuary in Tanzania, over 30 animals from original rhinos donated from England, South Africa and Czechoslovakia, all busy breeding in a magnificent example of international co-operation. It also included an outreach

programme which enriched the lives and understanding of hundreds and hundreds of children in an area of gross educational deprivation.

But his achievement is far greater than Mkomazi, its habitat and wildlife. It is a priceless symbol of hope, enshrined in the certainty that what we as a species can destroy and defile, we can rebuild and reclaim. Where we create desolation, desertification and despair, we have the power to achieve a renaissance. That is the Message of Mcomazi and it has unique global significance. In the future it could well become legend. It is a source of pride to everyone who was associated with it. And it is Fitz’s extraordinary legacy.

This is his Eulogy. It is not my task to pay tribute and thanks to the those who contributed to this achievement. Many are here and many more will be at the inevitable memorial next year. The eclectic talent of this huge base of joyful participation is a tribute to another of his gifts which lay in the magnetism of the man. His dynamic and infectious belief in his cause. He walked with lions, but he also walked with princes and presidents, prophets and professors, the celebrated and the cerebral and the good and great of conservation. He worked his particular, brawny magic on them all.

Fitz had a wary belief in an Almighty and an afterlife which was based in his love of nature. When we discussed it, he found my atheism slightly tiresome. Whether he was right or not of wrong will by now have been revealed to him. Whatever it is he will be saying, ‘Just like Cockfosters isn’t it?’

Eulogy By Bob Marshall-Andrews (MHS 1957-1962)

Read at All Hallows Church, Tillington, Petworth, West Sussex on 22 June 2022

Kora-Tony-Fred-Arusha

‘

On the wall of his workroom in Africa, there still hangs the team photograph of that hugely successful OM’s side, which includes his captain and vice-captain Andy Mortimer’

Fitzjohn,

Tales from the wild

‘In late 1965, my then boss, a part-time amateur slum landlord, offered me free accommodation in an unfurnished three-storey house with basement in pre-gentrified Richmond Avenue, Islington, walking distance from Chapel Market. It was a simple deal. Decorate the property from top to bottom, at my cost, and leave on 6 April 1966 when the new tax year started. Fitz joined me and for several months we partied hard and somehow coped with the lack of hot water, cooking facilities and anything remotely resembling creature comforts.

I was studying at Business School but Fitz dressed up in a smart blue suit, white shirt, blue tie and went to work each day with a portfolio case of sample work, representing some of London’s top photographers including Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy. He hated the job and constantly talked about going off to Africa and working with animals. At the time, Fitz and I were both animals, so his aspirations made a lot of sense.

Our contract was fulfilled with a painting party which was a spectacular success – OMRFC team mates, strangers, neighbours even the odd policeman popped in to admire and occasionally work. The following week we were evicted. The property was so damp, the paint peeled off within 48 hours. My boss’s wife, despite our protestations, refused to believe any decorating had been done!

After eviction from Islington, we spent a week c/o Martin Swanne in Hampstead and then ‘settled’ in Larkfield Road on the outskirts of Richmond. Fitz remained restless and charmingly wild. On occasions, I was a moderating influence. In retrospect, what stands out for me – and it’s a lesson for anyone with career uncertainties – is how passionately Fitz believed in his destiny. His desire to quit the UK for a life in Africa was burning for years and he remains today a shining example of an individual who had a dream which, no matter what obstacles he faced – many self-imposed – he went on to fulfil beyond everyone’s wildest imagination. His success and lifestyle as a conservationist was due in part to hard grind, long hours of work and an ability to network at multiple levels of society. But deep down, his unwavering belief in his purpose, his unshakeable commitment to causes he believed in are for me the backbone of his accomplishments.’

Nocturnal Antics

‘It was at least 55 years ago, and Tony and I had been playing rugby at Headstone Lane, he in the 1st XV and I in the B team. After the game we lingered in the bar with a number of other ‘regulars’ sinking several pints of beer until it was time to move on and embrace the remainder of the evening (or what was left of it). As was often the case, Tony and I were looking for a party in London and, on this occasion, we knew of one in Bayswater. Modes of transport from Headstone Lane varied with the commonest being a lift from an older OM making their way to a demurer form of entertainment. This particular Saturday, however, was different as Tony announced he had a motorcycle and that I was to ride pillion!

