The Old Suttonian 2018

ISSUE 64

2018

THE OLD SUTTONIAN

The Old Suttonian 2018 The Old Suttonian is the magazine of former pupils of Sutton Valence School, a co-educational day and boarding Senior School for pupils from 11-18 years, in Kent. It is produced by the School, in collaboration with the Old Suttonians’ Association.

The School

Headmaster Development Manager Alumni Relations and Development Manager

Mr B C W Grindlay (HM 2009-) Mrs H Knott (Staff 2002-) Mr W Radford (Staff 2015-)

The Old Suttonian Editorial Team

Design and Editor Mr W Radford Sub Editors Mrs H Knott

Mr D Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015) Photography Mr D Clarke (Staff 1985-) Mr J Lockwood Tom Gray (Fifth Form) Printed and Bound Stagg Creative

Editorial Note

As the School looks towards its 450th anniversary in 2026, it is worth reflecting upon other significant anniversaries of recent years – both School-related and in a broader sense. Most poignant of those is the upcoming commemoration of the centenary anniversary of Armistice Day. This year’s edition of The Old Suttonian is very much designed around that anniversary. David Pickard has worked tirelessly with the School archives to create a section dedicated to the impact the conflict had on the School and the Old Suttonian community.The theme is also carried by the Headmaster’s address from Speech Day (page 30). The text of the speech draws direct parallels between the Sutton Valence of 1918 and that of today, providing a fascinating insight into life at the School as the war was drawing to a close.

As ever, it would be remiss of me not to thank the editorial team and contributors who have made this year’s magazine so comprehensive and wide-ranging. David Pickard continues to produce engaging and interesting content on a range of topics – his knowledge and enthusiasm for the School is invaluable. Similarly I must thank the regular contributors who have yet again delved into their memories to provide something for inclusion – to the likes of Richard Harvey (1963 C), John McCormick (Staff 1964-2005), Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992) and Richard Mant (1961 M), I am most grateful. The final thank you though should go to Helen Knott, for whom this will likely be her final edition of The Old Suttonian before she retires next year. Her contribution, not just to this magazine, but to every other since the OS Newsletter was first produced, is incomparable and I am so grateful for her help and support over the three years that I’ve been editing the publication.

I hope you enjoy the magazine – the breadth of topics and interest will hopefully mean that there’s something for everyone and, as ever, I would continue to welcome contributions or suggestions for next year’s edition.

CONTENTS

Introduction 2

Old Suttonian Features 3

News from the School

27

World War I Centenary

43

Old Suttonian Sport 55

Welcome - Leavers 2018

69

Old Suttonian Updates 79

INTRODUCTION

Honorary Secretary’s Welcome David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

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our feedback about previous magazines is most welcome and we always try to respond in a positive way. This magazine contains the traditional articles, but also rather more input from you, the OS membership. I really do hope that this is a trend and that you will send even more of your submissions for inclusion. Poetry, short stories, reminiscences, history; all will be welcomed.

As you might have expected that, in this the centenary year of the end of World War 1, we have made quite a feature of commemorating that dramatic time. The effect of the war on the OS and the School was immense. Some 17 percent of those that left the School in the 35 years before the onset of the war lost their lives in the conflict, or as a result of it. Just think how you might feel if you lost one in six of your year group. The Headmaster at the time, William Holdgate, had a terrible time. His immediate reaction to war was to go out and support the troops, as did other headmasters, but he was persuaded that his better role was to make sure that the School remained in a fit state to educate boys once the war was finished. As you will read, he dedicated himself to ensuring his boys were as well prepared to face war once they left school as they could be. He must have been so relieved that no boy who left the School between 1915 and 1918 was killed. He was, however, desperately sad at the loss of lives of those whom he had taught between 1911 and 1914 and others who had played a strong part in the developing Old Suttonians’ Association at that time.

Throughout the conflict he had to contend with many difficulties in running the School; heating, food, continuing education as masters left for the front, all these and more – and then the Zeppelin raid, dropping bombs on all and sundry. I hope you will feel that the remembrance we have put in place to add to that which the School currently respects is appropriate and respectful of the sacrifice our lads made.

Our section, ’News from the School’ is varied, but perhaps culturally biased. In future editions we hope to include all the results of 1st team fixtures, the better for you to appreciate how well the School is doing now. This year we have highlighted OS sport; it is a growing and increasingly successful feature of our continuing association. You will hopefully also take delight in learning about the exploits of your contemporaries in the ‘Updates’ section – we are pleased that you have been so forthcoming with your news. That said, you really are a modest bunch, reluctant to sing your own praises. It is so good to read of such endeavour, however!

This year we have completed the process of modifying the structure of the OSA so that we have a formal partnership with the School in promoting our work. We look forward to exciting developments. However, it is with some sadness that we have to say goodbye to a pivotal figure for both the School and the OSA. Helen Knott has been innovative, dedicated, ever-cheerful and responsive to your requests. There is no doubt that we are a healthier and more robust society than we were some ten years ago thanks to her input. Many thanks, Helen, enjoy your retirement in Deal.

I commend this magazine to you. It has been spectacularly well designed and edited by Will Radford whose previous editions of the magazine were really appreciated by you. I value his effort so much I have resolved never again to hold his attendance at King’s Rochester against him. I have to tell you that good can come out of that place!

David Pickard Honorary Secretary, OSA

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

“

The diversity of the OS community is reflected in the variety of articles penned for this edition of The Old Suttonian and contains a mix that includes reminders of the School’s rich history, biographies of celebrated individual Old Suttonians and reviews of the alumni events held this year. With the breadth of events and engagement amongst OS and between Old Suttonians and the School growing every year, I am delighted that this publication is a true celebration of all that is of worthwhile in our community. I hope you enjoy reading the items as much as I did and thank all the OS who freely gave of their time to write their contributions.

”

Helen Knott Development Manager, Sutton Valence School

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT Peter Polycarpou (1975 C)

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eter Polycarpou (1975 C) was born in Brighton, but moved with his family to south London, from where he joined Sutton Valence School’s Third Form in 1970.

He excelled in every sporting activity he took part in, captaining 1st XI Cricket (full colours), gaining half colours in 1st XI Hockey and 1st XV Rugby and full colours in 1st V Basketball.

In Cornwallis boarding house, he became a House Prefect and was a stalwart of the Hunting Society, the Choir and The Suttonian committee.Though not a notable academic, he won the R L Kay Prize for German and the Derrick Prize for English Verse Speaking. On the School stage, Peter performed with ‘comic timing’ as the Artful Dodger in Oliver! and ‘with great verve’ as George Silancourt in A Penny for a Song. Leaving School, he went to Middlesex University to study for a diploma in Dramatic Art.

Having completed his studies, Peter became a prolific stage, TV and film actor, who first came to fame playing Pauline Quirke’s hapless husband, Chris Theodopolopoudos, in the very successful TV series Birds of a Feather. His work in films includes Evita starring Madonna, Oklahoma! starring Hugh Jackman and De-Lovely starring Kevin Kline. Television work has included The Bill, Holby City, Casualty, EastEnders and Waking the Dead. Peter’s appearances on stage, in film and television and on radio, have extended over a 38-year career as a professional actor. He is a leading artist in musical theatre, having appeared in some of the most enduring West End musicals this country has ever seen.

Since 2006, Peter has taught in youth theatres and schools all over the UK, and has given masterclasses at The London School of Musical Theatre, Mountview Academy of Arts and in many musical theatre training colleges. He has directed youth theatre in two productions of the Les Misérables school edition and Rent, and has his own youth theatre group, Through the Stage Door, which he established in 2009. He also currently serves as a director of The Royal Theatrical Fund, a charity which provides help and support for all who have worked or work in the theatrical profession.

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Life at SVS During The War: A Pupil’s Perspective Will Radford (Staff 2015-)

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ast year, we received the sad news of the passing of David Newell (1947 M). A full obituary is included later in the publication, but David left SVS in 1947 to study mathematics at the University of Cambridge before going on to complete a PhD at the University of Newcastle. Having initially worked at that same university, his career eventually took him to Australia, where he worked for a consultancy firm in mathematics and statistics.

During his time in Sydney, he penned a number of recollections from his time at Sutton Valence, which went on to be published in commemorative anthologies produced by the University of the Third Age. Included below is a sample recollection which brings home what life was like at SVS during the Second World War. With so much focus elsewhere in the magazine on the centenary commemoration of the First World War, Newell’s memories are a reminder that only 20 years later, SVS was once again affected by the toils of war.

“Tensions were high: it was School Certificate time and at the height of a hot summer. As we hurried into the dining hall in Lambe’s for lunch, the smell of hot, anxious schoolboys was all-pervading, dominating the all-too-familiar reek of boiled cabbage and onions.

The rest of the food was mainly odourless and colourless at that stage of the war. The meagre meat ration was usually eked out with suet dumplings in a stew, leaving a claggy taste in the mouth which often lingered until tea time.

Coming back from the holidays, I managed to bring a precious small jar of Marmite, an excellent change of flavour to be savoured for as long as possible. We soon learnt that Marmite scraped onto a piece of bread, then scraped back again into the jar produced a crumbs-and-Marmite paste which could be extended and reused for anything up to half a term. The taste of sausages was a treat, even though their main constituent was bread, so on sausage days, the previous Marmite was saved for a less flavoursome occasion.

The high windows in Lambe’s had been boarded up, so there was little light in the dining hall. In the ensuing gloom, the stacks of white plates glowed luminously, as did the few remaining kitchen staff in The Old SVS Dining Room in Lambe’s pictured in 1937. The room is now the Library.

Thomas James (HM 1932 - 1950)

their surprisingly, still-starched aprons. Like Macbeth’s witches, they stood before the cauldrons of stew, waiting in the well-disciplined silence for Mr James’ Latin grace.

The Headmaster seemed unusually tense and drawn that day, but as usual as we took our seats, boys chattered, plates clattered.

Then, a loud droning overcame the conversation. It was an enemy V-1 flying bomb, heading for London unless the defence forces could intercept it. If they did, it would crash and explode in the less populous countryside. Many of the boys’ parents, like mine, still lived in London. The drone of the buzz bomb suddenly stopped: our parents would be safe from this one. There were usually some 20 seconds of silence before the explosion. Crump! Perhaps some sheep, an orchard, a farmer had been hit. But not us. Not this time. Indoctrinated with jingoism, stiff upper lips to the fore, and comforted by the normality of the feel of familiar knives and forks, we boys resumed our chatter. Danger over, would there be custard for afters?

No wonder the Headmaster had seemed anxious. In the middle of the previous night, a flying bomb, just clearing the top of Centre Block, had exploded in the old rugby field beyond, now dedicated to growing onions for the kitchens. After assuring himself that no-one was harmed, Mr James spent the rest of the night searching for a gas leak. Not gas, dear Sir, just the smell of burnt onions!

How did we perform in that School Certificate in comparison with scholars evacuated far from the danger area? Very well. Not only did the Headmaster personally invigilate the exams, so he could report the number (maybe five or six) of interruptions and explosions during each paper, he also connived in a little self-help. The examination room was the gymnasium, whose windows were not protected. Whenever a flying bomb drone stopped, the candidates had just 20 seconds to find the protection of the equipment store under the stairs. No one invigilated our mutual hasty tutorials in that sweaty secretive glory-hole!”

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Meeting the Families of Two SVS Stalwarts John McCormick (Staff 1964-2005)

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n the last year or so I have enjoyed a series of catch-ups with families with long-standing involvements at SVS - their respective families’ connections to the School cover much of the first half of the twentieth century and they both remain deeply fond of the School.

About three years ago, Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992) told me that Bill Bentley OBE (1950 W), having learned that I was now a relatively near neighbour in north-west England, was anxious to get together again. Our last meeting had been at an Old Suttonian Dinner in London many years before when Bill had enviously inquired why so many 20-something year old young ladies were greeting me with such obvious affection! “They are all my former pupils, Bill!” was my reply. There were no girls at SVS in Bill’s day!!

Sir Martin Holdgate CB

William Holdgate (HM 1910 - 1932)

Bill’s late father, Norman Bentley (Staff 1921-1964), known to many generations of Suttonians as ‘Pub’ or ‘Publius’ because of his admiration for Scipio Africanus, was my predecessor as Head of Classics at the School. I still remember being interviewed by him in the drawing room of Wells Cottage, where Norman and his wife, Nell, lived for many years. As well as his teaching role at the School, Norman was also the Senior Master from 1953 until 1964, the Housemaster of the junior boarding house (which was known as Bentley’s from 1935 until 1949) and the Housemaster of Westminster from 1949 until 1958.

she did for over 30 years and her Syke House Herd became nationally famous, at its peak numbering over 200. She pioneered the keeping of the animals in UK specifically for their fleeces and was a founder member of the British Alpaca Society and is a former chairman. Her herd was dispersed in 2014.

Eventually contact was made with Bill and we have enjoyed several lunch meetings in Ravenstonedale, Cumbria together with my wife Vivien and Bill’s wife, Pat. Vivien herself taught at SVS as a parttime teacher of Physical Education and Games in the Summer Term of 1972 and later became a housemistress and deputy head at Cranbrook, . These meetings have seen much detailed and wideranging reminiscence of our respective times at SVS.

Attending a lecture given by Sir Martin on ‘The Future of the Countryside’ at Lancaster Royal Grammar School (by a fine coincidence the school where Norman Bentley was a boy), I was asked to propose the vote of thanks, as I had links with him - albeit only slight. Sir Martin had been guest of honour at Sutton Valence School Speech Day in 1995 and on that occasion I had enjoyed a chat with him, as I remembered the then merely Dr Holdgate as a tutor at University College, Durham where I was studying.

After Pat and Bill retired to the Cumbrian Pennine countryside, Pat fulfilled a long-held ambition to keep and breed alpacas, which

As well as the Bentleys, I was also delighted to be able to meet with Sir Martin Holdgate CB, the grandson of William Wyatt Holdgate (Headmaster 1910 – 1932), after whom Holdgate House was named, probably after it ceased to be called Bentley’s.

Brought up in Blackpool, where his father, Francis Wyatt Holdgate (1919 W) was a headmaster at the Arnold School, Sir Martin is an internationally-known zoologist and environmental scientist, whose outstanding career took him to many parts of the world and led to many influential posts: he was chief biologist for the British Antarctic Survey, research director for the Nature Conservancy Council and for 18 years, chief scientist and head of research at the Department of the Environment. After his retirement to Cumbria, with which he has a lifelong connection, Sir Martin has served as chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Forestry, president of the Zoological Society and been a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.

Clearly still very active at the age of 87, he told me that he remembers very clearly as a very young boy, holidays in Sutton Valence at “grandfather Holdgate’s”.

Norman and Nell Bentley on an SVS trip to the Lake District in 1952

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Learning of this meeting, Bill Bentley added yet another delightful coincidental connection. As it happens, Sir Martin’s grandfather had christened Bill (end of 1932 or early 1933) in the then relatively new School Chapel. The belief being that it was the first such occasion after the Chapel had been consecrated in 1929.

OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

THE BOOTS Richard Mant (1961 M)

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The first owner of the boots was company quartermaster-sergeant and a member of the 1957 colour party. Head of School and Head of St Margaret’s, Roger Sheridan’s (1957 M) role in the colour party was especially onerous as he carried the new CCF colours at the general inspection, which is when they were presented.

When Roger came to leave Sutton Valence, at the end of the Summer Term 1957, he sent for a new boy in Bennett House to see if he would like to have the boots. He sent his fag, David Manook (1961 M) to track down the new boy and bring him to the Lower Dorm in St Margaret’s where he was packing his trunk.

When I received the summons from David Manook, I was not too alarmed. However, I might have been for, after all, in those days, the gulf between a new boy and the Head of School was a mighty chasm. This was only bridged, as a general rule, if the new boy was in serious trouble. On this occasion though, I remembered Roger (and clearly vice-versa) for both had been boys at Cumnor House Preparatory School in Croydon where Roger had been Head Boy, and in due course, so was I. Roger, I remembered, was a thoroughly decent chap; a view which I found was reinforced still further at SVS. Standing in the Lower Dorm in St Margaret’s, Roger gave me the boots. They were a perfect fit and they served me throughout my years in the CCF. They

were made of a softer leather than most CCF boots and they had a particularly shiny toecap. Roger had, no doubt, worked hard at that shine over the years, and shine like that must have been maintained by his fags in due course. I also worked hard at the shine and found, to my embarrassment, that the boots and their incomparable shine were singled out, on occasion, for special mention on parade by Lt Jim Sergison (Staff 1951-1974).

It was not unknown for other boys to ask if they could borrow the boots when they came to take Cert A Part 1 and/or 2. When in time I had my own fag, he was not allowed to touch the boots for, by now, the toe cap had a glass-like finish, helped undoubtedly by the arrival of liquid shoe polish, carefully applied in the boot-hole in St Margaret’s.

How much these boots played a part in the selection process, I do not know, but I was appointed sergeant in charge of drill and then, some four years after Roger, selected for the colour party to meet Princess Marina on Speech Day in 1961, when she arrived by helicopter and landed on Lower.

Since 1961, the boots have not been on CCF parade, but have been used for general purposes, so the glass-like finish has been scuffed and damaged. The leather too is no longer as soft as it was when the boots were younger and worn regularly. However, they are an excellent example of a 1950s CCF boot that served two decorated members of the Sutton Valence School contingent very well!

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HOUSE FOCUS

SUTTON David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

Sutton House 1987

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Sutton House 2018

OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

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ack in 1985, the newly co-educational Sutton Valence School attracted girls by the score, which also stimulated a demand for boarding. Initially, a few girls were housed in Valence House in the village, but then Sutton began life in 1986; a new girls’ boarding house, separate from the day girls’ house, Valence. It began life in the modified former Founder’s day house, in what used to be the School sanatorium, extended in 1990 at the time of its renovation.

How permission was ever granted for the extension is unclear.

That the building obscures the view of the Weald from the main School is not contested. That its style is not in the character of the main building is also undisputed. I can only think that the planners thought the only people to be inconvenienced by such a building would be the members of the School community and that it mattered little what the new building looked like. For some years, the girls (both day and boarding) were a small minority of the School community and this led, perhaps, to a sense of ‘them and us’. If so, this certainly helped to mould a strong sense of spirit and loyalty in Sutton.

From the outset, the overall welfare of girls came under the stewardship of Stella Haywood (Staff 1983-1994), the Headmaster’s wife, a most formidable defender of all things feminine. She encouraged the girls to become competitive with each other, but was not nearly as fierce about this as she was in other areas of School life. Once Sutton was established and until 1997, all the housemasters were men, ably assisted by wonderful matrons and female members of the common room.

The first of these was Dr Ray Sabine (Staff 1980-1996), who rather resented his girls being referred to as ‘The Sabine Women’, after the Roman mythical story of their kidnap. He was succeeded by the School chaplain of the day, a very imposing Rev’d Dr John Watson (Staff 1987-2000) and then by Houseparents Bill (Staff 1973-2004) and Barbara Piper (Staff 1973-2004), whose tenure lasted rather longer than the previous gentlemen. Colin (Staff 1971-1998) and Pauline Shaw took over from the Pipers and were followed by Tim (Staff 1998-2001) and Fay Wilbur. (Staff 19992001) It wasn’t until Julie Stanford (Staff 2001-2015) took up the reins that a housemistress was established, which continued with Angela Mathews (Staff 2011-2017) and today’s incumbent, Sophie de Castro (Staff 2012-).

As the only boarding house for girls and greatly outnumbered by the boys, Sutton’s staff have all worked hard to establish a house spirit that embraces the diversity of culture and traditions that have prevailed. Less so today, but historically many of the girls came from Europe and the Far East and had never been away from home before, let alone on a different continent.

In a relatively short time, Sutton girls have received much acclaim.

Many had great influence on the School: competing for and winning positions of responsibility within CCF and beyond into the military; achieving academically; displaying prowess on the sports fields and, along with their male counterparts, becoming prefects and heads of School.

As is still the case today, the girls punched above their weight in numbers. The fact that there are fewer girls within the community, offers them the opportunity to become widely involved in the life of the School, if they should so wish, thus honing their skills for future life.

The Sanatorium prior to its conversion to Sutton House

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Dr Mark Sands (1990 F) Arboretum Memorial Helen Knott (Staff 2002-)

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n January this year, the School unveiled a new tree planted in honour of Dr Mark Sands (1990 F) who tragically died, aged 43, in December 2015. Having left the School in 1990, Mark studied medicine at the University of Southampton, before moving to Australia where he worked as a GP and clinical educator.

Following his death, the Sands family, including his brother Martin (1995 F), has been promoting a living memorial to Mark by inviting people to plant a tree in his memory, sharing that planting through a specially setup social media page. Mark loved arboretums and the feeling is that this would serve as a fitting memorial.

Before January, trees had been planted in Australia, Canada and the UK. The planting of an oak sapling at Sutton Valence, where Mark shared many happy memories during the late eighties, brings the total planted worldwide to nearly 20. A suitable long-term position was found beside the CCF wall on Stoney, providing a location away from the risk of future School development.

A short ceremony was held by Shirley and Ralph Sands (Mark’s parents), as well his brother Martin. Helen Knott (Development Manager) and Will Radford (Alumni Relations and Development Manager) were joined by former members of staff David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015) and Anne Wilkinson (Staff 19842016), as well as John Harcourt (Staff 1977-) and his wife Inge.

As part of the ceremony, Mark’s parents spoke of their son and the arboretum project as a whole.

“He would have appreciated this robust choice of tree. The mighty oak! A favourite tree of Mark’s, but one that many of us are unable to plant in a back garden. What better place to have a sapling than here. Like Mark, it will be nurtured by the School into a fine mature specimen.

It is our sad reality to live our lives without the effervescent and very competent Mark. His early death was a sad waste of a reMark-able man. His many abilities and skills mastered during his short life should offer us all comfort that we helped him along the road to so many achievements. In his short, but very useful, life he crammed in 80 years of fun experiences and achievements . He had that irrepressible ‘live every minute’ personality that drove him to enjoy life to the full. Carpe diem, ‘seize the day’.

As the months pass, we are realising that our obvious sadness of his loss must not marr our positive past happy memories of our lives with Mark. So today we celebrate Mark’s life remembering the fun factor he ensured. We have been told by colleagues and patients that laughter (the best medicine) was so often heard coming from his consulting or lecture room. In fact, his practice business partner admitted that he was, if honest, rather jealous of his fun rapport with his patients and colleagues. An accomplished musician, poet, athlete, doctor, educator, weight lifter, navigator and much more. A person who loved the natural world as well as that over-the-shoulder bag full of techno gadgets.

A little suggestion when you feel down about his loss is to write ‘hello’ in the dust or on a steamed-up, window anywhere.

Early morning on the bathroom mirror or in the frost on the car windscreen. This was Mark’s trademark we were always encountering it. As perhaps did the School! His tag.....non-harmful graffiti.. Let it go viral!”

We will continue to follow the family’s progress as the arboretum project spreads and are delighted to have been able to recognise Mark here at the School.

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How Time Flies - Where Have 16 Years Gone?

Helen Knott (Staff 2002-)

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n October 2002, I nervously entered the door that many of you will remember as the front door to the housemaster’s house in St Margaret’s. By then, it was the Headmaster’s Study. I was returning to the world of work as the part-time administration assistant for the newly-established Development Office, which was, and still is, in the same building.

My apprehension was misplaced, as I was fortunate to be working under the guidance of Chris Parkinson, erstwhile teacher of Business Studies and Economics, St Margaret’s tutor, Westminster housemaster, CCF’s contingent commander and the School’s second master. Chris had been asked by Headmaster, Joe Davies and the Governors, to lay the foundations for, and then launch, a capital campaign that was to fund the School’s most ambitious building project for many years. On his arrival in 2001, Joe had felt that the School did not have a strong relationship with its alumni, something he wished to remedy. At that time, all alumni relations were in the capable hands of another Sutton Valence legend, Colin Shaw. As pupil, member of staff and Old Suttonian Association Honorary Secretary, he had devoted a large part of his life to the School archives and maintaining the association’s links with those who had left the School. Working in an office with both Chris and Colin, I was able to take advantage of their enormous wealth of knowledge and start to build the database that is the foundation of all we do today.

to gather together – to ensure that Old Suttonians are given their rightful place in the Sutton Valence School community. The value of those connections cannot, in my view, be underestimated and both headmasters agreed.

You may be wondering why I have chosen to wander down memory lane at this time. Well, after what has definitely been my most satisfying and enriching business role, I have decided that it is time to pass the baton on. I was delighted when Will Radford joined us three years ago, knowing that he would have the best interests of Old Suttonians at heart and would continue to develop the progress made so far. I have also been very fortunate to have had support from many, many OS; Richard Harvey, Des High, David Bunker and Richard West to name too few, but, before I end, there is one I cannot omit. David Pickard, honorary secretary of the OSA and School archivist, has worked tirelessly in support of Old Suttonians and the School. His knowledge is vast, his counsel and friendship wise and kind. I would like to thank him, here, for everything he has done.

So, as I head towards retirement at the end of 2018, thank you to you all too. Together we have achieved more than I imagined in the furtherance of relationships between Old Suttonians and between OS and School. My partner and I are renovating a house in Deal. If you are ever down that way, Will can put you in touch. Au revoir!

Once the campaign was over and the School had started building the new indoor swimming pool, the Astroturf pitch at the Preparatory School and the Baughan Theatre, Chris decided that it was time to retire. Fortunately for me, both the headmaster and chairman of governors felt that all the work of the past three years should be capitalised on and asked me to not only stay, but to take on managing the Development Office; an offer I could not refuse!

Enter Rebecca Riggs, who was to stay with us for ten years. Whilst my role adapted and grew as the priorities of the department and School changed, it was Rebecca who was the mainstay of the office and the one who OS invariably emailed or called. Without Rebecca’s diligent work, we simply would not have been as successful as we were.

During this time, I instigated the Annual Fund, which engaged many Old Suttonians, who identified with the small-scale projects that supported the education of pupils at both the Senior and Prep Schools. Whilst the School had been fortunate to receive occasional legacy gifts over the years, it was something about which I was keen to raise awareness. A sensitive subject, but a ‘cost effective’ way of supporting the School when it may not be possible to do so during one’s lifetime. The William Lambe Society gave us the opportunity to recognise those who chose to donate in this way and the campaign reaped the hugely beneficial legacy that was the foundation of our recent bursary campaign,The 1576 Fund.

Over the past 16 years, I have been fortunate to work with two superb headmasters – Joe Davies, now retired and living on the south coast, and Bruce Grindlay. Both were and have been extraordinarily supportive of what we were trying to achieve in the Development Office and always willing to give their time to reunions, sports events and visiting Old Suttonians. It has always been my firm belief that our primary focus should be to build the relationship between School and its alumni and to offer opportunities for OS

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In this issue of The Suttonian, we talk to three OS who have had distinguished legal careers, but have also made their mark in other ways, often challenging the status quo.

OS INTERVIEWS The Legal Team

In this issue of The Suttonian, Richard Harvey (1963 C) talks to three Old Suttonians who have had distinguished legal careers, but have also made their mark in other ways, often challenging the status quo.

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Neville Sarony QC (1958 M)

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lmost from the day he was born, Neville Sarony you’re asking me to do is to join an organisation that will has lived a life which would have a biographer have internal politics, and I don’t play politics”. struggling to know where to start.

But it wasn’t long before the lure of the Far East proved The son of Leslie Sarony, the much-loved pre-war actor, irresistible, and Neville accepted an invitation to join a set composer, variety artist and radio performer, Neville of chambers in Hong Kong in 1986. His cases included grew up in a household regularly visited by show-business defending an arsonist who had started a fire which killed celebrities, although he explains that “my father was so 12 people. Neville successfully argued for the murder busy we often wouldn’t see him for weeks on end”. charge to be downgraded to manslaughter, leading to a prison sentence for the defendant, rather than a murder After prep school at Mount Rich in Wembley, Neville conviction. He has appeared at every level from the Privy arrived at SVS, and Bennett’s House, in 1952. Not long Council down to Bow Magistrates’ Court. afterwards, he was given a leading part in the school production of Saint Joan, which he credits with boosting Now well past his landmark 50th year as a practising his confidence and enabling him to relate to senior pupils. barrister, Neville - who was appointed Queen’s Counsel and a Recorder of the Crown Court in 1992 - is outspoken Transferring to St Margaret’s, Neville enjoyed a successful about the encroachment of the Chinese government on school career, both sporting and academic. He was in the the independence of the legal system in Hong Kong. “The 1st XV from 1955-57, 1st XI hockey, captain of swimming transfer of power from Britain to China in 1997 was 1957-58, excelled at English, History and French and he seamless”, he says “but initially subtle changes were made pays special tribute to some outstanding masters including to the well-established legal system which have continued Bob Hanworth (Staff 1954-1965), Roger Douglas (Staff less subtly. It’s not something that I can keep quiet about”.

