The Notes Winter 2025

The official journal of The Dunstonian Association

The Notes

Alumni

8516 7308

Welcome introductions...

As winter nights draw in - despite the unseasonably warm weather - the festive season is fast approaching, and with it comes a jam-packed Winter edition of The Notes.

We’re delighted to share that the Dunstonian Office has grown with the arrival of Dr. Babette Radclyffe-Thomas, our new Alumni Engagement Officer. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Babette with any alumni-related enquiries.

This edition is full of highlights from recent alumni activities, including regional lunches, 60th birthday celebrations, college visits, sporting fixtures, and tours. If you’re interested in joining a society, sports team, lunch group, or even starting one of your own, do explore the upcoming events section, check out SDC connect or contact Isabelle or Babette in the Dunstonian Office. You’ll also find a feature on the Timeline Corridor curated by our wonderful archivist, Shea Hollis. It’s truly worth seeing in person - we would be delighted to welcome you back for a visit.

We share news from the recent celebration of the Bursary Campaign, generously hosted by Nigel Higgins, Barclays Group Chairman, at their Canary Wharf headquarters. The campaign continues to go from strength to strength, with over £2 million raised by the Philanthropy Team led by Isabelle Blake-James.

A brief update can be found on progress made this year in the first stage of the Park Langley project. And on the topic of sport, the College has enjoyed some outstanding successes, all detailed within these pages.

Talking of successes, whilst the College no longer plays rugby, talent still shines. Look to recent alumnus Noah Calouri, now selected for the England Men’s Rugby squad in the Quilter Autumn Internationals. He really is “one to watch!”

I could not sign off without a big “Thank you” to everyone involved with The Dunstonian Association for all the work that you do to keep our Alumni Community connected and thriving.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

Jonny Aucamp ('86) Chair of The Dunstonian Association

When Bob Rangecroft ('63) handed over the production of The Notes at the end of 2019, little did I know that I would still be heavily involved in putting the bi-annual Dunstonian magazine together for its 12th edition five years later.

This is one of my favourite publications and I simply love seeing it emerge little by little through emails we receive regularly, or off the cuff conversations we have with Dunstonians visiting the College or getting in touch. The team works tirelessly behind the scenes to put the content together in rather a short period of time. A special shout out must go to the College’s Archivist, Shea Hollis ('01) for having raised the Archives’ profile immensely over the past two years, and to our new Alumni Engagement Officer, Babette Radclyffe-Thomas ('07) who has taken to her role like a duck to water over the past three months. It will not come as a surprise to know that both Shea and Babette are Dunstonians themselves.

I therefore pondered why I was so fond of the magazine. And the answer is simple: I have got to know dozens of readers over the past eight years I have been at the College and I have always felt very welcome as an outsider and non Dunstonian myself. This edition is another testimony of the Dunstonian’s diversity, success and generosity of spirit which I must thank you for today.

I hope you enjoy our latest edition.

Isabelle Blake-James Director of Philanthropy & Alumni Relations

Meet our new Alumni Engagement Officer

I am Dr Babette RadclyffeThomas, the new Dunstonian Officer and alumna of the College ('07). I attended St Dunstan’s College from 2000 to 2005 on an academic scholarship, and I left 20 years ago this year, so it feels like perfect timing to return to the College again!

During my time at the College I was very sporty as well as academic, and I swam a lot even swimming for the boys team! I was on the hockey team too and loved most topics but I especially loved studying history, French and Latin. I was in Stuart house and enjoyed my time at the College. Some of you may recognise my name as my brother Beau ('09) was very sporty too and played a lot of rugby during his time at the College. I left the College in 2005 to relocate to Hong Kong with my family. I attended Leeds University and studied Chinese for my undergraduate, and most recently I achieved my PhD specialising in Vogue China, the Chinese fashion magazine. When I am not here in the Dunstonian Office, I am a freelance journalist and events manager.

I reconnected again with the College last year and attended the 30 year anniversary of the school becoming coed. Since then, I’ve attended nearly every event I can including travelling to Ypres on the Battlefield Tour earlier this year.

I first travelled to Ypres as a year 8 student with Mr Sharp (pictured above), our history teacher. I loved Mr Sharp’s classes and they really spurred on my lifelong interest in history.

So when the opportunity arose to go on another St Dunstan’s Battlefield Tour nearly 20 years later, I of course had to go.

We all had the best time and it was a great trip but I also had one of the most surreal experiences of my life, when at the Menin Gate Ceremony, after watching the CCF on parade under the gate, I literally bumped into Mr Sharp! He had no idea Dunstonians were there and he was touring a secondary school there. Needless to say, I cried uncontrollably and told him how much I loved his history classes!

Since that trip and many other events, it has been great to return to the College, reconnect with classmates and staff, and get to know so many other Dunstonians too. Since starting as the Dunstonian Officer we have held the plaque to plaque fundraising walk for Street Child charity, which was a great achievement although I’m not sure I can ever walk that far again! I still find it a bit surreal to be back and walk into spaces that were ‘staff only’ during my time or eat lunch in the refectory again!

I can’t wait to meet more fellow Dunstonians, hear your news, and host a wide range of events that you want to attend and enjoy! Please do reach out to say hi and I hope you enjoy reading this edition of The Notes.

Dunstonian Associatio n

The

NEWS DUNSTONIAN & Scrapbook

Double alumnus of St Christopher’s and St Dunstan’s officially opens a new playground at St Christopher’s

The opening ceremony took place on Wednesday 3 September 2025 in a wonderful event attended by pupils, parents and staff. The playground was officially opened by special guest Tim Allardyce ('98), an alumnus of St Christopher’s and a successful entrepreneur who runs physiotherapy centres across south-east London. Tim has generously supported the playground project, helping to make the exciting vision a reality.

Ian Metcalfe ('86)

Ian’s company has been providing beautiful acrylics to the College for the past decade and he came in in person in October to say hello. Little did he know that he would be meeting two fellow Dunstonians who happen to work in the Dunstonian office - Babette RadclyffeThomas ('07) pictured right and Archivist Shea Hollis ('01), left.

Dr. David Jefferys ('70)

Past president of the TDA and member of the Development Board, David was installed as the 408th Master of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries at the end of August 2025.

This City Livery company traces its origins back to 1178 and became independent of the Grocers Company in 1617. Its splendid hall is the oldest in the City of London, being the first to be rebuilt in 1672 after the great fire.

"It is a huge honour to be the Master of this historic institution, which remains very active in medical education through its Centre for Health Studies and running many postgraduate diplomas in addition to having a leading role in the governance of the City of London. It was wonderful to be present at the Guildhall recently to see the great marching display by the College’s Corps of drums and Amy receiving the award for the best bugler."

Daniel Bushaway ('92) Photography in Australia

A

Daniel is an artist and filmmaker living and working in Melbourne, Australia. He has a fascination for man-altered landscapes, predominantly the way nature is altered through industry. He aims to observe, document and ultimately understand why we cultivate our environments in the way that we do. His practice explores and documents a variety of people, infrastructures, systems and processes that help to support the spectrum of industry. With this in mind, he hopes to give his audience the opportunity to evaluate the landscape from a different perspective. You can see his work at: www.danielbushaway.com.au

reply to Roger Davenport (’63) from

John

Brightwell ('63) about the CCF

“I was goaded into action when I received the Summer edition of The Notes, because the interesting resumé of my old friend Roger Davenport contained a small error which, being a nerd, I thought I would draw to your attention. Roger refers to our CCF Band practices, and specifically to them being run by Mr Stocking. They were, in fact, conducted by Bob ‘La’ Lewis, a visiting bandmaster from the RA Barracks at Woolwich, an understandable confusion of the memory as the two gentlemen were of not dissimilar countenance.

Steve Baker ('68)

Thank you to Steve Baker (’68) for sending a superb picture of Stephen Laws, Clive Beetles and himself taken almost 70 years ago in his back garden in 1959.

The nickname ‘La’ I understood to be occasioned by Mr Lewis’ frequent exhortation that a phrase should go: ‘La, la, la’ or similar! A further reminiscence of Mr Lewis is of the time when I was a complete rooky attempting to march with an unwieldy drum, and he uttered the encouraging words “You’ll never make a drummer”! Well, shucks to you, Mr Lewis, but I then went on to be Solo Drummer of the Band for four years and eventually became a professional percussionist playing with the top orchestras of the land.”

Tree planting by Steven Smith all the way from Australia to honour his ancestors Sydney Horace and John Clarence Smith

Stephen Dyer ('80)

Stephen Dyer at the Bulls Head in Chislehurst with fellow ('80) Dunstonians:

Clive Archer, Stephen Dyer, Russ Harrison, Mark Hayford, Bob Pitman, Paul Sibun, Arnold Tarling and Gareth Walters.

Gordon River Dam

Tyrol - Mt Buller

Visy Paper Mill - Corrugator

Paul Stanley ('84) 60th Birthday Party

A joint 60th party was held at the Trafalgar Tavern Greenwich on 11 July by Paul Stanley and Peter Hobson 1984. Can you recognise any of the following attendees?

Paul Ashworth ('83), Richard Birch ('82), Zolt Biro ('83), Steve Bowyer ('85), Adam Cluer ('93), Paul Crawford ('84), Tony Deveraux ('84), Rob Diss ('84), Richard Fagg ('85), Andy Glynnne ('84), Rob Harley ('85), Keith Hehir ('83), Paul Hobson ('93), Steve Latimer ('83), Neil Kerr ('83), Sam Lewis ('76), Tim Mallott ('83), Steve Mott ('83), Paul Murphy ('85), Tony Pearlgood ('85), Simon Rawle ('84), Chris Reeves ('82), Ben Rumney ('84), Gordon Spiteri ('84), Terry Suckling ('83), Ian Sutch ('84), John Sutherland ('84), Paul Thomas ('83), Paul Thompson ('84), Scott Tyler ('85), and Richard Whichello ('85).

3rd Lions Test meet in Sydney

A bunch of Dunstonians conveniently found themselves down under in early July, to go and watch a test match in Sydney on 2 August of this year:

From left to right: Paul Thompson ('84), Paul Slade ('84), Paul Stanley ('84), Brad Mullins ('82), Ian Ailles ('84), Pete Hobson ('84), Paul Cutcher ('83).

Dr Alan Thompson ('74)

Dr Alan Thompson ('74) was appointed as President of Kent Rugby Football Union at their AGM in October for a 2 year term.

Alan played for ODRFC from 19741990. He was Honorary Medical Officer for Blackheath and Kent RFU from 2001-2025. He retired from medical practice in May 2025.

Alan was also President of Blackheath FC for five years from 2018-2025. We understand that he is the first Dunstonian to be appointed President of Kent RFU.

