Feature

Eden Cheng, pictured front, performing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer

n Olympic feat

We have no less than three living Olympians within our Alleyn’s alumni community; Terence Higgins (Dutton’s 1946), Zara Long (Brown’s 1989) and Eden Cheng (Roper’s 2021).

Eden Cheng (Roper’s 2021) took up diving after being inspired during the 2012 London Olympics. In less than a decade she made it from Olympic inspiration to Olympic participation. She joined Crystal Palace Diving and after a string of significant successes as a junior, won her first senior major medal in 2018 at the age of 15, when she took gold medal at the European Championships in the 10m platform synchro with Lois Toulson. Successes continued including winning silver at the 2019 European Diving Championships held in Kiev, in the Mixed 10m platform synchro with Noah Williams and bronze in the team event. At the recent 2021 FINA Diving World Cup held in Japan, Cheng and Toulson won silver in synchronised 10m platform, thereby securing their qualification to the Olympics and achieving two personal bests. The pair also won silver in synchronised 10m platform at the 2021 European Aquatics Championships. This summer, Eden and Lois finished seventh in their 2020 Olympics debut. Having performed so much better in training, the duo admitted to being a little disappointed, but we think it a phenomenal achievement and know we’re going to see a whole lot more of Eden in years to come. The highlight of the Games for Eden was performing on the world’s biggest stage and getting to speak with many of her sporting heroes like Sir Andy Murray, Geraint Thomas OBE, Adam Peaty, Allister Brownlee and Max Whitlock, many of whom she’d watched at London 2012. She described having childhood inspirations wish her luck as she passed by in the Team GB block as an incredible experience, as was speaking to many elite and experienced athletes from all sports, learning something about their own disciplines, listening to their journeys to the Games and even getting some advice about future games. According to Eden, ‘It was a lifelong dream come true’. One of Alleyn’s newest alumni having left School in summer 2021, Eden is taking this year to concentrate on her diving and focusing on the major diving events coming up such as the World Championships, The Commonwealth Games and the Senior European Championships before taking up a place next year in the States at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) on a full sports scholarship.

Zara Long (Brown’s 1989) Aged just 13, Zara (pictured above) competed at the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics in the 200m individual medley and made the Olympic team again at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Zara said of her experience, ‘I had never seen so many people at a sporting event. The opening ceremony virtually overpowered my whole being and walking out to the crowds for my swim deafened me.’ She went on to say ‘the highlight for me at the Games was having Daley Thompson come and check on me’ and that her highlight in hindsight was the realisation that she had been ‘part of something so huge and historic’. As part of her impressive swimming achievements, she also represented England and won two silver medals in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 200m freestyle relays at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. Four years later she represented England and won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay, at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. She also won the 1987 ASA national British Championships in the 100m freestyle and was five times 200m medley champion in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990 and 1991 and twice 400m medley champion in 1990 and 1991.

Life after her competitive sporting career saw Zara earning a BSc studying psychology at London Metropolitan University and she is now Director at Take the Plunge Swim School in Bromley and Founder of First Aid Buddies and Align Mental Health First Aid, allowing her to bring together her passions of physical and mental health, first aid and the sport at which she has excelled since such an early age. Having opened Alleyn’s newly refurbished swimming pool in 2014 with its new timing system (bought with monies raised by kind donations of Advancing Alleyn’s supporters), Zara’s most recent involvement with Alleyn’s has come in helping coordinate the recentlyrun Summer School in August 2021 where 44 Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 children identified as having had a particularly hard time during the pandemic, were invited to Alleyn’s for a week of lessons in Science, Art, DT, Mathematics, English, Music, Dance, Drama, PSCHE, swimming and first aid, as well as visiting talks from the Police and Fire Brigade! Enabled by generous funds raised by parents and alumni, the aim of the scheme was to provide every pupil (and family) with an engaging and positive educational experience to help gain confidence and enjoyment in learning and start the new school year positively. (More details of this scheme can be found on page 32).

Terence Higgins (Dutton’s 1946) discovered his passion and talent for running at School, smashing the School Record for the 440 yards in 1946 by 1.6 seconds and regularly competing in the Public Schools London Athletics Club Championships. In the RAF between 1946-48, Lord Higgins became RAF 440-yard champion and European Combined Services champion for the 100-metres. He was a member of the British Olympic Team in 1948, competed in the 1950 Commonwealth Games and in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki – the last great amateur meeting with a maximum cash prize of £15 where ‘one had to continue to hold down a full-time job’. Lord Higgins explained that the lasting benefit from his involvement in athletics ‘was the joy and experience of meeting those people with whom he competed and his lifelong adherence to the motto of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the architect of the Modern Olympics, that in life ‘it is not the winning but the taking part’’. Of the Olympics in particular, he added ‘the enduring legacy of the modern Olympic Games is the encouragement of today’s youth in the participation and enjoyment of sporting events.’ Sport was indeed only one facet of a fascinating life and he can certainly be said to have taken his part to the fullest; Lord Higgins pursued an initial career in shipping, attended Cambridge University, had a teaching post at Yale, was Conservative MP for Worthing for 33 years and held a lengthy tenure in the House of Lords which only ended in 2019. A Fellow of Alleyn’s and former Governor he has maintained close links with Alleyn’s since leaving School.

