The Pangbournian - The magazine of the OP Society No.50 Feb 2020

THE

PANGBOURNIAN The magazine o f the O P S ocie ty

IN THIS ISSUE: • Coronavirus: a very new challenge • Remembering Peter Points • 2019 Event Photo Gallery • The Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

N o 50 2020

THE

PANGBOURNIAN The magazine o f the O P S ocie ty

N o 50 2020

CON T EN TS 3

Welcome From the OP Chairman and Headmaster

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News News by and about Old Pangbournians

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From the Archives Stories from the College archives

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Coronavirus A very new challenge for the college

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Diary and Key Contacts What's happening and who to contact

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Events 2019 Picture gallery of the main OP events Credits & Contacts

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Campus Life

Editors: Karen Hartshorn and Matt Burrows

News and highlights from the College

Cover Image: Founders' Day 2019 Design: Hyperbole Design & Marketing Ltd

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Obituaries

Production and Distribution: NP Design & Print

Requiescat in pace

Submissions: development@pangbourne.com

Books

The editors wish to thank Mr Robin Knight (56-61) and Mrs Alexandra Garnier (Hon OP) for their ongoing contributions and commitment.

Reviews and Interviews

Pangbourne College, Pangbourne, Reading, Berkshire RG8 8LA

Sports

Reception: +44 (0)118 984 2101

OPs in action

www.pangbourne.com

The Pangbournian

WELCOME FROM THE OP CHAIRMAN The College finished 2018 in a really good place. We looked to 2019 to maintain the momentum and the year did not disappoint. The College numbers have increased to record numbers; the standard of academic achievement continues to improve and there are plans to expand upon the numbers in attendance at the College. The Society similarly, continues to do well and it is heartening to see as many in attendance at our OP Society meetings, a reflection of the fondness for the College and its well-being.

In February we received the sad news of the death of Peter Points. Merrick Rayner and I had been to see him just before Christmas 2018 and I was so glad we did. Peter’s continued interest in the success of the College came through even then. Peter created the successful trajectory upon which the College is now set and which his successors have been able to sustain.

The first event of my year with the College was the Careers Day held on 15 March which was well attended

by OPs. We had two motivational speakers, Hugo Mahoney (83-88), CEO Brakes UK, and current parent Helen Hyde, Partners’ Counsellor at the John Lewis Partnership. This was followed by networking sessions between OP and parent volunteers and the pupils.

Other OP events followed. 5 April was the ever-popular OP Society dinner held at the College. Major General Tom Copinger-Symes CBE (82-87) was our Guest of Honour.

His speech was an excellent, most

humorous and humane appreciation of Peter Points. On 29 April I attended the OP Yacht Club AGM at the Royal Navy Club in Portsmouth.

The dedication and hard work which goes into the management of this club is doubtless the main reason for its success.

The College held a memorial service for Peter Points on 9 May - a marvellous tribute to a man who had served Pangbourne so well. The College then held a Mock Interview Day for Lower Sixth pupils in June which was well attended by volunteer OPs. The College greatly appreciates the time and dedication which OPs bring to this event.

On 21 June, the Bracklesham Bay BBQ; an opportunity for Old Conways, Old Worcesters, OPs and ex-Botha cadets to get together, hosted once again by Ralph Godfrey, Mike and Celia Askwith at their home.

Thankfully the weather was kind.

Founders’ Day never disappoints.

Our Guest of Honour, Victoria Gosling OBE, provided us with a most interesting speech into her experiences both within the RAF and her after life in sport management and governance. Founders’ Day to me is the best of times to come to the College as it displays the best of the College to the world and is a reminder of what the College stands for.

In September, we had a luncheon for those of us who had joined the college fifty years before. The idea was the brainchild of one of our previous OP Chairmen, Mark Dumas. The event

was held at the Boot and Flogger, and a good time was had by all.

Remembrance Sunday was another example of the best of the College.

After a poignant service at which I laid a wreath on behalf of all OPs, we witnessed a near faultless march past by the Divisions.

To the last event of the year, the Over Sixties lunch at the Turf Club on 19 November. Again, Mark Dumas made the preparations and must be applauded for his continued hard work for the Society. The lunch continues to be a favourite amongst those who attend. I recommend it to all who qualify and those who will be gaining this august age during the course of 2020.

Finally, my thanks to Karen, Anne, Amanda and those who work for us at the College; to Thomas especially for his invaluable support to the Society, for his enthusiasm and drive for the interests of the College, and to Alex for her thoughtfulness, David Nicholson Chairman OP Society Macquarie Division 1964-1968 Issue 50 2020

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WELCOME FROM THE HEADMASTER This welcome was written prior to the coronavirus pandemic and before school closures and social distancing were brought into action. Please see page 12 to read about how the College is dealing with the crisis.

I begin by sharing news which brought the College’s year in 2019 to a triumphant close. The Independent Schools’ Inspectorate (ISI) is the regulatory body which judges independent schools against the quality of their pupil outcomes through their inspection regime. After our last full inspection in 2014, we knew we were scheduled for one in this current academic year. What we didn’t expect was the phone call just after the return from October half term giving us notice that a full inspection team would be arriving in one hour! A team of six inspectors spent three days assessing our regulatory compliance, educational quality and the personal development of pupils.

After a very positive visit, I am absolutely delighted to report that Pangbourne was recognised as excellent across the board (ISI’s highest rating), in terms of positive academic outcomes for pupils, excellent co-curricular opportunity and outcomes, and personal growth and development of pupils. The inspectors were particularly struck by the confident, self-aware and positive young people they met. To quote but one of the quotable sentences from the inspection report: “Pupils flourish in a community which aims, through its Christian ethos, to develop the academic potential of its pupils and their teamwork, leadership, selfdiscipline and service skills in readiness for their adult lives.”

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Looking back, the rest of 2019 has also been full of activity. The calendar year began with an excellent College production of Much Ado About Nothing in February, followed by a major music concert in March. Our Lower Sixth Young Enterprise team won the Berkshire competition for their development of a GPS pet collar tracker. Team sport flourished, with notable performances during the 201819 year from the girls’ hockey teams and boys’ rugby 7s squad, the latter achieving a quarter-final place at the prestigious Rosslyn Park tournament in the Lent Term. We now look forward to a combined hockey and rugby tour of South Africa this summer. Our rowers were able to attend the Head of the Charles regatta in Boston in both October 2018 and 2019, and our Boys’ 1st VIII achieved medals at the British Rowing Indoor Championships, National Schools’ Regatta and a strong row against eventual winners Eton at Henley Royal Regatta in July.

As most OPs know, my wife Alex and I were granted a sabbatical in the Summer Term. We spent time resting, traveling and reflecting, including trips to Israel and Greece. I returned to the College twice during the Summer Term, one of which was for the memorial service of the College’s first Headmaster, Peter Points. Peter was a man of restless energy and enthusiasm for Pangbourne, with a sharp mind and a keen eye for detail. I will always be grateful for the support he showed me and, from the tributes given on the day, it was obvious that he was a huge influence not just on the College and its future, but on the lives and direction of many OPs.

In September we began the academic year 2019-20 with a big change for Pangbourne College: the end of the teaching of lessons on Saturday mornings. All lessons are now taught Monday to Friday, reducing the impact and disruption that Saturday matches had on pupil attendance.

Saturdays are now reserved for matches (many in the morning), sport training, major College events including Open Mornings, independent work and, for the deserving, College detention. It is still early to assess the full impact of the change but, to me, it seems as though we have been just as busy but there is less tiredness and the feedback has been generally positive.

The ‘Campus Life’ section of this magazine will give more detail on everything I have mentioned here plus many things I have not: public exam results, increasing outreach and partnership work with state schools, and our inaugural Festival of Culture week.

As always, I end with an open invitation to OPs to visit and see what is going on at Pangbourne. Please do let the Development Office know if you would like to visit and we can ensure someone is available to show you around.

Thomas Garnier

OP NEWS In order to publish as much news submitted by OPs as possible, many individual entries have been edited and shortened. Thank you to all OPs for your submissions, please send news items for the 2021 OP Magazine to development@pangbourne.com

1940s After failing his eye test, MERVYN WILLIAMS (4750) chose a different path to many of his contemporaries.

After time in the National Service and a brief spell in the insurance business, he was hired to work for the security and safe company Chubbs. This led to an interesting 36-year long career with stints in many different parts of the world, including South Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Mervyn retired to Suffolk in 1993. He has discovered a love of gardening, and enjoys looking after his small orchard and vegetable garden. He can’t quite believe that he’s been retired for more than 25 years, but he is enjoying this phase of his life very much.

1950s ANTHONY FENWICKWILSON (53-57) writes: “Now I’ve staggered past my ‘eightieth’, I provide a brief update. It has been an interesting year, but without the Chinese curse of, “May you live in interesting times”.

Anthony Fenwick Wilson (53-57) The most prominent part being that I have ceased being Chairman of my renewable energy company, Cross Flow Energy, and retired - probably much to the relief of other board members!

My 1935 Straight-Eight Railton ‘Rosita’ and I have had a pretty good season, racing at Silverstone, Donnington, and Brands Hatch, and now both are having a spot of re-fettling in preparation for next year’s meetings.

The final fundraising tally for my 80th birthday wingwalking jaunt in May was just over £6,000, shared between Dementia UK and Mission Motor Sport (to which we are grateful to those OPs who kindly subscribed). I’ve got the glimmer of an idea for my 85th..."

1960s At the time of writing, MIKE SMITH (60-65) was due to tour India, Sri Lanka and Australia in February 2020 in order to promote his new book Leading with Integrity (Routledge,

July 2019). Mike spoke at the book's launch in London in October 2019. The event was attended by CHRIS WESTON (77-82), CEO of Mike Smith (60-65) Aggreko temporary energy company and former Chief Cadet Captain of the College, whom Mike quotes in the book. He reports Chris's stance for integrity and against "facilitation" payments, or bribes, a message which, says Chris, the entire workforce of 7,300 have to hear from him personally.

Mike and his wife Jan are greatly enjoying their home in Brockham, Surrey, having moved at the beginning of 2019.

They meet up with their daughter, son-in-law and grandson, Theo. As devoted grandparents they enjoy their babysitting duties, as well as occasional visits from their son, Nick.

PAUL MIMMACK (65-68) was featured in the 2019 edition of Classic Boat Magazine. The magazine is dedicated to celebrating the world’s most beautiful boats, and Paul was mentioned in an article which talks about a boat he first saw when he was 11 years old.

Paul Mimmack (65-68) Paul is now the proud owner of the “beautifully renovated motor sailor, Mary Islay.”

The article covered the boat in great detail from discovery to restoration, and Paul is mentioned as having “been educated at Pangbourne Nautical College before joining the Merchant Navy in 1968 when he went to work for Harrison Line, a private Liverpool-based cargo company. He got his Master’s ticket in 1983 and then served on various cargo and container ships. Five years later, he got a job as Assistant Harbourmaster in Jersey, and then in January 1992, he bought Mary Islay.”

1970s Philanthropist DAVID HARDING (72-78) and his (L) David Harding (72-78) wife Claudia donated £100 million to Cambridge University this year. The founder and CEO of Winton Group attended Pangbourne from 1972 to 1978 before studying at Cambridge.

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Their gift is “the biggest single British donation to a UK university”, and was made via the David and Claudia Harding Foundation. It was reported by the BBC that the money will “fund postgraduate scholarships for more than 100 PhD students and be invested in attracting students from underrepresented groups”.

BRIGADIER RORY SANDHAM COPINGER-SYMES (79-83) was reunited with a fellow OP, PHILIP JONES (76-83), at Queen Anne’s School in Caversham to present a lecture on Leadership.

Brig Rory Sandham Copinger-Symes (79-83) and Philip Jones (76-83)

Philip is Head of the Lower Sixth Enrichment Programme and Head of History and Politics at the school. He invited Rory to speak in light of his 37 years’ service in the Royal Marines, and part of his message on the day was: “Leadership is essentially about being able to get people to do things that they otherwise would not do. It’s not easy; it’s a challenge.”