Roy Payton ('55) gave a speech about getting back into rugby

Zoltan Biro and Neil Kerr ('83)

Richard Birch ('82) and Keith Hehir ('83)

Paul Thompson ('84) with John Sutherland ('84) Rob Diss ('84) and Ben Rumney ('84)

Below: Terry Suckling ('83), Tim Mallott ('83) and Ben Rumney ('84)

James Fiske’s ('95) new yacht

The photo above is of 'Haida 1929' surrounded by ice in Alaska in 2024.

"She is a 1929 classic motor yacht still operating with her ORIGINAL engines. I took her from Europe across to Bahamas, up to New York and Boston then down to Panama and Costa Rica and eventually up to 60 degrees north in Alaska. A massive 2.5 year cruising plan with an amazing family. We had a crew of 20+ onboard from chiefs to engineers, deck crew and of course interior crew.

I am currently the Build Captain on a 72m yacht. Based in Italy for the build process. We aim to launch in October and final hand over to me in January next year. Then we work up the yacht to take her to sea. Hybrid power with two huge battery banks so we can be zero emissions when entering port. Probably one of the most advanced yachts for its size being built and is definitely the most complex I’ve been involved in. "

Update from Roger Coombes ('62)

"Working back through my memory lane just now and came across this photo of the five original members of the Fencing Group, back in the early 1960s.

We were enabled to set this up with the encouragement of Dick Ellerby, the then PE master, who found a retired army instructor to give us the necessary training. Young Johnson joined us quite soon after the startup and rapidly became able to trounce everyone else - aided partly by being the only left-hander in the group!

I think I remember an article in a recent communication from you that he then went on to become an Olympic medallistfantastic!

1983 Reunion at Bread Street Kitchen

Above are the group of ('83) who met on 20 November at the Bread Street Kitchen.

Pictured: Aggy Kouzos (guest), Ian Jack, Graham Beauchamp, Anthony Edwards, Sean Malone, Simon Grout, Andy Sims, Danny Moar, Bryn Griffiths and David Edwards (behind the camera).

The people in the fencing photo are as follows: Top row left to right: Ron Diprose, Alan Bennett. Front row left to right: me, Tony Ford, Bill Haydon.

Fencing then played a very important role in my personal life. My first job after Cambridge and VSO in West Africa was with ICI in Runcorn: I lived in Chester with a small group of equally disreputable bachelors, joined the local fencing club where I was prodded with her foil by a young lady. Christine and I have now been happily married for 56 years, the last 45 of them in Italy!"

Roger also found this great image right too, of the CCF at London Bridge.

“The only other photo I’ve found is this one of Sergeant Coombes

leading a platoon, possibly of T Company over London Bridge on Commemoration Day in either 1961 or 1962, with the then Chairman of the Board of Governors taking the salute. In those times the whole school would be taken by a special train from Catford Bridge to the north side of the river, and then go over the bridge on foot to Southwark Cathedral.”

1975 leavers dinner in Harrogate in June 2025

Anticlockwise around the table - Mike Chandler, Chris Huntley, Malcolm Tibbits, Simon Wood, Neil Fowler, David Murray.

St

Christopher's Connect

As the links between the College and St Christopher’s continue to multiply. We are delighted to announce that an alumni platform was launched in September 2025 for all former pupils at the Beckenham Prep’ School. Please do share your stories and pictures and look out for that special reunion coming up in 2026.

Brian Light ('60)

Mick Taylor ('68) discovered St Dunstan's Basilica

Mick shares, “I was on a long awaited trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada, birthplace of L M Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables and many other novels, short stories and poems, I chanced upon this church in Charlottetown. I wanted to share this beautiful church with other Dunstonians.”

“I was very interested to read the article about the new link between St Christopher’s school and SDC in the summer edition of the Notes. Mentioned in Mark/Suzanne Newton’s notes, the ‘Mrs Light’ who taught French at St Christopher’s and subsequently became Senior Mistress, was my mother. My mother was to remarry following the premature death of my father, becoming Mrs Harris. I believe Bill Harris was also a governor at St Christopher’s for a time. My mother died in Bournemouth in 2020, aged 97.”

A surprising button donation

We were delighted and very surprised to receive an unexpected archive donation of a College blazer cuff button. A kind member of the public who was clearing out a family’s home, came across our College button, tidied and cleaned it up, and sent it to our archive! She and her family have no connection to the College so have no idea how the button ended up in the family’s button collection, and funnily enough one of the College blazers in our archive is missing a cuff button…it was meant to be!

St Dunstan’s Stores in Canterbury

Thank you to Mark Newman ('73) for sending us this fun picture of a shop in Canterbury. There is of course a link to St Dunstan and Canterbury and one of our new Houses is named Canterbury.

ALUMNI Around the World

As more and more Dunstonians reconnect via SDConnect, we asked our new Database Officer, Julian Joseph, to investigate where there are clusters of Dunstonians both in the UK and around the world. He came up with these brilliant maps.

If some of you would like to organise an annual luncheon reunion in the Midlands for instance, please do contact the Dunstonian Office who will be able to assist from start to finish: you just need to find a lovely restaurant to host the lunch!

In the meantime and as you already know, CEO Nick Hewlett and Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, Isabelle BlakeJames, are heading down under in February 2026.

Tim Allardyce ('98) to climb Everest

In April 2026 I will travel to Nepal to attempt the summit of Mount Everest. Along the way I will also climb Island Peak, and if conditions allow after Everest I hope to continue on to the summit of Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world.

This expedition is a personal challenge, but it is also an opportunity to raise funds for a group of organisations that mean a great deal to me:

The Osteopathic Foundation, St Dunstan's Education Foundation, Sherpa Team, Guy's and St. Thomas' Charity.

This is a very tough challenge, and at first I only set my sights on summitting Ama Dablam, Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, but after that, I knew Everest was possible with the right amount of preparation and very extensive training.

The Osteopathic Foundation: I served on the board for eight years and saw first-hand the positive work they do for the osteopathic community. They fund important projects that advance the profession and provide education grants to students who are struggling with tuition fees, giving people a chance to pursue the career they are passionate about.

St Dunstan's Education Foundation: Both of my former schools, St Dunstan's and St Christopher's, have shaped a huge part of my life. I am grateful for the education and support I received and want to help ensure the same opportunities for current and future students.

Sherpa Team: The Sherpas are the unsung heroes of every Himalayan climb. Their skill, strength and commitment keep us safe. They fix ropes, carry loads and take on enormous risk to help climbers succeed. I will be supported by Gyalzen Sherpa, and I want to give something

meaningful back to him and the wider Sherpa community, who rely heavily on tips and donations to support their families.

Guy's and St Thomas' Charity: This hospital provided life-changing care to Kay during her kidney transplant, and again supported us during the births of our children. They continue to deliver outstanding care to thousands of families. I am raising funds in recognition and gratitude for everything they have done for us. Thank you for your support. It means more than you know and I look forward to taking you with me on this journey

Donating through JustGiving is simple and secure. Once donations are received, I will distribute all money to the charities and organisations mentioned. Every contribution, no matter the size, genuinely helps. My Justgiving page is www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ everest26.

REUNION DUBAI

St Dunstan's College first Dubai Reunion took place on 26 September 2025

A dozen Dunstonians from all decades gathered for dinner at the Positano Italian Restaurant at the JW Marquis Marriott in central Dubai for a very jolly evening which ended on the 72nd floor in the Vault Bar overlooking night time Dubai. Some Dunstonians braved Dubai Friday night traffic whilst others flew from Qatar or Bahrain.

Group CEO Nick Hewlett and Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, Isabelle Blake-James, really enjoyed meeting Ilyas Amuah ('07), Babar Chaudhri ('85), Taiyab Ghafoor ('94), Lloyd McMillan ('07), Scott McMillan ('04), Anthony Proctor ('99), Michael Twerdochlib ('07) and Neil Wood ('79), and missed others based in the region who were unable to attend.

The Middle East seems to be one of the strongest Dunstonian based community outside the UK after Australia, so much so that a WhatsApp group is now live. Please do let our Dunstonian Officer, Babette Radclyffe-Thomas, know if you intend to move out to the region as our guess (and hope) is that regular meet ups will now take place at The Positano...

Watch this space!

Dunstonian Associatio n

Lloyd McMillan ('07), Isabelle Blake-James and Michael Twerdochilib ('07)

Lloyd McMillan ('07), Ilyas Amuah ('07) and Michael Twerdochlib ('07)

Nick Hewlett with Neil Wood ('79)

Anthony Proctor ('99)

Back: Taiyab Ghafoor ('94), Neil Wood ('79) & Anthony Proctor ('99)

SOUTH WEST ANNUAL LUNCH REUNION

On the 18 October we returned to the South West of England to host our annual luncheon reunion to great success. We met at Winslade Manor, an early 19th century manor house nestled on the outskirts of Exeter and surrounded by 86 acres of parkland, where we have held the lunch for the last few years.

We started with welcome drinks in the lounge area before eating a delicious meal in a private dining room.

A wide range of Dunstonians joined us from the class of 1952 to the class of 1976, including Stephen Baker ('68), Michael (Mike) Foster ('68), Sam Lewis ('76), Andrew Mew ('66), Paul Miller ('75), Geoffrey Palmer ('75), Noel Rayner ('65), Trevor Smith ('75), Stewart Wilson ('75) and David Young ('52).

It was great to welcome back several regulars and a few new faces too! It is always a pleasure to hear anecdotes from Dunstonians reminiscing of their time at the College, and receive donations for our

archive too (thank you Andy!)

A special thank you to Mike Foster who is central to organising this Luncheon Reunion and gave a nice, eventful, welcome speech. We are already counting down to next year's luncheon.

Our SW Luncheon Reunions are an annual tradition going back decades (we think to the 1980s) - if anybody does know when these Luncheon Reunions first started please do let us know.

The reunion events are open to any Dunstonians, no matter where you live or what 'Class of' you are and take place in the South West of England.

FUN FACT: Who were the two Dunstonians, father and son who were 1st XV Rugby Captain and Rugby Club President respectively in the same year? If you can name the year it was, you will receive a bottle of fizz. Email us at: dunstonians@stdunstans.org.uk

Mike Foster ('68) welcomes guests, sat next to Paul Miller ('75) and Stephen Baker ('68)

Geoffrey Palmer ('75) and Trevor Smith ('75) Below: Stephen Baker ('75), Kristina Baker ('75) and Mike Foster ('68)

NEWS INSTA From Recent Alumni

A Level Results Day 2025

Thank you to the Chair of the TDA, Jonny Aucamp ('86), for attending this year’s A Level results day at the College.

He valiantly handed out dozens of terrific goodie bags to all Year 13 leaving the College and starting their next chapter. Excellence. Differently.

Tim Allardyce ('98) - First keynote speaker of 2025-26

We were honoured to welcome back Tim Allardyce ('98) to the College in October 2025 as our first Key Note Speaker of this academic year. He kindly drew on his own experiences working with Olympic athletes at multiple Olympic games, preparing for his Mount Everest climb and being a successful entrepreneur, to host an inspirational day at the college for current students.

