OS Record 2025

OS RECORD 2025

Editors: Anne Macfarlane and John Harden Photographs: Josie Sturges-Mills, Sarah Tobin, Rob Gosling (a 01), Kiran Patel, Fiona James, Anne Macfarlane, John Harden and others Front cover: courtesy of Josie Sturgess-Mills

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Having had the pleasure of meeting our energetic new Headmaster over the OSS weekend last May, I have been impressed to hear accounts of how quickly Simon Heard has introduced himself and got to know boys and their parents on the sports fields, around the school and in the Abbey in the last few months. I don’t know how often he eats in the school dining room, but it makes me smile to think of Simon becoming familiar with staff and pupils, as well as the quality of school food, as he begins to make his mark on Sherborne. (I wonder if he has read the 8th Commandment of Central Eating from the 1980s and whether it still applies; “Love thy meal as if it were edible.”)

Remembrance Day makes us pause for reflection and on this 80th anniversary, as every year, School Archivist, Rachel Hassall, recalled poignant stories of Old Shirburnians who fought and died in both World Wars, also posted on the invaluable portal, Sherborne Connect. It’s a wonderful resource

to marvel too at the achievements of so many OS and staff. This year’s highlights are as varied as OS stars from the literary world, the stage and screen, engineering, music, sport, medical science, a recent winner of the Canon Young Sports Photographer of the Year to news from past decades, such as the acquisition and transformation of the Methodist Church Hall into the Powell Theatre.

An excellent turn-out of old

boys met up for October’s Quinquagesimal Lunch, (for OS who left Sherborne over 50 years ago), held this year at the Cavalry & Guards Club in Piccadilly - the best venue for a reunion when not hosted at Sherborne (IMHO)! Younger OS may not have the same sensation of increased affection for former school friends and reminiscences, but as the decades go by these gatherings can be even more rewarding.

Looking ahead, I sense that Sherborne has a more positive outlook and confidence for the future.

VIVAT SHIRBURNIA!

JEFFREY CAREY (b 71)

FROM THE HEAD MASTER

SIMON HEARD Headmaster

CHANGE .

Some of us relish the prospect, or at least the opportunities which come with change. Others are more fearful, wondering and worrying about what might lie ahead. Regardless of our outlook, change is an inevitable part of life in our sector at the moment. My outlook for Sherborne is to embrace the opportunities which arise, understand them, adapt them to our benefit, use them to remain at the cutting edge of education in the UK. Change, for Sherborne, is positive, exciting and essential for the safeguarding of the School into the rest of the century.

I suspect the next 12 months will, for the sector as a whole, be a bruising period. It is predicted that a significant number of smaller prep schools and senior schools will close on the back of falling pupil rolls, brought about by a declining birth-rate/smaller national year groups, the impact of VAT on fees for parents and other financial changes for employers combining to make a surplus in many schools a challenging concept. Numbers remain challenging and, over the years, they can rise and fall like the tide, in line with challenges encountered and external influences.

The last 12 months have certainly been challenging, with a change of leadership (I am the third of three Heads since October 2024) and a Group merger to navigate, in addition to the financial challenges already mentioned. My aim is to bring stability and calm, to enable the School to flourish and work in increasingly close collaboration with Sherborne Girls. In this context, Sherborne has an opportunity to thrive, to bring together the quality of its teaching staff, the brilliance of the boys and the support of the wider parental and alumni body into an exciting new strategy for the coming decade.

The benefits of this collaboration continue to increase. Our path lies in the “separate yet together” context and in a closer relationship with the other schools in the Group. Already we have seen back-office mergers across Estates, HR, Finance and most recently Admissions and Marketing to enable us to work more efficiently. The next phase will consider the whole Group structure and how we provide an outstanding holistic education and value for money for our parents. It will look at the Sixth Form and how we might best prepare our boys and girls for the future, and it will look at where we can bring real value to not only our own pupils, but also those across the sector, both locally, nationally and internationally. This will be defined in the following five strategic pillars, recently endorsed by the Governors:

CHARACTER & WELLBEING , focusing on developing the whole character of our boys and giving them the skills they need to survive and thrive in the world after Sherborne.

ACADEMICS & FUTURES , focusing on a broad and enriching educational offering both inside and outside the classroom, preparing them for work and life beyond school.

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP , focusing on AI, business start-up skills, research and innovation across and outside the curriculum.

COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIP , focusing on building our partnerships locally, regionally and across the world with our international family of schools.

SUSTAINABILITY & HUMANITY , focusing on preparing our pupils to understand their place in the world, and that they have a responsibility to the planet and to their fellow human beings.

Two main areas will see a specific and explicit focus, Character Education and Innovation. Everyone I speak to acknowledges that Sherborne boys and men they meet all over the world are universally decent human beings with a good sense of humour, a strong work ethic, great interpersonal skills, and the ability to adapt to change – I intend for this to continue. We are also working up a really exciting concept around innovation, neurodiversity, business and AI. More on this to follow in due course.

On a more operational level, this year has seen the usual fantastic range of achievements and performances across the full range of Sherborne’s educational offering: academic results, music, sports, activities. Six to Oxbridge, two national essay competitions won, a recent

outstanding Les Misérables performance, house plays, a great season and wins for the 1st XV against some of the strongest Rugby schools in the country, many other sporting successes and participation (330 fixtures across all sports this latest term), multiple musical concerts and recitals, first place in the Pringle Trophy. The list is long and distinguished, and I have been very fortunate to have been able to attend so much of it to support the boys in their endeavours, including their triumphs and occasional disasters.

We’ve gone back to basics on dress and appearance, punctuality and attitude, just to ensure we are learning the skills needed for the real world and the boys have responded well. The usual host of social events on a Saturday evening has been fun and well-received.I recently

attended the OSS Carol Service and the Foundation Trustees in London and was very humbled to see and hear so much support from you all for your School. We are very grateful. My thanks go to John Harden, Anne Macfarlane and Richard Hunt for their organisation and commitment to the OS Society and Foundation respectively. We have some very exciting years ahead, and I will be able to update you about them in due course, perhaps at OS Day later in the year.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

IT’S FAIR to say that these are testing times for any organisation. The economic outlook is unsettled, political leadership feels uncertain, and the amount of new legislation to navigate seems to grow by the month. Sherborne hasn’t been shielded from any of this. On top of that, the School has taken on the huge task of bringing four schools together and making them work as one — a challenge from an administrative, logistical, teaching, and financial point of view. It’s been no small job. And yet, remarkably, the School has come through it not only intact, but stronger, more united, and more rounded than before. Its commitment to high standards and to producing great young men has not shifted an inch.

At the heart of Sherborne is a way of doing things that has stood the test of time. Boys arrive and are absorbed into an environment that is both demanding and incredibly formative. It’s a formula that hasn’t been thrown out and rebuilt every few years — instead, it’s been carefully updated and refined so that what has always made Sherborne special still sits alongside what boys need to thrive in the modern world. The result is simple: the School sends out young men who are not only capable and ambitious, but decent, likeable human beings with an enormous amount to offer.

One of the most distinctive things about being a Shirburnian is that the experience doesn’t end when you leave. The sense of camaraderie stays with you. The friendships last. And the support network — whether you need advice, a sounding board, a helping hand, or simply a familiar face — is there if you want it. For some, this means bursary support for their children; for others, it’s a mentor, a work opportunity, or an introduction that makes a difference. Many of us have made lifelong friends, and a few have even found lifelong partners, through the Sherborne community.

This is where the OSS comes into its own. Our role is to help keep these connections alive and useful. Whether it’s a house reunion, a year gathering, tapping into the network for professional advice, or asking the office for help arranging something of your own, the support is there. John and his team in the OS office put in a huge amount of work behind the scenes, and I encourage you to make the most of what they offer. Staying involved doesn’t just benefit you — it strengthens the entire Sherborne family.

SECRETARY’S LETTER

The quote opposite is from the 2025 School House Awards. Its relevance is not in emphasising the fact that Sherborne Boys made it to the final in the Alumni Relations category but in the theme of loyalty that you all have generated and made it possible to pave the way for current and future cohorts of Sherborne boys. Whilst Sherborne is undergoing the challenges and changes so comprehensively covered in our Headmaster’s message on page 3, the stability and calm to which Simon alludes remains very much in evidence.

2025 has been a delightfully busy year in the OSS firmament with over 30 events in a programme that has always been designed to provide enough variety so that there should be something to attract OS of all ages and tastes.

I always look forward to our February round of visits to universities. In 2025, Anne and I visited Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Bath, Exeter and Bristol as well as holding an event for all young OS in London. 2026 will see almost all the gaps filled in with visits to Edinburgh, Newcastle, Durham, Cambridge, Southampton, Cardiff, Oxford, Reading and Plymouth. These visits provide the perfect opportunity to draw young OS back together again. To experience their loyalty to each other and to the School is indeed heartwarming.

No less enjoyable but at the other end of the age spectrum was the biennial Quinquagesimal (always known as ‘Q’) London lunch. Q was founded by Sam Smart (a 45) back in 1996 with a view to bringing Shirburnians who had left the School over 50 years ago back together. Under an energetic Committee led by Michael Joseph (a 63), Q continues to thrive some thirty years later and, although the ‘originals’ have nearly all passed on, new members are joining each year to ensure that both Sherborne events and London lunches in alternate years remain vibrant.

Those unfortunate enough to know me well will know that, by highlighting events at opposite

ends of the age spectrum, I am back on a favourite hobby-horse of mine in emphasising the point that the Old Shirburnian Society is here for its members throughout their lives. I hope that it is just not wishful thinking that those attending our ever-cheerful round of university visits in 2025 may be seen at a Q London lunch around 2075!

Sherborne Connect continues to be a lynchpin of our operation. The mentoring arm is proving extremely successful especially as current sixthformers can now access the platform and take advantage of the help on offer. More and more OS are using the Events board and for those who just enjoy a browse, we have built up a comprehensive gallery of photographs. If you are not already a member of Sherborne Connect please join by signing up via www.sherborne connect.org.

‘It says so much about schools like our finalists that they engender lifelong loyalty among former students – and, as a result, priceless support for current ones.’

The OSS Charitable Trust provides bursaries for sons and grandsons of OS and thanks to the careful stewardship of consecutive Honorary Treasurers, we have been able to provide record amounts of bursary support.

I have always been fascinated watching television interviews with the great Irish racehorse trainer, Aidan O’Brien. Aidan invariably deflects credit for his continuing success away from himself and onto his staff. Without any hesitation or repetition, he is able to reel off the names of absolutely every individual associated with the relevant victory. I am most certainly not in Mr O’Brien’s class but am just as aware that none of our operations could flourish without the help of a vast array of helpers. OS and Parents give up valuable time to help with our mentoring programme. They provide venues, give talks, write articles, serve on committees and come up with innovative ideas of how we can improve our service. Events in Sherborne would not flourish without the input of Lucy Mackenzie, Abi Guiton, Suki Gauvin and the whole events team. Alex Eadon and all involved with Sherborne music ensure the quality of our chapel services and the Swing Band’s ever popular appearance on OS Day. Chris Pepin and all the Catering Department ensure that we are regally fed. Tony Hurman and all at Custos ensure that all our guests remain safely looked after. Within Abbot’s Acre itself, we receive vital support from Joanna Jackson and her Admissions team, Zoe Tucker and Harriet Mackay from Marketing and Richard Hunt and Tracey Richardson from the Foundation. The Governors, Headmaster and Senior Management continue to support our operations wholeheartedly. Marie Taylor, who has done so much to help with keeping our database in good order sadly left us at the end of the year. We owe you all a huge vote of thanks.

It only remains for Anne and I to wish you all a very happy 2026.

JOHN HARDEN

NEWS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

ONE

of the things that Sherborne has been good at over the last 1,300 or so years since a School was founded in this part of Dorset is change. The path has not been linear and challenges and disruptions have been myriad.

Our longevity though is fundamentally down to our ability to adapt to what current parents want and by ensuring that our broad education is valuable. A reducing birth rate, VAT and business costs all come together to mean that change is very much with us now.

As we navigate the next stage for the School and the wider group, our overall aim will be to equip the boys and girls with the skills and mindsets that set them out in the world of work. Developing young people with the character to support others and to continuously want to learn and develop.

Sherborne creates space for that breadth. Yes, a strong academic education is key, but it isn’t everything. Learning how to work as a team whether in an orchestra, in sport or on the stage are hugely valuable life skills. Learning how to motivate yourself when things don’t always go your way or to celebrate the wins of others all form part of creating Shirburnians who others want to employ and be employed by.

The world of work as you know it is changing fast. Our boys and girls will go onto have careers which are likely to be unrecognisable to their parents’ generation. Our job in the School is to make sure we prepare them for that challenge.

You too are part of the School’s journey and have a role to play in helping us prepare our pupils for life beyond the Courts whether that be career advice, internships or any of the many other ways that we build our community.

Within the OSS, we need to ensure we keep pace with the changes in that working world so that we continue to provide you with value. Reunions are central and I really enjoy meeting so many of you whether at The Clarence or the professional gatherings across London and, of course, at OS Day. Please tell us if you think we should be doing things differently and if there are other ways we can support the OS community.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR ENTHUSIASM TO HELP ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO MEET THE CHALLENGES HEAD ON.

RICHARD HUNT Group Development Director

SHERBORNE IN THE COMMUNITY

Sherborne in the Community (SITC) continues to support a diverse range of charities working with young people in London. This year, we received ten applications for grant funding, all of which were carefully considered by the trustees.

Given the uncertain economic environment and the need for prudence in managing our resources, we had to make some difficult decisions about which charities to support this year. After careful consideration, we agreed to make grants to: LEAP, Sal’s Shoes, Hackney Quest, Grief Encounter, Literacy Pirates, Welcare and The Garden Classroom. The last of these, which focuses on providing access to nature for inner-city children, was a new grant recipient this year.

