Issue 8 • Summer 2013
K eeping in
touc
s where v h with OP
er the y ma
y be
e 130
g Are you bein
served?
ell
The Sweet Sms of Succes
Page 6
Page 5
st Lane
Life in the Fa
Page 22
Food! Food Glorious
Page 24
d Stand up an be counted
Page 8
Ron Wells
Page 26
Passing it on
Page 14
ebay
Page 29
Honouring th
Page 17
ish When you w upon a star
Page 34
The Magazine for former pupils, former parents and friends of The Portsmouth Grammar School
2
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Contents
Opus designed by Simon Udal OP (1977 - 1987) Simon Udal Design - www.simonudaldesign.co.uk
In Brief
A round-up of OP news and events
In Brief - A round-up of OP news and events 3-4
Life in the Fast Lane - James Batchelor OP 22-23
Are you being served?
Food, glorious food! - School dinners then and now 24-25
5
Face-offs, Tweets and Blogging 5
Ron Wells
26-28
The Sweet Smell of Success Sophie Spraggs OP and Charlotte Fielder OP 6-7
Working for a global brand and sitting in Nicole Kidman’s bath - Jenny Thomas OP 29
Stand Up and Be Counted! -
Inside Track -
Glynn Jones OP and James Alderson OP 8-9
Cruise Company Chief Executive David Dingle OP 30-31
Making a Difference - Philippa Clay OP 10
Head and shoulders above the rest
All together now - Three forthcoming reunions 11
Moving Up - Simon Hill OP
“Character, independence, study, freedom and responsibility” - A history of the sixth form centre 12-13
When you wish upon a star - Jamie Smy OP 34-35
31 32-33
Passing It On - Martin Pickford OP 14-15
Is your class or team photograph on the new PGS website? 36
Ask the Archivist - Questions answered by John Sadden 16
Digitised Portmuthians now available
Honouring the 130 - centenary of WW1 17-19
Hitting the right note - Vincent Webb OP 37
Designs on the Future - Nicola Buckley OP 20
News of Old Portmuthians
38-39
Rewarding Innovation and Creativity
In memoriam
40-43
21
36
Development Director We are delighted to welcome Melanie Bushell as Development Director. She takes up the post on 1 July and looks forward to becoming part of the PGS family and getting to know our OP community. Melanie is currently Head of Marketing and Communications with the Army Cadet Force Association. She has held a similar position with the Marine Society and Sea Cadets and has previously been Assistant Development Director at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. She is married and the family home is in the Portsmouth area. Melanie has a BA (Hons) in French and Business Studies from the University of Sheffield. We also take this opportunity to bid farewell and thank OP Tim Thomas who has valiantly held the fort as the interim Development Director since January. He has handled the role with enthusiasm and good humour and looks forward to maintaining his close association with the Development Office. Tim becomes President of the OP Club in 2014.
Katie Reid OP (1999 - 2007) Guest Editor Katie joined the Development Team in January as a GAP student. She embraced the concept of an OPUS with a focus on our younger OPs, so much so that we invited her to guest edit this issue. Using social media sites she contacted OPs and invited them to contribute, with great success. Her input into this edition has been invaluable and we thank her for all her hard work. Katie is about to start a military career at Sandhurst which she hopes will lead to working in HR for the armed forces. We wish her well in her new venture.
AROPS Annual Conference – May 2013 The Portsmouth Grammar school was pleased to welcome 80 delegates for the Association of Representatives of Old Pupils’ Societies annual conference.
Tim Thomas
Liz Preece
Sue Merton
John Sadden
Interim Development Director
Development Officer
Development Office Administrator
School Archivist 023 9268 1391 j.sadden@pgs.org.uk
The views expressed in articles OPUS articles not necessarily the Editorial The views expressed in Opus do notdo necessarily reflectreflect those those of the of Editorial Team. Team.
The PGS Development Team is always keen to hear from Old Portmuthians, former parents and friends of the school. Do please stay in touch and share your stories and reminiscences with us, submit content for future issues of OPUS or nominate someone to receive a copy, by contacting us at development@pgs.org.uk High Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO1 2LN Tel: 023 9236 4248
After a welcome from the headmaster, James Priory, and OP Club President John Bartle, the conference began with a lively presentation about using social networking by Mark Seccombe from Queen’s Gate School. Following lunch the delegates took part in discussion groups that included ‘Enticing Members to a Society’s Events’ and ‘Schools, Societies and Development Offices.’ These groups prompted much interesting debate and exchanges of ideas. After the final session of the day delegates were able to tour the school before departing. The Conference dinner was held at The Royal Naval & Royal Albert Yacht Club. After dinner the guests were entertained by headmaster James Priory who gave an entertaining and illuminating speech.
OP Royal Beach Lunch On a chilly January day 45 OPs and friends gathered at The Royal Beach Hotel for what has become a firm favourite in the OP calendar, the annual OP lunch. After a superb meal and much conviviality Tim Thomas OP introduced himself to the few that didn’t know him as the Interim Development Director followed by the serious side of things with the much awaited OP quiz run by archivist John Sadden with much humour. After some mild heckling he announced that John Bartle’s team were the winners for the second consecutive year. The gauntlet has been well and truly thrown down for 2014.
OP Club Annual Dinner 2012 The 114th OP Club Annual Dinner, held on 15th December 2012, was attended by around one hundred OPs and their guests, including a group who had attended a remarkable 50th reunion of the 1962 First XV in the previous September. Special Seb McCue, James Marriott and Eloise Walden-Day guest OPs included Joe Michalczuk (Sky News entertainment reporter), Ross Morrison (Paralympian), Rob Burgess (Head of Rugby at James Grant Sports) and Ian Burrell (Assistant Editor and Media Editor of The Independent). After an excellent meal Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns OP (1953 - 1956) gave a most entertaining speech. Earlier in the day Sir Richard accompanied John Bartle, the OP Club President, to watch the annual winter matches between OPs and PGS. Sir Richard spoke to current pupils and recent leavers and had many stories to tell about his time at Hilsea.
3
4
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
In Brief
Are you being served?
continued
Portsmouth Festivities 2013 Every June, the Festivities team - based at Portsmouth Grammar School - create a 10day festival with something for everyone to enjoy. Its aim is to explore the past, make the most of the present and reimagine our future. Established by the Partnership Portsmouth initiative at PGS in 1998, the Festivities bring the best of culture to our great waterfront city, and aspire to celebrate Portsmouth’s rich heritage. The Festivities have developed a reputation for providing cultural activities in the city’s unique venues. The programme included a wide range of talks, music, literature, dance, debate, theatre and visual arts. Now in their 14th year, Portsmouth Festivities continued to maintain and develop as a festival of local, regional and national importance. Running from Friday 21 to Sunday 30 June 2013, the Festivities featured a programme of over 50 city-wide events. This year’s Festivities did not follow a set theme, but celebrated different aspects of the city as a whole.
Festivities contributors, Hugh Dennis and Kate Mosse
These included Ahoy! a musical tribute to the Mary Rose, written by internationally acclaimed composer Alexander L’Estrange starring a host of community choirs, including PGS students. The Spice Island Art Trail transformed spaces across a historic area of Old Portsmouth into popup galleries, featuring a schools exhibition at the Round Tower. The Festivities
culminated in the Wheeled Carnival - an incredible procession of decorated bikes, skateboards, blades and mobility scooters, celebrating health and the open air along Southsea seafront. Commissions such as these are key to encouraging creative expression within the community, helping young people develop a sense of self and place and offering local talent a platform. This year’s programme was exciting, creative and inclusive, designed both to delight existing audiences and to attract newcomers to the Festivities.
Over the years it has attempted to do this in many ways, keeping a database of leavers’ names and addresses, hosting school reunions, sending out Opus magazines, organising school events, leading fundraising and acting as a go-between for OPs to contact others with whom they have lost contact over the years. So to put it in modern parlance the role is ‘Alumni Relations and Fundraising’! However the Development Team, comprising its Interim Director, Tim Thomas and the Development Officers, Liz Preece and Sue Merton, are aware that the world of communications is changing and if we are to keep up we need your assistance. E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn are increasingly the tools of choice for the current
As you pause to read this article you may receive a text from a friend or a Twitter group, an e-mail on the computer in front of you and a Facebook notification. Staying in touch has been one of the major trademarks of the 21st century and communication tools such as Facebook, text messaging, blogging, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter have now all but replaced every form of direct communication possible. Could Sir Tim BernersLee ever have imagined that his proposal for a global hypertext project, to be known as the World Wide Web, would lead to a revolution and change so dramatically the way we communicate with each other?
Ides of March Lecture This year’s Ides of March Lecture (‘Ancient Egypt: From Pyramids to Cleopatra’) was delivered to a packed lecture theatre by Dr Toby Wilkinson OP (1977 - 1986). Toby first became interested in Egyptology at the age of five. After leaving PGS he studied Egyptology at the University of Cambridge, graduating with a First Class Honours degree. After completing a prestigious research fellowship at Christ’s College, Cambridge he became a Special Research Fellow at the University of Durham. In 1999 he returned to Cambridge, and has been a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge since January 2004.
business generation and this issue of OPUS provides details of PGS’s new website and links to our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter sites. Hopefully you will sign up to these and we can use them to keep you posted of all upcoming events. But, and this is a fairly big ‘BUT’, as you know over the years e-mail addresses change and inevitably we lose track of OPs. A case of ‘we haven’t forgotten you but can’t contact you!’ So this is my big ask - can you please include us in your updates as your e-mail address changes and also your postal address if you still want to be sent OPUS? If you prefer we can give you OPUS electronically by e-mailing you a link to a copy held on the PGS website, although this is a large file which may prove to be slow and cumbersome to read. However, if you have it this way it can be read on your tablet or Smartphone as part of the daily commute! OPUS, by its very nature, attempts to ensure that you are up to date about the happenings of PGS alumni whilst also (hopefully) stimulating your interest in the school’s history. However we also wish to ensure that once you have left you are not forgotten and that the school is
there to give a hand when it can. Our recent survey of some leavers, now at university, has resulted in feedback that many when they are about to graduate and find their first job need advice on how to tackle assessment centres and also are often in need of advice/mentoring about the career path they are about to proceed upon. The school would like to help in this respect and is willing to run a session in September for final year graduates on ‘Assessment Centres and how to tackle them.’ We also has a number of career mentors willing to discuss career paths on a one-to-one basis with individuals who are unsure what a professional path will actually be like. If you are interested in either of these initiatives please e-mail the Development Office (development@pgs.org. uk) stating which of the initiatives you are interested in together with dates when you would be available. Tim Thomas Interim Development Director
Face-offs, Tweets and Blogging
The Festivities recently announced a partnership with the New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth. This provided an exciting opportunity for Portsmouth Festivities to extend their reach in working with the very best of local talent, performances from internationally recognised artists and brand new commissions.
Toby Wilkinson
Many OPs will never have heard of the Development Office at the Portsmouth Grammar School and may, if they were to hazard a guess, suppose it supported building developments around the school. However this would be a misconception as its primary role is to support you, the Old Portmuthians, and your hopefully ongoing relationship with the school.
An acknowledged expert on ancient Egyptian civilisation and one of the leading Egyptologists of his generation, Toby has given lectures around the world and has an international reputation. He has broadcast on television and radio, including BBC’s Horizon and Channel 4’s Private Lives of the Pharaohs. His books include the critically acclaimed Early Dynastic Egypt (1999), and Genesis of the Pharaohs (2003). Toby Wilkinson OP (1977 - 1986)
Over the past two decades the World Wide Web has grown into the most important and widely used form of communication with over two billion earthlings chatting, tweeting, blogging, buying and selling at any given moment. The statistics are staggering. There are more than 32 million Facebook users in the UK with the largest number living in Sunderland. Swansea is the UK capital of online shopping. LinkedIn gets two new users every second while three million new blogs come on-line each month. So PGS and the Development Office are rising to the challenge of communicating with our Alumni of all ages. Liz Preece, Development Officer
New website www.pgs.org.uk offers links to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
The Portsmouth Point Blog (www.portsmouthpoint. blogspot.com ) has hundreds of articles by PGS pupils, staff, parents and OPs on a wide range of topics. Please visit the blog - your comments and articles would be welcomed. (There is also a link to the blog on the homepage of the school website.)
With the help of OP Deborah Cooper (1992 - 1994) a thriving LinkedIn group, with well over 300 members, has been created. Sign on to LinkedIn, search for ‘Group Portsmouth Grammar School: Old Portmuthians’ then click on the ‘Join’ button. Ways of communicating through social media are constantly changing. Recently Facebook made the startling admission that teenagers are turning towards sites like Tumblr and apps like Snapchat and Instagram as their preferred methods of communication. It’s a perpetual challenge, but the PGS Development Office will be keeping up with this ever-shifting world of communications.
5
6
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
The Sweet Smell of Success It’s not uncommon for friends to remain in touch after they leave PGS but Sophie Spraggs (OP 1996–2008) and Charlotte Fielder (2003–2005) have stayed really close as both now work in the PR department at Miller Harris, the London Perfumer.
Sophie Spraggs and Charlotte Fielder
Charlotte’s formal route was via a degree in Philosophy at Nottingham University and Sophie’s was English Literature at Warwick University, so they won’t be stuck for interesting conversations – and both took a further year to expand their horizons and gain new experiences.
“Always follow up any offers for work experience - who knows where they will take you?” Sophie took a gap year on leaving school and recalls that this first step into the working world was definitely a reality check. She worked in a local bar and restaurant, the A Bar Bistro, which she suspects will be familiar to some of her former teachers (she’s diplomatic enough not to mention her fellow students). She learned suddenly that £5.25, the minimum wage at the time, was one hour’s worth of work and is certain that the experience
was invaluable when she went travelling and found her independence. Then it was off to Warwick University and back to studies. Meanwhile, Charlotte decided to go straight from school to university, but after graduating took her year out feeling it was very important to explore some of the world which she had not had a chance to see before. Charlotte and her boyfriend from schooldays, Jeremy Neal, went travelling for six months to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Once back home Charlotte felt very lucky to land a PR internship at Miller Harris, the luxury niche perfumers, and after four months there she fulfilled one of her dreams and worked as a PR intern in the press department at Bobbi Brown, Estee Lauder. Six months later she was asked to return to Miller Harris to begin a role as PR Assistant. Like Sophie, Charlotte is approaching her mid-twenties and, after three years, is now PR Officer.
At Warwick University studying for a degree in English Sophie found another reality check when she had to read four books every week. The hard work paid off and she graduated last summer with a First after which she spent a few months travelling around South East Asia. Then her story combines determination and a lucky encounter, as she explains, “I started some work experience at a PR company called Grayling through someone I met travelling - one piece of advice, always follow up any offers for work experience. Who knows where they will take you?” She continues, “I bothered this girl about work experience until I got it and was put in charge of the Gordon’s Gin account, which I loved, and got some valuable experience.” Then came another fortunate encounter when, just a week after Sophie finished at Grayling, another PGS friend, Alice Fisher, met Charlotte at a wedding and learned that Charlotte was looking for an intern at Miller Harris. “Luckily I had the appropriate PR experience,” Sophie says, “went for my interview and got the role.” This then became a permanent job which was quite a shock to Sophie as everyone seemed to have a rolling intern. She considers herself to be very lucky. Charlotte recalls, “Sophie was perfect for the role, intelligent and pro-active - I knew she’d fit right in!”
