ONA 70

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ONA Ol d N o v o c a s t r i a n s A s s o c i at ion M a g a z i n e Issue 70 Winter 2006

The 81st Annual Dinner 1940’s Nicknames 1986 Reunion NOVO Day

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Message from the President RGS News ONA dinner

Contribute!

We are always looking for articles and news from Old Novos to include in the magazine, so send your contributions, via email (if possible) to: ona@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk or to the ONA Office at the school.

Please include relevant pictures of possible. They will be returned as soon as the magazine has been printed.

The deadline for acceptance of copy for the next issue is: Thursday 1 March 2007. Copy may be carried over to a future issue.

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Degree results From the Archive NOVO Day Who? When? Where?

ONA magazine Issue 70 Winter 2006 ONA magazine is the magazine for the Old Novocastrian Association. Editor: Tove Elander Designed and produced by the ONA office at the Royal Grammar School

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1986 Reunion CCF Memories 1940’s Nicknames The Secret Pole vaulter Obituaries

Printed by Pattinson and Son Printers 94-102 Blandford Square Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BT Tel: 0191 232 0379 All correspondence should be addressed to: The ONA Office Royal Grammar School Eskdale Terrace Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4DX Telephone, ONA office: 01914 212 8924 email: ona@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk The Editor reserves the right to edit, alter or omit all submissions to the magazine. Copy may be carried over to the next edition. The Editor’s decision is final.

Message From the President

It was a huge honour for me to be elected as your President at the recent Annual General Meeting. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Robert Newton (68-78) for his support, much of which is no doubt to come, and his work as President over the last two years. I would also like to welcome Mike Barlow (53-64) as Vice-President of the Association. I am sure many of you will know Mike either from his time as a pupil or as a member of staff.

I have been involved with the Association since almost the day I left school in 1990 and, although it seems like an eternity to me, I imagine that I may well be the youngest ever President of the Association. It is therefore my aim to encourage more of our younger members to take a more active role in the Association. I would like though to invite anybody who may be interested in joining the Committee to contact the ONA office – it is an opportunity for those of you who have opinions on how the Association should develop to help shape the future. If you are unable to take part on a regular basis then nevertheless please feel free to express your views and suggestions for the Committee to consider.

The Annual Dinner was once again a great success, and it continues to be the main event for the Association. Numbers were again up on the previous year and with the AGM now taking place immediately prior to the Dinner there is a greater opportunity for members to be involved in the business of the Association. I would like to encourage more of you to attend and if you would like assistance in organising a reunion for a particular group contact the ONA office.

With this edition of the magazine, and I am sure the new design and layout will prove popular, you will find an Arts Diary setting out the highlights of the coming term in music and drama. The new Performing Arts Centre recently opened and in line with the other developments seen in recent years the facilities are excellent. There is a vast breadth of resources available and all to a very high specification. The magazine will be with you three times a year from now on and the Arts Diary will form a part of it. I would urge you to attend a performance; there will always be something to suit all tastes and interests!

Not quite so recently opened is the main building on the “new� site, which will be 100 years old in January 2007. To celebrate the centenary the school will be holding Novo day on 10 February. More information is contained later in this issue. I would like to invite as many of you as possible to join other members of the school community on that day.

Rod Etherington (80-90) President

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RGS news Chris Patten opens PAC Lord Patten of Barnes (pictured left with Headmaster James Miller), former Governor of Hong Kong and Chancellor of Oxford and Newcastle universities, formally opened the new Performing Arts Centre (PAC) in October. The opening ceremony was broadcast to the audience in the new theatre via a videolink, following which, Lord Patten gave a lecture on the Rise of Asia as part of the RGS Peter Taylor Lecture Series. His views and insight regarding the situation in the Far East, based on massive experience, fascinated a capacity audience and drew many questions from them.

Guys and Dolls Following on from the highly successful inaugural concert, the new Performing Arts Centre theatre played host to three nights of Guys and Dolls, a wonderful musical performed by RGS pupils from across the age range. More than 750 people were packed into the theatre over the three evenings, for what was a breathtaking entertainment incorporating wonderful music, dance, acting, choreography and technical support.