1953-1988) and Michael Fairbank (Staff 1955-1984).

Indeed, Neville partly ascribes his robust independence to National Service, initially with the Royal West Kent his schooldays at SVS. “We only had about 250 boys, much regiment, followed. Neville loved military life, and after less than many of our rivals, and you had to turn your Mons officer training school was commissioned into the hand to everything. “We punched well above our weight.

7th Gurkha Rifles, and promptly posted to Malaya where It was demanding, but I learned a lot from being head of his battalion was engaged in combating the communist house, and the responsibilities that came with it.” ‘emergency’.

He returns to England for a couple of weeks every year “I really enjoyed soldiering with the Gurkhas”, he said. to look up old friends, such as SVS contemporaries “But I realised I wasn’t necessarily cut out for following Mark Grundy (1955 W), Rodney Stubblefield (1955 M) what I regarded as stupid orders, which is pretty much a and James Croft (1955 M). He is a trustee of the Nepal pre-requisite in the Army......”

Umbrella Foundation that provides for Nepalese children who are the victims of human trafficking, and an advisor Instead, Neville read for an LLB (Hons) at the London to the Solerico Organisation that provides solar pumps to School of Economics, and then took the Bar finals before Nepalese farmers. joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which he says he hated.The Far East was where he really wanted to He still treads the boards, recently playing the ghost of be, not least because he had met, fallen in love with, and John Barrymore in I Hate Hamlet, and Field-Marshall Haigh married Bimala Dewan, the daughter of a Nepalese officer in Oh What a Lovely War. His other ‘therapy’ is playing jazz in 7th Gurkhas who was studying nursing at St. Thomas’ piano and singing with traditional jazz bands, most recently Hospital. The couple flew to Nepal, where Neville spent at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival. Living a life which is so full, three years as the first foreign lawyer to work in Nepal, it is perhaps a surprise to learn that Neville has managed being admitted as an advocate of its Supreme Court. to find the time to pursue another interest - as an author.

Returning to London, Neville made a name for himself as counsel in several high profile cases, wryly observing that “every case is a triumph or a disaster”. They included representing brain-damaged victims of clinical negligence in fights against corporate and public authority interests, and acting for five police officers indicted as part of Operation Countryman, the campaign to root out corruption in the Metropolitan Police. Five cases, five acquittals.

His memoir Counsel in the Clouds was well received on publication four years ago, while two novels - The Dharma Expedient, and its sequel Devlin’s Chakra - draw heavily on his breadth of experience in the Far East. The next book in the Max Devlin series is a work in progress. Less surprisingly, his books make frequent reference to the uneasy relationship between government, the law and the individual.

Unhappy at what he saw as an increasing trend for politicians to meddle disastrously with the legal system, Neville nevertheless turned down an offer from Hong Kong’s Attorney General in 1986 - “I told them what

He is still working, maintaining a Quixotic approach, fighting the corner of the underdog in the quest for justice in the course of which he endeavours to drag the legal profession, kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

Douglas Horner DL (1962 M) Richard Harvey (1963 C)

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hen Douglas Horner was once asked why he was involved in so many activities and organisations in addition to his 32-year career with Maidstone law firm Brachers he replied: "Because I wanted to remain relevant".

That, by anybody's judgement, has proved to be an understatement, as Douglas has been a leading figure in supporting the county's business and agricultural community, as well as enjoying a career spent proving to expensive London law firms that the finest legal brains don't always reside in the capital.

Insurance and PAYE on their casual labourers - a move which, had it succeeded, would have cost some farmers ÂŁ100,000 or more.

However, Douglas and his NFU colleagues discovered that the tax authorities had overlooked an old agreement with the farming industry precluding these payments. It put a stop to the outstanding tax demands and raids.

There were similar battles with London lawyers acting for the once-mighty National Coal Board - again, resulting in victory - and defeating 26 enforcement notices over 25 years against a wellknown aerodrome, which continues to operate today. As Brachers grew from a 25-employee practice to more than 200 by the time Arriving at SVS in 1958 on a scholarship from Merton Court Douglas retired in 2002, so did both their reputation.

Preparatory School, he won a place at St John's College, Cambridge aged just 15, subject to his A level results, which he duly passed.

Douglas was a long-standing consultant and non-executive director of leading property development firm Trenport Investments, part of Before going up to Cambridge, Douglas played Hockey for the the group which includes The Ritz and The Daily Telegraph, as well School, was a house prefect, sergeant in the Combined Cadet as developing a specialist knowledge of agricultural law and town Force clerk to the Hunting Society (the School debating forum), planning. He has been a key adviser to the National Farmers Union, editor of The Suttonian, and winner of the Derrick Prize for English locally, regionally and nationally. verse speaking. He has remained friends with, and continues to meet, many of his contemporaries, and has been a regular sailing He has also been one of those instrumental in the revitalisation companion of Richard Mant (1961 M). of the Kent County Agricultural Society, which has transformed the Detling showground from a once-a-year site for the County After taking his law exams, Douglas joined Brachers, where Show to a major events centre for business exhibitions and, more OS Geoffrey Dearing (1966 L) later became managing partner. recently, major rock concerts.

It was to be the beginning of a legal career, highlighted by some high profile victories, often against seemingly overwhelming odds. But it is his staunch support for business in Kent which has earned He successfully fought HMRC, which had been conducting raids him a particularly high profile, as a member of the CBI's Regional on farms across the UK, demanding the owners pay National Council, founder chairman of the Kent Economic Forum, continuing vice chairman of its successor the Kent and Medway Economic Board, and as business representative to the South East England Regional Assembly (SEERA) of which he became a vice chairman, and its subsequent, government-backed, incarnations.

Inevitably, Douglas was involved in making decisions which didn't always please politicians, and he has faced - and seen off - moves to discredit him in the media. So it was particularly gratifying when, in 2016, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Kent Excellence in Business Awards. Other accolades have followed, and today he is an active Deputy Lieutenant of Kent and Kent Ambassador.

And all this, having suffered life-threatening illness. Ten years ago, sailing off Croatia, he suffered cardiac failure and was flown back to London for emergency surgery to repair a heart valve, a procedure which was repeated five years later. "Touch wood, I'm holding up!", he says, and remains a keen sailor (he has a second home on the Isle of Wight), has sailed round the UK, and has recently been chartering with friends in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. He also enjoys driving his custom-made Morgan and convertible Jaguar.

Douglas is president of the Old Suttonians Association which, he says, "is a great privilege in meeting many OS, and seeing the operation of the School in delivering education to the current generation of pupils to the very highest standards."

Douglas remains the very epitome of "remaining relevant".

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

Blair Gulland (1969 F) Richard Harvey (1963 C)

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ew families have a greater connection with the school than the Gullands, and two of them - Blair Gulland, head of the family law firm, and his father John (1933 F) - donated the building which now houses the School’s Art centre.

This is particularly appropriate as Blair has been a significant figure on the Kent arts scene for many years, another example of an OS who has more than matched his professional achievements with outside interests which have had a major impact both here and abroad.

Blair enjoyed a successful seven-year stay at SVS, gaining relevant A Level passes to join the family legal practice in Maidstone, as well as playing first team Hockey, and second team Rugby and Cricket.

Now chairman of Gullands, with offices in Maidstone and Gravesend, Blair is still a practising solicitor with a particular interest in what many may consider a fading relic of the past - almshouses. On the contrary, whilst almshouses have been in existence for more than a thousand years, providing affordable housing for the needy and vulnerable, the demand for them is stronger than ever, and Blair is a nationally-recognised expert on the management of these properties.

His interest in the movement was sparked by his appointment as clerk to the Cutbush & Corrall Maidstone charity, which administers more than 150 almshouses. However the relevance of looking after social housing resulted in Blair joining the board of a company which arranged the transfer of 6,300 Maidstone council houses to an independent housing charity, a unique exercise at the time.

And the list of his contributions to spreading the message of music and the arts goes on. So it was particularly apt that when Blair bought The Manse in Sutton Valence village as his home, he and his father also acquired the old Congregational Church, which has now been converted into Gulland Hall, the School’s Art centre.

For more information on that, and the importance the building still plays in Art at the School, please refer to the story overleaf.

So, as Blair heads towards his 50th anniversary with the family firm, how does he possibly find the time to devote to so many charitable and musical interests? “Fortunately, I only need about five hours sleep a night”, he says. “and being involved keeps me sane. I consider myself very lucky to be able to do what I do - it’s such a rich variety”.

He credits his time at the School with contributing to an ability to manage effectively and stay energetic and focussed. Not that SVS masters have always considered their pupils to be potential beneficiaries to society. His father John recalls that when he was at the school in the 1930s, one master said that boys he was teaching were the worst class he had ever encountered.

They included Charles Groves (1932 W), later Sir Charles, one of the world’s greatest orchestral conductors, world mile record holder Sydney Wooderson (1933 W) and Peter Grafton (1933 M), who went on to become president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and chairman of the SVS Board of Governors!

Blair was also asked to chair the estates committee of the Royal British Legion Industries at Aylesford, which supports veterans of the armed forces, many of them returning from the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. RBLI has just completed building 24 new flats, an award-winning project, and Blair and his colleagues are now turning their attention to creating a centenary village.

But it is in the field of arts where Blair’s enthusiasm and commitment has also yielded remarkable results. Hundreds of young musicians across Kent owe their training, at least in part, to Blair, and many have gone on to become professional musicians. He was chairman of the Kent Music School, which at one time involved more than 14,000 students and 400 schools, and also chair of Sounds New, a contemporary music charity with artists-in-residence including John Tavener, Harrison Birtwhistle and Peter Maxwell Davies.

Blair is a passionate believer in music’s ability to help and heal, and is a trustee of Canterbury Cantata, which promotes the benefits of music to sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease and dementia - patrons include Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac. He works with guitarist John Williams, film composer Richard Harvey and film producer Robert Young in the MAE Foundation, which has provided thousands of musical instruments to the dispossessed Karen tribe in northern Thailand.

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

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nyone driving though the village of Sutton Valence can’t fail to notice the old Congregational chapel building, which has become a prominent part of SVS life, housing the School’s thriving Art department.

The building’s history originally dates back to 1870. There is a long history of non-conformism locally and in the latter part of the 19th century there was a thriving Congregational community in the village. They built the chapel and the manse behind it when the existing facilities were deemed inadequate.

They had already built a primary school to the right of the pathway leading to the manse and there was considerable rivalry between it – the British School – and the Church of England National School immediately to the north of the parish church.

(Staff 1952-1989) with him, the initial thought was that John Gulland’s gift could be converted into a new Music school. As it turned out, that development went next to the Refectory and the Congregational chapel would become the School’s new Art centre. The rest is history.

Blair Gulland comments: “The Gulland family have a long association with the School, which is how the building became part of the school estate. My father John Gulland was at Sutton Valence with a number of boys who went on to achieve great things in life.” Entirely coincidentally, this group included a certain Sir Charles Groves CBE (1932 W), for whom the new Music School, built a year after the chapel’s conversion, was named. Blair continues, “the Gulland Hall helped to encourage the artistic interest in my own family and my youngest son Theo spent many hours there and developed a love of art at Falling into disrepair during the late 1960s, the chapel‘s future the School. I hope in the last 30-plus years, the Gulland Hall has looked bleak until it was bought by John Gulland (1933 F) in inspired many other pupils to go on and achieve great things in 1976. The purchase was effectively a job lot with the manse the arts.” also forming part of the sale. That property was purchased as a family home for John’s son, Blair (1969 F) and his wife Tikki, and The extended Gulland family has seen three generations come the chapel, for which John had no use and which was not very through the School. John F Gulland, his brother Douglas Gulland marketable, was generously gifted to the School.

(1930 F) and their cousin Dennis Ainsley (1933 F) were the first to arrive, before John’s sons Blair Gulland and Garth Gulland At first, it was feared that the chapel might become something (1965 F) followed suit. Most recently, Blair’s children James of a white elephant – without a clear idea of its potential use. Gulland (2000 L) and John Theo Gulland (2005 H) have also The Headmaster at the time, Michael Ricketts (HM 1967-1980) both attended. was aware that Uppingham School had recently converted a large building to state-of-the-art facilities and he got himself an invitation to see what they had done. Taking Graham Foulkes

HISTORY OF

GULLAND HALL Mrs A Baldwin (Parent 2012-). Archive information provided

by Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992)

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

OS ‘Hidden London’ Walking Tour - May 2018 David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

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s a new inclusion on the OS events calendar, this year saw us try something different with a day out in London over Half Term. The ‘Hidden London’ Walking Tour was an opportunity for OS to learn about the various Sutton Valence connections to The City.

Intrepid Old Suttonians, staff and friends set off from St Clement Dane’s Church and headed east. We saluted the border crossing into The City before heading along Fleet Street, paying homage to it’s background in journalism as well as its previous existence as a centre of banking, publishing and the law. Once past The Old Bailey, we visited Saint Botolph’s Without Aldersgate and Postman’s Park.

The majority of readers of this will not have heard of the latter – you are missing a real treat.

The walls of the Bank of England being so forbidding, the party went through The Royal Exchange (London’s first shopping mall established back in the early 1600s) and into Bell Yard, which contains the first coffee house built in London. From there we walked through Leadenhall Market and on to the Clothworkers’ Hall, just off Fenchurch Street. There, we were greeted by the current clerk, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar, before enjoying a splendid and informative tour by the archivist for the Clothworkers Company, Hannah Dunmow, expounding the long and rich history between the School and the company.

Resuming the walk, we learned about the rise and fall of the East India Company, deferring the opportunity of a drinks break in the

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East India Arms, and instead walked through Pepys’ London, and into Trinity House Gardens, where we paid homage to the bravery of the OS, RCV Humphery, hero in both world wars.

With the conclusion of the planned route, we finally had the opportunity to slake our thirsts. The day ended with a further walk across Tower Bridge to our regular haunt of Hay’s Galleria where we stopped for further liquid refreshment and then, latterly, a meal. Unfortunately, the originally planned evening of pétanque had to be cancelled due to the venue finding alternative use for its boulodrome, but that did little to dampen our mood. The rearranged pétanque evening is now due to take place on Thursday 6th September.

All-in-all it was an enjoyable afternoon, which hopefully provided some insight into the less mainstream parts The City. Despite the threat of thunderstorms, it ended up being a bright and sunny afternoon - perfect for a wander around London. Given it was the first event of this type, we were delighted by the uptake of the limited number of places and hope to offer another similar tour next year.

Ed: The success of the event was very much down to the painstaking preparation and planning of David Pickard. We are indebted to him for leading the day, and to the Clothworkers Company for their kind hospitality.

OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

The Lure of Westminster Michael James (Staff 2014-), Housemaster

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ver the course of the Summer Term, Westminster House was delighted to welcome back two former Heads of House for impromptu visits - Phillip Hoad (1976 W) and Quentin Lewis (1989 W).

When Philip visited in May, the 2017-2018 Head of House, Edward Mazumdar (2018 W) had the honour of showing his predecessor around.

While they swapped stories about how boarding schools have changed over the last 40 years, Edward and the other lads who ‘toured’ Westminster with Phillip, discovered that boot rooms and kitchens had been moved or ‘lost’. Offices had been created where once stood common rooms, and the old dormitories had been converted to triple or double rooms. What did remain the same was Philip’s old Head of House room on the ground floor, and he swears it has not changed a bit.

Towards the end of the term, Quentin Lewis visited together with his wife and daughter. When he had left in the late-eighties, Westminster had already changed from Philip’s time, but the subsequent changes were all the more significant. What was reassuring was that the common rooms remained exactly as he remembered and the gallery of past house photos allowed a trip down memory lane. With Ed Mazumdar already on study leave, it was left to our current Head of House, Archie Yorke, to host.

Philip Hoad (1976 W) and Edward Mazumdar (2018 W)

The current boarders sometimes forget that they are part of a very long tradition and, while boarding changes, the warmth that exists in the houses remains. The camaraderie and friendships created in a boarding environment are very strong. There is no better example of this than Phillip, who now lives in Canada, but whilst visiting the UK, was actually staying with a friend of over 40 years whom he had met in Westminster.

It is always a privilege and pleasure to open up the house to past residents.

In a school with as rich a history as ours, the opportunities for the past and present to come together should not be overlooked.We are delighted Philip and Quentin returned and we would encourage others to do similar.

If you would like a boarding house tour (Westminster, St Margaret’s or Sutton) or a more general tour of the School, please get in touch with the School’s Development Office to arrange a visit.

Archie Yorke (Upper Sixth) and Quentin Lewis (1989 W)

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

SVS CAR SHOW MAY 2018 Helen Knott (Staff 2002-)

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ollowing the success of previous events in 2014 and 2016, the School hosted its biennial Car Show at the start of May this year. Having previously been held in late June, the decision to bring it forward in the events calendar was designed to allow a full strength 1st XI Cricket team to take part in the fixture against the OS - an event which has traditionally dovetailed with the Car Show, but one that has suffered from Upper Sixth pupils being unable to take part as they are already on study leave by that point.

The decision to move seemed questionable after torrential downpours the day before, but thankfully Upper withstood the barrage and the show opened to an overcast, but dry day. With over 50 vehicles registered to attend (the most of any of the three shows thus far), Upper quickly began to fill up with an array of

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vehicles exhibited by parents, grandparents, Old Suttonians, staff and the local community.

The entry field was broad, with vehicles ranging from a 1928 Lagonda 2.0 HC (Dick Slaughter 1964 W) all the way through to a 2005 Aston Martin DB9 (James Watson 1980 F). If cars weren’t of interest, there was also a 1942 Morris Commercial C8 artillery tractor (Andrew Thomas 2012 F) and a 1943 Willys MB military RC vehicle (Mr and Mrs Kent) as well as a variety of bikes including a 1959 Velocette Venom (Eric Dines) and a 2018 CCM Spitfire (Charles Tassell 1978 F).

Throughout the event, attendees were invited to vote for their ‘vehicle of the day’, which resulted in a narrow victory for a 1932 Ford Model B. After a lap of the north end of the pitches, Mr

OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

Abrehart, a current parent of the School, collected his prize from the Headmaster in front of the assembled crowd.

Although the show managed to survive the weather, the proposed 1st XI vs Old Suttonian Cricket fixture had to be cancelled. Given the popularity of the two events side-by-side, the expectation was that the car show audience numbers may suffer, but to the contrary we were delighted to see so many parents, staff and Old Suttonians supporting the show. It was a great family event, and we look forward to building on it again for 2020! Many thanks to all of the Old Suttonians who brought vehicles along, or who simply came along to support. A special mention should also go to Richard West (1964 L), whose expert curation and management of the event once again proved invaluable.

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

Next Steps Careers Event - March 2018 Christine Carter (Staff 1995-), Head of Careers

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t the end of the School’s Lent Term, eight recent leavers returned as part of the biennial Next Steps careers event. The Old Suttonians spoke to the current Sixth Form about their experiences having left the School, giving advice on university choices, school leaver employment schemes, apprenticeships, placement years and university life.

organising international placements, as she is about to spend a year at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Also in her third year, Bethany Webb described the benefits of her placement at Kantar Media as part of her Psychology degree at the University of Bath.

Beth also covered the importance of getting involved in the various clubs and societies available at university.

The Old Suttonian panel comprised of Peter Bannister (2013 H), Christian Broadhurst (2013 C), Cara McGannan (2014 S), Mia Van Diepen (2015 F), Guy Backhouse (2016 F) and Patrick Backhouse (2016 F), as well as Bethany Webb (2015 F) and Lydia Davies (2015 H) who returned having taken part in the inaugural 2016 event. The panel was expertly chaired by the Headmaster who fielded questions from the Sixth Formers covering areas including employability skills, interview preparation and the process of going through the UCAS clearing scheme.

That sentiment was echoed by both Backhouse boys who are currently in the second years of their respective courses. Patrick is studying Business Management with Marketing at the University of Exeter and is about to take up a placement at GlaxoSmithKline.

Guy’s placement at Disney in London is part of his Business and Marketing degree at Bournemouth University.

Currently in his fourth year studying Medicine (BM) at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Peter Bannister spoke of the hard work needed to succeed in a medical degree. He also offered insight into the possibility of changing courses, having originally planned to study a different degree. Similarly, Cara McGannon spoke of her change in direction - having planned to work at John Lewis through their A Level Leaver Apprenticeship scheme, she later changed her mind and opted to re-apply to university. She is now in her third and final year studying Philosophy at the University of Sheffield.

From the group of 2015 leavers, Mia Van Diepen is currently in her third year (of four) studying Chemistry (MChem) at the University of Durham. She offered insight into science-based degrees and the collegiate structure in place at Durham. She also spoke about

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Lydia Davies, who like Beth took part in the first Next Steps event in 2016, offered advice on non-university, skills-based options.

Having left Sutton Valence in 2015, she studied for a professional diploma at Quest Professional in London before starting her career at PwC, where she is now a personal assistant. Similarly, Christian Broadhurst opted to join PwC via their School Leaver Programme as a trainee associate. Four years later, he is now a senior associate.

Both he and Lydia offered invaluable help for those who don’t feel university is necessarily the right option for them, and the success that they have both enjoyed provided real reassurance.

Our thanks go to all those who gave their time to make this such an informative and motivational morning. The transition from life at Sutton Valence School into university, further study or work can seem daunting, so hopefully the experiences and empathy of our recent leavers provided some reassurance and encouragement to the Sixth Form to help them take those next steps.

OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

Old Suttonian Reunion Round-up Will Radford (Staff 2015-)

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n February this year, the Development Office was approached about helping to reinvigorate the long-standing Spring reunion for leavers from the forties. Ian Kay (1941 M) has run the event for a considerable number of years, but sadly, as one would expect, the number of attendees has diminished over time. Ian’s hope was to attract some new blood to the annual event by extending the invitation to all leavers from the fifties as well. In doing so, we managed to attract a few new faces, but with greater preparation next time, we hope to expand the event even further.

The year’s event saw five Old Suttonians converge on the usual location for the lunch – the Strand Palace Hotel. Ian and regular attendee Cecil Hardwick (1945 M) were joined by Keith Gilham (1959 M), Clyde Britton (1954 W) and Michael Cheetham (1954 M). From the OSA, David Pickard also attended alongside Will Radford from the School. The lunch provided some excellent reminiscences about the School incorporating the pre-war, wartime and post-war eras. The broader age range provided an impetus for new conversation and reflection, and the group was delighted to hear an update on the School today.

OS groups. The early sixties St Margaret’s (and guests) group had their annual Christmas get-together at the Old Bell in Oxted, Surrey this included Richard Dixon (1960 M), Keith Gilham (1959 M), James Grafton (1961 M), Douglas Horner (1962 M), David Manook (1961 M), Richard Mant (1961 M) and Alan Marsh (1962 M). The same group also spent a day back in Sutton Valence, a write-up of which can be found on page 28.

Another Christmas reunion saw the group of mid-fifties leavers descend upon the RAC Club for their annual meal. Attending that event were Michael Bartlett (1954 W), Clyde Britton (1954 W), James Croft (1955 M), Richard Edmonds (1956 M), Bill Ellis (1956 M), Anthony Perkins (1955 L), Rodney Stubblefield (1955 M), Jeremy Wall (1954 M) and Peter Wiggins (1953 W).

We would wholeheartedly encourage any Old Suttonians from the forties or fifties who are available on the first Tuesday of March (the 5th in 2019) to join in on a lively lunch in London.

Information about the event will be circulated at the start of next year, so please keep a look out for it..

Elsewhere this year, we have been pleased to receive updates on other regular reunions that have taken place involving different

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

25 Year Reunion

1993 LEAVERS Will Radford (Staff 2015-)

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n the middle of June this year, we were delighted to welcome back for an informal reunion 30 Old Suttonians who had left the School in 1993. As a 25-year anniversary event, the group enjoyed a tour around the site, followed by a three-course meal in Groves Hall, before continuing their celebrations long into the night in The Queen’s Head. For many of the group, this was the first time they had returned to the School since Speech Day 1993 and many had not seen one another for a similar length of time.

Former staff members David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001) and Anne Wilkinson (Staff 1985-2016) helped facilitate their visit and reminisced with the group about how the School used to be back in the late eighties and early nineties. It was a fantastic event and great to see so many Old Suttonians from a single year group

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getting together. This was, in the large part, due to the organisation and perseverance of Matthew Woodgate (1993 M) who originally suggested the idea. We we are really grateful for all his help in pulling the event together.

Those pictured above are (left to right): David Pickard (Staff1977-2001, 2009-2015), Lucy Burbridge (1993 V), Alan Barr (1993 W), Stephen Walsh (1993 L), Mitchel Godden (1993 F), Michael Schmidt (1993 W), Richard Wooderson (1993 W), Fiona MacDonald (1993 V), Ghislaine Studd (1993 V), Katherine Clarke (1993 V), Nicholas Hodgson (1993 M), Matthew Woodgate (1993 M), Nicholas Ratcliffe (1993 W), Michael Dunderdale (1993 W), Stephanie Aviss (1993 V),Victoria Moon (1993 V), Timur Asar (1993 M), Ben Painter (1993 W), Joanna Ferris (1993 V), Kathryn Hannah

OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

(1993 V), Laurence Fox (1993 M), Alexandra Pocock (1993 V), Duncan Brannan (1993 L), Frances Yonge (1993 S), Nicholas Morgan (1993 W), Gabrielle Browning (1993 V), Emma Lloyd (1993 V), Jennifer Howells (1993 S), Oliver Haywood (1993 F), Claudia Latham (1993 V), Miles McLeod (1993 M) and Annie Wilkinson (Staff 1984-2016).

As a school, we always welcome OS-led events and would be delighted to hear from any other year groups with significant anniversaries in 2019 who would like a trip down memory lane with a year-group reunion hosted at the School.

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OLD SUTTONIAN FEATURES

OS History of Sutton Valence Event - June 2018 Richard Mant (1961 M)

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n a warm day in June this year, a discrete gathering of Old Suttonians, partners and staff took place in the sun-drenched splendour of Sutton Valence village.

While many OS events in the past have offered tours and insight into the history of the School, this gathering was intended to shed historical light on the village itself.

The day started in the keep of Sutton Valence’s Norman castle where Samantha Stones, the English Heritage Properties Curator for the South, gave an interesting talk on the history of the castle. She described the castle buildings, which were much more extensive than most of us realised and she explained how the castle changed hands from one owner to another as the years went by.

Within her talk, she also highlighted the excellent work done by the school’s Archaeological Society in the 1950s and in particular the excavations done by one student, Graeme Horner (1957 M), who was present on the day. We heard how much the work he did then, has been valued over the years. The OS then moved on to the King’s Head for lunch where the service and the food were greatly appreciated.

After lunch, the group crossed North Street to assemble in St Mary’s Church where they were given a fascinating talk by Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992). Michael had arranged different photos in various parts of the church for the group to see, he also showed us plaques of interest on the walls of the church and the Lambe’s Chapel with the graves of former Sutton Valence School Headmasters beneath the floor.

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Michael’s talk included a visit upstairs to the gallery, which is now the Archives Room. Some of the more adventurous of the group went further up the tower, arriving at the top to a superb view across the Weald. The talk concluded with a look at a number of significant graves in the churchyard, including that of Norman Bentley (Staff 1921-1964). After a day of great interest, the OS retired once more to the King’s Head where they relaxed over numerous cups of tea.

Those included in the photograph above are (from left to right): Keith Gilham (1959 M), David Manook (1961 M), Christine Gilham, Richard Mant (1961 M), Richard Dixon (1960 M), Douglas Horner DL (1962 M), Samantha Stones, Graeme Horner (1957 M), Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992), David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2016), Gerry Hunt and Jane Mant.

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NEWS FROM

THE SCHOOL “

As the School begins to look forward to 2026 and all of the exciting plans and development associated with our 450th anniversary, the importance of our past resonates even greater. A school’s history is characterised by the pupils it has educated, and I am delighted that the Old Suttonian community remains so strongly aligned with the School. It is a pleasure that so many of you have joined us this year at concerts, sports events and celebrations, and I hope the following snapshot of our year provides you with an overview of our continued development.