He had been loaned the bike by a friend; it was a substantial piece of transport, and it was to be my first (and last) ride on a motorcycle. Tony was almost as inexperienced, but he was full of confidence, and we were both full of beer. The journey to Bayswater took us into Oxford Street, driving west towards Marble Arch. It had rained and the roads were a little greasy. As we progressed quite sedately something happened to make us swerve to the left, wobble and fall off the bike on to the road. As we looked up from the Tarmac, we were both face-to-face with the radiator of a double decker London bus, still shaking from the need to rapidly apply its brakes.

We peeled ourselves off the road, quickly realised we were not seriously injured but we had been in an extremely close encounter with a Route Master bus. An important pedal on the bike had suffered, rendering the bike unsafe to drive, so Tony and I unceremoniously pushed the vehicle off the road, nursed our minor cuts and bruises and considered our next move.

Typical of Tony’s self-confidence and ingenuity, he suggested we should wheel the injured motorbike to the nearby West Central 1 Police Station to ask if the police would look after it for a few days. To my surprise the Station Sargent agreed, so the bike was tucked away for safe keeping and we two, somewhat shaken and crest-fallen OMs, found ourselves marooned in the West End of London with just our rugby kit bags and, as students, insufficient money to hail a taxi. By this time, it was approaching 1am; the Underground had finished, buses were rare and we were in need of sustenance. As we walked towards Marylebone Road from where the success of hitching a lift was more likely, we emerged into Portland Place and noticed the lights were shining forth from the BBC's Broadcasting House. Again, with typical self-belief and ’the cheek of the devil’, Tony suggested we ask the BBC to provide us with the support and comfort we needed. So, we marched up to the main entrance, related our plight to the Night Security Officer, showed him our wounds (a small cut on the face and rather bruised prides) and were allowed entry into this famous building where we took advantage of the ‘facilities’ before taking the lift to the fourth floor and the infamous BBC Canteen. A pot of tea and fried egg and bacon were provided courtesy of

Peter Wakeham (Burton Bank 1960-1965)

our parents’ BBC licence fees and the generosity of the canteen staff, thereby fortifying us for our respective journeys home.

Thankfully we were quickly successful in hitching a lift with a man in, I suspect his mid-thirties, wearing a black bow tie and dinner suit who was heading to his home in Chigwell, Essex, not exactly round the corner from Southgate and Enfield, our respective destinations. We soon discovered he was a croupier in a Mayfair casino, hence his elegant attire, and in return for a few anecdotes from the gambling table, he soon heard of our adventures. Such was his admiration (or was it pity) for our resilience, fortitude and bold-faced cheek, not to mention a bit of Millhillian charm, that he offered to go way out of his way to deliver us to our own front doors. Our gratitude would have been effusive but I suspect Tony stopped short of offering the croupier a ride on his motorbike when it was back in action.

The reason why this experience has lingered so long in my memory is that not only was it a distinctive and memorable brush with disaster but it revealed to me the strength of Tony’s character, his determination and ingenuity, his care towards me and his marginally feral spirit, qualities that would have equipped him for the life close to wild animals in countries so very far removed from Central London on an eventful Saturday night in the mid-Sixties. It was some years later when he went to Africa to carve out a life for himself, but I like to think that he might have occasionally reflected on that Night on the Bike!’

(Weymouth 1958-1963)

(Ridgeway 1961-1966)

Out In Africa

‘It wasn’t until we’d left Mill Hill that I really got to know Tony. It was Sixties London and we were exploding. I’d started at Barts and he liked the crazy social life at the medical school. My mates liked his ‘mad, bad and slightly dangerous’ to know persona, as well as his sense of fun.

