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FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH GRAMMAR SCHOOL ISSUE 04 SUMMER 2019
THE OLD SAVILIAN www.qegsonline.org.uk
‘IT IS A DISGRACE TO BE IGNORANT’
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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CONTENTS HEAD’S WELCOME
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DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
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STAY IN TOUCH Please help us grow our LinkedIn Group. Connect and network with fellow Old Savs and keep up to date with all our news.
THE OLD SAVILIANS CLUB 6
Search Old Savilians (QEGS Wakefield)
ALUMNI EVENTS
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Join the QEGS Old Savilians Facebook group to keep up to date with event and reunion information, QEGS and Old Savs news and memories.
ANNUAL DINNER 2018
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Search ‘The Old Savilians Club Facebook Group’
SCHOOL NEWS
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Keep up to date with alumni news, event and reunion information and memories on Twitter.
OS ACHIEVEMENTS
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MY LIFE IN SERVICE
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MEMORIES FROM THE PAST
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LIFE AFTER THE COMMON ROOM
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Search @OldSavsOnline Visit the official QEGS Old Savilians website for all alumni profiles, news, and up to date events including the events calendar and booking information. You can also claim your own Old Savs profile and update your information and contact details. Visit: www.qegsonline.org.uk Development Office, 158 Northgate, Wakefield, WF1 3UF
OS HALL OF FAME
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LIVES REMEMBERED
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Catherine Worsley Development Director Tel: 01924 231642 Email: cworsley@qegsss.org.uk
Lizzie Hulme Development Officer Tel: 01924 663733 Email: lhulme@qegsss.org.uk
We hope you enjoy Issue 4 of The Old Savilian. Thank you to those Old Savs and former staff who have contributed to the articles in this magazine. Sharing your news and achievements is what makes this magazine so interesting and enjoyable, so please do keep us informed of your news. We have lots of events in the diary for the coming year (see page 8) – please try and book early, it really does help with our planning. We look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks and months. Lizzie Hulme & Cath Worsley (Please contact lhulme@qegsss.org.uk if you would like to share your news in our next edition of The Old Savilian)
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HEADMASTER: MR DAVID CRAIG
It has been yet another action-packed academic year at QEGS, as it has been for the Old Savilians’ Club. Under the Presidency of Alistair McKinlay (OS, 1990), the Savs go from strength to strength. As if he didn’t have enough to do, Alistair has been co-opted onto the Foundation Board of Governors, as have fellow Savilians Tim Welton (OS, 1991) and Sam Butterworth (OS, 1999), alongside Spokesman Simon Chamberlain (OS, 1988). These four wise men, like so many old boys before them, continue to lend their wisdom and support to the school long after their A Levels and it is hugely appreciated! Talking of Old Savilians, we were most grateful to Stephen Ridley (OS, 2007) who came back last autumn as Guest of Honour at Speech Day. Not only did he shake many hands whilst dispensing prizes, Stephen delivered a memorable talk and even sang to us from the grand piano under the gaze of Elizabeth I! Quite an achievement for a not so old boy in his late 20s who was nearly late for the proceedings having just hotfooted it back from an evening singing to Vladimir Putin in Russia! Later that term, the same QE Hall was packed to the rafters for the Annual Dinner – our thanks especially to Ian Shackleton (OS, 1980) and Lizzie Hulme for making this happen. Probably the most poignant event of the year was the 20th anniversary gathering to celebrate the life of James Moran (OS, 1988), lost far too soon whilst a Sixth Former at QEGS – thankyou to all those boys who came back to share their memories of this much-loved Savilian and to Father Michael Hall (OS, 1977) for presiding.