1980s CHARLIE SYKES (81-85) took part in the Haute Route Pyrenees cycle race over the summer of 2019.

The race is 780kms with 19,000m of ascent. Charlie says: “That’s roughly Henley to Bristol each day for a week whilst also going up the equivalent of Charlie Sykes (81-85) Ben Nevis twice in the middle. The weather can change from very hot to very cold and wet, and I anticipate that I will be in the saddle for six to seven hours each day.”

Charlie took on the challenge in aid of two charities. The first is Team Type 1, an organisation that works to provide sustainable access to medicine and treatment for those with Type 1 diabetes.

The second charity is The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, set up in order to educate young people on the importance of mental well-being and equip them with the knowledge and tools needed to look after themselves and know when to seek help.

CHARLIE FOWLER (83-90) has been making waves in his role as a water-based police officer in New Zealand.

Charlie Fowler(83-90)

Charlie and his jetski are seen anywhere in Auckland’s waters, from Auckland Central, the North Shore and Manukau. Such is his reputation in the area, the former Hesperus pupil was featured in the largest daily newspaper in the country, the NZ Herald.

He told the Herald: “Water safety is big business at the moment and we’ve had it out a lot at schools putting the water safety message across. We want people to be safe and feel safe and it’s all about having the trust and confidence of the general public and we use the jetski for that.”

1990s LUCIE COOPER-JONES (96-03) recently credited Pangbourne for her success as an actress by sharing her love for the Drama department via social Lucie Cooper-Jones (96-03) media. Lucie commented on a College Instagram post announcing the College production of Grease, saying: “I first got the bug on this stage [Drake Hall] - I’m now a professional actor - owe so much to Pangers.”

2019 was a big year for Lucie. Her filmography included screen favourites such as Call the Midwife and Midsomer Murders, as well as a part in the mini-series A Christmas Carol, written by Steven Knight (creator of Peaky Blinders). In 2020, she will feature in the BBC series Liar and The Split, as well as Netflix’s Golden Globe winning and BAFTA nominated series, The Crown.

2000s

MARK HANKEY (81 - 86) was recently one of 113 service personnel honoured by Her Majesty the Queen in the annual New Year Honours List by being awarded an MBE. Mark was nominated in the “promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most excellent order of the British Empire” as a Member: Commander (Acting Captain) Royal Naval Reserve, Mark Hankey, RD.

LUCINDA BURNETT (03-08) has been sharing her style tips in a BBC reality show with Lucinda Burnett(03-08) a difference. Lucinda, better known as ‘Twinks’ in the fashion world and on the show, has been working as a stylist on the series Misfits Salon.

The programme takes a twist on traditional makeover shows - it celebrates transforming people’s lives by “reflecting on what’s going on on the inside, on the outside.”

Mark joined Pangbourne from Brockhurst School and was Chief Cadet Captain during his time at the College. He played rugby, rowed and was in CCF.

On the show, Twinks works alongside hair stylist, Sophie, and makeup artist, Bernicia, to help transform people who feel like ‘outsiders’. Guests on the show share stories which

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include having autism, suffering with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, identifying as non-binary, being a burns survivor, life post-amputation, and dealing with grief.

PADDY CUNLIFFE (Joined 06) will embark on an extreme cycle ride for charity this year, Paddy Cunliffe (Joined 06) going all the way from Cape Town to Cairo. The former Pangbourne pupil was in Perth, Western Australia, prior to taking on the challenge in January. His plan was to start in Cape Town, travel through southern and eastern African countries, cross the Sahara desert in Sudan, before cycling alongside the Nile to reach the Meditteranean coast. Paddy aims to raise £10,000 for the charity Indigo Volunteers - a British charity that connects volunteers with humanitarian projects around the world.

Old Pangbournian and Scotland rugby union international, DARRYL MARFO (07-09), has signed a contract for a new club side. Darryl originally signed with Edinburgh in 2017 Darryl Marfo (07-09) and was catapulted into the Scotland national team, playing in all three November tests against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia, and 12 times in all for Edinburgh. However, a back injury cost him his place in early 2018, and he was unable to feature again for the club.

At the end of the year, it was announced that Ospreys had signed the Scotland prop until the end of the season.

2010s ANGUS FINDLAY (10-17) became one of the newest cast members of television series Made in Chelsea earlier this year. He was one of seven new Angus Findlay (10-17) additions to the 17th series of the programme. Bosses of the hit E4 show said at the time they were looking forward to welcoming “the dashing Angus Findlay, known for his killer cheekbones”.

STEPHEN REARDON (11-16) has been awarded the King’s Badge having successfully completed his Royal Marines training. Stephen completed 32 weeks of Royal Marines training and his passing out parade was in October 2019. He came top of his troop and was awarded the King’s Badge, which is awarded to the best Royal Marines recruit to finish training as part of the King’s Squad, the senior recruit troop in training.

RORY HARRIS (11-16) walked away with a 2nd place finish and the title of being one half of the ‘fastest university double’ at the world famous Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, USA. Rory and his racing partner, George Lawton, produced a superb performance to come second in the Men’s Championship Doubles in October 2019.

The Head of the Charles Regatta is held each year on the Charles River, which separates Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the largest two-day regatta in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators, along with 11,000 athletes rowing in over 1,900 across 61 events.

ALEX HOWARD (11-16) was awarded a commendation for receiving the highest First in his final year at Exeter University.

The former Macquarie member studied Ancient History. He was also awarded The Dean’s Commendation for Exceptional Alex Howard (11-16) Performance, plus The Robin Matthewson Award for outstanding academic achievement in the Humanities Faculty. He was the top student out of 80 within the Classics & Ancient History faculty.

OLIVIA PATERSON and NICK RILEY (both 13-18) took a year out after leaving Pangbourne, during Olivia Paterson & Nick Riley (13-18) which they travelled to Kenya to help teach. Olivia and Nick went to Pembroke House School in Nakuru, Kenya and helped to make a positive difference to the school and its pupils.

During her time at Pangbourne, Olivia was Chief Cadet Captain of the College and has gone onto study English at Exeter University. Nick played 1st team cricket and rugby and defended his title for the Whitmore Trophy in the Summer Term of 2018.

ARCHIE RELF (14-19) has been given the Creative Talent Award under the Recognising Talent scheme at Falmouth University, where he is currently Archie Relf (14-19) studying Film. The award also includes a £1,000 donation towards his accommodation costs. As well as receiving this accolade, Archie has landed a part-time job as a camera operator.

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REMEMBERING THE BATTLE OF SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 25 JULY 1797 OPs Bill Bailey (58-62) and John Lucas (60-64) live in Tenerife. Here, they share their story of bringing together two international organisations with similar maritime interests.

To Pangbournians of a certain vintage, it may appear odd that two Old Pangbournians would be involved with a foreign organisation whose entire raison d’etre is to remember the defeat of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Santa Cruz in 1797, when our greatest Naval hero lost both the battle and his right arm.

La Tertulia Amigos del 25 de Julio (“La Tertulia”) was originally formed in 1995, at the instigation of the Tenerife government, to plan the arrangements for the commemoration of the bi-centenary of the battle.

They succeeded, maintaining a fair rendition of the result with an annual re-enactment of the “Capitulation” ceremony. The re-enactment includes the British sailors and marines being returned to their ships in local vessels supplied by the Spanish, bearing their arms, flying their colours and accompanied by gifts of bread and wine to the fleet from the Spanish Governor, the magnanimous Don Antonio Gutierez. It takes place in the capital Santa Cruz at the site of the battle on the Saturday closest to 25 July.

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Professor of Maritime History, Quintin Colville, guiding the Tertulia tour of the Nelson Navy, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

of Nelsonian interest in southern England. Their wish came to fruition in 2019 when ten members, with four of their wives, travelled to London from Sunday 12 to Friday 17 May for a four day working visit, thanks to the enthusiastic cooperation of The Nelson Society in London and the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth.

The two OP residents on the island, John Lucas and Bill Bailey, were instrumental in putting the visit together. John, a third generation resident of Tenerife, whose family runs a leading specialist travel agency, has been a member of La Tertulia for five years. Bill has been associated since 2017. Whilst Bill was unable to join the visit to England, John played an integral part, providing simultaneous translations at all events, as well as organising flights, hotel and transport in England.

Monday 13 May, under the wing of The Nelson Society, the group visited the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich. They were met by the

Chairman of the Nelson Society, Chris Brett, and Vice-Chairman Paul Ganjou. Professor Quintin Colville, Senior Curator Research at the Royal Museums, Greenwich, led the tour, giving talks relevant to the various stands as they passed. The busy day culminated in a visit to the Cutty Sark.

Tuesday 14 May started with a sightseeing tour of London landmarks. Trafalgar Square was naturally on the list, and the National Gallery. In the evening there was a reception and dinner with The Nelson Society at The Naval Club, Mayfair, which led to the forging of strong links between the two associations. The evening included a talk by the The Nelson Society’s Historian, Lt Col Ray Aldis. He gave a military appreciation of the Battle of Santa Cruz, explaining why Nelson failed. Toasts were proposed, one to the other by the two Society Presidents as well as to Horatio Nelson and Antonio Gutierez, it being the 220th anniversary of his death to the day. The choice of venue was as a direct result of the Naval Club’s advertisement placed in recent issues of The Pangbournian.

Wednesday found La Tertulia in Portsmouth, visiting the Historic Naval Dockyard. Mathew Sheldon, Executive Director of Heritage and Andrew Baines, Deputy Director Heritage and Head of Historic Ships, met them and explained the day’s programme, which included an in depth description of HMS Victory in Nelson’s day and the ongoing restoration today, with access to documents not on public display.

Lunch was followed by a tour of HMS Victory. The visit was facilitated through Bill Bailey’s Royal Marine Museum and RM Historical Society contacts.

Finally, the visitors travelled to Bath to follow the Nelson Trail. Created by The Nelson Society, it follows sites visited by Nelson while recuperating in the city with his wife Fanny on his return from Tenerife.

Mathew Sheldon, Executive Director of Heritage, NMRN & Historical Shipyard, Portsmouth showing the Tertulians a diary, not on display to the public, kept by one of the ship’s Captains at the Battle of Santa Cruz in July 1797.

As a result of this visit, the President of La Tertulia has been granted permanent honorary membership of The Nelson Society as a mark of the friendship and mutual respect fostered by the visit. A return visit to Tenerife is now planned by The Nelson Society in July 2022. On that occasion a plaque to the memory of

the British fallen in the action will be erected in Santa Cruz.

The authors would like to thank The Nelson Society, The Nelson Dispatch, Lt Col Ray Aldis, Alastair Robertson, Emilio Abad, Ana Maria Diaz Perez (President of La Tertulia), Aurelia Maria Torres & Sue Morris.

Members of La Tertulia with members of the Nelson Society at the Naval Club, London. John Lucas (60-64) is on the left of the photo, in conversation with Lt Col Ray Aldis on his left.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES Interesting stories, artefacts and news items gleaned from the College Archives. Our thanks to Mrs Alexandra Garnier (Honorary OP) for her assistance with this section.

THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION LECTURE BY ADMIRAL LORD MOUNTEVANS Sextants have been used by navigators in the Royal Navy for years and, even in an era of GPS and computer charts, they are still recognised as being important, as has been demonstrated in the recent TV series about HMS Queen Elizabeth. In January we celebrated 70 years since Admiral Lord Mountevans KCB DSO LLD visited the College with Lady Mountevans to give a lecture about Captain Scott’s ill-fated second Antarctic expedition of 1910 to 1913, where he was Second-in-Command.

