THE FENWICK FA C T O R THE EDITOR WITH ADAM FENWICK Fenwick of Newcastle is an institution synonymous with the City, once referred to as ‘a City in Itself’ and three generations of the Fenwick family have served as RGS Governors establishing a unique and enduring link with the RGS Family.
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Painting of John Fenwick by Andrew Festing MBE RSPP
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his is a brief look at the Fenwicks’ role in shaping the RGS of today. It was Trevor Fenwick (1901-79), who became involved via his role as a Councillor on Newcastle City Council when the school still had grantmaintained support. Older ONs will remember his active role in the 1950s and 60s and he and Mrs Fenwick were regular visitors to school events, especially Speech Days. He instituted the Trevor Fenwick Economics Prize, maintained by the family to this day. As his grandson Adam testifies, ‘it was testament to his desire to ensure that pupils had the opportunity to study the subject and recognise academic achievement. Trevor enjoyed a keen interest in English Literature, acquired at Cambridge and RGS’s academic prowess would have appealed to him.’ Trevor’s son, John James Fenwick CBE, named after his grandfather (1846-1905) and founder of the company in 1882 was extremely happy to be invited to join the Governing Body. ‘My father was delighted when invited to join the Governing Body in 1975. He longed to have been a pupil at the School and indeed my grandparents were set on this course. But as luck would have it, the outbreak of the Second World War saw the School evacuated to Penrith. As my father’s great uncle was based in North Northumberland and this was where Newcastle Prep School (NPS) had chosen to evacuate, it was understandable they chose NPS. Once the war was over and my father had returned to the NPS site in Newcastle, he recounts wistfully looking over the road to the RGS. It was Professor Stanley Dennison CBE (Professor of Economics at Newcastle University), my father’s predecessor as Chairman of Governors who afforded him the considerable honour of being his successor. Stanley had taught my father economics at Pembroke College, Cambridge and they became firm friends when Stanley took up a post at Newcastle University. I know that my father’s 13 years in the Chair is an experience he has always deeply cherished. He feels enormously