The Fallen Remembered Pupils throughout the school took time off to remember the victims of war at special remembrance assemblies. The School’s customary minute’s silence was preceded by a string quintet playing a beautiful lament from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.

First World War poetry, the Last Post and the laying of a poppy wreath at the foot of the RGS war memorial in the main hall, all helped pupils and staff to focus on the sacrifice made by many, over the years, on our behalf.

copyright: www.freefoto.com

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ONA DINNER

81st Annual ONA Dinner October 2006 Right: happy diners; far right: Goldwater double: Adam (87-97) and Andrew (83-93). Below: The President presents a gift from the ONA to the School to the Bursar.

Below right: John Mark (54-62), Eric Sharff (38-50) and Werner Maier (44-47).

Left: The President Robert Newton (68-78) presents retiring Classics teacher Noel Armstrong with a gift from the ONA.

Right: Three of a kind: old friends David Robertson (75-85), Tony Horrocks (78-85), and Stuart MacFarlane (80-85)

New Publication Dates...

Starting with this issue, the ONA magazine will be published three times a year, at the end of each term (December, March/April and July/August). The RGS Arts Diary will be enclosed with each copy of the magazine. As always we welcome contributions to the magazine; the deadline for copy for the next issue can be found on page 2.

Dear Editor...

Referring to the final instalment of the school register which was printed in issue 68, Autumn 2005, I wish to make it clear that this emasculated version of my register appeared contrary to my wishes, much information having been omitted because of concerns, misplaced in my view as a lawyer, about the applications of the Data Protection Act. The printed version will be found quite useless, in future, as an historical record.

Yours sincerely, Bryan Stevens (44-49)

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RESULTS

Congratulations!

Thomas Cope (91-03) 1st BA(Hons) Medical Sciences, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Daniel Ryan (96-03) BA(Hons) Medical Sciences, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Chris Mansi (96-03) 1st in Medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He has also been awarded an Honorary Bachelor Scholarship for this academic year.

Hoe Ming Cheng (94-01) Medicine, University of Leicester Helena Ahmed (01-03) B.Sc. Neuroscience, UCL, London Jason Liu (96-01) First in B.Sc. Project Management for Construction, UCL, London Michael Ringer (96-03) BA History, UCL, London Alexander Self (93-00) Medicine, UCL, London

Danny Ryan and Thomas Cope

Cambridge. Harith is currently studying towards a Masters in Finance and Economics at LSE. Tom Bird (91-01) 1st English Literature, University of Edinburgh Philip Milstead (95-02) 1st, MSCI (Hons) Geoscience, Durham University. Philip spent the summer in Botswana studying minerals, before embarking on a Masters in Petroleum Engineering at Imperial College, London, on a full scholarship from Shell.

Charles Sutherland (97-02) B.Sc. Anthropology, UCL, London

Graham Shields (89-99) BSc (Hons) Applied Biology, University of Northumbria.

Jamie Sutton (96-03) LL.B Law, UCL, London

Andrew Levett (96-03) Biochemistry, University of Bristol.

Tharan Vedavanam (95-00) Medicine, UCL, London

Keith Noble-Nesbitt (97-01) Master of Philosophy, Trinity College, Cambridge

Sean Whitham (95-02) BA Geography, UCL, London Harith Rom (99-01) 1st BA (Hons) Economics, Pembroke College,

From the

Andy Chi Chien Wong (92-99) Mater of Philosophy, Trinity College, Cambridge.

Archives Left:Sarah-Jane Snowdon and Louis Taylor ((75-85) and RGS Chairman of Governors) in The Taming of the Shrew, in December 1982. Right: ‘Sixth Form, 1970’. But who are they? And do they still have as much hair? if you recognise any of them, please let the ona office know.

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NOVODay Saturday 3 March 2007 celebrating 100 years of RGS at Eskdale Terrace

The 17th January 2007 marks the 100th anniversary of the formal opening of the main RGS buildings in Eskdale Terrace.

We hope you and your family will join us for a day of celebration. The programme is yet to be finalised, but will include tours around the school, refreshments, lunch and archive displays.