On that occasion he also, we believe, presented to the school the sextant which he had been given by the Royal Geographical Society in 1904 and which he used on that famous British Antarctic expedition, as well as on the earlier Discovery expedition of 1902 to 1904. Mountevans attended HMS Worcester, who were great rivals of Pangbourne. He had a most exciting career, was knighted in 1935 and made a peer in 1945. For this edition of the Old Pangbournian magazine, we reprint the entry of ‘The Log’ in 1950 in which the lecture he gave is described.

"On January 28th, Admiral Lord Mountevans came down to Pangbourne to talk to us about Scott’s Antarctic Expedition. It was vastly interesting to us to see and hear speak a man who had not only been second in command to Scott, but a man who in his own right finds a prominent place amongst any list of adventurers and explorers.

“It was strange and awe-inspiring to see this man, who had done so many things and been to so many places, talking quietly to us, telling us of his experiences, of how he had been one of the last men to see Scott alive, of deeds which seemed to us the height of daring and bravery which he passed off with casual modesty. He made an old story take on a new meaning, and gave a spirit of life and reality to what before had seemed shadowy and far-off.

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“Lord Mountevans went on to tell us how they built their camp and settled down to face the winter. He showed us a film taken by the official photographer accompanying the expedition. It was a simple, straightforward film of everyday actions, but it showed us the hardships that the party had to suffer and the difficulties which they had to overcome, and how they kept up their spirits by playing football or chasing penguins.

“He then told us how they planned the actual journey to the Pole.

Everyone was so keen to accompany Scott, but how in the end he only chose four others to make the last journey with him. Lieutenant Evans, as he was then, was the leader of the last supporting party which went as far south as latitude 87° 34' and then, at Scott’s orders, turned back on the 800 mile journey home.

70°S

Ross Sea Victoria Land

Ross Island

Bay of Whales Ross Ice Shelf Scott, Wilson & Bowers died (about 03/30/1912)

Oates died (03/17/1912)

Evans died (02/17/1912)

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“He described to us how Captain Scott and his expedition had set out from Australia, and forged ahead through the Southern Pacific into the Antarctic Ocean; how they finally found some place where they could land and set up encampment to shield

them through the Antarctic winter.

We all knew the story, but it was so different the way he told it. We were almost there, could nearly feel the whip of the blizzard and see the towering cliffs of ice.

Beardmore Glacier

Axel Heiberg Glacier

Scott (01/17/1912)

Amundsen (12/14/1911)

South Pole

“That journey itself was more than something of an adventure, especially a certain toboggan ride that the three members of the party took. However they eventually reached the camp safe and sound, apart from one or two frost-bitten limbs, and awaited the news of the Polar party.

“We were then told of the misfortunes of Scott and his four men, how they reached the Pole, only to find that Amundsen’s expedition had got

there a month before them. And so, somewhat disheartened, they started the long trek home.

“But luck was against them all the way. First Petty Officer Evans fell out, then Captain Oates; finally, the last three—Scott, Bowers and Wilson, dogged by continually adverse weather, pitched their tent just a day’s march from food and fuel in plenty, but they were unable to go on in their weakened condition through the

blizzard, and there they stayed and died.

“It was a sad but a great story that we heard, and it made a great impression on us all. It was an experience that the College would not have liked to miss, and when the Captain [Skinner] thanked Admiral Mountevans for coming down and talking to us, he voiced the College’s gratitude and appreciation to a great sailor and a great man.”

JEFFREY EVANS OP, 4TH BARON MOUNTEVANS Influenced by the very positive impression his grandfather had gained on his visit to the then Nautical College Pangbourne, the current Lord Mountevans, Jeffrey Evans, attended the College from 1961-66 before going up to Cambridge University to read Economics. Sadly, due to less than perfect eyesight, he was unable to join his chosen ‘Seaman Branch’. Separately, a rugby injury ruled him out from a career in the Royal Marines, and he was unable to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps into the Royal Navy or indeed the Marines. Instead, he chose a career in the City of London in shipping and in 2015-16 served as the 688th Lord Mayor. During his tenure Jeffrey generously hosted the OP Society to a Centenary reception at The Mansion House and

invited the College Marching Band, led by Drum Major Tom Perring (09-16), to participate in the Lord Mayor’s Parade.

On Founders’ Day 2016 he was Guest of Honour.

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Originally, these pages in the 2020 OP Magazine featured a story looking at the changes co-education has brought to Pangbourne, with contributions from some of the earliest female students at the College.

That story will now be held until the 2021 OP Magazine, which coincidentally will mark 30 years since those intrepid first female students enrolled at the College.

With the recent and rapid change in world events, we thought it important to replace this 12

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section with a focus on the coronavirus crisis.

We know that the country, and the world, faces an unprecedented challenge in the next few months, and that OPs all over the world will be rightly preoccupied with their families, businesses and health. As such, we wanted to share with our wider global community how the changes have already affected Pangbourne College, and how the College is adapting, yet again, to face the challenges of the next few months.

THE STORY SO FAR...

Lent Term 2020 started in the usual fashion - purposeful, busy, benign. We came back from the Christmas holidays excited about our excellent ISI inspection report and ready to make the most of it. The biggest problem facing the College was making sure that lunch wasn’t too late in the day for younger pupils. Then, seemingly non-stop rain and flooding brought a halt to lots of College sport, most notably rowing; the rowers missed most of the head racing season and spent too much time land training.

The College’s first interaction with the coronavirus challenge was just before February Half Term, when many of our international boarding students were unable to return to their homes for the break. As we are all now aware, the concern over coronavirus soon shifted to Europe, and suddenly we were the epicentre of the problem. From mid-February the College convened a crisis management team, first meeting weekly, then daily.

After the UK Government’s announcement closing schools across the country, all of Pangbourne’s 450 pupils, with the exception of a handful of international boarders, were sent home at the end of lessons on Thursday 19 March.

From Monday 23 March, the College was only open to a small number of children of key workers and essential staff, and a new programme of distance learning began for all pupils and teachers.

That day coincided with announcements from the UK Government introducing further restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. The College considered its response to the new measures, and instructed that all staff who were able to work from home should do so. For the small number who are essential to enable onsite College operations to continue, strict social-distancing rules are being followed. In this respect, we are fortunate to have 230 acres on our site, with buildings and offices well distributed.

ConnectED@Pangbourne Like many families and businesses across the country, the College has had to adapt to a rapidly-changing situation. We have suddenly become a ‘virtual’ College,

with over 400 pupils logging into lessons via G Suite: Google Classroom, Hangouts and shared folders and files. The Headmaster produced his first ever virtual Headmaster’s Assembly in time for the first Monday morning. Teachers quickly became experts at YouTube videos, videoconferences and podcasts. The test run of the new environment was the final week of the Lent Term, and plans are in place to continue through the Summer Term.

Along with virtual lessons, the change to online learning platform has inspired a rush of creativity amongst both pupils and teachers. Teachers are issuing virtual challenges - from burpees to a Chapel Challenge, and pupils are responding in all sorts of digital ways. The rowing club is running an online training challenge to see which year group can row, bicycle or run the most metres. Form 3 pupils have submitted 2-minute audio ‘lockdown stories’.

The Head of Sixth Form has even created a video tutorial on how to iron a shirt properly!

The College has created an online hub to showcase this work, which we are calling ConnectED@Pangbourne.

All OPs are welcome to join in by visiting the College website or paying attention to OP social media; most of the challenges, Headmasters’ virtual assemblies and other content are posted there too.

EXAMS AND LEAVERS Throughout this time we also recognise how disappointed many of our pupils will be, particularly those due to take public exams this year. At the time of going to press the UK Government had not issued final guidelines on how GCSE, A Level and BTEC subjects would be assessed and marked, but the College was preparing for a combination of predicted grades and internal assessments (which may have to be done remotely). The focus has been on providing purpose and benefit to all year groups, but with particular attention to Form 5 and the Upper Sixth.

It is unlikely that we will be allowed to re-open the physical school for the Summer Term. We sympathise with our leavers, particularly the Upper Sixth, who had been looking forward to their traditional Pangbourne send-off.

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The College is resolute that they will have an opportunity to leave in suitable style, even if that means inviting them back for a weekend in the autumn.

THE FUTURE Obviously, no one can predict how long the current situation will last. As well as the immediate health threat to the nation, we face a longer-term economic threat to livelihoods and businesses, Pangbourne included. Throughout this crisis, the College has tried to keep several key principles at the heart of all our decision-making. These include: l

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Being consistent, compassionate and caring in all our communications, acknowledging that our community members are facing their own personal and professional challenges at the same time as the College; Committing ourselves to providing the best possible online education to our pupils, including academic, pastoral and co-curricular provision; and

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Focusing on our community, including parents, OPs, staff and pupils; recognising that we will need strength of community and a collective commitment to weather the challenge of the next several months.

While the College faces a huge challenge in the coming months, OPs will be very aware that adaptation and challenge forms a big part of the College’s history. We hope that we can warmly welcome our community back to the College campus for the first College Sunday of September, already scheduled to be an OP Day and one which may yet become the 2020 version of Founders’ Day. In the meantime, we wish all our OPs and OP families good health, and we look forward to seeing you again in the nottoo-distant future.

Thanks to Mr Thomas Garnier (Headmaster) and Rear Admiral Roger Lane-Nott (Chairman of Governors) for their contributions to this story.

SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2020 OP DAY We hope to be able to welcome all our OPs and their families back to the College on Sunday 20 September for a celebratory day.

Details available by emailing or telephoning the Development Office:

OPs of all ages and generations are welcome. This day is scheduled as the first Parade Sunday of the new academic year, and depending on world events may also become a celebration of 2020 Leavers.

0118 976 6795 (when the College reopens)

Bring your children, family and friends for a ceremonial Pangbourne experience.

Then, bring a picnic or buy lunch, and take part in afternoon activities - we’ll make sure family-friendly activities are available!

Please save the date now, and check with us closer to the time for more information.

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development@pangbourne.com (checked regularly)

As the event develops, all details will be available on the College website and via OP email newsletters. If we do not have your email address, please send it to us!

We look forward to seeing you!

OP Day will be subject to cancellation or postponement depending on UK Government guidelines on social distancing, large gatherings and school closures.

OP Weekend at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, 16-17th October 2020

A Tribute to OPs in the 1982 Falklands War l

A presentation by Col Ivar Hellberg OBE (56-60), Commanding Officer of the Commando Logistics Regiment Royal Marines in the Falklands during the conflict, together with OPs involved in the conflict, in The Princess Royal Gallery at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

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Informal Welcome Cocktail Party at the Mary Rose Museum

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Talk and tour of the Mary Rose Museum by Chris Brandon (64-68), one of the architects of the museum

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Formal Gala Reception and Dinner at the magnificent Wardroom HMS Nelson with wine and port included

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Optional Dockyard Attraction Tickets available from £17 Please complete the booking form below and send to: Robin Paine, 4 Carruthers Court, Racecourse Road, Newbury RG14 7GG

£135 per person Booking Form

Friday 16th - Saturday 17th October 2020

Title/Rank of OP:........................................ Name of OP:.......................................................................................................

Suffix:...................................................................................... Years at College:.....................................................................

Division:..................................................................................

Name of Spouse/Partner/Guest:...............................................................................................................................................

Email:......................................................................................................................................................................................

Phone:..................................................................................... Mobile:..................................................................................

Dietary Requirements:..............................................................................................................................................................

I have transferred £...........................presenting a deposit of £25 per person for myself and Spouse/Partner/Guest Bank Transfer: Nationwide – Account name: OP Falkland Islands W/E. Sort Code 07-04-36 A/C 04432044 Please email to advise when the transfer/payment has been made rs.paine@gmail.com and please put your name in the reference so payment can be identified.

If you also bank with Nationwide, the last three numbers of your account are required to identify payment.

For those who prefer paying by cheque, please send to: Robin Paine, 4 Carruthers Court, Racecourse Road, Newbury RG14 7GG Cancellation: Deposit after 31st July; 40% less than 30 days before event; Full amount less than 15 days before event.

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OP MERCHANDISE OP, Centenary and College merchandise is available through the Pangbourne College Shop.