But Tony wanted something more. I waved him off sadly at Southampton as he shipped out to Cape Town (1968). I didn’t hear from him for a couple of years, then got an invitation to join him in Kenya. Those were his early days in Kora and for me as a visitor, it was an unspoilt, wildlife wilderness heaven. It was not all roses for him, however. He lived out in remote desert bush with only George (Adamson) and his brother Terence… two old boys who never said much. But he loved the wild, had an immediate affinity with the lions, and had found a new family, albeit a dysfunctional one. Terence loved elephants but disapproved of everything else including Tony. George’s wife Joy and Tony disliked each other intensely, but by that time she had become little more than an occasional voice on the end of an ancient telephone. George, however, was becoming the father he’d never known, one he loved and to whom his loyalty never wavered. Over the years, I believe he became the son that George never had.

As the years went by, I saw Tony grow into the role of running and expanding the project. As the brothers aged, he shouldered the responsibilities, including bravely fighting poachers, bandits and his own demons. ‘Wild Boy’ was becoming ‘Lion Man.

The lions were part of this new family. I only really understood this years later, when my stay at camp was extended by early rains which made roads impassable (I arrived late for a prestigious job on the professorial unit at Barts which went down badly). But it meant that the lions had got used to me, and George reckoned it was (probably) OK for me to join him and Tony (as leaders of the pride) for their regular ‘meet’ with the lions on top of Water rock: very scary and no safety fencing. George called them by name and up they came. To be up so close to those great creatures, have them rub past my legs and feel their powerful breath on my face was an immense experience a ‘still point in a turning world’. An integral part of Tony’s world which brought him an inner peace that probably saved him in darker hours and which, for a few precious moments, I was privileged to share.’

(Murray 1959-1964)

Russel Cowan

‘

Tony lived a life that few others could have done. He’s left a hell of a legacy in Africa, indeed lived a hell of a life!’

Nigel Wray

Mark Stewart

Fitzjohn managed the Mkomazi Game Reserve and White Rhino sanctuary in Tanzania

Alistair Graham MHS Headmaster (1979-1922)

Yet his entry into education was anything but orthodox and certainly ‘adventitious’ (one of Alistair’s favourite words). While imbibing in a bar with friends, he encountered a young teacher of German and French from Eton who expressed a desire to work in the Security Services. Impulsively, Alastair suggested, “Well, I speak the languages that you teach; you go and be a spy, and I’ll teach at Eton”. And that’s precisely what happened, - and the language teacher, David Cornwell, came to be better known as the novelist, John le Carré. However much it may be embellished, this anecdote typically reflects Alistair’s enthusiastic and spontaneous response to people and situations; and so his career as an educationalist was launched.

Previously Alastair had grown up on the Isle of Wight with his parents, Jack and Jane, and brothers John and Moray. Then at Winchester College he rose to the position of Head boy before obtaining a scholarship to Cambridge at the age of 16. There he read modern languages, achieving a double First and a Masters, and as an enthusiastic and competitive squash player won a half-blue. He joined the Army for a brief period, proudly participating in the Coronation, before working in the City, which included travelling to Sweden with the opportunity learn the rudiments of another language.

And so to Eton where he taught French and German before becoming a Housemaster. He developed a deep understanding and close knowledge of the pupils, whose general health and well-being depended largely on him and his house team. He instilled and practised the highest standards of pastoral care, ensuring his pupils succeeded both academically as well as developing wider interests, whether cultural or sporting.

In 1979 Alistair was appointed Headmaster of Mill Hill, and from the outset the circumstances were challenging: the ripples of the resignation of a previous headmaster followed by an interregnum and a serious accident to his younger daughter did not make for an easy beginning. Alastair was to be Mill Hill’s fifth longest serving Head and the longest in the modern era. His 13 years of leadership were pivotal in evolving Mill Hill towards a brave and inevitable new future, building on the liberal vision of another recent great Headmaster, Michael Hart. The average tenure of a UK private school Head is about 7 years (Mill Hill 6.8 years), so Alastair’s tenure represented exceptional service. He put Mill Hill back on the Head Masters Conference (HMC) map again, being elected Chairman of its London Division.