Please return no later than Friday, 23rd February, 2007 to: NOVO Day, the ONA Office, Royal Grammar School, Eskdale Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4DX Yes, I would like to attend NOVO Day and will bring .................. guest(s) with me Name (please print) .......................................................................................................

Address ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................

Years at RGS: from .............................................. to ....................................................

Name of guest(s) ...........................................................................................................

Relationship of guest(s) ..................................................................................................

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Who?

Professor Ian Gilmore (55-65) has been elected President of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). He is currently a Professor of Medicine at Liverpool University, and Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals.

This is the second time an Old Novocastrian has been elected President of the RCP; Professor Sir George Alberti (47-55) held the post from 1997-2002.

David Greensmith (67-77) has been elected national President of the Justices’ Clerk’s Society.

John Stephens (87-94) got married in 2004 to Kerry, and earlier this year was promoted to Aftersales Manager at Guildford Audi.

Richard Lyst (77-84) has finally moved back to the North East after 20 years! He is now living in Northumberland and teaching Maths in Alnwick.

Roderick McPhee (67-73) is a self employed business consultant, specialising in procurement, change management and performance improvement. He has been married since 1987 and has three children. He is still making music as a singer and conductor, and sang at Charles’ and Camilla’s wedding.

David Guss (74-81) is a management consultant specialising in Health and Safety and Manufacturing Operations.

Peter Graham (55-65) writes: I retired form dentistry at Burnopfield, Newcastle, in December 2003, and now live permanently in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Minister of Health has asked me

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to help out at a new dental hospital and I may be tempted to work for them on a part time basis. I am the proud father of five children, two of whom are with me in Sri Lanka. Peter J Tyrell (55-65) has visited me twice. He is retired from RMC (Ready Mixed Concrete) and now resides in Cyprus, although has only had approximately six weeks there in the last three years, as he is always taking groups of Koreans and Japanese around China using his expertise as a tour guide.

Stephen Bell (70-80): I am still working for Cleanaway and have recently built two major recycling factories in the London area. Along with my wife and daughter, Claire and Rebecca, we have recently moved house and have been successfully running our own business for the last four years.

Dr George D Gale (43-53): I worked at Toronto General Hospital from 1970 to 1995 as an anaesthetist. I then transferred to the Rothbart Pain Management Clinic in the same year, and am continuing to practice pain management. I have no plans to retire because I like this kind of work and

continue to contribute to published literature. My latest paper on “Infrared Therapy for Low Backpain” was recently published.

David Williamson (83-85) former Geography teacher at RGS is Deputy Head (Academic) at Nottingham High School. His previous post was Head of Geography at Latymer Upper School in London.

Steven Healer (90-00) has completed his legal training to become a barrister.

He was called to the Bar in October by Mr Owen Davies QC, and shortly afterwards had a second interview at Chambers in Raymond Buildings, London.

When?

Farewell to: Noel Armstrong (Classics), who has retired after 15 years at RGS; Jeremy Thomas (English) retired due to ill health; Heather Murphy (Modern Languages) now Head of Modern Languages at Felsted school, Essex; Jacquie Robson (Chemistry) Head of Chemistry at Barnard Castle; David Ridley (87-94) (Maths) Master in charge of Football at the Grange School, Cheshire; Abbey Heaton (History) Head of History and Politics, Church High; Jane Cruddas (Chemistry) St Edward’s School, Oxford; and Matt Lang (Physics) Bablake School, Coventry.

Congratulations to Tom Miller (95-97) on his marriage to Flora. The ceremony was held in Beijing, where Tom lives, and was attended by ONs Dakis Hagen (87-97), Chris McNally, Richard Miller (94-99), as well as Tom’s parents, the Headmaster James Miller and his wife.

If you’d like to feature here, let us know where you are and what you’ve been up to! Email your details to: ona@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk

25 Years On: In September, over 30 1981 leavers got together for a reunion. After a morning of touring the school, having lunch in the dining hall, and watching a spot of rugby, the group had the afternoon free before reforming for dinner and drinks at St James’ Park.

