13867 RGS ONA Magazine 84_v 09/01/2012 15:01 Page 1
Welcome
Welcome to ONA magazine 84 and a Happy New Year to you all! In this issue we launch ‘A History of the RGS in Ten People’. This follows on from last year’s ‘Ten Objects’ initiative. David Goldwater (51-62) introduces the subject, not by cataloguing a list of important past pupils and teachers, but by inviting you to nominate who you believe stands out as personifying the history of the School. We are delighted to have the continued support of Simon Tilbrook, Head of the History Department, who will be involving students in distilling the nominations down to a final ten. Also included in this issue is an update following the photo we published of the school boys trainspotting from the roof of the Castle Keep during the 1950s. We were delighted that both RGS boys pictured have written in and identified themselves. Find out who they are on page 3. Following our insight into school camps featured in the last issue, we received some further reminiscences from campers during the 1950s. We have published their memories on page 10. If you went on school camp in the 1960s, 70s, 80s or even 90s, we would still really like to hear from you. Please help us to continue the ‘School Camp’ series in the next issue. It was a productive Autumn 2011 for the ONA. The annual dinner in October was again extremely well attended, with a fantastic mix of ONs from right across the age spectrum, in addition to the current head boy, girl and senior prefects. Our thanks go to our after dinner speaker Tom Gutteridge (63-70) who gave a humorous and honest account of his school experiences and subsequent career in television production. I was again able to round off the term by attending the festive RGS Christmas assembly and presented the latest prizes on behalf of the ONA. These prizes were linked to the visit to the first world war battlefields of Northern France. Prizes were awarded to current Year 11 pupils Rebecca Smith and Millie West for two very moving reflections of an emotional visit. And so our engagement with the current life of the school continues to flourish, and I’m delighted to see more current pupils taking an interest in the ONA, in addition to more recent leavers engaging with the Association. Please continue to send in your news and contributions for issue 85 in good time for the next deadline. The future looks very bright indeed! Finally, the London Dinner will take place on the 9 March at the RAF club. Further details are included within this magazine. Enjoy the magazine and best wishes for 2012!
Adam Goldwater (87-97) ONA President
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ONA – Old Novocastrians Association Magazine Spring 2012