”

Bruce Grindlay Headmaster, Sutton Valence School

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NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL

REVIEW OF THE YEAR An abridged version of the Speech Day address by Bruce Grindlay (HM 2009-)

T

he editors of the 1918 Summer Term magazine wrote that “The war still drags on, and even for the most sanguine the end is hardly in view. The hardships we have to endure increase almost daily, and must continue to do so. But as long as all keep their spirits up and do not despair, we feel confident that our readiness to put up cheerfully with what are, after all, comparatively slight inconveniences, will continue to characterise all sections of the community. Every term the difficulties in running the School become greater, but if everyone does his best and we all work together, we are bound to pull through all right.”

With such seismic and monumental world-altering events taking place, it is hard to remember and focus on all the other things that were occurring across the country, let alone what day-to-day life was like in a small Kentish country boarding school.

Thanks to our archivist and Development Office, we have, over the last four years during assemblies, been able to remember all of the brave Old Suttonians who gave their tomorrows for our today during the First World War (please refer to the proceeding World War I Centenary section). However, the archives also reveal ordinary School life in 1918. So, with the help of surviving diaries, prospectuses and School magazines, let’s enjoy the comparisons and contrasts of the 1918 school year with that of 2018.

Old Suttonian, Alexander Vidler’s (1919 M) diary brings School life vividly back to life for us and makes for fascinating reading: 23rd January - First Rugger game, the ground painfully hard; 12th May - Prefects went to breakfast at The Queen’s Head; 25th May - Three Zeppelins and one German aeroplane pass over at immense height and drop three bombs in the Weald; 13th June - We were allowed to wear soft collars to School on account of the shortage of starch; 28th June - Haymaking in the afternoon; 29th September - Debate in the evening on the topic of whether the government should prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquor for the duration of the war – curtailed due to air raid;

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22nd November – Hackett fell out of the day room window – all unimpressed!

On the larger stage, 6th February saw the Representation of the People Act passed, finally giving the vote to women and in November, the Parliament Act allowed women over 21 to stand as MPs. For us involved in education, 1918 is an important year when the President of the Board of Education, Herbert Fisher’s far-sighted plans for educational change were enacted through the Education Act, which aimed to meet the growing demand for education, improving standards and raising the school leaving age from 12 to 14. Fisher believed that education was vital not only to the individual, but also to society.

And, of course, that is absolutely as true today as it was then and is precisely why we try and ensure all of our pupils improve their outcomes by the time they leave us for the next stage of their lives.

Our A Level results this year were rather polarised, which did, I’m afraid reflect the application and attitudes of that particular cohort.

However, at GCSE we received the best results ever and with 45 per cent A*-A grades achieved, this bodes well for this cohort in a year’s time with their A Level results.

Without a doubt, the recent examination reforms have made the linear A Levels and the much-enhanced GCSE examinations harder and as a response to these changes, we have altered our provision and curriculum to try and help our students achieve the best results possible.

At GCSE we have introduced our bespoke curriculum that plays to the strengths and interests of the pupils rather than merely conforming to the ever-increasing strictures placed on the maintained sector by the government through financial necessity and a misplaced sense of what constitutes academic rigour.

In September, we launch a new timetable that allows more to be achieved in our working week; sport training to happen during daylight hours and the junior years to undertake some prep work

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during the School day. It has also allowed us to add a fourth option block for the Sixth Form, increasing the range of support and qualifications available alongside their three A Level subjects.

Next year, we also see a change to our reporting and parents’ evenings, allowing every year group to have two parents’ evenings per year so the feedback on the pupils’ progress can be more thorough and immediate.

Our Old Suttonian diarist went on to do extremely well academically at Sutton Valence, but Vidler’s initial reports display that brevity and brutal honesty that are the hallmarks of this bygone era of report writing and clearly demonstrate exactly what we are now trying to avoid. In the Summer Term 1915, his report read: Mathematics - “At last, Vidler is beginning to see daylight!”

English - “Has ideas, but often they are childish and too receptive of half truths.”

By comparison, the Headmaster was positively expansive in his fulsome concluding comment: “Vidler has shown he is an able boy in contrast to any ordinary-brained one.”

The Telegraph recently ran a feature on humorous, hard-hitting reports, many of which would not go amiss in our archives: “The improvement in William’s handwriting has revealed his inability to spell”; “At least his education hasn’t gone to his head”; “The tropical forests are safe when John enters the woodwork room, for his projects are small and progress is slow!”

But telling it like it is and not pulling punches were not the sole preserve of the academic staff, the School magazine reports on the co-curricular side of life were also refreshingly candid at times. In the Summer Term 1918, it was written: “If there was little to be said last year about cricket, this year there is still less. The game with King’s School fell through owing to

GCSE Results - August 2017

measles, and only two matches were played, both against scratch local sides, one being won and the other lost. In these circumstances the usual details such as averages and characters are superfluous.”

In Rugby: “The forwards are a big lot, most of whom know something of the game. The most noticeable fault in the practice games has been wild, reckless passing in front of their own goal by the backs.”

This forlorn report concludes that, “Unfortunately, no score can be given, for our match against the 5th Battalion Middlesex Regiment as the referee forgot to record the points…”

Thankfully, in 2018, we have definitely not forgotten to record and celebrate our successes: The Girl’s Hockey season saw some tough block fixtures, but highlights for the 1st XI came when we reached the semi-final of the regional Plumtree tournament. The fighting spirit and determination of the girls made it a very enjoyable term and the talent and potential across all age groups are highly exciting for our new Head of Hockey, Mr Henderson in this his first year.

A Level Results August 2017

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The Senior Rugby tour to North America last July proved to be hugely successful and was ideal preparation for the season ahead. The Michaelmas Term saw the School’s most successful rugby season to date. Across all age groups a 65 per cent win ratio was achieved but it was at the senior end of the School where some eye-catching statistics and achievements stood out. Across the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV teams 35 matches were played and 31 were won. The 1st XV beat The King’s School, Canterbury for the first time in 12 years and convincingly overcame Emanuel School in the annual United Westminster Schools clash. The 1st XV also reached the last 16 of the national competition to cap an outstanding season.

Representative selection across all age groups and sports has been impressive, but a special mention must go to Harvey Beaton who has just been selected for the England Under 18 Rugby tour to South Africa in August.

Despite the snow disrupting fixtures, the 1st VII Netball team continued to dominate opposition, bringing home bronze medals from the Under 19 Benenden Tournament and returning undefeated from their South Africa tour in February. This year we hosted our inaugural Under 16s Netball tournament and we finished runners up. In block fixtures the Under 16s were undefeated for the second year running.

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Boys Hockey saw the Under 14A, Under 15A and 2nd XI teams lead the way achieving 60 per cent win ratios across all matches played. The Under 13 team won the prestigious Maylam Cup beating some powerhouse Hockey schools along the way, and the 1st XI recorded notable wins against Caterham and The King’s School, Canterbury.

This summer has seen the new major sport of Girls’ Cricket going from strength to strength. The girls have been playing regular fixtures and their development with the hard ball really has been outstanding. We are truly excited about the future of Girls Cricket as Sutton Valence and I am delighted to announce that we have appointed Kent cricketer, Hannah Jelfs to take the sport to the next level and we have also become an official Kent Girls Cricket Hub, hosting the Under 12 to Under 16 sessions throughout the year.

The boys’ winter nets programme and the tour to South Africa ensured teams were fully prepared for this season.

A young 1st XI has performed well with stand-out wins against The Forty Club, Reigate Grammar, Sevenoaks and The Judd. The Under 15B team remain unbeaten for the second year running, and the Under 13C team have also won all of their matches.

Girls Tennis thrives with the 1st Team, Under 14A and Under 13A teams leading the way. The 1st Team won 80 per cent

NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL

Warcop Camp - July 2018

of their matches, the Under 14A team, 75 per cent and the Under 13A team, 67 per cent. Minor sports continue to be successful and hugely popular. This year, alongside our Golf, Equestrianism, Swimming and Football provision, we have introduced Cross Country, Skiing, Basketball and Badminton.

And the final mention must go to our Athletics team who once again worked tirelessly to prepare for the annual United Westminster Schools Foundation Athletics event. A number of outstanding performances from our boys and girls teams saw us perform exceptionally well with the boy’s winning their overall competition, the Godfrey Trophy, for the second year running.

As anyone attending a drama production this year will testify, it has been another highly successful year for a thriving department. The highlights have been the full-scale productions of Chicago and The Lion,The Witch And The Wardrobe. The choreography, characterisation and vocal delivery we witnessed in Chicago contributed to a truly unique interpretation of a musical theatre classic that will last long in the memory of the School community (see page 34). This contrasted excellently with the integrity and creativity of our promising Junior performers in their telling of CS Lewis’ timeless tale of good versus evil that we enjoyed earlier this week.

Returning to 1918, Gustav Holst finished his masterpiece The Planets Suite and the first ever Nine Lessons & Carols was performed at King’s College, Cambridge, which is very much the structure and format of our carol services today. This year’s carol services clearly showed the talent and commitment of the pupils and staff alike and were extremely well attended on both evenings.

195 years before those 1918 musical milestones, Antonio Vivaldi wrote The Four Seasons and our Michaelmas Concert in November showcased Marta Chronowska (2018 S) and our superb Senior Strings performing Winter from this ever-popular set of violin concertos.

As if this musical offering was not enough, the same concert saw Lara Bowles celebrating her successful audition at the Guildhall

School of Music, by delighting the audience with Hoffmeister’s Viola Concerto ably accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra. The Senior Strings went on to enthral and impress us all with a magnificent performance of Vaughan Williams’ sublime Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus and the Summer Term concert, enjoyed by so many, ended with an amassed orchestra from all year groups performing the music from Lord of the Rings.

When the Horley household are not in the Music School, they can frequently be found honing their skills on the rifle range. Our Shooting teams have continued to excel, achieving first place in the Marling Trophy and the Cadet GP trophy at Bisley with a third place finish plus a gold, one silver and a host of bronze individual medals at CADSAM. We are also the current 11th Brigade Target Rifle Champions.

The CCF year began with the return of the cadets from a very successful summer camp in Penally, Pembrokeshire and has gone on to provide many excellent opportunities for training, but perhaps none more so than the section attack stands run at Pippingford Park by Major Prem, truly a sight to behold.

The RAF section has had four pupils pass regional leadership courses and one passing through the Air Cadet Leadership Award at Cranwell, gaining the best flight award. The Navy section has continued to provide sea training with windsurfing and sailing at Rye Watersports, with many cadets gaining Royal Yachting Association and lifesaving qualifications. We end the year with a final camp at Reinden Wood near Folkestone next week, before taking 20 cadets up to Cumbria to enjoy a week at Warcop Camp.

The Duke of Edinburgh award encourages our pupils to learn to set personal targets and goals. It develops character and takes them out of their comfort zone. Over the last year we have had 61 pupils complete their Bronze award and 17 of these pupils have now moved on to their Silver. We currently have 15 pupils working on their Gold award and ten completed. DofE is flourishing at Sutton Valence and we already have ten Third Form pupils having completed their Bronze award, a first for the School.

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NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL

Summer Music Concert - May 2018

Of course, none of what we achieve here would be possible without the support of you, the parents, our hugely committed governors and our outstanding staff. We are in difficult and uncertain economic times and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support. I realise that it is an immense sacrifice for you all to provide this education for your children; it is very sobering reading the final page of the 1918 prospectus: Tuition Fees; £6 per term, Board and Laundry - £18 per term – need I say more?

Whilst Common Room turnover continued apace throughout the war years, during the Michaelmas Term 1918, the School took time to recognise the contribution of old stalwarts like Henry Hunting who celebrated his 100th term as a Master in the Lent Term 1918, as our very own “old timer” Don Clarke (Staff 1985-) did this year.

With staff recruitment difficult in the war years, the 1918 magazine announced that: “Our staff now includes three lady teachers, who have come to do the work of teachers of the sterner sex. It is indeed a sign of the times, and we extend a cordial welcome to these ladies, who are so pluckily “carrying on” amidst what must be strange and difficult surroundings” I thank all of the staff, irrespective of their gender for “carrying on” amidst what I hope are not strange or difficult surroundings.

However, some will be leaving us this term: Andy Bee (Staff 2002-2018) has been with us for 16 years – he is inimitable, delightfully eccentric, worryingly unpredictable and a wordsmith (and what words!) but, most of all, he is a born school master. He will be retiring to Wales and, whilst life at SV may be a little calmer as a consequence, it will certainly be a lot less colourful. The Geography department is as popular and successful as it is due to Mr Bee and I thank him for all he has brought to SV. Graham Alderman (Staff 2004-2018) is retiring as both erstwhile Director of Sport and now Housemaster of Holdgate. He will be

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based in Whitstable and Spain and will be doing some travelling this year to Australia and New Zealand, but I am delighted that he will still be teaching, as he is so talented, as a mentor with the University of Buckingham. He is a gifted and deceptively Renaissance man and he will be sorely missed.

Emily Davies (Staff 2013-2018) has decided she wants an adventure and is moving overseas to work at The British School in Kuwait.

Brilliant at everything she does: drama teaching, directing, cooking, tutoring and running our hugely successful Equestrian teams.

After five fruitful years with us, Sacha Morávek (Staff 2013-2018) has been poached by Giggleswick School so is leaving the warmth and sunshine of the South East for moody North Yorkshire. Will Clapp (Staff 2016-2018) has succumbed to the pull of his old alma mater, Reed’s School, Cobham, so leaves us after two wonderful years.

Having delighted us all with her interpretation of The Lion,The Witch And The Wardrobe, Laura Williams (Staff 2016-2018) is moving to King’s Rochester to teach English and Andrey Plommer (Staff 20172018) finishes his one year contract with us, taking his talents to Hadlow Community College. Also finishing his year here is Paul Lindsay (Staff 2017-2018), who is returning to his previous school in Swanley and Amy Hughes (Staff 2017-2018) leaves us after her work placement year to conclude her Psychology degree at Aston University.

Rather like a ‘bad penny’ or in their case a very good, useful and gleaming penny, Coenie Wesselink (Staff 2007-2011, 2017-2018) and Val Wesselink (Staff 2007-2011, 2018), returned this year to help us out. However, they are now returning to South Africa but I sincerely hope that they will roll back into our community at some point.

The Michaelmas 1917 School magazine proudly boasts: “The large entry of 25 new boys this term brings up our numbers to 130, thus

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easily surpassing all previous records and we shall have to look to expand our facilities”.

granted in the afternoon, and all prep was excused. In the evening a Thanksgiving Service was held followed by a concert at 8pm…

Sutton Valence is now a school of nearly 900 pupils and we are, again, looking at our provision and facilities. This is an exciting time for the School as we work towards our 450th Anniversary in 2026.

After the concert all blinds were drawn up and the gases lighted in all classrooms and private rooms, so that for the first time for three years the brightly illuminated buildings could be seen all over the Weald. Rejoicings took a very informal and noisy turn, with drums, rattles, whistles and other cacophonous instruments. Fortunately, for the peace of mind of the people in the village, this sort of gaiety is very exhausting, and the School soon settled to rest once more.”

Earlier this week, the Finance and Building Governors received a presentation from the company commissioned with producing our masterplan for 2026. A comprehensive exercise looking at both sites as to where our priorities should be over the next phase of our development and looking ahead to what we will need in ten to 15 years’ time from our facilities.

As you will have read in my recent letter, our strategic aim to “build from the bottom” has seen the Governors approve the launch of a 50-week Nursery with associated wrap around care, opening in January 2019.

Our sister school in Tianjin, China expands to nearly 200 pupils next year and the revenue from this joint venture is building an endowment, The 1576 Fund, to fund bursaries in the future (see page 40). I am delighted to say that we are already almost 20 per cent of the way towards reaching our endowment target of ten million pounds by 2026. These bursaries will bring life-changing opportunities to children who deserve and would benefit hugely from a Sutton Valence education.

And finally, and most appropriately, to mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day this year, the OS have kindly funded a memorial bell to be installed at the front of Chapel which will be unveiled and rung for the first time on Friday 9th November, reflecting the expression of jubilation that rung out across the nation on November 11th 1918 (see page 51).

“The news of the signing of the Armistice on November 11th reached us here shortly after 11. At 12.30 the flag was hoisted amidst loud cheering, while down at dinner several glasses were broken, a result of being utilised as joy bells. A half-holiday was

Now, I have gone on long enough and lunch beckons, so I leave you with a poem published in the 1917 summer magazine, penned by a student simply identifying himself as “A Ration’d One”: But our dinner is a worry For it’s usually curry With some mystic lumps thrown in; (which makes you feel aggressive) Followed by a “help” excessive Of rice both hard and thin….

Oh, it makes one broken hearted To recall the days departed When we ate whate-er we would; When our meat was cut in slices And when chocolate and ices Were both plentiful and good There’ll be orgies long and frantic, Gluttonous and corybantic, On unrationed loads of food; And on hot roast beef and mustard, Also apricots and custard, And fruity dainties stewed.

When the war at last is over, And we rest once more in clover, What a feasting there’ll be then!

The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe - June 2018

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CHICAGO Nina Harman, Upper Sixth

M

urder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery, all the things we didn’t know we held near and dear to our hearts… until January this year when students, parents, teachers, Old Suttonians and governors were transported to the Cook County Jail…

For four amazing, sold-out nights, the Baughan Theatre became home to multiple merry murderesses, sharp-elbowed reporters, an altruistic and compassionate lawyer and a fight to the top.

With topical resonances, the musical deals with a level of selfpromotion, media manipulation and a ruthless desire for fame and fortune, which might put some of today’s reality show contestants to shame.

The production was certainly one of firsts, with a fantastic set including a mechanical stage lift and light-up steps, confetti cannons and smoke machines, as well as the opportunity to tackle some ambitious dance routines. The cast, ranging from Fourth Form up to Upper Sixth, took this in their stride and with unwavering motivation from Mrs Howell were able to produce some huge numbers despite some having never attempted a box step in their lives (special mention to 1st XV Rugby players).

Other highlights included the brilliant band led by Mr Soman (Staff 2013-) who proved to be the life and soul of the show, keeping the cast going each night, sometimes against the odds.

The production also featured a choreography debut from certain members of the Drama department and rousing performances from many of the Upper Sixth leavers who, true to form, went out with a real bang.

From the point of view of the cast, we could not have wished for more supportive and enthusiastic audiences across the four nights.

For their patience, time, support and for overcoming their qualms a huge thank you must go to all the staff involved behind the scenes. This was an incredible experience that we won’t forget in a hurry.

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KOLKATA

EXCHANGE

Olivia Smith, Upper Sixth

fter completing their GCSE exams, five Fifth Form students travelled to the Mathieson Music School, which seeks to educate the most disadvantaged children of Kolkata, on a gap programme organised by Sutton Valence School.

A

Kolkata is busy and diverse unlike any city I had seen before. Culture seemed to seep from every building and street, even when we were experiencing it through a car window, when I wasn’t too busy focusing on the chaos of the roads!

This was by far the biggest trip any of us had been on without parents or teachers, so naturally we felt nervous in the weeks leading up to it, and even on the journey from London to Kolkata (all 12 hours of it!). However, we shouldn’t have been. The moment we arrived we were welcomed into a kind, positive and supportive community.

However, we didn’t solely see the city from a car but were taken on a number of trips. Travelling to the market, Tagore House and many other historic spots. My favourite day-trip was an excursion on a boat down the River Ganges; some of the students from the Mathieson School came with us and we had a brilliant day, drawing, playing games and flying kites.

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Nothing made me happier than spending time around the School, or with the students and their refreshingly eager attitude towards work. We began our two weeks with one-to-one lessons; this gave us a chance to work on English conversation and reading with students from all classes. Although I loved listening to the same stories from their English textbook again and again it was a pleasant change when someone requested Geography or Science help. However, I did draw the line when Bengali books started appearing! For the majority of our second week, we worked in groups with the talented students to create short plays, songs and artwork to show to the rest of the School.

Probably my favourite part of the day was playtime. Each day when the students’ school and music lessons had finished, I crossed

the playground, avoiding being swallowed into games of kabadi (a mixture between bulldog and Rugby) or Cricket, that aren’t easy for uncoordinated people like myself! Instead, choosing to play with the younger children who took my hand and taught me their favourite games and rhymes.

Our two weeks in India flew past, but I look back on the many memories I made fondly; dancing in the hot evenings to both English and Indian music, hearing shouts of “good morning aunty” when I walked into the classroom for the first lesson of the day, countless games of UNO and splat, watching the students share their musical talents in the daily lunchtime concerts… It was a wonderful and humbling experience that will stay with me for many years to come.

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RUSSIAN HISTORY TRIP Frances Romano, Upper Sixth

I

n the current political climate, the only thing frostier than the St Petersburg streets is Russian-Anglo relations.

Despite numerous reports of the expulsions of diplomats and the possibility of anti-western feeling in Russia, an intrepid group of Sixth Formers boarded a plane for Moscow, not sure of the reception we would receive.We should not have worried, we were welcomed by our guide Yulia and indeed, all the people we came across were welcoming, and we saw no hint of the difficulties being reported in the western press.

The first stop on our packed itinerary was to meet Lenin a man who has been dead for almost 100 years! The Soviet government preserved his corpse and made his tomb a place of pilgrimage for his personality cult. Today, he continues to lie in state behind a glass façade looking very waxy and quite creepy, but the queues remain very long. Next, we got our first glimpse of Red Square, surrounded by the walls of the Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral, with its 13 multi-coloured domes. Apparently, Ivan the Terrible was so impressed by this cathedral, he had the architects blinded so they could never produce anything as stunning again. Or so the story goes.

Our next stop was the Gulag Museum, a poignant exhibition dedicated to educating young Russians about the oppressive political prisons inhabited by ‘enemies of the people’, at least according to Stalin. Modern estimates calculate that 20 million people became victims of these forced labour camps, although we may never know the real figure as the Soviet government destroyed the records. To lighten the mood, we visited a traditional circus in the evening. This circus was unlike anything you would see in Britain because it involved live endangered animals including a lioness and a white tiger, which is only legal in Russia and China.

The next day was our last in Moscow, so we went to the nerve centre of the Russian government, the Kremlin. Hiding behind thick red walls, Yulia took us through the Kremlin’s history. We looked inside the armoury, seeing collections of gold-plated carriages, crowns and elaborate gifted weaponry from Europe and Turkey, and then Mr Putin’s residence (from a distance of course). Our tour guide led us to the Moscow metro - not the sort of place you would expect to go sightseeing. We were all pleasantly surprised to see that this was actually where the USSR expressed itself. Stalin said, “You might not live in a palace but you can travel in one”, and this was one promise he kept.

The stations, all individually decorated, include marble walls, chandeliers, huge mosaics and statues celebrating the workers achievements and military victories.

The highlight of the first leg of our tour was definitely Red Square at night. As darkness fell, Red Square was enchanting as

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the Kremlin and St Basil’s were beautifully illuminated. This left a lasting impression on us as we boarded the sleeper train to St Petersburg.This was an experience in itself and a highlight of the trip. A snowy platform welcomed us and we soon saw that the ‘Stalin Gothic’ architecture had been replaced by something far more familiar. Peter the Great designed the city in the European style because he had been inspired by his travels there.

St Petersburg, renamed Petrograd during WW1 and later Leningrad under the Soviets, certainly has a rich and varied history. Despite the best efforts of the communists to destroy religion and the opulent palaces of the once capital city, both have now been restored to their former glory. One lasting reminder of the city’s past that will not be wiped away is the huge WWII memorial, erected in remembrance of the Siege of Leningrad, a three-year siege that killed two million people in a city of mostly women and children. Stalin’s refusal to evacuate, in the belief that it would make them seem weak, is still felt as our tour guide illustrated when she told us about her own family’s losses in the war. The memorial itself was moving, with statues of citizens bravely defending their city.

Of course, no trip to St Petersburg would be complete without seeing the world famous Hermitage, the Winter Palace and Catherine Palace. All of the palaces share the same theme, gold and dripping with opulence. The vast staircases were nothing in comparison to the huge ballrooms and reception rooms virtually covered in gold. There was also an amber room, covered with large amber stones, acquired at huge cost. Even the paintings in the room were created on a canvas of amber, using tiny artificially coloured amber as paint. Although hugely impressive, one cannot escape the feeling of inequality, as the majority of the population at this time were serfs, virtually slaves, suffering from regular famines and starvation while their rulers lived in unequalled luxury. It certainly helps to understand the context of the Russian Revolution.

On our final night, we indulged in our own evening of opulence hosted in the Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir for a traditional Russian Cossack show and grand dinner. By the end of the evening, we had all been engaged in traditional dancing and games and this was the perfect ending to our visit to St Petersburg.

There were obvious differences between the British and Russian cultures, but there are also many similarities. We learned that the people of Russia were friendly and fun loving and perhaps the stories we hear about in the press do not reflect the full picture of this vast country.

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HIKSVS Opening - September 2017 Karen Williams (Staff 2017-), Director of Admissions and Marketing

T

he start of this academic year saw a hugely significant landmark in the long history of Sutton Valence School. As we published in last year’s edition of The Old Suttonian, we are immensely proud that, after well over two years’ hard work of planning, construction and recruitment, the HIKSVS International School opened to its first year-groups of pupils in the last week of August 2017.

Set in the heart of Tianjin, the School is an English speaking, 7-12 years domestic and international primary school in a single coeducational setting. It represents a unique collaboration between ourselves and Hopeland International Kindergarten, which is managed by the family of Old Suttonian Karl Yin (2006 W). The School is very much a ground-breaking project as the very first stand-alone English-speaking primary or preparatory school in China, developed through a UK independent preparatory school.

The longer-term vision for the School is to provide a continuity of education, to SVS and UK standards, up to the age of 18.

The School itself has been purpose-built, offering state of the art facilities with the architecture designed to reflect the buildings at SVS in the UK. The similarities are also reflected in the HIKSVS educational philosophy, which mirrors the four journeys (Academic, Co-Curricular, Leadership and Community) that underpins our ethos.

In July last year, the Headmaster, Mr Grindlay and Head of the Prep School, Miss Corkran along with a number of Governors, including Chairman, Lady Vallance visited China for the official opening. Then,

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on 21st August, the first pupils were welcomed and are now a year into their studies. With the School roll increasing in size annually as each year-group moves up through the School, we are pleased to report that recruitment is strong ahead of this September’s entry, with over 200 pupils registered.

Not only is this an historic development in the history of Sutton Valence School, it is also a fantastic opportunity to build a close relationship between the two schools in the coming years. This is especially important for Sutton Valence Preparatory School, as a number of challenging joint curriculum activities are planned.

Bruce Grindlay added, “The opening of HIKSVS represented a very proud moment in our rich history, as we step on to the international stage for the first time and welcome pupils, parents and colleagues in our sister school in Tianjin. Our very special brand and educational ethos are in demand internationally; SVS is acknowledged as a centre of excellence. As it grows and develops from such an exciting start, we wish HIKSVS International School every success.”

For Sutton Valence School itself, the collaboration with Hopeland International not only develops our international profile, but will also benefit The 1576 Fund to support SVS bursaries. With targets in mind for the number of bursary places the School is hoping to offer by the time of its 450th anniversary in 2026, the revenue from China will play a large part in supplementing the existing funds raised by Old Suttonians.

NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL

The 1576 Fund Update Will Radford (Staff 2014-)

A

s we approach the third anniversary of the creation of The 1576 Fund, it seemed an appropriate opportunity to give an update on where the fund stands and the significance of the donations that Old Suttonians have contributed to make its launch so successful.

When we went live in October 2015 we were targeting a total of £500,000 by 2019. This total, held in perpetuity, would allow us to invest the capital raised, using the interest to fund bursary places. The initial campaign launch drew significant interest from the OS community, both in terms of the figures raised, but, more pleasingly, in terms of the breadth of engagement.

The strong start was supplemented by the realisation of a number of legacy gifts, originally pledged during the William Lambe Society fundraising drive. These generous gifts by legators added an additional £1,520,000 to the fund, allowing us to start our programme of bursaries in earnest. In September 2017, we welcomed our first bursary-funded student into the Lower Sixth. An England junior level Rugby player, he truly fits the mould of a local, talented and deserving pupil who would not be able to contemplate private education without the support that a bursary offers. Furthermore, with the fund currently sitting at £1,760,000, we look forward to welcoming our second bursary recipient this year.

While this has formed the backbone of our fundraising efforts, additional campaigns have been run over the course of the three years to provide a more regular income to the fund. In 2016, the School ran its first telephone campaign which saw over 350 Old Suttonians contacted by a team of recent leavers.

At a giving rate of just under 30 per cent, the gifts and pledges received provided a substantial addition to the fund. Even more pleasingly though was the positive feedback we received from the calls as an opportunity to re-connect.