Tim commenced his day speaking with Year 8 students on adaptability and selfmanagement, and the students were delighted to see and even handle, not one, not two but six different Olympic torches!

Tim then delivered an insightful talk on ‘being your own boss’ to students ranging from Year 7 to Year 13, before delving into mentoring groups with select sixth formers who wanted to hear more about investing and entrepreneurship.

Natasha Andoh ('24) visits the College during the summer

Natasha visited Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, Isabelle Blake-James, in August 2025.

It is always a pleasure to welcome back young alumni, so please don’t hesitate to simply “pop in” during the summer months!

Alex Grant ('92)

Thank you to Alex Grant (’92) for being our second Key Note Speaker of this academic year:

Alex spent the day at the College in November meeting various year groups as well as running workshops with Sixth Formers.

His new book is due to be published in late 2026.

Isabella Burley ('09)

Isabella is making waves and appeared in an article in the Observer in October 2025.

Calling Callers!

Between 16-30 August 2026 the College will be Telephone Campaign in order to raise funds from its Bursary Fund as well as other

We will need 15 amazing young Dunstonians to make calls on our behalf over the two week period.

All training provided

The campaign is online and you can work

It is generously remunerated

If you think you may be interested in taking part, please email Hannah French at: development@stdunstans.org.uk.

Piotr Burda-Zwolinski ('21)

Former Head of School, Piotr Burda-Zwolinski (’21), is busy working for Milton Lloyd Ltd in the Middle East.

Piotr was introduced to Milton Lloyd Chair, Peter Jackson (’68) at the Fundraising Black Tie Dinner held at the College in 2024.

Beau Radclyffe-Thomas ('09)

Beau RadclyffeThomas ('09) has recently joined Hong Kong's leading personal fitness training gym in Hong Kong H.I.T. Personal Training. When a student at the College, he played on multiple sports teams and excelled in swimming and middle-distance running.

for!

Noah Coluari (pictured centre) is a young rugby player to watch out

He attended the College between 2010 and 2023.

Noah Coluari ('23)

ROUND UP Sport

GOLF

Autumn Golf Tour

The Autumn Golf tour for 2025 took place in South Oxfordshire on two very different courses this year. An inland links to start with followed by a course on the Ridgeway with stunning views. A group of 16 members and guests took part over the two days in some close fought competitions. The location was chosen as it is close enough for members to play either one or two days

The Caversham, home of Reading Golf Club was the first venue, having recently undergone a huge investment on the course and club house. The course allowed some great scores for the day, and the general scores were closer to par than normal golf days. Neil Kerr won with 39 points, closely followed by Jonny Aucamp and David Edwards. Nearest the pin on the par 3 17th 144 yards was again, Neil Kerr who was having a stunning round. Nearest the pin in 2, 4th hole 340 yards was Nigel Keess to 6 yards, beating Mark Pearce by 1 yard.

Drinks were taken on the balcony as the sunset on the day, and the group moved 5 minutes down the road to Caversham, for a drink and a perfect Italian meal along with the chance to relive the days’ golf. Wednesday morning broke

Dunstonian G olf Societ y

as all regrouped at The Caversham for breakfast, with rain in the air and heavy downpours forecast for the afternoon.

Despite the possible forecast for heavy rain, the Par 3 competition took place in the simulator room playing well know holes all over the world. Congressional 10th 112 yards, Coeur d’Alene 14th 141 yards, Wentworth West 18th into the green 112 yards, and finally Pebble Beach 88 yds into a gale! Neil Kerr again set the mark, winning the first challenge, but then Mark Pearce managed to win all the next 3 holes.

The group then drove 5 miles to their next golf course, Goring and Streatley. This parkland course is known locally for its very fast greens, and yes, they lived up to their reputation. At 1pm when teeing off, the clouds blackened and for the next 40 minutes rain, more rain and tropical rain fell from the sky. Putting was tricky, but by the time we reached the 5th hole the rain had stopped, the course dried quickly, and the sun to finally make its appearance. Again, more great scores were made, and Rob Brophy came out on top with 34 points holing a stunning putt on the last to seal his victory. Three members finished on 33 points, Jerry

Nearest the pin was the 9th hole 125 yards won by Mark Pearce, and nearest the pin in 2 on the 13th 330 yards was hit by David Edward, who having recently taken up golf was having an excellent tour.

All agreed the tour had been very successful and it was unanimously agreed to revisit the courses again in 2026. Thanks to all those who took part along with the organisers Keith Norman and Mark Pearce.

The next golf meeting was at Knole Park Golf Club on Tuesday 2 December for the Xmas Fayre – 18 holes golf followed by Christmas lunch and the AGM.

If you are interested in playing some golf with Dunstonians, we now have a WhatsApp group where all details of future days will be posted. If you would like to join, please email Keith Norman – KeithNorman22@icloud.com or text/ WhatsApp him on 07836 549774.

Golf society dates:

Thursday 7 May – Surrey National Golf Club, Caterham

Thursday 2 July – Westerham Golf Club

Thursday 10 September/Friday 11 September – Reading tour playing Goring & Streatly and The Caversham Club with an overnight stay plus dinner in Caversham.

Scott, Sean Malone and David Edwards.

The tour group at The Caversham

Keith Norman playing par 3 comp

Tuesday’s winner Neil Kerr (left) ('83) presented by Keith Norman ('85)

Final chat and after match drinks Weds at GSGC

Tuesday night Italian meal

OD CUACO CRICKET CLUB

OD Cuaco CC faced a challenging season in 2025. Success in previous seasons had resulted in multiple promotions across the teams, but with a slight decline in player availability and some close matches going in the wrong direction, overall results dropped off.

The 1st XI was relegated from Division 1 of the Kent League on the final weekend. The team was in the top half of the league at the mid-point of the season, but with the new pink ball phase in the 2nd half, only one more win was forthcoming, with relegation confirmed on the final game of the season. While obviously disappointing, there remained some positive signs of younger player development and the club continues to play at a high KCL tier level.

On a similar theme, the 3rd XI was also relegated from Division 9 but the 2nd and 4th XIs had significantly more successful seasons, with some excellent results in their respective divisions and staying comfortably in mid-table. The Sunday Development side again recorded some strong results, but the club is revisiting its Sunday programme for 2026, with a shift back to friendly fixtures planned.

The colts section remains strong, with vast numbers attending for training, especially on Sunday mornings. This has

CRICKET

been facilitated by an excellent army of volunteers and is key to maintaining the club’s future strength as Kent cricket trends towards consolidation around a few larger clubs.

The Indoor season has kicked off, with OD Cuaco unbeaten at the time of writing and challenging for a 4th consecutive league title, and hoping to go one step further at the all-Kent finals day in February.

Overall, the club remains optimistic for the future, while acknowledging the challenges posed by strong competition, and a shift towards a younger generation of players in the senior sides.

The club is embracing the exciting changes and possibilities for growth with the transfer of the ground and look forward to stronger ties with the school.

We are always looking for new members, juniors and seniors. Indoor training and nets start in earlier January for both.

For any interest in training or membership, please contact andyrouse3333@outlook.com.

Andy Rouse ('83) Executive Club Chairman, OD CUACO Cricket Club

RUGBY

Jeremy Scott, Chair of the Old Dunstonians RFC published this open letter recently:

Dear Members, Supporters, and Friends,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to write this open letter to explain what is happening at the OD’s and to expel any rumours that might be circling. This is also meant to give all an update on the decisions being made recently to make sure the club can continue, look to re-build and thrive again for years to come.

Our Current Situation

As many of you are aware, our club has seen both its share of triumphs and challenges over the years. Most recently we have seen a decline in the number of players joining and playing for the senior team. This has resulted in each season being tougher and tougher for the players, coaches and organisers to raise a team each week. It has become challenging for all those involved and a number of individuals losing enthusiasm to continue to do what is asked of them.

This shouldn’t be the case, the OD’s in has always prided itself on being a fun enjoyable place to be part of and play rugby at.

As a result we, the committee, and the senior players, have taken the decision to remove ourselves from the current league we are in and enter a league that we all feel will be more suited as well as bringing the fun and enjoyment back to all involved. There are fewer games but they are all very local.

Some may see this as a negative move, however we believe this will actually allow us to focus towards the future and commit ourselves to getting this great club back on an upward trajectory.

Who Can Help?

Every single one of you can make a difference. One person brings two, two bring four - and that is how we begin to rebuild.

Old Dunstonians RFC is an open and inclusive club, and we welcome everyone, regardless of background or experience:

Haven’t played rugby since school? No problem.

Not currently fit? That’s absolutely fine.

Prefer to contribute in other ways? You are more than welcome, I am not too

proud to tell you we need your help.

The survival and growth of this club depend on collective action. You can choose to watch from the sidelines and criticise, or you can stand with us and be part of the solution.

This is a significant undertaking. Although we have a committee of very committed individuals, we cannot do this alone. We need a collection of enthusiastic individuals to stand with us.

Please rest assured rugby is continuing at OD’s and there is a full fixture list that will be published shortly as well as the usual social engagements throughout the season topped off with our 90th Tour to Cornwall.

Any further questions or indeed offers of help both playing and administration duties please don’t hesitate to contact us via our website : www.odrfc.co.uk

Jeremy Scott, Chair

Old Dunstonian Rugby Football Club

RETURNING DUNSTONIANS

to their alma mater

The College’s doors remain wide open at all times to welcome you back for a tour, a lunch and a chat with our students. We have recently enjoyed welcoming back the following Dunstonians:

• Tim Allardyce ('98)

• Martin Baggaley ('78)

• Chris Hills ('73)

• Paul Johnson ('77)

• Brian Kelvin ('62)

• Andrew McIver ('81)

• Ian Metcalfe ('86)

• Graham Pointer ('85)

• Mike Rogers ('69)

If you would like a private tour of the College, please contact our Alumni Engagement Officer, Babette Radclyffe-Thomas at: dunstonians@stdunstans.org.uk

Paul Johnson ('77)

Brian Kelvin ('62)

Andrew McIver ('81)

Graham Pointer ('85)

Ian Metcalfe ('86)

Martin Baggaley ('78)

Tim Allardyce ('98)

Mike Rogers ('69)

Chris Hills ('73)

'05 Decade Luncheon Reunion

On the 1st of November, we welcomed back a group of delightful Dunstonians to the College for a very lively and friendly 5s Luncheon Reunion event.

We commenced the event with tea and coffee in the Lobby with the chance to enjoy the archives exhibition. The selection of archival items were specifically chosen to represent each decade attending and some Dunstonians even found images of themselves that they had completely forgotten about! (See our great photo in the online media gallery of Jonny Aucamp '86!)

We then took Dunstonians on a tour of the College including the Great Hall, Refectory, sports boards, the space which used to be the tuck shop and is now the staff room, the new theatre (in the space which used to be Woodwork/ Craft/DT), the STEM block and more! Next we enjoyed a delicious luncheon in the JVC room, which was decorated specially for the event.