Alumni Walk along Abbott’s Way – Dartmoor 21 June 2022

In June 2022 a group of Alleyn Old Boys will be walking a large section of The Abbott’s Way, a long-distance footpath across Dartmoor from Buckfastleigh to Tavistock and are inviting any alumni who would like to, to join them. The walk starts where the Way enters the moor and will follow the ancient route across the southern mass of the National Park as far as Plym Ford where it detours to the old Eylesbarrow Mine, down Drizzlecombe to Sheepstor and finishing at the Royal Oak at Meavy. A total distance of about 20 km.

Organiser John Gibbons (Tyson’s 1970) writes, ‘For those unfamiliar with Dartmoor, it can be a magical place. It can also be quite inhospitable in inclement weather. There are no easy routes off the moor once the trail is started so you would need to be comfortable with completing the distance and properly prepared for a wilderness hike. You do not need to be in the first flush of youth (we are all in our sixties) but a decent level of fitness is essential.’ If you are interested in finding out more about the walk, you can contact the Alumni Office at alumni@alleyns.org.uk and we will gladly put you in touch

Summer Decades Reunion Saturday 18 June 2022

This year we’re planning on making up for the Covid cancellations and catching up with our traditional Summer Decades Reunions, so, if your ‘Class of’ ends in a 0, 1 or a 2, look out for your invitations early next year.

Leavers' Celebrations

‘Not farewell but fare forward, voyagers’ Mrs Lunnon reminded the Year13s, evoking T S Eliot at their School Leaving Ceremony on 6 July. It was a lovely occasion celebrating their journey through School, complete with speeches from the 2020/21 School Captain, Morgan Le Fevre and Vice Captains Jonathan Wanyanga and Jules Lanari-Collard, housemasters, a jazzy interlude and an address by 2021 Edward Alleyn Club President, Lizzy Frost who welcomed them into the alumni fold. Alongside their Valedictory Reports, leavers were delighted to receive a Class of 2021 keep cup and their first copy of the Edward Alleyn Club magazine from the Alumni Office. Since both leavers and parents were denied a Leaving Ceremony in 2020 and parents unable to join in the 2021 Leaving Ceremony, recent leavers from both this year and last were joined by parents and guardians on a bright and sunny Saturday in September, for a celebratory tea party overlooking the School playing fields. Speeches were made by Head Jane Lunnon, Senior Deputy Head Andy Skinnard, Head of Upper School Rob Atkinson and former Head, Dr Gary Savage. The event served as the perfect opportunity for the School community to say an official and ‘in-person’ farewell to former Head Dr Gary Savage who was presented with gifts from Shannon Fairchild and Sarah McCourt of the Alleyn’s Parent Association (APA).

Alumni Welcome Party

It was lovely to see many of Alleyn’s newest leavers at the Clubhouse on Burbage Road in early September for their inaugural alumni event, the Alumni Welcome Party. We were delighted to welcome back both Classes of 2020 and 2021 and over 150 recent leavers joined Head Jane Lunnon, 2020/21 Edward Alleyn Club President, Lizzy Frost (Dutton’s 2006) and other staff and teachers for a barbeque and drinks. There was clear delight at being reunited again and the energy and enthusiasm shown for the next chapter of their lives was clearly palpable. We wish them all the best!

Ten Year Reunion for Classes of 2010 and 2011

The Classes of 2010 and 2011 reunited in the EAC’s Burbage Road Clubhouse to celebrate their 10 year anniversary of leaving School. With perhaps less hugging than in previous years, the recognition and welcome amongst old friends was no less delighted and a wonderful time was had by all at this most relaxed and happy of events.

Tin Tab Reunion

After such a long stretch of virtual meet-ups and Zoom calls, it was a joy to have some of our longest-standing alumni from the class of 1951 and their partners back at School in person on 2 September, making a very special start to the beginning of the School year. They gathered under the chestnut tree in the Quad to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of their time in the temporary hut known as ‘The Tin Tab’. Instigator of the event Colonel Robert Shedden (Class of 1957) explains:

“To set the scene, the Tin Tab(ernacle) was a building which stood adjacent to the chestnut tree, at right-angles to the old fives courts and ran along the lower edge of the quadrangle. It was built of corrugated iron (hence the name) and lined throughout with wood and was heated by a coke-fired stove in each of two form rooms; 2b and 2c. It was probably left behind by the First World War; in any case it looked like it. In every respect it was a health hazard: but we loved it, not surprisingly it was demolished circa 1966.

The Tin Tab group has been running for about ten years. I started it as a gettogether with as many of my surviving friends who entered form 2c in 1951 as I could muster. In the beginning we were eleven out of the original thirty-one in the form. Since then we have met in various locations, as a group, thrice each year and have expanded to about 30 to embrace those others of our wider era who still feel affection for the Tin Tab.”

The lively group enjoyed a chance to catch up, reminisce and have lunch together in the old Buttery, joined by Head Jane Lunnon and Director of Development and Alumni Relations Frank Keenan.

Last Lappers

This year it was a smaller number than usual of the close-knit group known as the Last Lappers who got together in September at the Alleyn’s Head for their 13th Reunion. However, despite missing a number of the regulars and Peter Revers (Brading’s 1957) breaking his 100% attendance record, organiser Barry Graham (Brading’s 1956) reported an entertaining and convivial meet. Everyone was pleased to be joined by Bob Clutterbuck (Tulley’s 1956) who drove all the way from Cambridgeshire to meet the gang, Gavin English, Alleyn’s Director of Sport and Frank Keenan, Director of Development and Alumni Relations. The Last Lappers, a group of keen Alleyn’s athletes from the 1950s meet annually and are always happy to welcome new faces. If you would like to join their number, do please contact Barry Graham on 07973 313187.