The charities supported by our grants provide a wide range of valuable services spanning conflict resolution, providing shoes for disadvantaged children, literacy skills, grief counselling and holiday clubs. In addition, we provide space for Depaul International to carry out its work with homeless young people in London. We have built a close and fruitful relationship with Depaul over many years.

Many of the charities we support are seeing increased demand for their services due to factors including the cost of living, mental health issues and domestic abuse. Regulation is also becoming more challenging for many charities. Our support is therefore greatly valued and helps them to deliver vital support to vulnerable young people.

We anticipate a further increase in interest in applications for grants from SITC next year. The trustees are therefore looking at opportunities to increase our revenue and raise awareness of the work we do. If you would like to find out more about how you can support this work, including by making a regular or one-off donation and/or please contact us using the contact form on our website: http://www.sherborneinthecommunity.c o.uk/contact-us.html

During this year, Rupert Reed (h 88) and Graham Shaw (a 98) stepped down as trustees. We are very grateful for their input over many years of service. They have both been enthusiastic and resourceful supporters of SITC’s work. In particular, Rupert’s expertise has been invaluable in legal matters and Graham has developed our online and social media presence.

We hope to build on their work and would welcome expressions of interest from anyone who would like to find out more about supporting SITC and/or becoming a trustee.

JAMES NURTON (m 92) and ANGUS CATER (c 70)

CAREERS AND PATHWAYS: SUPPORTING EVERY BOY’S INDIVIDUAL JOURNEY

AT SHERBORNE BOYS, THE MISSION OF OUR CAREERS AND PATHWAYS DEPARTMENT IS SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND: WE STRIVE TO HELP EVERY PUPIL FIND THE MOST INSPIRING INDIVIDUAL PATHWAY TOWARDS A LIFE OF PURPOSE AND POSITIVITY.

This isn’t just focused on Sixth Form boys, and it isn’t a one-sizefits-all approach. We’re interested in the thoughts, feelings, and even the crazy ideas of every boy in the School - from the moment they show interest in joining us. That’s a significant shift from the past, when careers thinking might have begun only in the Sixth Form.

Through our Business Breakfasts and conversations with Old Shirburnians, parents, and local partners, we’ve learned something vital: career paths are squiggly lines, not straight ones. Our boys probably won’t be "one thing" throughout their lives, and that’s perfectly fine. What matters is helping them lean into what genuinely interests them.

The pathways our boys take are wonderfully diverse. Many still choose UK universities - and thrive there. Others study overseas, pursue apprenticeships or degree apprenticeships, or take gap years. Increasingly, some boys are thinking seriously about launching businesses or joining

startups straight from school. We take every pathway seriously because, for the right boy, each could be an excellent choice.

We’re increasingly concerned about the fear-mongering around AI and careers - the narrative that "there will be no jobs" or that everyone must funnel into STEM subjects. This simply isn’t true or helpful. If a boy loves English literature and language, that passion could lead to a diverse, fulfilling, and successful life.

Our job is to help boys figure out what they like, what they’re good at, and who they want to be. We provide current information about infinite possibilities while helping them develop the self-awareness and confidence to pursue their own authentic path.

The OS can support this work enormously - through mentoring, career talks, and sharing your own squiggly career stories with current boys. If you would like to help or gain some more information, please contact careers@sherborne.org

MUSIC

Music at Sherborne is a truly wonderful thing. Sounds emanate from the Music School fairly constantly through the day and late into the evenings too, as well as organ music permeating the Courts from one of the boys’ practice sessions. Every major School event is punctuated with music which approaches, or exceeds, the sorts of standards one might expect from seasoned professionals. The breadth of the offering at Sherborne Boys is also exceptional – whether hearing the Choir in an Abbey service, the Joint Schools’ Orchestra at our forthcoming concert at London’s Cadogan Hall, the bands at CourtsFest or the Swing Band in a packed-out Friday Lunchtime Concert in Cheap Street Church. Boys are able to lean on an incredibly supportive and positively encouraging set of Music staff to consistently give of their best. I truly believe that the environment that is set up for them is second to none –with accompanists always available and the right spaces for rigorous practice to take place.

ALEX BOYD-WILLIAMS Deputy Head (Sixth Form)

My own school Music experiences in the late 1990s were so different –and it is heartening to see how, in such a relatively short space of time, the perception of Music among boys has changed. It is a pursuit actively valued by the boys’ peers and is given a real pride of place among all the incredible activities and opportunities on offer in our corner of Dorset. One only has to come to a service in the Abbey to hear the hymn-singing of the whole School to appreciate how we value our community spirit through its communal music-making. Perhaps even more so than sport, it is therefore the ultimate leveller –everyone has to participate, whether actively or passively. Akin to sport, one can pursue Music as a skills-

based activity and seek to get better – and boys can join ensembles to enjoy their careful preparation alongside others. Or one can simply enjoy listening and derive a lifetime of pleasure from this simple pursuit.

In spite of these conditions, there are relatively few Old Shirburnians out in the Music profession – and this is something that, over the coming years, would be great to change. Boys here regularly take their golden opportunity to hone their craft, explore all sorts of repertoire – and even make the occasional mistake, and so it should follow that we should be proudly watching on at things like each years’ BBC Proms and seeing our old boys on the world’s most prized

stages fully in the knowledge that their time here in Sherborne is what has made the difference.

Of course, not every brilliant schoolaged musician desires to join that profession. In a world where university Music Departments are seemingly always ear-marked for closure, and jobs in the musical spheres are increasingly less-well funded, it continues to be a fascination that music as a commodity is still so highly prized. If one could imagine a blockbuster movie or TV drama without music or even a thirty-second commercial without a jingle, life would be a significantly blander place.

Furthermore, the skills that boys gain from the discipline of Music can be transferred into so many other areas of life. As AI gradually takes over many jobs, those creative skills and ability to concentratedly focus, derived from music-making, are going to be what makes a difference in the world of work. Music is not just for School – or even for performing or composing – but can influence a boy’s approach to other activities in all sorts of ways. Unlocking boys’ ability to see this is really the ultimate prize for Sherborne’s Music School – and one which will increasingly become crucial in the coming years.

ALEXANDER EADON Director of Music

AS I REFLECT ON MY FIRST TERM HERE AT SHERBORNE BOYS, I HAVE BEEN DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE RICH HISTORY AND PROUD TRADITIONS THAT DEFINE SHERBORNE, AND A SPORTS PROGRAMME THAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE EXCELLENCE BOTH ON AND

OFF THE FIELD. SPORT HAS ALWAYS PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE CHARACTER AND SPIRIT OF A SCHOOL. THIS LEGACY SHINES THROUGH THE ENTHUSIASM AND COMMITMENT OF OUR BOYS, STAFF, PARENTS AND OLD SHIRBURNIANS ALIKE.

My first experience of Sherborne Sport was back in June, and it was immediately clear that there truly is something for everyone. The Trinity term included a wide range of opportunities, from team sports such as cricket and tennis to sailing competitions. Now, through the Michaelmas term, I have witnessed firsthand the remarkable depth and breadth of Sherborne’s sports programme.

In both instances, I have been struck by the dedication shown not only to performance and competition, but also to the holistic development of every pupil. This comes in many forms: additional Friday evening team runs; our vast cocurricular offering; our High Performance Programme and Pathway Performance

Programmes, and our team and individual sports. It is my belief that children have a fantastic opportunity here at Sherborne to find a lifelong passion for sport.

Developing character is incredibly important to us. Sport teaches boys to reflect, adapt and grow in adversity and success. It develops resilience, humility, and most of all, it provides opportunities for teamwork and leadership. I am sure you will all reflect on the positive contributions that Sherborne School Sport played in shaping you as the person you are today, and it is in those instances that we strive to make the biggest impact.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to David Guy, whose leadership and contribution as Director of Sport have left a lasting mark on the School’s sporting life. His commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a spirit of sportsmanship has set a standard I am proud to inherit.

As I look ahead, I am particularly excited about engaging more closely with the Old Shirburnian community. Your continued support and passion for Sherborne sport are invaluable, and I look forward to meeting many of you at future fixtures, reunions, and events. Together, we can celebrate the achievements of past and present Shirburnians, ensuring the next generation continues to thrive.

TOM TAYLOR Director of Sport

OSS CHARITABLE TRUST

THANKS TO THE KINDNESS OF THOSE WHO’VE REMEMBERED THE TRUST IN THEIR WILLS, GENERATIONS OF SHIRBURNIANS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FAMILIES’ FOOTSTEPS. THESE LEGACIES HAVE MADE A REAL AND LASTING DIFFERENCE.

If you’re thinking of leaving something to the Trust, the OSS Committee suggests using the following wording: “I give free of all tax and duty to the Old Shirburnian Society Charitable Trust 1975 (Charity No. 271592) the sum of £…................ (pounds) and declare that a receipt from the Treasurer or other proper officer of the said charitable body for such gift shall be a sufficient discharge to my Trustees who shall not be bound to see the application thereof.“

DID YOU KNOW THE OSS CHARITABLE TRUST OFFERS MEANS-TESTED BURSARIES FOR THE SONS OF OLD SHIRBURNIANS?

Providing your son(s) meet the School’s entrance criteria, the OSS may be able to help. To find out more, or to have a confidential chat, get in touch with the OSS Treasurer, MARTIN HUMPHREY at martin.humphrey@sherborne.org

TREKKING IN THE PAKARAIMA MOUNTAINS, GUYANA, MAY 2025

ANDREW READ ( g 87)

Have you ever dreamed of fighting your way through the jungle?

I did, and two years ago participated in a jungle survival course in Guyana. This year I went back to the jungle to take it to the next level: a nine day “jungle patrol” with rough camping and no resupply. The Wild Tales (formerly Bushmasters) was originally setup by Ian Craddock, an ex-British special forces

soldier. After his passing, his team Anders Andersen, a Danish adventurer, and Lionel James, a local guide who has known the jungle since childhood, took over the operation.

Last time I had been with Tony, a British ex-solder and Zoltan, a resourceful Hungarian, but this time I was the only participant. We flew from Georgetown to Letham (1 hour, landing on a dirt runway). From Lethem to Surama in a Landcruiser (3 hours on a dirt road), and

from Surama into the jungle 3 hours in a narrow aluminium boat.

We camped by the river on the first and last nights, in between climbing into the Pakaraima mountains and camping at creeks each night. Anders runs a disciplined operation and insists on correct procedure. Deaths in the jungle are not caused by animals, but by mistakes. Setting up camp involves selecting two trees around 4 metres apart for a hammock under a tarpaulin

Deaths in the jungle are not caused by animals, but by mistakes. “ “

(a bivouac). First you check for loose branches (fall hazard) then for bullet ant nests. You use your machete (lightweight, flexible steel, 12-inch blade) to shave the ground to deny a home to snakes and crawling insects. At bedtime jungle boots (military issue - nothing else permitted!) are placed upside down on two cut sticks for similar reasons. Everything is repacked each morning with a total backpack weight of around 27 kg. Anders set the daily mission with a compass bearing. Lionel and his son

Paul, our other guide, cut the route and found the way. Their skill is hard to do justice to: a sense of direction that seems almost supernatural. Following close behind Paul at speed up and down through the jungle I felt an incredible sense of flow - as if I was borrowing from Paul’s own balance and confidence.

I learned that the jungle gives you back what you give to it. Bring an attitude of trying to remain in control (my first day) and the jungle will give you enough punishment to make you change your

mind. Nobody controls the jungle. It worked better like this: lift your mind to focus on meeting yourself in that person whom you want to be. Then the pain in your body just becomes a sensation and the jungle starts to treat you kindly. It’s a wonderful place to bond with others: we solved problems together and developed friendships. I’ll be going back and looking for a tougher mission next time!

JUST A GOOD THING

by George Kelly (f 11)

MONTY’S has never really been about the perfect toastie. Sure, we think we’ve got something special, but it’s always been about people: friends, farmers, festivals — and the beautiful ride of bringing an idea to life.

The roots go deep, right into the soil of the Montgomery farm in Somerset. Archie and Jamie Montgomery were potato farmers and cheese makers, brothers with grit and warmth. Archie was full of clever ideas; Jamie made magic cheese. Their family became our family — welcoming, full of heart, always dreaming.

The idea started with chips. Archie and his son John (g 11) decided to do something with the smaller potatoes that the big buyers didn’t want. John bought an old Welsh ice cream van and, with a gang of mates (including George), turned it into Chip Off the Block — a multicoloured festival food van serving triplecooked cheesy chips using their own spuds and Montgomery’s cheese. It wasn’t about building a business empire. It was about fun, friendship, and getting into a few festivals along the way.

That first summer in Wales, we didn’t know what we were doing — just six mates, trying something new. By Sunday, we’d sold out. Next came Glastonbury, just up the road from the farm. We made every mistake in the book — lost keys, unplugged fridges — but kept going. It was chaotic, exhausting, joyful. A teenage fever dream coming true before our eyes.

The van barely did 26mph, but it took us everywhere. Festivals across the UK. Mud, sun, friends, and learning. We were hooked. People waited all year for our

cheesy chips. The method was simple: two cheeses mixed through piping-hot chips until every one looked like something from a cartoon. The feedback was instant — and addictive: ten people in a row taking a bite and saying “oh my god.”

Then came the next idea: a cheese toastie to match the magic of the chips. In 2019, we pitched The Ogle Shield at Glastonbury. We built the stall from scraps on the farm — an old potato box as the base, cupboard doors as walls — and served two toasties: one with red onion chutney, one with Marmite, a nod to a farmer’s lunch. It worked. The cheese toastie was born.