James Hutchinson (92-97) writes: I’m working reasonably steadily on the so called ‘London fringe’ at the moment. In the old days, of course, it was the rep system that graduating actors ended up in, working up and down the country learning the craft. Alas the rep is no more and the London fringe has kind of taken its place as the place where we now cut our teeth. I recently played Clarence and Tyrell in Richard III in a disused church in Belsize Park. I played Lysander over the summer also – at the end of the day I’m just delighted to be doing Shakespeare.

I’m keeping the wolves from the door with some audio work and voice overs (having a convincing Geordie accent to hand proves useful!) and I’ve done quite a few plays for Radio 4.

Keith Jewitt (70-77) has received his first screenwriting commission from the UK Film Council for a short film, Road to Nowhere. His Collected Poems are now available from Laurel Press.

William Burdon-Taylor (68-77) is now Head of House at St Thomas More Catholic School Blaydon on Tyne after 18 years at West Gate Community College in Newcastle. He is still teaching PE, and still keep in touch with staff at RGS through sports fixtures for pupils and staff.

Harry Hughes (95-02) is a Business Development Executive for KPMG in Hong Kong.

Richard Milne (91-98) is currently researching his PhD at UCL. Graham Shipley (64-73) is professor of ancient history at Leicester University. He is married to Anne and have two children; Joseph born in August 2004, and Dorothea in July 2006.

Richard Shillito (77-86) lives in Austria, where he works for First Data International, as CFO for the Central Europe Division.

Kevin Appleby (69-79) is now working for Hedra plc as a Management Consultant Andrew Robinson (76-86): now has two children, James, four, and Emily seven.

Sarah, my wife, is a practice support lawyer in Tunbridge Wells, and I recently moved jobs after a suitable period in the garden. Having spent the last 6 fi years with a Dutch investment bank, moved across to a North American investment bank to head up their European Consumer Products business at the start of this year. We are still in regular touch with a few of the Southern ON contingent, including Jared Fox (76-86) and his family, and I recently found out one of my new colleagues at the bank, Bruce McIntyre (83-90), is an Old Novo.

John Hutchinson (65-77): After leaving Newcastle University I moved to Edinburgh and worked for standard life.

After taking a year out and trying something completely different (Owner Driver with Business Post), two contracts as a Test Analyst with Royal Bank and Scottish Widows followed. I am currently working at Northern Rock in Newcastle as a Test Analyst though Sopra Newell & Budge, travelling back to Edinburgh at weekends. I could be working in Newcastle until at least 2008, but have no plans to relocate.

Stephanie Burns (04-06) is now a solo pilot.

Where?

Alan Soulsby (50-57) has retired to Granada in Spain.

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Roderick McPhee (67-73) is a self employed business consultant, specialising in procurement, change management and performance improvement. He has been married since 1987 and has three children. He is still making music as a singer and conductor, and sang at Charles’ and Camilla’s wedding.

Martin CJ Brown (79-89) I am now working for the Belgian Biopharmaceutical company UCB in their Slough office. I am the company's Global Head of Health Economics. The objective of my work is to ensure that the medicines that UCB discover, develop and produce obtain access to markets around the world. I have to demonstrate to bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the UK that our medicine's offer value for money. I am now living in Henley-onThames with my wife Antonella and three-year-old son Gabriel.

Arpan Dusad (85-95): I have recently moved to London, having married Puja this summer on the banks of the Thames near Windsor. I am now working as a Risk Manager within Lloyds TSB corporate sector.

Richard J Anderson (97-85) Unbelievably I have ended up as a CEO of a pharmaceutical company after leading a management buy out . I actually use my chemistry, physics and biology that was drummed into me by some exceptionally patient masters!

Murray Neil Waldron (76-86) is an ENT consultant at Sundeland Royal Hospital.

Who?

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When?

Dear Editor ONA Magazine, Issue 69, page 7 ‘From the Archives’: Indeed the photo features Danny Benton, Christopher Brady and Nicholas Downing. Far left is Edward Cheesman (75-82) and far right is Max Hill (72-82). We had just finished walking the Pennine Way. Great to see!

Nicholas D Downing (75-82)

Perry McKerlie (6873) I live in Perth, Western Australia. I do keep in contact with some other people from my year such as Alan Slack (68-75), Ron Clarke (65-75) and Neil Morrison (69-73), as well as Don Inglis (71-75) and Clive Lumsdon (68-75) who both also live in Perth. I was back in Newcastle in 2004 and met up with Slack, Clarke, Morrison, Inglis and Jon Broome for a few beers.