A wide range of Dunstonians joined us from the class of 1954 to the class of 1995, including Jonny Aucamp ('86), Neil Fowler ('75), Chris Hadfield ('95), Malcolm Hubbard ('54), Chris Huntley ('75), Stephen Moore ('85), Tony Skipper ('55), Ivor Thomas ('95), Malcolm Tibbits ('75), Ken Walker ('75), John White ('55) and Simon Wood ('75).

We also welcomed several guests including Bongkot Ngamsom, Jamie Skipper-Reed and Yulia Wood. It is always a pleasure to hear anecdotes from Dunstonians reminiscing of their time at the College including wild tales of Hells Angels on bikes along the Middle Corridor. John White even brought along his own memorabilia to showcase including a cigarette card advertisement for College caps! We love reconnecting with Dunstonians - Malcolm Hubbard had not been back to the school in over 70 years!

Ivor Thomas and Chris Hadfield ('95)

John White ('55)

Neil Fowler ('75), Malcolm Hubbard ('54) , Stephen Moore ('85)

Remembrance Day 2025

On 11 November, Dunstonians gathered at the College for a moving Remembrance service led by Dunstonian Reverand Douglas Dales ('70) see homily,

We started the morning with tea and coffee in the JVC (Johnson VC room, named after Dunstonian Johnson who was awarded the VC medal) and a viewing of an excellent exhibition curated by the College Archivist Shea Hollis (01). The exhibition showcased the lives of eight remarkable Dunstonians who were killed during WWI and whom our House system was named after. These eight students are also the focus of Our Remembrance podcast series where we share the stories of eight heroic former students who gave their lives in the First World War which you can watch on YouTube here. These eight Dunstonians are also who the previous Houses were named after and you can find out the stories of Bennett, Thomas, Goosey, Wilson, Griffiths, Johnson, Lane and Ross.

We then joined the College for a service in the Great Hall where Dunstonians Lt Col Mike Foster (68) and Revrd Douglas Dales gave readings, and the College choir performed several moving pieces.

We then processed out to the front of the College for a wreath laying service and the College Corps of Drums performed.

We then returned to the JVC to enjoy a light lunch and Dunstonians had a chance to meet members of the CCF and Navy at the College. Dunstonians who attended included Douglas Dales ('70), Kim Davenport, Mike Foster ('68), Malcolm Hubbard ('54), Perry Luke ('95), Iain Macdowall ('81), Andrew Stanley, Martyn Wright ('92), and the Dunstonian Association team including Shea Hollis ('01) and Babette RadclyffeThomas ('07). You can watch the full Remembrance Day service now via YouTube.

After lunch the Dunstonian Association team headed to Reigate School, an extremely important school in our College history. During the Second World War, College students were evacuated to Reigate until 1944, when they then moved to Caerphilly in Wales. In the College archives we have several photos taken of the students time in Reigate, and we wanted to know more about why they moved to Reigate, what their schooling might have been like and more.

At Reigate School we met with the school archivist and members of their teaching teams, to discuss our shared history over tea and minced pies, and thanks to the Reigate team we were able to identify several key places in the photos such as sports grounds, and a building where Dunstonian students were likely to have studied. We could also show them photos and documents they had never seen before, and share how we embed the archive into the current College student experience.

We then travelled to Reigate's nearby sports pitches to watch a friendly match between the College and Reigate girls and boys football teams, and we hope this will be the first of many more so watch this space!

After the match and a friendly bacon bap, we drove to a nearby street where we found the building Dunstonian students most likely studied in during their time in Reigate! See the photos at the end of this media gallery.

More and more is being uncovered now about Dunstonians experience in Reigate, and this definitely marks the first step in a blossoming inter-collegiate friendship.

On 11 November we welcomed Douglas Dales ('70) to the College to host our Remembrance Day Service. If you would like to watch the ceremony you can see it on the College’s YouTube Channel.

Homily for Remembrance Day by Dunstonian Revd Douglas Dales ('70)

‘When you get home, tell them of us and say: for your tomorrow, we gave our today.’

While I was a pupil here at the College, I remember encountering those words for the first time, carved on a plaque in a garden in Kent where the owners had lost both their children in the Second World War: the words moved me deeply then, and they still do. Today we are saluting the memory and giving thanks for all those members of this College, who with great courage went to fight in both world wars for the independence, integrity, and freedom of this country; and in the case of the Second World War for the liberation of Western Europe as well. We remember too all those from here who have served in the armed forces in various conflicts across the world since 1945.

It is also important to remember that both world wars involved allies and participants from many parts of the world across the British Empire and Commonwealth –from India and other parts of Asia, from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as from the Dominions of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Without American support in both conflicts, Britain would never have prevailed; and it is equally important to remember the great suffering of the Russians, who were our allies then, and whose civilian and military losses were ten times those of the Western allies. We remember that the Second World War united many nations in the defence of freedom and the rule of law, giving birth eighty years ago to the United Nations as a forum for reconciling conflicts and upholding human rights.

Today the curse of war ravages too many countries: in the Sudan and the Congo,

remember the many victims of war –refugees, homeless people, families torn apart, children made orphans, or whose education has been disrupted. Our hearts go out to them, and we pray for them, as we pray for a just and stable peace in our day. We also pray for all those bringing aid to those who are suffering from violence and war, and for those seeking to bring about peace by diplomacy and negotiation.

Remembrance Day reminds us that the issues arising from the Second World War remain important today: stable boundaries upheld as agreed between countries; restraint of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction; the rule of law and upholding of treaties; human rights, including the freedom to think, write, and worship. We remember many Christians and others who are being persecuted today. It falls to our generation to advance and protect human rights and the principles of international law to the best of our ability, for ourselves and also for those who come after us. This is the best memorial to all those who died in the two world wars.

The Christian Church remembers each week at Holy Communion the death of Jesus on the Cross and his Resurrection, as the great sign of hope and the means of reconciliation for all human beings.

‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself … for Christ himself is our peace, making the two sides to be one: by his death on the Cross, he has broken down the barrier of hostility which separated them … in order to create a single new humanity in himself, thereby making peace.’

[II Corinthians 5.19 & Ephesians 2.14-15]

OD LODGE 5662

Consecrated 24 September 1937

An update from the Old Dunstonian Lodge

At our next meeting on the 29 November 2025 we will be pleased to admit another member into our lodge. Our current Worshipful Master Andrew Boxall ('88) will initiate his friend Steve Langdown ('89) at Freemasons Hall in Covent Garden.

Separately, Stephen Hugkulstone ('04) was recently promoted to London Grand Rank at an investiture open to the public on 5th November, also held at Freemasons Hall.

Old Dunstonian Lodge 5662, founded in 1937 by alumni of St Dunstan's College, is a constituent lodge of the United Grand Lodge of England. Freemasonry provides a structure for members to come together under the common goals of integrity, friendship, respect and service, enabling people to make new friendships, develop themselves and make valuable contributions to charitable causes. We are one of the largest contributors to charitable causes in the country, with almost £1 million donated per week!

If you would like to learn more about Old Dunstonian Lodge, or freemasonry in general, please contact our secretary, Russell Mady ('77) at: rjmady@ntlworld.com

Remembrance podcast series

Archivist Shea Hollis created a memorable Remembrance Podcast Series for the first time in the history of the College, honouring the eight Dunstonians who died during WWI and gave their name to eight Houses at the College between 1919 and 1989. Scan the QR codes below to enjoy watching:

CCF Sash fundraising...

Episode 1 Introduction

Episode 2 Bennett

Episode 3 Thomas

Episode 4 Goosey & Wilson

Episode 5 Griffiths & Johnson

Episode 6 Lane & Ross

The Combined Cadet Force would like to extend it’s sincere thanks to the Dunstonian’s for their very kind donations towards our new Drum Major’s sash. We are delighted that we will now be able to update this key piece of ceremonial uniform for the Drum Major of the Corps of Drums. This sash is an important symbol of leadership, pride, and tradition within the Corps. Updating it ensures that our Drum Major continues to represent these values with the dignity and smart appearance that our history and standards deserve. Thank you once again for your generous support. Your contribution helps us preserve and enhance an important part of our ceremonial identity.

Lt Col Davies

Thank you to the following donors who have kindly contributed towards the cost of a new sash for a staggering amount of just over £2,200, including Gift Aid: John Brigtwell, Roger Davenport, John Dohoo, Mike Foster, Sam Hibbs, Chris Hills, Malcom Hubbard, David Jefferys, Anthony Skipper and John White.

Let us know your news...

• Have you published a book?

• Have you done an exciting piece of volunteering?

• Have you had any sporting success at University?

• Have you seen your classmates over a lunch?

Please do send your news to Babette Radclyffe-Thomas (’07) at: dunstonians@stdunstans.org.uk. 1 4 2 5 3 6

We would like to hear from you before the next edition of The Notes goes to print.

Volunteering Appeal from Dunstonians Conrad Clarke

('12) and Lucy Palin ('12)

We are Conrad and Lucy and we studied at St Dunstan’s College from 2005 to 2012, where like so many other Dunstonians, we became great friends. We also volunteer together, for a very important charity called Woodlarks Adventurers.

Woodlarks Adventurers is a yearly, week-long, Summer camp for boys with additional needs. The camp is based in Guildford and aims to support boys with additional needs aged 11-18 to access camping, enjoy outdoor activities and make friends.

Although only once a year it is such an incredible experience that we've been volunteering for years (Lucy 18 years and Conrad for 9 years). Being a volunteer means supporting and encouraging the boys to try different activities, supporting them with personal care if needed and being a friend. During the day we go swimming in the outdoor pool, we cook in the woods, get visits from reptiles and importantly, we have campfire, a party and karaoke.

Woodlarks Adventurers is run entirely by volunteers like us and is funded only by the camp fees paid by volunteers and campers and any additional fundraising we can get. The fees are kept incredibly low (under £200 for the whole week, including all food) to ensure this is a camp accessible to all but it means we have very limited money to spend on activities. Whilst we are incredibly creative and

make our limited money have impact, we are looking to fundraise to open up the possibility of more activities such as hiring specialist mini buses to take the boys using wheelchairs off camp for the day.

We are also looking to recruit more volunteers. We welcome anyone interested but we have a particular interest in sixth formers and university students as the Summer holidays make it easy to return year on year and build that special connection with the camp, the boys and other volunteers, as we have done.

Interested in donating?:

https://www.justgiving.com/charity/ adventurerscampwoodlarks

Interested in volunteering?: https:// adventurerscampwoodlarks.com/2024dates/

If you have an interest in volunteering, feel free to contact us directly at: lucy.palin28@gmail.com conradclarke@hotmail.co.uk

SDCONNECT

YOUR PROFILE: Your profile activates upon your Sixth Form graduation.

UPDATES: Monthly email updates and alumni magazine.

DIRECTORY: Find old friends or invite new connections to join you for a reunion in the UK or abroad.

CAREERS & WORK EXPERIENCE: Connect with other alumni who are offering work experience or advertising jobs.