Then came the pause. Festivals stopped during Covid. The van slept. George moved to Amsterdam and met Cress. She brought love, fresh eyes, and a whole new perspective from her background in hospitality. After just one event, she took

the van to Wilderness Festival solo and the next wave of Montgomery magic began.

As George and Cress grew close, so did the dream. We wanted something permanent. A place of our own. We returned from a long winter in 2024, ready to build. After countless near-misses, we found it: a tiny spot in the Jordaan, Amsterdam, with a warm soul and a story waiting to unfold. The deposit we paid matched — to the euro — what we’d made the year before at Glastonbury. That kind of fate you can’t ignore.

We built MONTY’S by hand. Ben Girkins (f 11) , George’s best friend, came out with a van full of old farm treasures. We scrubbed, painted, drilled, laughed. Cress chose the colour, George played with the design. We lived every moment. Late nights, beer-soaked paintbrushes, endless hardware runs. A dream built piece by piece.

We worked hard on the toastie. We brought in Remeker, a world-class Dutch cheese, to join our trusty Montgomery duo: mature cheddar and melty Ogleshield. Then came the bread. Without the limits of a field kitchen, we could choose the best — and we did. Fort Negen, Amsterdam’s beloved sourdough bakery, became our partner. Crunchy, chewy, beautiful bread. They’ve even shared advice along the way.

And then we opened the doors.

Really, we owe it all to our best friend John and his father Archie, the true Kings of Somerset who are very sadly no longer with us. They dreamt a dream at their kitchen table. It’s allowed us to learn about life, business, creativity and, most of all, what freedom feels like. Rory, John’s brother, now runs the Montgomery farm, and the spirit of the place hasn’t changed one bit. The family taught us how to keep an open door – it’s a way of life that lives on at MONTY’S. Always changing, never permanent. MONTY’S, The Ogle Shield, Chip Off the Block — they’re all different names for the same adventure that started ten years ago between a bunch of young friends with an old van.

A DORSET SUCCESS STORY:

HARRY FRY’S ( d 05) JOURNEY TO THE TOP OF NATIONAL HUNT RACING.

INTERVIEWED BY JOHN HARDEN , OSS SECRETARY

Harry Fry (d 05) may have held a training licence for only twelve years, but in that time he has established himself as one of the most consistently successful trainers in National Hunt racing alongside some major successes on the Flat. I travelled to his base at Higher Crockermoor in the Dorset countryside to see if I could uncover the secret behind his remarkable rise.

RACING, it turns out, was embedded in Harry’s life from the very beginning. His mother point-to-pointed and family legend has it that he could be found bouncing enthusiastically on the armrest of the sofa whenever Desert Orchid appeared on screen. Growing up with ponies only fuelled his desire for speed, and he set his sights early on becoming a jockey. Those who knew him at school will remember just how determined he was. But a six-foot-three frame, and a collection of injuries meant that the dream was never destined to last long.

Instead, the path to training began to take shape almost by accident. During his gap year, Harry worked for the renowned point-to-point trainer Richard Barber at Seaborough, where he had already been riding out since the age of thirteen—often before school. He was due to head to Cirencester, but just before he left, Barber showed him an advert in the Racing Post:

Sir Mark Prescott was looking for a pupil assistant. Barber encouraged him to apply, insisting it would be far more valuable than three more years of academia. Harry didn’t get the job in Newmarket, but fate intervened. Paul Nicholls was seeking a Pupil Assistant and offered him the position. Four days into Cirencester, Harry realised that university life was not for him—and so he set off for Ditcheat instead.

Those four years under Nicholls proved formative. It was, by anyone’s standards, a golden era at Ditcheat. Harry found himself surrounded by the likes of Kauto Star, Denman, Master Minded, Neptune Collonges and Big Buck’s—horses that defined a generation. Being part of that operation gave him an unparalleled education in the management and placement of top-class horses. After four seasons in Somerset, Harry felt ready for greater responsibility. Barber, still training

point-to-pointers at Seaborough alongside running a satellite yard for Nicholls, invited him to take over the day-to-day operation in 2010 including the training of the highly promising Rock On Ruby. It was a pivotal moment—professionally and personally.

For it was at Seaborough that Harry met his future wife, Ciara. She had been running a yard for a permit holder in Ireland and decided to spend a year in England to experience life in a large professional operation. She applied to Nicholls among others, and although he had no position available, he steered her towards Seaborough. Harry jokes that he sometimes wonders whether the fourlegged Rock On Ruby was more of an attraction than his own charm and charisma, but as Ciara arrived for a single year in 2010 and is still by his side in 2025, the evidence points firmly in his favour.

The pair worked together closely during the build-up to Rock On Ruby’s Champion Hurdle success in 2012. Although the victory officially appeared in Nicholls’ name, the champion trainer made a point of acknowledging Harry and Ciara’s central role in preparing the horse. Shortly afterwards, with Barber’s encouragement, Harry took out a licence in his own right.

Since then, the yard has produced seven Grade 1 winners and maintained an enviably high strike rate. Harry is quick to credit the horses who have flown the flag for the stable. Unowhatimeanharry, in particular, achieved the rare feat of winning Grade 1 contests at Cheltenham and Punchestown. Ifthecapfits, Love Envoi and Bitofapuzzle all added their names to the honour roll with festival successes. On the Flat, Metier has been a revelation, not only winning a Grade 1 over hurdles but also capturing two of

the great staying handicaps—the November Handicap and the Chester Cup. The latter, Harry recalls, was a tremendous day and the result of a superb ride from Saffie Osborne.

Syndicates have also become an important part of the yard’s success and philosophy. Noel Fehily’s well-run syndicates supplied Love Envoi, but Harry and Ciara run their own partnerships too, bringing together individuals, families and groups of friends who want a share in the ownership experience. For Harry, it is about much more than raceday: it is about visiting the yard, meeting the team, and feeling part of the journey.

That sense of belonging is deeply embedded in the yard’s current home at Higher Crockermoor. Formerly a dairy farm, the property was transformed in 2020 into a fully integrated training centre. Its design is both practical and

horse-centred, with well-ventilated barns arranged so the horses can see each other and observe the daily activity around them. It is clear, walking through the set-up, that contented horses are the bedrock of Harry’s approach. Owners, meanwhile, are welcomed warmly and made to feel fully included in the life of the yard.

My visit ended with a tour of the facilities, guided by Harry with the enthusiasm of a man who has built something he is deeply proud of. It is easy to believe that the relaxed atmosphere of Higher Crockermoor contributes as much to the yard’s success as the meticulous training that takes place there.

A huge thank you to Harry, Ciara, their daughters and all the staff for a wonderful afternoon We send every good wish for another successful season ahead.

I’VE GOT UKRAINIAN BLOOD... 14 LITRES OF IT IN FACT!

By Kind Permission of Lord Ashcroft Originally published in the Daily Express

BRITISH AID WORKER EDDY SCOTT ( c 15) ON LOSING TWO LIMBS IN A DEVASTATING RUSSIAN DRONE STRIKE AND WHY HE’S STAYING PUT IN HIS ADOPTED COUNTRY DESPITE THOSE LIFE-CHANGING INJURIES.

DESPITE having no family links to Ukraine, Eddy Scott speaks with pride about his Ukrainian blood – all 14 litres of it to be precise. That is how much he required from anonymous donors when the van that he was driving was targeted by a Russian drone at the frontline of Ukraine’s war with Russia.

When he came around from life-saving surgery, his best friend was at his hospital bedside, informing him he had lost his left leg and left arm at the age of just 28. He had not, however, lost his dry British sense of humour. Still sleepy from the anaesthetic, he replied, “I guess I am all right then,” and even forced a smile. That willingness to see the bright side of everything has resulted in Eddy, 29, transforming a near-death experience eight months ago into a resounding positive.

To describe him as “selfless” does not begin to do justice to his aid work in Ukraine for the past three years and, if his plans come to fruition, for long into the future Eddy, from Shaftesbury, Dorset, began to follow the events in Ukraine in the months before and after the all-out invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24 2022. “I was shocked but not surprised by the invasion and my first thought was, ‘I want to help in some way’,” he recalls today. Although he briefly considered trying to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he had no military experience so switched his thoughts to becoming a humanitarian aid worker. “So, I made the decision to go,” says Eddy, who up to that point, as a keen sailor, had been working on superyachts after leaving Sherborne School aged 18. He used his savings to buy a second-hand Toyota 4x4 pick-up truck for £4,500 and headed off in a five-vehicle aid convoy for Ukraine in October 2022. The drive to Lviv in western Ukraine took three days and Eddy and others then drove on to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and, eventually, on to Mykolaiv, a city in south-eastern Ukraine.

For most of the next three years, he was an aid worker, delivering medical supplies, food, winter uniforms and other goods to civilians and the military. In 2022, there were relatively few Russian drones in the skies on the frontline but by early this year the skies were full of enemy drones, on top of the dangers posed by missiles, artillery and mortar fire. “I never really felt scared because I was mainly working with soldiers, people who knew what they were doing,” he says. Much of his time was spent sharing a five bedroom building in Kramatorsk with other aid workers. It was known affectionately as the “crack house”: this had nothing to do with drug-taking but everything to do with the huge cracks in the walls caused by enemy missiles.

On January 30 this year, Eddy was driving a vehicle, a former security van, in and around Pokrovsk, then and now the scene of some of the fiercest fighting of the war. He was helping to evacuate civilians from the city. It was around 1.30pm when Eddy, wearing a helmet and full body-armour, heard a FPV (First Person View) drone overhead and so he drove quickly on.

At the time, he had his colleague, who was a team leader for the aid charity BASE UA, with him in the front passenger seat and two

evacuees, a married couple, in the back seat. Their white van was clearly marked “volunteers” and “evacuations” in Ukrainian. “Suddenly, the vehicle was rocked by this huge explosion,” recalls Eddy, who is tall, slim, fairhaired and bearded. “It felt like someone had punched me on the back of my left shoulder. Straight away I knew I had been hit. “For a second, I was moving my shoulder to try to steer the van but I could see my arm on the steering wheel was not moving. The charge had basically taken my arm clean off and it was only being held in place by my hoodie.

I thought to myself, ‘Don’t look at the arm’, so I looked at my leg and it resembled a punched lasagna. The blast has destroyed my leg. I started screaming and got a tourniquet out but I was not in a state to do anything. My team leader came around my side of the vehicle, opened the door and got two tourniquets on me, one on my arm and one on my leg. This stopped the bleeding and saved my life.” In fact, the team leader and the couple had also been injured by shrapnel but fortunately not seriously. Eddy was transferred to a military pick-up vehicle and then, some eight minutes later, he was transferred to an ambulance that took him to the nearest hospital in Dobropillia. “I was in absolute agony in the

ambulance – pain of 11 out of ten – as it was bouncing all over the place on the bumpy road. Every second seemed like an hour. I was thinking, ‘Why are we taking so long?’ In the ambulance, I started to drift to sleep and I thought that if I died then I would be content. I had not wasted my life and I had done something rewarding with it [in Ukraine]. The medic was slapping me to keep me awake. The last thing I remember was being wheeled into theatre on a stretcher. In fact, I went into surgery 56 minutes after arriving at the hospital and, again this stopped me from bleeding out.

Because I was given 14 litres of Ukrainian blood, I consider myself partly Ukrainian now.

Unfortunately, it has not given me a love of buckwheat [a staple local diet] or language skills,” he smiles wryly.

Shortly after his surgery, he was transferred to a hospital in Dnipro, where he stayed for four days. Next, he went to a hospital in Kyiv, where he received specialist care thanks to the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, headed by Meaghan Mobbs, the daughter of

General Keith Kellogg, a key adviser to President Trump on Ukraine.

Eddy preferred to stay in Ukraine rather than return to Britain and was touched that his father, Martin, a semi-retired business consultant, came to be at his bedside and understood for the first time why the second of his four children had risked his life for a country he had never visited before. Eddy says his entire family has been hugely supportive. After leaving hospital after more than six weeks of care, his rehabilitation was taken over by another charity, Superhumans, which

specialises in war trauma. He has a new prosthetic left leg and will receive a prosthetic left arm at some point. “I consider myself to be incredibly lucky,” he insists. “I am righthanded and I have no other injuries other than losing two limbs. I haven’t had a bad day yet, a few bad hours, yes, but I have been surrounded by positive people.”

Last month, Eddy officially began a new role as senior media manager with Superhumans. He will not carry out more frontline work because he does not want others to feel responsible for him. “One of the reasons I am okay with my injuries is that I knew I could get badly hurt in my frontline aid role. To be honest, I thought I would end up dead rather than a double amputee. I was well aware of the dangers.”

Before he lost two limbs, Eddy dreamed of running a sailing school in Crimea, the region of Ukraine that was illegally annexed by Russia 11 years ago. For now, that seems unrealistic given Russia’s hold on Crimea and his own injuries. Instead, he hopes one day to get to coach a Ukrainian para-sailing team capable of competing at the Paralympic Games.

Eddy is certain that his future lies in his adopted homeland. He says: “Ukraine is now my home and I love the people here. Most of my friends are here. If I go back to the UK, I will be surrounded by a lot of people who don’t understand the war.

“As a double amputee, people will understand in Ukraine what has happened to me.” An estimated 100,000 people in Ukraine, military and civilians, have lost between one and four limbs during the war.

“What I have got out of Ukraine is so much more than I have lost. I have a Ukrainian goddaughter who is nearly one and a half, a rescued dog called Icy and I am settled here,” he adds. “In the long term, I would love to find a Ukrainian wife, buy a plot of land and build an accessible house with a garden. I have so much to look forward to.”

Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC is an international businessman, philanthropist, author and pollster. Visit lordashcroft.com. Follow him on X/Facebook @LordAshcroft

Eddy’s recovery and rehab have been supported by three charities. Donate to baseua.org, weathermanfoundation.org and superhumans.com

Eddy’s family are currently fundraising to buy him an automatic car https://www.gofundme.com/f/h7aewveddys-recovery

REDEDICATION CEREMONY AT THE GRAVE OF CAPTAIN BLENCOWE (1881-1916)

In early June we reported that 109 years after his death on the Bluff in the Ypres Salient, the final resting place of Old Shirburnian Captain Ernest Blencowe (The Green 1896-98) of the Dorsetshire Regiment has been identified and that a rededication service would be taking place at his grave on Wednesday 11 June.

After reading the article an intrepid Shirburnian – Oliver Cope (a 25)and his father, Christopher, who were planning a post A Level trip to North France and Belgium decided to attend the rededication ceremony at Bedford House Cemetery.

The service was conducted by the Rev. John Storey, Chaplain to the 5th Battalion, The Rifles, who some of you may remember taught Classics at Sherborne from 2001 to 2012 and was tutor at School House, Abbeylands and The Green, as well as being involved with the CCF and Careers Dept.

Photographs of the ceremony, generously shared with us by Oliver’s father and by Callum Murray of Battlefield History, can be viewed at https://oldshirburnian.org.uk/schoolarchives-news/rededicationceremony-at-the-grave-of-captainblencowe-1881-1916/

ROLLO SKINNER (m 08) CREATES STUNNING BALLOON INSTALLATION FOR BRITISH FLOWERS WEEK

Earlier this year, Rollo Skinner (m 08) unveiled a striking and imaginative installation at the Garden Museum in London, as part of British Flowers Week. The centrepiece of the work was a painted hot-air balloon, adorned with illustrations of 19 native flowers from the woodlands of Dorset and Wiltshire—a celebration of both regional biodiversity and the craft of botanical art.

The installation was not only visually captivating but also deeply rooted in the local environment, with all flowers used grown and cut from nearby areas. This thoughtful integration of natural elements and artistic vision created a powerful, immersive experience for visitors.

The project received a particularly special recognition during the Royal Opening on 4 June, when Her Majesty the Queen visited the museum and expressed her admiration for the balloon and the wider installation. Her response was one of genuine delight, offering a memorable highlight to an already remarkable event.

This achievement marks a significant moment in Rollo’s creative career, blending fine art, environmental consciousness, and public engagement in an unforgettable way.

EVENTS & REUNION

A YEAR OF CONNECTION & CELEBRATION

What a year it has been for the OS community! From inaugural gatherings and milestone reunions to international meet-ups, 2024–25 has seen over 950 Old Shirburnians come together to reconnect, reminisce and celebrate the enduring Sherborne spirit.

The year began in January with the inaugural City Lunch at The Mercers Hall — a superb new addition to the calendar that brought together OS from across London’s professional and financial circles. The event was a great success, setting the tone for a year of reconnection, collaboration, and celebration.

February was a month full of regional energy, with university lunches and drinks taking place from Manchester and Leeds to Nottingham, Bristol, Exeter, Bath, and London. These lively gatherings gave university-based OS a chance to meet, share stories, and strengthen friendships. The London Young Alumni Drinks proved especially popular, highlighting the growing enthusiasm of our recent leavers.

In March, we paused to say thank you to those OS and parents who have supported the OSS by hosting or speaking at events, participated in the School’s L6th Form Careers Convention, or quietly worked behind the scenes on committees, at the Volunteers’ Lunch at Tuttons in Covent Garden.

Spring saw a welcome return to Sherborne for the Lyon House Dinner and OS Day, both filled with warmth, laughter, and fond memories of school days past. These events remain a cherished highlight of the year and a reminder of the bonds that unite generations of Shirburnians.

June brought reunion season to life, with The Clarence on Dover Street hosting the 10-, 15-, and 20-Year Reunions for the classes of 2005, 2010, and 2015 Each evening was a joyful blend of reconnection and reflection.

July’s LGBTQ+ Summer Drinks at Patch, St Paul’s, added a vibrant and inclusive flourish to the summer calendar.

As autumn arrived, our focus turned to professional development and mentoring. September’s City & Finance Drinks at Sarasin & Partners and the Law Drinks at Hill Dickinson were held as networking and careers events, enabling younger OS and SOGs to connect with experienced alumni and parents. These evenings were invaluable opportunities for sharing insight, guidance, and inspiration across generations. Reunions for the Classes of 2000 and 2020 also reminded us how strong the Sherborne bond remains, no matter the decade.

October and November were packed with milestone celebrations — reunions marking 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 years since leaving Sherborne. The Q London Lunch at the Cavalry & Guards Club and the Media Lunch at Balthazar blended professional conversation with old-fashioned conviviality, while the City Carol Service at St Olave Hart Street brought the year to a joyful and reflective close.

Our global community also thrived, with a curry night in Hong Kong,attended by over half the OS in Hong Kong, a get-together in Kuala Lumpur and no fewer than two events in San Francisco, a walk and lunch in the summer and a dinner in November. Sherborne friendships truly span the world.

From the inaugural City Lunch to international reunions, 2024–25 has showcased the strength, warmth, and reach of the OS community. Here’s to another year of friendship, connection, and shared memories.

HONG KONG CURRY NIGHT

On 12 September 16 (over half the OS in Hong Kong) got together for a curry dinner at JoJo Indian Restaurant in Wanchai. The evening organised by Graeme Still (d 65) was a roaring success, enjoyed by all. A great chance to catch up with friends old and new.

FUTURE EVENTS

FEBRUARY

Friday 6 Joint Schools Jersey Reception The Yacht Club Hotel, St Helier

Monday 9 Edinburgh Uni Drinks All Bar One, George Street, EH2 2PA

Tuesday 10 Durham,Newcastle Uni Drinks Pitcher & Piano Bar, Quayside, NE1 3DX

Wednesday 11 Newmarket Lunch The Packhorse

Cambridge Uni Drinks Browns, 23 Trumpington Street, CB2 1QA

Thursday 12 Southampton Uni Lunch Brewhouse & Kitchen, Highfield Lane, SO17

Thursday 19 Property Lunch Mercers Hall, Ironmonger Lane, EC2V 8HE

Monday 23 Oxford & RAU Uni Drinks Cosy Club, Cornmarket St, OX1 3EY

Tuesday 24 Reading Uni Lunch The Botanist, King Street, RG1 2HB

Thursday 26 Cardiff Uni Drinks Browns, Marriott Hotel, Mill Lane, CF10 1EZ

Friday 27 Plymouth Uni Lunch The Stable, The Barbican, PL4 0EY

MARCH

Saturday 7 Pilgrims Club Supper OSR, Sherborne

Tuesday 10 Concert and Reception Cadogan Hall, Sloane Terrace, SW1X 9DQ

APRIL

Wednesday 22 45 Year Reunion (1980 & 81) The Clarence, Dover Street, W1S 4LB

MAY

Friday 8 Digby House Dinner The Upper, Sherborne

SATURDAY 9 OS DAY THE UPPER

Friday 29 10 Year Reunion (2016) The Clarence, Dover Street, W1S 4LB

JUNE

Wednesday 10 15 Year Reunion (2011) The Clarence, Dover Street, W1S 4LB

SEPTEMBER

Monday 7 Insurance Careers Drinks TBA

Tuesday 8 Media Careers Drinks Uncommon Studio, Clerkenwell Rd, EC1 M5A

Wednesday 9 Property Careers Drinks Savills, 33 St Margaret Street W1G 0JD

Wednesday 16 20 Year Reunion (2006) The Clarence, Dover Street, W1S 4LB

Saturday 19 5 Year Reunion (2021) The Lockhouse, 3 Merchant Square, W2 1JZ

Thursday 24 Q Sherborne Sherborne

OCTOBER

Tuesday 6 30 Year Reunion (1996) The Clarence, Dover Street, W1S 4LB

Wednesday 30 35 Year Reunion (1991) The Clarence, Dover Street, W1S 4LB

PUBLICATIONS

Quentin Anderson (d 81)

Tales from the Tail: A Short Story Anthology of Equine Sports

Andrew Bethell (g 66)

In Love and War: Finding the Father I Neglected to Know

Publisher: Tricorner Press

Dearest Brother: a Memoir of Suicide and Sibling Rivalry

Publisher: Tricorner Press

Stephen Boys Smith (a 64)

Two Months on the Nile: Thomas Sandwith’s

Nineteenth-Century Egyptian Journey

Publisher: I B Tauris/Bloomsbury 2025

Henri Colens (e 97) writing as Henri Wild

The Heart Of The Party

Publisher: Henri Wild/Storyhouse Works

Nick Cracknell (m 96)

The Perfect Couple

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

William Facey (f 66)

Diary of a Journey through Inner Arabia, 1883–1884,

Publisher: Arabian Publishing

Jerry Haigh (d 59)

In Velvet: Elk, Wapiti, And Deer Stories

Publisher: NYC Book Publishers

David Keable-Elliott (g 72)

The Doctrine of the British Army, the Conception and Implementation of Field Service Regulations 1900 - 1918

Publisher: Helion Publishing

David Nicholls (g 05) writing as David Orson Newton

Seconds to Midnight

Publisher: Chiselbury

Nicholas T Parsons (d 64)

The Shortest History of Austria

Publisher: Old Street Publishing

Adam Preston (d 84)

Tosser

Publisher: Vulpine

Richard Trahair (g 70)

Where is Francis? (for OS of a certain vintage)

Publisher: The Book Guild

OS MERCHANDISE

These items may be purchased from:

THE OLD SHIRBURNIAN OFFICE

SHERBORNE SCHOOL

SHERBORNE

DORSET DT9 3AP

01935 810558

oss@sherborne.org

Prices exclude P and P

CUFFLINKS (town and country colours)

OS SOCKS (town and country colours)

OS TIE (town and country colours)

OS BOW TIES (town and country colours)

PILGRIMS TIE

SEAGLIMPSE LUXURY SEASIDE APARTMENT

Beautiful ground floor apartment, looking down to the sea. Perfect for a couple’s coastal getaway, just steps from Swanage Bay’s gently sloping white sand beach on the Jurassic Coast.

Dog permitted Beach - 100 yards

Easy walk into town Garden and parking

£35

£10

£22

£18

£22

PRINTS OF THE SCHOOL AND COURTS

WILLIAM ANSTICE BROWN (g 47, Staff 53-67)

Port of Sherborne – Print: £10

FRANCIS PHILIP BARRAUD (1824-1901)

Small Print (watercolour) of the Courts: £10 • Large Print: £15

JOHN WESTERN

Print (pen and ink) of the Courts (signed): £10

JOCELYN GALSWORTHY

The Upper - Sherborne v Winchester (Signed limited edition print): £50

School merchandise including House belts, Sherborne Penny cufflinks, Sherborne School umbrellas and other souvenirs can be purchased from the School shop or online: sherborneschoolshop.com/collections/souvenirs

ADVENTUROUS APPETITES LTD

Jock Fraser (c 94) runs a tourist service in Madrid taking people off the tourist track to experience the authentic, local ambience. Adventurous Appetites will take you to sample traditional Spanish cuisine in some of the hidden corners of central Madrid, helping with language difficulties, advising on local specialities and imparting interesting local facts about the tradition, history and myths of this beautiful city. Their Madrid Tapas tour was named the 12TH BEST FOOD EXPERIENCE IN THE WORLD 2022 by Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice® Award series. www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/Seaglimpse-1120129.html 0034 639 331 073 adventurousappetites@yahoo.es www.adventurousappetites.com

ARE YOU SITTING ON A STORY?

Do you need a hand telling it?

Ben Jeapes (h 83)

I am a professional ghostwriter and editor, and have helped clients with over 40 titles, both fiction and non-fiction.

Email benjeapes@gmail.com for a no-obligation, confidential chat about writing and editing services. www.benjeapes.com

AUBERGES

DES

HIRONDELLES, NEAR ALBI FRANCE

Ivan Scholte (d 80) has opened a Bed and Breakfast in the medieval village ofPuycelsi near the UNESCO world heritage site at Albi. An hour away from Toulouse in the beautiful Tarn countryside. Plenty of things to visit around including other hilltop villages, the Toulouse Lautrec Museum and Cathedral in Albi, wine tasting in the Gaillac vineyards, and walking on the GR 46 hiking trail which passes through the village. The Bed and Breakfast is open from April to October. 10% Discount to OS. Please contact: info@aubergedeshirondelles.com www.aubergedeshirondelles.com Instagram: Hirondelles_Puycelsi

Extensive Fish & Shellfish, Farmyard and Wildlife designs on ceramics, textiles, boards and tablemats by artist Richard Bramble (h 86). These can be seen and purchased at his London Borough Market stall, Sherborne working studios or his website. 20% reduction (excludes existing offers) for all OS and family, just quote code: OS22 when ordering. All ceramics can be personalised by the artist making unique gifts. info@richardbramble.com www.richardbramble.com

HOUSE TO RENT NR ST TROPEZ

La Bergerie is a magical, 5 bedroom, with 5 ensuites, stone-built house, set in 11 acres, 2 kms, from La Garde Freinet, St Maxime and St Tropez are a short drive away. It has stunning views, overlooking the vineyards of St. Clement, and onto the Mediterranean, in the distance. A new swimming pool and pool house/bar have recently been built, with a fridge, ice making machine and BBQ, next to the boules court. We have our own website, http://villasinprovence.net Please take a look as ‘pictures are better than words.’ Rental times are between early July and late August. O.S./and friends will receive a discount. Any enquiries please contact Ali Holding-Parsons (g 70) 07970 010512 or hp@stocksandchairsantiques.com

AGM AND ACCOUNTS

SKI INSTRUCTION IN COURCHEVEL

Rob Sewell (g 72) has been living in the French Alps near Courchevel for over 30 years. He is an internationally qualified and much respected ski instructor who would be very happy to ski with or simply meet up with any OS who may be taking their winter holidays in the area.