Alastair referred to his tenure as “13 years of challenge, change and opportunity”. The difficulties of recruiting pupils was against the backdrop of a UK economy which was in a mess, with an annual inflation of 18% in 1984. During this period, he faced both a cultural shift in parental attitudes away from full-time boarding and also the termination of the Middlesex scheme, whereby the local authority had provided needy pupils with scholarships; a scheme which had been such a valuable asset to Mill Hill. Most of his governors were well meaning, but whose planning was criticised by an American Governor as “defensive...the act of a well-intentioned ostrich”. The members were very committed to Mill Hill remaining, as they remembered it, a relatively small boys’ boarding school, but this was clearly impossible as no longer were non-conformist, middle-class parents sending their sons to boarding schools in any numbers.

Yet Alistair still managed to innovate. Probably his greatest achievement was his recognition of the value of the pupil feeder system, which is central to Mill Hill’s strategy today. He strengthened Mill Hill’s linkage with Belmont, tackled Year 7 entry at age 11 at Belmont and set up guaranteed places. He modernised the organisation of the school too: he created the roles of Director of Studies and Director of Educational Services; the system of Form Tutors; he introduced staff appraisals; the concept of Faculty Blocks; the emphasis on Design Studies and CDT; and he oversaw the opening of the Sports Hall in 1983.

He enjoyed school visits from eminent individuals such as John Julius Norwich, to celebrate the Murray Dictionary, Margaret Thatcher and her OM consort, and Sir Robert Telford, President of Marconi, who unveiled a plaque to Cecil Goyder in the Science School. Both Alistair and his wife, Penelope, strongly encouraged European school exchanges, especially with France (Rouen) and Germany – reflected today in the geographic mix of the OM community and the reunion weekends that Millhillians have enjoyed over the years in several European cities such as Vienna, Berlin, Biarritz,

and Madrid.

No doubt Alastair smiled to himself during his retirement when observing how Mill Hill has resolved some of the burning issues of his tenure: day versus boarding school, co-education, CEO or not! He undoubtedly paved the way for these changes and it was hopefully comforting for him to know that his ideas ultimately came to fruition. Many of his innovations have helped Mill Hill to evolve into the enormous success it is now with over sixteen hundred pupils on the Ridgeway.

Stockholm

Alastair Graham was an exceptional man, formidably intelligent and erudite yet all the more impressive for wearing his learning and achievements lightly; and he devoted his life to passing on that learning and to inspiring others.

So much for Alistair’s achievements but what about Alistair the man as Headmaster? After his death the family received many tributes reflecting the love and affection in which he was held by so many of his former pupils and staff and a deep sense of gratitude for his unstinting care and guidance. Indeed, he cared deeply about everybody in his School: his teaching staff, the pupils, the caterers, the cleaners, the gardeners; all were important to him. As Head of Mill School, he placed great value on its wider community, recognising that people are at the heart of the institution and concern for their individual welfare is fundamental to its success. A touching example of his compassion and generosity was when he invited the legendary Somalian, Freddie, who worked in the kitchens and had no family in the UK, to spend Christmas with the Grahams - an invitation which continued for many years.

Alistair was very much ‘old school’ in the very best sense. The headmasters that followed him would be surrounded and supported by senior management teams but the author of Strikingly Alive, the History of Mill Hill School, refers to Alastair as “the last Head Master, in one of the loneliest times in the hot seat”: An abiding image is of Alistair riding around his estate on an old-fashioned bicycle like some feudal lord of the manor, dispensing largesse, watching a game of cricket or rugby, engaging in conversation with a pupil or even digging out some furtive smokers from the bushes.

He had a genuine interest in the pupils’ personalities and progress and taught every new pupil in their first year so he could get to know them all: he never seemed to forget a face or name. Whether it was facilitating an Oxbridge entrance or merely ensuring a lonely pupil from abroad felt at home, he was always concerned for the individual pupil, both academically and pastorally. He was also supportive of the staff, unfailing in writing notes of thanks or congratulations, and always focused on their development: for example, several teachers benefitted from his encouragement of overseas exchanges to recharge their batteries and to gain invaluable experience.