EVENTS: Find out about the increasing number of events taking place at the College or at the Jubilee Ground.

CLUBS: The Dunstonian Association runs various sports clubs which you are most welcome to get involved with.

ARCHIVES: Access to the College’s digitised archives.

MERCHANDISE: Why not buy a branded tote bag or coffee flask?

SUPPORT US: Check out our fundraising page for our ‘Help Shape Young Lives Campaign’.

SDConnect will allow you to connect or reunite online with the wider St Dunstan’s Community at: www.dunstonians.org.uk

ONGOING CAREERS SUPPORT

We now have nearly 500 volunteer Dunstonian career mentors, CV reviewers and career advisors.

Please reach out to any one of them directly via the Career tab on SDConnect.

We also recommend you start following The Dunstonian Association on its Linkedin page.The regular online career talks organised by the Head of Careers at the College are open to young alumni and links are regularly shared in the half termly online newsletter for all under 25s.

Brian Kelvin ('62) Thomas House

Spotlight on...

I was invited to attend the Timeline Corridor re-launch on 7th October 2025 as I had provided the archivist with a photo of my chemistry class of 1961/2. Living to the west of London, I had the choice of driving through the center or round the M25, via Croydon, Bromley and then onto Catford.

I chose the M25 route as there were student demonstrations in London. As usual the M25 was slow and I was traveling between 16.00 and 18.00 hours, rush hour. My journey took nearly 3 hours. My route from Croydon was like as trip down memory lane as I used to live in West Wickham and passed a number of recognisable sights including the Old Dunstonian Club on Eden Park Road.

On arrival I was warmly welcomed and a small glass of prosecco helped me relax. I was given a tour of the main building to discover that the chemistry labs were now part of the arts and drama department and the indoor shooting range was a corridor. I recognised the Great Hall and the wall tiles were familiar, and of course it was now co-ed.

My, how it has changed. I witnessed the initial construction of the hyperbolic-parabola roofed refectory but left before it opened, I was now able to see inside an impressive buildings and I was shown some of the original architectural drawings. My wife, an architect, was especially interested in this and did some research on other such buildings in the UK and around the world.

I joined St Dunstans in 1955 leaving in 1962. My journey was by train from West Wickham to Catford Bridge and I

remember buying sweets on the walk from the school back to the station.

Memory is funny! I don't recall my time as either being very enjoyable or hard going. However, I do have some fond and not so fond memories:

I enjoyed chemistry lessons; the master, Dr Phil Carter, and I had an understanding; I would make comical remarks and he would gracefully send me out of the laboratory.

The CCF gave me the opportunity to fire 202 rifles in the indoor range and 303's at a regular army range. Fun, but blancoing belt and gaiters and ensuring correct creases in the uniform - not fun. Also, memories of marching in uniform over London Bridge to Southwark Cathedral.

Woodwork taught me how to make hidden dovetail joints (One of the most difficult joints) and how to carry a chisel safely so as to avoid stabbing anyone! These classes encouraged me to, with my father's help, create a workshop at home and start making artifacts. This led to my enthusiasm for DIY.

The comradeship of fellow pupils was excellent, even though, as a relatively small boy wearing glasses, I was often ragged!

Just before I left St Dunstans I passed my driving test and bought my first car, a 1935 Morris 8 convertible, for £25. No synchromesh, stick out indicators and a starting handle for when the starter motor didn't work. Those were the days when driving was a pleasure.

I moved to Imperial College where I studied Electrical Engineering. My vacation jobs included driving a bread delivery van and working as a picker in a perfume factory.

After Imperial I joined the Milk Marketing Board, working on designing the most economical milk collection routes and liaising with farmhouse cheese makers. During a farm visit I observed the original AI; semen taken from a bull and a cow being Artificially Inseminated. By chance, one of the bulls was called Harrowden Kelvin!

I left the MMB to travel with a friend in a mini (the original) across Europe into the Soviet Union. On leaving West Germany through the Iron Curtain into Czechoslovakia the

border control wished us all the best and said 'be careful out there'. Czechoslovakia was in the throes of the 'Prague Spring', when the government tried to liberalise the communist society. Three weeks after our visit, Soviet and other Warsaw Pact tanks rolled in to ensure no change. We visited Kyiv, Lvov and Odesa, returning through Romania and Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union was pretty scary as many young Soviets swarmed our car and wanted to talk. We were never sure if they were the KGB trying to catch us out, especially when they tried to buy our western clothes and plied us with vodka!!

My career took off when I joined, as a trainee programmer, International Computers Ltd, formed as part of Harold Wilson's 'White Heat of Technology'. After progressing to project manager, I worked on a large logistics project for the RAF at Hendon where I was enlisted into the Officers Mess.

From project manager I moved to technical training and traveled around UK, Europe and to Hong Kong, where I had my first McDonald's (better than dim sum). In Europe I went to communist Poland many times, training through an interpreter. ICL's office was in the Hotel Bristol, across from where my wife to be lived with her parents! Whilst training in the Polish coal mining town of Katowice, on my return to the hotel, I couldn't get into my room and heard noises from within! We were warned that our activities would be monitored!

I became a manager at ICL's training center, Beaumont College Old Windsor, previously a Jesuit school. An incredible place, with croquet lawns (I played every day in summer), swimming pool and large bar.

After 11 years at ICL I decided to move on and got positions as training manger at a number of IT companies including Intel and a subsidiary of ITT/STC where I recruited graduates via the 'milk round' and worked with the University of Hertfordshire to develop a sponsored post-graduate diploma in Software Principles and Practice.

Moving on, I became an independent management consultant advising organisations on how to improve the competence and productivity of employees. Organisations included Local Government and the Police. The most interesting were United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority at Dounreay, the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston where I helped define performance criteria for employees working with high explosives, and my final project for British Sugar who process sugar beet from local farms and sell under the Silver Spoon brand.

I retired in 2015 and have since become a digital artist, using my IT experience to re-engineer some of my thousands of photos taken on many overseas holidays. I have exhibited in London, Bristol, Halifax and Sheffield.

If you would like to view my art, my web-site is: www.bkartimages.photography.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2026

5 February: ('86), ('96), ('06), & ('16) Reunion (Daly's Wine bar)

12 March: Quiz , cheese & wine evening (College)

13 March: CUACO dinner

16 April : Archive Open Afternoon (College)

18 April: 1966 Reunion (College) TBC

15 May Forty Club cricket match (Jubilee Ground)

22 May: Commemoration Day (For benefactors – by invite only)

May: Beating of the Bounds Battle Year (All Hallows by the Tower)

June: CCF Dinner (College)

15 June: MCC Cricket day (College)

October 2026: South West Reunion Lunch 1976 Reunion

5-7 March: Battlefield Tour to Ypres

The Archives Corner

Our Archivist at the College, Shea Hollis (née Luke, '01), with updates on the latest additions to the archives collection at St Dunstan's College

Lewisham Historical Society talk by College Archivist

Shea Hollis (’01)

As part of the College's 2025 Festival, we were approached by the Lewisham Historical Society about the potential for lecture on a topic of St Dunstan’s College history that would also be of wider community interest. Our Archivist was delighted to take on the challenge! The resulting lecture was entitled St St Dunstan’s College: From the City of London to Catford leafy suburb.

The audience was made up of members of the Lewisham Historical Society as well as Dunstonians and parents of current students. Shea went through the centuries, tracing the lineage of the College back to its earliest records and beyond. Guests heard the somewhat turbulent tale of how the College came to be built

in the mid 1880s in Catford, while its origins were in the Parish of the very rich St Dunstan in the East in the City, with a little about the Saint himself. We heard about some of the residents of our namesake Parish who became benefactors of the College, including Mirabelle Bennett on whose gifted land the College was built, and Sir Christopher Wren who not only rebuilt the church of St Dunstan in the East after the Great Fire of London, but was a resident of the Parish himself, in fact, one of our early records of St Dunstan’s schooling shows this taking place in his former house!

The talk was accompanied by a treasure trove of archival images, maps and artefacts and, inspired, several guests have been contributing to the archive since the event.

Mirabelle Bennett

Current parent and historian, Ian Stone, who attended Shea’s talk on the origins of St Dunstan’s College in June 2025, very kindly unearthed Mirabelle Bennett’s Will from the National Archives.

She was instrumental in giving £200 in 1632, which enabled the land where the College now stands in Catford to be purchased by the parishioners of St Dunstan in the East.

She was a very wealthy widow as her husband was a merchant adventurer and she kept changing her mind about her Will by adding codicils. There were also elaborate preparations for her funeral.

Latest Archive Donation Treasures

As always, thank you to those who continue to donate their old College artefacts to the Archive. A few recent highlights below:

Brett Harrild ('78)

Former pupil, parent and teacher Dunstonian Brett Harrild ’78 attended the Timeline Corridor relaunch and kindly brought with him some more Archive Donations, as he did when he returned for the 30th Anniversary of Co-Education celebration in September 2024. This time, it contained a wonderful glimpse into 1970s drama productions through these brilliant photographs.

Phillip Matthew ('58)

We were delighted to receive a package from Phillip Matthew ’58, containing a huge, well-preserved collection of his old school reports and two original mounted photograph prints, one of the 1858 Prefecture and another of Griffiths House 1956-57. And to the Archivist’s absolute joy, an accompanying document naming everyone in the images!

Graham Pointer ('85)

We were delighted to welcome back Graham Pointer who visited the College for the first time in 40 years!

He kindly donated his sports colour blazer to our archives, which also marks the first time we have a cricket and basketball (1984) blazer.

Mike Rogers ('69) donation of leather-bound Chronicle copies

Dating back to 1890, the copies of the Chronicle were kept at the old rugby clubhouse and were frequently used by members. In fact, Mike used them for his own research into the history of the rugby club.

There are 72 Chronicle issues in total, made up of 25 Anthology volumes featuring multiple years, 14 hardback editions from the 1900s-00s and 33 paperbacks from earlier years.

Some of you may remember that in 2023 Mike also kindly gifted us a blazer and a boater which used to belong to Maurice Feltham ('47).

If you are keen to donate a relevant item to our archive, please do reach out to our archivist Shea.

Pillar Drilling Machine

This machine was found in the old Craft Shop/DT Room before it was turned into a theatre in 2021. We believe it arrived at the College when it was built in 1888. It would have been used for wood and metal as per the drawing below:

Brian Kelvin ('62)

Brian Kelvin (’62) returned for the first time in over 50 years! We were delighted to welcome back Brian Kelvin at our Timeline Corridor exhibition refresh private view in October. Brian reconnected with the College to share with us a photo he took of the College during his time as a student, and following his visit has shared more fantastic photos: one of himself standing on the roof of the refectory being built and one of himself as a cadet marching over London Bridge, with fellow Dunstonians including potentially Ronald Diprose (’63), and Marshall - which, according to our records, could be Peter or William.

(Full 'Spotlight' article on page26)

More local History...