Later this month we will be launching the second such campaign when we hope to build on the positive response to the first. You will all have received emails or letters about this, and I would reiterate the request to let us know if you would prefer not to receive a call. The campaign not only raises funds, but also provides an invaluable opportunity to re-connect with OS to talk about the School, events and the OS community. I genuinely hope you will welcome the call, regardless of whether you choose to make a gift, and that you enjoy speaking to one of our team.

Having reached our initial target far in advance of expectations, we are now targeting a more substantial total of £10,000,000 by 2026. Supplemented by the investment from China, which you will have read about opposite, we hope that the continued generosity of the Old Suttonian community will allow us to celebrate the School’s 450th anniversary with a bursary fund that would potentially support up to 20 students.

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NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL

Development Update Will Radford (Staff 2015-)

T

he past year has been busy within the Development Office with a staffing restructure and a significant change to the operational structure of the School’s alumni programme. Firstly, and most notably, from September 2017, Helen took the first steps towards retirement with a reduced hours contract. Her knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for development work at the School over the last 16 years has been invaluable and the flourishing alumni relations programme today is ultimately testament to her impact. She has written an article later talking about some of the highlights of her time working with you all, but I’m sure you will join me in thanking her for all that she’s done for the OS over the years.

The second structural change involved the management and finances of the OSA. In February this year, you will have seen a vote circulated determining the direction of the alumni association and its relationship with the School. The proposed change to the existing structure was proposed by the OSA president and supported by the OSA committee. In short, the vision document proposed that a merger between the OSA and the School’s Development Office should occur, whereby our collective efforts would be integrated into a partnership sharing the same higher aspirations. Ostensibly, the largest change would be the end of the OSA subscription charge and therefore the end of the School’s regular payments to the OSA. In its place, a proportionate sum (to that which the OSA would have received each year) will be held in the Development Office account and be used to fund the newly-centralised alumni programme. This resultant budget will be managed by the School through the Development Office, but will be guided by a new Partnership Board (comprised of Old Suttonians and staff).

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The vote result was overwhelmingly in favour (298-3), and as this goes to press, the final stages of preparing for the transition are underway. A final ratification of the change will happen at this year’s AGM. As part of the forward vision, we would encourage any Old Suttonians interested in contributing to the new Partnership Board to get in touch with us, and we can provide further information.

One of the key areas that will be enhanced by the restructure is the OS event calendar, which has seen another busy year. Where previously the School would run its own alumni events and the OSA theirs, the feeling is that a collective effort will not only be a better use of resource, but also provide better continuity and planning throughout the year. For 2017-2018, we have run at least one event per month ranging from golf days to year group reunions to London walks. Details of most of these are included elsewhere in the publication, but in summary, we would like to thank all of you who engaged in the programme of events at some point during the year. As we try to broaden our reach by bringing in different types of events, hopefully there is now something for everyone, but we would continue to welcome suggestions for future OS gettogethers.

With so many changes afoot, we hope the transition, at least on the surface, is unnoticeable. From an OS perspective we will continue to do all of the things you enjoy and about which you provide such positive feedback. In time, as the new structures become more settled, we hope to build even further on what we currently offer with greater engagement and event opportunities. It’s an exciting time for the OS and we value your continued enthusiasm and involvement going forward.

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY “

During the last seven years we have found out so much more concerning those OS who fought in the first World War and done much to commemorate their brave endeavours. This magazine, published approximately 100 years after the end of that terrible conflict, gives us an opportunity, in cooperation with the School, to bring together their stories and our effort, to enhance our remembrance of them. Indeed, during the last four year, as the anniversary of each of those who died occurs, the Headmaster commemorated their sacrifice to the whole School. The section which now follows contains a variety of stories of World War 1. I hope they enhance your view of our Old Suttonians contribution and the War’s impact on them and their lives.

”

David Pickard Honorary Secretary, OSA

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Ernest Walter Pritchard (1907 L) David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

T

here must be a multitude of stories of excitement, horror, determination, bravery and down-right bloodymindedness concerning Old Suttonian involvement in the conflict. Of those, I have chosen this one. It is a success story – he survived. It is feel-good material – he lived (more or less) happily ever after. It is exciting – the evidence is that he diced with death several times during the conflict, but, above all, it represents the full range of experiences that our lads must have endured. The re-engagement with society after the war illustrates a certain sang-froid, though we shall never know what internal demons may have lingered.

According to the School magazine of the Michaelmas Term 1907, Ernest Walter Pritchard (1907 L) was ‘an all round good egg’. A Clothworkers’ Scholar, Captain of Cricket, School Prefect, Editor of the School magazine and official in the Hunting Society. There are many qualities that define a product of Sutton Valence School.

Modesty, a willingness to ‘get stuck in’ and loyalty are just a few, and if anyone had these qualities in abundance it appears to have been young Pritchard.

Before he came to Sutton Valence School in 1903 he had distinguished himself at St Paul’s Cathedral School, in whose choir he had sung at the coronation of King Edward VII in August

1902. He obtained a Clothworkers’ Scholarship to attend Sutton Valence and here, too, he had a ‘good’ career. In the final years of the headmasterly ‘reign’ of George Bennett (HM 1883-1910), the School was going through a golden period; for Pritchard to be seen as outstanding in such a group of boys was strong testimony to his qualities.

He was bright enough to go to the University of Oxford, at St John’s College from 1907 until 1910, and there, too, he threw himself into all the co-curricular activities that were available. It appears he was still in Oxford in 1914 when the Great War broke out. His elder brother went straight off to the Western Front in September with the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) and Ernest volunteered to serve, being gazetted a Second Lieutenant in the Durham Light Infantry (DLI). Early in 1915, whilst still training in Britain, Ernest met up with his badly wounded brother and they paid a visit to their mother, who was living in Eastbourne. Unfortunately, they chose to wear civilian clothes and were promptly offered a white feather each. Almost immediately afterward, both brothers were sent out to France.

Ernest fought at the Battle of Loos in September 1915. Escaping the fate that befell so many others of his battalion he went on, in May 1916 to fight, opposite Fricourt in the Battle of the Somme. He went ‘over the top’ on the first day of the battle, July 1st. Despite receiving a heavy mauling, the enemy’s front line was breached and its communications trenches systematically bombed and infiltrated.

However, by the time the outskirts of Fricourt was reached, the enemy had managed sufficient re-organisation to stop the advance and began to push back. The DLI was sent back to man its own lines, and after three days withdrew.

After a period in the trenches in front of Arras, the regiment was moved to Flers, and in September 1916 he was in the battle there.

The attack petered out almost as soon as it began. Casualties were massive as the men passed through shell, rifle and machine gun fire.

By 10.00am, most were reduced to lying in shell holes unable to move without drawing fire, and it was not until early evening that men began to withdraw under our own shellfire of the German line. Of the 450 officers and men of the Battalion three officers and 17 men survived; six officers and 38 men were killed, 11 officers and 209 men wounded and three officers and 175 men missing (believed to be killed in action). Ernest was one of the three officers that survived.

In 1917, Ernest volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps. He became an observer and was posted to 43 Squadron based at that time at Auchel, some eight miles from the front lines midway between Arras and St Omer. His job was to shoot the enemy down and to take photographs and make notes of reconnaissance over the enemy front line. He had swapped a life of bleak trench warfare, camped in cold and wet mud awaiting the next violent battle for a more comfortable existence when in base but extremely hazardous when in the air, which was almost continuous. The top speed of the aeroplanes was around 100mph, so they were not difficult targets for anti-aircraft ground fire. What’s more, their engine oil threw a

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Pritchard as ‘a tall man with the air of a British military officer. He stood ram-rod straight, sported a small clipped moustache and yet maintained a genial manner and a sense of camararderie. He knew when to be harsh and when to be quietly supportive. Very many boys, after leaving Aiken, corresponded with him as a friend. He left Aiken and went to Camden, where he set up his own school, and as older age descended removed to New York with his wife, Ellen Mary, a nurse.

Throughout all of his teaching career in the USA, he would each year bring a party of senior boys on a trip to London. Passing on an understanding of our culture to those boys was only part of the motive. He stocked up on all of the English things he could not find in the USA and he took particular care to contact his old alma mater and share some reminiscences with Old Suttonian friends.

They remember him, in like-fashion to that which has already been reported – great company, very humble and a man at peace with himself.

The School and Old Suttonians’ Association eventually lost touch with him during the Second World War, while he was still living in New York.

fine mist over the entire aircraft and was liable to go up in flames if hit by a bullet.

Despite this, Ernest retained some of his humour and spirit. Captain Frederick Libby, an American cowboy, and one who became an ace, wrote in his account of the War that “Pritchard (his observer) is a typical Englishman, with great personality and sense of humour, with this fellow I had many experiences.”

Throughout 1917 Pritchard had a number of hair-raising adventures, mostly with Libby, but also with other pilots of the squadron. 43 Squadron was one of the first to develop air support of ground attacks by firing on enemy positions in front of our ground troops.

Unfortunately, during this time, his brother was killed, fighting in the area directly underneath the flying area that Ernest was allocated.

Ernest was in the air on the day his brother died. We can only speculate on their proximity at the time.

Ernest’s charmed life was further illustrated by the events of Bloody April - the name given to the British air support operation during the Battle of Arras. The German air force was extremely successful during this period, associated with von Richthofen’s dominance. Of 43 Squadron’s complement of 32 pilots and observers, no fewer than 35 were casualties. Eventually, on 15th August, Ernest was very badly wounded, shot in the foot. He was transferred back to Britain where he underwent several rounds of surgery and it was not until April 1919 that he was eventually discharged.

Pritchard might have returned to Oxford. That institution would have been sympathetic to one of its own, and accommodating of his disability. Ernest, however, we believe, was consumed by ‘survivor’s guilt’. The dreaming spires would be a constant reminder of those that he knew that had been killed. He decided to seek a new life in the USA. In 1919, he arrived in Aiken, a mid-sized city on the western side of South Carolina. He took up a post in Aiken Preparatory School (in the USA such a school would prepare young men for a university place). An extract from the archives of that school describes

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‘Good Old’ Jonny Steinhaeuser (1889 L) David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

O

ld Suttonians living in every corner of the globe fought in World War 1. Renee Simon (1905) fought for the French with the Alpines Chasseurs, receiving the Croix de Guerre. Others fought with the Australians, Canadians and South Africans. Others were with the Indian army.

No story, however, can be more sad than that of John Stenhouse, who died in 1923 never having recovered from the mental scars that afflicted him as a result of the events of 1918.

He was at School from 1880-1889 and called Jonny Steinhaeuser at that time. He was the son of Adolphus, a civil engineer with the Southern Railway. His father was born in London in 1819 and it has been impossible to confirm whether the origin of the family is indeed German or when the family first arrived on the shores of this country. Known to his contemporaries as Johnny he was one of the best of good fellows (this was a ‘golden’ time at Sutton Valence – a good number of his contemporaries distinguished themselves in a variety of fields, sporting and academic and colonial). He was, according to the chronicle of the day a capital athlete, tricky threequarter and a brilliant cricketer. He it was, who with AC Ralph, made a record last-wicket stand turning a total of 108 into 216’.

He scored a ‘ton’ that day. He was also a keen debater, often taking (for debating purposes) a contrary view to the popular one, and occasionally winning round others to his stance. He left this school and went to Guys Hospital to train on an open scholarship in arts.

I am greatly indebted to Dr G Mayhew who has compiled, on behalf of Lewes Town Council, a history of John. His account not only adds greatly to our knowledge of an OS, but it also adds to an understanding of just how severe an affect can be had on one’s body as a result of the decision to participate and the decision to do a job as thoroughly as one can.

A popular figure in the local community, Dr Stenhouse (as he was then known) was for many years a keen cricketer and committee member of Lewes Priory Cricket Club, as well as being a member of the Southdown Hunt and a vice-president of several local organisations, including Lewes Swimming Club and the Rifle Club.

His military career can be briefly summarised from his obituary in the Sussex Express and the subsequent report of the unveiling of his memorial. In 1901, Dr Stenhouse joined the Sussex Yeomanry as a trooper and was in the regiment three years. In 1907, he was commissioned as a surgeon-lieutenant and in 1914 as surgeoncaptain and, following the outbreak of war, served initially with the Sussex Yeomanry at Canterbury. He was transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps (Territorials) in March 1915 and worked for the next three years at the Second Eastern General Hospital, established as a military hospital for wounded soldiers, at the Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School, Dyke Road, Hove (now BHASVIC).

In March 1918 he went out to France, working in the base hospitals at Boulogne and Etaples, where he was under regular bombardment during day and night: “The continuous strain of the work and the appalling horrors of a night in May 1918, when amidst heavy casualties during a German air raid on the hospital, he led a

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party of volunteers to rescue the wounded soldiers, when official attempts had ceased, led to a complete breakdown of his health. It was heroic and whole-hearted service that he rendered, with no thought of self. Broken in health he returned home, but he never recovered from the fearful strain to which his constitution had been subjected.”

Over 300 patients died on the night of 19-20 May and a succession of further air raids followed as the Germans tried to destroy a nearby railway bridge. A wounded soldier who was a patient during the raids described what happened: “This evening I stayed in bed as there was no other place for shelter. This was on the 19th May 1918 and during the raid 27 bombs were dropped over the hospitals and the town of Etaples. In our hospital alone over 200 came in that had got wounded during the raid and in one camp that was close to Etaples there were 147 casualties in which 44 died.

The next day when we saw what had happened we started making trenches alongside each ward. The next night was as bad, I thought that my last minute had come. About the hospitals was nothing else but dead lying about. But the third night was the worst for us.

When the alarm was given the bombs were already dropping in the hospital and before we had time to get in our trenches one bomb fell on No 17 Ward smashing all the windows of our ward. Some men couldn’t move in their beds so we put the clothes of the ones that was able to walk on those that couldn’t move. After the bomb had hit No 17 there was not a piece of ward standing and some chaps were never found again.”

WORLD WAR I CENTENARY

Jonny Steinhaeuser (seated bottom left) outside the Pavilion on Upper with the 1st XI in 1889.

John Robert Steinhaeuser (he changed his name to Stenhouse in 1917) was born in Steyning in 1871, the son of Adolphus Henry Frederick Francis Steinhaeuser, district engineer with the London Brighton and South Coast Railway, and his wife Catherine Elizabeth.

Educated at Sutton Valence School and Guys Hospital where he was awarded an open scholarship in arts in 1889, John Steinhaeuser was elected a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians, London in 1894, taking his BSc in 1895 and MD in 1907, qualifying for the gold medal.

Prior to Dr Steinhaeuser’s arrival in Lewes, he was obstetric resident clinical assistant and house surgeon at Guys Hospital. In 1894 he took the Diploma in Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians and in 1898 he came to Lewes, where he set up in private practice, being appointed acting medical officer of health for the borough during the absence through unexplained indisposition of Dr J P Pearce, before accepting the permanent position of medical officer in June 1899.

From the moment of his arrival in the post, Dr Steinhaeuser set about improving the borough’s health, with particular attention to child mortality rates and deaths from tuberculosis (consumption), on which he became a pioneering advocate for the establishment of sanatoria.

In 1901, in a public lecture of “Consumption and its causes” he urged the need for proper ventilation and heating of working class houses, arguing that the greatest cause of consumption was a lack of fresh air. Sunshine was also highly beneficial and killed the germs that were spread by the sputum of infected persons, necessitating the need for complete disinfection of any room inhabited by a consumptive patient and everything in it, including any item with which they had come into contact. The disease could also be spread by milk from cows affected with tuberculosis of the udder, and he urged that any milk given to children should be boiled in order to kill the germs.

In his annual reports as medical officer he consistently urged improvements to sanitation and the need for a higher standard of provision of housing for the working classes, in 1902 singling out poor housing conditions and overcrowding as the main cause of deaths from consumption, of which there had been 18 during the year, representing a sixth of the total. In this report and the one for the following year he urged the urgent need for sanatorium treatment, beginning a campaign which would lead to Lewes becoming one of the first towns in the country to establish such an institution.

In 1904 Dr Steinhaeuser proposed using the disused Smallpox Hospital built in 1876 in the chalk pits at Offham, as a sanatorium for consumptives during the summer months.

With the support of the mayor and corporation and through Dr Steinhaeuser’s own fundraising efforts, the sanatorium opened for the first time in 1905. Following additional building works its use was extended throughout the year in 1910. It continued to operate until the establishment of a county sanatorium in 1913. This was a direct response to Dr Steinhaeuser’s opening address to the provincial congress of the Royal Sanitary Society held in Lewes Town Hall in October 1912 on “The Control of Tuberculosis in the County Town of Lewes”, subsequently published in the Journal of the Sanitary Institute in December 1912.

As his obituary determined: “In October 1923, Dr Steinhaeuser resigned as medical officer of health for Lewes and a tribute was paid to the devoted manner in which he had served the borough for the long period of 22 years. Although he was only 52 years of age… he did more work than many men have done in a much longer period. He was recognised as one of the cleverest doctors in Sussex, but he was ever one of the most modest and unassuming of men.”

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The SVS Fallen David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015) Jack Harry Mason Apps (1914 L) Killed at Bourlon Wood. After his company had taken several German trenches, he turned an officer out of a dug-out and, instead of shooting him, tried to capture him. He pursued him out of the trench and both of them were immediately shot by snipers.

Hugh Glynn Baker (1896 L) Missing in action during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.

Charles Bessent (1903 L) Died in an accident whilst on ‘home duties’.

Edward Winnington Blenkinsop (1913 L)

Cottage, a farm close behind the depot acting as a forward field hospital, where he died.

Robert Hugh Alban Cotton (1908 L)

The Bishop of London allowed him to leave his curacy and he joined the Army Service Corps as a driver. On his way to Salonica he contracted influenza and passed away after nine days.

Arthur James Crichton MC (1914 L) He was seen leading the battalion with a major and it is thought he was blown to pieces by a shell.

Norman Cruddas (1898 L)

He was the bombing officer to his battalion and was killed after two months at the front.

In the Boer War, he was in the Imperial Yeomanry and at the beginning of this war he resigned from his post in the High Commissioner’s Office in Swaziland and in the ranks of the Imperial Light Horse he served throughout the arduous campaign in South West Africa. He then obtained a commission in the South African Infantry and came to England.

Herbert James Clifford (1911 L)

Ronald D’Albertanson MC (1909 L)

Joined the Army at the beginning of the war, and became captain in two years. He was killed gallantly leading an attack.

Just two days after receiving the Military Cross for his conspicuous bravery, he was in the trenches at Longueval near Delville Wood when he was hit in the shoulder by a piece of shell and died the next day.

Died of wounds received in fighting the previous day.

Wilfred John Chambers (1913 L)

Herbert Stonehouse Coles (1894 L) Died on 16th May 1915, aged 37 in the battle of Festubert, France.

William Duncan Cecil Cooper (1911 L) His artillery unit was stationed on the side of the Ypres canal, a major front-line artillery position, north of Ypres. Virtually every day there would be exchanges of fire between the big guns of the combatants. Cooper was hit by such shelling, taken to Bard

Robert Edmund Barry Denny (1907 L) Not a soldier by profession, Denny was on the other side of the world, in British Columbia, when war broke out. With two of his brothers he enlisted at once in the Canadian contingent and was severely wounded. Returning to the front he was part of the Canadian forces that retrieved the position in front of Arras after the massive French retreat, suffering the first gas attack of the war.

He died a couple of months later, further down the line in Béthune.

Sydney Harvey Dickinson (1895 L)

After leaving School and serving for some time in the Royal Naval Reserve he moved to Canada. He was in British Columbia when war broke out and enlisted there. During the night of 27th September he was on operations in an advanced dugout in an opposition trench, together with three comrades after an advance, when a direct hit by a shell killed them all instantaneously.

Joseph Melville Druce (1905 L) He died during the first stages of the great Battle of the Somme and is buried in a cemetery established very close to the place where he died, the cemetery being named after one of the major communication trenches used by the British forces.

Wilfred Robert Bucknall Eyre (1908 L)

Wilfred John Chambers (1913 L) Died 18 August 1916

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He had been in Canada for three years before the war began. He may also have served in the 66th Battalion Canadian Regiment.

He was in the trenches when he was killed in action during the fighting in the aftermath of the Battle of Arleux, one of several engagements that fall under the general title of the Battle of Arras, a major British and French offensive against the enemy.

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Claude Henry Fischel (1909 L) He was at the Middlesex Hospital. On qualifying, he went to Egypt and then to India and Mesopotamia, where he was wounded.

After convalescence at home he was sent to Italy and from there volunteered to go to France where he was killed.

Valentine Fowler (1894 L) As commanding officer of B company, he landed at Boulogne with the battalion on September 10th 1915. The battalion were pitched straight into the Battle of Loos on September 25th. Captain Fowler assumed command for a while, due to officer casualties during this action. In April, they moved down to The Somme. On July 1st 1916, when The Battle of the Somme began, the battalion attacked just to the north of Fricourt and on July 7th, Captain Fowler assumed command again when Lieutenant Colonel Eddowes was hospitalised. Valentine Fowler fought at Mametz Wood and Bazentin le Petit on The Somme and in October the battalion was moved to the Loos sector. In April 1917, Major Valentine led his men during the Battle of Arras, after which they had a month out of the line training at Heudecourt. May 31st found the battalion at the front again close to Henin, where they endured three days under heavy enemy shell-fire. Major Valentine Fowler was killed during these actions on June 2nd 1917, aged 40.

Stanley Frederic Gabb (1913 L) He was at the front for three weeks when he was wounded and died in the Casualty Clearing Station three days later.

Basil Every Gill (1909 L) He was just over a year at the front and was acting adjutant to the battalion. Despite a wound received in July, he stuck to his post.

Eric Hamilton (1896 L) Hamilton was the first to be killed of the Old Suttonians who had joined the Royal Flying Corps to be killed.

James Molyneux Harrison (1886 L)

I, he was a significant figure in one of the Cinderella organisations.

Ensuring that all the soldiers had sufficient weapons and ammunition, other equipment, food and everything else necessary to prosecute the war was a mammoth undertaking and one fraught with danger.

Francis Edmund Haynes (1892 L) He had seen service in the Dardenelles, at Suvla Bay. After evacuation from there in 1915 he was transferred with his regiment to Egypt.

Thomas Ross Higgin (1894 L)

He went missing during the general confusion of the second battle of Ypres, when gas was used for the first time.

John Gordon Hollingsworth (1899 L) He had been in the Dardanelles for a month. He took part in the landing at Suvla Bay and subsequent operations. He was killed in a charge.

John Calvert Kay (1902 L) He was killed whilst gallantly leading a night attack at Ovillers on some enemy trucks. He was wounded whilst getting over the parapet, but went on and was hit a second time and killed on the spot.

Thomas Llewellen Keen MC (1907 L) After School, he had gone to Australia to seek his fortune. It seems he worked his passage. He enlisted there shortly after the outbreak of war. He fought the war as a lieutenant in the 7th Australian Light Horse, and fought in Palestine. His Military Cross was awarded for bravery at the battle of Amman.

James Herbert Reginald Lendrum (1904 L) Appointed chaplain to the forces in May 1917 and, after serving in a camp at home, went to the front in November 1917. He was killed in action just ten months later.

Harrison was a professional soldier. He had served with distinction in the South African War and also in West Africa. During World War

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Eric Carr Liptrott (1906 L) He was wounded in the head by a shell and died five days later.

Only a few days before he, with his company, had charged and cleared a German trench without receiving a scratch.

November. In late 1918, Parks was wounded during all this fighting and had half of his jaw shot away. He died in hospital in 1919.

Anthony Boydell Playford (1907 L)

Vivian Charles Lowry (1906 L)

He was undertaking a ‘recce’ in no-man’s land when the enemy attacked in force. After the battle, his body was never found.

He enlisted as a private, but was commissioned in 1915. He served in France for a second time in 1917 where after being home on sick-leave, he joined the Machine Gun Corps. In April, he was sent back to France only to be killed in the fighting near Bailleul.

Shortly after war broke out he enlisted in the Australian Contingent and was made corporal and subsequently lieutenant.

Henry Norman Samuel Mummery (1913 L)

John Walter Pym (1907 L)

After seeing considerable service in France in 1914 and 1915, where he was wounded at Richebourg, he went to Mesopotamia, where he was again wounded in the attempt to relieve Kut. He returned to France a second time and was wounded a third time and taken prisoner. He died as a POW after contracting pneumonia following influenza.

He was on the look out for a sniper and, having spotted him, was about to fire but the sniper was quicker and shot him in the head.

Alfred Ralph Nethersole CSI (1885 L) He was aboard the passenger ship Persia when it was sunk by a German submarine, in contravention of international law.

Alfred Wyatt Papworth (1896 L) Nothing is known of his death. He is buried in Aix-Noulette Communal Cemetery Extension I.V. 30.

Harvey Spencer Paramor (1905 L) He joined the forces in September1914, almost immediately as war was declared and had served, virtually unscathed for the whole duration. He served in Ireland trying to quell the rebellion there, and afterwards in Egypt, but by June of 1918, he found himself in France. With just four days to go before the Armistice would be declared, he died.

John Wynand Parks MC (1907 L) On 26th May 1918, the 1st East Lancashires transferred to 183rd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division and were in action in the final advance in Picardy, crossing the Sambre in the first week of

Charlton Hogarth Prockter (1907 L)

Robert Cecil Richardson (1909 L) He left Sutton Valence to continue his education at King’s School Bruton, where he distinguished himself both academically and on the sporting field. He enlisted in the Border Regiment straight from School and initially served with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force before being transferred to the Western Front.

Arthur Strangways-Rogers (1912 L) He was at SVS as a small boy for 18 months and then went to Rugby School. He was gazetted to the Grenadier Guards and was killed in the latter stages of the war, after some three months at the front. He was shot in the heart by a machine-gun bullet and died as soon as he reached the aid post.

Edward Rogers MC (1900 L) He had seen a good deal of service in the war, being employed in the Dardanelles and in Egypt before he went to France. For his services in the Dardanelles he was awarded the Order of Karageorge. In France, he did brilliant work, for which he was awarded the Military Cross. On his way back to his billet a high explosive shell burst beside him and he never regained consciousness.

Frederick William Rogers (1911 L) On 15th September 1916, to avoid some deep mud, the party he was in got out of the trench and immediately afterwards a shell burst near them. He was the third of his family to be killed.

Charles Rashleigh Ronaldson (1892 L) A veteran of the Boer War, he enlisted when the war broke out in the Sportsman’s Battalion and was given a commission. He was killed in an attack on the German trenches by a grenade.When the Germans counter-attacked, his body had to be left where he fell.

Julius Brinkley Shaw (1901 L) He disembarked in France with the 18th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment on 17th November 1915 as a private. He gained his commission on 25th September 1917 and, after this date, he was attached to the Northampton Regiment until his death.

Fleming Frederick Smythe (1910 L) Smythe and his captain were in a small trench at the end of their line when a shell buried them. They were both dead when extricated.

Frank Atkinson Thew (1904 L) John Walter Pym (1907 L) Died 07 July 1916

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He went to France with the Royal Artillery in August 1914. He was killed in a gallant attempt to bring in a brother officer, who was lying severely wounded close to the enemy trenches.

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Geoffrey Holland Thornhill (1907 L) In the winter of 1914, he and his company had 32 days in the front trenches without a rest; he was really in the thick of the early fighting, was twice wounded and invalided home in January 1915. He recovered sufficiently to be put in command of Labour Companies, first in the Isle of Wight and then at Didcot. While there, he was taken ill with pneumonia on 6th May and died at a military hospital in Oxford four days later.

John Lancelot Tillotson (1914 L)

Palestine, Egypt and France. He was awarded The Military Cross for gallant conduct in Palestine. Later in the war, however, he was badly gassed, and his lungs were seriously affected. In the hope that the climate would bring about the desired improvement in his health, Captain Tuke went out to South Africa in 1919. Too energetic to be content with an idle life, he worked when he should have rested, and he died in 1919 at the early age of 29.

Thomas Bernard Wiltshire (1909 L)

He was hit by machine gun fire while leading his platoon in an attack between Monchy and Scarpe.

Killed by a shell which landed on the house where he was billeted.

He had been in the wireless section of the Royal Air Force, but was attached to the Royal Field Artillery stationed near Amiens.

Geoffrey Foveaux Trenow MC (1906 L)

Robert Philip Wilson (1912 L)

He joined the army soon after the outbreak of war and went to France in January 1917.The part he took in the attack on Bullecourt gained him The Military Cross. He fell, leading his men, in the Battle of Menin Road.

Bryan Montague Tuke MC (1909 L)

He was part of the second landing at Suvla Bay on 7th August.