As well as his genuine interest in people he was very much the renaissance man, enthusiastically supporting every activity whether academic, cultural or pastoral, and committed to independent thought and the pursuit of excellence in providing a well-rounded and inclusive education. Despite having no rugby background, he could be regularly seen on the touch line and he followed school rugby tours to Canada and Australia; on another occasion, enthused by an outstanding winning play, ‘The Dresser’ in the House drama competition, he immediately wanted it to be taken to Eton as he thought it deserved a wider audience. No area of school activity failed to enjoy his spontaneous and positive encouragement.

He was excellent company, and was both an entertaining guest and a hospitable host. He loved to regale others with his wit and dry sense of humour. He loved anecdotes and delighted in punctuating his conversation with scholarly and often recondite references. And he wasn’t adverse to a little name dropping, but there was always a knowing twinkle in his eye. Above all he always had time for people, whatever their age. David Woodrow recalls how his young daughter would practise her cycle skills in the main corridor. One Sunday afternoon she had been gone a little longer than normal and he went to find her. Alastair was in his office, clearly working his way through a long list of important tasks and there she was, sitting on his sofa drinking squash, eating a biscuit and discussing who knows what with her ‘friend’.

This anecdote perhaps leads into what was most important for Alistair and that was his family, of whom he was inordinately fond. As a father and grandfather, he was full of patience and empathy, generous with his time, and willing to listen to stories and to encourage enthusiasms. He was very proud of the various achievements of his two daughters, Annabel and Olivia, and after his retirement came to delight in following the progress of his four grandchildren, often giving invaluable help to their parents. Above all he was tirelessly aided by his wife, Penelope, who survives him. They shared a deep love of learning and imparting their knowledge to young people and together were very much a driving force behind the European exchange scheme. She also enjoyed hosting and entertaining and was very supportive of the wives of the teaching staff.

So, our lasting memory of Alastair Graham is not only that of an impressive academic, an outstanding Headmaster and a compassionate teacher, always ready to give of his expertise and time, but also that of an adored husband, father and grandfather: a true friend and beloved by so many.

Corbett - with contributions from Peter Wakeham, the family and others.

Tim

‘

His 13 years of leadership were pivotal in envolving Mill Hill towards a brave and inevitable new future’

The common

‘

room was full of talented teachers and wonderful characters who shared a very special ethos’

NEW PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

First, I would like to express how honoured I am to be asked to become President of the Old Millhillians Club. Only four previous Club Presidents have not been Old Millhillians, but like me, have been members of the School common room. Most recently my good friends Tim Corbett (2015-2016) and David Franklin (1993-1994) held the role. Prior to that, back in 1887 the legendary lexicographer and teacher Sir James Murray was equally honoured, shortly followed in 1891 by former Classics master William Grey aka the Earl of Stamford in 1887. Another long-serving teacher, and the Schools first historian, Norman Brett-James, was President in 1946, but he had also been a pupil, entering the School in 1894, not long after Sir John McClure‘s appointment as Headmaster in 1891.

Talking of McClure, I was fascinated by the recent Club publication which explored his extraordinary contribution to the history of the School. He literally rescued it from closure - there were only 61 pupils when he took overand laid the foundations for Mill Hill to be counted as one of the country’s leading public schools by 1922, when he sadly died in office. Through the various articles, apart from his obvious talents as a musician, a teacher and a religious leader, I really acquired a sense of his charisma. The celebration held at the school in June was a suitably splendid day with a special chapel service and feasting on Top Field. It ran alongside an equally entertaining Old Millhillians Day packed with sports matches and camaraderie among OMs. I am looking forward to celebrating 50 years of McClure House, of particular significance to me as I was Housemaster in the 1980s.

Normally incoming Presidents writing in Martlet, describe their years at the School and the friendships they made there. Although my memories are of course from a different perspective, I enjoyed the company of my fellow teachers, some of whom have over the years become close friends along with several former pupils. But before I reminisce, I should explain how my association with the school began and how it ultimately led to my appointment on the staff in 1981.