Reading through this edition of the magazine, I am reminded just how much QEGS boys (old and young) like to dress up – some might see it as a wonderfully English thing to do! From our most senior brethren – Andy Harter (OS, 1979) in his full High Sheriff of Cambridge regalia – to the Upper VI boys dressed as bacon rashers and bananas at the leavers’ football tournament, you can see what I’m talking about. Certainly the modern generation of QEGS boys will wear the Black and Gold on the games field with as much pride as their forebears. They scrub up incredibly well in black tie for the Leavers’ Ball at the Royal Armouries before returning in their droves (squeezing into that same suit) for the dinners – long may this tradition continue! The daily rhythm of school life seems to quicken each year. GCSE and A Level courses are tougher, so our great band of teachers are working harder than ever. In amongst the daily routine of six 50-minute lessons, we pack in extra clinics, seminars, clubs and societies. On top of this, sport remains our second religion alongside all the music, drama, QED, Duke of Edinburgh, trips, tours, fundraising and the like. Shiny new Chromebooks (laptops) now accompany the boys’ (indestructible) packs crammed with exercise books, pencil cases and textbooks plus guitars, hockey sticks, cricket bats and Northgate pocket money… plus ça change!
Mr David Craig Headmaster
www.qegsonline.org.uk
I write this on the last day of term whilst preparing for our final assembly of the year – School Song, rousing talk from the Headmaster, farewell to retiring staff (including a certain AJ Barraclough after 35 years’ service), Gaelic blessing, Jerusalem!
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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DEVELOPMENT OFFICE UPDATE THE YEAR AT A GLANCE 2018/19 6,200 Old Savilians recorded 1,863 Old Savilian Facebook Members
432 Old Savilian LinkedIn Members
The Foundation Development Office has been up and running now for nearly five years. Organising events, reporting on School and alumni news, creating Giving Back opportunities for alumni to share their wisdom and experiences with current students and reaching out to as many of you as possible via our social media platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook) are just some of the things the Development Office does. This year, we have worked with the Old Savilians’ President, Alistair McKinlay, and the QEGS Careers Team to help create a new mentoring scheme for current students entitled #MADEINQEGS. This has only been made possible by the generosity of our alumni. By volunteering your time, knowledge and experience, you give current students the guidance they need to make informed choices about their university, future careers and much more. Another aspect of our work is fundraising. You may remember in 2016 when a group of enthusiastic and dedicated Sixth Form Students undertook the Foundation’s first ever Fundraising Telethon. Donors made 192 gifts, raising £40,000 for various projects around the Foundation’s Schools, with bursaries being the most popular fund. Furthermore, it gave the 13 students who participated the opportunity to gain some valid work experience and a real insight into the history of the Schools and alumni experiences over the years. In order to ensure our future fundraising efforts encompass our wider community views and ideas, in March this year we published an Online Supporter Survey, which many of you completed. Your feedback and comments on the creation of a Foundation fundraising strategy to take us into the next century were gratefully received (see highlights below).
10 events, attended by 517 Alumni
We are pleased to report that after reviewing the responses to the Survey, the Governors have agreed a fundraising strategy which includes legacy giving and fundraising for bursaries as well as the new Clayton Campus. Should you wish to get involved in any way, please contact Cath Worsley (cworsley@qegsss.org.uk) or complete the form enclosed with this magazine.
ONLINE SUPPORT SURVEY – RESULTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
BURSARIES
THANK YOU LETTER
Most important reason for making a charitable donation
Most popular cause amongst respondents
Most important form of recognition
21% of respondents would like to learn more about leaving a legacy to School 4% of respondents are already making a regular gift to our schools
16% of respondents have already made a single gift
7% of respondents are interested in learning more about making a regular gift
40% of respondents would consider making a single gift
All gifts, no matter the size are very much appreciated and collectively make a difference
INTERESTING FACTS – THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS:
Number of pupils in receipt of a means-tested bursary
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Financial assistance to pupils (bursaries)
Senior School pupils in receipt of a means-tested bursary
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GIVING BACK - THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR AMBASSADORS We are delighted to be able to share with you the names of our Foundation Ambassadors, those alumni, parents and friends of the Foundation Schools who have very kindly made a gift. Financial gifts of whatever size are greatly appreciated and help us to continue to provide a first-class education, great facilities and the best opportunities for our students.