Please get in touch with Shop Manager Karen Townsend to place your order: Tel: 0118 976 7476, Email: shop@pangbourne.com Or visit during opening hours: Mon - Fri: 08:30 - 15:30, Sat: 10:00 - 13:00, term-time only.

OP SILK TIE Modernised design £30

OP SILK BOW TIE £30

OP SOCKS Long cotton socks £7.50

PAPERWEIGHT Centenary £12

CUFFLINKS Blue £35

CUFFLINKS Red £35

PIN BADGE Ladies' £20

PARAVICINI BADGE For blazer £35

A. HUDSON BOOK £7.50

L.STEPHENS BOOK £10.20

R. KNIGHT BOOK £35

CENTENARY SILK TIE £25

GILET Ladies' £49.50

PARAVICINI BLAZER £155

UMBRELLA Centenary £35

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Key Contacts OP SOCIETY COMMITTEE AND CLUBS OP Society Chairman David Nicholson (64-68) davidalexandernicholson@gmail.com 07917 141699 OP Society Hon. Secretary Jonathan Spencer (73-77) jonathan.rcspencer@icloud.com OP Society Treasurer Karen Hartshorn (Hon OP) karen.hartshorn@pangbourne.com OP Yacht Club racing and events events@opyc.org.uk OP Yacht Club membership secretary@opyc.org.uk OP Golf Society membership Charlie Parry (81-85) charlie@ward-thomas.co.uk 07778 156644 OP Magazine submissions and enquiries development@pangbourne.com 0118 976 7416 College Development & Alumni Relations development@pangbourne.com 0118 976 6795 OP DECADE REPRESENTATIVES 1940s Courtney Edenborough c.edenborough@btconnect.com 1960s David Nicholson davidalexandernicholson@gmail.com 1970s Phillip Plato phillip@platoestates.com 1980s William Skinner william.skinner@dege-skinner.co.uk 2000s Paul Lawrence paul.lawrence@linklaters.com 2010s Larry Howard lawrence.howard@hotmail.co.uk Decade representatives encourage their fellow OPs to attend events and occasionally plan decade-specific events. They act as a link to the OP Society Committee. If you are interested in becoming a rep for one of unclaimed decades, please email development@pangbourne.com OP OVERSEAS REPRESENTATIVES Argentina Charles Pettit charlesapettit@gmail.com Australia Paddy Evelegh (Perth) pevelegh@hotmail.com Roger Pike (Sydney) pikeopnsw@gmail.com Geoff Rae (Brisbane) OPSocQld@optusnet.com.au Alex Heaton (Melbourne) alex@smartrbathrooms.com.au Canada Ron Aldridge (Toronto) raldridge@rogers.com James Mackenzie (Vancouver) togetjames@gmail.com Cyprus Louis Carrel louiscarrel@icloud.com New Zealand Robin Paine rs.paine@gmail.com South Africa Shaun Maynard maynard@intekom.co.za (Johannesburg) Geoff Popple (Cape Town) gemp@iafrica.com Uganda Andrew Nzeyi andrewnzeyi@gmail.com United States Nick Gillette (California) mail@nick-g.com Rory Copinger-Symes rozzacs@me.com Zambia Mark Haynes Pc173cv@gmail.com Overseas representatives act as a point of contact for OPs visiting their area. Occasionally they organise events for OPs in their country/region. A number of overseas positions are available; if you live in or regularly visit a country not shown here and might be interested in the role, please contact development@pangbourne.com

Diary 2020 SOME KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Regrettably, OP events for the Summer Term are postponed or cancelled. We hope to welcome OPs back to the College in September and hopefully plan a virtual event or two in the meantime. Please keep checking OP Facebook, Twitter and the website for details.

Sunday 20 September OP Day. Please see ad on P14. For details and to book, contact development@pangbourne.com / 0118 976 6795

Friday 16 - Saturday 17 October A Celebration of OPs in the Falklands.

Please see ad and booking form on P15.

Tuesday 24 November Turf Club Lunch.

For OPs aged 60+. Contact mark@dumas.be to book.

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EVENTS 2019 Picture gallery of OP event highlights from the 2018 year, including gatherings at Pangbourne College and further afield.

CON WAY WORCESTER PA NGBOUR NE Luncheon, The Kirribilli Club, Sydney, NSW

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CL A SS OF 9 9 R EU NION Founders' Day, 6 July 2019, Big Side, Pangbourne College

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A N N UA L BA R BEQU E Hosted by Michael Askwith and Ralph Godfrey for Old Conway, Old Worcester and Old Pangbournians, 21 June 2019, Bracklesham Bay

T U R F CLU B LU NCH 19 November 2019, Turf Club, London

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FOU N DER S ' DAY 6 July 2019, Pangbourne College

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ROYA L NEW ZE A L A ND YACHT CLUB OP Annual Luncheon, RNZYC, Auckland

2 019 OP MILITA RY GROU P EV ENING Monday 21 May 2019, The Naval Club, Mayfair, London

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OP DIN N ER

Friday 5 April 2019, Pangbourne College

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CAMPUS LIFE The following section rounds up current College news over the past year. Full articles, additional images and more detail are available in the Ensign magazine, published twice a year. All recent issues of the Ensign can be read on the publications page of the College website: https://www.pangbourne.com/prospective-families/publications

AC A DEMIC N E WS ANOTHER POSITIVE YEAR FOR A LEVEL AND GCSE RESULTS Pass rates at both A Level and GCSE in 2019 were amongst the highest ever achieved at Pangbourne, with 99% of exams passed at A Level and 97.5% of pupils achieving five GCSEs at grades 9-4. Additionally, BTEC results across Art & Design, Music and Sport were excellent, with 90% of students achieving a Merit or Distinction.

Art and Mathematics students saw excellent A Level results, with 100% of artists achieving A*-B. In GCSE subjects, both English and the Sciences achieved superb results, including a 99% pass rate in English, and more than 50% of students who studied an individual science achieving grades 9-7.

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Individual highlights at A Level included Chulin Zhang earning A*A*AA and a place at Oxford University to study Chemistry, Tomas Tokovyi (A*AAA), Bethan Smith (AAA) and Cameron Branney (AAB plus a starred Distinction in BTEC). At GCSE level, several individuals produced impressive results including Andrew Mullins (nine GCSEs at grade 8 or above, six at grade 9), Laurence Livesey (eight GCSEs at grade 8 or above, five at grade 9) and Josie Symons, who achieved seven GCSEs at grade 8 or 9 whilst also competing nationally and internationally at showjumping.

ART STUDENTS TAKE TRIP OF A LIFETIME TO THE BIG APPLE The College’s young artists and photographers were inspired for the future after taking the trip of a lifetime to New York in 2019.

Jasmin Simpson-Smith (Lower Sixth) described New York as ‘dreamlike’. She said: “You see it in pictures and then the next thing you know, you’re there and it’s very surreal!”

Whilst the pupils and staff enjoyed plenty of sightseeing and great food, the trip also fed an appreciation for art, as Jasmine highlighted: “My favourite part of the trip was visiting the MOMA. I loved the modern art collection. It provided so much inspiration.”

ISI INSPECTION BRINGS ‘EXCELLENT’ RESULTS Pangbourne College recently underwent a full Regulatory Compliance and Education Quality Inspection carried out by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The resulting report rated Pangbourne ‘excellent’ - the highest rating available - across all categories, as well as meeting all standards for the Compliance criteria.

The school last had a full inspection in 2014, and the results of last November’s visit are the best that the College has had, with improvements in several key areas.

The inspection reports on the quality of pupil outcomes, focusing on two key categories. The first is the achievement of the pupils, including their academic

development, and the other is the personal development of pupils.

Inspectors noted that, academically, pupils demonstrate excellent communication skills, an exemplary attitude to learning, excellent ICT skills, and achieve highly in a wide range of academic and other areas, such as sports, music and outdoor pursuits.

In terms of the pupils’ personal development, the inspectors noted high levels of self-esteem and confidence, that pupils enjoy working collaboratively, have well-developed moral understanding and undertake roles of responsibility with dedication and maturity of approach.

to the hard work of all of our pupils and staff. Since our last inspection, we have worked tirelessly to improve all areas of the College and the lives our pupils are able to lead here. We continue to focus on maintaining high academic standards, but as important for Pangbourne is developing character, confidence and the skills to succeed in life after school. For the results of the inspection to show we are doing this to an excellent level is incredibly pleasing.”

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CO-CUR R ICUL A R & COMMUNIT Y NEWS PARTNERSHIP EVENTS ENRICHING THE PANGBOURNE COMMUNITY The College has made significant strides in extending the reach of the Pangbourne community for the benefit of local young people. New partnerships and outreach events brought a broad range of young people into the College to make the most of our facilities.

Chief among these is a growing partnership with the Whitley Excellence Cluster (WEC), which is an organisation comprising 10 South Reading primary and secondary schools. Supported by the charity Aspire2, it helps engage over 4,000 students in a wide range of activities.

The first event which brought WEC to the College was an Orienteering Challenge, with nearly 40 pupils from four schools attending, accompanied by Form 4 Pangbourne students in a race to complete a set of navigational and mapreading tasks within the College’s 230-acre-grounds.

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RSM Colin Hearn, who coordinated the day, commented: “When we have young kids come here, we want them to have fun. But we also want them to learn certain things - in a task like this, you rely heavily on teamwork, quick thinking, and a confidence in your own actions and those of your teammates.”

Pangbourne is also hosting a range of outreach days that bring local prep and primary schools into the College. Over the course of the year, more than 500 children experienced a broad range of events that utilised the College’s facilities and faculty and enriched their curricula.

Outdoor skills were honed with Teamwork Challenge Days, making the most of the College’s ropes course and extensive grounds. Sports were put into focus with a Prep Schools’ Hockey tournament, whilst the creative and performing arts were encouraged elsewhere - Poetry Performance, a Brass Fun Day and a Design Technology Challenge.

Further plans are in place to develop both the partnerships and the outreach programmes over the coming year and the College is excited to welcome more and more young people in.

CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COME TO THE FOREFRONT FOR COLLEGE COMMUNITY The College evolved its charities programme this year, with each Division adopting its own charity to support.

It has been heartening to see affinities with certain initiatives spread throughout the school and we hope this continues to expand.

adults with cerebral palsy and other genetic disorders.

This year, over £3,500 was raised.

The Dunbar Family Quiz is an ever-popular event, last year raising £500 for Dunbar’s chosen charity. We also had a fantastic contribution from staff towards the MacMillan Coffee Morning, organised by Miss Harriet Waller, that contributed over £150 and a host of incredible baking!

The Port Jackson boys again led the effort to ‘brave the shave’ in December to fundraise for OddBalls Foundation. Ten pupils and one teacher all shaved their heads, and raised over £2,000. The OddBalls charity raises awareness for testicular cancer.

Macquarie led a College-wide collection for the Reading food bank, ReadiFood, which again had a great response from the whole community with hundreds of donations of food and household items.

Hesperus Housemaster Mr Tom Cheney organises the College’s annual Classic Car Show. The £5 parking charge went to the Footsteps Foundation - a charity specialises in the rehabilitation of children and young

FESTIVAL OF CULTURE CELEBRATES THE ARTS AT PANGBOURNE

500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death. The Drama department hosted a number of Complicité workshops for Dunbar, Forms 4 and 5 and Lower Sixth.

Pangbourne introduced a weeklong Festival of Culture in 2019, celebrating the very best of Art, Music and Drama at the College.

The Festival came to a close with

French poetry readings in the Library.

Throughout the week, the Library displays also showcased Renaissance art and made a number of new texts available for those wishing to find out more about the movement.