My initial awareness of Mill Hill was through rugby, a sport which has been a great passion of mine throughout my life. As a schoolboy, I saw Old Millhillians RFC’s results on television on Saturday afternoons. When I read in the Rugby Football Union’s Centenary History, published in 1970, I noted that OM Sir William Ramsay (MHS 1913-1918), was uniquely elected as President of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for the second time for the centenary year 1970-1971, he was previously President in 1954-1955. In 2018, I was fortunate enough to follow in his footsteps to become President of the RFU for the 2018-2019 season. As an honorary OM, this makes me the fourth OM to be so honoured.

It was entirely through rugby connections that I was appointed to the School staff. I was in my first job at Epsom College, after graduating from Durham University, coaching Epsom’s team at the annual national schools seven-a-sides at Rosslyn Park, when out of the blue Robert Clark (Director of Economics 1978-1985), who was supporting the Mill Hill team at the tournament, approached me on the touchline and asked me to join him in the Economics Department.

A week later I was interviewed by the Headmaster Alastair Graham, and offered the job. Although new to the School, I already knew David Franklin as he had coached me as a schoolboy for the London Schools Rugby Team in 1972, and we were now coaching the current team together. Somehow Robert and David‘s recommendation convinced Alastair that I would be an asset to the School! Some might debate the wisdom of that decision: I think it’s fair to say that my contribution to school life was stronger on the pastoral and sporting side than in the classroom! I shall always be grateful to Alastair for appointing me and indeed his support and guidance, I was pleased to see him, in his nursing home, just a few days before he passed away in August. He was an outstanding Headmaster who combined academic brilliance with genuine humanity and warmth, it was a privilege to work for him.

I stayed at Mill Hill for twelve years, although one of those years I spent on exchange at Newington College in Sydney, and have so many happy memories of my time there: the common room was full of talented teachers and wonderful characters who shared a very special ethos. The senior teachers included some quite outstanding schoolmasters, who were also special people, Alec Robertson, the Second Master, Ted Winter, Head of English and Murray housemaster and Arthur Vine a wonderfully eccentric physics teacher and musician. I have a great memory of the farewell dinner we held for them at the Cock Tavern in Fleet Street and indeed the hijinks in the common room on our return from London!

The New President’s Welcome

David Franklin led a very capable group of Housemasters, who oversaw the pastoral side of the School, while William Winfield, who went on to become such a successful Headmaster and the incredibly talented John Veal, who passed away at a tragically young age, oversaw the academic life of the School. There was an unusually large number of successful sportsman in the common room at the time, amongst the senior generation, David Franklin, Allan Prosser-Harries, Alec Robertson and Ted Winter had all played first class rugby at a high level. Hartley Heard had won two ‘Blues’ as a cricketer at Oxford, Bobby Morgan was an ex-England and Great Britain hockey international. Amongst the younger generation, Robert Clark, Dai Rees and David Woodrow had all played or were still playing first-class rugby. A good number of other teachers were quality games players, playing for the Millers at cricket or representing the common room at golf. Although my golf was appalling, it gave me great pleasure and it didn’t detract from the fun of playing foursomes against various local clubs’ ladies teams! Throughout my time at the School, the common room enjoyed a tremendous camaraderie encouraged by lots of social events ranging from Miller’s matches, to evenings at the Weymouth Society. The Society organised a series of enjoyable evenings of dramatic productions, theatre trips, buffet suppers and interesting talks exemplifing the strong relationship between staff, parents and pupils.