When all had assembled on the beach, they were marched off to their objective, the hill known locally as Lala Baba. A charge up the hill was ordered and fighting went on all day and it was close to midnight before the hill was wrested from the Turkish defenders.

Wilson was killed in this conflict and his body never found.

He died in Jamestown, South Africa. As a captain he saw considerable service during the war in Gallipoli, Serbia, Macedonia,

The OSA Centenary Bell Will Radford (Staff 2015-)

A

s part of the School’s World War I centenary commemorations, the Old Suttonians’ Association will be funding the purchase and installation of a new bell, to be placed on the front of the Chapel, facing North Street. The OSA Centenary Bell will measure 28” (710mm) in diameter and will weigh 209kgs. Installation will take place in the coming months.

The bell will be heard frequently, and regularly, throughout the School year marking significant events of historical importance including Speech Day and Founder’s Day. It will be unveiled during a ceremony on Friday 9th November as part of the School’s centenary commemorations.

In addition to the bell, the OSA has also purchased two ‘Tommies’ - 6ft silhouette statues which will be on guard at the Chapel in the weeks leading up to Armistice Day each year. The statues are part of the national ‘There But Not There’ campaign, which has seen them used in locations including Waterloo Station, the Tower of London and the Giant’s Causeway. The intention is that they will serve as a reminder of the sacrifice made by Old Suttonians in all conflicts.

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SVS During The War - The Creation of the OTC David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

I

n May 1914, well before the First World War had begun, more than one month before the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, which was the event that sparked the great tragedy, the School applied to the War Office to have a contingent of the Officers’ Training Corps (OTC). For all of its life the School had provided officers for the forces of the UK and many had served with considerable distinction. Drill formed part of a PE programme, overseen by Corporal Eley and we considered ourselves to have an unofficial Army tradition. In its new form, since 1910, it had aspired to be recognised among the ranks of the Public Schools, and to have a proper OTC was a must in this regard. The initial letter was acknowledged coldly and reluctantly.

numbers. However, the School was increasing in size along with its ambition. It sent particulars of those that had joined the ranks in the previous five years and indicated just how many more might be potential recruits. Just for your information it might be interesting to know that these included one admiral, two colonels, general staff, three colonels of the Royal Engineers, a chaplain 1st class and 75 other commissioned officers. Of two army men on the staff of the Indian Army one was head of woods and forests and the other was inspector general of irrigation!

‘The Army Council are not prepared to sanction the formation of any fresh contingents unless they have reason to expect that a satisfactory increase in the number of officers joining the different branches of the Army will result therefrom.’

There was no response until October 1914, by which time the war was in danger of being lost. The small British Expeditionary Force had been beaten back towards Paris but had resisted, with a major input from the French, along the river Marne and had themselves forced the Germans to retreat back towards the Belgian border, but at great cost to their manpower. This time, the Army tried another ruse to deflect the application.

How ironic! The School was already providing officers without an OTC, thus it might be difficult, even with one, to increase the

‘I am to point out that the examinations for certificate A and B have been suspended during the war, and that in all probability it

Standing (left to right) RD Wickham, GC Gianetti, CA Sharp, GHF Wintle, HH Collis, FW Holdgate.

Seated (left to right) ER John, LG Bacon, GT Hardy, A St.P Harris, HG Fehlman.

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will not be possible at the present time to afford the facilities for training which normally exist in times of peace. Further it may not be possible to supply arms and equipment…’

The School was asked to consider very carefully whether they wanted to pursue the matter or wait until the war was over. This made absolute sense to the Army. Why waste time and money helping train young men to be soldiers in a School when they could take the same lads and work with them as members of the forces?

Headmaster Holdgate asked for an OTC immediately. I need to point out that he was not at all aiming for his boys to share in the perceived glory of war. He did not preach that it was the duty of his boys to sign up and fight. In Lambe’s House he was reminded daily of those who had fallen in the Boer War, just over a decade earlier, in the memorial window that had been placed there and in September of 1914 he had to tell the whole School about the death of Fred Smythe, the first OS to fall in the Great War. His motive for an Officers’ Training Corps was a simple one; a complete education in a good School had to include a great variety of experiences, more than lessons and games. He had introduced an expansion in the societies within the School; he promoted debating skill and he encouraged pupils to take up interests out of the classroom to increase their experience and breadth of activity. Providing an OTC was a straightforward extension of that educational aim.

On 29th November, 1914 the School received the letter giving permission. We were restricted to just one platoon of infantry and Holdgate himself would become the Commanding Officer. There would be no arms initially.

War it is extremely difficult to get equipment and what can be got is much dearer than usual. Still we have succeeded in getting uniforms, a matter of great satisfaction to members of the Corps.

Rifles are not at present to be had. Towards the estimated cost (about £175) of equipment, we have received – from the War Office, £47; the Governors, £50; M AIrd Esq., £10.10s; and from GL Bennett Esq., £5. There are 52 cadets, officered by the Headmaster, Messrs Bridges and Dodd.’

By the end of the Summer Term, the subsequent edition of The Suttonion reports that ‘With the exception of rifles and bayonets, the Corps is now fully equipped. A competition was held at the end of last term for the posts of Section Commanders. The following were successful; and have been put in charge of sections: Section No. 1 Arthur de Courcy McGillycuddy Denny; Section No. 2 George Theodore Hardy, Section No. 3 James Radford Barlow and Section No. 4 Sydney Pallant Briggs. ‘ Arthur Denny (1915 M) will have read of his being made section commander with mixed feelings, for in the very same magazine that announces his achievement, there are three other articles concerning his family’s involvement in the war. One mentions that his brother is wounded, another is a report by his brother of his experiences at the front and the third is the School’s report of his brother’s death, as a result of those very wounds.

If the OTC began in January 1915, military activities had been a part of what we did here well before that. Drill formed a part of the physical exercises that were undertaken. Shooting was also part of the suite of activities that boys could enjoy. An official OTC simply formalised the position.

At first, he put the tragedy behind him, obtaining colours for both Rugby and Cricket and being promoted to corporal in the corps… then he decided to run away! His aim was to join the army in order to avenge his brother’s death, but he was intercepted by Headmaster Holdgate. Undaunted, he tried again and rushed off to Maidstone on his bicycle, where the police found him and put him in the cells for the night. As a result, he had his prefectship revoked and his corporal stripes removed as well. Eventually, using a more traditional route to enter the army, he passes into Woolwich and goes off to France with the Royal Field Artillery.

From The Suttonian of Spring 1915, we note that ‘At the end of last term we received from the War Office the long sought permission to form a contingent of the Officers Training Corps. Owing to the

The second of the Section Commanders was George Hardy (1917 W), who was a significant character at School. He was the first Head of House for Westminster and became Head of School after

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Barlow and Briggs. He was captain of Swimming and also Shooting.

He left School to join the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich and became a regular officer in the Royal Field Artillery.

James Barlow (1915 M) was another who was also Head of School.

Unfortunately, he did not keep in touch and there is very little information about him. We know he went into the Royal Field Artillery and served for a while with 24 Battalion 4B Reserve Brigade.

Finally, Sydney Briggs (1915 M) passed into Sandhurst in 1915 and from there went to war. He was a 2nd lieutenant in the Northants Regiment but then passed his flying test on 2 April 1916 in a Maurice Farman biplane at the Military School, Farnborough. Unfortunately, the war did not last long for him - he was captured by the enemy and spent two and a half years as a POW. He was on a bombing expedition and the squadron was caught in a heavy storm, he and four others failed to find their way back to base and landed behind enemy lines.

The photograph on page 54 is of the best platoon competition, which was won by Hardy’s Section 2. Of the pictured group, four served in the war itself. As well as Hardy, Harris went into the Irish Guards, Cecil Bacon joined The Buffs and Collis joined the Artists Rifles. Another of those pictured, Fehlman, found it so difficult to manage during the War with his surname, that he changed it to Carver and emigrated to New Zealand soon after.

The first official War Office Inspection took place on 22 June 1915.

Following the precedent set by the Duke of York, they finished the term marching to the top of Boxley Hill, then marching down again soon after; they had inspected the trenches that were being prepared for the defence of Chatham whilst in those parts, so all was not wasted.

The Suttonian recalls ‘The fact that 10,000 rounds of miniature ammunition were fired during the year speaks for the amount of shooting done by the Corps, and we think that the results obtained fully justify the expenditure of ammunition. In the case of most cadets a steady improvement was shown – the result of keenness and constant practice.’

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What was really pleasing was that there were no really bad shots.

They were pleased to have an overall good standard rather than have a few crack-shots and a good number of rabbits. The Corps involved itself in two shooting competitions. In the first, The Country Life Competition, they failed to distinguish themselves but against a local volunteer corps they won quite easily.

Thus ends the first full year of OTC activity. A second inspection concluded, ‘Considering the quite extraordinary difficulties this contingent has had to cope with, the Inspecting Officer considers the display given was extremely creditable.’

There is no indication in our records of what these difficulties may have been, except for the lack of arms and a lack of professional army instructors. Arms finally arrived in the Christmas term of 1917, and Sergeant-Major Morey. His bayonet-fighting course was long remembered by those who took part! Night exercises were held with the local Territorial forces, rather than with comrades and were much more successful as a result. Perhaps the arrival of arms and the man was sufficient; the 1918 inspection was very successful, the Inspecting Officer being very happy with nearly everything he saw. The war years had been very hectic indeed.

Games practice and matches had been reduced so that more military activities could be fitted into the timetable.

Holdgate had initiated the OTC and could not have conceived of the horrors the next few years would bring from the stories told of those of his charges that went to fight and the tragic deaths of so many. He could console himself that his boys were better prepared to fight when asked to do so and could also be very grateful that none of the boys he had taught in the School OTC were killed.

Some of them had great adventures.

However, a great number of the alumni of the School did die and it affected Holdgate greatly. He had led the corps he had founded and done so with great vigour and skill, but he would not continue that task for long.

OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

“

Year-on-year, the sport provision for Old Suttonians seems to widen.

2018 has seen a significant leap forward in Shooting, with the creation of the Old Suttonians’ Rifle Association, allowing for broader competition entry and regular Sunday Shooting at the School. In addition to the continued development of the OS Football team, the reinvigorated OS versus School Netball fixture, the everpresent OS Cricket week and the potential for an OS versus School ‘Gaining Ground’ Rugby fixture, the future looks bright. The slight disappointment this year came with the cancellation of the OS Hockey tournament, though it will most certainly be back in 2019!

”

Richard Young (1990 W) OS Sports Liaison Page 55 - The OLD Suttonian 2018

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A

s there are many younger Old Suttonians who will have little or no idea what Fives is, I thought that a general introduction to the game might be appropriate before writing about its history at

the School.

Fives is a general term for all the various games of handball that are or have in the past been played in Great Britain.

In the past, there were many different forms of Fives but today just three forms are officially recognised - Eton Fives, Rugby Fives and Winchester Fives - although it is only Eton Fives that can with any degree of certainty be said to have originated at the school after which it is named.

An Eton Fives court has no back wall and the court has a number of hazards including a buttress and a step. Rugby and Winchester courts are far less complicated: a Rugby court, like a squash court, is an enclosed rectangular affair; a Winchester court is similar except that the front few feet of the left-hand wall are slightly recessed, creating a hazard which, if hit by the ball, deflects it across the court towards the opposite wall.

The original Fives courts at SVS are at the west end of Lambe’s playground and are located adjacent to the old almshouses, i.e. more or less where the original school building stood. I am not sure what they were like when first built but certainly by the early 20th century they extended further east than the high roof which covers what remains of the courts today and they each had a back wall.

In those early days there were no matches played against other schools because, although there were many more Kent schools with Fives courts than there are today, getting to and from them for an afternoon’s sport was impossible before the development of efficient motorised transport.

By the 1930s there was sufficient interest in the game to encourage the School Governors to build a block of six new Fives courts immediately to the east of what was then the new open-air swimming pool (as shown on the proceeding page). Tonbridge School and Maidstone Grammar School had both had new courts built and the same firm that built them was, I believe, employed to build the new courts at SVS. The courts at Tonbridge and Maidstone were Winchester Fives courts and I was told that the builders had started to build Winchester courts at SVS when Edward ‘Tubby’ Craven (1924 W, Staff 1928-1969), seeing what was happening, immediately instructed them to fill in the recessed area on the left-hand wall. Thus, like the original Lambe’s courts, the new courts were Rugby Fives courts and, when completed, they were possibly the finest set of six Rugby Fives courts in the country. The game flourished and in 1939 John Gray (1939 M), who captained the School IV, won what in those days was called the Public Schools Singles Championship.

Sadly in 1944 the blast from the doodlebug which came down to the north of Stoney where the astroturf Hockey pitch is located damaged the courts and I suspect that some of the problems that subsequently affected them were related to

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that incident. Another problem caused by the war was the virtual impossibility of obtaining new Fives gloves.

Until Hockey was introduced as a Lent Term games option in the 1950s, the choice was between Fives and Cross Country running. And it was not just on games afternoons that the courts were used; they were always well booked on Sundays, because in those days boarders were allowed out on exeats on only three Sundays during the term and, whatever the weather, those not on exeat had to be out of their boarding house in the first part of the afternoon.

In the mid-fifties, Bob Hanworth (Staff 1954-1965) joined the staff. Not only was he an excellent English teacher, he was also a very talented games player and, although Fives was new to him, he quickly took to the game and encouraged a number of good ball-players to make use of the excellent facilities. (Few schools had six courts and none had better playing surfaces than those at SVS.) In his last two years at the School Bob had 1st IVs that were unbeaten by any schoolboy or adult opponents. Even then, though, things had already begun to change and, with no-one with any authority showing much support for the game – not even Michael Ricketts (HM 19671980) who in 1952 and 1953 had reached the final of the National Doubles Competition – the game became a way of occupying those boys who showed no promise of becoming good Hockey players. A few potentially good players did manage to escape the Hockey net but never enough to form a really competitive group, and so, as the possibility of raising teams diminished, so the fixture list shrank.

OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

After I retired from the academic staff in 1992, I was able to run a Fives activity – once a week and not in games time – for junior boys, several of whom showed some promise. In 1998, one of them, Nathan Chapman (2003 G), won the National Under 13 Singles Championship. By then, though, the demolition of the courts was already on the cards and until that happened they were increasingly used as convenient storage space for examination furniture and other things.

After the courts had been demolished, an effort was made to keep the game alive: an agency coach was employed to run a Fives activity in the backless Lambe’s courts, but it was only when Peregrine Nunes-Carvalho (Staff 2008-2010) joined the Common Room that anything worthwhile was achieved. He had played the game as a boy at Winchester and was keen to get enough juniors playing competitively to make the arrangement of matches against other schools possible. I accompanied him to an away fixture he had arranged against an Eastbourne College Under-14 team and I was particularly impressed by a girl playing in the SVS team – Emily Royer (2012 C); she clearly had the potential to become a good player and she proved me right when she became the first winner of the new Girls National Under 14 Singles Championship in 2010. Peregrine left that same year and that was the end of Fives at SVS.

The Lambe’s courts are still there and it wouldn’t cost an enormous amount of money to make them into recognisable Rugby Fives courts again with back walls.

As a footnote I should just like to mention the playing of the game at Rugby. They demolished their original courts quite a long time ago, but earlier this century an appeal was launched to raise money for the building of two new courts. I was invited to the opening of those courts by the master-in-charge – Trevor White (Staff 1983-1989) – whom those of you who were at SVS in the 1980s will remember as a young Chemistry teacher whom I taught to play Fives and whose help I greatly valued on games afternoons.

A HISTORY OF FIVES AT SVS

Michael Beaman (1952 W, Staff 1963-1992)

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

THEN 1958

Michael Beaman’s article on the previous page provides an excellent account of the popularity of Fives at the School in the first half of the twentieth century. By the 1950s, the emergence of Hockey as the primary Lent Term sport option saw the use of the Fives courts beside the Swimming Pool diminish and they slowly fell into disrepair and were used for storage. As part of the Swimming Pool redevelopment in 2006, the courts were demolished and replaced with the new Mathematics and ICT Centre that currently stands on the site.

NOW 2018

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Shooting - Kent County Open Meeting - June 2018 Anthony Bromley (2014 W)

O

n the weekend of 9th–10th June this year, Old Suttonians participated in the KCRA (Kent County Rifle Association) Open meeting at Bisley. On the Saturday, Anthony Bromley (2014 W) and Tom Fermor (2009 L) shot in the heats of the inter-county Astor competition against a group of Kent rifle shooters named ‘TAGME’.

The winning team of this small competition would go on to represent Kent in the inter-county finals during the Imperial Meeting in late July. Unfortunately, despite excellent shooting from Tom and Anthony, we missed out on qualifying for the finals by just one point. Out of a potential 105.21 points, formed by three shoots of 35.7 potential points each at distances of 300, 500, and 600 yards, Anthony scored 100.15 and Tom scored 100.13.* Anthony should be particularly commended for shooting a full score of 35.7/35.7 at 500 yards.

In the afternoon, Anthony, Tom and Mike Bromley (an honorary Old Suttonian for the afternoon) formed an Old Suttonian team and competed in a small competition against KCRA, Ashford and District, Tonbridge School, and the Old Tonbridgians. This was shot at 300 and 600 yards, with each shoot scored out of 50.10. The team performed exceptionally. Out of a potential 100.20, Anthony scored 98.12 (48.5 and 50.7), Tom scored 97.14 (48.7 and 49.7), and Mike scored 97.13 (49.6 and 48.7). With these scores, the Old Suttonian team went on to win this competition, just pipping Ashford to the post by a number of V Bulls, which was fantastic news.Very well done to the OS team.

On the Sunday, Anthony Bromley, Tom Fermor and Harry Percival competed in the main KCRA Open meeting. This is a county competition in which the very best that Kent marksmanship has to offer compete for the title of KCRA Champion. Having not shot for Kent, Anthony, Tom and Harry competed in the B Class of the competition. The shoots were 300, 600, 900 and 1000 yards; long range (900 and 1000), understandably, is where the real competition starts.

Overall, out of a potential 200.40, with each shoot scored out of 50.10, Anthony scored 185.8 (50.4, 46.1, 46.2, 43.1), Tom scored 186.17 (49.8, 47.5, 47.3, 43.1), and Harry scored 174.11 (47.5, 47.3, 35.1, 45.2). Tom’s brilliant shooting won him the title of B Class Champion, beating Anthony, who came second, by just one point.

Tom also won the Long-Range B Class Champion, beating Anthony by just a number of V Bulls. Anthony also narrowly missed out on a medal in the 300-yard aggregate with his score of 50.4/50.10 by just a number of V Bulls. Excellent shooting all round.

This was a fantastic weekend for the OSRA, seeing much-deserved success in both the team and individual competitions. Special congratulations must go to Tom Fermor for his highly-decorated success during the meeting. This is just the tip of the iceberg of talent in the Old Suttonian community; there are many more OS marksman that should return to the sport. Above all else, it marks the beginning of a promising future for OS shooting. Many thanks to Tom, and Harry for getting involved and to Mike Bromley for stepping in at short notice. We hope to see the School team competing in the meeting next year and give the Tonbridge and Wellington teams that were put forward a run for their money. *The scoring system explained: each shot is counted out of 5.1.

The top score (5.1) is a ‘V Bull’, which is essentially closer to the centre than an ordinary bull.This ensures that the very best teams/ marksmen can be fairly differentiated at the top level. The further away from the centre that a shot lands, the lower the score.

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

The Sergison Trophy 2018 Laura Horley (2018 F)

T

he first Saturday of the May Half Term holiday once again saw the annual .22 Sergison Trophy competition hosted at the School.The trophy, named after Jim Sergison (Staff 1951-1974), a former School Staff Instructor (SSI) in the CCF, sees five teams compete - staff, parents, pupils, the Shooting team and an Old Suttonian team.

This year, it took place on a stunningly warm day with a record number of attendees taking part. Having enjoyed a barbecue, expertly managed by Major Prem (Staff 2011-) and Captain Head (Staff 2014-), the competition started. Everyone got to fire ten rounds with the results being out of 100, and the average taken from each team.

The pupils did very well, with Daniel Wild (then Second Form) scoring 89 and Yves Davis (then Third Form) getting 83. The parents’ team matched them with top scores going to Mr Wild (89) and Mr Duckett (85), with Mrs Laughland scoring an impressive 75.

The ever-competitive Old Suttonian team suffered as a result of several of their major shooters attending a university party. That said, they still managed some impressive scores led by Freddie Pawlik (2011 M) who scored 89, Chris Dale (2007 C) with 88 and Chris Pawlik (2011 M) with 85.

The School’s Shooting team responded well with Laura Horley (2018 F) scoring 86 and Harriet Aburn (2018 L) scoring 82. The

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top scorer for the competition though was Lieutenant Horley (Staff 1990-) competing on his own for the staff team, with a 91.

So after the averages were taken, the final results were announced.

In fifth place was the parents’ team with an average of 64, one point behind the pupils’ team who finished on 65. The Old Suttonians finished in third place with an average of 80,narrowly losing out to the second-placed School Shooting team with 81. That meant that the trophy was lifted by the staff team, benefiting from being a team of one with a final total of 91!

Next year I look forward to returning with the Old Suttonian team. Special thanks must go to all the staff who continue to make this event possible.

OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

Old Suttonian Rifle Association Anthony Bromley (2014 W)

I

n the dull and dreary winter months of 2017, I became nostalgic about my time in the Sutton Valence shooting team. I fondly remembered the team spirit and camaraderie, not to mention the bright glint of silverware that adorned the entrance to the Headmaster’s Study at the time. I remembered those years as the golden days of School shooting.

It then came to my attention that very few of the talented Sutton Valence marksmen had continued practising the sport of rifle shooting after leaving Sutton Valence. I soon contacted Glen Millbery (Staff 2001-), who was more than happy to set up regular, monthly OS shoots at the School 25-yard range.

After a slow start, old faces began to reappear, taking up the familiar position behind the rifle once again. It soon became clear that marksmanship was not a perishable skill: as the months of 2018 progressed, smallbore (.22 calibre) target score averages, marked out of 100 per target, began to increase, with a high score of 99 by Richard Cantillon (2014 F) and notable performances by Harry Percival (2014 W), Chris Dale (2007 C), and Freddie Pawlik (2011 M). It was great to see such a triumphant return to target rifle shooting for the Old Suttonians.

Sutton Valence School Rifle Club, which is Home Office approved and NRA affiliated, is steadily building its OS contingent. The Old Suttonian Rifle Association, affiliated to the larger SVSRC, is able to bring together OS of all years and all degrees of talent to reignite their ability and desire to shoot, to reminisce about their time in the shooting team, whether it be three years or three decades ago, and

to serve as an inspiration for the current School team, who will hopefully continue to shoot with the OSRA once they leave Sutton Valence.

Ultimately, as a fully functioning veterans rifle club, it is hoped that the OSRA will be able to compete on a par with other veteran rifle clubs, such as that of Epsom or Uppingham, and serve as a pool of coaches for the School Shooting team, which will be a vital asset. For instance, Harry Percival, captain of the University of Exeter Rifle Club has now volunteered to assist and coach the School team at the NRA Schools Meeting at Bisley, part of the wider Imperial Meeting in July.

We hope to enter more team and individual shoots as the club progresses, such as .22 winter leagues, the KCRA Open (see accompanying article), the veterans shoot at Bisley, and the larger Imperial Meeting, the major national fullbore (7.62 calibre) competition each year.Through the support of Sutton Valence School and the Old Suttonians Association, the OSRA will continue to thrive. However, we need Old Suttonians to achieve this.

Calling any OS marksmen who want to get back into the sport. Join the OSRA, return to the glory days of Sutton Valence shooting, and secure its future for years to come.

We do not expect high scores, especially not with Major Prem (Staff 2011-) or Phil Horley (Staff 1990-) coaching; it is as much about the social at the Clothworkers Arms after the shoot, as it is the shoot itself. We welcome all ages and all abilities; don’t hesitate, get involved now by contacting the Development Office.

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

I

wrote the 2017 report in March last year. As doubtless all Old Suttonians know, the season was barely underway when David Bunker (1954 M) departed from our midst on 22 May, having decided to play or watch all his future matches in the Elysian Fields (said to be some sort of amalgam of Upper and Lord’s). Plenty of tributes have been paid by the OSA and others to this great servant of OS cricket (and much else) and good friend to us all.

The first match of the season, between the School and the OS was played for the David Bunker Trophy – a claret jug, in fact, and presented by Janet Bunker. Fittingly it was a draw, reflecting David’s love of both institutions (and claret).

We then played the Cranbrook Lynxes in a revived fixture to celebrate their 70th anniversary. The game at Cranbrook was a low scoring but tense affair with OS just edging home by nine runs.The pick of the OS batting was Rupert Humphrey (1978 L), batting like he had nearly 40 years earlier at the same venue. A then callow Humphrey had to go in with not many runs needed to win, but few wickets in hand. Instructed at great length to allow Andrew Dixon (1966 M) or whoever it was at the other end, to guide us home he promptly hit his first ball for six; game over!

There were only the three matches in the week, as Mote were unable to raise a side. The Dragons match was a curious one with their final pair putting on 80 or so, when we thought we had them for under 200.

Unlike many previous matches between the sides, when captains Andrew Dixon and Bob Golds would somehow contrive a great run chase against tempting but canny spin bowling, this one rather petered out. Dragons maintained a raft of steady fast medium pacers and defensive fields and the OS weren’t really able to break the shackles.

The final match against the Roffensians involved nine OS versus ten Roffensians. Our ninth player was a reluctant Desmond High, who had not played for five years.

Fortunately our big guns were quite big ones, and we were able to set a decent target. After fielding for 20 minutes, High turned to chase a ball and promptly pulled a hamstring, spending the remainder of the innings unable to move more than about three yards either way, hoping the ball came straight to him, and at the close, prompting a permanent retirement. Fortunately, some fine bowling by the timeless Neil Richards (1967 F) and a truly astonishing caught and bowled by Alistair Neale (2010 W) saw us home in spite of a fighting 89 by Old Roffensians captain Chris Maurice.

For fuller and no-holds-barred match reports please look at the OS cricket Facebook page, where Chris Vernon (2010 H) in particular does a sterling job and just stays on the right side of litigation.

Thanks as ever to those who help make OS cricket possible. Philip Higgins (1970 F) umpires when he can but is much in demand elsewhere. Catering remained in the hands of the High household – me front of house and taking credit - Kathy doing the hard work (but keen to retire if there are volunteers). Ian Avery and his team continue to produce excellent wickets (much to the envy of Cranbrook Lynxes) and of course thanks as ever to the headmaster for allowing the OS use of the ground.

Finally, as was observed after the commentator Brian Johnston died, “summers will never the same again”.

It was strange to have an OS cricket summer without Bunks’ jovial presence, but I’m pleased to say that there is now a memorial to him in the School pavilion.

The match with Mathew Wooderson (1998 W)’s side was its usual fun, although after 10 years, Woody is yet to end up on the winning side.

OS Cricket

REVIEW OF THE YEAR Desmond High (1973 F)

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

Results 18 June 2017 vs. SVS 1st XI OS 273-4 declared (Leale-Green 115*, Burge 78*) School 200-6. Match drawn 09 July 2017 vs.The Lynxes OS 127 (Humphrey 33) Lynxes 118 (Burge 4-20) Match won by nine runs 08 August 2017 vs.The Dragons Dragons 257-9 declared, OS 200-6 Match drawn 11th August 2017 vs. Wooderson XI OS 270 (Price 97), Wooderson XI 213 Match won by 57 runs 13th August 2017 vs. Old Roffensians OS 290-7 declared (Burge 82, Neale 63,Vernon 51) Old Roffensians 254 (Richards 4-32) Match won by 36 runs

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

OS RUGBY

GAINING GROUND Richard Mant (1961 M)

O

n Saturday 10th November this year, we welcome the return of the Old Suttonian Rugby Day. Once again, OS Rugby teams will run out onto Stoney and take on a team from the School, not with 15-a-side teams but four-a-side.

The OS will take on the School team at Gaining Ground, a type of Rugby almost exclusive to SVS and played at SVS throughout the 1950s and 1960s. It was played at weekends by the boys, the great advantage being that it did not need a referee, just a pitch – and there were plenty of those – and a ball, which might be obtained from the Captain of the 1st XV. The RFU will not allow the 15-a-side game to be played between school teams and alumni, but that ruling does not apply to Gaining Ground, where there is no physical contact.

For those unfamiliar with this version of the game, it is a form of Rugby which tests positioning on the pitch, speed around the pitch, reading the game, fitness and one’s ability to catch and to kick. It is highly intensive, with just ten minutes each half. The object is to push the opposition back into their half with astute kicking, to pin them down in their 22 and then kick for goal to win the game. A swift return kick, catching the opposition out of position, is one of the strategies involved in winning the game.