Events were staged by different departments, starting with the English team’s dedication to William Shakespeare, which included a performance by Dunbar of dramatic scenes and readings from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The A Level Art students were treated to a special supper followed by a lecture with renowned art historian Mr Martin Kemp, commemorating the Issue 50 2020

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SPORT NEWS PANGBOURNE ENJOYED ANOTHER EXCELLENT YEAR OF SPORT IN 2019, WITH A HOST OF HIGHLIGHTS BOTH COLLECTIVELY AND INDIVIDUALLY.

HOCKEY The girls’ and boys’ hockey squads enjoyed an impressive year, punctuated by a number of standout fixtures, individual performances and events.

In the girls’ season, the 1st XI won 15 and drew one out of their 21 fixtures, including a superb performance at the St George’s Weybridge Tournament in September. The team picked up wins against Sir William Borlase, Godolphin, and Latymer and Brighton College, bringing them to the Plate Quarter Final.

Pangbourne were excellent in the quarter final, beating five time tournament winners Cranleigh 2-1.

The Pangbourne girls reached the Plate Final, losing narrowly to Stowe 3-2. The final sixth place finish (out of 28 teams) was a great achievement in a highly-competitive field.

There were some equally positive signs from some of the younger girls, particularly the U14As, who lost just three games out of their 17 fixtures, producing a run to the finals in the County Cup and a strong showing at the Lord Wandsworth College Super 7s tournament.

Our boys’ 1st XI were equally impressive at the start of their 28

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season, with several well-deserved wins against the likes of St Edward’s School, Oxford and Charterhouse, the latter of which came in the first round of the England Hockey Tier 2 National Championship.

RUGBY

at the Sussex Open Sevens, which both led into the Berkshire Open Sevens. Several different players stepped in and performed admirably to help Pangbourne become County champions in both the Fifteens and Sevens tournaments this year.

The team did not lose a single game throughout the tournament and conceded just one try all day. They benefited from coaching sessions by current England Sevens player, Alex Davies.

The final event was the Rosslyn Park National Sevens tournament.

Rosslyn has evolved into one of the world’s largest rugby sevens tournaments, with 7,000 boys and girls between 13-18 competing annually, and our boys capped their season with a memorable performance. They won every game in their group by considerable margins to secure a quarter final berth. They unfortunately lost out to Ysgol Y Preseli, but it remains the strongest performance Pangbourne has had in the last 20 years.

There followed a semi-final appearance at Christ’s Hospital Sevens and more positive results

Several players enjoyed individual successes as well. Our Vice Captain of Rugby, Calum Scott (Lower Sixth)

The Rugby Sevens team stole the show with an outstanding season.

Their success began at an invitational tournament at Lord Wandsworth College, where the squad were pitted against Churcher’s College, King Edward’s Witley, and the hosts, LWC.

was selected for Scotland’s U17 training squad. This came following a string of impressive performances, not only for Pangbourne, but also for the London Irish Academy.

There are exciting times ahead for both the Rugby and the Hockey Club as well. In the summer, both boys’ rugby and girls’ hockey will tour South Africa. We look forward to bringing you news of the tour to South Africa in the next edition of The Pangbournian.

ROWING A major highlight of both October 2018 and 2019 was the trip, by senior rowers, to the world famous Head of the Charless Regatta in Boston, USA. The Head of the Charles is the largest two-day regatta in the world, with over 10,000 athletes competing in nearly 2,000 boats across more than 60 events. The event attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Off the water, our students have also enjoyed a social event in 2018 with OPs and parents meeting at a local restaurant. The 2019 regatta also saw OP Rory Harris (11 - 16) finish second in the Championship Double Sculls event whilst racing for Reading University, providing inspiration to current Pangbourne pupils.

for the girls, and a bronze medal for the boys’ team.

The Boat Club also welcomed former GB Olympic sculler and Rio silver medallist Vicky Thornley. Vicky spent an afternoon coaching the senior rowers. The rowers very much enjoyed hearing the thoughts of a proven international on how they could gain race speed through small changes in their technique on the water.

CRICKET There were some top performances from our cricketers throughout the year, all the way from Dunbar to Upper Sixth.

The U15s had a strong season, characterised by consistent bowling and the building of partnerships with the bat. An exceptional spectacle of cricket was seen against Reading Blue Coat School in the first round of the County Cup. A monumental target of

186 was set by the hosts. In response, Liam Turnbull (Form 4) made 96 runs and brought the final result to within 16 runs. Wins against Cokethorpe, Lord Wandsworth College and Shiplake College culminated in a most successful season and a promising cricketing future for this year group.

Liam Turnbull in particular is one to watch, having been picked for Hampshire U15s, scoring 150 not out in the process.

The 1st XI were been treated to a range of formats this year. Having started the year against two travelling men’s sides in the timed format of the game, the players had the opportunity to spend some quality time in the middle. As a result, captain Elliot Teague (Upper Sixth) scored an impressive 114* against the Old Dowegians. The second leg against Shiplake College saw the run chase come down to the final ball and the 1st XI managed to secure the win by just 2 runs.

Later in the Michaelmas Term, rowers competed at the British Indoor Rowing Championships and the Divisional Ergo competition. Div Ergo provided a dramatic upset this year as Harbinger broke a nine-year hold on the title by Hesperus. The British Indoor Rowing Championships brought success with strong results Issue 50 2020

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OBITUARIES The editors wish to thank Robin Knight (56-61) for his ongoing commitment to compiling and writing OP obituaries. All OPs for whom we receive notices are published here and on the OP website. The full obituaries are on the OP website; space constraints have made it necessary to edit entries on these pages. Requiescat in pace…

PETER POINTS (1928-2019), Headmaster of Pangbourne College from 1969-88, died peacefully in Winchester on 4 February 2019, aged 90.

In 1969, Peter Points, or PP as he was known throughout his time at Pangbourne, took over a school that was on its knees. Its core purpose and identity for the previous 50 years had disappeared following the collapse of the British merchant navy in the 1960s. Pupils numbers were down to 212 at a time when the break-even point was 250. Morale was poor, the attitude towards learning among pupils and staff alike had deteriorated in the previous decade and exam results in the summer of 1969 were, in Peter’s frank words, ‘shameful’.

None of this deterred him. Instead, he relished the opportunity to turn a well-known niche school around and to mould it in a new direction whilst also being committed to upholding the College’s deep-rooted traditions. As Gerry Pike, who joined the College in the mid-1980s and left in 2019, put it: “His intellect, indefatigable energy and luminous sense of service guided the College through the most challenging period of transition. It was Peter in particular who defined the vision of a modern school where everyone would, in his words, ‘seek what matters… and find the universal in a particular and beautiful environment.’”

Peter, ably supported by his wife Margaret, led from the front from the outset and came across as a breath of fresh air to all who had dealings with him. He began to open up the school, building cordial and closer relations with staff, parents, governors, OPs, neighbouring schools and the local community. Parents’ evenings were instituted. He also sought and found a balance between a daily routine largely unchanged since the 1930s and the social changes going on outside the College in the 1970s and 1980s.

Compromises were reached on contentious issues that had bedevilled the decade before he was appointed such as discipline, saluting, haircuts and clothing. Beatings were abolished. Soon Devitt House became both a family 30

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Peter Points

home for himself, Margaret and the couple’s two young children and a centre for meetings of every kind. Morton Hooper, then a senior member of staff, wrote later: “As a Housemaster starting my tenth year, it was the release from the all-pervading disciplinary problems that was the most important impact Peter made in his early days. Instead of discipline with a capital D, we had a purposeful way forward in which the Pangbourne cadet’s qualities could excel.”

It was not all plain sailing. Improving academic standards proved to be a long-term project. Soon after arriving, Peter decided he had to lead by example and began taking classes himself. Indeed, it was not until the late-1970s that any real improvement in exam results came through.

Gradually, Pangbourne College became Peter’s school.

One important innovation was the opening of the Junior School in 1970 which helped to boost numbers and broaden educational horizons. A year later he unveiled his Ten Year Plan, which included the provision of study bedrooms in boarding houses and the conversion of Drake into a multipurpose hall. Numbers rose and in 1972 topped 300. By 1974 a modern office block and a new division, Port Jackson,

had appeared. Bowden Green was refurbished, an arts and craft centre created and for the first time in the College’s history the quality of food became part of the school’s ‘offer.’

Morale rose accordingly.

Some spectacular achievements highlight the Points era. In the sporting arena, sailing and rowing sustained a high level, including a win at Henley Regatta in 1971, and the College began producing international oarsmen.

Academically, too, there were notable landmarks including seven cadets being admitted into Cambridge in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Throughout his time at Pangbourne, no aspect of school life was ever beyond Peter’s reach. Within the College, he was ubiquitous - picking up litter, coaching junior rugby teams, seeing prospective parents, standing behind the bar on social occasions, welcoming worshipers to the Sunday service, and always prodding staff to do better.

On Founders’ Day 1988, Peter and Margaret Points, joint Guests of Honour, departed after 19 years to widespread and heartfelt acclaim. A bronze sculpture of PP commissioned by the Governors was unveiled and Peter inspected the massed ranks of pupils from the turret of an armoured car before being carried off the parade ground in the Chief’s chair borne by his last crop of Cadet Captains.

Margaret had supported him every step of the way in his 24/7 approach to the job – something he acknowledged with gratitude in his final speech to the College.

Looking back on his time at the school, Peter remarked: “I hope that I created a bridge between the very, very different world of the 1960s and the soon-to-be-different world of the 1990s. What happened in my time enabled my successors to continue the direction the Governors wanted. But I have to say I was never satisfied. Today I sense that the College has retained its distinct ethos which doesn’t seem as anomalous now as it did a generation ago. The key for Pangbourne will be to remain as agile as possible in responding to societal and global trends... The ability to move with the times has been one of the College’s enduring skills.”

After retiring from Pangbourne Peter settled in Wilmington, East Sussex, gardened enthusiastically, walked regularly on the nearby South Downs, sat on the Boards of several schools and worked with the Sons of the Clergy charity in London. In later years he and Margaret moved to Sutton Scotney. Margaret died in 2017. Peter leaves a son, Simon, and daughter Joanna.

ROGER BARKLETT (1939-2019) was a Governor of Pangbourne College from 2007-2019 and a passionate supporter of the school. He died aged 79. A Chartered Secretary by profession, he Roger Barklett was awarded the Sir Ernest Clarke prize for top place worldwide in his final examination.

Aged 25 he joined Alexon plc, a high-end women's fashion empire, in 1964. Nine years later, still at Alexon, he became the youngest Finance Director in the UK. By 1980 Roger had moved on to be Finance Director of Selincourt plc – another prestigious British clothing and textile manufacturer. For three years he worked for the company in France but, failing to agree terms with the government and trades unions, moved Selincourt’s entire French operation back to the UK. In 1986 he was head-hunted to join the Brook Bond Liebeg and became deeply involved in the Mallinson Denny separation from Brook Bond Liebeg – at the time by far the largest such transaction in British corporate history. In 1987 the new company was floated on the Stock Exchange and became the ‘Share of the Year’ – probably the biggest business achievement of Roger’s career.

Subsequently he was involved in other buy-outs and restructuring developments in British commerce and industry and, for ten years from 1991, was self-employed, advising on corporate rescue and recovery and combining this with non-executive directorships.

At his funeral, the Chairman of Governors, Roger LaneNott, described Roger as “a modest, gentle man” who never turned down a request for help. On the Board, his focus was on the school’s finances. In this capacity he helped unlock the mysteries of the financial spreadsheet to other governors in a “quiet, unassuming way that made the numbers make complete sense, without belittling others.

Quite a gift… His advice and wise counsel were always welcome and given unreservedly,” concluded Roger LaneNott. “He had the best interests of the College at heart.”

1930s GILLETT, H.E.H. (35-38) died in 2019. He lived near Cowes on the Isle of Wight and is survived by his daughter Carolyn Richardson. In the OP Record published in 1963 he is listed as a dental surgeon living in Rondesbosch, Cape Town, South Africa.

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LEONARD MORGAN CHANDLER (39-43) died peacefully on 22 November 2018, aged 92.