0033 610144762 rob.sewell@orange.fr

Missed the meeting? Catch up online! Minutes from the 2025 AGM and audited accounts are on oldshirburnian.org.uk. The 129th AGM of the Society will be held in The Upper marquee on OS Day, Saturday 9 May 2026 at 3.30pm. All OS and their guests are most welcome.

VISITING THE SCHOOL

We love seeing Old Shirburnians back at Sherborne! Please book ahead so we can welcome you properly — all visitors must be accompanied. On the day, sign in at Reception under the archway. Let’s avoid that awkward “sorry, no one’s free to show you around” moment!

STAY IN THE LOOP

We’re moving to email — faster, cheaper, greener! Confirm yours at oss@sherborne.org so you never miss OSS news or event updates.

PRIVACY AND DATA

Your details are safe with us.See the full Privacy Policy at: oldshirburnian.org.uk

N E PILGRIMS

Oof the welcome shifts of recent decades has been a broadening range of sports in which the School, and often in consequence the Pilgrims, participates. To that list now can be added padel, where the Club entered two pairs in the Jarvis Cup (the Schools’ Alumni Open Championships) this autumn. Padel has grown enormously in popularity this century but it was first played as far back as 1969. For the uninitiated, it is a racket sport and closest to tennis in approach.

Padel is set therefore to take its place alongside a multitude of Pilgrims teams, testament to the diligence and effort of many Club members in playing, and administering, amateur team sport. One highlight of the past year was the Cricketer Cup team progressing to the second round for the first time for a few years in beating St Edward’s Oxford, before losing to the eventual winners, Old Bedfordians, in the second round. The cricket side remains one of the strongest of Pilgrims sports, with some impressive teams turned out for the regular fixtures –and there are preliminary discussions under way to see if there could be appetite for senior Pilgrims (over-50s) to have some fixtures. Watch this space.

The football team has been in transition but with a new manager in Dan Kendall (f 17), taking over the baton from the outstanding Jack Bridger (c 14), and with a wave of new talent in the ranks, there is considerable optimism for the future. The rugby team, too, is looking ahead despite some difficulties in getting fixtures agreed – looking at taking on teams from City businesses and inking the fixtures in early to ensure availability. Part of that expansionist outlook may extend to a mini-tour next spring. Whether squash, hockey, tennis, fives or cross country, there are opportunities for Pilgrims to get involved. Continuing the theme of older Club members, the last of those sports

saw an excellent set of results for those Pilgrims of a certain age at the annual Wimbledon Alumni Race in September. The cross-country team won the V60s and V65s, came second in the V40s and third in the V50s. The Club also welcomed a new Vice-President in Charlie Allen (c 89), who has brought his usual vigour and people skills to the position already.

Every year, of course, the Club loses members to Father Time. I would, though, like to mention one of those who has passed away: Nick Parker (b 60). Not least in writing my book on the School’s rugby history all those years ago, but in conversation in the Upper Pavilion and on the boundary at cricket matches, Nick was always warmly supportive and ever interested in how his old school was faring – usually in a striped blazer and/or bow tie – and a hat in summer.

As is customary, may I remind all readers of the Record that you are all welcome to join the Pilgrims (open to any OS, whatever your School sporting achievements). Please get in touch with Jonathan Powe (h 76), the Hon Secretary, whose details can be obtained through the OSS office.

ROBERT HANDS

OLD SHIRBURNIAN SAILING SOCIETY

We’re delighted to report that our fleet is expanding, with a good number of Old Shirburnians having bought boats for what was one of the best sailing summers in memory. Our very busy OSS Channel 16 WhatsApp group keeps members updated on sailing exploits from around the world. Closer to home it was a pleasure to kick off the year with the traditional January pub meet and even bump into a number of Old and current Shirburnians at the boatshow. We’ll be providing updates on the Stanger Leathes (dinghy racing), thanks to Sam Talbot Williams (a 20), and the Arrow Trophy (yacht racing) from Will Eaton (d 14). The great work continues at the school with Mike Ewart Smith, and a strong set of sailors. This includes the Andrew Yorke award which was awarded to a number of sailors at the Boys and Girls Schools to take on the role of instructors in the future. The parents versus pupils match is certainly a sight to behold with Sutton Bingham reservoir so full of craft you could almost walk from one side to the other, and a great pleasure for the Commodore to participate in a Comet trio with his family. We’re looking forward to an exciting number of events for 2026, including keelboat racing, dinghy racing, yacht racing, cruising and other opportunities.

STANGER LEATHES 2025

The old boys and girls returned to Sutton Bingham to squeeze themselves into the dinghies on 1 March. The OSS decided, due to unforeseen circumstances to yield a half team of Sam Talbot-Williams, Florrie Perkins and George Gillespie (c 24). Despite not being able to field a full team of 6 it was important that we showed up in order to demonstrate how the years of experience can shine through. Following a tightly fought series it was concluded, that in the grand scheme of things, the School would take the win this time around. I believe that this was also the first Stanger Leathes sailed entirely in fireflies and not in 420s,

although it was lovely to see some of the latter out on the water being enjoyed by pupils not directly involved in the racingthe numbers of pupils sailing at Sherborne is currently booming, this is down to the great work of the staff, headed up by Michael Ewart-Smith and supported by Mike Bowker and Andrew Frost. After an afternoon of bobbing around Sutton Bingham, we enjoyed an evening at the Rajpoot in Sherborne with some of the 6th form sailors and staff. We look forward to the event next year and will hopefully provide a full team for a competitive event against the school, many thanks to everyone involved!

ARROW TROPHY

The first weekend of October saw a team of OS sailors return to the Solent for the annual Arrow Trophy regatta, an event that brings together alumni crews from schools across the UK racing one another in matched keelboats. Sherborne was a founding member of the Arrow, and we

always enjoy supporting such a well run event. This year’s team was a fantastic mix of OS, from 2024 leavers through to those who’d been on the team a few more years. The weekend saw a named storm in the forecast which added an extra layer of apprehension to the weekend. The journey to Cowes from Port Solent on Friday was a challenge in itself, as we raced across the Solent in an attempt to beat the worst of the weather that Storm Amy was expected to bring. We made it over to Cowes just as the wind really started filling in, making mooring the boat a bit of a challenge. We were also met with the news that Saturday’s racing had been cancelled due to the severe conditions. With wind forecast well in excess of 40mph, the skipper was somewhat relieved, albeit disappointed the team would miss a day of racing.

In true Sherborne fashion the team remained in high spirits and we spent the day exploring Cowes, and supporting

Old Shirburnian Sailing is thriving!

the local establishments. The evening concluded with the regatta dinner at the Royal Ocean Racing Club, where we were on our best behaviour ahead of Sunday’s racing.

Sunday brought gusty but sailable wind. The race committee set a series of windward-leeward courses, and the team rose to the challenge. We delivered a strong performance, and despite a brilliant start in the final race, we finished 7th out of 12 teams.

We’re always looking for new faces and more OS to get involved, whether that’s racing, joining as a spectator, or simply coming along for the social side of the weekend. Get in touch to find out more.

We plan to get a bit more going on the Solent next year with some of the more recent leavers out and about. If you would like to like to get out sailing some time on any of the Old Shirburnian fleet, please do get in touch.

Goslingrobert@gmail.com

ROBERT GOSLING (a 01) Commodore Old Shirburnian Sailing Society

FOOTBALL

It’s been a season of change and fresh ambition for the Pilgrims Football Club, starting with a shift in captaincy. I’ve taken over the armband from Jack Bridger (c 14), and on behalf of the entire squad, I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to Jack for his outstanding leadership. His dedication and drive led us to a well-earned promotion and a memorable DWT Cup Final, these achievements have certainly set a high bar for the seasons ahead.

I’m fully aware I’ve got large shoes to fill, but I’m excited by the challenge! This season has welcomed a wave of new talent into the fold, bringing both quality and youthful energy to the team. With this refreshed squad, my expectations are high. It’s dangerous to say as an Arsenal fan, but I’m aiming for silverware, with both the league title and the DWT Cup firmly in our sights.

The start of the season has been mixed, with three wins and three losses, but there are plenty of positives to build on. The squad is beginning to gel, and the signs of progress are clear. With continued

effort and belief, I’m confident we’ll hit our stride. We currently sit fourth in the league table, within touching distance of automatic promotion (top two). With crucial fixtures ahead against Old Amplefordians (2nd) and our old arch rivals Canfordians (1st), victories in these games would see us top the table heading into the festive period.

If you’ve just left school, moved to London after university, or simply want to get back into football, we’re always on the lookout for new players. Come and be part of the journey, and hopefully a title charge!

OS GOLFING SOCIETY

THE SOCIETY IS OPEN TO ALL OLD SHIRBURNIANS REGARDLESS OF AGE AND GOLFING HANDICAP. WE WELCOME ALL GOLFERS, WHETHER LOOKING TO COMPETE IN SOME PRESTIGIOUS SCRATCH OLD-BOYS TOURNAMENTS, FOR SOME FRIENDLY COMPETITION AGAINST FORMER SCHOOL RIVALS OR DAYS OUT WITH OLD FRIENDS.

Founded in 1929, we approach our centenary in good health with nearly 300 playing members including 32 who joined the Society when they left School this July. As a Society, we are evolving to adapt to time and cost pressures, with a more varied fixtures list, including Society days, singleround events and tournaments to suit all.

Preparations are underway for some events to mark our centenary in 2029.

The highlight of 2025 was the Society’s victory in the GL Mellin Salver, with our “over 55” team of Nigel Whalley (a 76) (Captain), Chris Nevill (a 72), Rhys Francis (a 74), Roger Mather (m 83), Phil Hodges (b 88) Nick Aubin (b 82) and Simon Buchanan (c 81). Our first victory in the event since 1991.

Another highlight was the debut of Theo Anderson-Gannon (e 24) at this year’s Halford Hewitt. As a St Andrews R&A Scholar and winner of the prestigious St David’s Gold Cross at Harlech in June, he is a fantastic young talent for the Society.

This year we played 10 fixtures against other Old Boys Golf Societies/Golf Clubs between March and October. We held 3 Open Meetings: a Spring meeting at Blackwell GC, a Summer meeting at The Berkshire in June and an Autumn meeting at Rye GC as well as an informal meeting at New Zealand GC. These are popular events with wonderful lunches and numerous prizes. This year we had 30 players who enjoyed our premier event, The Berkshire Meeting in June, fourteen at Blackwell and 20 players came down to Rye in September.

We are lucky to play at some fabulous golf clubs including Aldeburgh, The Berkshire, Blackwell, Deal, Hunstanton, Huntercombe, New Zealand, Royal St George’s, Rye, West Hill, West Sussex and Royal Wimbledon. The 2026 fixture list will include even more variety.

WE ENTERED A TEAM IN THE FOLLOWING PRESTIGE GOLF TOURNAMENTS:

• Halford Hewitt (5 pairs) - 3rd round

• Grafton Morrish (3 pairs) - 1st round

• Brent Knoll Bowl (3 pairs) - 2nd round

• GL Mellin Salver (Over 55) - Winners

• Peter Burles Salver (Over 65) - 1st round

• Bunny Millard Salver (Over 75) - did not qualify for the knockout stage

• Blackwell Foursomes (3 pairs) - won against Foursomes Club of Holland but lost to The Moles GS and Royal Liverpool

• Muddyman Torpedo (1 pair) – 26th

CLUB APPOINTMENTS AND OTHER NEWS

• Peter Martin (a 79) is President.

• Stuart Gillett (m 92) was OSGS Captain 2024/25 and Jonathan Wheatley (h 94) has taken over for 2025/26.

For more information and our fixture list look out for the OSGS Website (currently being re-launched) - where you can put your name forward to play in any matches/meetings you are available for.

E: nick.gavin-brown@pinsentmasons.com

M: 07825 381467

NICK GAVIN-BROWN (g 93) OSGS Hon Sec

CROSS COUNTRY

The Thames Hare and Hounds Alumni Race which is extraordinarily competitive at every level, was held on a glorious dry afternoon on Wimbledon Common over 4.9 miles.

Normally one starts with the performance of our runners in the Open race (under age 35) but this year it was the OS vets who delivered fantastic results. We won the over 60’s and over 65’s, came second in the V40’s and third in the V 50’s. The Open runners did pretty well, finishing fourth overall, with Tom Hole (b 12) finishing in fourth position in 26.40 and Charlie Pitt-Ford (m 03), after an absence of several years, finishing eighth in 27.58. (he is now over 40 but has lost none of his speed and strength).

Harry Lane (b 13) finished 40th in 32.09 after twisting his ankle, a really brave performance. Our fourth scorer in the Open was Ed Pitt-Ford (m 05), V35, 57th in 33.40. Only five seconds behind Ed, in 58th place was Peter Woodburn (b 85), representing the over 55’s, and John Shaw (f 93), M50, was 62nd in 34.05 . There was then a bit of a gap to Charlie Whitcombe (m 08), M35, 96th in 37.54, but the result of the day was Christopher Kendall (g 78), on his first appearance, 98th in 38.00. Chris is over 65 now and, unsurprisingly, was the first in that age range to finish. Andy Fyfe (b 85), M55, was 107th in 38.29 and Robert Kerr (h 75), another excellent V65, 116th in 38.59. We had three runners between 126th and 133rd: Tim Love (b 80), M60, in 40.22, Dan Baker (a 93), M50, in 40.29 and Charlie Lane (a 74), M65 in 40.57. Another gap to 173rd for Harry Paul

(c 85) (M55) in 47.32, Jon Leney (c 85), M55, 185th in 52.22, and Angus Cater (c 70), M70, 190th in 55.17. 195 runners completed the course

An excellent performance by all OS runners but we could really do with our fastest young runners to beat Shrewsbury who took first and second place in 25.26 and 25.34 respectively! Our thanks to Thames for organising it all so well, as they have for many years.

