News and Congratulations

We are delighted to have heard recently from…

From L-R: David McKinley, Tony Book, David Brown and David Franks

David McKinley (56-64), David Franks (54-65), David Brown (57-65) and Tony Book (54-64) from ‘The 1964 Biology 6th’ who recently revisited school for a tour with Jane Medcalf and Senior Prefects Phoebe Gittins and Matthew Clark.

Nigel Ward (74-81) who returned to the RGS from Brussels to hold a one-day choir workshop and perform a concert – Nigel Ward & Friends –the same evening. The concert was in aid of Wardie’s Way, a charity raising funds for research into children’s cancers. Over £40,000 has been raised in total so far.

Andrew Thompson (97-08) writes: I left the RGS in 2008 to read Chemistry at Manchester University. During my penultimate year of study I was given the opportunity by a government scheme to undertake a teaching placement over the summer. Over a three-week period, the school allowed me to return and observe teaching staff during lessons, attend a Year 7 camp, lead rugby training sessions and eventually take a Chemistry lesson of my own. Prior to my placement, my sole motivation was to avoid another summer of bar work, however, thanks to my experience over the three weeks, I now intend to pursue a teaching role, once I have followed a career in which I am using my chemistry commercially.

Eleni Papadopoulos

Roisin Inglesby

Eleni Papadopoulos (08-10), former ParalympicsGB swimmer, cyclist and tri-athlete who returned to school for a tour and took great delight in seeing the new swimming pool. It was also good to see her attending the ONA Dinner. RGS Day 2016 The ONA was pleased to see Vic Crew (58-64) and Chris Purdon (69-80) (Team GB 50-54 age group half marathon runner) return to school for RGS Day on 2 July. Chris had travelled overnight from Wales and was wearing his 1976 cross-country Colours Blazer. 2016 leavers and newest Old Novos, Matthew Reay (09-16) and Michael Gill (09-16) shared a moment with Chris for the Roisin Inglesby (03-05), former curator of architectural drawings at Historic Royal Palaces who revisited the school to give a Lower Sixth Enrichment Lecture entitled, What is Material Culture, (and why should

you care)?

Chris Purdon (centre) with Michael Gill (L) and Matthew Reay (R) at RGS Day sporting their Colours Blazers

camera, proudly wearing their respective Colours Blazers. Committee members Chris Rutter (92-02), President of the ONA, Joel Dickinson (91-01), Vice-President of the ONA, Peter Coates (56-67), David Goldwater (51-62), Burland Jacob (44-49), Alan Ng (03-12) and Kenneth Hodcroft (05-12) were there promoting the ONA and its merchandise.

Summer Leavers, Alice (09-16) (L) and Heather (09-16) (R) with their brother Kenneth Hodcroft

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Our congratulations go to…

ONA Membership – Standing Orders If you still have a standing order set up to pay the ONA subscription fee, please cancel it as soon as possible. ONA membership is FREE to all Old Novos and former members of staff.

Alex Kirtley with his English Channel team Mohit Basudev (centre) on his wedding day Michael White outside the RST in Stratford

Alex Kirtley (04-14) who writes: I was recently part of a relay team that swam the English Channel both ways. The team, which comprised of six University of Nottingham swimmers, became the first-ever university team to complete a two-way Channel swim on 28 June 2016 at 3.22pm (total time of 24 hours, nine minutes). We did this swim to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust (our JustGiving page can be found here: https://www.justgiving .com/fundraising/Notts2waychannels wim). To date we have raised £3,798, still short of our target of £6,000.

Wim Stevenson (95-05), amateur rower, ‘The Singing Skipper’, who took part this summer in one of the toughest rowing races, Rough and Ready – GB Ocean Row Challenge 2016. Wim joined three other amateur rowers, spending 41 days out at sea and raising over £82,000, principally for The Natalie Kate Moss Trust.

Jonathan Bloxham (99-04), conductor and cellist who has been appointed City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s assistant conductor.

Tom Heardman (07-11), Newcastle United FC forward on his loan to Hartlepool FC. Mohit Basudev (01-08) who writes: Just to let you know that on 3 September 2016, I married an amazing woman and friend, Isobel Basudev (née Howe, Headington School, Oxford). It was attended by other ONs Kate Appleby (06-08), Alexandra Wynne (06-08) (née Bickerton), Daniel Robinson (01-08) and Jonathan Brumby (01-08).

Michael White (90-00) As part of the celebrations marking 400 years since Shakespeare’s death, the Royal Shakspeare Company (RSC) has been touring A Midsummer Night’s Dream, using local amateur actors to play the parts of the mechanicals. Amateur theatre companies were invited to audition and the People’s Theatre in Heaton, along with The Castle Players from Barnard Castle, were successful for the North East performances at Northern Stage in March. Michael played the part of Flute and, after being rehearsed by RSC directors over several months, gave six performances. In June he then travelled to Stratford to give two performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST).

Fred Burdon (01-08), centre rugby player, who has signed a permanent contract with Falcons RFC. He will play alongside his old school captain and Falcons captain, Will Welch (98-08). Christine Egan-Fowler, artist and art teacher on her exhibition, Playing the Waiting Game at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead. The exhibition was described as ‘an exploration of the connections between remembering and the senses, performance and painting, live and the archived’ and was the culmination of The Artworks Fellowship – The Organisational Perspective.

Dr Celia Bone, Head of Psychology, who was awarded her Doctorate in July.

Dr Celia Bone, Head of Psychology