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk So Charlotte and Sophie have both arrived at careers that excite them. Charlotte had wanted to go in to the beauty industry because she loves make-up and fragrance, discovering new products and meeting new people. She comments, “I love nothing more than showing new releases to journalists, seeing them on their page and thinking – I did that!” Sophie, by contrast, left university with no idea of what she wanted to do, although, as she explains, “I knew what I was good at and what I liked, particularly writing, and I decided to try my hand at everything and anything appropriate to those skills.” She needed work experience in advertising and marketing and then thought she would try PR and found that she really enjoyed it. “It is fast-paced, never dull and I get to do what I love.” Charlotte and Sophie are responsible for PR at Miller Harris and Lyn Harris and they look after events, the website and customer services. So, have these two young women found very glamorous ways to launch their careers? Charlotte says, “It’s exciting more than glamorous with a role that can even be completely ridiculous!” While she gets to attend glamorous fragrance launches and have breakfast at the Wolseley with the beauty editor of Vogue, her PR team also has to organise fragrance launches and parties, which once resulted in her dismantling an industrial sized oven at 2 o’clock in the morning as it wouldn’t fit up the stairs of the venue. It seems that with PR you do what you have to do to get the job done. Similarly, Sophie thinks that the glamorous part is the end result and says that there is a lot of nitty gritty to get through first. The nitty gritty is, of course, the day-to-day job, although Charlotte reveals there is hardly such a thing as a typical day. She
and Sophie sit down in the morning to go through their tasks for the day which might be sending out products or meeting with the press, but might equally involve strategy meetings with Lyn Harris, the perfumer of Miller Harris, or perhaps answering customer service queries or even doing the morning coffee run. For Sophie no two days are the same either as she explains, “I arrive at work and check e-mails, then after the meetings with Charlotte and Lyn I might go to Selfridges and buy lots of our competitors’ fragrances (I like that part!), meet with the press, send out our product (we ‘scent’ Giles Deacon’s fashion show for example), write press releases, discuss new products, go to our stores and do the visual merchandising...a bit of everything really!” As Charlotte arrived in this PR world (just) ahead of Sophie, she offers some advice which is probably applicable to most jobs in the modern world, “We do a lot of juggling and multi-tasking in our role and it is physically impossible to do it all at once.” As a consequence she advises Sophie to prioritise rather than try to multi-task. “Don’t take things personally and do the best job you can”, she says. So what of the future? Charlotte imagines that in five years she will still be in the PR side of the beauty industry and hopefully working her way up while Sophie sees herself heading up a team for a luxury brand, she hopes. Charlotte has offered Sophie advice for the work at Miller Harris but what about advice for current PGS pupils who might like to work in PR? She says, “Work experience, work experience and a bit more work experience. University was great and I loved every minute, but I did leave wondering how I’d ever get a job. I made the mistake of not doing any work experience during the
summer holidays at University apart from bar work and just going on holiday instead! Whilst it was great fun – when it came to applying for jobs there was nothing to set me apart from the rest and show my passion in that area. Even if it is just for a week here and there apply to companies that you would potentially like to work for to see if they offer a scheme where you can do work experience or internships.” Sophie agrees about getting loads of work experience, adding, “Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and make as many friends as you can.” Then follows a warning that internship in particular can be tough, “It can mean dragging boxes of gin up stairs, making endless teas and even going to buy people’s birthday presents or getting their shoes re-heeled! You just have to imagine the place where you want to be at times like that, not where you are.” Finally, Charlotte and Sophie were asked to think back to their days at PGS and who they thought their most inspirational teachers were. During her first term, Charlotte had wanted to drop Philosophy as she didn’t feel it was for her, but one teacher in particular changed her mind, as she explains: “When I approached Dr Richmond to talk to her about it she urged me to stay on and just give it a try. She taught me that you shouldn’t just quit because the going gets tough – stick at it and you never know what might happen. Philosophy actually became my favourite subject and I went on to study it at university. “ Sophie says, “I had lots of lovely teachers... Mr Dunne, Mrs Jepson (my English teachers who were a massive help and the reason I did English at Uni), Mr Priory, Dr Richmond, Dr Hands... “ And in one word, what did PGS give them? For Charlotte it was “life-long friends” and for Sophie “ambition.” It seems to be paying off. Dave Allen OP (1958 - 1967)
7
8
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
9
Stand Up and Be Counted! If you have been at PGS in the twenty-first century there is a good chance that you know Glynn Jones – not simply because he was there too, but because he seems to be a born performer – and we tend to notice performers, don’t we? Glynn was at PGS from 2000 - 2007 and after completing his ‘A’ levels, went to Exeter University to study for a law degree, although less with a view to a career and more for the challenge. Having met that challenge, he was still undecided about a long-term future, so he tried media recruitment, then left and went travelling. On his return, he joined a London media agency, working in online advertising (social media), but at the same time he began a sideline gigging as a stand-up comedian. He knows he’s in the early stages but since he’s hoping this might be the career he was seeking, we wondered, how did it come about? Glynn has been interested in comedy from a very early age and got into drama when very young. While drama and comedy both require confidence in performing, they can be significantly different. Glynn though would always try to bring comedy elements into his performances, whether it was GCSE/A level performances at PGS or sketch shows at university. At PGS he studied drama at GCSE and A-level and enjoyed the performance opportunities it gave him. In his first stage appearance he was required to die violently but as this was in Lord of the Flies, it was some distance from comedy!
Subsequently, he had the opportunity to perform on the Kings Theatre stage in Oliver, Annie (as Daddy Warbucks) and Guys & Dolls (Sky Masterson - a role he also played at university). He comments, “I expect too that many of my peers will remember me as the guy who flounced around the stage at the Talent Show as Freddie Mercury in the Bohemian Rhapsody finale...” At university he performed in various improvisational comedy and sketch shows and with those experiences, his first full-on performance as a stand-up happened in a crowded student venue. A friend told him that he had been pretty funny and urged him to pursue comedy and give it a go. That first night was filmed and, while the audience seemed to enjoy it, Glynn cannot watch it now without cringing. Nonetheless, he did give it a go and has especially fond memories of his first ‘open mic’ gig in London, which went down far better than he expected. He performed with a number of amateur comics and, accompanying himself on guitar, played a comedy song which he had written. He got a standing ovation after his five minutes. His performance was filmed and uploaded to YouTube, achieving lots of views and positive feedback (http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=ZAwq52hCemg). However, the best gig in Glynn’s career to
night with some of my comedy material and songs, and the amazingly talented performers included my little brother Owen (currently in Year 13 at PGS) playing his guitar and my great friend and OP David Spittle performing some of his ‘homegrown’ poetry.
Glynn Jones OP (2000 - 2007)
date was a big charity show which he put on in September 2012 to raise money for Cancer Research UK. It was a really special night for Glynn but very bittersweet as it was dedicated to the memory of his Mum. The evening was called ‘Laugh Out Loud’ and we’ll let Glynn tell the story: “When I was in Year 9 at PGS, I sadly lost my Mum to cancer. In September 2012 it was the tenth anniversary of her passing, and I wanted to mark this very sad occasion by doing something worthwhile and celebratory in her memory - whilst also hopefully raising some funds for a charity. My Mum was a singer and performer too, so I thought, what better to do than put on a night of comedy, music and poetry and raise money for Cancer Research UK - a great cause and one close to my heart.
“I expect too that many of my peers will remember me as the guy who flounced around the stage at the Talent Show as Freddie Mercury in the Bohemian Rhapsody finale...”
I was delighted that so many of my family and friends could make the gig - including my Mum’s mum - and through ticket sales, generous donations and a raffle we ended up raising over £3,500. Without doubt this was one of the proudest moments of my life and I’m so glad that we could celebrate my Mum’s memory in this way.” For the future, Glynn is very keen to develop his own style of comedy but acknowledges the influence of Eddie Izzard, Bill Bailey and Tim Minchin, who is his favourite comedian. What really motivates him is the laughter and he explains: ”There is nothing quite like the feeling of a good gig - just like a theatre cast receiving a standing ovation, or an Olympic athlete winning gold - you do it for those moments when a crowd loves what you are doing and you can really feed off their energy and laughter.” He admits that comedy gigs can be embarrassing in one way or another – a necessary part of getting the laughs. There is plenty of competition too. “Stand-up comedy is a saturated market; every man and his dog want to be a stand-up these days, including me,” he says, “except that I don’t think my dog wants to be a comedian.”
When I first set about organising the gig with a friend of mine back in February 2012 I set the ambitious goal of getting a few performers, trying to cram in an audience of 100 or so into a London venue and trying my best to raise up to £2,000.
Glynn hopes to be in a position where he can keep his career as a comedian going. He explains, “It is very tough so I am balancing careers at the moment, enabling me to live and rent a place in London whilst following my ambition. I would love to take my own show to Edinburgh, tour in the future and appear at The Comedy Store in London, or even Live at the Apollo!”
The night was a huge success and a heartwarming and emotional experience - we had almost 200 people attending the event in Clapham, London. I hosted the
He readily admits that it’s a tough mountain to climb, “I’m still at the bottom of that mountain but I have my trekking gear on, so ... Watch this space!” Dave Allen OP (1958 - 1967)
For a comedian, James Alderson believes he had an ideal start in life. Coming from a single-parent family living on a council estate, he ran the gauntlet of taunts prompted by his PGS uniform on the journey to school, a great grounding in the sort of resilience and tenacity needed to thrive in the world of comedy. If running away from his tormenters was a good apprenticeship for stand-up, it was also good training for Sports Day at Hilsea. James proved a very useful sprinter! James was at PGS courtesy of the ‘Assisted Places’ scheme. “There were between five and ten kids like me from tougher backgrounds in my year, out of about 120,” he recalls. “Of course there was ribbing about me being a council kid, but once they realised that you were there because you were deemed to be intelligent, beat them in a few exams or at sport, you were accepted. I had a wonderful time there.” In the Lower School House Concert of 1985, James played ‘Mull of Kintyre’ on the clarinet, won the 1988 Middle School Vocal Prize and was joint winner of the Middle School Music Cup. Later, The Portmuthian reports that in the Senior School House Drama Competition, James’s performance in the Noel Coward play “Fumed Oak” “had the entire audience rapt.” James left PGS in 1993 and went on to gain a first class honours degree in Design Management. On New Year’s Day 2010, James took the biggest gamble in his life. He ditched his day job to make people laugh for a living. “It was my new year’s resolution: to go for it, and give it 100%.” “I said I’d give it a year. If it didn’t work out at least I would have given it a try.” Three years on and he is booked to support Jo Brand and Russell Kane and is about to appear on two Friday night prime time shows on BBC1 and Channel 4. His one-man show is at the Brighton Festival this year, and he averages a gig every other day. Locally, James hosts comedy club nights at the Spinnaker Tower, Gunwharf Quays, and has
attracted some of the brightest young laughter-makers to the unlikely setting of Barton Hall in Horndean Technology College for his ‘Comedy All Stars Nights.’ James’ observational comedy clearly strikes a chord with audiences. He writes all his own material, drawing on domestic life with his wife Charlotte and sons Louis (9) and Joe (6). He cites Sean Lock and Lee Mack as big influences. “Everything I talk about, and everything I write about instinctively, is about my outlook on life as a thirty-something bloke, and one that has fought with weight, health and fitness… Marriage, children, and life in general may all be considered overly exposed topics, so most comedians stay clear, especially the younger ones, but when I sat down and thought about it, that was EXACTLY why I wanted to write about it. I’m not 20, and my life doesn’t revolve around getting drunk any more (although I have my moments!), and I’d look daft discussing the latest trends and celebrities. Even topical stuff I’ve written has my own twist on the world, and it almost always goes down well, so there was no point writing something just to please the critics and comedy world.” From running the gauntlet of taunts as he made his way to PGS, James is ploughing his own furrow in the world of comedy to the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Sources: The Portmuthian, The News 20 April 2013, article by Chris Owen, www.jamesalderson.net
n OP (1983
erso James Ald
- 1993)
10
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
All together now...
Making a Difference Sri Lanka was never high on my list of countries to visit. But I wanted something to look forward to after finishing my degree, and to travel whilst gaining some work experience. What really stood out about SL Volunteers was that it allowed you to teach English, but also to work with people with disabilities. It is a small organisation, and therefore there is a lot more potential for putting your ideas into practice and contributing to the organisation. I applied to join SL Volunteers as a coordinator, which means that I was responsible for recruiting and overseeing volunteers. As a volunteer you pay for flights, and then a further sum which covers all living expenses and support when in Sri Lanka. The aim of the organisation is to provide affordable volunteering, so advertising is all carried out by past volunteers, and staff is kept to a minimum. The charity, above all, prides itself on being ethical: all volunteers are given training, and the projects are carefully managed alongside locals to minimise any negative impact to the community. Volunteers are able to get involved with a variety of projects - whether teaching young adults English, organising activities in centres for people with special needs, teaching football or working with children in homes.
Three Score Years & Ten
My favourite projects were at a school for deaf children, where we helped teach written English, and at a vocational centre for ladies with special needs. Because of the shortage in staff, I really felt that we made a difference to the day of these ladies, even if I can’t be sure that the effect is lasting. Hopefully, as more volunteers come, we can make a lasting difference to these people’s lives. The advantage of volunteering with individuals from the community does mean that you can support the locals in their work, and that you begin to understand the culture a lot better. When in Sri Lanka, we stayed in groups with families, which taught us even more about their culture. I learnt a lot about fantastic Sri Lankan cooking, and one of the things I miss the most is eating one of Amma’s curries with my hands, sharing dishes with interesting and motivated people.
A PGS/PHS Reunion
20th/21st July 2013 Philippa Clay OP (2002 - 2007)
Six months after coming back from Sri Lanka, I have just returned from a weekend in Dublin with three people I met there, and am living with another girl I travelled with at weekends. I am currently reading a book about the civil war in Sri Lanka, which perhaps fortunately was not at all obvious when I visited. I have learnt a lot about another culture, gained a lot of confidence at working with people with disabilities and communicating with people in difficult situations, which has prepared me well for a future career in speech and language therapy. I also made friends, expanded my interests, and got to visit this beautiful country. Plenty of reasons for you to volunteer abroad. Philippa Clay OP (2002 - 2007) www.slvolunteers.com
A reunion for leavers between 1960 and 1963 to be held on the 20th and 21st July, 2013. David Rand is the PGS dynamo behind the idea and Jackie Gauntlett is putting the word out to the PHS sorority. The plan is for people who acted, debated, played crazy lacrosse matches or just cherish memories of friends/girlfriends/boyfriends ‘in the other place’ to re-acquaint themselves after more than 50 years. There will be a drinks party and dinner plus other activities.
50-for-50
Saturday, 14th June 2014 Manfred Mann? The Rolling Stones? Long John Baldry? The Beatles? Saw them live in clubs? Got the original black vinyl? Or were you more Trad Jazz, 60’s folk or “Flower-Power”? Any of the above and you may recognise some of the likely lads in the photo below which is from an earlier meeting of some ‘62-‘64 Leavers - also known as “Denys Hibbert’s Playboys”, his description apparently not theirs! They have kept in touch and with partners (excused from this photo!) have been meeting up in Old Portsmouth for 25 or so years.
For further information please contact one of the following:
Sharp enough still to recognise that 2014 will mark the 50th anniversary of leaving PGS, they decided a more special and wider reunion may be appropriate for this occasion.
Jackie Gauntlett: jag_bng@hotmail.com
Optimistically they thought there may be contemporaries other than the usual 30-ish “foolish regulars” who might like to join in.
Ivor Grayson Smith: ijgs@aol.com Tel: 02392 350340 John Owens: owens.john5@gmail.com Tel: 01874 636569
PGS 1st XV 1963-1964 Reunion Wednesday, 18th September 2013
Braced by the success of last year’s reunion of the 1962 - 1963 rugby 1st XV, their successors in the 1963 - 1964 team are organizing a similar event this year to celebrate the team’s 50th anniversary. Captain Phil White is issuing a request to all those who played on any occasion for the 1st XV during that season to put the date of the Reunion Dinner – Wednesday, 18th September, 2013 – in their diaries. We also plan a visit to the school on the Wednesday morning and then a trip to Hilsea to watch the 1st XV match and relive what we at least consider to be former glories. Perhaps those OPs who live locally and who were at the school at this time might like to meet up with former schoolmates at Hilsea or at some other point during the reunion. For further information please contact:
Chris Clark: chrisrobclark@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 01323 642648
So if you recognize anyone in the photo or if you entered the Lower School in 1954, Middle School in 1957 (or later) and left between 1962 and 1964, then do come and join the “50th.” This unique event is on Saturday, 14th June, 2014 and PGS is supporting it by hosting a tour to refresh best/worst memories followed by a light lunch. After “School” an afternoon stroll around Old Portsmouth will be guided by Howard Jones followed by an evening meal and a chance to catch up at an appropriate venue. For early arrivals there may also be a Friday evening visit to one or more “Old Haunts” – provided they still exist! Do please think about joining in - wives/partners are also very welcome to attend. No commitment, but you will then be in the loop as plans progress. June 2014 may seem far off but expected numbers will affect the choice of dinner venue. So don’t delay - get in touch today. For further information please contact:
Alan Arnold : alan.arnold@talktalk.net or PGS Development Office (who will pass on details): development @pgs.org.uk
11
12
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
“Character, independence, study, freedom and responsibility” The first mention of a “sixth form centre” in the school records appears in the mid-1980s, though it had been recognised for many years that sixth formers had different educational and social needs from younger pupils. Up until the Second World War, they had made up a relatively small part of the school roll. In 1929, for example, there were 54, many of whom were army or navy candidates, or fee-paying students who dropped out if the opportunity of employment arose. Derrick Hughes (OP 1927-37), a member of the Science Sixth, confirms that there was no special provision, though a tuck shop was opened in 1930, handily situated below the Science Sixth form room. Headmaster Joe Stork, who served between 1936 and 1942, believed that the sixth form was important for developing character, independence, study, freedom and responsibility, and following wartime evacuation, he sent some Classical Sixth students to live and study at King Alfred’s College, Winchester while scientists were accommodated at Charterhouse, providing an opportunity they would not otherwise have enjoyed to experience superior classroom, leisure and social facilities.