Year 1 go back in time

The entire Junior School Year One cohort were led on a immersive tour back in time through the history of the College.

The five and six year olds donned old school uniform caps from many eras and journeyed with our Archivist, Shea Hollis, to visit key spots of College heritage; the Foundation Stone, St Dunstan in the East commemorative plaque and some of the oldest parts of our school buildings.

They also looked at archive pictures of sites around St Dunstan's from past times, comparing the rooms now to those their predecessors experienced.

A lot of fun, a lot of awe and wonder and some very clever observations and questions from some our youngest Dunstonians.

Over the summer, the Archivist came across a folder of College estate plans and building work permissions dating mostly to the 1960s and 70s. However, incongruously, in this folder was a key document in Catford history - the Resolution and Order of the name change to Canadian Avenue from Berlin Avenue, which took place on the significant date of 12 November, 1818.

Canadian Avenue runs alongside the College's Jubilee Ground, and Shea has since learnt that the trees around the perimeter were planted as a memorial to Canadian soldiers due to the nearby barracks and they are not to be disturbed.

Timeline Corridor Relaunch

On 7 October, we celebrated the re-launch of our timeline corridor exhibition. A group of Dunstonians, many of whom have been key to the development of our archives, current and former staff members, students and their parents, and a representative from Lewisham Historical Society, all gathered for a private view presentation of the refreshed exhibition led by our archivist Shea Hollis (’01).

Shea Hollis (’01) commenced the event, explaining the archive project and how she collaborated with a group of current students to curate the cases. Specific items were highlighted such as a student’s WWII-era gas mask and a fire plaque from St Dunstan in the East. Douglas Dales (’70) gave a fantastic talk detailing the importance of archives and education.

The new interactive cases use QR codes to lead visitors to video content about the College on YouTube, such as Hidden Treasures at St Dunstan’s College – Houses and Shields which stars Dunstonian Ian MacDowall in our archives, as well as a video showcasing the College grounds.

Dunstonians in attendance included David Edwards (’83), Brett Harrild (’78 alumna and 1985-2017 staff), Sebastian Huet (1997-2001 staff), Brian Kelvin (’62), Perry Luke (’95), Iain MacDowall (’81), Sophie New (’01), Babette Radclyffe-Thomas (’07), Mike Rogers (’69) and Andrew Stanley (1998-2020 staff).

Announcements

Weddings

Georgia Beales (’11) to Jack Train (’11)

We were delighted to hear that Dunstonians Georgia Beales and Jack Train who met as students at St Dunstan’s College are engaged to be married in 2026. We wish them all the best in their married life together.

Have you attended a Dunstonian wedding recently or have you had a baby in the past few years whose name you would like to share with us? If so, do let us know at: dunstonians@stdunstans.org.uk

Obituaries

1950s

Cliff Walker ('51)

Clifford Walker attended St Dunstan’s College from 1944 to 1949 and was in Griffiths House. While at the school he played cricket and was the 2nd 11 wicket keeper. His daughter Sandra let us know that he passed away at age 91 earlier this year, and here are some of Cliff’s life anecdotes, paraphrased from an extensive and moving eulogy.

“Clifford Arthur Walker was born on the 7th of August, 1933, at 78 Inchmery Road, Catford, London. He was evacuated to Newmarket during the War years, learning to ride horses and discovering his joy for the outdoors. His exceptional academic prowess earned

him the distinction of being the only pupil to receive a full scholarship to St. Dunstan’s College in Catford, an achievement he recounted with pride. The education and friendships he gained there profoundly shaped him both academically and socially. Cliff had grand ambitions of becoming a racing car driver, fuelled by his love for speed and vehicles. In his early adulthood, he embarked on thrilling adventures across Europe in Jaguars and MGs, revelling in the open road. He secured a position at Midland Bank in Catford, and rose through the ranks to become Branch Manager at Boundary Road, Portslade which he held until his retirement.

He played both rugby and cricket throughout his life, he played rugby at No.8 for the Old Dunstonian’s into his 40s, and as a wicketkeeper for the bank until his early 60s. Cliff and his wife Sandra had a long happy marriage that included enjoying lively socials at the Old Dunstonian’s Rugby Club. He achieved his Private Pilot License at the age of 70, learning to fly at Shoreham Airport. Charitable endeavours became central to Cliff’s life as he grew older and enjoyed his involvement with the Freemasons, through Sussex Unity and the Harbour Lights fraternities.”

David Hall ('51)

At the South West Luncheon Reunion in October, David Young (’52) reported that his school friend David Hall had died the previous weekend on 12 October 2025.

“I’m heartbroken to share that our beloved father and grandfather, Michael ‘Micky’ Moore, passed away peacefully yesterday, Wednesday 23rd July 2025.

As some of you may know, Dad was diagnosed with mixed dementia 3 years ago. The vascular element progressed very aggressively and over the past few months he endured several hospital stays due to recurring pneumonia.

I’m deeply grateful that he was able to spend his final month with us here in The Netherlands. It meant a lot to us all. Sadly, another bout of pneumonia struck on Monday and despite his incredible strength and courage—traits he carried throughout his life—he lost that battle.”

Alistair, his son.

Micky Moore ('56)

Anthony (Tony) Millard ('56)

Tony’s daughter, Shelley Kiriakoff alerted us of her father passing away on 27 July 2025.

Tony attended St Dunstan’s in the 1950’s and found his niche in sport, giving him a life long love of rugby, receiving his ‘Colours’ and the satisfaction of setting a school javelin record.

Ironically, given he did modern languages due to being ‘poor at maths’ he left school and entered the financial world, starting first in a bank and progressing to being a financial manager for several mining companies. This career saw Tony travel the world, residing with his family in Rhodesia, England, Zambia, Zimbabwe and finally Australia.

After losing a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer, Tony is survived by his wife Norma, daughters Shelley and Nikki, and grandchildren Josh and Lexi, who all know he will be continuing to watch over the Dunstan 1st XV rugby team!

Peter Constable ('57)

We were notified in July 2025 that Peter died recently.

Michael A M White ('58)

David Rodgers (’57) informed us of the passing of Michael A M White who died on 6 June 2025 on Vancouver Island aged 86.

Michael left St Dunstan’s to study Architecture at FitzWilliam Cambridge and then at the Architectural Association in London. He began to specialize in hospital design and, with increasing numbers of projects in Canada, he moved to live there permanently. Michael retired to Denman Island – a small island off the coast off Victoria Island in British Columbia. A location which he and his wife – Selinda, regarded as “paradise”

1960s

Peter Ewing ('64)

Passed away on 16 July 2025. Michael Barling’s father to do an obituary.

Nicholas K Baker ('69)

D W Baker ('62) reports the death of his brother N K Baker ('69) in June 2025 after a long illness. He was the younger son of W R S Baker ('31). A keen sportsman he played for the school second teams at cricket and rugby fives.

After getting a degree at Bristol University he qualified as a chartered accountant and after qualifying worked mainly in the recruitment and record business.

The eulogy at his funeral was given by N Baveridge ('69).

1970s

indeed about the game itself. As player, leader, choirmaster, tourist, friend, mentor, and proud dad, he led us and inspired us for over 50 years.

A class act on the field of play, he was technically excellent, with an innate ability to read the game and open defences with innovative attacking play. His legendary accuracy with the boot, both from hand and tee, controlled endless games, and delivered a phenomenal legacy of points records that stand to this day.

In later years, as head coach, he inspired and guided a new generation of OD players. In the clubhouse, never more so than on tour in his beloved Cornwall, it was Phil everyone looked to – to rally the troops, organise the old timers, encourage the youngsters, embrace the opposition, and lead a song – all with unwavering class, commitment and passion. Quite simply, your day was infinitely better with Phil around.

Phil’s valiant battle with MND only served to illustrate yet again the same elegant strength and selfless resolve that he showed down the years in everything he did. The past few months have been increasingly hard, but, as always, borne gracefully and with an enduring smile. With undiminished dignity, he died on Saturday evening with his loving family close by his side.

We’ll miss Phil immensely and will always honour his memory. All Ods stand together with Jo, Mike, and Lily, alongside Phil’s wider family and many friends, and the whole rugby community, at this difficult time. May he rest easy.”

Chris Morris (’71) shared this tribute to P J ‘Phil’ Ubee:

7 December 1952 – 5 July 2025

Our community is united in grief today, as we share the sad news of the passing of a true legend and ambassador of ODRFC.

Phil Ubee was, and remains, the very heartbeat of our club and represents everything that’s good about us, and

Phil Ubee, who has died after a brave battle with Motor Neuron Disease, was an exceptional human being who, in many ways, embodied the positive attributes of sport – fair play, commitment, personal courage, skill – and of rugby, in particular.

The greatest testament to his life and legacy was the enormous crowd who gathered for his funeral service: perhaps as many as

Phil Ubee ('71)

three hundred family, friends, colleagues, former teammates and, most significantly, generations of pupils, gathered in recognition of his contribution to our lives. I was fortunate to become his friend in 1964, during an historic unbeaten season in the U-12s St Dunstan’s rugby team; for the next five years, he led this team in successive –and successful – seasons, before his threeyear tenure in the school’s Ist XV. His captain, MVE Andrew, described him as “perhaps the most naturally gifted player the school has ever produced.” In his eulogy, CJ Sinclair added that, 50 years later, this may well still be true.

He played at fly-half for the full England 19s group against Wales at Easter in 1972, and only the age restriction prevented his gaining more caps; he went on to play against the very best for Loughborough College, and then for Blackheath. In today’s professional era, it is worth remembering the demands that senior rugby made on players who also had to maintain full-time jobs – Phil, whilst performing at this very serious level,

Former

developed in a number of occupations, becoming eventually an inspiring coach and teacher.

His love for his alma mater was profound, and he served its Obs well, captaining the side for several years, going on roughly 50 Easter Tours, and becoming their chief coach. I was again fortunate when my son joined the Blackheath mini’s and became the beneficiary of Phil’s sheer commitment and expertise as the joint head coach with Lee Smith. None of those parents and their children will ever forget the lessons in conduct, demeanour and attitude he instilled in them for over a decade.

He became a legendary figure at Chislehurst and Sidcup school, and was genuinely loved and respected by all of us who were lucky enough to have known him. He was immensely proud of his two children, Mike and Lily, and of his sister Jane and his two nephews. He found tremendous happiness with his wife Jo, and maintained his dignity and courage in

the cruellest of circumstances, refusing to let his illness obscure the achievements of the previous 70 years. I find it almost impossible to believe that he has left us.