As all OMs will recall extra-curricular activities have always been an important part of school life. I particularly enjoyed some excellent dramatic productions, produced by Tim Stringer and Tim Corbett, who were fortunate to have Jasper Britton, now a very successful actor on the West End stage, as one of their leading players. Another feature of Mill Hill life at the time, were the visits to Dent, the field study centre in the Yorkshire Dales that had been purchased by Yorkshire Old Millhillians in 1972. In fact, my first days at Mill Hill were spent in Dent, Robert Clark had organised pre-season training for the First XV. There was no doubt about it, a few days of training on Sedbergh’s wonderful pitches combined with living in the house in Dent instilled great team spirit at the beginning of the season, a tradition that ran through through the eighties and nineties. After a couple of days on this first visit, I left the gang to play rugby for an invitation team called the Dolphins based in Durham. However, this did not mark the end of my involvement with the Dent expedition. Robert had asked me to drive the mini-bus home and I was to meet Paul Bickerdike,

who was chef for the trip, and the boys at Leeds station. That morning I had not gone to bed until 4 am and was suffering from the most dreadful hangover but somehow, on what was a particularly scorching day, I got the boys and the van back safely. When I think back, I am not sure if I was even a member of staff at this point and do wonder if I was appropriately insured. I imagine this relaxed approach is not allowed today with rigorous health and safety regulations in place, particularly when driving a minibus full of pupils!

I became aware of the Old Millhillians Club quite early in my time at School when I was roped in as a last-minute guest at the 1981 Annual Dinner at the Law Society in Chancery Lane. The Club very generously invited about a dozen members of the common room to their Annual Dinner. I remember being most impressed that sitting on top table was the wonderfully named Lord Salmon of Sandwich, then Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, next to Dennis Thatcher, husband of the then Prime Minister. However, it wasn’t until I read a copy of Nobis, Gowan Bewsher’s history of the first hundred years of the Club, that I realised just how many distinguished people the School had produced, and what an unusually well established and thriving Club it is.

I was very fortunate to meet some of the most distinguished Millhillians who were still involved and were great servants of the Club. Men such as Stantley Farrow (Collinson 1927-1930) and Nat Garrett (Burton Bank 1924-1927) who supported the Club throughout their lives across a wide range of activities from Alford House to the OMRFC. Dick Walker, who for many years was the School Treasurer, and Whaley Wilkins who was appointed the OMRFC’s Chairman in1979 its centenary year. These OMs had all attended MHS in the 1920s and having enjoyed successful careers were still active and devoted to supporting the School and the Club. A way perhaps to demonstrate their gratitude for the education they received and the friendships made.

Inevitably my closest connection with the Old Millhillians was through the rugby club at Headstone Lane. In my first few weeks at the School, I injured my neck again and decided to give up playing for Harlequins, so the following season I took charge of the 1st XV. This was very good timing as it coincided with the creation of the Mill Hill School Rugby Football Social Club, which was established to involve parents, pupils, teachers and OMs

Chris Kelly and the 1985 MHS team at the World Schools Rugby Festival on Vancouver Island, Canada. Team captain Peter Mensah was the best player Chris Kelly coached whilst at Mill Hill. Staff members Tim Dingle, far left, and David Woodrow, inner left, also accompanied the tour

Chris Kelly coaching from the touchline during 1983 Australian tour

in supporting the rugby at the School. Jim Roberts (Collinson 1945-1950) was the first Chairman and Alan Bonner (Ridgeway 1951-1956) the Treasurer, they were both governors at the time. The late Ray Hubbard (Weymouth 1946-1951) and Jim Kent (Ridgeway 1952-1957) were also original members of the committee, who gave so much of their time and energy. I greatly relished not only running and enjoying many social events as part of our fundraising, but also leading or supporting a series of quite memorable Rugby tours around the world. We traveled to Australia, Bali and Singapore in 1983, Canada in 1985, Singapore, Australia, Fiji and the USA in 1988, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay in 1990 and Australia and Malaysia in 1993. All of these were memorable trips, providing wonderful experiences which established lifelong friendships both within the tour parties and with the opposition hosts that we met on our travels.