The BBC series Life on Mars, directed

by Bharat Nalluri (78-83) recently won an International Emmy for best drama.

Bharat has directed a variety of popular dramas, including Spooks, Hustle, and Tsunami, The Aftermath, recently shown on BBC2.

A night on the Toon - September 2004: Left to Right: Perry McKerlie (68-75), Don Inglis (71-75), Alan Slack (68-75), Neil Morrison (69-75), Jon Broome (65-75), Ron Clarke (65-75)

Colin Ross (41-49) writes: in the hockey picture (left) in the last issue: I am the chap in front row of hockey match with High School. I, Laurence Shurman, Harry Davis, and Nick Brown were in Lower Sixth together, and some of us in the 21 Club had made first co-ed play; Lady Precious Stream with Central High, previous winter. The hockey match was a follow up of this.

Class of 86 meet up for 20th anniversary reunion They came, they saw, they were bemused MUCH has changed since the Class of 86 left the RGS – and as around 30 old stagers gathered at the Annual ONA Dinner to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their departure they soon discovered that not all of it involves beer bellies and bald heads.

The school itself has undergone the kind of reconstructive surgery that most present could only dream about: Astro turf soccer pitches (soccer?), towering space-age building complexes, little trees in tubs – they’ve even double-glazed the wind-tunnels connecting the main school and the physics block, for God’s sake!

Kids these days don’t know they’re born.

Once the initial shock had worn off, the Class of 86 got down to the serious business of discovering at close quarters how their former classmates had weathered the intervening years.

And although it was clear that one or two had been buffing up with their personal trainers specifically for the occasion, it was reassuring to see that most are approaching early middle age relatively unchanged and unscathed by the passage of time.

Indeed as the wine flowed, the remnants of the all-conquering Sevens

Members of the RGS Sevens Squad, winners of the Ampleforth and Morpeth Sevens, season 1985-86.Back row, l-r: Jeremy Rowarth (79-86), Aidan Dunstan (76-86), Jeremy Forster (79-86), Andrew Robinson (76-86)Front row, l-r: Dickie Palmer (76-86), Ed Gregory (81-86), Nick Brownlee (76-86), Rob Caller (76-86)

team managed to convince themselves that should Ampleforth ever fancy a rematch they’d get a good hiding for the second time.

(Flowing wine was very much the order of the evening, in fact, proving that those long hours of sixthform boozing all those years ago had not gone to waste.)

Reunions can be fraught with danger, and there would have been many who turned up to this one apprehensive about meeting long lost friends again. They

should not have worried: the dining room conversation was as easy and irreverent as it ever was.

As the Class of 86 disappeared into the night – or in some cases to the casino – the overwhelming feeling was that 20 years should not pass before they did it again.

Nick Brownlee (78-86)

Montgomery in 1953 to carry out the inspection, and present a medal to RSM Tim O’Brien. The photographs that we have are not in good condition, and I still hope that someone will be able to help. Two photographs are reproduced here.

Please let me know if you can identify anyone apart from Major Bertram and Tim O’Brien.

Mike Barlow (53-64)

OTC/CCF MEMORIES Thank you to all who responded to my appeal in the last magazine. The response was excellent, and I hope to contact all who got in touch in the near future. There are still considerable gaps in the records, most notably during the 1950’s, and particularly the visit of Field Marshall Lord

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ecent attendance at an ON dinner was extremely enjoyable and prominent in conversation was the use of nicknames for our old friends and masters of many years ago. In these days of political correctness, I cannot help wondering whether they are as common. Nevertheless I felt inclined to write this piece which although of greater interest to my forties contemporaries may have some relevance to a wider readership. I apologise if there are a few errors and any notable omissions.

R

CATEGORIES Nicknames were applied to both masters and boys – sometimes they were merely corruptions of their names. However the more inspired ones would relate to some physical feature of the person in question, or to some event in which that person had taken part.