For more information and to be added to the WhatsApp group, contact Harry Reynolds 07989 592853

HARRY REYNOLDS (e 16) Cross Country Match Manager

DEATHS

ABELL, John (f 66) 29 November 2024

ANDERSON, Kenneth (School Chaplain 1971- 1983) 9 February 2025

ARKELL, Christopher Edward Neville (d 44) 3 September 2025

BASTYAN, Anthony Edric Orville (c 56) 4 June 2025

BOYD, David Gordon Murdoch (g 54) 23 September 2025

BROWN, Alan Record (d 60) 10 August 2025

BRUCE, Peter (a 59) 18 February 2025

BRYAN-BROWN, Martin Hume (f 53) 27 November 2025

CARDEN, Arthur Eustace (a 47) 2 January 2025

CHILDS-CLARKE, Richard John (b 61) 30 November 2024

COLQUHOUN, Jamea Iain (g 51) 19 January 2025

CROWLEY, Clive David Clatworthy (b 53) 15 September 2024

DALLAS, Michael Fraser (c 62) 3 March 2025

KEMP, Anthony Lionel Wickenden (f 47) 13 May 2024

LEACH, John D (Staff 1961-72) 16 April 2025

LEVERITT, Thomas Christopher Michael (g 65) 29 August 2025

LEWES, James Hugh (e 85) November 2022

LONGRIGG, Benjamin Hugh Helmsley (h 51) 12 January 2025

MAYBURY, John Montague (d 48) 11 September 2025

MILNE, Henry Bruce (g 48) May 2024

MILNER, John Kendall (f 51) 23 July 2025

MORGAN, Nicholas David (g 63) 11 August 2025

NEALE, Robert (Staff 1959-68) 27 October 2025

PERTWEE, Richard James Charles Drury (a 73) 14 May 2025

RAYMOND, Hugo Charles George (a 87) December 2024

ROBSON, William Michael (f 52) 11 February 2025

DAVID, Owen Thomas Benjamin (a 51) 3 May 2025

DEDEK, Ursula E (Staff 1973-2004) 2 March 2025

DEW, Anthony Frederick Napleton (c 56) 29 December 2025

DINKELDEIN, Richard Charles (f 63) 14 August 2025

DUFFETT, Michael Henry (a 50) 11 July 2025

ELLIS, William Sydney Lawrence (d 47) 2025

EVANS, Frederick Stephen (c 62) 2025

FLORY, Peter Clifford (h 48) 26 March 2025

GARDNER, Charles Stoop (h 51) 3 August 2025

GATES, Michael John (c 57) December 2024

GREENSTREET, Anthony John (a 46) 20 July 2025

HANDLEY, William Henry (a 67) 6 October 2025

HARRIS, Richard Morley Neale (f 60) 2025

HATCHARD, John Rayner (c 71) 18 January 2025

HAWKES, Brian Michael (c 48) 23 November 2024

HAYES, John Patrick Roger (c 52) 23 March 2025

HENRY, Richard Charles (h 59) 3 August 2025

HOBSON, John Davidson (f 62) 26 May 2025

ROWLAND, James Moffat (c 58) 24 October 2024

RUSSELL, Crispin George (f 65) 8 November 2025

SCHNADHORST, John Charles Francis (h 50) 13 January 2025

SHARP, Nicholas John Gordon (g 53) 23 February 2025

SHARP, Richard Adrian William (Staff 1963-68) 3 November 2025

STONE, Robert Jerome (d 56) 14 December 2025

SYMES, Richard Dunkin Legge (d 53) 15 July 2025

TAYLOR, Peter David (g 57) October 2025

TAYLOR, Richard Robin Uttermare (d 59) 27 April 2025

TUSTAIN, Paul Gerard (h 80) 15 May 2025

WATHERSTON, William Rory Andrews (h 57) 6 May 2025

WATTS, Jeremy Nicholas (g 64) 6 August 2025

WEBB, John Anthony Kenneth (d 45) 5 May 2025

WHEATLEY, Christopher John Varley (h 61) 4 December 2024

WILDER, William John (h 64) 18 June 2025

WILSON, Michael Brian (h 55) 7 February 2025

YOUENS, David Richard Bill (b 61) 19 October 2024

ZOLLER, Hugo Charles (e 97) 19 October 2024

ENGAGEMENTS

CRANE, Henry Austin (b 15) to Miss Marina Carrick (SG)

CURTIS, Gordon Oliver (f 06) to Miss Lucy Emma Garner

VON WEYHAUSEN, Ernst Gustav (b 16) to Miss Bethan Moore

MARRIAGES

CLAYTON, Joshua John (a 12) to Miss Cressida Norton 16 August 2025

EDWARDS, Thomas James Willem (a 13) to Miss Sarah Crowther 3 May 2025

HARLEY, Jack Christopher Maxwell (d 15) to Miss Isabel Perkins 26 July 2025

ISLES, Wilfred Hector Banks (m 12) to Miss Eleanor Tibbs 16 August 2025

MAYES, Charles Louis Nathaniel Mayes (e 09) to Miss Viola Pelù 28 September 2024 1.

NEISH, William Robert Piercy (d 15) to Miss Emily Smart 6 September 2025

PULLMAN, Nigel Reginald (a 65) to Mrs Sophie Griffiths 6 March 2025

RITCHIE, James Alexander (e 12) to Miss Lydia Sophie Riches 17 May 2025 2.

WALSH, Simon Glen Ashe (a 10) to Dr Olimpia Bompadre 13 September 2025 3.

BIRTHS

To Emma and Tom Carr-Lidstrom (f 10), a son, Viggo on 5 November 2024 4.

To Indie and James Cochrane-Dyet (b 08), a son, Cosmo George on 20 February 2025, a brother for Artemis 5.

To Katie and Jack Lyons (c 10), a daughter, Phoebe Isabella on 13 February 2025

To Emily and Harry Onslow (e 10), a daughter, Ava Jane on 8 November 2024 6.

To Elaine O’Neill and Simon Peel Yates (m 03), a son, Feidhlim Liam on 18 March 2025

To Ieva and George Smibert (f 06), a son, Rokas on 18 June 2025

To Bethan and Owen Williams (a 06), a daughter, Penelope (Penny) Alice on 10 July 2025 7.

6. 6.

2.

7.

ELDER GILCHRIST

( a 53)

1934-2024

OSS PRESIDENT 1997

GRAEME

Graeme’s lifelong attachment to Sherborne began in 1948 when he came to School House where he thrived under the all-seeing eyes of his housemaster, Abe (Uncs) Gourlay becoming Head of House and Head of School.

After National Service in postwar Germany, he went up to Queens’ College, Cambridge, to read economics. Graeme got a 2.1 and was ViceCaptain of rowing. He was very proud of having rowed at Henley and returned to Queens’ to coach the new cohort for a number of years.

He then started a career in the City. After a start at Barings Bank where he was told “You have to realise dear boy that you are going nowhere if your name isn’t Baring”, he joined The Union Discount Bank of London, became Managing Director, and was closely involved in the ‘Big Bang’ of 1986 which revolutionised the way the City operated.

Alongside his life in the City, Graeme was a member of The Honourable Artillery Company and rose to become its Commanding Officer and thereafter Regimental Colonel He was later appointed an Honorary Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery. He was Master Gunner within The Tower, served on the HAC Court of Assistants (established in 1616 to manage the civil and financial affairs of the Company) and was a lowly pikeman in The Company of Pikemen & Musketeers, a ceremonial unit of the HAC which is

formed of HAC veterans tasked with providing a bodyguard and escort for the Lord Mayor of London when on official business. As a natural crossover from his life in the City, he also served as a financial advisor to the Royal Artillery Benevolent Fund, the HAC Benevolent Fund, as a Commissioner of The Royal Hospital Chelsea, The Royal Hospital for Neurodisability, and The Chindits Old Comrades Association (now The Chindit Society) And many more.

Graeme never lost his love of all things Sherborne. He served as a Governor for sixteen years between 1988 and 2004. He was appointed President of the OSS in 1997, a time when Presidents only served one year. In that short time, Graeme, realising that a thriving alumni association would be a key factor for schools moving into a new millennium, implemented the necessary changes immediately. In 1999, he became a founding trustee of the successful Sherborne School Foundation, often hosting meetings and lunches at the HAC.

He had many other passions – Churchill, cricket, golf, history, Arsenal, Trollope, Eric Morecambe, Glyndebourne, tennis, classical music and Tommy Cooper.

Graeme married Susie in 1981. They had a son, Tom, a Shirburnian himself, and he inherited a stepson, Barney. He had two grandsons.

1940s

DAVID BREWER (h 49) Nothing to report, except that my wife and I are still going, thanks to marvellous support from family and from dedicated Filipina carers.

1950s

SIMON PRESTON (d 51) See Adam Preston (d 84)

TIM STREET (b 51) has recently moved to Cowes, Isle of Wight, initially for his wife’s health, and where his family now has three Dragons out racing. At this year’s Solent Dragon Fleet AGM, he was elected as their Honorary Admiral.

His Grandson, Louis Street (b 18), has just Qualified for stage 4 of the RYA Youth Sailing Scheme, and is now crewing regularly on Flying Fifteens and Dragons at Cowes.

JOHN CAMPBELL (h 52) notes that in the last OS Record Michael Davies (h 52) said that he was 90 and wondered how many of his vintage are left. John says, “I am 92 and am very much alive! Known at Sherborne as Gordon, though I can’t remember why, the Queen knowing of my Higher School Certificates in English and History , in her wisdom commissioned me into the Royal Engineers where I had to keep up in the classroom with the rest of my intake who were already Civil Engineers and Architects, going on to serve in Hong Kong before teaching at Christ’s Hospital and Bishop’s Stortford College.

Now, my wife and I relish looking after the garden and a wood in Suffolk but I no longer sing in choirs and play the trombone. Over the years we have presented some thirty evenings of readings in churches large and small to raise money”.

NIGEL HAWKINS (b 53) I turned 90 in March. We have always celebrated these round figures with a party. This year, since (without getting too morbid) I am likely to be entering my last two decades of life, Shouanna and I held three parties. I am glad to report, we survived all three!

CHRISTOPHER WOODS (b 53) My main news is my 90th birthday was celebrated

on 13 August with family and friends. Because of my age we no longer travel very far so enjoy life in the house and garden.

Sherborne seems a long time away but I still have many happy memories of those far off days. I pray for the school and keep in touch with Nick Scorer and his group, Crossfire, on Thursdays during term time.

PETER GORLE (f 54) recently gave an after lunch talk to the Batti-Wallahs Society at the Rag Club, Pall Mall, on the realties behind the establishment in 1607 of the Jamestown Settlement, in what was to become Virginia. The focus was on Pocahontas and John Smith, stripped of Disneyfication and a record of immense bravery and determination to be proud of.

JOHN GALLETLY (h 55) still going fairly strongly. Have at last succeeded in hardly being active in the businesses I created more than half a lifetime ago and which are now run by my sons and employees.

MICHAEL WRIGHT (c 56) I started in The Green at the beginning of 1952 with Mark Zimmerman, Stephen Draper and Paul Whitehurst. Mark and Stephen both died many years ago but I have no news about Paul. (Editor: Paul, we are happy to say, is still with us).

I left at Christmas 1956 and spent my working career as a Chartered Accountant, mainly in the Commodities industry, including 11 years in the Rare Earth Industry, which took me to China 25 times between 1993 and 2004. That industry is very much in the headlines today.

Having 3 daughters I have had little incentive to visit Sherborne, though I still read the OS Record with interest.

On the family front my wife and I have just celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary, and we try to keep fit playing Tennis, Golf and Bowls. It doesn’t get any easier! We have lived in Putney since 1968 and love the Parkland around us.

HUGH MELLER (a 59) OS familiar with the West Country might be interested in

my recently published book - Devon Dead & Buried. It records the notable and notorious buried and commemorated in the churches and cemeteries of Devon. Some 2,000 are described with brief biographies accompanied in many cases with an illustration of their memorial or portrait. I confess I didn’t come across any OS during my 10 years of research, but I recommend the project to anyone retired who would enjoy visiting their county’s parish churches and burial grounds. Almost always they are deserted, beautiful and with the potential for surprises and tragedy. (Devon Dead & Buried published by The Black Dog Press, 2024)

ANTHONY BROWN (g 58) I was a partner of a large architecture practice in the UK with substantial and extensive interests in the Middle East. I do have a story that precedes this time but amusingly relates to it—set in my final year at Sherborne in 1958.

My father, though not a military man, had served in the war and retained a firm belief that his son should benefit from similar rigour. His dismay grew as it became clear I might pursue a life in the arts, particularly after winning the Longmuir art prize—twice, if memory serves.

Without consulting me, he arranged an interview with a senior military figure who scouted public schools for officer material. I reluctantly attended, deciding the only polite way out was to fail spectacularly. I arrived slightly dishevelled—buttons undone, hair untidy—and fixed my gaze not on his eyes but on his right ear, which can be most unsettling. The interview began badly for him but well for me. “Now, you are Brown G,” he said. “No sir,” I replied. A muddle over initials nearly ended the meeting before it began—an excellent start. My academic record was judged mediocre except for art. I suggested this made me ideal spy material. He disagreed. Another small victory.