Born on 12 March 1926, his early childhood was spent in India. At the NCP Leonard was a CC in Hesperus Leonard Chandler (39-43) Division, played in the 1st XV and appeared in the 1943 Hesperus Concert ‘as a stalwart member of British womanhood’ according to The Log. After leaving the NCP, he joined the cruiser HMS Emerald as a Midshipman RNR, just in time for D-Day in June 1944.

As dawn broke that day, he was on the Air Observation Platform, 80 feet above the ship, to shout the height and bearing of air attacks.

Subsequently he took part in the final months of the battle of the Atlantic followed by a posting to the Far East, and then to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where he met his first wife Billie, stationed with the WRNS; the couple had four children.

After the war Leonard read Physics at Imperial College, and then joined the Queen’s Regiment of the British Army.

Postings to the Rhine, Malaya, Shrivenham, and British Guiana followed, with a final posting to Sarawak. After Sarawak, Leonard was offered promotion to Lt Colonel, but this entailed a Whitehall desk job. So he decided to take early retirement in order to work for Pains Wessex, before moving to Australia for ten years to run a Service Station with his second wife Inge.

In the 1990s Leonard married his third wife Anne Suenson.

Leonard and Anne spent 20 very happy years together in Suffolk, where they were able to visit family both in England and Denmark. He also attended the 60th and 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations in Normandy with his daughters and grandsons and had been looking forward to the 75th anniversary events. The Legion d’Honneur was a late addition to his campaign medals.

To the end of his life Leonard retained his independence, and many interests (including building his own computer aged 90) and was cracking jokes from his hospital bed during his last few days. He is survived by three of his four children and ten of his eleven grandchildren. contributed by Rosemary Minns 32

The Pangbournian

TIM HATTON OBE (39-43) died peacefully on 29 December 2019, aged 94. He had been living in a care home in Salisbury having moved there from his residence in Wiltshire at an earlier stage.

Tim Hatton OBE (39-43)

Tim came from a naval family and arrived at the NCP at the start of WWII. At the NCP, he did well, took his school certificate a year earlier, gained his colours for athletics and won the Open English and History prizes in 1942.

Keen to get into the war, he decided to join the Indian Army. Two years later, aged 22, he found himself in charge of a Gurkha company escorting 100,000 non-militant Muslims 250 miles by foot and cart out of India on a three-week trek to the new Pakistan border during the partition crisis.

Demobilised in 1948, Hatton spurned a place at Oxford University and joined the Malayan Police Service. He remained there for 20 years, specialising in intelligence work. For the first twelve years the focus of his work was the seemingly endless campaign against communist terrorists on the Malayan peninsula. By 1967, he became Head of the Malayan Police Service Intelligence branch. He was awarded a Colonial Police Medal and OBE for his work.

By now married with two young children, Tim decided to return to the UK in 1968. After working in the Civil Service, he settled into education and eventually became Clerk to the Governors of the Haberdashers Aske Schools.

Later, he was Chairman of Governors of Box Hill School near Dorking.

In 2004, his autobiography Tock Tock Birds (named in honour of the long-tailed nightjar bird common across the Malay peninsula) was published by the Book Guild Ltd.

1940s HUGH CLARKE-LENS (41-44), who died peacefully in a care home on 27 January 2019 aged 91, left the NCP to be apprenticed with Shaw Savill where he spent most of his nautical career.

His first ship was the MV Dominion Monarch in 1945 and his first letter home started: “The first night on board.

I didn’t sleep very well as the bed clothes don’t tuck in anywhere; they just wrap around you. I am in the top bunk which is very soft indeed. We pull a curtain across by the side of the bunk just where our heads are.”

Hugh Clarke-Lens (41-44)

Subsequently Hugh served in many of Shaw Savill’s vessels of the time, including Fordsdale, Wairangi, Ceramic, Waipawa, Tamaroa and Largs Bay. When he met his future wife Trish, he began to think about his future career.

Eventually he left the Merchant Navy having gained his Master’s Ticket.

Hugh was attracted to New Zealand, and after the birth of his first son Bernard, the family emigrated there to learn how to farm. Younger son Steven followed soon after, and then the family returned to the UK. With some help from his mother, the couple bought a farm in Devon.

Having learnt how the Kiwis do things, Hugh set about making Leeches Farm as it would have been in New Zealand. This included making a big track running right through the middle of the farm and fencing off every field. Farming at Leeches turned out very well and led to the purchase of additional land at Higher Wattons near Yelverton. A house was built there and the family spent a lot of time sailing and boating from nearby Weir Quay, encouraged by Hugh’s enduring love of the sea.

Throughout his life Hugh was involved with the Royal British Legion annual Poppy Day collections and as a volunteer for the National Coast Watch. He was also an enthusiastic wood turner and made many items for the local gig club and for the Tall Ship Bessie Ellen then being restored at Howard Quays in Plymouth. contributed by Bernard Clarke-Lens COXON, ARTHUR J.D. (41-44) passed away peacefully on July 11, 2019, aged 92 years. He was a retired RN officer who lived in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

Arthur J D Coxon (41-44)

ANTHONY RICHARD MALISE GRAHAM (42-45) died in February 2019 aged 90 after a short bout of pneumonia. Anthony was born on October 15 1928 in Tadcaster, Yorkshire.

The son of a career soldier, he had the typical peripatetic Anthony RM Graham (42-45) childhood of an Army family of the era, much of it spent in the India of the British Raj. At a very early age Anthony was smitten by the sea. In a memoir, he remembered his first encounter from a crossing to Ireland at the age of just three: “The sounds and smells became embedded in my deepest consciousness, and provided a romantic and quite irrational direction towards ships and the sea, which in one form or another has lasted ever since.”

He originally decided to join the Royal Navy and won a scholarship to Dartmouth. However, he failed his RN medical board. His prep school headmaster was keen to prepare him for the Winchester scholarship, but Anthony was determined to go to sea, and so it was that he went to the NCP. After the NCP, Anthony went to sea as a Cunard White Star apprentice, plying the Indian Ocean. Early voyages included serving on ships carrying troops and displaced persons. He remained at sea for 10 years, gained his Master’s Certificate, and then came ashore to go into industry.

In 1955 Anthony joined Stewarts and Lloyds, a large steel company in Birmingham. He also became heavily involved in politics, and was an active member of the Bow Group, an early Conservative think tank. In 1958 he married Gillian Cook. Two years later the couple moved to Yorkshire and he became a management consultant, working for PE Consulting Ltd in Leeds.

Selected as the Conservative candidate for the safe Labour seat of Leeds East, he stood unsuccessfully in the 1966 general election against Denis Healey. Shortly after he was selected as Conservative candidate for another Yorkshire constituency, but decided to abandon politics before the 1970 election to concentrate on family and earning a living.

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This took Anthony through a varied range of roles, from a civil servant to a director of a leather goods company. A time was spent buying and investing in a Scottish woollen mill, before his final role as an executive recruitment consultant from which he retired in 1995.

At this point Anthony moved again, to Haddington, East Lothian, where in 2006 he was married again, to Alny Younger. He acquired a yacht, Petronella, and journeyed widely from a base in Kilmelford. He undertook major expeditions to Norway and the Baltic subsequently publishing a prize-winning account, Voyages of an Ancient Mariner. In 2005, he circumnavigated the whole of Great Britain, largely single-handed, at the age of 76. It took 100 days.

Throughout his life Anthony had an intellectual turn of mind and an extraordinarily good memory, both happily intact to the end. He was passionate about history, literature, classical music, opera, theatre, travel, gardening, family and family history. He painted in oils. He wrote elegantly, completed three full novels, and was working on a fourth when he died. To the end he retained his sense of humour. His last entry in Who’s Who records among his hobbies “Preparing for the Big Sleep.” At his funeral, the retiring music, which he chose, was the Sailor’s Hornpipe.

He leaves a widow, two sons and three grandsons. contributed by Thomas Graham MEIKLE, ALAN (42-45) died on January 13 2019 aged 90. At the NCP he was in Hesperus division, passing the School Certificate and winning the Marcus Graham Prize for academic excellence. After the NCP he briefly went into the Royal Navy, serving in HMS Suffolk and HMS Ocean. He then enrolled at the Birmingham School of Architecture and qualified in 1952.

The Pangbournian

Alan’s career progressed at Nottingham and eventually he became Deputy County Architect. His time there was one of technical innovation to deal with the problems of building in the many mining subsidence areas of Nottinghamshire. He played a significant part in developing lightweight compliant structures to overcome this. An interest in innovative uses of materials and methods of construction was a hallmark of his and remained with him all his life. In 1971 he became County Architect at Worcester County Council and later Worcester & Hereford. One of his early successes was to design a new county flag. A few years ago, the last surviving example of this flag was given to him and he kept it as a proud reminder of his work for the county and of his family connections with it (his parents farmed near Pershore). It was his wish that this flag cover his coffin and we were glad to be able to honour him with it.

The latter part of working life was one of great transition.

A secondment to the Audit Commission led to the publication of the Local Authority Property Management Handbook in 1988 and the award of the value-added prize for property management to Hereford and Worcester County Council. He was awarded a CBE in recognition of his contribution to the public estate and retired in 1989, having been acknowledged as one of the most respected public sector architects of his generation.

The 1980s were also a time of great change in his personal life. Marjorie became ill and died in 1981, and a few years later he met Barbara and they married in 1988, with her daughter and son becoming part of his family and for whom he became a father.

Alan Meikle(42-45)

His first job was at Hertford County Council, initially as a furniture designer. At Hertford and later Nottingham County Councils he became a leading advocate of the joint use of public buildings, putting considerable effort into solving design challenges and overcoming conventional 34

thinking on how buildings should be used and built. In Hertford he met his first wife Marjorie Clay, a junior architect in the office. They married in 1958 and had three children.

Alan’s other great passion, apart from his family, was the sea and sailing. In his bachelor days he was an accomplished and competitively successful sailor of International 14s. With the arrival of a family his interest shifted to yachts and cruising, though he remained competitive when opportunity presented it. Retirement gave him the opportunity for much more sailing and he embraced it with ambitious voyages round Ireland, to

France and elsewhere. In later life he became an active participant in and supporter of the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

All his sailing life he was also a supporter of the RNLI, eventually becoming a Governor Member.

Alan’s belief in decency, in public service and in seeing good in others was an enduring part of who he was.

For him, it was an iron rule that you always come to the assistance of those in distress at sea. Each of us will have a personal recollection of Alan; as an architect, as a sailor, as family, as a neighbour, as an artist, as a thinker, as an encourager, and as a friend. His life lifted all our lives. contributed by Stewart Meikle NEIL ANTHONY DOUGLAS GRANT (49-54), a former Chief of the College and Captain RN, died in May 2019 aged 82. At the NCP Neil stood out for his rugby, boxing and cross-country prowess.

“Every day was fun and Neil A D Grant (49-54) for me it was an enjoyable, rewarding and memorable time…sending me to Pangbourne was inspirational,” he wrote later in life. As vice-captain of a lacklustre 1st XV in 1953 he won praise in The Log for “striving valiantly to get his pack alive.” In 1953 he represented the College on a British Schools’ Exploring Society expedition, spending five weeks in the wilds of British Columbia, Canada.

Academically, his results were average but sufficient “was drummed into my head to do well enough in the Civil Service examination to allow me to apply for an interview for the Navy,” he wrote. Still, he was accepted into the Royal Navy and entered BRNC Dartmouth in 1954.

Grant joined HMS Centaur as a midshipman in 1956 before attending the Royal Naval College at Greenwich in 1957. During his time here he met his future wife, Moira, and the couple married in 1959. Grant remained in the Navy until 1988 including time at sea in HMS Phoebe, HMS Puma and the cruiser HMS Tiger. At the time of the Falklands conflict he was Captain Naval Drafting in HMS Centurion (Gosport).