Nationally, the sense of shared hardship and suffering during the Second World War contributed to a new solidarity and determination to build a better society. Education was to be a major force for social change, promising a fairer society and better opportunities for all. The number of pupils between the ages of 15-18 in maintained secondary schools almost doubled between 1938 and1958. At PGS, a similar expansion of the sixth form was enabled when A and B blocks were freed up following the return of Lower School pupils to the old School (now the Upper Junior), which had been repaired following wartime fire-damage.
Education was to be a major force for social change, a fairer society and better opportunities for all. The extension of the school estate in the early 1960s, which added nine more former army barrack buildings, was largely prompted by the need to provide more classrooms for the school’s ever-increasing sixth form, which numbered 200 by 1963.
Sixth form study room in the newly acquired Officers’ block of the Cambridge Barracks, c 1928.
When Minden House, at the south end of Cambridge House, became available, several small rooms were converted and masters with small sixth form classes could teach in comfort. As part of this development, a new sixth form common room was opened in July 1971. Later, the establishment of a sixth form council gave elected boys an opportunity to “express their opinions and share in decision making regarding school policy.”
The need to retain pupils and attract new ones with a purpose-built sixth form centre became a top priority.
Sixth formers at Hilsea in the 1960s (photo Geoff Carter, OP)
In 1968, token recognition that social attitudes were changing came with the abolition of headwear for sixth formers. A “very small number” of sixth form boys were beginning to “ridicule established rules and conventions”, and there was also lobbying for a sixth form common room. Headmaster Coll Macdonald was, as Washington and Marsh described him, “more a concessionary Whig than a repressive Tory”, and the following year, the Ranch House – now the Lower Junior reception and office - was opened for use by prefects and “seventh formers.” Here they could play cards, drink coffee, make toasted sandwiches, read the New Statesman and Punch, and, according to one prefect, “restore their shattered nerves.” There was also a study and other rooms where students could be heard engaging in the “cut and thrust of verbal repartee of members of the seventh form as they expound their theories on Kafka, Racine or the whereabouts of the sugar.” But there was justified criticism that this was only available for a privileged elite.
Proposed sixth form accommodation, 1976
A careers room was also opened where boys could “consult works of reference for themselves.“ By the early 1980s, the importance of careers awareness and advice was better recognised, with an active careers department which ensured that pupils “may see their studies and general development as a proper, purposeful preparation for the world of work as well as for life generally.” In the mid 1970s, an appeal was launched for funds in preparation for independent status, some of which was to be allocated for the upgrading of the sixth form common room. By the early 1990s, a small extension, built in front of M block, was serving as part of the sixth form centre. Described as “a recreation room with beverage facilities, study rooms, individually lighted carrels and an easy chair reading room”, it could also be adapted to accommodate meetings and debates. This all took place under the watchful eye of the prefects housed in the Ranch House on the opposite side of the Small Quad. But it was clear that these facilities were inadequate and a temporary stop-gap. In an increasingly commercialised education market the need to retain pupils and
The M block extension
attract new ones with a purpose-built sixth form centre became a top priority. Headmaster Tony Evans explained, “Although it is perfectly true that décor is not a guarantee of academic quality and that outstanding A level results are often achieved in the least prepossessing or convenient buildings, it has long been felt that such a centre was required.” Work began on laying the foundations on part of the school car park next to the old Biology block, and the centre opened in September 1995. But, nearly two decades on, with the increase in sixth formers to over 300 and a need to offer better educational, social, physical and technological facilities, a new sixth form centre is planned that will help equip pupils with independence and self-reliance, motivate them, promote interactive learning, support collaborative as well as formal practice, provide a personalised and inclusive environment, and be flexible in the face of changing needs. As James Priory has said, “the combination of a social, pastoral and administrative Sixth Form Centre with its own flexible teaching spaces will put blue water between PGS and other Sixth Form provision available in the region.” John Sadden
Sources: The Portmuthian, Headmasters’ annual reports, Guides to the Sixth Form/Sixth Form Handbooks 1992 - 2013, Portsmouth Grammar School 1732 - 1976, E.S. Washington and A.J. Marsh
Laying the foundations of the 1995 sixth form centre
Planning permission has now been agreed for the new Sixth Form Centre and with the Governors’ support, together with alumni and friends of the school, in excess of £750,000 has been raised. This includes a six figure sum from an Old Portmuthian who wishes to remain anonymous. Whilst building work is to start this summer funds are still needed to support ‘fitting out’ of the building and all donations will be gratefully received. Should you wish to donate, either use the ‘Donate Now’ button on the homepage of the school website or via forms available from the Development Office. Thank you.
13
14
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Passing It On When I entered PGS lower school in 1960 as a rather shy eight year old, it never occurred to me that my parents were making a lot of sacrifices to pay for my education. I am sure they had a genuine hope that I might eventually become engaged in some form of occupation which might be of value to society in general, and that I might end up with a standard of living better than they had enjoyed. Turn the clock forward ten years to September 1970 and I was to be found on a train heading for the West Country, having been offered a place to study chemistry at Exeter University. It was just after the last of the old Isle of Wight rock festivals and the death of Jimi Hendrix. Yours truly, complete with guitar, longish hair and moustache, (which I had managed to grow during the summer) and some bright red “desert boots”, was heading off into the unknown. To be honest I still cannot work out what had happened in between those two dates that had brought me to that point. Most of my memories of that decade at PGS are happy ones, many of them involving Hilsea playing fields rather than the classroom. I also remember well a growing fascination with the girls in the maroon blazers at the school down the road, as the sixties progressed. Nobody else in my family had really ever had a formal education beyond the age of sixteen and my parents went to great lengths in trying not to influence my choices. I think that my motivation was some vague notion that something scientific would get me a job which paid more than other disciplines. Also Exeter had the highest ratio of girls to boys of any university in the country and having been in a single sex school for ten years that was good enough for me. I was good at chemistry, I suppose, but my highest grades at O level were in English literature, history and geography. It was purely by luck actually that I ended up in a career in general management within the medical device industry, which l loved and was successful at.
The point that I am trying to make is that PGS in those days was not the enlightened institution that it is now. Careers advice and lifestyle choices in general were not on the curriculum and information was basically limited to a few pamphlets in the library. In addition, arbitrary subject choices such as the alternative of studying chemistry or German at the age of thirteen and a similar choice between biology and history, a year later, meant that you were firmly labelled as a scientist, modernist or classicist before you had even done your equivalent of GCSEs.
We wish to build a “bank” of individuals with the relevant skills, to help meet the advice requirements of as many students as possible. After PGS, you went to university to study something truly academic, enrolled to train to become an officer at Sandhurst/ Dartmouth/Cranwell or went to work for a bank. Some brave souls even joined
Above: Martin Pickford 1970 1st XI Cricket - taken on his last day at PGS
IBM who had just opened their European HQ in Cosham. With hindsight, this last group was probably the wisest, as most of them retired on a full salary linked pension at the age of about fifty-three, following thirty-five years of continuous service. I didn’t really have much to do with the school after I left, for nearly 30 years. My job took me all over the world and we were bringing up a family at the same time. A group of us who were all in UVB in 1968 and who were still season ticket holders at Fratton Park still met up on a regular basis but that was about it. However I was persuaded a few years ago, following a reunion for the classes of ‘65-70‘, organised by the Development Office to join the OP Club committee. This renewed my interest in the school and I have really enjoyed being back in the PGS family and meeting old friends, staff and current students alike.
One of the main themes for the OP Club over the last few years has been how to change our emphasis and become less of an “elderly gentlemen’s club.” We realised that we needed to engage in activities of more value to current pupils and more relevant to the school in general. I was actually quite sad for example to find that, during those intervening years, school leavers had been encouraged to wear a leavers’ tie of two tone blue stripes rather than the OP Club tie. I always associated those two colours with St John’s College, and still do to be honest. Two of my year group, Tim Thomas and Pete Sykes, followed me onto the committee and our discussions confirmed my impression that my personal experience of little or no careers advice was shared by others. The three of us got together and came up with a vague idea that a group of OPs of all ages and relevant experience could provide sixth formers with career advice on a one-toone, face-to-face basis. We took this idea to a meeting with Andrew Hogg, Head of Careers and Judith Williams, the Sixth Form and Careers Secretary in late 2012. They agreed with us that this might be of value and the idea of the Mentoring Project was born.
Most of my memories of that decade at PGS are happy ones Obviously the first challenge was to find enough willing volunteers to act as mentors. E-mails to existing OPs and verbal requests made at the annual dinner in December identified nearly twenty individuals who were willing to give up
one afternoon per term to visit the school and talk to students. This was a good start and the group included some very eminent members of the alumni. The only problem was that the average age of the volunteers was perhaps a little on the high side. However a chance comment by a member of the OP club committee about the existence of a PGS group on LinkedIn was the turning point for the project. An online appeal for help to this group produced an additional twenty-six volunteers and probably at least halved the average age of the whole group. Importantly it also brought in people with careers in newer disciplines such as Cloud development, digital media and biotechnology. At the time of writing this
article, we are basically ready to go. All of our volunteers will be invited to a “kickoff” meeting in June and it is planned to commence the termly meetings between the mentors and year twelve students early in the new academic year starting in September. Without a doubt, networking skills are an essential requirement in the modern workplace if an individual is going to fulfil their potential. I am sure that, as well as providing some basic advice to current PGS pupils, these interactions will result in an ongoing communication which could be of benefit during the subsequent careers of those involved. We still need to keep recruiting as we wish to build a “bank” of individuals with the relevant skills, to help meet the advice requirements of as many students as possible. Lastly, please do not feel that you have to visit the school in person to be part of this. We perfectly understand the global nature of the PGS alumni and the school already has in place everything that would be required for video conferencing or SKYPE. If you would like to be a part of this team please contact me via Liz Preece or Sue Merton in the school Development Office and I will get back to you without delay. Martin Pickford OP (1960 - 1970)
15
? 16
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
?
Ask the archivist Were PGS pupils better behaved in the 1960s?
How many whole school photographs are in the archive?
Probably not. Some of the crimes and misdemeanours committed by boys from the late 1960s onwards are recorded in the archive records and make for interesting reading. They should be considered in their historical context, though the offences recorded in the school archives are more William Brown than Che Guevara.
There are nineteen altogether, dating from 1939, 1946, 1950, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2010. If anybody has whole school photographs dating from other years, the archivist would be very interested in hearing from you.
Taking 1968 as an example – the year that shook the world with youthful rebellion against American Imperialism in general and the war in Vietnam in particular – PGS pupils couldn’t make up their minds whether to engage in “dumb insolence” or “persistent talking.” Nascent arsonists played with matches, and potential revolutionaries honed their skills by “squirting water pistols.” One schoolboy terrorist was apprehended after an incident with a “stink bomb at Hilsea.” And what the boy who was caught “fooling with physics apparatus” was up to is not known, but there was widespread global concern about the splitting of the atom. “Caught smoking” was recorded as an offence on more than one occasion, though at a time when many masters smoked it is possible that being caught was more serious than the act itself. Similarly, “throwing a beer mat” is recorded divorced from any context, as is the presumably unrelated offence of “deliberate evasion.” One trainee vandal was caught “damaging a master’s chair.” Whether this was a sawing-through of a leg in an act of sabotage, or perhaps the carving of something rude or political, is not mentioned. “Swearing at a prefect” was an offence recorded more than once, though whether there was a scale of offensiveness depending on the swear word, or any dispute about what constituted a swear word, is not known.
What was the inspiration for the Senior School house flag designs? The idea for having house flags came from the Second Master Simon Lockyer in 2011, who sought advice on coats of arms for the benefactors after whom the houses are named. Only one, founder Dr William Smith, had a coat of arms, and so a suggestion was put forward drawing largely on elements of the school coat of arms against a background of the house colour. Dr William Smith was granted his coat of arms in 1711, the most prominent element being the golden lion which was the obvious choice against a red background. Alderman Joseph Whitcombe, who served on the town council and was mayor in 1881-82, was a popular public servant and philanthropist. The star and crescent, representing Portsmouth, reflects the Alderman’s dedication to public service.
?
There was one odd incident possibly inspired by the old Ealing film, “A Canterbury Tale - “putting a sweet in another boy’s hair.” Another was “hair pulling in Cathedral”, the location of the offence clearly adding to the offence. More sinister was “organised desk shuffling”, worrying because, if left unchecked, it could potentially escalate to more serious collective action. Fortunately, this was all nipped in the bud, and one imagines that all miscreants, offenders and potential revolutionaries are now captains of industry, solid pillars of society, or respected members of the political elite.
Thomas Latter’s bequest paid for scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge for students intending to take Holy Orders. The coat of arms of Christ Church, Oxford (which appears in the PGS arms because of the College’s role as Dr William Smith’s trustees and continuing part in the governance of the School) was used against a yellow background. Finally, the flag for Grant House, named after the School’s re-founder, Canon Edward Pierce Grant, was based on the sword element from the crest for the Portsmouth Anglican Diocese, against a blue background. Grant was Vicar of Portsmouth, and also played a major role in the development of education in the town, helping to establish both the High School and a college that was to evolve into the University of Portsmouth.
Honouring the 130 Next year will be marked by international commemorations of the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, a turning point in world history which claimed the lives of around sixteen million people. Portsmouth Grammar School played its part with Old Portmuthians serving in every armed service and in every major battle and campaign. The cost to the school community was heavy. By the time conscription was introduced in 1916, 870 OPs were known to be serving, though the overall total is not known. Of the five teachers who served, two did not return. Four sets of brothers were among the dead. Five men were killed at the Battle of Jutland on five different ships. The school community was kept informed of the latest casualties in The Portmuthian, which was published every three or four months. The number of names on the memorial in the Sixth Form Library is 127, but a further two OPs who meet the Commonwealth War Graves Commission criteria for classification as casualties will be added next year, along with one of the teachers who was left off because he was not a former pupil. These omissions came to light recently as a result of The Portmuthian digitisation archive project. As part of the school’s commemorations to honour these Old Portmuthians, a
Charles McNamee (OP 1907-10) was killed while serving in the Tank Corps at the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the age of 21. Shortly before he died he wrote that “the nation should be made to realise the real horror and ghastliness of the whole business.”
unique and ambitious project is being launched. The hope is that, with your help, every OP’s grave/memorial will be visited, respects paid and a photograph taken for inclusion in a Book of Remembrance to be placed on permanent display in the library. Friends and relatives are very welcome to take part and all participants in the project will be acknowledged in the Book of Remembrance and invited to its formal dedication in the Memorial Library. Pupils will be taking part, visiting battlefields and war cemeteries of France and Belgium. However, there are many graves and memorials in the U.K. and overseas, and it is hoped that the worldwide OP community will take an active part in honouring those who died. If you are able to help in any way, ideally by visiting one of the cemeteries or memorials listed, either in the UK or in some corner of a foreign field, please contact the school archivist for further details - John Sadden, tel 02392 681391, j.sadden@pgs.org.uk
Lionel Schloss (OP 1907-12) was killed while serving with the 44th Brigade Machine Gun Corps in the battle for Pilckem Ridge on the first day of the Third Battle of Ypres, otherwise known as Passchendaele.
Francis Harvey (OP 1884-92) of the Royal Marine Light Infantry was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions during the Battle of Jutland 1916.
Frank Nelder (OP 1899-1901) survived active service in France from 1915 until the Armistice during which time he fought at the Battle of the Somme, was gassed but then died of influenza and pneumonia on his return to England in 1919.
Arthur Graham Cook (OP 1907-14) was wounded at Ypres and died of his wounds in 1917, aged nineteen.
continued...
17
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
18
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Honouring the 130 Belgium
Byng, Arthur M.
Army
La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-etMarne
Shaw, William H.
Army
Grand Ravine British Cemetery, Havrincourt, Pas de Calais
Turkey
Caws, Stanley W.
