News and Congratulations

Our congratulations go to… Recently spotted…

Adam Bower (93-00) who, after 25 flights over the pond and seven years of international courtship married Maribel on 20 January 2018 at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas. The photograph shows Maribel and Adam leaving the Bellagio Chapel showered with rose petals as they embark on their life together. Adam emigrated to the USA early that month and now lives in Chicago. Adam would be happy to be contacted by all ONs who are living in the States. Please email Adam at splitter@blueyonder.co.uk.

Kate Waugh (10-17) on her Bronze Medal in the 2018 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Gold Coast, Australia in the Junior Women’s class. Findlay Edwards (11-18) for being awarded the newly inaugurated Bilclough Cup. The cup is named after the three Bilclough brothers, George (02-12), Edward (04-14) and Tommy (06-17), all of whom played 1st XV rugby, were in the school Senior Prefect Team and studied at the University of Cambridge. The cup was presented by Tommy for, ‘outstanding commitment to sporting and academic excellence’.

Sir Gregory Winter CBE (64-69) on being jointly awarded the most distinguished Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2018 for the phage display of peptides and antibodies. Sir Greg is the first ON to be awarded a Nobel Prize.

Graham Ward (74-81) on becoming President of Novocastrians RFC. Graham first played for Novos whilst still at school in 1981; he followed many other ONs to the club in this era, under the stewardship of Head of Sport John Elders (57-82 and 92-96). Graham becomes the 49th President of Novocastrians and the 39th ON to hold this position. If you would like to join the mailing list on future events at the rugby club, please get in touch with ona@rgs. newcastle.sch.uk. Bryan Stevens (44-49) whose latest book Laughter and Reflection: Poems to Suit Your Mood was reviewed in a local publication. “I wrote these poems mainly for my own pleasure, and to give expression to ideas as they occurred to me. Some are humorous and selfexplanatory. Some arise from personal memories. In other poems, I meditate on the brevity and uncertainty of life. But I am not trying to depress people –quite the contrary. There is much to celebrate in our world, its mystery, its beauty and the immense diversity of its people. So please enjoy the poems.”

Copies of Laughter and Reflection can be purchased for £7.99 (plus £1.20 postage). Collection is available if preferred. Please contact Bryan on 01434 321314.

Join us on Facebook and LinkedIn There are plenty of Old Novos social media groups around, but we have our own groups. Join us by following the Old Novocastrians Association pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. Appeal for ON email addresses Where appropriate, we would like to stay in contact with you by email. Please email ona@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk with a current email address where we can contact you.

We are delighted to have heard recently from…

(L-R): John Thomson (70-77); Mike Bradford (67-77); Phil Burns (70-77); Andy Morgan (70-77); Mark Stringer (70-77); Mark E Robson (67-77); and Gary Dobson (70-77)

Mike Bradford (67-77) who writes: ‘Following the get together of the ’77 leavers reunion at the ONA Dinner last year, a group met up 14 months ago.

Following pre-dinner beverages at a rather lively Westgate Road pub, we convened at the King Neptune on Stowell Street. Distance was no object — Dundee, Leicester, Nottingham, Leeds — plus local attendees from Whickham, Ponteland and Morpeth.

So it just shows the real value of RGS — enduring friendships. The years just slipped away as we caught up on 40 years and reminisced about those formative teenage years. No stories suitable for publication! A brisk walk out to St Mary’s Lighthouse on Sunday to clear rather woolly heads before going our separate ways.

Our next get together will be in the spring. Mike Dodds (66-77) and Mark G Robson (67-77) should be able to swell the numbers. Mike was in France on this occasion, being the first of the team to hit 60. By spring we’ll have a few more sexagenarians in the ranks of, ‘The Likely Lads’.’

The ONA has been able to put several members of the classes of ’64 and ’65 in email contact with one another. As a result, Tony Boullemier(57-64) and his wife Marie were able to meet up during their summer holidays with David Hazelwood (67-73) and his wife Anne, in Nice; and John Garland (5764) and his wife June (ex-CNHS) in Dorset. “We had two extremely convivial catch-up lunches as you can see from the photograph,” said Tony. “A lot of great memories and lots of laughs.”

(L-R) Marie and Tony Boullemier, Anne and David Hazelwood John Dodds (L) with Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin. Other cast members attending were Terry Jones, Anette Badland and Neil Innes

John Dodds (65-75) who writes: ‘When I left the RGS one of the first films I worked on as assistant director was Terry Gilliam’s Jabberwocky. It became an iconic film and recently Terry invited me to the London Film Festival screening and party for the new version that is to be released on Blu Ray, 40 years after the original film. It was a wonderful evening with lots of happy memories.’

Eric ‘Spike’ Middleton(45-53) who writes: ‘I should like to challenge all my fellow ON friends to contribute to my third book.

Now almost 84, originally called ‘Spike’, once Captain of Boxing, Leader of the First Orchestra etc.

You may well have experienced a ‘special place’ in your life, perhaps more than one –places where you experienced peace and calm. The Celts called these ‘thin places’ where heaven and earth are very close — almost spiritual — some of my friends say. I should be delighted if you were to email me at: eric.middleton2@btinternet.com.

It would be wonderful to have some special places from a number of ONs, from my own entry point under ER Thomas(22-48) to the present day. What did your special place feel like, perhaps in another dimension?

P.S. My first book, The New Flatlanderswas in answer to all the questions about science and faith which my students came to ask after lunch on Wednesdays and who made me promise to write a book about them!’