Asked about hobbies, I spoke earnestly of butterfly collecting with my friend Christopher Clay. The interview ended swiftly. Hughie Holmes was unsurprised

by the result. My father less so. Thus I achieved a well-arranged failure.

As stated earlier I did become an Architect and one of the projects that we were awarded, later on in my career, was the largest commission for the design of military housing ever given out.

ANTONY THOMAS (a 59) After my retirement from filmmaking in 2018, I spent several years writing a very personal memoir, In the Line of Fire, which included my years at Sherborne prep and Sherborne (1950 – 1959.) These childhood years not only helped me decide to become a filmmaker but would affect my whole approach to important subjects once I had embarked on my career.

In the Line of Fire, Antony Thomas is available on Amazon, as well as waterstones.com, Barnes and Noble or the publishers www.unicornpublishing.com

1960s

ROBERT DALLAS (c 60) After my formative years and leaving Sherborne in 1960 I took a job on the floor of the London Stock Exchange as a jobber (market maker) after having worked up from checking clerk and runner and in 1966 was offered a partnership but decided otherwise, moving to Saint Paul de Vence in the South of France and starting in architecture, which I have been enjoying ever since.

I design and build in the local style and have written books on the subject, to wit in 2003 Robert Dallas En Provence and Robert Dallas Saint Paul De Vence, Collections #1 to #8 in 2025 (Google Robert Dallas).

It was my schooling at Sherborne and the art of meeting people that set the die for my success in France and continues to do so.

CHARLES COLLINGWOOD (h 62) I celebrated 50 years of playing Brian Aldridge (fictitious OS!) in The Archers BBC kindly presented me with a copy of

my first episode as Brian. Episode 6,295 recorded on 4th of February 1975, broadcast 14th March 1975. Now transmitting episodes beyond 20,500. A long innings indeed. As for cricket I have now been a member of the MCC for over 60 years - no annual sub anymore and a special tie! 2026 will be our Golden Wedding Anniversary. Yes, my wife Judy and I will have scored another fifty. Judy was also in the Archers playing Shula for over fifty years! What does this all tell me? That I’m very old. Ah well! I’ll keep taking the tablets.

NICHOLAS PARSONS (d 64) The Shortest History of Austria by Nicholas T. Parsons was published by Old Street Publishing on May 20th 2025. This is Nicholas’s twentieth book (he is now 79), so grateful thanks to his English teachers at Sherborne, notably Mr Neale.

NIGEL PULLMAN (a 65) After well over 30 years enjoying life as a single man, in March (2025) I married Sophie, a long term London based Swiss widow, at Trinity House, under the shadow of the Tower of London. My Best Man was my Godson, Hubert Mainwaring-Burton (g 09), taking time off from filming the new season of the Rivals Disney TV hit.

Like me, Sophie has one adult daughter, and one grandson (Reggie & Ruairi, respectively 2 & 3).

RICHARD BELLAMY (c 66) See Ed Allfrey (g 09)

MIKE TUCKER (h 67) Last summer— after half a century of trying! —I finally

earned my first cap for England, representing the Over-75s. In October, I went on to play for England in the World Cup in Cape Town, where we won and became world hockey champions!!

JOHN HOWE (h 69) In May 2025

John Howe hosted Peter and Christopher Hoey to celebrate 60 years of a special enduring friendship, which started at Sherborne. The celebration included our wives, all original!

We joined Westcott in April 1965 and left in July 1969. They were also my best men 51 years ago.

My elder son, William (h 98), went to Westcott as did Chris’s 2 sons, Robert (h 99) and David (h&d 02). I believe Robert was the last Head of House at Westcott before it closed as a boys’ boarding house.

1970s

RICHARD VINE (m 70) after a career as a golf tour operator I emigrated to Thailand in 2004 where I met my wife and now have 3 children. I sold the golf business in 2014 and started a dinghy sailing club on the beach in Hua Hin, now competing in the ILCA World Masters Championships under the Thai flag. If any OS are passing it’s a fantastic place to sail with good winds and warm seas.

PHILIP RAYMOND (h71), left the UK in 1982 for Oman, moved to Chicago in

1984. Worked for Motorola Solutions for 33 years, designing and implementing radio communication projects. Was Engineering Director for Western US projects, retired in 2022. Have been living in San Diego for 20 years with my wife Christine. Our two children live in Santa Barbara, daughter finishing degree, son working for Motorola. Our retirement includes home projects and US travel. I also come back to the UK most years. Visited Sherborne three years ago with my friend David Andrews (f 71). Here we are enjoying a glass of wine, on a cool October 2024 evening, appropriately in the village of Westcott.

TIM SPICER (a 71) New website — timspicerauthor.com now live. New book next year which will feature quite a lot on OS Henry Druce DSO (g 39)

NIGEL HALL (h 72) Having retired some time ago and spent a period volunteering, I’ve now returned to my former employer, Harper Adams University, to work as a ‘porter’ carrying delicate potato monitoring electronic equipment for a PhD student’s data collection in the field. Helping out is most enjoyable. My strikingly attractive African butterfly caught in 1972 has been donated to The Zoological Museum at The University of Cambridge for

posterity. Only 3 have ever been caught, now one is in the British Museum Reserve Collection and the other in the Cambridge collection. Hopefully descendants of the 3rd one are at large somewhere in Africa.

DAVID KEABLE-ELLIOTT (g 72) I am not good at keeping in touch with Sherborne, but I am proud to report that after nearly forty years as a general practitioner, my second career as an academic historian has come to fruition today with the publication of my third book, catchily titled The Doctrine of the British Army, the Conception and Implementation of Field Service Regulations 1900 - 1918 (Helion Publishing). My first book The Young Gunner published under the name David Hutchison was written in 2016 and follows my grandfather from Mons in 1914 to the Armistice in 1918. Based on his letters home, it gives a unique insight into the life of a gunner officer during the Great War. It has been widely praised and is still in print. My new book is based on research into my grandfather’s education and philosophy at war. It is an important book, according to several academics in the field, that corrects many misconceptions about Haig’s army on the Western Front. And I never studied history at Sherborne! Back in the sixties, I had to choose between that and biology. But I had enough leisure time to read historical novels voraciously.

RICHARD MADLEY (a 75) I’ve recently returned from Dubai, where I conducted the ILT20 Player Auction — another exciting milestone in what has become a rather unexpected second career! After four years working in South Africa and ten years in India, I now find myself described as the world’s leading auctioneer of cricketers. Earlier in the year, I was in Johannesburg for the SA20 Player Auction, setting record prices for South African players, before heading to Zurich to conduct a charity auction alongside James Corden and Usain Bolt.

It’s still a real privilege to be invited to run these prestigious events — especially 50 years after leaving Sherborne! Retirement still seems some way off when the overseas invitations keep coming in…

MYLES RIPLEY (b 75) I have been taking part in celebrations here at Sedbergh School on the occasion of their 500th Anniversary of founding in 1525. Concert in Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Midsummer 500th Dinner and a concert hosted here in Sedbergh by the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Christmas concert in York Cathedral still to come.

1980s

STUART TURNBULL (g 80) Now 36 years in Vancouver Canada, Stuart is semi-retired and working as an executive advisor for Tech startups. OS from the early 70’s may remember the original band JetLag, with Stuart on drums. He’s still performing regularly - now most often as “Mick” in Sticky Fingers - a touring Rolling Stones tribute band. Stuart lives with his wife and four children.

ANDREW WILSON (h 80) delighted to now have two grandchildren Monty and Marlowe. Recently Qualified as a Padel Coach so if anyone wants a lesson in Cheshire get in touch.

JOHN ZEALLEY (a&e 80) Retired from Accenture in 2022 after 25 years’ service. Now: Chair of Governors of Oxford Brookes University, Warden of the Worshipful Company of Marketors and Trustee of the Chartered Management Institute

WILL ASHBY (b 81) After nearly 40 years working in the corporate world, I have semi-retired!Having qualified as a Master in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnotherapy, I am setting up a company to promote positive change and personal development. NLP and associated techniques can be used to help individuals identify and modify negative thought patterns and behaviours, overcome stress, and to develop influencing and communication skills.

AIDAN HARTLEY (e 83) My life occasionally echoes the goings on at Blandings Castle, except my pride and joy is not a fat Berkshire sow named “Empress”; instead, it’s a herd of Boran zebu-type cattle on my farm north of Mount Kenya. Sir Gregory Parsloe does lurk in many forms: the AK-47-wielding rustlers who would steal my cows, the gods who inflict on us droughts and epidemics - but also, I suspect, other competitors in the run up to the Boran Breeders’ Cattle Show

IAN HEY (g 83) Decided to have a health check in 2025. It didn’t go very well, and they found a tumour in my colon. Operated a month later and they removed it. Got an all-clear in August so I was lucky. They also found out I was Type 2 Diabetic, so I’ve reduced my units to just over the Government Recommended.

Played King Rat in January at the Milford on Sea Panto and went down well. Acted in my own play twice at the Lymington Players’ Club Night and in Milford and the play, Bomb Proof, has now been published. Still messing around with another novel but, as usual, work gets in the way - the inspiration for ideas but also a pain in the neck.

And for all those who knew me when I was in Lyon House, very sad news about Ozzy Osbourne.

held last September in our ranching district of Laikipia. Happily, my pulchritudinous heifer 2328 “Jackline” won Reserve Champion Female for 2025 and our Frontier Cattle stud carried away two trophies, two first prizes and a third prize too. In other news, I continue to write my Wild Life column in The Spectator, which I’ve loved doing for 26 years. My public relations agency (see lanterncomitas.com) is doing well, in case any OS are having trouble in

Africa. My work gives me immense pleasure, with recent visits to Benin, Congo, Angola, Malawi and other wonderful places. Over sundowners by the Nile in South Sudan I often gaze out at the famous sunken riverboat and give thanks for all the interesting roads I’ve taken since being flattened on Sherborne’s rugby pitches because Wallace in those days wasn’t very good. Take heart, my fellow Wallies, the world is before you!

SCHOOL HOUSE 1983 REUNION

Over the summer, a WhatsApp group was set up for all nineteen members of School House who left in 1983.

Fifteen of the group were able to meet in Winchester for a reunion lunch on Saturday, 22 November. Among them

were Dave Zubkoff and Nick Sutcliffe, who travelled from San Diego and Colorado, as well as Nic Parham and Jerry Smith, who came from Lithuania and Brussels respectively. It was a thoroughly enjoyable lunch, full of reminiscing and plenty of laughter.

ADAM PRESTON (d 84) I would also really love you to print the attached photograph which features myself with my father, Simon (d 51), and Trevor Boyd, the ex-Head of the Art Department.

NICHOLAS NISBET (g 86) My year group will probably be amused by this as I played solidly for the 3rd XI.... but I became an international cricketer last October representing Chile in the South American Cricket Championship against Argentina (a rather pathetic duck) and Panama (a joint top scoring 13 off 12 balls against the eventual tournament winners). Google Nick Nisbet Cricketer and I appear!

CHRISTIAN LOCKE (g 88) I started a new job as Head of Long Haul Product at Riviera Travel back in January and am really enjoying working for such an amazing company - over 40 years in business and offering group tours all over the world along with award winning river cruises.I recently went on Riviera’s tour to South Africa and had a great experience with 40 of our customers. My 21 year old

daughter, Erin, is working on a super yacht in Turkey and my 18 year old son, Ciaran, has just finished his A levels and is working as an Assistant Manager at a wedding venue in Knutsford.

AZLAN SHAROM (g 89) A mini reunion took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in June, bringing together a few OS who hadn’t seen each other in decades.

Among those meeting up were Feisal and Mike—who hadn’t crossed paths since leaving school nearly 35 years ago. Mike, now based in Poland, was visiting Malaysia with his wife and two children— marking their first trip to the country.

It was a wonderful afternoon filled with laughter, shared memories, and the kind of easy camaraderie that only old school friends can share. A small but memorable gathering that proved time and distance are no match for lasting friendships.

1990s

RICHARD ROBINSON (h 90) was ranked in the top 10 Marketing Influencers of 2025. Richard co-founded Ingenuity+ twelve months ago, which has gone on to become the largest connector of brands with creative, media and digital agencies in the UK.

PETER RICHARDS (g 94) recently won the 67 Pall Mall Global Wine

Communicator Award for the charttopping Wine Blast podcast he co-hosts with his wife (and fellow Master of Wine) Susie Barrie.

Despite the credentials, this is not a show that takes itself too seriously - recent episodes have featured Homer Simpson, comedian Marcel Lucont, a wrestling superstar, Peter’s pants - and why Essex might just be the new Burgundy. Available via all major audio platforms, from Apple Podcasts to Spotify and YouTube. More info at www.susieandpeter.com/podcast

STUART ENDACOTT (c 95) In February I became a qualified paragliding pilot after completing my training in Spain and on the South Downs. Since then, I have been trying to get as much flying in as possible, with my longest flight lasting 40 minutes and going up to 1,500ft. I’ve also nearly completed my paramotoring training so I can fly closer to home in North Hertfordshire.

JAMES TIMMIS (c 95) I am presently teaching History and Religious Education in a secondary school in Hounslow. It has been challenging returning to teaching in the state sector after over twenty years but also very rewarding. The students are predominantly Muslim and from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. This has certainly led to some fun opportunities to coach cricket. A large mosque is just opposite the school, so our Friday lunchtime break is extended to accommodate all the students going to pray. Aside from work, my wife continues to work as a respiratory consultant at Kingston Hospital, and my daughter is now five and is about to start Year 1.

TOM ROBINSON (a 96) Congratulations to Tom who was appointed King’s Counsel on 24 March 2025.