Army / Royal Flying Corps
Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais
Short, Cyril S.T.
Army
Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Addison, Alfred C.
Army,
V Beach Cemetery
Sims, Herbert H.
Army
Bac-du-Sud British Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Anderson, Denis V.F.
Army
V Beach Cemetery
Chute, Chaloner F. T.
Army
Etreux British Cemetery, Aisne
Skinner, Frederick T.
Army
Serre Road Cemetery No 1
Neate, William H.E.
Army (Australian)
Shrapnel Valley Cemetery
Nelder, Gordon C.A.
Army
Helles Memorial
Turner, Arthur M.
Army
Lone Pine Memorial, Victoria Gully
Watson, Laurence C.
Army
Helles Memorial, Gallipoli
Adams, George W.H.
RN
Chatham Memorial Site
Bath, Sidney J. R.
Navy
Milton Cemetery, Portsmouth
Bennett, Frank N.
Navy
Chatham Naval Memorial
Bevis, Charles T.
Army
Bangor (Glanadda) Cemetery (and Portsmouth War Memorial)
Brickwood, Arthur C.
Army
St Luke’s Churchyard, Grayshott
Carlyle, Thomas
Navy
Died at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. Grave yet to be located.
Churcher, Albert E. C.
RAF
Milton Cemetery, Portsmouth
Clegg, Hubert J.
Navy
Plymouth Naval Memorial
Cole, Samuel L. F.
Navy
Sheerness (Isle of Sheppey) Cemetery, Kent
Cotten, Leonard J.
Army
Portsdown (Christ Church) Churchyard
Davies, William R.
Navy
Portsmouth War Memorial
Hackman, Charles L.C.
Army
Portsmouth War Memorial
Hallwright, William W.
Navy
Birmingham (Witton) Cemetery
Harvey, Charles R.
Navy
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Harvey, Francis J. W.
Royal Marines
Chatham Naval Memorial (and St Mary’s Church, Chatham)
Hines, Reginald G.
Navy
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Hirtzel, George H.
Navy
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Hobbs, Roland
Navy (Australian)
Highland Rd Cemetery, Southsea
Lindsay-Young, Laurence H.
Army
Highland Road Cemetery, Southsea
Ling, Percy J.
Navy
Chatham Naval Memorial
Musson, Samuel P.
Army
Leicester Cemetery, Welford Rd.
Nelder, Frank M.A.
Army
Anfield Cemetery, Liverpool
Phillips, Albert M.H.
Navy
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Ridoutt, William A.
Army
Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth
Robertson, Ernest G.
Army
St Peter & St Paul’s churchyard, Wymering
Rock, Frank E.
Navy
Plymouth Naval Memorial
Stainer, William G.
Navy
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Sutton, Wilfred J.
Navy
Highland Rd Cemetery, Southsea
Vernon-Inkpen, R.C.
RFC and Army
Highland Rd Cemetery, Southsea
Webber, Edward C.
Navy
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Wood-Robinson, Thomas M.
Navy
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Anderson, William C.
Army
Ypres Memorial (Menin Gate)
Barry, Cecil H.
Army / Royal Flying Corps
Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke
Buck, Cyril A. S.
Army
Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke
Cooke, Charles P. W.
Army
St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen
Starkey, Joseph B.C.
Army
Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Chrystie, John
Army
Ypres Town Cemetery
Corbyn, Edwin C.
Army
Heudicourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme
Stead, Aubrey A.
Army
Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-Les-Mofflaines
Stephenson, Charles L.
Army
St Martin Calvaire British Cemetery, St Martin-sur-Cojeul
Cook, Arthur Graham
Army
Reninghelst New Miltary Cemetery, Flanders
Coomber, Harold E.
Army
Voormezeele Enc. 3, Ieper, West Vlanderen
Doyle, John F. I. H.
Army
Halle Communal Cemetery
Edwards, Ernest V.
Army
Ypres Reservoir Cemetery
Hackman, Cedric C.
Army
Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainout
Hughes, Hubert J.
Army
Oxford Road Cemetery, Ypres
Keogh, Henry C.
Army
Railway Dugouts burial ground, Zillebeke, Ypres (and Havant war memorial, 4th panel from left)
Crowley, Philip
Army
Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery, Villers Plouich
Dove, Harold F.
Army
Arras memorial, Pas de Calais
Edwards, Gordon S.
Army
Thiepval Memorial
Fletcher, Henry
Army
Wimereux Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Francis, Martin
Army
Nine Elms Military Cemetery, Thelus, Pas de Calais
Fry, William H.
Army
Stone, (Charles) Douglas F. Army
Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Sutton, John W.W.
Army
Roclincourt Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Upfield, Nelson
Army
Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Vickers, Eric L.
Army
St Sever Cemetery, Rouen
Watney, Harold L.
Army
Beuvry Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Duisons British Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Wiles, James R.R.
Army
Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, Somme
Army
Trefcon British Cemetery, Caulaincourt, Aisne
Yates, James S.
Army
Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais
Army
Fricourt British Cemetery, Somme
Lampey, William E.
Royal Marines
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
German, Hugh B.
Langdon, Arthur C.
Army
Moorseele Military Cemetery, Wevelgen
Greig, Ronald H.
Lapthorn, Owen H.
Army
Railway Dugouts burial ground, Zillebeke, Ypres
Hall, Edward L.
Army
Pozieres Memorial, Somme (and St George’s Chapel, Chichester)
Lynch, Mark
Army
Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery
Henderson, James G.M.
Army
Delville Wood Cemetery, Somme
Maginness, Oscar G.
Army
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
Holmes, Thomas G.
Army
Beaucourt British Cemetery, Somme
Morland, Charles B.
Army
Ypres Town Cemetery
Kelly, Harry H.
Army
Rainey, Victor T.J.
Army
Lancashire Cottage Cemetery, Ploegstreet, Haine
Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle d’Armentieres
Kemp, Hubert W.
Army
Roe, Frank E.M.
Army
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
Connaught Cemetery, Thiepval, Somme (and Chichester war memorial)
Rowan-Robertson, William J.
Army
Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Zillebeke
Schloss, Lionel E.
Army
Temple, William A.M. Woollven, John H.
Greece MacKay, Henry N.
Army
Karasouli Military Cemetery
Iraq Bickford, Arthur L.
Army
Basra Memorial
Dickinson, Arthur T. S.
Army
Basra Memorial
Kennaugh, Gilbert E.
Army
Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais
Howell, Colin E.
Army
Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery
King, Percy
Army
Duisons British Cemetery, Etrun, Pas de Calais
Johnson, John R.
Army
Basra Memorial
Menin Gate, Ypres
McKinstry, Ronald W.
Army
Quarry Cemetery, Montauban, Somme
Oliver, Guy G.
Army
Amara War Cemetery
Army
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
McNamee, Charles E.
Army
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais
Stevens, Stephen R.
Army
Basra Memorial
Army
Voormezeele Enclosure no 3
Murray, Patrick J.A.
Army (Australian)
Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme
Israel
France
Paynter, John
RNAS and RAF Dunkirk Town Cemetery
Penney, Roland
Army
Bienvillers Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Alexander, Philip M.
Army
Heilly Station Cemetery
Phillips, Lawrence M.
Army
Roclincourt Valley Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Andrews, Archibald J.
Army
Arras Memorial
Purnell, Arthur C.
Army
Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Ash, Gilbert S.
Army
Thiepval Memorial
Randall, Edward W.
Army
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais
Ashforth, Dudley S.
Army
Thiepval Memorial
Randall, Frederick P.
Army
Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Blake, Bernard C.
Army
Chocques Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Reid, Eric A.
Army
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais
Bolster, Richard
Army
Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St Eloi
Robinson, Augustine
Army
Estaires Communal Cemetery and Extension
Bradbury, Ernest A.
Army
Barlin Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais
Rogers, Godfrey M.
Army
Aire Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Bransbury, Vernon D.B.
Army
Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais
Brodigan, Francis J.
Army
Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais
Scammell, Sydney J.A.
Army
Thiepval Memorial, Somme
Scarr, George S.
Army
Choques Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais
Alexander, Alan M
Army
Jerusalem War Cemetery
Kuwait or Egypt Shakespear, William H.I.
Army
“His grave can be found in downtown Kuwait City near the Al Hamra Tower” (Wikipedia) (also on .Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial)
Pakistan Gibbons, James B.
Army
Bannu Cemetery, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (also on Delhi Memorial (India Gate), Face 1.)
Tanzania Drake, John H.
Navy
Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery
MacPherson, Robert N.
Army
Dar Es Salaam War Cemetery
Sparrow, William G.M.
Army
Iringa Cemetery
UK
19
20
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Designs on the Future Little did Nicola Buckley know when she started working for Harrington Design Architects in Bosham that this would bring her back to Portsmouth Grammar School, where she had been a pupil from 1994 to 2004. She hadn’t even considered a career in architecture until she was in the 6th Form at PGS and her A-level subjects of Art, Maths and Physics were not thought to be an ideal choice. A brief spell of work experience at a local firm of architects convinced her that this really was something she would like to pursue. After leaving PGS, Nicola studied for a BSc in Architectural Studies and a Masters of Architecture at Cardiff University, completing her studies in 2010. Then followed a six month period of travel which included a 3 month overland journey from London to Sydney by bus and took her through Serbia, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. Nicola has been with Harrington Design Architects for the past two years and has worked as part of the team on some of the initial designs for the new Sixth Form Centre. She has also worked on designs for the new Cambridge House entrance and been involved in a number of other feasibility studies for the school. Being a former PGS pupil proved to be an advantage and she explains, “It did help having some insider knowledge of how the buildings are utilised by the end-users and I have been the office expert for questions when designing the sixth form centre!“
One of Nicola’s designs
Her typical work day can vary considerably and can involve visiting a new site for an existing building survey, working on a computer drawing, updating planning or construction drawings, sketching out feasibility studies for new projects or visiting a construction site to review progress. She considers the highlight of her career so far to be passing the final part of her qualification and finally being able to call herself the protected title of ‘Architect’ after eight long years of study. Unfortunately, this was immediately followed by the low point – finding virtually no jobs available owing to the recession. However, this gave her the opportunity to take time off for travelling which she felt was an invaluable experience. When asked who her most inspirational teachers at PGS were and why, Nicola replied, “Miss Cox for encouraging and convincing me I was good enough at Physics to study it at A-Level and Mrs Derry and the art teachers for striving to make me more experimental with my artwork, and just let go and experiment with my ideas.” She has the following advice for current PGS pupils who would like to pursue a career in Architecture: “Be passionate about what you want to do as the course is very demanding and you need to be motivated to complete the studio based work as opposed to the usual
Rewarding Innovation and Creativity Geoff Foley attended PGS from 1955 - 1965 and was Head of Grant House and Captain of Hockey, Tennis, and Badminton. After leaving PGS he went up to Oxford, where he was awarded a Badminton Half Blue and, in 1968, a BA in Physics. He studied for an MSc in Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, a PhD in Solid State Physics at the University of Pennsylvania and in 1977 was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Materials Science, also at the University of Pennsylvania. Then followed a year of Executive Education at Harvard Business School. He lives in Fairport, USA, and is the author or co-author of more than 80 U.S. patents.
lecture based course. Keep a sketch book. One of the best skills is to be able to record your ideas or demonstrate them to others quickly; anyone can learn a computer programme.” Nicola’s aspiration for the future is ”To be the main architect on a major project, see a completed building from concept designs and be able to say “I designed that.” She is leaving Harrington Design soon to start a new job at a larger firm in Warwick as a Design Architect, which should provide her with the opportunity to achieve her ambition. When asked if she could put into one word what PGS had given her, Nicola replied, “Confidence.”
Formerly a Xerox Research & Development and Manufacturing executive, Geoff is now retired and devotes his time to his grandchildren, to investing, to his church and to reading. As a lung transplant recipient, he is very active in the transplant community in Rochester, USA. He currently serves as President of the Transplant Awareness Organization and is a volunteer with the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network and Rochester Eye and Tissue Bank talking to students at local schools and colleges on the importance of organ donation. Geoff has always had a strong interest in fostering innovation and creativity, which led to his desire to set-up the “Audrey & Malcolm Foley Prize for Creativity and Innovation” for pupils at PGS, in memory of his parents. The focus of the award is innovation and creative problem solving as it relates to the application of science and engineering concepts to solving real world problems.
services. At present the method used is to run a hose from a high pressure pump, or a fire engine, and blast away the sand below the water level. Whilst this is effective, it relies on there being access to a road within distance of the incident and then crews being able to drag the hose to where it is needed. This isn’t always the case in a country as developed as the United Kingdom, let alone around the world. The challenge was to design a system to overcome this problem.” During the first design stages of the project the team considered the best ways of removing a casualty from a nonNewtonian fluid, since pulling on a rope was clearly not the answer. Seb continues, “Two early ideas were to vibrate the sand in which the casualty was stuck and to use the reduced force to help pull him or her out, or to carry a small pump attached to a pipe and blow air out below the person, filling in the vacuum gaps created when a person is pulled upwards with air. In order to determine which method would prove effective, if either, experiments were designed using wet cornflour in place of wet sand and an action man standing in as a stricken individual.
Geoff and Lois Foley in the new Science Centre on a visit to PGS in June 2011.
Experimentation showed that both methods were remarkably effective at reducing the amount of force required and time taken to remove the casualty and so thoughts turned to design and manufacturing to assist in a decision between the two methods. Owing to the fact that lifeboats already carry high pressure air bottles and the system’s relative simplicity, the choice was made to pursue the air injection alternative forward into design and manufacturing.” The first steps towards taking the solution into production have now been made and the team look forward to making further progress and produce an end product which could save lives.
This year a team of four PGS Lower Sixth Form pupils, all aspiring engineers, physicists or mathematicians hoping to receive the award, took up the challenge of creating a solution to the problem of removing people stuck in non-Newtonian fluids. Team Leader Seb McCue explains, “The most common example of this problem occurring is when people become stuck in wet sand, and whilst not an overly frequent problem, there is currently no solution formally in place by rescue
From left to right: Seb McCue, Liam Stigant, Fergus Houghton-Connell, Harry Hailwood
21
22
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Apart from Maths, all of the Sciences and anything that involved wearing PE kit, Geography was my worst subject at school. My sorry knowledge of not knowing which country was in which continent, became painfully apparent recently when I had to ask the work experience boy where India was! Every month in the magazine I edit, we have a light-hearted ‘Around the World’ section. It aims to give a rather jolly roundup of car dealer news in places other than the UK, but for all of its ease of sourcing (Googleing), it would seem I still don’t know where major countries lie. In fact, looking back to the careers advice day at school some 10 years ago, I’m surprised I didn’t win an award for the most outlandish answer to “what job do you want to do, James?“ “Something to do with cars“ produced a startled look from the Careers staff. My teachers were supportive – yes, Frances Bush, Christine Derry, Simon Willcocks and Julian ElphickSmith, I’m looking at you – and they gave me the courage to follow that yearning of getting a job writing and talking about cars.
But I never thought I’d get one. Like most other sectors, the motor industry is fiercely difficult to get into – and even more so when you’re young. The tide is changing but it’s fair to say it’s a world very much akin to an old gentlemen’s club; the sort you’d find joyfully described in a Jeeves and Wooster novel. Wrongly, there only are a small number of women working hard in it – there should be far more – and the industry is mostly made up of old codgers whose days of publishing in the top magazines and papers have passed. Somehow they manage to make ends meet by wittering on about power, torque and lift-off oversteer because that’s what us youngsters do. But managed it I did, and three years on from walking through PGS’s arches and the day after graduating from Winchester University, I was writing and talking about cars in Britain’s most read motor trade magazine. In January I took the magazine’s top job and the end result is a career that combines geography and cars. In fact, it’s quite rare for me to talk about my job. Many of my friends and school chums know I’m in a job that has ‘something to do with cars’, but normally I stop at telling people what I do.
set up, and the uni radio station shows I worked on. But I knew this would never be enough, so I did work experience on a number of local newspapers and eventually found ‘Car Dealer Magazine’ in Gosport. I barraged the boss of the media company that publishes it with enquiries to come along for a week – he eventually relented and I stayed there for just over two months working for free and getting my name in print.
So what does the future hold for me and my career? I have no idea whether the car industry and the publishing industry surrounding it will survive. I don’t know if I’ll be sitting here gearing up for the Geneva Motor Show in a French chalet all paid for by a car manufacturer (I told you I’d make you sick) again in the future. All I really know is that I’m having the best time in the world, and I love every single minute of it.