Grant’s last RN posting was as Director of Naval Manpower Planning in the Ministry of Defence. He met HM The Queen on several occasions and in 1988, the year he left the Navy, he was awarded the CBE – a designation this notably humble man never used and rarely mentioned.

On retirement from the RN Neil became Director General of the Finance and Leasing Association in London, a position he held until 1995. His two daughters took up the narrative: “We remember asking him how he got such a position. He explained that the job description highlighted that the most important skills were not financial ones but ‘organisational skills, an ability to get on with people from all backgrounds, an understanding of international cultures and proven and unquestionable integrity.’ That is why he got the job.”

“Our father was a giving, loving, funny and warm man with a great sense of duty and doing the right thing. Loyalty and commitment were high on his list (of virtues) and he lived his values.”

In retirement he returned to his family roots, firstly at Chagford, Devon and then in Taunton, Somerset. For the last eight years of her life he cared for his wife devotedly after she suffered a serious stroke; she died in June 2018.

Latterly gardening gave him great pleasure as did his five grandchildren.

L. TARQUIN COLE (47-51) died on 2 May 2019 aged 85, following a battle with cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

At the NCP, Tarquin rose to become Chief of Hesperus. He won L. Tarquin Cole (47-51) Colours in hockey and rugby and passed the School Certificate examination in two subjects, also winning the Marcus Graham Art Prize.

He passed the Special Entry exam for the Royal Navy, joining the year after. After three years, however, he changed course and left to take a diploma at the Royal College of Art in 1955. After graduating, he set up his own design firm, Ceramic Consultants and won two Design Council awards in 1966 and 1974.

He later joined the family business, Rye Pottery, established by his father - renowned sculpture Walter Cole Issue 50 2020

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- initially as Sales Director and eventually as Co-Director in 1978. Over the following 30 years he was to play a key role in keeping the firm’s skills and manufacturing capabilities firmly based in Sussex.

In 2012, as illness took hold, Tarquin passed the business onto his younger son and daughter. Following his death, an obituary in The Hastings Observer stated that “his legacy ensured Rye has maintained its heritage as a centre of pottery manufacturing first established in the medieval period.”

JOHN HART (49-52), a retired Captain with Port Line and Cunard, died on July 15 2019 aged 84. He was one of three brothers to be educated at the NCP, all of whom went to sea. At the NCP John, like his twin David, was in Harbinger Division. A scrum half, he got into the 1st XV in 1951 and also won his Boxing Colours.

John Hart(49-52)

Whilst both his brothers moved to Australasia, John remained UK-based and after leaving the Merchant Navy became a volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in Eastbourne, Sussex. Eventually, he was Honorary Secretary responsible for authorising launches, performing this function for about 10 years until 2002 and being highly respected in the area.

Contributed by Robin Knight and Richard Givan (57-60)

1950s CHARLES BLANDY (52-56), a retired Lt Colonel who served in the Royal Artillery for much of his military career, died after a long illness on April 16 2019. He was aged 80 and had been living in a nursing home. Both his father, JM Blandy (24-28), and his son James Blandy (81-86) attended the College.

The Pangbournian

After retirement from active soldiering, Charles became a lecturer at the Department of War Studies at the Staff College, Camberley, specialising in Soviet/Russian affairs.

In this capacity he published numerous papers on the various conflicts in the North Caucasus region including Chechnya, Dagestan and Georgia in the 1990–2009 period under the auspices of the Defence Academy of the UK Conflict Studies Research centre.

He leaves a widow, Judith, who lives in Pangbourne, as well as sons James and Mark.

John, like David, was apprenticed with Port Line and rose to become a captain when, concerned about his future career employment prospects and to extend his experience, he switched to another part of the Cunard empire, Moss Tankers, around 1970. He remained at sea for many more years.

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At the NCP, Charles was CCC of Harbinger in his last term.

For four seasons he played in the 1st XV including, in 1956, as captain. A rangy, athletic back-row forward, he was described in The Log as “relentless in the tackle and furious in attack.”

O. NICHOLAS VAUDREY (57-62), CCCC in 1962, died of cancer aged 75 in Cape Town, South Africa on May 5 2019. At the NCP Nick excelled both in the classroom and on the sports field. Hockey was his O N Vaudrey(57-62) strongest sport. He played at left back in decent teams in 1961 and 1962, captaining the latter and taking part in the first College side to play in a schoolboy tournament in the Netherlands. The Log described him as “a forceful player and good Captain.” He also won his colours propping in the front row of the 1961 1st XV and represented the school at squash, swimming and boxing. In 1962 he won the Founders’ Medal despite being CCCC at the time; apparently a setback at A Levels ruled him out of receiving The Queen’s Gold Medal.

Nick was one of eight Pangbournians to enter the Royal Navy and BRNC Dartmouth in 1962. Subsequently, during a six-year stint in the RN, he served in the patrol vessel HMS Protector in the Antarctic and the shore-based HMS Vernon. He also was involved in the Beira Patrol off Mozambique for which he was awarded a Service medal.

In 1968 Nick left the Navy shortly after marrying his first wife. He then worked for a time in Cornwall before becoming a stockbroker in the City of London. Divorcing in 1980, he moved to South Africa to begin a new life.

He worked as an investment broker in Cape Town before moving to the nearby town of Somerset West, remarrying and becoming an estate agent. Here he began to play golf and restore properties in the Cape region.

During the 1980s his second marriage ended and he moved to the seaside town of Muizenberg in the Western Cape. Here he earned a living as an independent financial advisor, tax practitioner and wills administrator and also chaired the Muizenberg Improvement District Committee. Later, he left Muizenberg and built himself and his third wife Lilla a house on a quiet road near the town of Fish Hoek.

An adventurous character, he joined his brother Jonathan in 2001 on a four-wheel drive into the heart of central Australia. Nine years later the pair teamed up again with two other OPs – Geoff Popple (58-62) and David Keith-Welsh (58-62) – to take part in an overland drive from the Parade Ground at the College to Cape Agulhas at the southern tip of the African continent. The epic adventure lasted four months and covered 25,000 km.

The group experienced all kinds of weather conditions, bureaucratic obstacles and occasional mechanical problems, and carried a Devitt & Moore pennant the whole way. They also raised £3,000 for the Red Cross hospital for children in Cape Town.

Nick was a complex, restless character – adventurous, vociferous, independently-minded, enigmatic, always his own man. He resisted his cancer manfully to the end. He is survived by his wife Lilla and three adult children – David, Annabel and Duncan.

1960s CAPTAIN DAVID CHRISTIE (64-67) died from cancer at his home in Florida on 3 September 2019, aged 69. At the NCP he was in Hesperus Division. Aged 17, he left to join P&O as a Deck Cadet David Christie(64-67) and progressed through the ranks to become Captain of Island Princess in 1992. His subsequent years in command included Captain of the new build Sea Princess before transferring ashore to assume the role of Vice President

Marine with Princess Cruises and ultimately Senior Vice President with Carnival Corporation.

Described as a legend within the industry, Christie had a huge following both afloat and ashore with passengers and crew alike. It was Christie's vision, talent, leadership and passion that led to the founding of the original CSMART Academy in 2009. He oversaw the design and construction of the new training facility in Almere, Netherlands, which opened in 2016. Carnival said it will remain a testament to his commitment to the safety and care of guests and crew members.

Contributed by Derek Warmington (P&O), Carnival Corporation and Robin Knight

1980s SIMON FOOKES (83-90) died of cancer on June 12 2019, aged 47. Gerry Pike recalls that at Pangbourne Simon was "a thoroughly decent, likeable student who left a positive imprint on the College."

Simon Fookes(83-90)

Simon was deeply respected by everyone who knew him, and much loved at his local rugby club, Braintree RFC. He supported the club through his business, The Amazing Tent Company, volunteered regularly at events, played for many years, and more recently coached the U14 age group for whom his son Jake played. It was a mark of his wide network of friends and supporters that more than 450 people attended his funeral at St Mary’s Church, Bocking, representing all stages of his life from Pangbourne College to Braintree RFC to The Amazing Tent Company.

Simon was suffering from a brain tumour which had become inoperable. Almost £40,000 was raised through friends, family, club members and even strangers in order for him to have immunotherapy in Germany. Sadly, Simon passed away within weeks of his second session of treatment. He leaves his wife Kate, children Jake and Jess, and a large group of family and friends.

Contributed by Corrine Winwood (Braintree RFC) Issue 50 2020

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BOOKS Featuring reviews of books by or about OPs that are brought to our attention. The editors wish to thank Robin Knight (56-61) for his ongoing commitment in compiling and writing these book reviews. Full reviews are on the OP website; space constraints have made it necessary to edit entries on these pages.

MEMOIRS OF A SEAFARER

By Ian Tew (56-60) Titwillow Publishing, 2018, available from the author It is not often that a memoir written more than 20 years earlier is published with the author still alive. But Ian Tew (5660), stuck for months on Tahiti in 1998 whilst sailing round the world, decided to use the time to write a record of his life entirely from memory. He has now selfpublished the result, which he describes as a “cameo” of an autobiography.

Ian has always been his own man, and the result has been a full, varied, up-anddown, action-packed life, lived entirely on his own terms, with fascinating tales of his maritime existence captured here. From early life at the NCP, to being aboard one of the worst peacetime disasters to strike a British ship since the sinking of the Titanic, to a 20-year career as one of the world’s leading salvors, this is an candid and enjoyable memoir. Although dogged by ill health in recent years, one suspects that the self-reliance and independence of spirit required of all true seafarers will never leave him.

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The Pangbournian

LITTLE SHIP, BIG STORY THE CLANDESTINE LIVES OF COLONEL DAVID SMILEY By Dr Rodney Pell

By Clive Jones Edinburgh University Press, 2019, ISBN 978-1-4744-4115-5 David Smiley (30-34) led perhaps the most extraordinary life of any OP to date. He died in 2009 aged 92 and was “an exceptionally brave man [and] an exceptionally brave soldier.”

That is putting it mildly. If a cat has nine lives, David Smiley had at least a dozen, surviving multiple near-death experiences, and numerous wounds, injuries and hair-raising incidents.

More than 17 years in the making, this book is comprehensive, analytical and balanced, helped enormously by Smiley’s own three autobiographical books. That said, its forensic tone largely fails to capture the excitement of his life under this microscope.

It is fitting that Jones ends this book by putting Smiley’s life in historical context. “His career personified the wider struggles of a Britain trying to make sense of its place in a post-war world where its prestige, if not power, counted for a great deal less.”

Titwillow Publishing, 2018, available from the author

This is a most unusual book - one with a strong Pangbourne flavour.

Ostensibly, it is about the adventures of HMY Sheemaun. Over 74 short chapters, the ups and downs of this little boat and its 14 varied owners during the past 85 years are woven into a compelling single narrative.

The reader is informed about such diverse matters as gunboat action on the Huangpu river near Shanghai in the 1920s, the perils of flying a Lancaster bomber in World War II, freezing dormitories at Cheltenham College prep school in the late 1940s, and the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005. The book has been comprehensively and lovingly researched over a number of years.

It is an enjoyable read and one which will strike a chord with many Pangbournians.

ON THE IRON ROAD TO LEADING WITH INTEGRITY THE ISLES: THE STORY OF By Michael Smith (60-65) THE ‘JACOBITE’ STEAM Titwillow Publishing, 2018, SERVICE ON THE WEST available from the author HIGHLAND LINE

By John Hunt and James This is Mike Smith’s seventh book Shuttleworth (77-81) with a corporate theme and his fourth Silver Link Publishing Ltd, 2018, £45, ISBN 978-185794-536-2 James Shuttleworth (77-81) has had an interest in railways ever “since the pram.” Growing up in Derbyshire’s Peak District, he remembers the last British Rail steam engines to run on mainline services in the UK. At the NCP, OP contemporaries recall him talking endlessly about trains.

James and co-author John Hunt have now put their interests to good effect with a sumptuously illustrated, limited edition coffee table book of 208 pages, full of superb colour and blackand-white photographs of steam trains in action along the scenic ‘Iron Road.’