The most extraordinary experiences of rugby touring however were when I accompanied the Old Millhillians on their traditional Easter tours to Torquay in 1985 in 1986. These end of season tours had been enjoyed in the West Country since the 1920s. There were some good performances on the pitch, but the real highlights were some remarkable efforts off the pitch, most of which could not be described on paper, but suffice it to say, that on the first tour I did not go to bed for three nights! I was a lot younger then!! David Coakley (McClure 1969-1974) was captain at that time and the OMs were enjoying two successful seasons. The team included some of the players I had coached at the School, notably Peter Mensah, comfortably the best player in my time at Mill Hill who went on to play for the Harlequins and the England A team. The camaraderie amongst that group of players has lasted ever since, I recently attended a lunch with twenty five from the Coakley era, who were celebrating Richard Horton (MHS 1965-1970) reaching his seventieth birthday, while bravely fighting a terminal illness. It has also been a particular pleasure to watch this years’ very successful OMs team which includes at least ten old boys with Joe Wray (School 2007-2012), son of Nigel (Ridgeway 1959-1964), and Sam Rosenkrantz (McClure 2005-2010), son of Jay (McClure 1967-1972) leading players.

On a separate note, Nigel Wray whose extraordinary commitment to the Saracens as their original owner from 1995, when rugby union turned professional, should have a special mention. A talented rugby player and cricketer, he has continued to support the OMs rugby and cricket clubs despite his allegiance to Saracens undoubtedly the most successful English club both on and off the pitch. In the early eighties and nineties Nigel and I co-chaired a committee which organised a series of annual summer balls held in an enormous marquee on Gears. These proved highly popular and successfully brought together the Old Millhillian and school communities, while raising considerable funds to support the Schools’ tours and to help with the costs of maintaining Headstone Lane.

When Alastair Graham and Jim Roberts, Vice-Chairman of the Governors at the time, appointed me to a new role as Director of Admissions in 1990, I left the classroom - much to the relief of the pupils - and my games coaching commitments. My new role was to improve relations with prep schools and build up numbers of applicants, particularly boarders, at a time when the School was struggling to fill its boarding houses. I was very happy to take on this challenge, although I very much missed my sports coaching and my role as housemaster of McClure, which had provided me with some of my most memorable and enjoyable years in teaching.

I suppose it was inevitable that having taken on the role I would move on from Mill Hill to a Prep School and in 1993 was appointed Headmaster of St Johns, Northwood. I stayed for the next twenty years and was delighted to send some very good pupils to Mill Hill including two, Nick Lewis (Murray 2003-2008) and Matthew Farleigh (Priestley 2008-2013), who became senior monitors. In the meantime I maintained my connection with many OM‘s and indeed the Club, attending dinners, supporting at Headstone Lane, enjoying many memorable evenings at the National Liberal Club and helping to create and run the Old Millhillian’s Room at the School. I was however genuinely surprised when Peter Wakeham asked me three years ago to take on the role of President, my accession was delayed by Covid, but I am now very much looking forward to taking on the challenge.

As Covid has prevented so many events over the last two years, I intend to not only support the current dinners and meetings, but also to hold a number of my own. At the time of writing, I have already set dates for my visit to New York and Toronto and I am planning to attend functions in Auckland, Sydney Melbourne, Hong Kong, South Africa and Dubai. As well as attending the reunions, I look forward very much to meeting up with OMs that I taught, some of whom I have even toured with for example James Shackleton who has ended up sending both his sons to Brisbane Boys College, whom he played on our first Australian tour in 1983.

In the past three years, I have served as Vice President on the Old Millhillians Club Committee and Executive Board which has made me aware of just how much effort is put in by a large number of hard-working OMs. I should like to highlight the extraordinary efforts of Peter Wakeham as Chairman and the wonderful support we all receive from Laura Turner in the office. It is a privilege to succeed the ebullient and enthusiastic John Gallagher, however, it will be difficult to follow the quality of his entertaining speeches. I am delighted that I will be succeeded by our first ever female President, Stephanie Miller (Priestly 1990-1992) and I am very much looking forward to working even more closely with Jane Sanchez, who is doing such a wonderful job as Head of Mill Hill.

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I remember being most impressed that sitting on top table was the wonderfully named Lord Salmon of Sandwich, then Lord of Appeal in Ordinary ’

MARTLET