I look back at PGS with an abundance of affection. Not only did I have the best teachers going, but also the school provided an environment that I felt proud to be in. If I had to pinpoint one thing which PGS gave me, it would be the confidence to walk out into the big bad world and make it my own.
If only I knew where India was, I’d be even happier.
For someone who’s 23, that may sound terribly prophetic, but I strongly believe it. However, I have to come to an end now as I’m starting to make even myself feel nauseous. At this point I should be finishing with something that points to the future and makes me sound magnificent.
It’s not because there’s an air of mystique surrounding it; I just don’t much care chatting about it. These days it’s plain wrong that school leavers successfully win a place on a course at the university of their dreams, work hard to get their degree and then have to sign on the dole because there just aren’t enough jobs around. So, whenever people learn of what I do and that it was always my dream job, I understandably have a 15-minute lecture from them on how lucky I am. And lucky I certainly was. When I was reading English Literature at Winchester University, I did as much media work as I could. So there were the over-opinionated columns (embarrassingly brash, looking back) in the Winchester magazine, the motoring section I edited in the university’s newspaper I helped to
James Batchelor OP (1994 - 2007)
23
24
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Food, glorious food! School dinners then and now School dinners were first served at PGS in 1928, following the takeover of the former Cambridge Barracks, possibly prompted by the thought that if an army marches on its stomach, then a hungry pupil is likely to lag behind. The Victorian school had offered no “food, glorious food”, when it opened in 1879, but by the 1880s Mr L.F. Griffiths, a Maths master, supervised a “meat luncheon” in a “comfortable room with a fire in winter” in an arrangement with his landlady, who charged 9d (4 pence) per meal at her St Thomas’s Street house. The introduction of official school dinners in the 1920s was made possible by the freeing up of rooms in which they could be served. The first dining room and kitchen were built in the Lower School (now the Upper Junior) and the reheated meals proved popular amongst boys who lived too far away from the school to travel home for dinner. By the 1930s school dinners were organised by Physics teacher Mr Norman Lee, and were entirely cooked on the premises leading to an increase in quality and edibility. This situation, however, was not to last.
Stephen Weeks OP (1956 - 1966) As a novelist I weave real people, situations and events into my stories – although they may be altered in gender, historical period, location… and will most probably be unrecognizable to their original models in the final work. But one character lurks in my brain from childhood whom I have never used – mainly because he is too incredible to be true. And yet he existed; very much so: Mr Snook. I suppose it must have been in the late fifties or very early sixties, and in those days PGS did not have a dedicated dining hall, and instead the assembly hall (which had no kitchens) was used as the place where several hundred boys would daily eat their school luncheons. It was on the top floor of the building. And there were no lifts. Most classrooms overlooked the Quad. A few minutes before lunch-break every day I could see a strange vehicle do a wide arc across the empty Quad to arrive outside the staircase that led up to the library and the assembly hall. The vehicle was a dirty and plain grey, and it wasn’t a normal van or lorry, but a kind of weird hybrid, with a single motor-cycle wheel protruding from the front (so it was
gravely on them… or, worse, onto the open trays of desserts as they made their tortuous way upwards – for consumption.
If we were let off from class a minute or two before lunch, then it was possible to catch a glimpse of the van’s driver. He was a scruffy man of middle age, with a big bushy black wiry (and unkempt) beard. He wore a kind of dark smock. He walked with a limp, and maybe he had one of those ‘surgical boots’ with a built-up sole. I say maybe, because in my mind I cannot actually remember whether he also had a hunch back and/or a permanent drop on the end of his nose. They may be embroideries of memory.
I didn’t like ‘school dinners’ (as they were called) in any event. The meat was always a curious grey colour, tasting funny, and the custard wasn’t sweet enough – not like that my mother made. And there was always the threat that one of the bullies, ***** or **********, would either spit on your food or throw salt over your pudding. Lunch was a risk area, not a pleasant experience.
From the van he began to unload a number of big aluminium containers which contained the many lunches. They were battered round the edges and somewhat dented from their daily journey in this strange morgue-like van, and their manhandling up the two steep flights of steps to the hall. He had mastered heaving these heavy objects upstairs with his limp, but the effort induced his cough – which he sputtered
If anyone notices a stream of sixth formers rushing out of the library ten minutes before the start of morning break towards the sixth form centre they might just assume they’re hurrying to see their friends and grab a comfy sofa. However, any sixth former knows the unspoken rule of the cookies. Within five minutes a long queue will have formed, stretching across the entire room, filled with people awaiting a bag of three warm gooey cookies. It is almost certain that procuring a bag of cookies is the difference between what is likely to be a good morning and a bad morning. Although there are a variety of other snacks served at morning break (bacon sandwiches, fruit, crisps, and various chocolate bars) there is an even bigger
balanced on three wheels, perhaps so that it could be driven with only a motorcycle licence).
But what I do remember was his awful cough. It reminded me of stories in Victorian novels, when people seemed to die very frequently ‘from consumption.’
Kate Murphy (Year 13) on school catering today
In my mind it would forever be connected with the satanic figure who delivered the stuff. I couldn’t even dream what the kitchens were like, wherever they were – it was too frightful a subject to think about. And to this day I still remember his name, when many a good man and true has been forgotten. He is etched into the permanent memory of my school experience: coughing Mr Snook. As an adult, of course, I would have had pity on him – but then school, for the young, is a pitiless time: a good preparation for the disappointments of Life ahead. © Stephen Weeks 2013 c@stles.org
Dave Whittle (Caretaker), on school catering today Reg runs a well-organised system in the school dining hall, with plenty of choice. My personal favourites are the pasta dishes, but I always have fish and chips on Friday. The traditional bread and butter pudding is my favourite dessert – takes me back to the 1960s! The food is very satisfying and keeps me going in my quite physical job. The water coolers are great – I have at least four cups a day.
selection available at lunch. The lunch choices vary considerably throughout my group of friends, from the healthy ones, who pre order a salad with various toppings (a very popular filling is the chicken goujons), contrasted with the girls with slightly less willpower, who opt for two slices of pizza and a coke. Pasta King is arguably the most popular lunch choice; there is an array of sauces which change daily, a personal favourite of mine are the meatballs, whilst jacket potato is another common option. The wrap and sandwich bar has an extensive range of fillings, though the choices are sometimes quite exotic-looking and I’m often left wondering what it was the person in front just ordered (it was crab). All food is served up by Sue and Donna who work hard together not only to feed the whole sixth form, but also to boost morale with their jokes and rhymes which
lift everyone’s spirits. There are a lot of things I would happily trade for a bag of cookies and a coffee in the morning, but I will never trade the memory of Sue singing “I’m sexy and I know it.”
25
26
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Ron Wells
naturalist, scoutmaster, Renaissance man It may appear odd that I am writing about R.V. Wells since I didn’t study Biology at PGS and I was a boy scout in Carpenter troop (scoutmasters David Lenton [OPUS, Spring 2011] and John Marsh) rather than Hazleton, of which Ron was in charge. The reason for my choice is that I came to know him outside school through my friendship and shared interests with his son, Edward – or Bungy as he was (and still is) known. Remember that this was an era when finding out the first name of a master was some small achievement at the age of 11; the very idea that they had a life beyond the school gates – a wife and children, even – could be difficult to contemplate. My friendship with Bungy was founded on our mutual interest in bird watching and for two or three years, from early 1958, we spent many happy hours braving the elements on Farlington Marshes. The Wells family home was close by in a modest semi at the end of a cul-de-sac, and our ornithological excursions invariably ended back there, where I would join the family tea table. The features that stick in my memory are inevitably the contrasts with my own home life: the quirky names (Bungy’s younger sister, Alison, was known as Beetle); the live cockroaches in glass tanks in the dining room; being asked whether
I wanted ‘crust or crumb’ when the loaf of bread was cut; having the opportunity to consult the volumes of Witherby’s Handbook of British Birds in the bookcase; first becoming aware of the existence of The Manchester Guardian which came through the letterbox late in the afternoon – a newspaper that has been my essential companion for the past fifty years. These and other long forgotten distinctions characterised and humanised in my young eyes a man I saw daily walking across the playground from the Staffroom to the Science Block, clad in a stained lab coat, puffing on his pipe. A man I called ‘sir’, but who called me Pete. Ronald Victor Wells was born on 4 May 1913, so this issue of OPUS neatly coincides with what would have been his hundredth birthday. He grew up in New Malden, Surrey and attended King’s College School, Wimbledon. In 1932 he went up to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge where he studied the Natural Sciences Tripos Part 1 (Chemistry, Botany and Zoology), followed by Part 2 (Zoology and Comparative Anatomy). He graduated in 1936 with an upper second class degree. During the course of an active undergraduate life he was a member of an expedition pioneering the use of early sub-aqua equipment to survey the marine fauna off the west coast of Scotland, an experience which awakened a lifelong love of marine organisms. Cambridge also fostered another love, for fellow student Margaret (Meg) Pilcher, who was to be his constant companion for the next sixty years. They married in 1939. Ron’s first teaching post, in 1936, was at Adam’s Grammar School, Newport, Shropshire. That was interrupted by war service, initially with the Royal Artillery and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. In 1942 he became one of the first officers to
He joined the staff of Portsmouth Grammar School in 1947 as Head of Biology, a deserved title even if he was the only person teaching the subject and that only as a sixth-form option, he quickly made his presence felt. The Spring 1948 issue of The Portmuthian records that he gave the Engineering and Scientific Society a lecture on Radar; an account of the history was followed by an explanation of the principle, accompanied by ‘illustrations of the apparatus.’ This enthusiasm for audio-visual aids was indicative of Ron’s teaching approach, whether using his own skilful drawings, photographic slides or the monstrous epidiascope. The next term’s Portmuthian announced that he had been elected President of the Field Club (following A.B. (Gus) Poole) and the final issue of 1948 welcomed his appointment as an Assistant Scoutmaster. In these and many other areas of school life Ron was to offer long, dedicated and inspiring service. The variety of his talks to the Field Club was considerable: the octopus and squid (1951); the natural history of eyes (1955); fossil hunting (1957); molluscs (1963) to name but a few.
Ron ‘Ernie’ Wells in about 1957
serve in the newly-created Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, where he was involved in instructing on the repair and maintenance of early radar sets. He later claimed that the Army sought out Biology graduates for such work on the basis that anyone who could wrap their mind round the comparative anatomy of the vertebrate skull could cope with any complexity of design that man could think up. He ended his wartime career lecturing in Biology to the Army of the Rhine at Göttingen University.
Though I didn’t experience his teaching myself, except for a term in 1959, those who had the good fortune to be on the receiving end of it could be confident that they were getting an education of the highest order. As Jeff Burley (1946-54) wrote in the Spring 2011 OPUS, he was ‘an outstanding teacher of a whole range of biological principles who devised many good working experiments. He was highly committed ahead of his time to what would nowadays be called nature conservation and biological diversity.’ Ron’s own thirst for knowledge was obvious and infectious and his formative influence launched the careers of a number of distinguished biological scientists and medics. John Owens’s (1953-63) memories, though less reverential, are entirely affectionate. The biology master became so enwrapt in a line of thought that he’d stand before twenty-five tiresome 4th or 5th formers and shut his eyes, sometimes continuing to speak, while at other times lapsing into a dreamlike silence. Smart Alecs would then tiptoe about the lab, turn off his Bunsen burner and get up to the
The Biology Room, circa 1953 (courtesy of Alan Scaife)
most egregious but silent mischief they could dream up, before he slowly came back to earth from wherever his flights of contemplation had taken him. The trick was for the clowns to be back on their stools, in a state of childlike innocence, while he got his lesson back into gear and gradually spotted the effects of their interventions during his trance. ‘I don’t remember him ever making a fuss about such adolescent nonsense that simply had to be endured or indulged as an inescapable part of pedagogy.’ For his first 21 years Ron taught his subject virtually single handed, save only for the annual appearance of his specially trained spaniel which visited classes to demonstrate Pavlovian reflexes. When he arrived in 1947 all of the science subjects were taught in rooms on the ground floor of the then Lower School. Ron played an important part in the design of the science block which opened on the Upper School site in 1953, and his Biology Room quickly established its own persona – and its distinctive smell.
attended by pupils from all over the country. He was a founder member and sometime President of the Portsmouth and District Natural History Society, a Council Member of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Naturalists’ Trust, and he served on the Langstone Harbour Board. In 1963 he was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society, an honour he treasured greatly. But his interests and expertise embraced much more than biology. In Portsmouth Grammar School 1732 - 1976, Ted Washington and John Marsh identified ‘R.V.Wells, a distinguished biologist, who could speak with authority on the history of the Italian Renaissance and, indeed, on almost every topic in the Encyclopedia Britannica.’ Little surprise, then, to discover that his CV included membership of the British Science Association, life membership of the Portsmouth AngloFrench Society, and being a Patron of the Fareham Philharmonic Society. He was also a church warden at St Andrew’s, Farlington and a District Commissioner in the Scouts.
The opportunity to plan for the future came round again in the late 1960s when he played a major role in the design of a new Biology building, as the subject occupied an increasingly significant place in the curriculum. And by then he had the great benefit of a fellow biologist and Cambridge graduate, Nik Knight, who doubled the size of the team from 1968. It wasn’t solely within the walls of the school that Ron made his mark. He ran not only the PGS 6th form marine field courses each Easter, but also a series at Sandown,
Making the point in the 1970s
continued...
27
28
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013 So far I have doggedly referred to my subject as Ron, but to readers from that era he will for ever be ‘Ernie.’ Unlike many of the nicknames by which masters were known this one was self-assigned. I have it on good authority (Bungy, no less) that on the occasion of one of the ‘wide games’ that scouts participated in on summer evenings on the streets of Old Portsmouth (which in ancient times were apparently free from predators and hazards of any kind) Hazleton’s scoutmaster devised an exercise where patrols had to track him down and challenge him, in the style of ‘Lobby Lud.’ Before the exercise started he drew a picture of himself in his trademark round spectacles and labelled it ‘Ernie Four-eyes.’ The rest is history. Ernie was one of that generation of scouters who had been raised in the traditions of Baden-Powell and were wellversed in the skills of woodcraft, cooking dampers and twists over a wood fire lit with a careful gradation of leaves, kindling and sticks of increasing size. But he was also well aware that he was working with intelligent boys who responded to the challenges he set, and these had to be adapted to the prevailing mood of the times. For instance, I learned from his lips, on a first aid course, the invaluable advice always to borrow someone else’s coat to put under the head of a bleeding victim so as not to risk staining your own!
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk acknowledged when he was selected to be a recipient of the Royal Maundy during the Queen’s visit to Portsmouth Cathedral. Meg had died in the previous year and Ron’s deteriorating eyesight meant that he could no longer live independently. He moved to the Belmont Castle Retirement Home at the Bedhampton end of Portsdown Hill where, forever the naturalist, he enjoyed the gardens. One of his last articles, written for the house magazine, was about the bee orchids which grew in the grounds. Ron Wells died in April 2000. In the address he gave at his father’s funeral, Bungy summed him up in the following fine words: “He was a scientist but he was also a historian, engineer, artist, linguist, theologian, craftsman, naturalist, philosopher, writer, teacher and much more beside.” All that breadth of knowledge was used not to show off but because he was genuinely keen to share the things he delighted in with others. He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge but
more than that, an unquenchable passion for opening the eyes of others. Of all the compliments paid him, the one my father most cherished came from a former pupil who came up to him at some function or another and said, “Thank you sir, for all you did for me.” The man had not been one of his outstanding biologists, so he replied, “I don’t think I did much for you, did I?” The man answered, “Oh yes, sir, you taught me how to think.”
Unless you are one of the lucky few who know from an early age that you are destined to be a doctor, accountant, lawyer or teacher, having to choose your degree and therefore what you do for the rest of your working life is a terrifying prospect. To avoid making this decision, I chose to study what I enjoyed, English Language & Literature at the University of Manchester.
My abiding image of Ernie is encapsulated in this photograph from a Senior Sea Scout Mess Night in ‘The Bin’ in December 1961: a Ronald Searle cartoon teacher with tousled hair, a stripey knitted scarf round his neck, peering over his round specs. The man I first came to know when I was eleven.
had my photo taken sitting in her bath, on her toilet, lying on her bed and looking in her cupboards. That surreal yet fun night is a lasting memory of my time in Australia and epitomised the opportunities that open up by working for a global brand.