We hope to have an Old Suttonian team for the under-40s and an OS team for the over-40s. Invitations and information about how to get involved will be distributed in due course. Spectators are more than welcome and the OS teams will be glad of your support. After these matches, the School 1st XV will play Caterham School and the day will end with an OS Rugby Dinner. So there is plenty on offer.

It has only been possible to return to an OS Rugby Day, after a gap of many years, because of the support given to the idea by those at the School: Mark Howell (Director of Sport and Head of Rugby), Andy Dawling (Performance, Strength and Conditioning Coach) and Will Radford (Alumni Relations and Development Manager). So come on the OS; don’t let’s waste this opportunity!

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

Old Suttonian Football Club Charlie Jones (2007 L)

L

ast year, I reported on the successful first season for the Old Suttonian Football Club, competing in the Arthurian league - the association football league for teams of public schools’ alumni.

The Arthurian League was founded in 1961 and includes a host of prestigious schools from in, and around, Greater London. The OS team entered the league structure in Division Four for the 20162017 season, effectively skipping the lowest tier (Division Five North/South). After a hard-fought season, we won five, drew four and lost five matches. This culminated in a fifth place finish in the league, 11 points off the eventual winners - Old Merchant Taylors.

Aside from the performances on the pitch, our inaugural year was about building the club, handling the administrative side and proving our worth. With the confidence of one season under our belts, this year we wanted to concentrate on improving our results, which we did.

Opening the season with an impressive 6-0 victory over Old Wykehamists II (Winchester College), we were full of optimism going into our second match at home to Old Stoics (Stowe School). Unfortunately that match ended in a reversal of our opening victory, with the OS team suffering a 6-0 loss. Our inconsistency continued with a disappointing 3-0 loss over Old Rugbeians (Rugby School) followed up by a 3-1 victory over Old Merchant Taylors II. We finally found some mid-season form with victories over Old Cholmeleians II (Highgate School), Old Bancroftians AFC

(Bancroft’s School) and Old Alleynians (Dulwich College) as well as another victory over Old Stoics. A couple of disappointing results in the New Year against Old Johnians (St John’s Leatherhead) and Old Alleynians slowed our charge, but we finished the season off strongly with good victories over Old Merchant Taylors II and Old Wykehamists II. All of this meant that we finished the season in a respectable third place with 26 points, a significant seven point increase from the previous season. Along the way, we faced a number of challenges including the integration of new players, changing goalkeepers and managing multiple fixture changes.

We were the league’s joint leading goalscorers with 40 goals, with George Palmer (2004 W) contributing 15 of those. This is the second successive season that we’ve won the top scorer accolade, having led last season’s scoring charts with 46 goals. At the other end, we did concede a few, but managed to reduce last season’s goals against tally of 47 down to 25 this year. Away from the league, our route to the Arthur Dunn Cup quarter final was ended with a humbling loss to a very organised Old Westminster side, but it was great to get the experience playing a team two leagues above us.

Preparation is already underway for the 2018/19 season with friendlies organised for multiple dates in August. We will have a few new faces joining us this season including Oliver Aucamp (2015 C). Oliver made a big impact on the field with the odd appearance over the course of last season in between university studies.

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

OS VS SCHOOL NETBALL Helen Knott (Staff 2002-)

T

he penulatimate Saturday of the Lent Term saw the successful return of the Old Suttonians versus School Netball fixture. Last played in 2010, the fixture saw two OS teams compete against the current School 1st VII and Under 16A sides.

The Old Suttonian first team boasted five past 1st VII captains Aimee Burnham (2011 H), Charlotte Hollingsworth (2012 H), Charlotte Crouch (2014 L), Lydia Davies (2015 H) and Georgie Ridge (2017 F), as well as Hannah Davies (2015 H) and Hettie Taylor (2017 F).

With the majority of the OS team still playing regularly, they made their experience count, finishing the first half with a commanding

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lead. The School team rallied in the third quarter with a brilliant comeback but it was too little, too late, with the match finishing a respectable 36-30 to the Old Suttonians. It was a high quality match with some great play from both team, played in an excellent spirit. It was also great to see the fixture being so well supported with parents, friends and family from both teams watching from the balcony.

After a short break, the second match of the day saw the School’s Under 16A team come up against an Old Suttonian second team featuring Hannah Wood (1992 V, Staff 2012-), Melissa Hamilton (2008 C), Emily Porter (2009 H), Alice Simmons (2011 G), Georgina Waters (2012 F), Georgie Porter (2013 S) and Charlotte Hollingsworth.

OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

The Under 16As, who at that point were on a three-match winning streak during their regular season, put in a solid performance, at times dominating the OS side, and eventually came out with a wellearned 28-19 victory.

Across both games, the School teams performed admirably against strong opposition and were gracious in hosting their Old Suttonian guests. Despite being the first time the fixture had been played in eight years, it proved to be an excellent afternoon of Netball and one that we hope to continue on an annual basis. As we develop the fixture, the intention is to create an OS versus School trophy which will cement Netball alongside Cricket, Football, Golf, Hockey and Shooting in the OS sporting calendar.

Annie Wilkinson (Staff 1984-2016) added, “ It was wonderful to see so many Old Suttonians maintaining their interest and enthusiasm in the game. I am really looking forward to this fixture becoming a mainstay of the OS Girls’ sport programme and I hope to see many new OS players returning for next year’s matches.”

With that in mind, we would encourage any OS interested in taking part to get in touch with the Development Office or to join the OS Netball group on Facebook ‘Sutton Valence School - OS Netball’.

Our thanks go to Lydia Davies and Charlotte Hollingsworth for their work in bringing the OS teams together and everyone who came long to support.

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OLD SUTTONIAN SPORT

T

he OS Golf Tournament had a new format in this, its fourth year. With the previous three tournaments being individual competitions, this year the event became a team competition. Anyone with a connection to the School was invited to take part, representing either the Old Suttonians, the School, the Headmaster’s team, the staff or friends of the School.

This year also saw a venue change as we reluctantly abandoned the splendid hospitality of Dale Hill Golf Course, where we have been looked after so well over the last three years.

The change was made for good reason though – wanting to support Sophie Skinner (2003 H) who has taken on the ownership of The Ridge Golf Club on Chartway Street.

OS Golf Tournament David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015)

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When the event came around, six teams of four competed, three Old Suttonian fours, a friends’ four, a School four and four representing the Headmaster. After some excellent play on a swelteringly hot April afternoon, the winners of the team trophy were the headmaster’s team with 91 points.

Of particular note, the group contained the winner of the individual trophy, Adrian Penfold (Staff 2008-) who managed 42 Stableford points – a comfortable win, the next nearest was 39 by David Pickard (Staff 1977-2001, 2009-2015) playing for the friends.

The School team was impressive. It consisted entirely of Fourth Form boys, all of whom scored in the mid-thirties and two of them, Harvey Sladden and Jed Chipchase won prizes for the ‘nearest to the pin’ and ‘closest to the centre line’ competitions.

All-in-all it was a fantastic afternoon of golf; the weather was hot and sunny, the course was in really good condition, and the evening meal and hospitality first rate. We hope this new format will allow the event to grow in future years and I encourage you to look out for information on next year’s competition and get involved.

WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

WELCOME

LEAVERS 2018

“

It has been another busy year for Old Suttonians, with a full schedule of sporting fixtures, events and reunions. We hope that the variety of activities on offer appeals to as many of you as possible, and that includes our newest crop of OS - the leavers of 2018. They become Old Suttonians at an exciting juncture as the School and OSA combine resources to create a more centralised and structured alumni programme. Through the various networking opportunities available, we hope that younger OS can find real benefit from the day they leave the School. We very much look forward to the future and all the potential for all that it has to offer.

�

Charlotte Bills (1992 S) Chairman, OSA

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WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Harriet Aburn

Eleanor Agu Benson

Thomas Aiken

Anup Ale

Caitlin Allison

Tim Anthony

Francesca Ash

Archie Averill

Angus Barclay

Bipasna Bhandari

Emelia Bonny

George Boret

Lara Bowles

Errol Brinkman

William Bryant

Harriet Cage

Karina Callaway

JieJie Chen

Samuel Chitty

Maddie Chivers

Marta Chronowska

Joshua Clark

Connor Cook

Thomas Costin

Molly Cox

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WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Leavers 2018 Harriet Aburn (2018 L) The Spirit of the House Competition Cup (Upper Sixth); Head of House, Ball Committee,Yearbook Committee; Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus); Chapel Choir; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Netball - 3rd VII Captain and Half Colours, Rounders - 1st Team, Shooting - 1st Team and Colours Eleanor Agu Benson (2018 F) Academic Scholarship; Achievement Award (First Form, Second Form), Academic Excellence Award (Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Spanish Prize (Lower Sixth), The Marjorie Popay Prize for Educational Achievement (Upper Sixth), Psychology Prize (Upper Sixth); English Copy Prize (Third Form), Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form), Psychology Copy Prize (Lower Sixth); Prefect,Yearbook Committee; Sweet Charity, Bugsy Malone (Bangles), Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 2nd XI, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours, Tennis - 2nd Team Thomas Aiken (2018 C) English Copy Prize (Third Form), Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form), Psychology Copy Prize (Lower Sixth); Cricket - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 2nd XV Anup Ale (2018 F) Sport Scholarship; Prefect; CCF - Head of Juniors, CSM (WO11); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Cricket - 2nd XI Captain, Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby 1st XV and Colours Caitlin Allison (2018 L) Joyce Drayson Art Prize (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Chicago (Technical Assistant); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Netball - 3rd VII, Tennis - 2nd Team Tim Anthony (2018 L) Sport Scholarship; Maberly Prize for Achievement (Fifth Form); CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Basketball - 1st Team, Cricket - 2nd XI Vice Captain and Half Colours, Hockey - 2nd XI Captain and Colours

Francesca Ash (2018 C) Academic Scholarship; Achievement Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form), English Prize (Lower Sixth), Bloxam Prize for English (Upper Sixth), Theatre Studies Prize (Upper Sixth), Spanish Prize (Upper Sixth); English Copy Prize (Second Form, Third Form), Geography Copy Prize (Second Form); Prefect, Head of Chapel Choir, Model United Nations, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fifth Form),Yearbook Committee; Les Misérables (Worker Woman), Hamlet (Norwegian Army Officer and Player), Chicago (Go To Hell Kitty); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Archie Averill (2018 H) Information Technology Prize (Lower Sixth), Effort Award (Lower Sixth), Wood Prize for Physics (Upper Sixth); CCF Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI, Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Angus Barclay (2018 C) Head of House; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Rugby - 2nd XV Bipasna Bhandari (2018 S) Boarding House Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer); Chapel Choir; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Emelia Bonny (2018 H) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Alice In Wonderland (Soldier); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team and Colours George Boret (2018 F) House Prefect; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Football - 2nd XI

Harriet Cage (2018 F) Art Scholarship; Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Netball - 2nd VII and Half Colours Karina Callaway (2018 F) Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; CCF - Head of Juniors, Leading Rate (LH); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze JieJie Chen (2018 S) Academic Scholarship; Achievement Award (Fourth Form, Fifth Form), Further Mathematics Prize (Lower Sixth), Design Technology Prize (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Boarding Head of House, Boarding House Prefect, Prefect, Model United Nations, Debating Team; Badminton - 1st Team Samuel Chitty (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; Boarding House Prefect; Cricket - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Rugby 1st XV and Colours Maddie Chivers (2018 H) Home Economics Copy Prize (Fifth Form); House Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Drunkard), Hamlet (Gravedigger), LAMDA Level 5 With Distinction Marta Chronowska (2018 S) Academic Scholarship, Music Scholarship, HMC Scholarship; Chemistry Prize (Lower Sixth), Angell Prize for Mathematics (Upper Sixth), Biology Prize (Upper Sixth), Winstanley Prize for Chemistry (Upper Sixth); Boarding House Prefect, Prefect, Head of Chamber Orchestra; Chicago (Band); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra, Strings; Badminton - 1st Team Joshua Clark (2018 W) Boarding House Prefect

Lara Bowles (2018 H) Music Scholarship; Music Prize (Upper Sixth); Chicago (Band); Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Strings

Connor Cook (2018 W) Art Scholarship; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver, Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Captain and Half Colours, Badminton - 1st Team, Skiing - 1st Team Captain

Errol Brinkman (2018 F) Fry Prize for Information Technology (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Swimming - 1st Team and Colours

Thomas Costin (2018 M) Head of Charity Committee; CCF - Head of Stores, Colour Sergeant (C/Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Shooting - 1st Team

William Bryant (2018 M) Head of House (Lambe’s), Debating Team; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Basketball - 1st Team, Rugby - 1st XV

Molly Cox (2018 H) Photography Prize (Upper Sixth); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze

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WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Lily Crampton (2018 C) Art Scholarship; Effort Award (First Form), Art Prize (Lower Sixth); Bugsy Malone (Lena), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Madame Thenardier), LAMDA Level 5; Netball - 2nd VII Alexander Crosbie (2018 F) Sport Scholarship; Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Jack Delaney (2018 F) CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Football - 2nd XI Captain William Dransfield (2018 H) History Prize (Lower Sixth), Bossom Prize for Public Speaking (Upper Sixth); Prefect, Model United Nations, Public Speaking Team, School Council Representative, Debating Team; Alice in Wonderland (Executioner); CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Laurence Eastman (2018 W) Drama Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form, Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Prefect; Romeo and Juliet (Peter), LAMDA Silver with Distinction; CCF Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver; Basketball - 1st Team, Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 2nd XI, Hockey - 1st XI and Half Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team Captain Jack Fenton (2018 C) Head of House; Hamlet (Francisco), Chicago (Court Clerk); Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 1st XI Vice Captain and Colours, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 2nd XV and Half Colours Lucas Fulford (2018 W) Hamlet (Bernardo), Chicago (Court Juror); Football - 1st XI Vice Captain, Rugby - 1st XV George Gaston (2018 L) CCF - Lance Corporal (L/Cpl); Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours Maxwell Harrison (2018 C) Drama Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fifth Form), The WBP Aspinall Prize for Outstanding Originality of Thought and Action (Upper Sixth); Politics Copy Prize (Fourth Form); Prefect, Blue Gown (Awarded in Lower Sixth), Debating Team, School Council, ESU Public Speaking Team, Oxford Union Debating Team; Sweet Charity (Dancer), Bugsy Malone (Ritzy), Alice in Wonderland (Frog Footman), SVS Dance Shows 2011-2017, LAMDA Bronze With

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Merit, LAMDA Silver With Merit; Chapel Choir; CCF - Head of RAF, Flight Sergeant (F/Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Ballroom Dancing - Team GB Member William Harrison (2018 H) Art Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form, Upper Sixth); Prefect; CCF - CSM (WO11); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver, Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Football - 1st XI Jack Hayes (2018 F) Academic Scholarship; The MacDonald Prize for Current Affairs (Third Form), Biology Prize (Lower Sixth), Ricketts Prize for All Round Contribution (Upper Sixth); Prefect; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Silver; Football - 1st XI, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours Alexander Hill (2018 W) Hockey - 2nd XI, Rugby - 3rd XV Captain, Swimming - 1st Team Vice Captain and Half Colours Emelia Hollingsworth (2018 H) Academic Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Effort Award (First Form, Third Form), Amy Lovegrove Prize for Female Achievement in Sport (Upper Sixth); Portfolio Work Copy Prize (Third Form), Home Economics Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Prefect, Captain of Netball, Blue Gown (Awarded in Lower Sixth); Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Bugsy Malone (Hood); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII Captain and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team Captain and County Representation Laura Horley (2018 F) Music Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (First Form, Second Form, Fifth Form), Music Prize (Lower Sixth), Religious Studies Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Prefect, Captain of Shooting, Head of Senior Strings, Ball Committee, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Bugsy Malone (Band), Hamlet (Backstage Crew), Chicago (Assistant Stage Manager); Chapel Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Strings; CCF - CSM (WO11); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Shooting 1st Team and Colours Rehannah Houghton-Judge (2018 L) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (First Form, Fourth Form, Lower Sixth), Effort Award (Third Form); Prefect, Blue Gown (Awarded in Third Form); Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus); CCF - Able Rate (AB); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey

- 1st XI Captain, Colours and County Representation, Netball - 1st VII and Colours, Rounders - 1st Team and Colours Marco Hu (2018 W) Academic Scholarship; Effort Award (Fourth Form), Achievement Award (Fifth Form), Physics Prize (Lower Sixth), Economics Prize (Upper Sixth) Benjamin Hummerston (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze Youlin Jiao (2018 W) Badminton - 1st Team Kalil Kayani (2018 H) Football - 1st XI Guy Kennedy (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; Boarding House Prefect; Jazz Band; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Athletics - 1st Team, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Henry King (2018 F) Hamlet (Lucianus), Chicago (Ensemble); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 1st XI, Rugby - 2nd XV, Swimming - 1st Team Michael Law (2018 C) All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Cricket - 1st XI Captain and Colours, Football - 1st XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Vice Captain and Half Colours Thomas Lazarides (2018 C) Sport Scholarship; House Prefect; Cricket - 1st XI Vice Captain, Colours and County Representation, Golf - 1st Team Captain and Colours, Hockey - 1st XI and Half Colours Eliza Lewis (2018 F) Academic Scholarship, Art Scholarship,Drama Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Achievement Award (First Form), Effort Award (Fifth Form), Theatre Studies Prize (Lower Sixth), Grizelle Prize for History (Upper Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth); Head of School (Summer Term), Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Talullah), Alice In Wonderland (Alice’s Big Sister), Romeo and Juliet (Narrator), Les Misérables (The Bishop), Hamlet (Horatio), Chicago (Velma Kelly), LAMDA Level 3, 4 and 5 With Distinction, LAMDA Bronze With Merit; Chamber Choir; Hockey 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours, Tennis - 1st Team Naomi Lijesen (2018 C) Academic Scholarship, Music Scholarship; Effort Award (First Form, Second Form), Achievement Award (Third Form, Fourth

WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Lily Crampton

Alexander Crosbie

Jack Delaney

William Dransfield

Laurence Eastman

Jack Fenton

Lucas Fulford

George Gaston

Maxwell Harrison

William Harrison

Jack Hayes

Alexander Hill

Emelia Hollingsworth

Laura Horley

Rehannah Houghton-Judge

Marco Hu

Benjamin Hummerston

Youlin Jiao

Kalil Kayani

Guy Kennedy

Henry King

Michael Law

Thomas Lazarides

Eliza Lewis

Naomi Lijesen

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WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Harry MacLeod

William Marsh

Jonty Martin

Edward Mazumdar

Alexander McDermott

Angus Michie

Bethan Miles

Thomas Millington

Grace Mortley

Daniel O’Brien

William Osborne

Henry Overy

Charles Page

Joseph Pallet

Beth Pennal

Charlotte Percival

Finley Plugge

Daniil Polyakov

Louis Regnier

Gracie Rigby

Lauren Robinson

Rishi Roy-Mukherjee

Benjamin Saunders

Alexander Schuller

Ross Sinclair

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WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Form, Fifth Form), Design Technology Prize (Lower Sixth), Richard Horn Prize for All Round Performance in Drama and Music (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Prefect, Model United Nations,Year Book Committee, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Sweet Charity, Bugsy Malone (Dandy Dan), Romeo and Juliet (Narrator), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Les Misérables (Worker Woman), Hamlet (Player Queen), Chicago (Mary Sunshine); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra, Strings; Hockey 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours

Hamlet (Player One), Chicago (Master of Ceremonies), LAMDA Silver; Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Fencing - 1st Team, Swimming - 2nd Team

Harry MacLeod (2018 C) Effort Award (Lower Sixth), Geography Prize (Upper Sixth); Alice in Wonderland (Executioner), Grease (Backstage Team), Romeo and Juliet (Balthasar); Flute Group; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Swimming - 1st Team

Grace Mortley (2018 H) Academic Scholarship; Academic Excellence Award (First Form), Achievement Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form, Fifth Form); Prefect, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Bugsy Malone (Marbini); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Tennis - 2nd Team

William Marsh (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Basketball - 1st Team Vice Captain, Hockey - 3rd XI Jonty Martin (2018 H) Academic PE Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); House Prefect; Football - 2nd XI, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Edward Mazumdar (2018 W) Drama Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fifth Form), OSA Prize (Lower Sixth), Clothworkers’ Prize for All Round Contribution (Upper Sixth); Prefect, Boarding Head of House, Public Speaking Team; Alice in Wonderland (The King of Hearts), Romeo and Juliet (Lord Montague), Les Misérables (Pimp), Hamlet (Marcellus), Chicago (Judge), LAMDA Silver; CCF Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Alexander McDermott (2018 F) Design Technology Scholarship; The Froud Innovation Prize (Upper Sixth); Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); House Prefect; CCF - Cadet (Cdt), CCF - Lance Corporal (L/Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Shooting - 1st Team and Colours Angus Michie (2018 M) Drama Scholarship; The Coles Prize (Fifth Form), Effort Award (Lower Sixth), CCF Sword of Honour (Upper Sixth); Boarding House Prefect, Boarding Deputy Head of House, Prefect, Deputy Head of RAF, Head of Chapel Choir; Alice in Wonderland (The King of Hearts), Romeo and Juliet (Servant), Les Misérables (Robber), Grease,

Bethan Miles (2018 L) Art Scholarship Thomas Millington (2018 L) Sport Scholarship; Head of House; CCF Sergeant (Sgt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours

Daniel O’Brien (2018 F) CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold; Football - 2nd XI, Rugby 2nd XV, Shooting - 1st Team William Osborne (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; Silver; Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Henry Overy (2018 W) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fifth Form, Upper Sixth); Prefect ; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Silver, Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 2nd XV Captain and Colours, Shooting - 1st Team, Swimming - 1st Team and Colours Charles Page (2018 H) House Prefect; Rugby - 2nd XV, Badminton - 1st Team Joseph Pallet (2018 W) Effort Award (First Form); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Football - 2nd XI, Hockey - 2nd XI Beth Pennal (2018 L) Chicago (Annie), LAMDA Level 6 Charlotte Percival (2018 S) Music Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Fourth Form); Boarding House Prefect, Boarding Deputy Head of House, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fourth Form); Bugsy Malone (Hood), Les Misérables (Worker Woman); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 3rd VII

Finley Plugge (2018 W) Art Scholarship; Art Copy Prize (Third Form); CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Gold, Bronze; Football 2nd XI, Badminton - 1st Team Daniil Polyakov (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect; CCF - Corporal (Cpl) Louis Regnier (2018 W) Head of House (Holdgate); Rugby - 1st XV Colours and County Representation Gracie Rigby (2018 C) Art Scholarship, Drama Scholarship; House Prefect, Head of Events and Charity, Christmas Tree Committee; Bugsy Malone (Velma), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Matron Mama Morton), LAMDA Level 5 With Distinction; Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI, Netball - 3rd VII, Rounders - 1st Team, Swimming - 1st Team Lauren Robinson (2018 C) Art Scholarship, Drama Scholarship; Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Bugsy Malone (Hood), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), LAMDA Level 4 and 5 With Distinction, LAMDA Bronze With Merit; Hockey - 2nd XI, Netball - 2nd VII, Rounders - 1st Team, Swimming - 1st Team Rishi Roy-Mukherjee (2018 W) Sport Scholarship; Kitchener Prize for Mathematics (Lower Sixth), Economics Prize (Lower Sixth); Prefect; Cricket - 1st XI, Half Colours and County Representation, Badminton - 1st Team Benjamin Saunders (2018 H) House Prefect; Football - 2nd XI Captain Alexander Schuller (2018 F) CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Football - 2nd XI Vice Captain, Hockey - 2nd XI Ross Sinclair (2018 W) Boarding Deputy Head of House, Prefect; Rugby - 1st XV Colours and County Representation

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WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

James Smith (2018 M) Boarding House Prefect, Ball Committee; CCF - Corporal (Cpl); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby 3rd XV, Tennis - 1st Team Verity Smith (2018 C) Media Studies Prize (Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth); Head of House; Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 2nd VII Captain and Colours, Rounders - 1st Team and Colours Charles Sparrow (2018 W) All Round Contribution Award (Third Form); Boarding House Prefect, Head of CCF ; Head of CCF, RSM (WO1); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Basketball - 1st Team Captain, Rugby - 2nd XV and Half Colours, Shooting - 1st Team and Colours Max Stanton-Gleaves (2018 C) Prefect; Hamlet (Player King), Chicago (Aaron); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Cricket - 2nd XI, Football - 1st XI Captain, Rugby - 2nd XV Isabelle Stevens (2018 L) Drama Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Shadow Dancer), LAMDA Level 5 With Distinction; Netball - 2nd VII and Half Colours Jemma Stuart (2018 H) Academic Scholarship, Art Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Psychology Prize (Lower Sixth); Head of House; Bugsy Malone (Dancer); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Hockey - 2nd XI, Netball - 2nd VII, Rounders - 1st Team and Colours Faber Swaine (2018 L) Academic Scholarship, Drama Scholarship; Effort Award (Third Form, Lower Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth); Art Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Head of School (Michaelmas Term), Prefect, Debating Team; Alice in Wonderland (The Knave), Romeo and Juliet (Narrator), Hamlet (Reynaldo), Chicago (Sergeant Fogarty), LAMDA Silver With Distinction; Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Tennis - 3rd Team Daniel Teare (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Boarding Head of House, Boarding House Prefect, Prefect; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Rugby - 1st XV Captain, Colours and Regional Representation Gareth Thomas (2018 F) Head of House; CCF - Sergeant (Sgt); Hockey - 3rd XI, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours

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Holly Thomson-Frost (2018 C) Sport Scholarship; Swimming - 1st Team Captain, Colours and UK Representation Alex Thorogood (2018 F) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Third Form); Football - 1st XI, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Callum Traynor (2018 M) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Upper Sixth); Boarding House Prefect, Prefect; CCF - Head of Army, RSM (WO1); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze; Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Isabelle Turner (2018 F) Drama Scholarship, Sport Scholarship; Head of House; Bugsy Malone (Hood), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Drunkard), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Shadow Dancer), LAMDA Level 5; Hockey - 2nd XI Captain, Netball - 2nd VII, Rounders - 1st Team Catherine Veasey (2018 C) Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Cheshire Cat), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Lovely Lady), Hamlet (Gravedigger), Chicago (Shadow Dancer); Athletics - 1st Team Sophie Watson (2018 H) Effort Award (Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form), All Round Contribution Award (Fifth Form, Lower Sixth), French Prize (Lower Sixth), Wheeler Prize for French (Upper Sixth); French Copy Prize (Second Form); Prefect, Head of Chamber Choir, Blue Gown (Awarded in Fifth Form), Head of Junior pupils for Holdgate; Bugsy Malone (Roxy), Alice in Wonderland (Soldier), Les Misérables (Worker Woman); Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Girls’ Choir, Strings; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Hockey - 3rd XI Captain and Colours, Tennis - 2nd Team Jonathan Watson (2018 F) English Copy Prize (Second Form); Head of House; Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Football - 2nd XI, Hockey - 2nd XI, Rugby - 2nd XV Matthew Webb (2018 W) Edward Craven Prize for Outstanding Male Achievement in Sport (Upper Sixth), Headmaster’s Prize (Upper Sixth); Head of School (Lent Term), Prefect; Cricket 1st XI and Colours, Football - 1st XI and Colours, Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Rugby - 1st XV and Colours Alice Wilkins (2018 F) Hamlet (Technical Assistance); Duke of

Edinburgh Award - Gold; Rounders - 1st Team, Badminton - 1st Team Ella Williams (2018 C) Les Misérables (Lovely Lady); Hockey - 2nd XI and Half Colours, Tennis - 3rd Team Anna Wilson (2018 L) Effort Award (Fifth Form), All Round Contribution Award (Lower Sixth); Psychology Copy Prize (Lower Sixth); Ball Committee; CCF - Head of Navy, Petty Officer (PO); Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze Archie Wooff (2018 W) CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze; Football - 2nd XI, Rugby 3rd XV, Badminton - 1st Team Fynley Young (2018 C) Sport Scholarship; All Round Contribution Award (Third Form), Photography Prize (Lower Sixth), Headmaster’s Special Achievement Prize (Upper Sixth); Prefect; Bugsy Malone (Dancer), Alice in Wonderland (Gardener), Romeo and Juliet (Chorus), Les Misérables (Drunkard), Hamlet (Prince Fortinbras), Chicago (June), LAMDA Level 5; CCF - Cadet (Cdt); Hockey - 1st XI and Colours, Netball - 1st VII and Colours and County Representation Jingyi Zeng (2018 S) Shizhao Zhou, (2018 M) Effort Award (Fifth Form); Art Copy Prize (Fourth Form), Design Technology Copy Prize (Fifth Form); Boarding House Prefect

WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Verity Smith

Charles Sparrow

Max Stanton-Gleaves

Isabelle Stevens

Jemma Stuart

Faber Swaine

Daniel Teare

Gareth Thomas

Holly Thomson-Frost

Alex Thorogood

Callum Traynor

Isabelle Turner

Catherine Veasey

Sophie Watson

Jonathan Watson

Matthew Webb

Alice Wilkins

Ella Williams

Anna Wilson

Archie Wooff

Fynley Young

Jingyi Zeng

Shizhao Zhou

2018

James Smith

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WELCOME - LEAVERS 2018

Once a Suttonian, Always a Suttonian Making the most of the Old Suttonian community As you will have read elsewhere in the magazine, the alumni provision for Old Suttonians is changing. Where before, the Old Suttonians’ Association and the School worked independently, the future will see them more aligned to provide OS with a more consistent and streamlined alumni programme. The Old Suttonian community is stronger than ever, with greater numbers and the planned changes will look to build on the successes of the past in providing the leavers of the School with invaluable social and business networking opportunities.