There was one other influence unique to this period. The much celebrated Brian Redhead of the Today programme was a pupil at that time and his not infrequently acerbic wit would conjure up meaningful sobriquet. In what follows I have indicated when I felt he was responsible.

For some people I have added the occasional reminiscence!

TEACHERS Names merely corrupted

1940’s Nicknames Geoffrey Marsh (38-48)

Headmaster Ebenezer R Thomas: eccentric but commanding figure known almost universally as Eb. Deputy Headmaster S G Middlebrook: affectionately known as Sammy. Taught history as an adventure story – we were frequently on the edge of our chairs with anticipation. Then the bell would ring and we’d have to await the denouement at the next history lesson.

Head of Maths ‘Billie’ Boll: a feared disciplinarian whose accuracy with flying pieces of chalk was renowned.

‘Doc’ Hauser: a mathematician from Germany who had some difficulty with discipline in our form until eventually Peter Taylor turned on the class on one occasion and reprimanded us all for our bad behaviour to someone who had come as a refugee to this country.

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J A Herdman, known as Jimmy. He intimated that his age was on the door (room 21). He had a debonair air and described strolling down the Champs Elysee as one of the high points of life.

George Pallister, was known affectionately as ‘George’ or ‘Pallywags’ by the 6th Form medics who were so numerous in those days they warranted and had a separate class. He wrote an interesting monograph on Addison, an 19th century Old Novo and a famous physician who described Addisons disease.

‘Bill’ Bayley, sports master and coach to the cricket team.

‘Ma’ Stephens. I could not omit mentioning this wonderful school cook held in great affection by all the boys.

Always two puddings at lunch; a favourite one was ‘concrete’ – a semi-solid lemon flavoured dollop, a wonderful sequel to ‘cabinet’ pudding and the like.

PUPILS G N Marsh. I myself merited nothing special. I was known as Marshy.

W L Metcalf: a contemporary of mine was known as Willie, and considering how much of a card he was it seems surprising with hindsight that he had no sobriquet.

J A Skevington – Skevvy, a classmate and now in South Africa, I believe.

W D Cockburn – Coey. A burly head of school and to me a towering figure whose eye I tried never to catch.

Derek Beatty, known as Angus. A genial Scotsman, and a very ‘Scottish’ Macbeth in the first full length 4th form production of the Shakespeare play. Sadly died recently.

D G Bullen. Booln. This was the way ‘Boiler’ Smith, the latin master, pronounced it, and somehow it stuck.

Ernest Capey, known as Ernest, but we thought of it as Earnest, for he was a studious, delicate, almost eggshell

figure, extremely bright, who weekly was left freezing on the wing in compulsory rugby lessons.

B P Mould. Known as Percy. I think his middle name was Piercy, his mother’s maiden name.

Geoffrey Orde. Always known as ‘Peff’, presumably Geoff corrupted.

TEACHERS PROPER NICKNAMES Mr Anderson, the major architect of the evacuation to Penrith. Always known as Tucker Colonel Robinson, Commanding Officer of the Corps, a rotund slightly swaggering figure known as ‘Capo’. I don’t know why.

Mr Smith, a very large and much feared Latin master who ruled the class with a rod of iron. Always known as Boiler.

S G Owen, known as Slinker Owen, possibly relating to his rather furtive moustache.

Mr Williams. Known as ‘Puffy Williams, a rotund chemistry master and in charge of one of the Penrith hostels. Also known as ‘Phlodge, he was purported to carry a note in his pocket saying that if he was ever taken unconscious to a Newcastle hospital casualty department he was not to be attended by a former pupil of the RGS. His dog Juno not infrequently had sulphuric acid added to its bowl of drinking water in the Penrith hostel.

PUPILS PROPER NICKNAME There were the fairly traditional nicknames for pupils who had the appropriate surname, hence J B Foster was known as Fanny and John Parker as Nosey.

D B Partington was known as Butch, possibly relating to his somewhat physical presence.

Raymond Harrison, a tall fellow and good cricketer, for some reason known as Lallis.

D R Reid, known as CB, abbreviation of Corner Boy, for those days corner boys were the in-thing, and usually had a long lank sleek of black hair hanging over their foreheads. Reid certainly had.