Peter Barnes OP (1954 - 1964) My 3 top tips for a career in PR
I acknowledge, with grateful thanks, the contributions of Bungy Wells, Nik Knight, John Sadden and John Owens.
Having reached my final year with still no idea of my future career path, someone mentioned that I might like to give Public Relations a go. PR it seemed encompassed things I quite liked, writing and having a chat. Desperate to get my foot in the door I volunteered to work with the PR manager for a charity against animal testing. After eating a tuna salad in the strictly vegan office, my card was marked and I decided it was time to move on.
After his retirement in 1977 Ernie continued his association with the school, taking part in field courses, acting as a taxonomic consultant and giving a talk on ‘Plant Hunting in the Alps’ to the London Society of Old Portmuthians. In 1986 he attended the 500th meeting celebrations of the Wildlife Club and installed plaques beside the Ginkgo and Metasequoia trees which had been planted in the playground to mark earlier anniversaries. In 1967 he and Meg had moved to live in The Crest, Widley, just a couple of hundred yards from my own childhood home in The Dale. There they created an extensive garden which included a bed of poisonous plants, with the justification that people needed to be able to identify such species with confidence. He became church warden at Christchurch, Portsdown and a much loved and respected member of the congregation. In 1998 his many contributions to the Portsmouth area were
Working for a global brand and sitting in Nicole Kidman’s bath
I got on to another unpaid internship with a global technology PR company in London which quickly turned into a paid position. For two years, I worked long and thankless hours for a company that insisted employees with curly hair should straighten it when meeting clients as it gave the impression of frivolity. Despite its eccentric ways, it was good training in working hard and negotiating the politics and personalities of the workplace. It also gave me my biggest break when I got the job as press officer for eBay UK.
Senior Sea Scout Mess Night in ‘The Bin’ – December 1961. In the background L-R: ‘Bungy’ Wells, Julian Birch, Roger Pope, Phil Ventham, David Owens, John Owens, Bill Henderson.
During my time at eBay UK, I managed the banning of knives on the site following an investigation by the BBC’s Watchdog, convinced our management team to refund Michael Jackson concert tickets following his death and have been quoted
by media on everything from counterfeits to a young girl selling her granny on the site. I’ve also been the subject of a somewhat heated discussion on the Mail Online, with one reader telling the world that ‘Jenny Thomas at eBay should be sacked.’ 3 years later I was very lucky to be asked whether I would be interested in moving to eBay in Australia, based in Sydney to run the PR function. Not knowing a soul in Oz, I took the opportunity and had the best two years of my life. I made friends, had my eyes opened to a new and different media landscape and adapted to becoming the main media spokesperson for the brand, spending my time being interviewed by the Aussie equivalent of Daybreak, being grilled on the national news and having my English accent ridiculed by countless local radio hosts. The Christmas before I returned back to the UK, I was invited by our fashion PR agency to a party sailing on Sydney Harbour – you don’t say no to an offer like that. Stepping on board the magnificent ‘gin palace’, I was informed by the crew that it wasn’t just any sailing vessel, but Nicole Kidman’s private boat that she and her family used when she was in Sydney. Like any self respecting PR professional, I
1. Listen – although a job in PR is a job in the communications function, the most important skill I’ve learnt to be effective in building relationships and keeping them is to listen. Take the time to understand the challenge or problem people are telling you and don’t be afraid to repeat it back to them to make sure you’ve understood what they’ve said – colleagues, clients and media will appreciate you taking the time to really understand them and will often tell you more than they should if you keep quiet! 2. Be professional – Thanks to the like of Alastair Campbell or Edina and Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, PR professionals can sometimes be seen as duplicitous or scatty. Communications is hugely important in protecting and espousing the power of a brand and is taken seriously by organisations they want to know that you take that responsibility seriously. 3. Keep it simple – When working for a large organisation, your colleagues can fall into the trap of being ruled by data, talking in corporate jargon and having a very internal company perspective. The responsibility of a PR professional is to question and cut through all of that to decipher the key message they are trying to deliver and simplifying it for an external audience so it’s easily understood and remembered. When wading through documents and data someone has sent me, I often think ‘how would I explain this to my friends at the pub?’ If you can’t do it in 2 sentences or less, you need to start again! Jenny Thomas OP (1995 - 2002)
29
30
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
k c a r T e d i s In
CRUISE COMPANY CHIEF EXECUTIVE The latest OP to be in the spotlight for Inside Track is David Dingle CBE OP (1968–1975) David is Chief Executive Officer of Carnival UK, which is a subsidiary of the Carnival Corporation & plc, one of the world’s largest leisure travel companies. Appointed CEO in 2007, he has full operating responsibility for P&O Cruises and Cunard Line. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Plymouth University in 2012 and has served as president of the British Chamber of Shipping and Chairman of the European Cruise Council. He joined P&O Cruises (UK) in 1978 where, after holding a series of commercial positions, he became managing director in 2000. At the time of the merger of P&O Princess Cruises plc and the Carnival Corporation in April 2003, he became managing director of Carnival UK. As a graduate trainee of P&O he experienced the business from the bottom up when crawling through sludge two feet deep while inspecting the underneath of boilers on the liner ‘Canberra.’ He is a Younger Brother of Trinity House and was awarded a CBE in the 2009 New Year’s Honours. He attended Jesus College, Cambridge where he attained a Master of Arts in Classics.
You grew up by the sea. Did this influence your career choice? No. I had no interest in boats. During my final year at university I received four job offers from accountancy firms. But my next door neighbour was a retired P&O captain and he persuaded me that cruise liners might offer more variety and excitement. You started life with P&O as a graduate trainee in 1978 which must have felt a very long way from reading Classics at Cambridge University. I recognise that the connection between Classics and P&O is tenuous, but when I was leaving university I decided I needed to earn some money. I was interested in history and travel and perhaps cruising in the Greek Islands provided a sentimental fit. In fact, one of my first jobs with P&O was to write the Latin mottos for the crests on the fronts of ships. In what must have been a varied traineeship what was the high point? And the lowest? I think that the high point was during my time on the P&O Graduate Training Programme. I was sent to Australia to work in the Sydney office for two and a half months, which was an amazing experience. The low point was shortly after I joined the company in 1978 and realised how old fashioned everything was. Business was conducted over long lunches and I was troubled by this approach. I learnt far more by observing people doing their various jobs. Leadership, strategy and discipline of management were lacking at this time, but have changed totally since.
The image of the average cruise passenger has changed dramatically over recent years. Why do you think this is? There was a need to change public perception that cruises were only for the elderly and wealthy. This has been the biggest achievement within the industry over the past thirty years and a luxury holiday has been brought to the mass travel market. Cruising is no longer a small niche product for the privileged few and currently the global cruise market is 21 million passengers each year. The single biggest industry change has been investment in new ships which now can carry three to four thousand people and offer many choices in dining and in on-board activities. What makes a perfect cruise? This is an elusive combination because different things are important to different people. In general it’s a combination of great places, great food and great service. Personally, it is the connection between sea and shore and arriving in magical places by ship – Venice, Istanbul minarets at sunset, sailing into Sydney harbour. It’s about perfect moments and extreme chill-out for busy, working people. What teachers, if any, at school inspired you and why? Headmaster Coll Macdonald. He was a classicist and recognised my ability in Greek. Going to the Headmaster’s office was very scary, but discovering that he had taken a personal interest in me was a most inspiring moment.
What advice would you offer to a PGS Sixth Former considering a career in the cruise industry? Get yourself a great degree and don’t get sidetracked from an excellent academic background. The cruise industry is one of the most multi-faceted businesses around and offers a wide range of job opportunities such as marketeers, hospitality specialists, engineers, mariners, accountants, entertainment specialists, people with expertise in finance. Obviously, you need to have an interest in shipping. How do you see the industry developing over the next 10 years? Is the ‘Superliner’ the future? Yes. Economies of scale are critical. No matter the size of the ship, only one captain is needed. The biggest challenge currently facing the industry is the price of fuel and the increasing regulations around fuel consumption. Ships need to operate at slower speeds to save fuel and so individual destinations decline in importance and the shipboard experience becomes far more important. Are your family holidays cruises? Every year we spend a few days on a cruise to see the product through the eyes of the customer. However, as a family we are fanatical skiers and other holidays also provide me with the opportunity to understand the wider travel world. With the introduction of ever larger cruise ships how much do you have to consider environmental issues in your planning? New regulations are constantly being implemented and as ships get bigger there are more regulations. Sulphur emissions are a growing issue and fuel with lower sulphur content is needed. Carbon emissions are another problem. Management of waste emission is also a concern – a community of 7.5 thousand people produces a lot of waste which needs to be disposed of safely. CEO of Carnival UK – What next? I have spent thirty-five years in the cruise industry and have made some incredible contacts in all areas. When I eventually step down from my role as CEO I plan to take on non-executive Directorships including those in not-for-profit organisations which provides me with the opportunity for giving back.
Head and shoulders above the rest The recent hit comedy series “Life’s too short”, written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and starring Warwick Davis, raised awareness of the daily trials and tribulations encountered by persons of restricted growth. Perhaps remarkably, nearly a hundred years ago, a pupil described by a classmate as “having the misfortune of being a dwarf”, became the Senior Prefect, or (at a time when the school was not coeducational), Head Boy. Whether this suggests that PGS had a very progressive attitude to equal rights in a less enlightened world, or if the lad more than made up for his lack of height with a natural authority and presence, is not known – but what little evidence there is suggests it was a bit of both. John Alexander White was born in 1902, a week after the coronation of Edward VII. His parents, Charles, a retired Royal Navy Chief Carpenter, and Cecilia, raised the family in Worsley Road near Elm Grove, a short walk away from the old school (now the Upper Junior). White was admitted to the school in 1910 and in his first year won a prize for Latin. He became one of the youngest members of the Debating Society and his regular attendance was held up as an example to others, though he rarely contributed to the debates. During the First World War the Debating Society held a mock trial of a suspected German spy and White played “a page boy in the prisoner’s employ” who gave incriminating evidence that the accused often received visits by “men of a foreign appearance” and letters bearing a foreign post-mark. Three years later, at the age of sixteen, he was praised for his acting in a scene from Aristophanes’ scathing satire, “The Knights”, and in the following year was made Senior Prefect. This inspired appointment appears to have given White the confidence to get fully involved in the robust debates that took place in the library, and to exercise authority and maintain discipline when the masters were not around. A prefect’s duties at this time involved arriving at school early to unlock classrooms, patrolling the school corridors, stopping fights, adjudicating in pupil arguments and keeping discipline in a firm but fair manner . To carry out these duties amidst the constant ribbing, taunts
and heckling that prefects traditionally endured would have demanded qualities of strong character and leadership. As Senior Prefect, John White clearly rose to the challenge. In April 1919, White’s maiden Debating Society proposal was “that this House considers that barrel organs are not musical.” He lost the debate, one of his opponents arguing that the barrel organ that was regularly played outside the school relieved the tedium of lessons. In another debate, his cautious defence of spiritualism was vigorously opposed by Arthur Darby Nock. Within ten years Nock was a famous classical scholar, author and Professor of the History of Religion at Harvard, so there was no shame in White’s defeat. The school admission register states that White left PGS to work or study at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Unfortunately, no trace has been found so far in surviving hospital records, so what happened to John White is a mystery, though it is hoped that the start in life provided by his schooling helped offset some of the prejudices and fears that afflicted society at the time. John Sadden Sources: PGS Admission registers, The Portmuthian, PGS Debating Society minutes, “A Day in the Life of a Prefect” The Portmuthian, June 1911
31
32
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
TOP-LET
MOVING UP I thoroughly enjoyed my time at PGS, but it was on leaving that I began to appreciate how lucky I was to have attended the school.
During my time at Portsmouth Grammar I took an active part in many extracurricular activities and I focused also on employment – I worked part-time from 14 all the way through school and sixth form. I acquired a work ethic and learned to manage my time, which ensured that I achieved better results at school than perhaps I otherwise would have done. In the Lower Sixth I struggled having chosen some wrong subjects and at the end of the year I chose to repeat the year, choosing subjects that interested me rather than traditional subjects that I had thought would give me the most opportunities later on. I remember during the summer holiday sitting in the school quad wondering whether to stay at PGS, going back a year, or to leave and take my AS and A Levels elsewhere. I will never forget the kindness shown to me by members of staff at PGS during that time even when they should have been enjoying those long school holidays. As I sat staring at the sixth form centre I understood all the
opportunities and support afforded to PGS pupils and when my A Level results day came I breathed a huge sigh of relief that I’d achieved the grades I needed for university. PGS had played a huge part in keeping me on track in order to achieve my personal goals. Another clear memory for me was sitting in the office of the headmaster (Dr Hands) in Year 11 being asked the standard three questions every student is asked, including what I wanted to be doing by 25. I remember having a very glamorous idea of what it must be like to work for myself and I admired those who dropped their children at the school gates in the morning (usually in my eyes in a very flash car!!) with the flexibility to collect them at the end of the day. I always read the Sunday Times ‘Home’ section and decided that the only way to have a home worthy of the front cover was to work for yourself! So I wanted my own business, but I was not sure what business it would be or how I was going to achieve it. When I left Portsmouth Grammar School in 2009 I had
my heart set on working in the property industry in some manner, but I was not sure how. I studied Surveying at Kingston University and looked for relevant work experience. I started working in the local branch of Leaders (a national letting agency), stayed in their Surbiton Branch throughout my time at university and for six months afterwards in the Southsea office. Then I decided to get some experience in other business area and worked for IBM and another IT company, Lead Forensics, based in Portsmouth. In May 2012 I approached the bank to try to get some funding to buy a business, but with no previous proven track record I had to resort to a loan from the bank of mum and dad. As a result I now own a letting agency called Top-Let - originally established in 2008. At the time they were based in a serviced office in North Harbour but in the last year the business has moved to offices in Clarendon Road, Southsea and expanded from two staff to four full-time and one part-time. Being just down the road from the school I often drive past on my way to appointments and it always brings back great memories of rugby tours, ski trips, and sports matches although I’m not yet at the stage of remembering specific maths lessons - maybe one day! Looking back I recognise the support given at PGS and the continuing impact of the pastoral care and extracurricular activities. Similarly I understand the way PGS encourages its pupils to interact with such a variety of people. Being treated as an adult from junior school through to sixth form improves the way you interact with people ‘in the real world.’ Although at the time it seemed a bit trivial, the constant ‘do your top button up’ ‘tuck your shirt in’ that I heard all too often at school, is actually not just a rule but a lesson in self-discipline, conformity and appearance that is so important once you have a job. My shirt is never un-tucked now, but for some reason at school it was a high priority!
I wish I had fully appreciated when I was at school how many challenges there are to owning your own business. I have learnt very quickly that it is impossible for one human to do everything and therefore learnt the importance of having people working for and around you that you can trust. For example I have just about mastered Facebook, but have not yet ventured into the world of Twitter, yet social media has become an instantaneous, important way of communicating and invaluable in my business. It is therefore great to have other employees at work who can do the marketing and social media side of things.
My sister currently works with me in the company. It is amazing that two siblings can have such a completely different skill set given that we grew up together, went to the same school and have similar interests. Laura’s strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa. It is certainly interesting when your younger sister knows more than you do about a particular system or process. Initially it was very strange working with family members and a family business is such an intense operation that suddenly all you talk about is work, before work, at work, on the phone after work and at Sunday dinner! It has been revealing to appreciate just how important ‘down-time’ is in ensuring you stay focused and committed to achieving what you want to. Business Studies GCSE was not my strongest subject, but something obviously stuck and hopefully as Top-Let moves forwards I will remember more of the subject I was being taught while swinging on my chair… or I may uncover a dusty textbook and have a read - for the first time!! Simon Hill OP (1997 - 2007) Director, Top-Let Ltd
33
34
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
When you wish upon a star When sixth former Prash Ramaraj approached the Development Office and asked us to help him find an OP to speak at a whole school assembly who had left school 10 years ago but who had followed an unusual career path we thought of OP Jamie Smy, who works for the Disney Channel. He did not disappoint. In the ten years after leaving PGS you may graduate uni, make your best and closest friends, get a dream job, fall in love, travel the world or buy your first home. I’ve been lucky enough to have all those things happen to me, and I have three pieces of advice to help you achieve happiness and success in your ten years.