At the funeral, many Dunstonians were in attendance, including:

Timothy Allardyce ('98); Ros Allardyce; Clive Archer ('80); Steve Baker (Associates); Andrew Booth ('13); Rick Bodenham (ex-Staff), John Broadfoot ('66); Graham Condon ('03); Malachi Connolly ('11); Alun Evans ('74); Richard Fagg ('85); Adrian Ford ('81); Robert Gentle ('71); Chris Glynne ('81); Paul Goodwin ('78); Nigel Hosking ('75); Sam Lewis ('76); Rachel Medhurst, née Alexander ('01) Paul Miller ('68); Christopher Morris ('71); Jean Pierre Mills ('99); Ashley Reading ('87); Michael Rogers ('69); Amie Sawyer; William Schembri ('89); Jeremy Scott (96); Colin Sinclair ('71); Anthony Smith ('81); Yemi Shonubi ('11); Alan Thompson ('74) and Stewart Wilson ('75).

Governors and members of staff

Dr Anthony Wilkins

Dr Wilkins, worked at Rishworth since 2009, joining the school as the Head of Prep and then Head of Rishworth until 2024, was diagnosed with cancer in May 2023. Since then, he fought bravely. As Rishworth’s 22nd Head, Dr Wilkins brought the whole school together, always willing to lend his time or attention to staff or pupils.

During his time there, he was often found in the classroom, whether that be teaching a class, or simply ‘dropping by’, pulling up a chair and becoming part of a lesson. Outside the classroom, he was a mentor to students, a dear colleague, and most importantly, the biggest supporter of Rishworth School.

Dr Wilkins was a much respected and admired colleague, teacher and

friend. He will very much be missed. Our sympathies go out to all his family.

Sheena, his widow, writes:

Dr Anthony Wilkins, former teacher in the Prep Department, died on 19 June 2025 after a two-year battle with cancer.

Anthony arrived at St Dunstan’s in 1986, armed with a First in Philosophy and a year’s experience crunching numbers in the City. He then spent twenty-three happy years at the College where he made lifelong friends among staff, parents and students alike. After he left, Anthony always remembered the College fondly and, when offered the option, would always pick green in competitions, in honour of Hecker House!

As a teacher, Anthony sought to inculcate a love of learning in his students – a love he shared. During the last fifteen years of his life, he continued to live the school’s motto Albam Exorna, earning two master’s degrees and a PhD.

Anthony understood that for a student to truly learn, their school had to be a community where they felt at home and happy to belong. Students loved him for his wry humour and unpretentious air, and they

recognised the respect he had for them as fellow learners.

In 2009, Anthony left SDC and took up the headship of Heathfield, the Prep School of Rishworth, a boarding school in West Yorkshire.

Anthony was a much-loved and respected Head. He was a quiet, thoughtful man without hubris, despite his impressive intellect. As both teacher and Head, Anthony threw himself into all aspects of school life.

In 2020, he became the 22nd Head of Rishworth School and led it into its 300th year in 2024.

Anthony met his wife, Sheena, at St Dunstan’s and they were about to celebrate 32 supremely happy years together when he died. Two of their sons, Eoin and Ciaran, became teachers and their youngest, Edward, has just submitted his doctoral thesis. The whole family remembers SDC with great affection.

David Norris – a tribute from Barry Isaacson (’78)

“He was a brilliant man whose beneficial effect on my own journey through the Middle School, the Sixth Form, seventhterm Oxbridge entry and beyond was transformative.

He and Peter Thompson were only a few years older than my cohort, which, by the time we were in the Sixth Form, fostered an almost peer-quality relationship that was as much a social and cultural education for me as it was an academic one.

He challenged us to read novelists, poets, playwrights and even literary criticism otherwise considered too rarified or difficult for students our age; if I rose to this challenge it was partly, possibly even mainly, to maintain David’s respect.

For all the brilliance of the people around me once David and Bill Corpe shoehorned me – one of an SDC Oxbridge English class of six boys, five of whom were brighter than I was – into Cambridge (which David had entered with an academic scholarship at the age of 16), I never met anyone there – or subsequently – with a brain as big or a wit as sharp as David’s. In the Oxbridge term we drank with him – once it was vaguely legal, of course – hid from our parents on Speech Day and threw big ideas about but above all we laughed with him.

RIP, David, old friend and priceless mentor.”

We are raising funds in memory of Mr Norris in order to name an English Classroom in his honour on the ground corridor. Please email: development@stdunstans.org.uk in order to find out how to donate.

Peter Coling (1947-2025)

Whilst it was not until some years after we had left St Dunstan’s in ’01 and ’03 respectively, that we came to really understand and appreciate the meaning of the college motto, ‘Albam Exorna’, the principles underpinning its narrative, namely the recognition that every student has their own unique qualities and attributes, were what initial drew our parents to the school.

As everyone with knowledge of our family will testify, our two older brothers, Stephen (’93) and Andrew (’95), were like chalk and cheese. Despite their differing personalities, under the care of the likes of John Gaskell, Simon Thorogood, Rick Bodenham and the late Robin Austin, each thrived at the school and ‘Adorned the White’ in their own individual ways.

As our father’s admiration for and belief in the school grew, so did his desire to see others benefit from the same opportunities that we were afforded by an independent education. Our father was a firm believer in St Dunstan’s remaining, as it had been since its opening in 1888, an accessible school, which supported families from a range of backgrounds and incomes.

It wasn’t long after he had been involved in a successful fundraising campaign to re-develop what was then informally known as the ‘Olympic Corner’, that our father was invited to become the first parent-governor in the school’s history. For the next 26 years, he threw himself into his duties and could often be found at the college for a meeting, or in support of an event.

In (201?), our father was humbled to be asked to become the Chair of Governors. Despite his initial apprehension at taking on that role, he soon found his feet and thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the current headteacher, Mr Nick Hewlett, someone he held in particularly high esteem.

One of our father’s proudest moments during his tenure as the Chair of Governors, was the acquisition of the Jubilee Ground. He was thrilled at the opportunities that such a site would not only afford current and future Dunstonians, but the local community also.

Whilst our father may not have studied at St Dunstan’s, when we sat down to pen his eulogy following his passing on 21 January, we found ourselves discussing the many and varied ways that he had ‘Adorned the White’ during his lifetime. Aside from being the most loving, attentive and supportive father one could have asked for, he was also the embodiment of what it means to be a Dunstonian.

Our father had the courage to be who he was, the creativity to shape his own future, the confidence to try, succeed and respond positively to failures, the compassion to understand and appreciate others and the wider world, and the curiosity to always want to discover more.

Tom and John Coling

First Wills & Probate Talk

Thank you to the many Dunstonians and parents who registered and attended the online presentation in November 2025.

Thank you in particular to Isabel Elliott, Partner in the Private Client Department of the Blackheath Office of Judge & Priestley, and to Emily Redlick ('17) - a Dunstonian who works alongside Isabelle - for giving up their time and sharing their expertise on a rainy Friday morning.

Legacies are an incredibly important source of revenue for the College and we have so far received over £1m of pledges. We are incredibly grateful to all Dunstonians who have confirmed their pledge to us.

“A Will is one of the most effective ways to make sure your wishes are respected and your family is looked after. Without one, English law decides who inherits your estate, which may not reflect your relationships or intentions. This can lead to unexpected outcomes, delays, and unnecessary stress for those you leave behind. By writing a Will, you take controlchoosing who benefits, who handles your affairs, and who cares for your children. It’s a responsible step that brings certainty and comfort when it’s needed most.”

Emily Redlick ('17), Judge & Priestley

What a legacy could do for St Dunstan’s College...

Since 2020, we have received £650k in legacies and a further £1.4m in legacy pledges

Legacies have become the backbone of our fundraising and we are delighted to announce that we are now working closely with local firm of Solicitors, Judge & Priestley (J&P) and their Probate Department where Dunstonian Emily Redlick ('17) works. J&P can be found in Bromley, Beckenham, Blackheath, Chester, Sidcup and central London. You will receive preferential rates if you decide to instruct J&P to write your standard Will.

To find out more, please email Emily at: eredlick@judge-priestley.co.uk to find out more.

PLAQUE Plaque to Charity Walk

On Friday 29 August, an intrepid group of Dunstonians met at St Dunstan in the East, in the city of London for our inaugural Plaque to Plaque walk. A charity walk in aid of Street Child, a charity that works with local organisations across the globe to ensure that every child has access to an education. Our Plaque to Plaque walk saw our group of 15 walk more than 20,000 steps and over seven miles from the plaque in St Dunstan in the East, to our plaque at St Dunstans College in Catford. The group comprised of Dunstonians David Edwards ('83), Shea Hollis ('01) and family, David Jefferys ('70), Sophie New ('01) and family, Babette Radclyffe-Thomas ('07 - our new Dunstonian Officer), Martyn Wright ('92), as well as Isabelle Blake-James (Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations) and Hannah French (our Development Campaign Officer).

We were also joined by two current year 12 students, Jonathan and Patrick, whom earlier this year attended and thoroughly enjoyed Street Child’s charitable workshop with St Dunstan’s students.

Despite our day starting in torrential rain, our spirits were not dampened, especially after alumna Anna Lloyd ('01), Head of Community Engagement at Street Child introduced the charity and its inspiring charitable aims. Anna drew striking

similarities between the torrential rain we were experiencing and the rain children experience in Sierra Leone, where the charity Street Child first started in 2008.

Clad in bright orange clothing, accessories and even umbrellas, our group followed a custom route designed to take in the greenery that South London boasts. We of course walked by All Hallows by the Tower and posed for group photos outside the historic Tower of London before walking across Tower Bridge. We enjoyed long green stretches such as Burgess Park, the Surrey Linear Canal Park and Peckham Rye Park. A slight detour from our intended path did lead us all to take in the amazing heights of Blythe Hill Park, and by this point we were starting to dry off and enjoy the sunshine.

Three hours later from our starting point at St Dunstan in the East, we arrived at the College to celebrate by the plaque. We were treated to a scrumptious BBQ from our great catering team - later relocated inside due to the weather.

A very welcome surprise was Sam Lewis ('76), who joined us for our BBQ after completing the walk himself! We are already looking forward to next year’s Plaque to Plaque walk, and you can still donate to Street Child via their website.

Above from left to right: Shea Hollis ('01) and family, Sophie New ('01), Martyn Wright ('92), Hannah French, Isabelle Blake James, David Edwards ('83), David Jefferys ('70), Anna Lloyd ('01)

FUNDRAISING AT THE COLLEGE

THANK YOU

We are delighted to report that the College has raised over £1.5m since 2020 when the Development Office led by Director of Philanthropy Isabelle Blake-James was created, with a further £1.2m in legacy pledges.

A Bursary Endowment Fund was launched in January 2025 and we currently have just under £500k invested in it with a further £1m scheduled to be donated in the next 6 months.

Our aim is to raise £15m by 2038 which will coincide with the 150th anniversary of the College: this will create 25 full bursaries in perpetuiti.

We will be hosting our second Telephone Campaign in August 2026 and we hope all of you will want to contribute to one of our key projects, one of them being the redevelopment of the Park Langley site and another one being our Bursary Fund.