John Urben, the troop leader of the 33rd Newcastle Boys Scouts (a very RGS dominated lot), was always known as ‘Lulu’.

Brian Redhead of Manchester Guardian and later BBC, was known as Tot. John Lively, later a distinguished Cambridge don was ‘Hurbert’.

W E Reeve Titch Bla’s brother was Big Bla Bernard Surrey, a very large fellow became somewhat inappropriately Susan.

G A Reid, a somewhat austere Head boy was known as Ga-ga (but not to his face) J P Stanier, a rather fearsome Head Boy and 1stXV stand off was known as Jake But Brian Redhead’s expertise really came into its own with: J A Wardropper, who unfortunately lost one of his two upper front incisors and was therefore christened Monolith and, John Heslop was labelled Half head because of the ear to ear narrowness of his skull. I hasten to add this did not prevent him playing excellent cricket and achieving high scientific grades.

I hope that I have not caused offence to anyone by this recall; I apologise if I have, and again apologise for any prominent omissions. I just wondered if nicknames were used anymore. Perhaps someone might wake up after reading this and reply.

P B Reeve, praised by Eb one assembly for declining “a Northumberland Rugby cap in order to play for the school on the same date” was always known as ‘Titch Bla’. Presumably a reference to his shock of yellow hair.

M G Robinson, English master and much esteemed by the more literate boys of the time and responsible for getting many of them into Oxbridge. Brian Redhead came up with the wonderful nickname ‘streamline’ because of the somewhat acute angle of his forehead.

Mr Brydon from the physics department, was somewhat prematurely bald and Brian assigned ‘Curly’.

The exterior of the School at Eskdale Terrace, around 1910, soon after its opening.

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Y

ou might be interested to know that the pole vaulter on the front of ONA magazine issue 69 is me! I was in the 4th year and was in Stowell house.

Unfortunately after school I didn't continue vaulting and took up a number of other active hobbies but am still a keen runner.

I

think the other boy’s first name was Nigel - Nigel Peacock who I think also was a good pole vaulter and like myself represented school and county on a number of occasions.

(Nigel Peacock attended RGS from 1978 to 1985).

I

remember that day: It was school

vaulter and I seem to remember having a keen competition with him. I can't remember who came first but I guess that is the spirit of true sport!

W

e were using 12-14 foot fibreglass vaulting poles and the school had just got a new landing mat - a great advance on the old sand pit! At that age we were jumping about 3.50 metres. Nigel was standing where he was to catch the pole before it landed to avoid damage.

I think that was the year when a pole broke in the middle of a jump with a dramatic crack - no one was hurt though and the vaulter (Perry?) sailed through the take off area and landed to loud cheers!

sports day and a sunny day for once. Perry Board (73-83), in the year above me, was also a good

The Secret Pole Vaulter

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I

trained in medicine at Newcastle and after junior posts in Newcastle and Sunderland did my registrar and senior registrar posts in Bristol and the South West in Ophthalmic Surgery. After a fantastic year of retinal surgery in Melbourne we returned to the North East in 1999 where I've been a consultant at Sunderland Eye Infirmary since.

I

live near Morpeth with my wife, Claire and two children, Ben and Rachael. We spend as much time as we can out and about in the local countryside and I keep fit with Fell running, Sea Kayaking and lots more!

David Steel (79-84)

Obituaries

Major Hugh Lloyd (Ret) RA (56-64) Major John Hugh Laviers Lloyd (Ret) RA (56-64) died peacefully on 11 June 2006 at his home in Duffield, Derbyshire following a battle with cancer.

Hugh wanted to be a soldier from his first day in the CCF. He read PPE at Grey College, Durham and at the same time became an Officer in the OTC. On graduating he joined the Royal Artillery as an Officer (because he had already been awarded the Queens Commission in the OTC). Hugh enjoyed a varied life in the Army where he met his wife Tricia (a Captain in the QARANC). They shared many memorable postings both at home and overseas.

Hugh was an educational nonconformist who might have achieved more recognition in the school as it is today. He won an American Field Scholarship without even telling the school or his parents what he was doing.