Many Old Suttonians have already taken advantage of the advice and hospitality offered to them whilst travelling the world during their gap year, or for business purposes. For the most recent cohort of Old Suttonians listed in this section, we would encourage you to take advantage of the network of fellow alumni who were once in your shoes, contemplating life after SVS.

(page 24) as well as regular drinks receptions and the invitation to return to School for carol concerts or drama productions.

Another great opportunity to stay in touch with friends is through the various sporting fixtures organised for OS, which this year has expanded once again. The mainstays of the sporting programme, Hockey, Cricket and Golf have been joined by a host of new sporting opportunities. The establishment of the Old Suttonians Rifle Association means that OS shooters will have a greater number of competitions and regular Sunday practice sessions. This year also saw the reintroduction of an OS versus School Netball competition, the continued success of the OS Football Club and the prospect of a new OS Rugby fixture scheduled for November.

In the past couple of years, we have made our community more accessible through the introduction of a new social networking website specifically for Old Suttonians - OS Connect. For those of you yet to sign up, please do so, and join nearly 1000 existing OS on the site. In addition to that, the School has designated OS pages on Facebook and LinkedIn, meaning that alumni are able to stay in touch with their peers and the School, wherever they may go after they leave Sutton Valence.

If sport is not your thing, we would welcome your involvement in developing the Old Suttonian careers network. OS Connect provides an invaluable resource for OS looking for work experience, mentoring, or simply advice on their vocational options.

Over 750 fellow Old Suttonians, established in their respective industries, have offered their help and we would encourage you to take advantage. Equally, if you feel as though you would like to give something back, Christine Carter would welcome your help at either the 2019 Careers Convention or, looking further forward the 2020 Next Steps morning which will follow on from this year’s successful event (page 22).

One of the key aspects to OS Connect is the regularly updated events section, which will document the new consolidated events programme for Old Suttonians and their guests. Using this past year as an example you will see that events have included London tours (page 18), the SVS Car Show (page 20), anniversary reunions

All-in-all, the Old Suttonian network not only provides a wealth of resources, but a thriving community that continues to benefit Sutton Valence leavers long after they have left the School. For more information on any of the above, please contact the School’s Development Office (development@svs.org.uk).

Michaelmas Term Events Friday 14th September

SVS Golf Day All Old Suttonians to play alongside parents, staff and governors at Chart Hills Golf Course.

Saturday 10th November

OS Gaining Ground Rugby Fixture More information available on page 64.

Tuesday 11th December

SVS Carol Concert Old Suttonians are invited to attend the School’s carol concert followed by refreshments.

For information on all of the above, please contact the Development Office.

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OLD SUTTONIAN UPDATES

OLD SUTTONIAN UPDATES

“

I have seen so many of you progress through the School over the past 33 years, and know many more through my time with OS Cricket. While advances in social media mean that access to updates are more readily available than ever, I still find it fascinating to read your news and hear about your successes. For OS, there is no Friday morning assembly to celebrate your achievements, or hear about your life journeys, so this is very much the opportunity to provide that. As an alumni association, the OSA’s commitment is to you, and the ability to share your news and updates is a key part of bringing Old Suttonians together.

”

Anne Wilkinson (Staff 1984-2016) OSA Committee

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Old Suttonian News BELL, Kenneth (1948 W) Continuing his retired ministry of over 22 years for Winchester diocese, Ken says that his faith and family keep him going!

Unfortunately his life has radically changed since the death of his wife early this year, but he says he is blessed with a close family.

His son, Andrew, works as a publicity officer for one of the Green Party’s ministers of the European Parliament. He and his wife, Diana, have two daughters aged 13 and 11. Ken’s daughter works at a private junior school in Cambridge, and her husband works for an international education organisation; they have two sons aged 18 and 24 years respectively.

GARDNER, John (1948 W) When John Gardner came to the School just before the end of the war he found life somewhat challenging. ‘Polish those shoes!

Make some tea! Do this! Do that!’ He was run around by his fag master quite unmercifully. All this after having suffered the usual morning’s cold shower, returning to a dormitory where all the windows were kept permanently wide open – and 1947 was a particularly cold and snowy winter! None of these privations had anything to do with the war, nor its aftermath. He also suffered because of food shortages, fuel shortages and a common room deprived of its brightest sparks who were serving their country.

When he escaped from School, things were slow to improve.

He was an articled pupil to chartered quantity surveyors, and found himself living in a London YMCA and having his social life reduced by the necessity of attending night school. His reward for qualification was to be commissioned in the Royal Engineers. At least, as an officer he did not have to share a bedroom with 20 others as he did during his time in Westminster.

David Dodd (1951 M)

He was in the middle-east for a while, in Egypt and secret work in Jordan before going on to Cyprus to try to prevent the EOKA terrorists blowing up buildings. He decided to return to the UK in his recently bought Fiat 500 but on the German autobahn, between Salzburg and Munich he met (at 90mph) a German prince and princess going the other way in a much larger vehicle!

He was in hospital for seven weeks (half of the time unconscious) before being returned to the UK by air ambulance in a bad way.

Undaunted, on recovery, he continued to travel, even daring to return to Germany where he studied a while, before settling down back home where he practised as a chartered surveyor, estate agent and valuer for 50 years. Never forgetting the cold showers of Sutton Valence School, he has swum annually in the sea for the last 80 years.

DODD, David (1951 M) David describes his career as being somewhat disjointed, largely because his parents wanted him to follow his father into his accountancy practice, but he had aspirations elsewhere. He found his real interest in personnel management, initially in the engineering sector and then as the Head of Personnel at Penguin Books. He later went on to become the Personnel Director at Macmillan. Occupying these roles in the seventies, both had a high element of dealing with militant trade unions!

Eight years of union bashing made him think of pastures new and the last 20 years of his business career were spent as an executive search consultant with MSL (part of Saatchi and Saatchi) first in London, then in Bristol, interspersed with a spell in Brussels.

Having retired, his last project has been to start and manage a project to build 12 affordable homes in his village, through his role as secretary of the Marshfield Community Land Trust.

Conservative politics has loomed fairly large in his life, including a spell as a councillor in Esher. Having played 1st XV Rugby and 1st XI Cricket at SVS, he has maintained his interest in the two sports.

In terms of Rugby, he has helped find jobs for graduates at Bath, including the likes of Stuart Barnes, Phil de Glanville and Andy Nichol. For the last 60 years he has also been a member of the MCC; Lord’s has very fond memories for him, particularly sitting next to David Bunker (1954 M) in the pavilion talking endlessly about matters that interested them both.

FFOULKES-JONES, David (1953 W) David spent five years at Sutton Valence, originally in Lambe’s then later in Westminster, before his family emigrated to Alberta, Canada in 1953. He still lives in a small town in Alberta and is a retired chartered accountant. He is married to Marlene and together they have three children and seven grandchildren.

Living in a town in the Rocky Mountains means the winters can be quite harsh, so he spends much of the winter in the Caribbean, where he spent his early days. He would love to hear from friends

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OLD SUTTONIAN UPDATES

go on to do that job for more than 45 years. Almost half of that time was in an industrial setting with Canadian Forest Products Ltd and the remainder as a silviculture consultant through his own business, NuForest Consulting Ltd. He finally retired in January 2016 so that he could spend more time with his three Gs – grandchildren, greenhouse and garden.

He is married to a Canadian whom he met at UNB and together they have two adult children and five grandchildren, who all reside on Vancouver Island. Besides visits to the grandchildren, he spends his winter spare time cross-country skiing and gardening in the summer months. He periodically returns to the UK to visit family.

MACFARLANE, Ian (1962 C) Eric Miller (1964 L) and Martyn King (1964 L) David Ffoulkes-Jones (1953 W)

who remember him from SVS. For contact information for David, please get in touch with the Development Office.

PEACOCK-EDWARDS, Richard (1957 F) Rick is pleased to announce the arrival of his second grandchild, Annabelle Christine, born on 31st May this year, a sister for Maisie.

This year, he has also joined the Strategy Board of Aviation Skills Partnership (ASP) and become chairman of the ASP Central Region Advisory Board.

WALTER, Colin (1958 F) Colin has recently published a novel entitled A Lesser Silence.

The story is partly about childhood and family, partly about the treatment of the Arts in schools and partly about mental illness in adolescence, and the frequent inadequacy of its treatment. In short, it’s a love story made from wonder and terror and explores the connections between success and failure.

He reports that it has taken him upwards of 12 years to write and part of the proceeds of sales will be donated to help towards the research work of SANE.

Ian writes that in the late seventies, two of his LPs of electronic music entitled Void Spirit and Back from Beyond were released by Neutron Star Records. A further LP, Planetarium, was released on cassette in 1987.

In July this year, Planetarium was released on vinyl by Roundtable Records. Part of a track from Void Spirit is featured in an upcoming US surf movie, Self Discovery For Social Survival.

Ian continues his work as a published author and is helping gather material for the cover for a forthcoming LP Dreamtime as well as recording another album, to be called Balliang Dreaming.

SHEPHERD, Miles (1962 C) Miles is currently in the middle of transferring from a Masters

by Research to a PhD researching how knowledge is used in the development of professions. This is predominantly looking at how an occupation like project management emerges as a profession, looking at specialist knowledge to mark out the professional domain then how that knowledge is used to show professional characteristics.

He has recently attended his last board meeting as a director of the Global Accreditation Center for Project Management (an American panel which accredit university degrees). He still chairs the British Standards Institute committee on project, program

SEYMOUR, Roger (1960 L) Having retired from a career with a ship-broking company in London in 2012, Roger has continued with membership of the Baltic Exchange in his own name. He is currently living in West Sussex, with Lu, his wife of 48 years. Together they have three children and six grandchildren. He says that fond memories of the School remain with him.

BAKER, Robert (1962 L) After leaving SVS, Bob attended the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in Fredericton from September 1963 until May 1968, gaining a BSc in Forestry. After a brief return to the UK when he worked as a tree surgeon in Aldershot, he emigrated to British Columbia, Canada in the early seventies.

There, he worked as a professional forester (RPF) in the central interior of the province, based out of Prince George. He would

Richard Peacock-Edwards (1957 F)

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Richard’s daughter Nicola runs her own business based in Tunbridge Wells, making soft furnishings, curtains and blinds.

His son James works as an IT specialist currently contracted to Deutsche Bank.

PAGE, Neil (1963 W) Having spent 30 years as a director of music at Hurstpierpoint College, Malvern College and latterly Uppingham School, Neil took early retirement in 2002 to become the Organist and Director of Music at St Barnabas Roman Catholic Cathedral in Nottingham. He was tasked with reforming the Cathedral choir and establishing choral scholarships with the University of Nottingham.

Miles Shepherd (1962 C)

and portfolio management, despite handing over his chairmanship of the ISO Committee dealing with project-related international standards.

BEGLIN, Alan Christopher (1963 L) Chris continues to live in Pennsylvania, where he has been for the past 18 years. While technically still retired, he continues to do a small amount of web work, as well as continuing to follow a long-term interest in engineering, enjoying a small machine shop.

He has six grandchildren; two from his daughter Philippa, who lives in Hertford, three from his son Julian, who now lives close to Chris, and finally (and most recently) one by his stepson Cody.

On his retirement two years ago, he was awarded The Papal Order of Merit in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the music of the church, which he describes as no mean achievement for a Scottish Presbyterian! He continues to be active in music, especially as a long-serving music examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM).

Through this role he has worked in over 40 countries from Bermuda to Borneo, Iceland to Indonesia and The Netherlands to New Zealand. On a recent working trip to Taiwan, he was joined

by David Horn (1974 F), son of Neil’s housemaster in Bennett and Westminster, Richard Horn (Staff 1953-1985).

Neil now has three young grandsons from his son Simon and daughter-in-law Judith, who are both serving as a musicians with the RAF. His daughter Caroline settled in the Lake District and is a music producer for the BBC, working on projects including Simon Scharma’s Music and the Monarchy and Classical Voices with Antonio Pappano.

The recent thanksgiving service for Neil’s late sister Jennifer drew a large congregation to Southwold Parish Church, which included members of the the Cairns family - The Very Revd Dr John Cairns (1961 M), James Cairns (1962 M) and The Revd William Cairns

MEMMOTT, Richard (1963 L) Having decided that another move of house would be a good idea, due to the choking roads round the Sevenoaks M25 area, Nina and Richard sold their oast house and are now happily settled in a village called Whissendine, near Oakham, Rutland (the smallest county in England). The area is mostly farming land, but there is a plethora of villages, most of which date back to medieval times when wealthy landowners built houses and churches for their workers.

Their village is very busy with societies and clubs which cater for most people’s pastimes and the larger towns such as Oakham, Stamford and Uppingham have a surprising number of excellent privately-owned shops. They are delighted with their decision, especially as they still see their old friends from down south who love to visit somewhere that is truly off everyone’s map but not that far away from the “civilised” South East!!

They continue to travel and recently spent nine weeks in South Africa, where they visited Nina’s brothers and other friends, as well as having two days at Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana, a week at Great Fish River and another in the Titsikalma area. They shall be back in sub-Saharan Africa in September when they take in Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, leaving only Botswana of the southern-most countries to see.

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Neil Page (1963 W)

OLD SUTTONIAN UPDATES

(1964 C). William (Sandy) kindly and wittily delivered the eulogy.

Neil hopes to visit SVS soon and hopefully attend a concert.

BARR, Andrew (1964 W) Andrew reports that while cruising on an Australian boat up the Irawaddy river in Burma back in February, he and his wife Catherine met Clive Levy (1963 L) and his wife (also Catherine).

Although they didn’t recognise one another, having left the School some 50 years previously, they immediately recognised the SVS traits and realised they knew one another. They enjoyed some good meals together and the opportunity to reminisce on their time at the School.

CANT, Richard (1964 L) Dr Richard Cant is still living in Nassau, in the Bahamas. Having retired from the Bahamas Water Board a few years ago he does consulting ‘if interested’. He has two children and a number of grandchildren.

CANT, James (1968 L) Living in Delray Beach, Florida with wife Tiffany, James is still busy in the financial services industry. Together, they have one son, named Lionel.

LE GRYS, Simon (1968 C) Having retired back in 2016, Simon lives in Suffolk with his wife of 42 years. They have one son, James, and this year they welcomed their first grandchild, Harry Simon Le Grys. He is kept busy during retirement with golf, horse racing, politics and undertaking home improvements!

up with other retired OS cricketers and fellow MCC members, Desmond High (1973 F) and Anthony Rutherford (1972 F), at the Lord’s Test matches each year. They congregate in the Warner Stand and meet other Old Suttonians in the bar there.

YATES, Stephen (1971 F) Stephen is now in the final two years of his 41-year career in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). He is currently at Chaucer College, Canterbury as a teacher and program coordinator. His two daughters, Sophie (29) and Nadia (26), both live in London.

He is keen to re-establish links with any other 1971 leavers who are still living locally and would encourage them to get in touch. For contact information for Stephen, please email the Development Office.

MARKS, Malcolm (1972 F) Back in November, Malcolm celebrated the arrival of his granddaughter Lilith Purnode. He will retire from his current position with Maxwell Stamp PLC in December, but he and his wife Veronique continue to run their Chambres d’Hotes (www. coeurderose.com), which he describes as being a lot of fun.

HAIGH, Ian (1973 L) Ian and his wife Adonna had been living in Johannesburg for the past 35 years but, having retired, they have now returned to live in London. Prior to his retirement, he enjoyed a successful career in the pension fund industry. His children are currently living in London and Holland. He reports that he has been in touch with Old Suttonians including Ian Wilson (1974 L), Stephen Prudence (1974 M) and Anthony Rheinberg (1975 L) since returning.

THORNHILL, Christopher (1968 L) Chris has worked in construction and contract and risk management, most recently with Siemens Wind Power in Denmark. He retired in 2015 and returned to the UK, living in Cambridgeshire. Since coming back, he has played a lot of over 60 and 65 divisional hockey and also plays at national level.

CANT, David (1970 L) Living in Brisbane, Australia, David has recently stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer of charity Brisbane Housing Company.

He has five children and two grandchildren, some in UK and some in Australia.

KOOL, Ivo (1970 L) Ivo has now moved to Bentonville, Arkansas, where he is working as the Senior Product (Private Brands) Development Manager for Sam’s Club, a membership-only retail warehouse club owned and operated by Walmart.

SCOTT, Andrew (1971 F) Andrew lives in Pinner in Middlesex and works as the Human Resources Director for Uxbridge College. He regularly meets

David Cant (1970 L)

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and his daughter works in human resources. He is also pleased to announce the arrival of his granddaughter last October, named Afiyah Noor, meaning ‘saved from any afflictions’ in Arabic.

In terms of his own work, Imtiaz is working on setting up a manufacturing plant for lithium-ion polymer car batteries in Canada and continues to look after the day-to-day management of his family business manufacturing milk, butter, juices and chocolate with Nestlé in Pakistan.

ROWE, Jonathan (1978 F) On 5th May this year, Jonathan married Sally Townsend at Hastings Registry Office. Since retiring from the Royal Bank of Scotland on long-term disability in 2013 after a 35 year career, Jonathan reports that life has taken many twists and turns. The deterioration of his condition (Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy) means that he now uses a power wheelchair and adapted vehicle to get about, but this gives him the freedom to lead a full and active life. He met Sally in 2016 and she has not only become his wife, but also his full-time carer.

David Cleave (1974 F)

They spend their time working with charities to rescue animals and give them homes for life. They currently have 25 on land at their cottage in East Sussex, including horses, pigs, sheep, turkeys and chickens.

CLEAVE, David (1974 F)

TAKI, Samer (1978 W)

At the start of the year, David signed a new two-year contract as the Executive Director and Head of Mission of the multigovernment organisation, International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), to remain in Astana, Kazakhstan until the end of 2019. The role involves covering the Central Asian and Caucasus regions in implementing government (EU, US, Japan, South Korean and Norway), and non-government project financing in the areas of CBRN non-proliferation and hybrid threats.

Samer still lives in upper New York state with his wife, Aida. They recently celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary. After four years working for Morgan Stanley, he has just moved to Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he focuses on domestic US clients.

David’s two sons are both in the military. The elder, Graeme, is stationed in Cyprus as a captain in the Duke of Lancashire Regiment. He and his wife Jenny had their first child, a son, Francis Cleave last December. They are soon to be returning to the UK for deployment in Chester. David’s younger son Robin is a Royal Marine based down in Plymouth with 42 Commando.

He reports that he still keeps in touch with a number of Old Suttonians, especially Michael Darling (1979 L), with whom he maintains a monthly lunch date!

MANN, Damion (1979 W)

David continues to fly as a hobby, mainly on Russian aircraft, and has been specializing in aerobatics on the Yak52 and SU29 for the last 20 years.

Having started out in construction and development, Damion went on to work in interior design and hard furnishings, and is now working on swimming pools with his company BlueLagoon.

He has three children and has recently celebrated his silver wedding anniversary. He reports that he recently attended a Shooting event at the School and couldn’t believe it had been 40 years since he’d left!

ROBINSON, Ian (1974 M)

ROCHANAPRUK, Thevarak (1979 L)

Having recently retired from his job at the University of Bath where he had been the Chief Executive of its students’ union for the past 20 years, Ian is now enjoying a life of semi-retirement in Dorset, near to Sherborne. He has recently become a grandparent for the first time; his grandson Harry Robinson is now eight months old.

Last year we reported that Thevarak had been appointed to the board of directors of United Power of Asia PLC, Bangkok. He also mentioned bumping into Somtiak Twiltermsup (1981 C) on a flight to Italy. He had not seen him for over 38 years, but since then the two have become regular golf partners in Bangkok. They would welcome any other OS to join them for a round, should they be in Thailand.

SAMAD, Imtiaz (1976 W) Imtiaz is currently living in the city of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. He is married with three children - two boys (now aged 35 and 33) and one girl (aged 26). His sons work in computer engineering specialising in security infrastructure and networking

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EASTER, Rupert (1981 W) This month is the 18th anniversary of Rupert starting his own engineering company, Gas Compressors Ltd. The company builds custom oilfield compression systems at a factory in East Peckham.

OLD SUTTONIAN UPDATES

Outside of work, he has four children under the age of ten: Dorothy, Wulfstan, Cleopatra and Elektra who keep him busy!

He is still in regular touch with his Westminster housemates Stephen Humphreys (1983 W) and Simon Townshend (1981 W), He also sees Robert Dockerty (1960 M), Guy Beckett (1980 W) and Christian Werner (1979 W).

HOLLINS, David (1984 C) Living in Shropshire since 2012, David is married to Laura, with two daughters, Maddy and Isabella. Over the last 27 years he has worked for various dairy companies; mainly in sales and marketing.

He is currently working for Muller Dairies and has set up a new business venture developing own label products for UK supermarkets.

He reports that he still keeps in touch with Jeremy Neeves (1984 W) and Gordon Scott-Brown (1984 W) and would love to hear from any other Old Suttonians in the Shropshire area.

Ian Robinson (1974 M)

CRISFORD, Charles (1989 F) Charles has recently moved to Lewes-based auction firm, Gorringe’s after several years working in London for the auction giant Bonham’s. Within his new role, he will be specialising in antique clocks. Having left SVS in 1989, he went on to study History of Art at the University of Leicester.

NEWING, Alastair (1989 C) Alastair and his wife Matilda Margaret Newing live in Dartmouth, Devon having got married back in 2013. Together they have two sons born in 2015 and 2018 respectively.

GODDEN, Mitchel (1992 F) Mitchel Godden was selected (together with his passenger Paul Smith) by the Auto Cycle Union to compete in the European 500cc Sidecar championships for Great Britain this year. He had finished fourth the previous year in Tayac (near Bordeaux) and second in the 2016 and 2017 British Championships. The pair have been racing in Europe against the best riders in the world for the past two years and at the championships managed to finish in second place.

Thevarak Rochananpruk (1979 L) and Somtiak Twiltermsup (1981 C)

(R) Mitchel Godden (1992 F)

Previous to this, Mitchel had enjoyed a 25-year solo motorcycle racing career, but his switch to sidecar racing three years ago has proved to be amazingly successful. His result at the championships was the highest ever by a UK crew on foreign soil.

TAYLOR, Don (Staff 1969-1993) Don will soon be leaving Loose, where he was based for much of his 25 year teaching career at SVS and where he has been involved with the conservation of the attractive valley and its bird life for nearly 30 years.

He and Trish will be moving to Bristol, where he hopes to find another local patch to study the bird life. He says he will miss his frequent visits to Wierton Hill Farm and Boughton Park, which have produced sightings of nearly 200 different bird species

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LANDER (NÉE WEBBER), Klaire (1999 V) Klaire now works for her own Kent-based planning consultancy, Lander Planning, which she set up in February 2015. She is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and has worked in the industry for over 15 years. Prior to starting her own business, she worked at Canterbury City Council as a planning officer, then at Barton Willmore as a senior planner and finally at DHA Planning as an associate planner.

PARKINSON, Nicholas (2002 F) On 2nd June this year, Nick married Leilah Cooling in Devon.

Guests at the wedding included parents of the groom, Mary and Chris Parkinson (Staff 1978-2005) and Old Suttonians Jeremy Parkinson (1997 F), Clare Barrett (née Parkinson) (1999 H), Patrick Stileman (2002 M) and James Young (2002 F).

SCHOEMAN, Selina (2002 H) Sarah (1998 V) and Ian Thatcher Wedding

during the 33 years. As he will soon reach his 80th birthday, he says his next study area is unlikely to produce such a wide range of species! Don’s daughter Sheila now lives in Devizes, Wiltshire and his son Kevin (1978 F) lives in Basingstoke.

SANDS, Martin (1995 F) You will have read earlier in the magazine (page 10) about the School planting a memorial to Martin’s brother, Mark Sands (1990 F). Martin himself is still living locally and is now the Programme Director of a new BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy degree at Canterbury Christ Church University.

Selina is currently living in Dubai. She got married in April 2012 to South African, Johann Schoeman, and they have two children; Lucas Schoeman (born November 2012) and Ruben Schoeman (born October 2014).

HUNT, Peter (2004 W) On 27th May this year, Peter married Grace Hunt at St Alfege Church in Greenwich, with their reception at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Other Old Suttonians at the wedding included Peter’s brother Robert Hunt (2001 W), his cousin Ian Hunt (1983 W), Niiashie Adjaye (2002 W) and Win Saikayasit (2004 W).

Peter and Grace live in Greenwich with Grace working in public relations and Peter owning his own property development company.

SAAD, Mohammed (1996 W) Mohammed currently lives in Malysia working for Petronas Chemicals Fertiliser Kedah Sdn Bhd - a Malaysian urea production company and subsidiary of Petronas. He has been with the company since 2003 and currently works as the head of their process engineering section. He got married in 2005 and now has four children aged three, five, ten and 12.

WATTS, Tim (1997 F) Tim has been appointed as the Director of Sport at Warminster School in Wiltshire, after spending 11 years teaching at The Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells.

THATCHER (NÉE LEGGAT), Sarah (1998 V) In July last year, Sarah married Ian Thatcher. Other Old Suttonians present at the wedding included Andrew Lee (1992 F), Christopher Leggat (1995 L), Georgina Simmons (née Pares) (1995 V), Joanna Leggat (1996 V), Kiralie Lee (née Pares) (1997 H), Elizabeth Talbot (2000 V) and Annabel Taylor (2001 H). Sarah and Ian have two children, Bluebell Ida, born on 28th September 2016 and Hamilton Nicholas, born on 4th February this year (see page 89).

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Sandra and Nick Holmes (2010 W) Wedding

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Grace and Peter Hunt (2004 W) Wedding

LEAHY, Aled (2004 H) Having worked for HSBC for the last 12 years, Aled and his wife Kimberly are preparing to take six months out of work to go travelling around South East Asia and South America at the end of the year. He is currently living near Wakefield, so is rarely back in Kent, but if any Old Suttonians from his time at the School are around the West Yorkshire area, he would welcome the chance to catch up.

SCOTT, Philippa (2004 H) Philippa graduated from Nottingham Business School in 2009 with a 2.1 in Business and Operations Management. She started working for Sandersons, a Kent-based estate agent shortly after graduating and has enjoyed being part of the company expansion, working up to her current role as the Chief Operations Officer (COO).

On 2nd September 2017, she married David Haynes, her partner of 10 years at Biddenden Church, followed by a reception at her family farm. Three of the bridesmaids were Old Suttonians, Jamie Cross (2002 V), Claire Hindmarsh (2004 H) and Olivia Richards (2017 H), who had flown back from her gap year working at Bathurst College in Australia as a surprise!

Philippa and David now live in Frittenden in a house they renovated themselves, but are often back at the family farm in Biddenden for their dogs and horses. She show jumped with the SVS Equestrian team and has continued her passion for equestrianism after leaving School, competing at a high level on the national circuit. One of the many highlights was qualifying for two classes (Talent Seekers and Foxhunter) at the famous Horse of the Year show at the NEC in Birmingham in 2012.

SCOTT, Jonathan (2006 C) Jonathan is living and working in Brisbane, Australia as a chartered surveyor for Cushman and Wakefield. He has recently become

engaged to Hannah Slack, who is the daughter of the former Wallabies centre and captain Andrew Slack, who led their unbeaten tour of the UK in 1984/85. They are due to marry in October 2019.