YOUR SUPPORT IN NUMBERS

£1,550,599

Total raised Gift Aid

£232,303 £68,758 498

Invested in Bursary Endowment Fund

Mentors to our students

Legacy gifts Year 13 deposits Donors

£649,516

£22,559 416 62 Number of direct debits 120 Archive Donations

BURSARY CELEBRATORY DRINKS

On 30 September 2025, the College hosted its first Bursary Celebratory Drinks Reception at Barclays Bank headquarters in Canary Wharf.

The evening was hosted by Dunstonian and Barclays Group Chairman Nigel Higgins ('76) and gathered 200 guests in the stunning atrium. Former bursary students and their families as well as current bursary students and their parents and many donors were able to meet each other. Current Head of School, Emmanuel, and former Bursary Student, Natasha Andoh ('24) currently studying PPE at Oriel College, Oxford delivered great speeches. You can watch Natasha’s story by scanning the QR code:

Above Nick Hewlett, Natasha Andoh ('24), Emmanuel, Nigel Higgins ('76)

Natasha's Story

SDC NEWS

Festival 2025

Dunstonian Alex Grant ('92) generously gave up a Friday night to come to the College and deliver a live lecture about his latest book "Sex, Spies and Scandallthe John Vassall Affair".

He is a brilliant speaker- so much so that everybody in the audience bought his book at the end of the lecture! And Alex found one connection between Dunstonian and acclaimed actor John Nettleton ('47) and John Vassall. If you would like to find out what it is, just read his book which can be found at Amazon. Alex will have another book out in 2026 - so watch this space!

Dunstonian Babette Radclyffe-Thomas (’07) also offered her fashion expertise at the Year 7 fashion show.

Students took to the runway to showcase their outfits that were inspired by different Art movements, such as impressionism and constructivism in an engaging fashion show, before they presented their collections in more detail to the audience.

Babette then hosted a Q&A with the student designers, highlighted the specifities of the outfits and emphasised the efforts put into by students.

LYLA Charity Swim Challenge

LYLA Charity Swim Challenge with the Chick Brothers, both Dunstonians and former Swimming Captains at the College . The morning swim wrapped up with an incredible total of 99.3 km swam — just shy of the original 100 km bonus goal! Thanks to this community wide participation, LYLA raised over £1,500 surpassing their original target. More importantly, the community of students, staff, and alumni alike were brought together in support of something meaningful. The sense of fun, togetherness, and purpose was truly inspiring.

LYLA is a Saturday morning school for disadvantaged Afro-Carribean young people from Lewisham. It is held at the College every weekend and St Dunstan’s has been supporting the project for the past five years by lending its classrooms to LYLA at no cost.

Repairs to the 1888 Commemorative Plaque

The weather bitten original commemorative plaque, dating back to 1888 when the College was built and proudly displayed on the outside wall on the left of the main staircase, was in need of a little TLC. Stone Craver Geroge who installed the round plaque linking the College to St Dunstan in the East in August 2024, came back this summer to repair and clean the beautiful plaque.

CCF wins at Guildhall!

On 12 October 2025, the College’s very own bugle won first prize at a special competition held at the Guildhall in the City.

In attendance were Dunstonian and freeman David Jefferys as well as Head of CCF, Richard Davies.

St Dunstan’s College celebrates A Level Results

Year 13 students have once again achieved our best ever A Level results.

62% of A Level grades are either A* or A, and 89% are grades A*-B. Over a third of the Year 13 cohort achieved at least 3 As and three quarters of students achieved Bs or higher in all their subjects.

These results are testimony to the hard work and dedication of the students and their teachers, throughout the A Level journey, as well as the support received from parents and carers at home

A special thank you to the Chair of The Dunstonian Association, Jonny Aucamp (’86), for being part of the celebrations first thing in the morning handing out terrific goodie bags to the students!

RIP to the Dunstonian Wall and refresh of the Timeline Corridor exhibit

The summer months at the College are always a hive of activity. Sadly we had to say goodbye to the newly installed Dunstonian Wall as the College decided to relocate its main Reception in order to create new classrooms on the ground floor. We are looking at relocating the stunning acrylics.

In the meantime, it was perfect timing for an exhibition refresh on the ground floor! Our archivist Shea Hollis (’01) was busy refreshing the exhibits on show in our timeline corridor, including some artefacts that have been on public show before: one of these exciting items is a fire plaque from a home in the Parish of St Dunstan in the East from 1840. Also known as a firemark, these metal plaques were placed on buildings to indicate they were insured against fire, helping prioritise parish firefighting efforts before municipal fire services were widespread.

You can read more about the exhibition refresh on page 29 of this issue.

The College's Sports Successes 2024-2025

Many Dunstonians regularly ask how the College is doing on the sporting front so we thought we would share with you some of our recent successes:

Football

• Last year was particularly successful for girls football on the national stage. Our U13’s reached the ISFA Southern Area National Finals (the highest level of competition in that age group) and our U15’s reached the ISFA Shield National Final.

• The U12’s and U15’s Girls won the Inner London Cup.

• The U12’s and U13’s Girls won the District Cup.

• The Senior Boys also won the District Cup.

Aquatics

• The U16 Boys came second in the London League Waterpolo B Final. (regional competition).

• The U15 Boys Waterpolo came third in the English Schools National Plate Finals.

• In the last three years, we have had multiple medallists in the World School Games, and Top 5 finishes for the Boys & Girls at the Bath Cup – the most competitive national swimming competition for independent schools.

• This year our boys have made English Schools Swimming National Finals.

Hockey

• The U15 girls came runners up at the T2 London Regional Hockey Finals.

• U12 Boys and Girls and U14 Boys & Girls both won the T2 London Regional Hockey Finals.

Noah Coluari : a rising rugby star

Aidan gets the call!

One of the College’s current Sixth Form students has just joined the British Under 23 Netball Team. Congratulations!

We were delighted to hear that one of our Junior School alumna, Noah Coluari, is quickly becoming a rugby star!

He plays now for England under 21's and for Saracens, and those keen rugby fans may have seen recent televised try. His Instagram already has 20,000 followers and is full of great clips for those who want to see him in action.

College photo involves a record 1500 pupils and staff

Park Langley & Padel - Big Steps Forward

As the Park Langley Site in Beckenham is about to be transferred into St Dunstan’s Education Group in early January 2026, we thought it would be an appropriate time to update you about the works which were undertaken in 2025 and the future it holds for the College the alumni and the sports clubs which are currently using the site:

We’re delighted to share the latest progress at Park Langley, along with an exciting update on Padel tennis, which continues to grow into a major opportunity for the club.

Padel is booming nationally, with demand rising fast across London. As we reported at our last meeting, early conversations with operators indicate strong commercial potential, and we have now completed the tender process for a third-party operator at Park Langley. Subject to formal Board sign-off, we aim to move quickly to the negotiation stage - more news to follow soon!

Alongside this, we’re pleased to confirm that we are very close to completing all safety-critical works at Park Langley.

Most of the building is already deemed fit for purpose for day-one operations, and the final upgrades are well underway. The men’s toilets are due to reopen shortly and - better still - the much loved Function Room will soon return to hosting club events.

Other recent enhancements include full electrical rewiring, emergency lighting, a new fire-alarm system, new access pathways, hot-water improvements, kitchen and water-compliance works, and a major sewage-system upgrade. Further remedial works to provide the finishing touches are currently being costed.

Many of you will have met Gavin Halil, Head of Commercial Activities at St Dunstan’s, who - alongside Mark Sandberg - is leading posttransfer mobilisation.

Work is progressing well on licence arrangements, appointing an onsite manager, finalising operational plans, and ensuring full operational compliance ahead of the formal handover on 2 January 2026.

Careers & Higher Education Convention evening

On 27 November, the College hosted its annual Higher Education Convention across the Great Hall and Refectory. The event welcomed over 300 students and parents from Year 9 to 13 both from the College and for our partner state Secondary Schools from the Borough of Lewisham such as Bonus Pastor, St Matthew and Orchard Park.

With over 50 delegates representing a wide range of careers - including healthcare, architecture, law, finance, marketing, production and engineering - as well as representatives from more than 20 top universities and higher education institutions, the event offered students a wealth of insights into both academic and creative pathways. A special thank you must go to the dozen Dunstonians who set up a stall in the Great Hall representing their own company - some of them for the first time and others for second or even third time running.

Our warmest thanks go to:

Mark Batchelor ('01) representing his own company 4TY Ltd

Andy Bennett ('01) representing Register Dynamics

Nailah Blissett ('08) representing her own freelance career and Blisslove Media Ltd

Peter Broughton-Rates ('97) representing the Metropolitan Police Service

Frank Collingwood ('66) on behalf of the Association of Taxation Technicians

Lanre Falase ('03) representing Bolans Architects

David Hall ('81) representing his own company

Yanoulla Kakoulli ('01) and Emily Redlick ('17) representing Judge and Priestley LLP

We now over 480 volunteer mentors and career advisors on SDConnectan invaluable bank of goodwill for our current students and young alumni. If you would like to give career support to other Dunstonians, especially our young alumni, please do register and let us know.

The Notes are going green!

The Dunstonian Office realises that printing hard copies of The Notes has an environmental impact. In order to carbon offset the magazine, we are proud and excited to share that The Notes is now supporting the Fourth Reserve Foundation: a local Lewisham nature charity. The Fourth Reserve was established in 2017 by a small handful of local volunteers and our support will increase and improve biodiversity and provide wildlife habitats.

Our collaboration will also develop a local oak tree nursery that was created to rescue and replace at risk native oaks. As part of this scheme children gather and plant local acorns which are raised to saplings on site and then planted on site or elsewhere in the local community.

We have just commenced this new collaboration and stay tuned for more news. If Dunstonians are interested in special volunteer sessions in nature, please do let our Dunstonian Officer Babette Radclyffe-Thomas know. You can donate to the Fourth Reserve Foundation via justgiving.com/charity/the4threserve and find out more about this space and volunteering opportunities for the whole family via their website: www.thereserve.com

VENUE HIRE

Editorial & Design Team:

Isabelle Blake-James

Babette Radclyffe-Thomas

Shea Hollis

Jo Langthorne

Thank you to all Dunstonians who have generously contributed to the Winter 2025 edition. If you would like to contribute to the Summer edition of The Notes 2026, please send your story or announcement by 1 March 2026 to: dunstonians@stdunstans.org.uk

We are particularly interested in receiving items for the scrapbook as well as announcements of engagements, weddings or births – even going back a few years.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. The Dunstonian Association has bespoke pages with weekly postings.

Online Shop...

Thank you to everybody who has already ordered items from The Dunstonian Association’s online shop. We are revamping our online shop on SDConnect. If there is any item you are particularly keen to see, please let Babette know by 15 January 2026 at Dunstonians@stdunstans. org.uk. All profits are reinvested into The Dunstonian Association, so that it can run a growing list of events.

The Notes comes in 100% compostable starch wrap. You can compost it in your garden, use it to line your food bin, or if your council permits, dispose of it in your garden waste.

dunstonians@stdunstans.org.uk SDConnect www.dunstonians.org.uk