News and Events

Jonathan Gair (85-95) read Mathematics at Cambridge. After graduating, he stayed on to read Part III Mathematics and then a PhD in astrophysics at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. Upon completion of his PhD in 2002 he went to Caltech for two years as a postdoctoral scholar in the Theoretical Astrophysics group. He then returned to St Catharine’s College, Cambridge for three years as a research fellow before beginning a Royal Society funded Research Fellowship in October 2007, also at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. He is a College Fellow in Mathematics and the College webmaster.

Jonathan’s research is focussed mainly on gravitational physics. The title of his thesis was Generalised Tolman-Bondi Cosmologies and Kerr Metric Atoms but his current research is in gravitational wave astrophysics, in particular on aspects of source modelling and data analysis related to the NASA/ESA space based gravitational wave detector LISA. More information about Jonathan can be found on his departmental webpage www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jgair/. Outside work, Jonathan’s interests include many sports, hiking and the theatre.

Patrick Place (70-77) Since I graduated from Newcastle University I have pursued a career in computer science. I worked for GEC Telecoms (Hirst Research Center) and then Imperial Software Technology. And therein we see the many dualities of my career: I’ve worked for a large company and for a startup; I’ve worked in research and the supremely practical; I’ve worked in development and I’ve taught various university courses. For the last 23 years I have been employed by the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon. Our role is to advise the On 5 July Professor Sir Ian Gilmore (55-65), past President of the Royal College of Physicians, was Guest of Honour at the annual prize giving at Longridge Towers School, near Berwick, where the Chairman of Governors is former classmate John Smithson (55-61). The photograph shows Sir Ian (on the right) and John (centre) with Tim Manning, Longridge’s Headmaster, and some of the senior prize winners.

US Government on issues relating to the acquisition and development of software.

I’m married to an American and education I take great interest; sadly what is available to them is a far cry from the education I received at the RGS.

Richard Shaw (61-71) I moved to Atlanta in 1984 and worked for advertising agencies as a copywriter and creative director.

I relocated to a farm in north Georgia in 2007, where I ride a tractor, do some marketing consulting and celebrate the Geordie-Redneck cultural interface.

Ashoke Roy (93-00) after finishing Medical school in 2006, Ashoke completed core surgical training in 2009 along with the MRCS exam and entered higher specialist training in the field of urology within the North central

we have two boys in whose London region in 2010 to present.

Tony Morris (76-83) writes: the mention of the organ in the summer 2012 issue reminds me of what I believe to be my unique exploit. I think I am the only former pupil to have actually smoked a cigarette inside the workings of the instrument. The year would have been around 1980. witnesses included Liam Anderson (76-83) and David Duns (76-81). There is a small access door on the first floor balcony, which was usually kept locked but not always! Quite an impressive smoke cloud formed over the pews of the assembly hall, fortunately this was not spotted by the authorities. I emerged from the organ,

covered in dust, a hero. This event was revisited on our tour of the school during our 25th reunion in 2008, though sadly on this occasion the access door was locked and seemed to have shrunk in size.

Looking back, I shiver at the thought that I could have burnt the school down –all that dust and bone-dry timber –but it is one achievement from my schooldays of which I am proud!

Jamie Wanless (58-67) I am a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. After being promoted to finance After the end of my gardening leave Malt Cross. I am married to Sue and have two daughters. I hope to retire in about 18 months back to the North East and have bought a house in Longhoughton.

John Davison (46-54) After finishing RGS, I completed national service, and sailed to Australia in 1957 to the promise of a new home and life. Two years later I returned to Newcastle, worked a little, felt the cold and realised that I had changed so much that I returned to Australia, via New Zealand, where I lived for

After leaving the RGS I worked on In Australia I studied accounting and a farm in Northumberland for a year worked in various accounting roles and then went to Nottingham in several large companies. For the University for three years to study 15 years before I retired I was head Agriculture. On qualifying I couldn’t of salaries department at the University get a job in agriculture so I joined a of Melbourne. I have always lived in small firm of chartered accountants Victoria but my wife and I have in London. After three year I qualified travelled worldwide frequently. I have and then joined Arthur Young’s. loved sport since school days and I stayed with Arthur Young’s for three only recently stopped cycling. In years and then was poached by an recent years I have become a keen American finance company (Avco). wood turner. director I was head hunted by My memories of RGS are great. Lombard North Central and stayed The swimming, cross country for two years. I then spent a year running and exposure to the raising finance to set up my own elements prepared me for the world. finance company, Welcome Finance So too, did Dicky Akhurst, who wrote in Nottingham. After the company “Manners Maketh the Man” across was sold to Cattles PLC, I stayed the blackboard. It stood me in for a year but then left on gardening good stead. I was once told by leave over a disagreement on music teacher Mrs Watson that I management style, treatment of was a “grunter” but I’ve proved that customers and accounting policy. to be wrong. I still have my wooden a long time. school crest, and my blazer. I set up another finance company, First On my last trip to England I Response Finance. I was approached took my wife to RGS and we were two years ago to join Kingdom Bank fortunate to be able to walk through Limited as finance director, a niche those hallowed halls. We also met bank lending to Christian organisations. up with Mike Hogg (46-54) and his wife. My school days were a I am a regular church goer at a local wonderful part of my life and my Vineyard Church and am a Trustee of a memories of Newcastle are as clear Christian Charity in Nottingham, The and detailed as were my school days.

LONA

LONA President Andrew Taylor (61-71) with his wife Melanie at the 2012 dinner –the first time ever a President’s wife has attended a LONA dinner!

Congratulations to:

Richard Coates (02-09) first class degree in Law from Pembroke College Cambridge.

James Stephen (98-08) first class degree in History from Glasgow University.

Ben Glaister (01-08) first class degree in Mechanical Engineering, Leeds University.

Phoebe Kemp (07-09) first class degree in English from Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Robert Henderson (00-07) MEng Aerospace Engineering, Bristol.

Annelise Tvergaard (05-07) graduated with a BA in History of Arts from the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, and is working as a research assistant for Foster + Partners.