Anyone with an interest in railways or steam engine travel will value a book like this.

Today, called one of the ‘Greatest Railway Journeys of the World,’ the West Highland steam service in its 25th year is a buoyant business with a bright future. This book is a commendable witness to a conservationist achievement and a fine reminder of the railways’ golden “age of steam.”

on ethical values, all written with the support of his long-time employer Initiatives of Change (IofC). The IofC bills itself as a global organisation dedicated to "building trust across the world's divides" of culture, nationality, belief, and background.

In this book Smith pulls together the accumulated insights gained from two decades of attending meetings, conferences and interviews. He has an easy narrative style, hoovers up facts and figures from his notebooks, arranges his material in clearly-defined topics, and very clearly identifies himself with efforts to reform capitalism for “the common good.”

The mantra for the 21st Century, Smith argues, has to be “What can I give?” in contrast to that of the 20th Century’s “What can I get?”

Business life must be all about contribution if capitalism is to survive.

It is a challenging and radical notion but Smith has the courage of his convictions, and doubles down on the argument that there is an urgent need for new leadership in business.

THE SECOND OFFICER’S WIFE

By Robert Ogden (60-64) Available for £7 from the author rpogden@hotmail.com or through Amazon This self-published book is a rare work of fiction by an OP. Consisting of one long story of nearly 200 pages and four short stories, the author notes at the outset that “after a mixed career at sea during which he failed to write the novel he wanted,” he has produced one full length novel.

The quality of the result is uneven.

One of the short stories, East End Reunion, makes little sense while another, The Director of Studies Foibles, steers dangerously close to libelling the reputation of the DoS during Ogden’s time at the Nautical College. Smugglers and Pirates has a genuine feel, seemingly based on an incident the author was involved in during the 1970s.

It is not, in truth, easy to convey with much conviction the realities of life at sea in any era, particularly the contemporary one. One hopes Robert Ogden persists in his efforts to write a memorable novel but there is some way yet to go.

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BR EEZY ISL A ND BOOK S With apologies to BBC Radio 4’s long-running show of a similar name, we present the second in our series asking OPs and Honorary OPs for their reflections on their time at Pangbourne combined with literary contributions. This edition features Honorary OP Gerry Pike, who retired in 2019 after 33 years at Pangbourne as History teacher and, later, Deputy Head.

Breezy Island Books: What was Pangbourne like when you first arrived in 1986?

BIB: You’ve also seen two Headmasters in the 21st Century. What has stood out to you?

This was hard! I aim to have both a work of non-fiction and fiction on the go at all times, so there is an enormous field to consider.

Gerry Pike: A very different school: all boys, masculine in atmosphere and quite robust. Sport was competitive, yet the expressive arts - Music, Drama and Art - had strong traditions, thanks to some inspirational staff. The academic culture was mixed. Pride in ceremonial traditions was strong, as was the sense of hierarchy and loyalty.

GP: Both contributed significantly according to their personalities and length of stewardship. Ken Greig brought academic rigour and decisiveness. Thomas Garnier revived our traditions, modernised our ethos and projected our appeal with personal warmth and integrity. He has also provided continuity and a holistic strategy to build the College over time.

The first has to be Tales of Greeks and Trojans, a beautifully illustrated and enchanting version of the Iliad and the Odyssey, which my father gave to me when I was six. The stories and characters were unforgettable.

BIB: Can you tell us about the various roles you have held at Pangbourne?

GP: The classroom was always my favourite arena. It is an endlessly stimulating and slightly unpredictable environment. The daily challenge is to inspire pupils by firing their interests, encouraging them to think critically, and cultivating their ability to study, write, research and argue. My subject has been the perfect vehicle for this.

I loved being a tutor to individual Sixth Form students, supporting them and building their confidence. As a Welshman, I also got a huge kick out of coaching senior rugby for many years.

BIB: You served through the entirety of Anthony Hudson’s time. What effect did his tenure have on Pangbourne?

GP: Anthony was a hugely committed and charismatic Headmaster, who was on a mission to transform Pangbourne.

A well-connected man, he brought the good and the great to Pangbourne because he believed Pangbournians should rub shoulders with anyone.

His crowning legacy was to convince those with influence that the most fitting Falklands Memorial would be a living one a chapel imbedded in Pangbourne College.

Not only would this put us on the national stage but it would give the College the spiritual hub it lacked.

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BIB: The boarding school culture must have changed in your time, not just at Pangbourne. How do you feel the place is different now?

GP: Girls! Co-education has transformed the College. It now feels much more modern, diverse, and self-aware. The characteristic Pangbourne values have evolved and broadened rather than altered.

BIB: What is your favourite Pangbourne story?

GP: Good heavens! There are so many anecdotes and notable events. Herewith a few printable ones: Peter Points appearing in an armoured car to take his final Parade was especially memorable; my atrocious acting, singing and dancing in a staff production of Treasure Island; baring my rump tattoo to the whole school in a Staff Revue; working with a student in the library for the entire night to ensure his A Level coursework was written and submitted by the deadline the next day; planning the royal visit to open the Chapel in 2000, dealing with the protocol, the detail and potentially conflicting expectations and egos of all the VIPs involved.

BIB: Now, can you please talk us through your choices of books to take to your Breezy Island?

My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durell, which I read when I was twelve, is the perfect introduction to Greece in particular and to travel in general.

Lord of the Rings, Tolkien’s epic story. It sprawls across an enormous canvas, the original sword and sorcery blockbuster, which has inspired a thousand imitations.

Hero of Our Time, by Mikhail Yurevich Lermontov, which I read for my A Level.

The ideal tragic novel for an introspective, adolescent Russophile.

The Importance of Being Earnest is, in my opinion, the most witty and incisive social comedy ever written - closely followed

by Sheridan’s, School for Scandal. This is Wilde hiding in full view.

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth kept me sane when I was bed-bound for weeks following back surgery. Set in partition India, it incorporates a raft of beguiling narratives and memorable characters. It’s a sort of superior soap opera.

SPQR by Mary Beard. Utterly compelling study of the origins and development of the Roman Republic and early Empire. It is everything a good history book should be: meticulously scholarly, evocative, judicious, empathetic, and waspishly entertaining.

My final choice is Rough Music, arguably Patrick Gale’s best work. It flits across generations and time, anchored by its Cornish setting. There are affairs and liaisons with unforeseen repercussions, complex characters and subtle plot swerves.

OP SPORT A roundup of team activity and individual OP sporting achievement in the past year.

THE ‘F’ WORD In October 2017, Andy Roy (61-65) and I were at the OPYC Arrow Trophy support rally having just enjoyed a rather boozy meal. We got chatting about future events for the club and its members. It’s not entirely clear which one of us first mentioned the ‘F’ word - I’m pretty sure it was Andy, he begs to differ - but I blame the drink.

Since the disastrous 1979 Fastnet race, the organisers have tightened up on required crew experience in offshore racing. At least 50% of the race crew must have raced over 300Nm. We entered 3 other races from September 2018 to qualify. Our priority, over finishing in a high position, was always to complete races in a safe and enjoyable way.

Cherbourg, Myth of Malham and St Malo races under our belts, the crew was working well as a team and we had climbed up the leaderboard. It should be noted that we are very much an amateur crew competing against professional racers in stripped out race boats.

So, to the Fastnet race itself. We met up at Troubadour’s berthing, stowed our gear, and made our way over to Cowes with a quick man-overboard practice en route.

On the Friday evening, we were kindly invited to send-off drinks at the Squadron by Merrick Rayner (68-73), and were joined by a number of OPs and spouses.

Saturday was race day. As always, the start line was hectic, but the wind gods were not on our side. We were quickly overtaken by lighter race boats before passing the Needles.

As we headed west, the wind increased and we made good progress. The first night watch, as we sailed over Lyme Bay, was uneventful. The second, as we passed The Lizard, was not. 35-40 knot winds and huge seas meant, at times, the lighthouse was obscured, but Troubadour is built for this weather and she ploughed through the waves as if they weren’t there.

On Day 3 we left the Scillies and entered the Celtic Sea. The wind was gusting up to 30 knots when we noticed that returning boats had their storm sails up. We looked at our full sail rig and said ‘should we put a reef in?’ All hands

on deck and we then enjoyed a flatter and faster boat. We rounded the Rock and made our way to Plymouth in the most beautiful Mediterranean conditions: the sun was out but no wind. It was a good time to recharge our batteries before another night watch. Eventually, we arrived back at the Lizard with the finish almost in sight. The wind dropped to zero and, despite playing every trick in the book to get her moving, Troubadour was simply too heavy.

The following afternoon, after 5 days at sea, we crossed the finish line at Plymouth to the clapping and cheering of bystanders on the shore. The feeling of achievement was quite overwhelming and one which I will never forget.

My thanks go to Andy Roy (65-69) for the use of the wonderful Troubadour, Jeremy Owen for doing all the cooking, all the crew partners for allowing us so much time away, and the crew themselves who made such a good team and were a pleasure to sail with under any circumstances.

Contributed by Peter Kewish (84-89)

OP GOLF CLUB NEWS On 5 June 2019, 19 Old Pangbournians descended on Frilford Heath Golf Club for the annual summer meeting.

It was a bright sunny morning and, with the red course in immaculate condition, everyone had high hopes of shooting a low score.

The morning round score cards recorded it differently with a variety of high and low scores. Scores were quickly forgotten when everyone tucked into a much welcomed carvery lunch.

After a few glasses of wine everyone was keen to get out onto the green course for the afternoon foursomes competition.

We played a St Andrews foursome as it meant there was more involvement for each player. It worked well and the round was completed speedily, although not quite fast enough to prevent the last group getting soaked as the heavens opened as they walked up the 18th fairway.

The final event of the day was more food and prize giving.

We were all delighted to be able to award the President’s Cup for the morning singles round to Christopher Reed (7580) who won with 38 points. The runner up was William Donaldson (91-96). We also competed for the longest drive and the shot nearest the pin. The longest drive has to stay on the fairway and our most accurate driver was James Donaldson (91-96). The nearest the pin was won by Hugh Fraser (64-68), on his own course.

The afternoon foursomes was won by George Gale (81-85) and Christopher Reed with 44 points and the runners up were Ken Jones (81-86 and James Ellis (Left 95) with 42 points.

It was a fun day of golf and catching up and I am delighted to confirm that Frilford Heath has offered us another date for next year, on 3 June 2020. I hope to see you all there!

Contributed by Charlie Parry (81-86)

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The OP Silk Tie and Bow Tie can be purchased in store or online www.dege-skinner.co.uk/shop 10% OP reduction on any bespoke or ready-to-wear suits

Contact William Skinner (OP 1982-1987) 10 SAVILE ROW, LONDON, W1S 3PF, UK • Tel: 020 7287 2941 info@dege-skinner.co.uk • www.dege-skinner.co.uk degeandskinnerofficial

THE NAVAL CLUB We hope that Old Pangbournians will give serious consideration to joining the Naval Club, full details of which are shown in the advertisement opposite.

The OP Society enjoys a very good relationship with the Club, which is where we hold our meetings and dinners in London.

The Club has a unique location in the centre of Mayfair with excellent facilities.

If you need a London base during the week we strongly recommend this Club which provides everything you need at an extremely reasonable cost.

If you would like further information please visit www.navalclub.co.uk or call 0207 493 7672.

Do you need a home in London?

• Well placed in the heart of Mayfair, the Naval club is the only London Club providing a Naval and maritime environment where all those interested in the sea can feel at home.

• It is NOT necessary to have been a Naval Officer to become a member. We welcome all those with an interest in maritime affairs and the sea in general.

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• Private meeting, conference and function rooms available. Corporate members also welcome.

For more information visit our website www.navalclub.co.uk

Issue 50 2020

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Pangbourne College, Pangbourne, Reading, Berkshire RG8 8LA +44 (0)118 984 2101 www.pangbourne.com