He was advised that his low work rate and performance rendered his prospects at A level so poor that he should wait a further year. Hugh would have none of this piffle and proceeded to achieve what he needed to gain entry to Grey College – as well as getting his American Field Scholarship. The school as it then was did not view this heretic with glee.

Hugh spent the year before going to Durham first at Acton Boxborough High School in Massachusetts and then at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Minnesota. He returned to Hutchinson High School with Tricia in 2004 to celebrate the 40 year reunion of his class.

In later life Hugh retained his links with the army and was a life member of Worcestershire County Cricket Club.

Whilst Hugh and the RGS did not always share convergent views regarding his education, he respected and was grateful for the superb education he received. Last year he took Tricia to the school that gave him so much – he knew then that he would not be returning.

ONA Deaths John Neville Mallinson (37-45) died 8 April 2006, aged 78.

Leslie Wayper (24-31) died 15 March 2006, aged 93 .

Ronald A Dick (39-47) died 24 May 2006, aged 77.

Dr Peter Leyburn FRCS, MRC Psych.

(42-50) died 14 August 2006, aged 74.

Arnold Gallor (38-45) died 13 August 2006, aged 79.

John Barrs (38-44) died May 2006, 79 years old.

Captain Edward Dugald Robson (4853) died 17 January 2006 George Barras Hogg (29-37) died 2 March 2006, 87 years old.

Henry Soden-Bird (24-32) died 8 April 2006, 91 years old Ian Douglas Robinson (57-64) died 18 April 2006, 60 years old D J Bottomley (28-33) died 14 July 2006, 86 years old L R Simonsen (26-34) died 31 July 2006, 89 years old Clive Preece (49-54) Formerly Senior Lecturer in Engineering, Durham University, died 10 September 2006, 65 years old.

Dr Errington Ellis ( - ) died 26 July 2006, aged ?? appointed as the first School Medical Officer in 1954.

Anup Kishore (01-05) died in May 2006, aged 19.

Ian McLaren (33-38), died on 30 November 2005. Dr Robin Anderson writes: Ian was my Father-in-Law and was a Scholar at Pembroke College Cambridge.I gather that his name is on your Roll of Honour in reflection of his academic attainments. I also have to tell you that he was always proud of his Newcastle roots and of his association with the RGS.

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INVITATION London Old Novocastrians'’ Association's Dinner Royal Air Force Club, Piccadilly, London SW1 Friday 16 March 2007

Dear Old Novo, I have pleasure in inviting you to the LONA Annual Dinner to be held on Friday 16 March 2007 at the Royal Air Force Club, located at 128 Piccadilly in London, SW1. The night includes: • • • •

Speaker – Jon Stoddart (67-77), the new Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary; a cash bar, open from 6.30pm until 1.00am; a three course dinner with wine, commencing at 7.30 pm; the LONA AGM, commencing at 7.00pm;

All Old Novos are welcome to the dinner.

The cost of the dinner is £39.50 a head, or £32.00 for those who have left School since September 2001.

Dress will be lounge suit. The nearest Tube stations are Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.

If you wish to come to the Dinner please send the form attached below with a cheque payable to “London Old Novocastrians' Association” to me at the address below. It should arrive no later than Friday, 2 March 2007. Cheques are not cashed until after the dinner. Please keep the top half of this letter for your ticket.

Please indicate if you wish your name to appear on the School website as an attendee of the dinner, thereby potentially letting old friends know you will be there.

I look forward to seeing you on the 16th.

Kind regards Mark Thackara Work 020 7 250 4591 Mobile 07970 758209 email: mark@thackara.co.uk Please return to Mark Thackara, 38 Perry Road, Buckden, Cambs, PE19 5XG, as soon as possible and no later than Friday 2 March 2007.

Name…..............................................………………………… Years at School 19.…....... to ..….....…........ email…………..………………….....................................................................................................................

Address ......................................................................................................................…………………………

Please reserve……..…places for the Annual Dinner on Friday 16 March 2006, at £39.50 each (or £32.00).

I enclose a cheque to the value of £……....… crossed and made payable to “London Old Novocastrians' Association”. I understand that no tickets are sent out.

Yes, I would like my name to appear on the ONA website as “attending the dinner” (please tick)

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