IGGLESDEN, Alan (Staff 2000-2008) Liz Igglesden (Staff 2003-2007) reports that, sadly, Iggy suffered a stroke on the Easter weekend this year. He lost use of his right arm and leg. However, after a gruelling two months in hospital, he is slowly making progress and is now home with a working right arm. His leg is improving steadily, but fast bowling may be a bit of a distant dream at the moment! As ever his spirits are good and he takes the biggest knocks with a cheery joke and smile.

PIPER, Geoff (Staff 1985-2008) Geoff runs an interest group in Cranbrook U3A (University of the Third Age) entitled ‘Physics explained to the layperson without Maths’. To his surprise, 32 people signed up and are still attending after five meetings!

He has also taken up the sport of Pickleball. He and John Taylor (1965 F) recently played together in the International Pickleball Tournament in The Netherlands. Although they got no further than the first round in men’s doubles, Geoff won a silver medal in his class in the mixed doubles.

HOLMES, Nicholas (2010 W) Nick has recently been promoted to the role of Head of People and Culture: Europe and the Middle East at Magic Memories. He has been selected to speak at a number of corporate events such as The Tourism Expo 2018 around the topics of leadership and retention. In January this year he married Sandra Lees - pictured opposite.

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VAN LEEUWEN, Ellie (2011 S) Ellie was inspired to design Droplet at Bournemouth University after her grandmother left hospital severely dehydrated. She was selected by her lecturers to showcase her project at the New Designers Awards in London where she met Spearmark who gave her the opportunity to bring Droplet to market. Three years later and Droplet has now been launched and is available to buy on Amazon and their website.

Droplet has already been welcomed into care homes and hospitals.

Trials showed a 63 per cent increase (an extra 500ml a day) in people drinking more, showcasing Droplet as an efficient and costeffective method of improving hydration levels and health.

Droplet is designed to support anybody who might be struggling to keep themselves well hydrated. Comprising of a three-part modular system: light and sound reminder base, mug or tumbler and a flow control lid, the heart of Droplet is the highly-sophisticated base that identifies when the user has not drunk for some time and uses flashing lights and recorded audio messages to remind the person to take a drink. As well as benefitting the user, it also alerts the carer so they can monitor hydration levels and patterns in patients whilst spotting the signs of potential dehydration early on.

Ellie was chosen to share Droplet at The Royal Society of Medicine Innovation Summit and has also been featured by Management Today as part of their Women Under 35 list for 2018.

THOMPSON, Crispin (2014 M) Since leaving the School four years ago, Crispin began his studies at King’s College London, but left after the first term. In 2016 he finished the Oxford School of Drama foundation course in acting and later that year began full-time professional actor training at the Gaiety School of Acting at The National Theatre School of Ireland.

Philippa Scott and David Haynes Wedding

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During his two years there, he has performed the roles of Henry V in Henry V, Gloucester in King Lear, Casimir in Aristocrats, Tesman in Hedda Gabler and George in Who’s Afraid of Virignia Woolf. He is currently in rehearsals for his final graduation production, Lost and Found, which runs in the Smock Alley Theatre.

This summer he will also be involved in two productions. Firstly, The Threesome, at Edinburgh Fringe, which is a one-act play he has written himself, which will be the debut production of Just Another Theatre Company, of which he is a co-founder. Secondly, he will be performing a production of Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels with Blacklight Productions in Dublin. He is due to move to London in January 2019.

BARNDEN, Victoria (2015 H) Victoria writes that she has graduated from the University of Birmingham with a first class honours degree in Economics and Geography (BSc) this summer. She is looking forward to starting the finance graduate scheme at Lloyds Banking Group in September and starting her journey to becoming a chartered accountant.

SHADDICK, Sebastian (2017 F) At the end of March, Sebastian attended a presentation at St. James’s Palace, London, where he received his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award from paralympic gold medallist, Graham Edmonds after sharing his experiences with HRH The Earl of Wessex, a trustee for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), Speaking about his DofE experience, Sebastian said, “DofE has had a significant impact on my senior years at Sutton Valence; achieving Bronze, Silver and now the Gold award taught me discipline and stamina,which enabled me to channel these skills into my academic studies.”

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Marcus Fong

Milo Gornall-Brown

Hamilton Thatcher

Michael Hammond, Leora and Emelie Braneby

Chloe, Rosanna and Daniel Doherty

Wilson, Martha, Helen and Ben Merry

Old Suttonian Births DOHERTY on 04 February 2018, to Rosanna (née Hutchinson) (2005 C) and Daniel Doherty, a girl, Chloe May.

JORDAN on 05 January 2018, to Tim (1998 F) and Kate Jordan, a boy, Rafferty Leo.

FONG on 21 April 2018, to Melissa (née Yeung) (2003 S)

MERRY on 01 April 2017, to Helen (née Moore) (2003 S)

and Matthew Fong, a boy, Marcus.

and Ben Merry, a boy, Wilson Isaac.

GORNALL-BROWN on 12 December 2017, to Katie Gornall (2001 V) and Donna Marie Brown, a boy, Milo Paul.

THATCHER on 04 February 2018, to Sarah (nee Leggat) (1998 V) and Ian Thatcher, a boy, Hamilton Nicholas.

HAMMOND on 19 January 2018, to Michael Hammond (2011 G) and Emelie Braneby, a girl, Leora.

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Old Suttonian Deaths CUTCHEE, Harold (1949 M) Died 18 November 2017

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true ‘man of Kent’, for he was born south of the Medway river, Ray would much have preferred to have been described as a ‘man of the Weald’. He was born in Hawkhurst, going to a school in the town, before coming to Sutton Valence. After School, his first place of work was at Benenden and he then spent the whole of his working life close to Cranbrook.

In retirement, he and his wife Dorothy lived in Sandhurst, only four miles from Hawkhurst.

He had an idyllic childhood, running wild around Hawkhurst fishing and shooting with an air rifle. During the Battle of Britain, he and his brother were evacuated to family in Wiltshire and then, when the doodlebugs were flying, to Buckinghamshire. He developed his knowledge of shooting and fishing at this time, with occasional visits to the local school. At the time, Sutton Valence had a strong rural influence and was attended by many hunting and shooting men of the future. Ray became a member of the School shooting eight and running eight.

On leaving School, he went to work for Mr Reid, of Pullington Farm, Benenden, to gain agricultural experience. Seeing foxhounds for the first time on the farm, the path of his life was chosen.

Luckily, he was given a beagle pack by a regiment stationed in Deal and about to go to Germany. They became the Pullington Beagles, whipped in by Ray until 1954. Another stroke of luck, in 1963, led to him hunting the Blean Beagles and then the Pevensey Marsh Beagles. During this period, Ray had taken up shooting and fishing and often made trips to Wales and Scotland, as well as becoming chairman of Hawkhurst Rifle Club.

Ray seems to have led a charmed life and it is true that his farming activities (he produced soft fruit) did not unduly interrupt his hunting, shooting and fishing activities. In all of these, he was supported by his wife, Dorothy and he suffered a huge setback on her death six years before his own demise. His final years were not easy, but he faced them with his familiar stoicism and was remembered by many as a dear friend, much-loved by the hunting community in South-East England.

GILL, John (1947 M) Died 02 August 2017

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aving left Sutton Valence in 1947, John trained in the Royal Air Force as a pilot at Terrell Field in Texas. He returned to the UK, as was the requirement for bomber pilots, to train to fly the Wellington bomber and then the Lancaster. On leaving the RAF, he returned to Dallas, working for the oil company, Arco. He later went on to work for a company processing data from the oil industry, with his particular expertise being in chromatography within petroleum science. He is survived by his wife Jo and two sons.

GODDARD, Philip (1956 L) Died 02 August 2017

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hilip attended Sutton Valence School for seven years, representing the School for many years in Rugby, Fives and several other sports. It was, however, Cricket that he loved the most, playing and later captaining the School’s 1st XI side.

Even after leaving the School, he remained heavily involved in Old Suttonian Cricket, regularly returning to Upper to play. As Head of School for two years, he held SVS in the highest esteem, so much so that he opted to send his son, Peter (1981 L) here in the late seventies.

Having left Sutton Valence, Philip carried out national service with the Royal Artillery and joined Miles Laboratories in the sales and marketing department. He retired from Bayer Pharmaceuticals (Miles having been acquired by Bayer in 1979) having risen to the position of global marketing manager. His job allowed him to travel extensively around the word and jokingly, his family said “He knew the names of every BA pilot before he even boarded the aeroplane”.

After retirement, Philip continued his passion for travel, visiting many counties again, but this time with his wife Patty. They spent a number of years visiting friends, past colleagues and old School friends, wherever they could be found.

Philips legacy was that of a loving husband, father to Peter and Nicola and grandfather to five grandchildren. His passion for life and, of course, his beloved Cricket, was with him throughout his days and it was a blessing that towards the end he had the option to find solace in listening to and watching the England tests matches while at home.

Philip Goddard (1956 L) Died 31 August 2017

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Peter Martin (1956 L) Died 08 March 2018

We were delighted that in June 2016, Philip was able to return to the School as part of the unveiling ceremony for past Cricket Captains in the pavilion - the picture to the left was taken at the event.

HARBER, David (1965 C) Died 18 March 2018

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aving left Sutton Valence School in 1965, David studied at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, before going on to qualify as a chartered surveyor. Before settling down to work, adventurously, he had a year in South Africa, working his passage there tending livestock that were to be exported. He returned to the UK, working as a steward on the RMS Windsor Castle. He spent most of his working life as a valuer and estate agent in Kenya.

HODGES, Donovan (1937 W) Died 06 November 2017

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on was at Sutton Valence from 1931 until 1937 as a junior in Lambe’s and then in Westminster. Upon leaving the School, he went into the family printing business. During World War II he served in the Royal Tank Regiment and then, after attending Sandhurst, in the Life Guards armoured division. During that time, he commanded a reconnaissance troop behind enemy lines in Holland and was present at Luneberg Heath when Field Marshal Montgomery accepted the surrender of the German forces on 4th May 1945

After the war, he returned to the family business, which he continued to run until he retired in 1986. He managed to attend a couple of the more recent OS dinners, including the 2005 Oldest and Boldest Reunion and always had fond memories of his time at the School.

MARTIN, Peter (1956 L) Died 08 March 2018

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eter was brought up in Bromley and attended Sutton Valence School from 1953 until 1956. Particularly interested in history and photography, he had hoped to stay on at the School longer, but sadly his father died when he was 16 which unfortunately meant he had to leave early.

Having left, he was sent to work at De Havilland, where he worked on the Comet, amongst other things. During his time at the company, he met a close friend with whom he started racing Aston Martins; a passion he continued into later life. He married his wife Anne in 1963 and they moved from London to Norfolk where they welcomed daughter Julia and son Paul.

During this time Peter started the Maserati Club and Wymondham Rugby Club and was also racing professionally, travelling the world, living an exciting life and even won a championship in Dubai in 1981, meeting his racing hero Juan Carlos Fangio.

When he wasn’t racing, Peter’s main career was working for Colmans Mustard as director of transport. He eventually took early retirement after 20 years with the company and began a new life in Spain in 1991, in a village called Benedolieg near the Costa Del Sol, with his second wife Lynne and their daughter Victoria.

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university and his teaching covered courses for a wide variety of students, but in 1967 he was appointed as a professor of medical statistics and held this position until 1987.

David was appointed to the Computer Board for UK Universities (1970–72) and then to the Department of Health and Social Security Advisory Committee on Medical Computing (1972–76).

He also crossed the border to serve on two similar Scottish committees. Further afield, he was a World Health Organisation consultant in Pakistan (1977), attempting to identify and train future medical statisticians.

In 1987 he moved to Australia where he worked for Siromath, a consultancy firm in mathematics and statistics associated with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, first in Melbourne and then as managing director in Sydney. From 1989–90 he served as deputy director to the newly-formed National Health and Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Centre based at Sydney University. His last position was as senior consultant in the Department of Community Medicine at Sydney University, before he retired in 1994.

Graham Parrett (1950 M) Died 21 August 2017

While in Spain, Peter continued buying properties, doing them up and selling them whilst enjoying the Mediterranean lifestyle. He also formed the Marina Alta Classic Car Club which had over 100 members, serving as its president for ten years. He joined local amateur dramatic societies as well as starting the car club’s own drama group, mostly staging musicals which he loved, with Peter working on the lighting and props backstage. He and Lynne organised many memorable car rallies that were enjoyed by all and he helped many people to import their old classic cars into Spain.

Peter finally returned to England six years ago, after the onset of Parkinson’s disease four years earlier. He was able to continue pursuing some of his passions like going to the races and enjoying jazz music. He lived an extraordinary and eclectic life and will be missed greatly.

David’s abiding interest outside of work was choral singing. He started in the Cambridge University Musical Society in 1949 and finished singing with the Sydney Philharmonia Choir, particularly enjoying performances in the Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. His wife also recalls his enjoyment of hiking and gardening. After they moved to Australia, hiking became bushwalking; in 1996 they bought a camper van and travelled all around the coast of Australia for five months. Every second year was spent travelling. David is survived by his wife Judy Simpson and his son James.

PARRETT, George Graham (1950 M) Died 21 August 2017

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raham Parrett attended Sutton Valence for five years, immediately after the conclusion of the Second World War. He went on to become a pioneering Kent newspaper proprietor and former Newspaper Society president.

MUNN, John (1965 F) Died 22 November 2017

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aving left Sutton Valence in the mid-sixties, John was a local hop and fruit farmer for many years before moving onto contract work in the fruit farming business. He was an outstanding local cricketer, playing for the Mote and Staplehurst, in addition to being a coach for up-and-coming young cricketers. He is survived by his wife Gill, two daughters and four grandchildren.

NEWELL, David (1947 M) Died 18 December 2016

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avid was born in Greenwich in 1929, studying at Sutton Valence from 1941 through to 1947. After national service, he continued his studies at Sidney Sussex College, staying on after graduation to obtain the Diploma in Mathematical Statistics.

His first position was in the Department of Industrial Health at the University of Newcastle. He remained in that department from 1953 to 1967. Initially David was one of only two statisticians in the

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John Phillips (1958 M) Died 12 August 2017

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Having left the School in 1950, Graham took his first job in newspapers. Despite his father owning a newspaper and publishing business, he opted to work at the Kentish Gazette as a trainee reporter.

He then went on to run and later own a number of newspapers over a long and successful career. He eventually sold his nine publishing titles to EMAP plc in 1988, although he continued to run his printing and investment companies for a significant time after that.

He was a beloved husband to his wife Doreen, a father to his children Matthew Parrett, Lizzie Craig (nĂŠe Parrett) (1996 V) and James Parrett (1999 F), a stepfather to Helen, and a grandfather to six.

PENMAN, Graham (Staff 1956-1974) Died 24 December 2017

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eaching Modern Foreign Languages, Graham Penman was known to be a real perfectionist. At times, shyness made communication difficult, but his charm and dedication were obvious to his pupils and colleagues alike. His Gladstone bag full of exercise books; his running relentlessly round the local roads; cycling vigorously to Maidstone: for 18 years he was very much part of Sutton Valence School.

PHILLIPS, John (1958 M) Died 12 August 2017

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tudying at Sutton Valence School was something of a family tradition for John as his father, also called John, had attended the School from 1916 until 1918. His younger brother James Barnes-Phillips (1966 M) would also later follow in his footsteps.

John arrived in Westminster House in 1955, staying for three years before leaving with a clutch of GCE O Levels. Although he was not a great sportsman at the School, he did compete with the Cross Country team.

He next attended Hastings College of Further Education for A Levels before moving to Brighton Technical College where he gained a 2.1 degree in Mathematics and Physics as part of a three year sandwich course with The General Electric Company (GEC).

By the early 1960s he was working for Mullards in Southampton where he was involved in pioneering high profile research relating to microchips.

In April 1968, he married Christina MacDonald in the Wirral and together they lived in Southampton. Their only daughter, Tania Sharon Adele Phillips, was born in the summer of 1970. After Tina and he separated in the late seventies, John changed jobs to work for EMI in Hayes,West London, where he was employed as part of a team developing the technology by which the Harrier Jump Jet was able to perform its vertical short take-off and landing manoeuvres.

In the nineties, John left the technology industry and took a job driving London buses, which he always said were some of his happiest working days. When he finished that job, he moved to Morley on the outskirts of Leeds in 2001, as he found London too hot! He spent the last 12 years of his life with his partner, Avril Garton, in Darlington. When his health began to deteriorate in 2016, she arranged for him to move into North Park Care Centre in Darlington.

D John Rowlandson (1948 W) Died 17 November 2017

REED, David (1966 L) Died 12 December 2017

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aving left Sutton Valence in 1966, David worked for his father who owned a large London-based advertising agency. His father sent him to Brussels for a year to work in the industry, but David never felt comfortable in that environment and wanted to try his hand at something else. Boats were more his passion and he became a consultant in this industry. A job he loved, he would continue this through his company, Mariteam Associates, right up until his death.

He spent time in Nigeria and elsewhere before he and his partner, Kathy, settled in Little Haven, a picturesque village on the Pembrokeshire coast, around 14 years ago. As a resident there, he relished the permission that allowed villagers to catch up to four lobsters a day during the season.

In the latter years, David was a consultant for many noteworthy institutions which included the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and he took the lead in trying to raise government and European Union funding for a new Welsh marina. Unfortunately that dream never materialised. David is survived by his partner and two children.

ROWLANDSON, David John (1948 W) Died 17 November 2017

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orn in Dover on June 23, 1931, John came to Sutton Valence in 1940. The year before that, he had been one of the many children evacuated from the Dover vicinity during Operation Pied Piper - the biggest mass movement of people in Britain’s history.

Studying at the School during the war, John often recounted the story of the time during the Battle of Britain that a Luftwaffe plane

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Somerset Police. He also served as a police officer in Bristol and was promoted to the rank of superintendent at Weston-superMare, as well as working in Taunton until his retirement in 1991.

He served as a councillor for Bridgwater Town Council and Sedgemoor District Council. He was also an active member of Sedgemoor and Bridgwater Rotary Clubs. Passionate about Bridgwater, he was a driving force in setting up the twinning relationship with the German town of Homberg (Efze).

A member of Bridgwater Civic Society, he supported Bridgwater Arts Centre, Blake Museum, Bridgwater Operatic Society, Bridgwater Choral Society, as well as The Two Town Talker and Bridgwater Carnival. In retirement, he travelled far and wide, and over the last few years delighted in his grandchildren.

Proud of them all, he was pleased by the success of his two eldest grandsons who both play for Somerset County Cricket Club. He sadly passed away having recently being diagnosed with lung cancer and pneumonia. He is survived by his devoted wife Ute Smeed, three children, and six grandchildren.

THORNHILL, Geoffrey (1939 W) Died 13 April 2018 Philip Smeed (1952 F) Died 22 November 2017

crashed in close proximity to the School and John was one of the younger boys involved in dismantling the crashed aircraft, with only their bicycle kits to work with. He recalled taking smaller pieces in his pockets, carrying other pieces under his arm, and precariously hanging others from his handlebars whilst riding his bicycle back to the School. He derived much pleasure describing the escapade, amidst hoots of laughter. The Sutton Valence boys hid their treasures around the School and the British Army was amazed to find approximately half of the plane missing and quickly surmised it was in pieces at Sutton Valence. Much to the chagrin of the boys involved, all the pieces were then confiscated by the British Army!

Having left the School, he went on to work for one of the leading importers of tea and rubber in London, before emigrating to Canada in 1956. He resided in Calgary, Alberta and worked in the oil and gas industry for 30 years, mainly with Hudson’s Bay Oil and Gas as the Director of Risk Management and Insurance. After that, he ran his own business as an insurance consultant before retiring in 2000. He was an associate of the Insurance Institute of Canada.

John is survived by his beloved sons Neil William Rowlandson and Stuart Andrew Rowlandson and his cherished grandsons Brandon Arthur William Rowlandson, and Hunter David Joseph Rowlandson; all based in Calgary. John loved to travel extensively with the destination often being Mexico, where he learned Spanish, and ventured to more exotic destinations in Europe.

SMEED, Philip (1952 F) Died 22 November 2017

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hilip joined Sutton Valence School in 1950, staying for two years. In the late seventies, he moved to Bridgwater having been promoted to the role of chief inspector of Avon and

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eoffrey was born in Southgate, London, the second son of John and Pauline. Both he and his older brother, Paul (1931 W), studied at SVS, following in a long line of Thornhills and Hodgsons (married connections) who had previously attended the School.

In his three years at the School, Geoffrey excelled at Cricket, Fives (for which he earned Colours) and Athletics. During the war, he served as a Spitfire navigator, after which he qualified as a marine insurance specialist.

Having married Beryl, he travelled with his family to Baghdad, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia then) and the Philippines to seek his fortune, eventually returning to the UK in 1966. He retired to Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire in 1983, spending his time enjoying Golf, Tennis and walking. He lived there until his death. Geoffrey had three children, Chris (1968 L), Penny and David.

Other Old Suttonian Deaths MASON, Lorraine (Staff 2005-2011) Died 08 July 2018

OVERY, Robert (1953 W) Died 04 March 2018

PATTERSON, Joseph (1947 M) Died 11 March 2018

OLD SUTTONIAN UPDATES

Colonel Robert Chaundler (1933 M) Abridged extract from an obituary published in The Times

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olonel Robert Chaundler OBE was our oldest living Old Suttonian when he died on 23rd March this year, two days before his 103rd birthday. He was at the School between 1929 and 1933, eventually becoming head of St Margaret’s and captain of the 1st XV. The following obituary was published in The Times on 7th May. “Don’t forget to destroy your guns” was the final signal Bob Chaundler, as the adjutant of 16th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, sent to the battery commanders before leading the way down to the beach at Dunkirk. With the guns being the equivalent to the infantry’s colours, this was a dreaded order. Later, he was the last man to board the destroyer HMS Windsor. The regiment’s return to England owed much to Chaundler’s thorough organisation during the last hours in France.

Years later, while stationed in Paris, he was abruptly asked to help plan a response to an unspecified menace from the Soviet Union. A crisis blew up in 1961 when Nikita Khrushchev attempted to test the West’s resolve to maintain the independent regime in Berlin by building the wall that divided the city into west and east. As tension grew the US administration under President Kennedy decided that contingency plans for the defence of west Berlin were inadequate, so the governments of Britain and France agreed to review them as a visible response to an increasingly bold Soviet Union. The contingency planning staff dealing with Berlin were moved from Paris to the allied headquarters near Mons, Belgium, and a rising star of the British Army, Major-General (later Field Marshal Sir) Geoffrey Baker was appointed as the UK representative. He drew around him imaginative planners, including his fellow gunner Bob Chaundler. The plans drawn up remained top secret but included land and naval measures as well as non-nuclear air operations.

Later, through diplomatic moves, it was made clear to the Soviet leadership that any use of force risked nuclear war.

Withdrawn to England to help plan airborne operations in northwest Europe, Chaundler joined the headquarters of 1st Airborne Corps for Operation Market Garden, the assault crossings of the Rivers Maas, Waal and Lower Rhine at Arnhem and witnessed the heroic capture of the bridge over the Waal at Nijmegen by the US 82nd Airborne Division. He left the army in 1963 with the honorary rank of colonel. Afterwards he became administrator of the National Council of Social Services in London and worked in the charity sector until retiring in 1980.

Relaxing at home in Crondall, Hampshire, he would recall his posting to Kenya during the Mau Mau rebellion, and a party he and his wife once attended where a fellow guest, claiming she was defending her honour, had killed two men including her hostess’s husband.

Chaundler also retained vivid memories of his stint on the staff of the viceroy Earl Mountbatten at the time of India’s partition. He had been frustrated by the order to deploy only Indian army troops to try to prevent the interreligious massacres. He welcomed his Muslim servants and their families into the safety of his own garden in Delhi. For family protection he taught his wife how to fire a revolver.

Robert James Chaundler was the son of James Chaundler, a banker, and his wife Frances. Brought up in Norwich before moving down to Kent, in 1933 he went up to New College, Oxford, to read law. There he met his future wife, Irene Phoenix, a fellow law student. After leaving Oxford, he joined the Royal Artillery and on mobilisation in 1939 married Irene before sailing for France as adjutant of 16th Field Regiment RA with the 2nd Infantry Division.

With Irene, who predeceased him, he had two sons: David, who joined the Parachute Regiment and dropped into the south Atlantic to take over command of the 2nd Battalion when its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel H Jones was killed during the Falklands war. A second son, John, now retired, was a professor of civil engineering at Edinburgh Napier University.

Chaundler began his career as a staff planner shortly after returning to England via Dunkirk and attending the wartime staff course. He joined the 46th Infantry Division for Operation Torch, the joint US/UK invasion of French North Africa. Due to inexperience of seaborne operations, unexpected French resistance and rapid German reinforcement of Tunisia, the operation got off to a bad start but 46th Division played its part in the race for Tunis.

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OLD SUTTONIAN UPDATES

Peter Hunt (1962 C) Richard Mant (1961 M)

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eady, able and willing to take on positions of responsibility as soon as he arrived, Peter Hunt came to Sutton Valence School in September 1957 and in his first two years at the School was appointed captain of the Under 14 and Under 15 Rugby XVs, the Under 14 and 15 Cricket teams and head of the junior dayroom in St Margaret’s House. By the time he came to leave the School he was captain of Hockey, CCF House Platoon Commander, a School Prefect and the first head of Cornwallis House.

age, I came to go to bed and found I could not get in. Someone had made me an apple pie bed. A great laugh went up from the bed opposite. “Peter,” I said, “you have done this”, then proceeded to strip the bed to remake it. At that moment, the Prefect on duty came down the dorm to turn the lights off and he was none too pleased to find me not in bed and my bed clothes all over the floor.

I was duly admonished by the Prefect, whereupon another great laugh went up from the bed opposite. Of course, Peter got away with it. He always did!

Peter’s skill on the games pitch was very well known, but if anything it was surpassed by his courage. In Lent Term 1962, when the University of Oxford Occasionals came to play the School’s 1st XI, the Oxford team included three Hockey Blues. On four occasions at least, the Oxford attack was thwarted by Peter alone for he was the last man to beat, apart from the Sutton Valence goalkeeper. But Peter’s courage was never more in evidence than in the last few years of his life when he fought hard and long with his debilitating illness, always supported by his loving wife, Gerry.

Peter had a great sense of humour, generally based on some witty remark he would make. Not so long ago, I had been speaking to him on the phone and then a few days later we met up, as we knew we would, at one of our Old Suttonian gatherings. Amidst the hurly-burly of the crowds, Peter and I eventually came face-to-face at the bar. “Hi Peter,” I said. “Ah” he said, “It’s Mant, isn’t it?” – and then laughed. He could always see the funny side of life.

If one spent any amount of time with Peter, one soon realised that he was a great tease in a very good-natured way. Whenever I put on my LP of Russ Conway in the dayroom at Sutton Valence, he would make a great sigh and say words to the effect of ‘Oh no, not this again!’ and then laugh. In the dormitory, Peter’s bed was opposite mine. One night, when we were about 15 or 16 years of

A qualified civil engineer, Peter worked for a number of construction companies, including Higgs and Hill,Tilbury Construction, F P Caine and Countryside Properties, before establishing his own company of builders and consultants in the 1980s. He was very good to his friends and often gave free advice with regard to proposed building projects. Always kind and considerate, he knew that I wanted to show him the boatyard in Norfolk where my wife and I keep our boat, so he drove all the way there on his own and back on the same day in order to see us - and this was in the last few months of his life.

Peter was well-known in Sevenoaks and the surrounding area, but despite the lure of Sevenoaks School, Peter sent his son, James (1993 M), to Sutton Valence for he always held his old school in high regard. Peter was very involved in the life of the community and gave freely of his time and talents. He was a volunteer at Ightham Mote and he was a governor of Solefield School, for ten years, where he also refereed and umpired the boys’ matches.

He enjoyed golf and was a member of Knole Park and Littlestone Golf Clubs. Of course though, his great love was Rugby and here I must mention Sevenoaks Rugby Football Club where he first played as a schoolboy in 1959 and went on to become captain of the club’s 1st XV. He was president of the club for six years and held various managerial and administrative positions. As one might expect, he was heavily involved in the building of the new clubhouse some years ago. He did so much for Sevenoaks RFC that there is a plaque on the wall in the clubhouse which says, ‘Here’s to you Peter. Thank you for being the bricks and mortar of this great club’.

I cannot do better than end with the words which were spoken at Peter’s funeral by his great friend Howard Pearl: “May I say thank you, Peter, for letting us share your love of life, honest toil for the benefit of others and far more fun and good humour than we are entitled to receive from one person?”

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Sutton Valence School North Street Sutton Valence Maidstone Kent ME17 3HL