“I liked the Disney guy, he was cool.” Molly Hannafin, Year 11
When I left the Grammar School in 2002, I already knew I wanted to work in TV. A degree at the University of Sussex offered me a course that enabled me to create my own TV, film, and websites and also critically examine other pieces of media and understand the effect that media can have on its viewers. Equally as important as the work I did at uni were the friends I made while I was there, and the lessons I learnt about who I am. I know a lot of you are expecting or expected to go to university when you finish at PGS. For those of you who are unsure, my first piece of advice would be: do everything in your power to get to go to uni. You will have the most amazing time, you’ll become truly comfortable in your own skin and meet others like you, friends for life. I’ve visited friends I made in Sussex in France, the USA and the Caribbean. You’ll learn in a safe environment how to look after yourself as an individual, and you’ll hopefully leave
Prash Ramaraj (U6th) then a supervisor who would get to decide when and how we launched new series and movies, looking at the behaviour of our competitors Nickelodeon and CBBC and scheduling our strongest content against theirs. I then started supervising a second channel, Disney Junior for preschoolers, as well as the main Disney Channel, and I had two programme planners under me whom I had to develop and grow in their roles.
with the life skills and the educational knowledge to go on to be a hugely successful and happy human being. I graduated in 2005 and then spent a year trying to find meaningful work. I was living with my new best friends from University in a house right on the beach in Brighton. I had a job which didn’t pay very much but which was easy and enabled me to live while still actively applying for better jobs. At one point I even got an audition to be a Blue Peter presenter which was a lot of fun. Eventually I saw a job advert in a newspaper asking for someone with a degree – no other experience necessary – to work in the scheduling department of the Disney Channel. From 6000 applicants, and after two interviews, I got the job 11 months after graduating. And this is where my second piece of advice comes in: Don’t Panic! Don’t panic if you don’t immediately land a job. Don’t panic if you’re struggling a bit with money and you need to move back home for a couple of months. Don’t panic if something in your personal life
“Jamie interacted with all ages present by using his own thought-provoking personal experiences”
goes wrong and has a knock-on effect on your living arrangements or job situation. The worst part about panic and worry is that it uses up all of the resources you should be allocating to fixing your problem, and wastes them on sleepless nights not being able to focus.
I get free entry to all the theme parks, and I once got to go on an all-inclusive Disney cruise for $100. Last year I did a course in Disneyland Paris which ended with me dressing up as Geppetto and going out into the theme park to meet the kids and sign autographs. But the best thing about Disney is the people – for a massive company it’s not full of boring dry office heads. We all wear jeans and trainers to work, we all get on with each other and work together. Apparently that’s pretty rare and I feel very lucky.
“Your guest was superb, and it was so refreshing to hear such honest and practical advice.” Mr Gladstone
“Jamie hit the nail on the head, he captivated the whole age range in the audience and gave all age groups something to think about.” Mr Charles
I’ve now worked at Disney Channel for over 6 years. When I started I was a scheduling assistant whose job it was to check work for mistakes, send programme guide information to Sky and answer enquiries from other departments at the channel. But I also learned on the job and soon I was a programme planner who decided for example which episodes of Hannah Montana to air on which day, and I should say now what an awesome place to work The Walt Disney Company is. I’m part of such a huge mechanism that creates so much cool stuff. My company shoots movies, creates theme park rides, operates cruises, and makes music, tv and computer games. Marvel, Star Wars, the Muppets and Indiana Jones are now part of the Disney Family. As a result, I work every day with people in these businesses to help further their products using Disney Channel. Sometimes I get to go to movie sets, sometimes to movie premieres or music video shoots. I’ve met Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez, the creators of Phineas and Ferb came to brainstorm with us about new ideas for the show and Loki from the Avengers showed up at our Christmas meeting.
I now have a new job at Disney Channels – I now look after content strategy for all of Europe, Middle East and Africa. Decisions I make affect viewers in 101m homes in 25 countries. It’s my job to make sure our priority content – the stuff which sells pencil cases, DVDs and magazines – performs the best it can. It’s also my job to make sure the channels themselves perform well and rate highly versus competitors. A big part of our job is to review new scripts and pilots before they get made to make sure they’re suitable and will do well in our markets. As well as the channels themselves, I also look after non-linear and multiplatform which includes things like video on demand, YouTube and even things like Twitter and Facebook. This is where my third piece of advice comes in: Embrace Change.
When I left PGS, there was no YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. There was no iPlayer and even the iPod had only been around for a year. Now, my job requires me to consider these things every day. No matter what industry you work in, technology will change so much that you will constantly be learning while in your job, and those who don’t keep up will eventually get left behind. Change can come in many forms – if you lose your job and move industries, if your living arrangements change and you have to move in with new people. That last one happened to me and now I find myself about to move into my own flat with one of my best friends (whom I met at PGS) on the edge of London’s Olympic Park. So: go to uni, don’t panic, embrace change. Make the most of every opportunity this school gives you. Find a job that makes you happy – like it or not you’ll be working for probably 50 years. If any of you are specifically interested in a job in TV, feel free to speak to the Development Office and we can work out a way to get you some advice. And finally I just would just like to say if you’re happy in your school life now, I’ve got good news: it gets even better afterwards. If, for whatever reason, you’re not happy in your school life, I’ve got brilliant news: it gets much better afterwards. Jamie Smy OP (1995 - 2002)
“Jamie had a really interesting life story” Jamie Diamond (U6th)
35
36
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Is your class or team photograph on the new PGS website? www.pgs.org.uk/pgs-association/archive/ The new, state-of-the-art school website has provided an opportunity to show some of the vintage photographs which are kept in the school archive. Over 160 photographs are now available to view, along with a complete copy of the very first Portmuthian (or Portsmouthian as it was then called) dating from 1883. The photographs are divided largely into decades and are viewable in full by clicking on a “carousel” image, which will also highlight the caption. The photographs date from the Victorian period right up to the early 2000s, and will be added to periodically.
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
Hitting the right note Q&A session with OP Vincent Webb What motivated you to work in the industry? I think the enormous amount of support and positivity surrounding my piano playing growing up motivated me to specialize more and more as I grew older. Both my parents do creative jobs, my father as a painter and my mother as an illustrator, and I think they were very careful to recognise and nurture my own creativity - which is such a fragile thing. In sixth form I discovered that with modern technology, musical composition could be something very different from the traditional method of putting dots down on a page. This discovery came at a point where I was learning about jazz improvisation and the two things came together to be the single key that unlocked my interest in writing and producing music with computers. I think that working with synths and virtual instruments really gave me an outlet for continuous ‘play’ and experimentation which is so important when developing any kind of skill. In my freshman year at university I had my first taste of working as a freelance composer for an iPhone app called ‘Pinch.’ I remember vividly the physical buzz of excitement I felt when that first contract landed in my inbox. I think that’s when I decided I would try to do it full time. If you want to write music
Digitised Portmuthians now available The 1883 magazine on the new website was scanned as part of an ambitious, year-long project to digitise the whole run of the school magazine. Now, Old Portmuthians are able to purchase digital copies covering the time they were at PGS, and relive memories of what were hopefully happy school days! Good quality digital copies, which include all text, photographic and illustrative content, will be copied on to a 2GB PGS branded memory stick. (£12 inclusive of postage and packing, regardless of how many Portmuthians were published during your time at PGS). The files can be copied to your PC, laptop or tablet, and the memory stick reused.
and make a living, there are really only a handful of areas you can work in. Writing music for a Dutch cooking oil commercial might not be the most creatively satisfying work, but it’s still satisfying on a wider level to be doing something I enjoy.
What are you learning/gaining from your job? I think self-discipline and goal setting are the biggest skills I’ve learned. Even though I’ve always been pretty independent, working from home requires a whole other level of self discipline! Things like building and maintaining relationships with clients requires a large amount of organization and mental energy too. And learning to fill in my tax return!
What are your aspirations? I’ve come full circle with regard to technology and nowadays the biggest reward comes from collaborating with others, whether they be instrumentalists or sound engineers. My next big ambition is to find the funding to conduct an orchestral recording of my work. I’d also love to be earning enough from composing to rent a studio space outside of my home, which in London is a pretty ambitious goal!
How did PGS prepare you for this career path? The biggest impact definitely came from my piano teacher, Karen Kingsley, who apart from being a superb instrumental tutor was a constant example of the kind of super-human skills you can achieve with hard work and commitment. The music department, especially in the upper school and sixth form, was brilliant. I regularly hung out in the department after hours to play the Steinway, bang an African drum or jam. There were always things to work towards and opportunities to play outside of school as well. Ensembles like sax quartet and Adam Swayne’s CMG were great for opening my ears to new sounds and simply getting excited about music. Studying at King’s College London later felt like a very natural next step thanks to the high standards I was used to at PGS. Being able to study at such a high profile university in London opened a few doors to me career-wise too.
What has been the highlight of your career so far? The work I’m most excited about is always the one that’s still in progress. Perhaps the most high profile thing I’ve worked on to date was the show Stephen Fry: Gadgetman which I did a few tracks for including the closing theme. On a personal level I did a few pieces in collaboration with a professional cellist called Deryn Cullen where she improvised a melody and I did the rest. That was really fun and she was amazing to work with. The track ‘November’ on my website is one of those. There are many interesting projects in the works though I can’t really talk about them yet! Vincent Webb OP (2001 - 2008)
Please contact the Development Office at the school for further details. development@pgs.org.uk or tel: 023 92 681385
You can listen to Vincent’s work by going to http://www.vincewebb.com/
37
38
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
News of Old Portmuthians
News of Old Portmuthians
James COLGATE (1994 - 2005)
In his remaining spare-time, Richard is Honorary Club Historian of Portsmouth Football Club and has been a voluntary member of the staff at Fratton Park for the past 35 years, having contributed to the Club match programme in various ways throughout those years. He has written three books on the history the Club. He continues to keep in contact with PGS through living locally.
After leaving PGS in 2005 James went to Cambridge (St John’s College) and gained a Masters of Engineering with merit (specialising in Manufacturing Engineering). He also captained the University Polo Team. After graduating in 2009 he joined a management consultancy based in London who worked with a number of clients in the technology and service sector, performing strategic advisory, M&A and operational improvement services. In 2011 he joined Williams Formula One, based in Oxfordshire, as part of their expansion and diversification into new businesses. Currently he is responsible for the project management of internal projects along with managing the delivery of technical services to other engineering sectors, from sports cars through to mining. Elliott GUYER (1984 - 1994) Elliot Guyer and Ilana (née Goldman) were married in Jerusalem on March 14th 2013. Ilana is from Vancouver but, like Elliot, has lived in Israel for a number of years. Elliot now has dual British and Israeli citizenship and is continuing with his Talmud studies. The couple will make their home in the environs of Jerusalem. Elliot’s mother, father Lawrence (OP 1951-60) and brother Julian (OP 1982-92) attended the happy occasion. Julian, an international sports correspondent, had to fly back the day after the wedding so that he could report on the final of the Six Nations Rugby cup. Chris HAMILTON (1985 - 1995) Chris has been working for the recruitment agency, Odgers Berndtson, since January 2006 and is now a partner within the Healthcare Practice and in the Arts and Heritage Practice. He graduated from Bristol University in 1999 with a BA Hons degree in Music with Italian. His earlier career was in advertising and marketing for the printed media.
Zoe LANDER-BRINKLEY (1991 - 2000) Zoe and Simon Edward Dodd were married recently at New Place, Shirrell Heath. The setting was perfect for teacher Zoe, who is a historical novel addict. Simon is an electronics engineer and the couple will now live in Hythe, in the New Forest.
Chris LEWIS (2007 - 2009) Chris Lewis was one of the twenty-two players selected for the England Students rugby training camp in Portugal in January this year. The England Students pulled off an impressive 25-20 win against Portugal on 26 January to break their three-year jinx in Lisbon. Chris captained the First XV in his final year before leaving PGS to study Sports Science at Bath University. He also played for Hampshire at all age levels from Under 14s through to Under 20s between 2005/2006 and 2011/2012. Richard OWEN (1971 - 1976) Congratulations to Richard who, in April 2013, was presented with an MBE at Buckingham Palace by Her Majesty the Queen. His MBE was awarded for voluntary services to policing as a Special Constable for the past 20 years. After leaving PGS in July 1976, Richard joined the Portsmouth Building Society as a 16 year old and first-ever male cashier and left 15 years later as Securities Manager. He then joined Hampshire Constabulary in the Prosecution Department where he is still employed 19 years later as a Warrants Officer at Cosham Police Station. In addition to his full-time job, Richard is also a volunteer for Hampshire Constabulary for whom he works 40-50 hours a month. Special Constables are, in effect, Police Reservists and assist with frontline policing these days, quite different to the original idea when they were introduced in 1831. Richard joined Hampshire Constabulary in 1993 to help police the local community in the Havant area and he now holds the rank of District Officer – equivalent of Inspector in the regular Force – responsible for 33 other Specials in the District. As well as keeping up with rigorous monthly training, he has patrolled the Emsworth and Havant area for the past 17 years, assisting with many large public events in the two towns.
Ali POLLARD (1996 - 2010) Congratulations to Ali who has recently been offered an unconditional commission into the Army Air Corps when he commissions from Sandhurst in April 2013. He is also hoping to start a pilot’s course later this year after an attachment with the Household Cavalry.
Dr David A J RAND (1951 - 1961) Dr David Rand, Chief Research Scientist Emeritus at CSIRO Energy Technology, has been awarded a Member of the Order of Australia medal for his service to science and technological developments in the area of energy storage, particularly rechargeable batteries. Dr Rand was part of the team that developed the CSIRO UltraBattery, a dynamic battery that turned the 150-year-old conventional battery on its head. It was first conceived in 2003 and was successfully tested in a hybrid car in England in 2009. The UltraBattery is now made in Japan and America and promises to open new approaches to everything from low emission-transport to renewable-energy storage, particularly wind power. Despite retiring in 2008, Dr Rand remains a valued honorary research fellow at the CSIRO and keeps a fiveday week both mentoring and writing books. Virginia SEATHERTON (2002 - 2004) After leaving PGS in 2004 Virginia moved to the USA and attended RandolphMacon College in Ashland, Virginia. She graduated in 2008 with a BA in English, History, and Political Science and then moved back to the UK to study at the College of Law of England and Wales in London. She obtained her LLB, trained as a Barrister and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in October, 2010. Virginia then returned to the USA and now lives in Richmond, Virginia. She currently works in-house for Capital One Bank as a Litigation Specialist and in August of this year will start her MA in English Literature at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Alastair B STEVENS (1928 - 1937) Alastair celebrated his 91st birthday in April 2013. After leaving school Alastair started his career as an Aircraft Trade Apprentice but was soon promoted to an Engineering Apprentice. During WW2 he served as a Sub Lieutenant Air Engineer in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and went on to specialise in aircraft inspection and quality control, later becoming Chief Inspector in two Aircraft Repair Yards and Senior Officer in the Admiralty, London. With the reduction of the Fleet Air Arm in 1957, Alastair converted to marine engineering and become Engineer to a fleet of mine sweepers. In 1960 Alastair emigrated to Canada, first living in Quebec where he started the Aircraft Repair Department for Walter Kiddle in Montreal and became involved in the navy reserves. He and his wife moved to Victoria and then to Nanaimo in 1962, where he worked in the new Diefenbunker in the Nanaimo Military Camp. He retired in 1986 and joined Tourism Nanaimo as a volunteer. His suggestions for improving facilities in Nanaimo have resulted in a new seawalk, the re-establishment of a walking trail and a new fishing pier. Alastair has built and raced sailing dinghies; is an excellent shot (he won the Commodore’s Cup at Bisley, UK, 1960) and an aviation enthusiast with a private pilot’s license and a Silver C Soaring Certificate. Alexandra STEVENSON (1995 - 2002) Alexandra announced her engagement to Timothy Clifford Hill and featured in the February issue of Country Life magazine as the frontispiece in the publication’s first ever Wedding Special. Their wedding will be held on 1 November, 2013, in Portsmouth Cathedral. Alexandra is a professional soprano specialising in early music and oratorio and Tim is a counter-tenor and lay vicar at Chichester Cathedral. Alex TEUTEN (1996 - 2010) Congratulations to Alex Teuten who represented England for the first time at the Home Countries Cross-Country International on March 23, 2013, at Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo. Alex finished an excellent 7th overall, but more importantly was part of the winning England team - an excellent start to Alex’s international career. He is a member of The City of Portsmouth Athletic Club and is studying Natural Sciences at Southampton University where he now does much of his training.