NICK CRACKNELL (m 96) My debut novel The Perfect Couple was longlisted for the Twisted Dagger Award, the Crime Writer’s Association thriller of the year. It didn’t win unfortunately but I was surprised to be nominated! My next novel The Girl In The Laptop will be published by Bloodhound Books in April 2026.

L to R: Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir (89c), Azlan Sharom (89g), Michael Rasmussen (89g), Azmi Sharom (87g)

SPOTTED AT GOODWOOD

Julian Schiller (a97), Balthazar Fabricius (e97), Ed Benbow (e97) and Balthazar’s son, Hector (f30), enjoyed a day out at Goodwood.

2000s

GILES MALE (e 02) I’m now one of only three people in the world to hold both a Microsoft MVP award (Most Valuable Professional) and an MFM (Master Financial Modeller) certification from the FMI (Financial Modelling Institute).

I also commentate and compete in the Microsoft Excel World Championships, and my company runs the UK Excel Competition.

I’m happy to give free spots for the 2026 UK competition to any OS.

SIMON PEEL YATES (m 03) Biggest update from me is that my son, Feidhlim Liam Peel Yates, was born on 18th March 2025.

I relocated to Ireland in March 2024 with my partner Elaine and have been leading the launch of Havas Media’s Content and Media Partnerships division, Havas Play Ireland, as the head of the agency. It’s been a successful 12 months with two of our campaigns winning Gold and Bronze awards at the Media Awards and several others shortlisted.

GEORGE FINDLAY (m 04) I have set up a Building Surveying Consultancy, Findlay Jackson Ltd, with my business partner. We offer residential and commercial building surveying services across the

On 19 November, a group of Abbey House OS met up with former Housemaster James Murphy O’Connor and his wife Ali for drinks at The Coach Makers in London during their visit from Bangkok. James described it as “a wonderful night.”

Southwest. Our offices are in Bath and Ilminster (South Somerset). https://www.findlayjackson.co.uk

OLLIE GARGRAVE (c 04) I am living in West Dorset having moved here with my wife, Lucy, a few years ago. In 2024 we became parents for the first time, welcoming our daughter Ottilie into our lives! We’re enjoying life in the country as a family of three. Please find attached a photo of Ottie from the summer.

GASH MBIZVO (g 06) I was pleased to have an article published in Nature Communications this year. It looked at the effects of sodium valproate — a drug used for epilepsy and bipolar disorder — on male fertility. Animal studies had suggested it might reduce fertility, and in the UK its use in men has recently been

restricted in part due to these concerns.By studying health records from nearly 630,000 men, we found little evidence that valproate itself harms male fertility, beyond the effects of the underlying conditions or other medications. This matters because fears about side-effects are a common reason men stop treatment — which can sadly lead to seizures, injuries, worsening mental health, or even death.

I hope the findings will help patients and doctors have more balanced conversations about treatment choices and also inform future prescribing guidance for this drug.

DAVID NICHOLLS (g 05), under the pen name David Orson Newton, will be publishing his debut novel, Seconds to Midnight, in April 2026.

The short blurb reads: The Doomsday Clock is seconds from midnight. Across a fractured Europe, governments crumble, armies mobilise, and an AI named Omnia begins to rewrite the world’s destiny. From the shadows of espionage to the frontlines of cyberwar, humanity’s last defence may come from the very people it has already left behind.

Forged through the author’s experiences in secretive UK defence procurement, the

Photo (L–R): Will Horder (b 04), Charlie Hoare (b 02) , Ali M-O’C, Rupert Lane (b 01), James M-O’C, Dougal Gordon (b 02), Justin Gulston (b 02), Ed Horder (b 02).

ABBEY HOUSE (2000s) OS GATHER IN LONDON

British Army and Silicon Valley, Seconds to Midnight takes readers on a mindbending exploration of humanity and the existential threat posed by Artificial Intelligence and human naivety.

The novel will be an OS affair.

The publisher is Chiselbury, founded and owned by Stuart Leasor (f 76), and the PR company Midas PR, promoting the novel, also represents the estate of John le Carré, real name David Cornwell (h 48).

ED ROGERS (d 07)

After 18 years of training, I have finally become a Consultant and Lt. Col. in the Royal Army Medical Services. I will be practising anaesthetics at Frimley Park Hospital and acute and transitional pain management at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall.

ANDY BULMAN (a 08) After working as a Chartered Surveyor in London until 2017, my then-girlfriend Molly and I moved to Vancouver in search of new adventures. I took on a role in real estate financing, and we spent much of our time exploring the outdoors—including a three-month kayaking trip during Covid. Five years later, Molly and I are married, we welcomed Zac in 2023 and, a few weeks ago, Isabelle. I finished my Psychology Doctorate in 2024 and now

work as a Clinical Health Psychologist in the NHS. The photo is with me, Zac and Zac’s godfather, Jimmy Kipling (a 08)

ED ALLFREY (g 09) Whilst on The River Doon in Ayrshire this month (August) I met Richard Bellamy (c 66). A lovely coincidence given that there were only 3 of us on our stretch of river. We shared a few stories from our time at Sherborne, lunched at the Gillies hut and fished together for a couple of hours.

HUBERT MAINWARING-BURTON (g 09) see Nigel Pullman (a 65)

2010s

HUGH CLEGG (a 13) BBC Film and the National Film and Television School (NFTS) are delighted to announce that Hugh will direct his first film with BBC Film, a dark comedy short, titled BLAND Written and directed by the Royal Television Society award-winning NFTS Documentary MA graduate, BLAND is a comic portrait of urban isolation, following a content moderator whose life

is disrupted by a fleeting, surreal encounter with strangers. The project has been selected for the prestigious NFTS/BBC Film Bridge to Industry scheme, which champions new voices in filmmaking.

Inspired to pursue film while studying ALevel art under Richard Cuerdon, Hugh has since gone on to establish himself as an emerging talent. BLAND is set for festival release in 2025 before streaming on BBC iPlayer.

Following BLAND, Hugh will begin work on a feature documentary capturing the lives of 50 Londoners during the summer of 2026.

JAMES VITALI (f 14) Life continues apace for me! Since February I have been on a book-writing sabbatical from Policy Exchange (where I was Head of Political Economy). I have a full draft now and will be revising / editing for a publication date next year. The book is an attempt to set out a new political economy for our country based on the values of personal ownership and responsibility.

Last year I was elected as a Conservative Councillor for the area in Dorset - just down the road from Sherborne - where I was raised.

This year, I was named as one of the Sunday Times’ thirty leaders under thirty, along with the likes of Lando Norris, Cole Palmer, Rosie Wrighting MP and Molly Mae.

HARRY PRENTICE (d 15) is Managing Director of Air Peace of Mind, a boutique, short let property management company based in London. www.airpeaceofmind.com

ALEX DAVIDSON (f 17) See Congratulations page 54.

LOUIS STREET (b 18) see Tim Street (b 51)

FREDDIE GRAHAM (c 19) has recently launched Sonogrove — an innovative, ethical, and collaborative music label, events collective, and community.

Sonogrove seeks to address some of today’s most pressing issues — social disconnection, polarisation, isolation, and environmental collapse — by nurturing connection through immersive, sensory experiences, creative releases, and storytelling.

Its events include:

ROOTS – A curation of intimate gigs and gatherings featuring bands, songwriters, and musical acts in outdoor and unconventional spaces.

RESONANCE – A series of sound-led, immersive experiences designed for rest, reflection, and transformation, from ambient quadraphonic performances and projection-mapped light shows, to meditative listening sessions.

THRIVE – A reimagining of dance culture beyond the late-night, where electronic music, immersive visuals, movement, and community converge.

“We’re actively seeking partnerships with like-minded groups, businesses, and individuals whose mission aligns with ours. If you’re interested in what we’re doing, we’d love to hear from you!”

www.sonogrove.com freddie@sonogrove.com

2020s

SAM MACDONALD (c 18) see congratulations page 54.

SAM REYNOLDS (c 20) From Oxford to Kyoto: A Year of Growth and Challenge

It’s been a year since I graduated from Oxford University with a 2:1 in History –the end of an incredible three years filled with friendships, academic exploration,

and sport. One of the highlights was representing the Oxford Blues Rugby Team, where I had the honour of serving as President in my final year.

After graduating in July 2024, I joined JMAN Group as an Associate Consultant Intern. During my time there, I developed skills in Power BI, Tableau, Excel, and Knime, and gained valuable experience working on client-facing projects.

In September 2024, I moved to Kyoto, Japan, for a new adventure—working part-time as a data analyst at Kansai Maruwa Logistics while playing semiprofessional rugby for their team, the Maruwa Logistarz, in Japan’s second tier.

It’s been an immensely rewarding year, both professionally and personally. One standout project has been developing a

HARRY JOHNSON (e 22), now studying Engineering at the University of Bristol, appeared on BBC Points West during a feature on unmanned helicopter technology developed by Certo Aerospace, where he’s currently interning. As part of the Certo team, Harry’s been getting stuck in on test days, helping trial cutting-edge drone systems. Speaking to the BBC, he said:

Power BI app for Maruwa’s recruitment team, integrating Python and AWS to streamline previously manual processes. In June 2025, I was honoured to speak (in Japanese!) at the company’s biannual event in conversation with CEO Wasami Masaru—a nerve-wracking but unforgettable moment after just 10 months of self-study.

I’m now in my final four months in Japan, focused on helping the Logistarz win the 2025 league and continuing to support Maruwa’s data team. I’m also preparing to sit the JLPT N3 Japanese language exam this December.

In January 2026, I’ll be returning to the UK and am looking forward to new challenges in the consulting world in London.

“It’s really cool to be working here. I’m doing an engineering degree so this is a chance to get some handson experience.”

The segment may no longer be available on iPlayer, but we’ve captured this great shot of Harry during filming — a proud moment for a young engineer making early waves in the world of aerospace innovation.

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

SAM MACDONALD ( c 18) , known professionally as Sam Rothera, on his nomination for Best Score – Short Film (Animated) at this year’s Hollywood Music in Media Awards!

Reflecting on the experience, Sam said it was “such a thrill just being in the room with Oscar winners and a ton of other people I look up to in the industry.” The event also marked his first red carpet appearance and first on-camera interview—milestones any young composer would dream of. Sam added that it felt surreal to be nominated alongside a DreamWorks short, and he “didn’t feel too bad about losing to a Valorant song with 19 million views on YouTube!”

RUPERT BRAVERY ( c 76) ON BEING AWARDED AN HONORARY PROFESSORSHIP We are delighted to congratulate Rupert on being awarded an Honorary Professorship by the University of Sussex in recognition of his work with the School of Engineering and Informatics.

This is particularly impressive as Rupert’s degree from Sussex was in Economics, his knowledge of engineering being self-taught.

ALEX DAVIDSON ( f 17) on being named Canon Young Sports Photographer of the Year 2024. It was a full-circle moment for Alex, who was named runner-up in the same category just four years ago. See his work on Instagram @photodavidson https://www.instagram.com/photodavi dson/?hl=en

NEIL BULSTRODE ( e 86) on being awarded a Hunterian Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons of England for his pioneering work in ear reconstruction.

This is a fantastic achievement, and we extend our warmest congratulations to Neil on this well-deserved recognition.

JONATHAN FAWKNER ( e 92) Creative Director and VFX Supervisor at Framestore, on his BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects for Wicked. This marks his fourth Oscar nomination—an incredible achievement!

JOHN HARDEN ( g 70) on reaching the finals of Mastermind.

JAMES VITALI ( f 14) on being named in The Sunday Times prestigious 30 Under 30 List! This annual list celebrates exceptional young talent, tenacity, and hard work across the UK — and James is a shining example of all three.

RUARI WHALLEY-ROSS ( b 15) , whose company, Whalley and Ross, has been shortlisted as a finalist for Top Luxury Adventure Agency 2025

JEREMY MACIVER ( b 08) on being named a finalist for the Young Professional of the Year in the New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards.

DOM THOMAS ( m 99) , founder and MD of Object and Animal whose debut film DAUGHTERS has been BAFTA Nominated.

THE OS LODGE

JOIN THE OS LODGE - AN EXCLUSIVE AND UNIQUE “DINING CLUB” EXPERIENCE WITH LIKE-MINDED ALUMNI. A CONTINUATION OF SHIRBURNIAN PRINCIPLES, VALUES AND AMBITION, OUR MEMBERSHIP IS STEEPED IN HISTORY, TRADITION AND, IN PARTICULAR, CHARITY. WE MEET FOUR TIMES A YEAR IN BOTH SHERBORNE AND LONDON.

If you would like to know more, we would be delighted to invite you to dine with us.

Please email the Secretary, Gordon Curtis (f 06): OSL3304@outlook.com

OSS COMMITTEE 2025/26

PRESIDENT

Jeffrey Carey

TRUSTEES

Michael French, Richard Green, Edward Bridges

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

CHAIRMAN

Stephen Rees-Williams

HEADMASTER

Simon Heard

HON. TREASURER

Martin Humphrey

STAFF

REPRESENTATIVE

Ben Sunderland

SECRETARY

John Harden

PILGRIMS

REPRESENTATIVE

Stephen Rees-Williams

OSGS

REPRESENTATIVE

Patrick Macintosh

OSSS REPRESENTATIVE

Angus Cater

SHERBORNE IN THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE

Angus Cater

CHAIRMAN OF FINANCE & BURSARY SUB-COMMITTEE

Angus Cater

CATEGORY A REPRESENTATIVE

Edward Bridges

CATEGORY C REPRESENTATIVE

George Densham

FINANCE AND BURSARY SUB-COMMITTEE

Angus Cater (Chairman)

Simon Worthy (Chief Operating Officer)

John Harden (Secretary)

Edward Bridges (Trustees’ Representative)

Martin Humphrey (Hon. Treasurer)

Ben Sunderland (Staff Representative)