39
40
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
In memoriam OPUS is saddened to report the death of the following Old Portmuthians and colleagues Air Commodore Robert Albert Copsey CARTER (15/09/1910 – 10/11/2012)
In 1953 he moved back to England and became the Station Commander RAF Upward Bomber Command and then Senior Staff Officer Transport Command. A posting to Germany was followed by retirement in 1964. Air Cdre Carter died on 10 November, 2012, aged 102 years. He is survived by his three children, eight grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.
Dr Ashley John COOPER (25/05/1974 – 22/12/2012)
Air Cdre Robert Copsey attended PGS from 1920 - 1927 and, as a boy, was inspired by the Sopwith biplanes flying from Fort Grange Airfield, Gosport. After leaving PGS he joined the RAF as an airport apprentice. He won a scholarship to RAF College Cranwell, graduating as a pilot officer in 1932. He was posted to India on the North West frontier of what is now the PakistanAfghanistan frontier and also flew the Westland Wapiti two seater light bomber airplanes across India and to Burma. In 1938 he returned to the UK and took command of DH82 ‘Queen Bee’ pilotless aircraft at Weybourne, Norfolk. During the war he served in Bomber Command, 103 Squadron and 150 Squadron and became the Commanding Officer at RAF Grimsby. He received a Distinguished Service Order in 1941 for daylight attacks on German warships at Brest and La Pallice, including the Scharnhorst. He then received a Distinguished Flying Cross for attacks on Germany and was mentioned twice in dispatches. His contribution was recognised by the award of a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 1956. After the war ended Air Cdre Carter went to the U.S. Armed Forces Staff College where he met his wife, Sally. The couple returned to England in 1948 and in 1950 he was appointed the Chief Instructor and later Director of Organisation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force School of Administration.
We are grateful to Dr Cooper’s brother, Rod Cooper, for this appreciation of Dr Cooper’s life.
in the UK), offering highly specialised Mohs surgery for patients with difficult skin cancers of the face. He successfully published a Mohs Standards Document for the British Association of Dermatologists, to ensure the highest standard of care for patients undergoing this complex surgery. He was an enthusiastic educator, teaching surgical skills all over the UK, supervising and acting as Programme Director for trainee dermatologists in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery. He played an important role in setting standards for the final MRCP exam in Dermatology. He had outstanding computer and IT skills and developed patient information leaflets and surgical data collection proforma which are used nationally and internationally to improve patient care. Ashley was also a member of many national bodies and was elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, an honour reflecting the esteem in which he was held. He achieved so much in a very short time. His innovation, drive and brilliance will be greatly missed by patients and colleagues locally and nationally.
Dr Ashley John Cooper, Consultant Dermatologist at East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, died suddenly on Saturday 22nd December 2012 at the age of 38 years after suffering a cardiac arrest in his sleep. He was a pupil at PGS from 1987 to 1992 and then studied medicine at Southampton University. He graduated in 1997 and completed his medical training in Ipswich, Southampton and Portsmouth. He was appointed as Consultant Dermatologist in East Kent in 2006, working as one of 7 consultants at the Friends Dermatology Centre in the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. Ashley was highly skilled in dermatological surgery and the management of skin cancer but he also looked after patients with other skin problems, treating thousands of people each year. Ashley became a major driving force in the development of the Mohs Micrographic Surgery service in East Kent (one of few
Ashley’s funeral at Barham Crematorium on Saturday 5th January was attended by hundreds of family, friends and colleagues. He leaves his wife, Clare, and his two children, Genevieve and Cyrus, his mother Julia and brother Rod and family. Professor Dennis James GREENLAND (13/06/1930 – 23/12/2012) Our thanks to Professor Greenland’s son, Rohan Greenland, for this appreciation of Prof. Greenland’s life.
Dennis was from a long line of sailors. His father, grandfather and a great grandfather served with the Royal Navy as petty officers in conflicts as diverse as the Second Opium War in 1856-60, the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and the Battle of Narvik in 1940. While young, Dennis sat and passed his entry examination for Dartmouth, but was failed on eyesight. It was a loss for the Navy, but a gain for science. He attended Portsmouth Grammar School from 1941 – 1948 and then won a state scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford, where he completed his doctorate in soil chemistry in the early 1950s. Though a Pompey fan to the end, he squeezed in four games for Oxford City as a goal keeper, helping to revive fortunes at the end of the dismal 1952-53 season.
precious resources – the soil in which our global food supply is grown – is the province of Dennis Greenland. World renowned for his research on sustainable management of soils, he has sought to answer the need for improved food production while protecting the earth’s fragile environment, thereby giving hope for a future unburdened by hunger.” Dennis always believed he led a lucky life. He was a devoted family man, marrying Mary Johnston, a New Zealand nurse he met at Oxford. He is survived by his wife, three children and seven grandchildren.
Donald Keith HASKELL (09/05/1939 – 28/11/2012)
served his final tours as Ambassador to Peru and Brazil. Keith was appointed CVO in 1979 and CMG in 1991. He also served as chairman of Farringdon Parish Council, worked as a volunteer hospital driver and volunteered with a victim support unit. He was deeply proud of having attended PGS and was glad to have been able to provide careers advice to current pupils over the years. In 1994 he contracted schistosomiasis (bilharzia) in the Peruvian Amazon, which caused the disease sideroblastic anaemia and ultimately led to his death. He is survived by his wife, Luisa, two sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren.
Keith Philip HORN (08/11/1947 – 2012)
His early career took him to the University of Accra in the colony of the Gold Coast, now Ghana, where he wrote with colleague Peter Nye an agricultural classic - partly by oil lamp – “The Soil Under Shifting Cultivation.” Numerous other scientific publications were to follow. His research into soil structure continued at the Waite Institute in Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1960s and in 1970 he returned to England as Professor of Soil Science at Reading University. A two-year spell followed in 1974 as director of research at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture at Ibadan in Nigeria. In 1976, Dennis was appointed to the Board of the British Grassland Research Institute, in 1978 to the Arable and Forage Crops Board of the British Agriculture Research Council and in the same year he was elected as President of the British Society of Soil Science. Then came a busy 14 year spell as deputy director at the renowned International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines before his appointment as director of scientific services at the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau International at Wallingford. His contribution to agriculture has been widely recognised with honorary degrees from two universities, honorary fellowships and, in 1994, his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society. The citation for his honorary doctorate from the University of Ohio in 2002 well sums up his life’s work. “The future of one of our planet’s most
Keith attended PGS from 1950 – 1957 and continued his education at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where he read Classics. During his time at Cambridge he acted with Ian McKellen in ‘Twelve Angry Men’ and became an accomplished marksman, representing England (pistol) in the World Championships in Cairo and against Scotland in the ‘Elcho’ long rifle contest. After graduating he worked as a history teacher for one year before beginning his distinguished career in the Diplomatic Service where he served with distinction for 38 years until his retirement in 1999. His first posting was to Baghdad where he met his wife, Luisa. From 1969 to 1973 Keith served in Libya first as Head of Chancery and later as Consul in Benghazi, then as Head of Chancery in Tripoli in the first years of Colonel Gaddafi’s dictatorship. His next posting was to Santiago and this was followed by postings to Dubai as Consul General and Bonn as Head of Chancery. As a prodigious linguist Keith served much of his career overseas in the Middle East, Germany and South America where he
Keith attended PGS from 1959 to 1964. As a boy he had wanted to join the Merchant Navy but was unable to do so because of poor eyesight. He joined Barclays Bank, retiring at the age of 50. He had a great interest in industrial and private railways and occasionally helped to run a small steam locomotive in West Wellow which was popular with the local children. He was Treasurer of Eastleigh Railway Preservation Society. After his retirement Keith went cruising on cargo ships, so fulfilling his schoolboy dream of travelling the world.
continued...
41
42
OPUS • Issue 8 • Summer 2013
Portsmouth Grammar School • www.pgs.org.uk
In memoriam Donald Louis JONES (12/07/1925 – 31/10/2012)
John Victor ORGAN (27/05/1945 – 16/02/2013)
Donald attended PGS from 1934 – 1941 and was one of three pupils chosen to go to Charterhouse to finish his 6th form education. He had fond memories of his years at PGS and loved his time in the Officer Training Corps. He was at PGS when the school was evacuated to a disused school at Sparsholt at the onset of WW2 and then on to Southbourne in Bournemouth when a further relocation was required due to lack of classroom space. He moved into the Science VIth in 1940, but the lab facilities available at PGS at that time were not adequate and the Headmaster, Mr J W Stork, arranged places to be available at Winchester and Charterhouse for science specialists from PGS doing their 2nd year equivalent of A level. After leaving school he joined the army and was later commissioned into the Royal Engineers, taking early retirement in 1969 and joining the Civil Service until finally retiring in 1985. He died on 31 October 2012 aged 87.
Our thanks to John Organ’s brother, Bill Organ (OP 1951 - 1961), for this appreciation of John’s life.
Stephen MITCHELL (26/12/1920 – 25/09/2012) Stephen was born in Horndean and attended PGS from 1930 - 1939. After leaving school he joined the Commercial Union Insurance Company. During the war he spent six years in the RAF, serving some time in India fitting radios in Mosquito aircraft. On returning to civilian life he rejoined Commercial Union and worked in Portsmouth, Gloucester, Exeter and Southampton. He retired after 42 year’s service and moved to Southsea for fourteen years before returning finally to Horndean. Stephen was very artistic. He wrote prayers, poetry, short stories and he recorded Horndean’s history. He also enjoyed music and theatre. Another of his hobbies was needlepoint which he continued doing until very recently. Stephen contributed to the school history project, Action this Day, and was interviewed by pupils. Afterwards he wrote to the school: “It is a day I have never forgotten; the children were so interested in my recollections and apart from the grim side of the war it was good to relive the times of my early twenties.”
In 1983, the same year that his daughter, Zoë, was born, he left local government to join PWP Architects in Havant as a partner. He remained a director until his retirement in 2009, having established a sound body of work in both the public and private sector and having received seven design awards for different projects. History, music and art were his abiding interests, no doubt nurtured at PGS. He travelled extensively with his family, usually pursuing one or more of these en route. He was a stylish and charismatic man who leaves a widow, Sue, and daughter, Zoë, herself an Old Portmuthian.
John followed his father, uncle and brother into the Portsmouth Grammar School, joining Nicol House in the Lower School in September 1953. There he gained his House Colours for Soccer and, from an early stage, exhibited talent in Art. He moved to Hawkey and, finally, into the Senior School in Smith House, departing in July 1962, having taken A levels in English, History and French, the first two to S Level. John was always proud that he had shot at Bisley. After school he studied architecture at Portsmouth College of Technology and spent his ‘year out’ at the Wessex Regional Hospital Board in Winchester. This inspired him to collaborate with three other students on a dissertation examining architecture for mental health, winning the RIBA dissertation prize in 1968, which was presented to the group at RIBA headquarters in Portland Place, helping to put Portsmouth School of Architecture on the map. He became a member of the RIBA in 1970 and of the Society of Architectural and Industrial Illustrators in 1977. John was employed in Portsmouth at both the City Council and the PSA, before spending three years working for the Government of Zambia, where he designed modular health centres, post offices and other facilities, which could be adapted to serve communities out in the bush. On his return to UK, he joined Havant Borough Council, initially as Assistant Chief Architect and subsequently as Chief Architect, reputedly the youngest in the country at that time.
Dr Brian SHACKEL (10/03/1941 – 18/11/2012)
as Visiting Professor at the School of Civil Engineering, Tokyo University, Japan, Brian joined the National Institute for Transport and Road Research, CSIR, in South Africa, as Senior Chief Research Officer whilst on extended leave from his university post. He also held visiting appointments at the Technical Universities of Delft, Vienna, Copenhagen and Nihon University, Japan. He published more than 100 research papers dealing with geomechanics and pavement engineering, most of which covered concrete block paving. He had been involved with research into concrete block paving since the 1970s, recognised by an award by the Concrete Institute of Australia for “an advancement in concrete.” His seminal book The Design and Construction of Interlocking Concrete Block Pavements was published in 1990. He also pioneered the development of pavement design software for the industry.
Reverend Michael Alan SHEARMAN (1922 – 23/12/2012) We are grateful to Ron Cox (OP 1937 - 1944) for information included in this appreciation of Father Michael’s life.
ordained at St Paul’s Cathedral. He served at St Gabriel’s Church in Bounds Green and eventually, in 1958, he became Vicar of St Luke’s Church, Enfield, where he spent the remainder of his clerical career. He had a lifelong interest in Scouting and was the Group Scout Leader of the 6th Enfield (St Luke’s) Group. He spent his retirement near his family in North Norfolk and will be a greatly missed father, grandfather and friend.
Keith Robert STOBBS (01/11/1926 – 08/02/2013) Keith attended PGS from 1934 to 1943, his senior schooling having largely taken place during evacuation at Southbourne. He played for the first XI Cricket and first XI Football teams and was a School Prefect. On leaving PGS he joined the Royal Naval College as an Executive Cadet and then had a successful career in the Royal Navy. After retiring from the Navy he became an insurance broker and set up his own company. He died peacefully on 8th February aged 86 and leaves his sons, John and Timothy, his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
John Henry ‘Jack’ STRAWSON (1914 – 21/03/2013)
Brian attended PGS from 1952 - 1959 and was promoted to the rank of Corporal in the RAF section of the CCF where he “exercised authority in a quiet but firm manner.” He left PGS to read Civil Engineering at Sheffield University and, after gaining his degree in 1962, emigrated to Australia to take up an appointment as an engineer with the New South Wales Government. He left municipal engineering in 1966 to accept a Teaching Fellowship at the University of New South Wales and took the degrees of M.Eng.Sc. and Ph.D. He was Head of the Department of Geotechnical Engineering in the School of Civil Engineering at that university from 1989 to 1993 and was subsequently Director of the Munro Centre for Civil and Environmental Engineering for several years. Between 1978 and 1981, after a period
Michael gained a scholarship to PGS in 1933. He prospered in the OTC and reached the rank of Company Sergeant Major. He was often one of the principals in school plays and was Chief Editor of the school magazine. In 1939 Michael left PGS when he was awarded an Exhibition to Downing College, Cambridge, to study History before being called up for National Service with the Army. Michael was unable to take up combatant duties because of health concerns and so he became a backroom boy in the Corps of Signals serving in campaigns in both Italy and Greece. At the end of his war service Michael returned to Cambridge and experienced a calling to the priesthood. In 1948 he was
John Strawson (known as ‘Jack’) came to PGS as Chemistry Master in 1938 after taking his degree at Trinity College, Oxford. He took part in the evacuation of the school to Southbourne and taught there until 1940, when he became employed on chemical munitions research work. After the war, he was appointed Senior Science Master at PGS. In 1947, John left PGS to become Head of Chemistry and later Head of Science at St Paul’s School where he stayed until his retirement in 1974. In the 1960s he was Chief Examiner of Chemistry for the London University Examination Board. He spent a year in India under the auspices of UNESCO, advising the government of the time on the development of science teaching and examining. He was also the co-author of a text book entitled ‘Chemistry‘ which was published in 1965. He was a man of principle, a strong Methodist and for many years a local preacher.
Derek Arthur WORRALL (02/01/1921 – 21/02/13)
Derek had fond memories of his years at PGS (1933 – 1939) and especially remembered his time in the scout troop. He had a lifelong interest in Scouting and was still President of his local Scout group in 2009. During the last few months of his time at PGS he lived in a hostel at King Alfred’s Training College and attended Winchester College for lectures every day. On leaving school Derek’s first job was working on a farm for £1 per week. In 1943 he started his own farm and built up a big retail business which he sold in 1957. Then, Derek built up a chain of selfservice grocery stores in the South East and London, which he sold to Lever Bros in 1961. He published his autobiography ‘From Farm Labourer to Gardener in 10 not so easy stages‘ and wrote: ‘I started playing the field construction business in 1947 and made many playing fields in the South East over 40 years and have run garden centres since 1966. I now (in 2009) have four farms.’ Derek was one of the founders of the Garden Centre Association and served as treasurer as well as chairman. He was also a founder member of the London Society of Old Portmuthians (LSOP) and organised LSOP meetings at The Farmers Club. Derek was a great friend to PGS and was a regular attendee at the annual OP Club Dinner. He was President of the OP Club in 1968 and President of the LSOP twice. In 1941 Derek married Rae and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2011. He and Rae loved gardening and had a magnificent seven acre garden at their home, Birchanger, in West Sussex which they opened to the public annually for over thirty-five years to raise funds for charity. Derek died at aged 91 and leaves his loving wife Rae, sons Roger, Kenneth and Rupert, daughter Jean, seven grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.
43
64GB