anonymous Ms Melissa Addy Dr Katherine Adler Mr Vinaykumar Ahir Mr William Asquith Mr Andrew Beales Mr Donald Beardshall Mrs Helen Bennett (nee Clark) Mr & Mrs N Best Mr Paul Blakeborough Mr Roger Blakemore Ms Julia Bradshaw & Mr Patrick Addinall Mr Jonathan Brain Dr Tim Brears Mr David Brindley Mrs Bronwyn Broadhurst Ms Judith Brown Mr Samuel Butterworth Ms Joanna Carlisle Dr Michael Cheesbrough Ms Stephanie Chui Miss Mildred Clark Mrs Jane Clarke Mrs Margaret Clayson Ms Penelope Cliffe Ms Lisa Colledge Mrs Geraldine Collie Dr Richard Coppack Ms Elizabeth Corney Mrs Pat Craven Mrs K Crockford Mr J P Crompton Dr Anna Crossley Ms Heather Danyluk Mr Robert Davidson Mr David Elliston Captain & Mrs G English Mrs Claire Fairclough Mrs Catherine Featherstone
Mr & Mrs Fergusson Ms Louise Foster Mr & Mrs Gilfeather Mr Simon Godley Mr Malcolm Golightly Mrs Caroline Gorton Mr Nigel Gray Mrs Joan Guénault Mr Rajiv Gupta Mr Geoffrey Haigh Mr Phillip Hodson Mrs Ann Holmes Ms Patricia Howarth Ms Heather Hughes Mr Andrew Hunt Ms Barbara Hunt Ms Georgina Hyde Mr & Mrs S Ingram Dr Meena Jain Mrs Janine Johnson Mr Christopher Jones Mr David Keighley Mr Christopher Knowles Mr & Mrs Krasniqi Mrs Pat Langham Ms Katrina Law Mrs Claire Lawrence Mr Simon Leach Mr & Mrs Longo Mr Iain MacDonald Mrs Amanada Mackenzie Mr John McLeod Mrs Laura McNeillie Mr Steven McTiernan Mr Christopher Millington Mr Ian Minards Mr Alastair Morris Mr & Mrs Nakuti Mr & Mrs J Nutton Louise O’Hare Mr Paul Oakley Mr & Mrs R Oba Mrs Mary Oldham
Mrs Barbara Panton Mr Wayne Parkinson Ms Natalie Petyt Ms Jean Piper Mr Srikanth Rajgopal Miss Louise Reeve Mr Richard Roberts Ms Jill Roe Mr Sarwjit Sambhi Dr Santhalingham & Dr Manoharan Mrs Nicola Sephton Ms Shuchi Shah Mr Michael Shaw Dr James Shawcross Mr John Shirtliff Mr Geoffrey Skenfield Ms Helen Slinger Ms Rosalind Stead Mr Paul Thomas Sykes Ms Chantal Szymanska Ms Alison Tetley Ms Ruth Tetley Mr & Mrs Thompson Mr John Thorp Mr Christopher Toone Mr & Mrs D Towler Ms Leah Tsirigotis Mr Michael Varley Mr P Way Mr Timothy Welton WGHS PTA Mrs Shirley Wigglesworth Mr James Wild William Lamb Group Ltd Mrs B Wirtz Mr D J Woodhead Mrs Glenys Woods Ms Anna Woolley Ms Cath Worsley Mr & Mrs E Young Mr Peter Young
We would also like to thank those alumni who have given their time as part of our ‘Giving Back’ programme, coming into School to talk to students, sharing their knowledge and expertise. We are truly grateful for your generous contributions and we know this programme helps to enrich our students’ knowledge and experience and engender a culture of giving back to the wider School community. Donors listed have pledged or made a gift to the Foundation Schools. Whilst we endeavour to ensure that these lists are accurate, we apologise if there are any inaccuracies. Please let us know if this is the case.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
100 donors wished to remain
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT Welcome to the latest edition of the Old Savilian Magazine. The last 12 months have flown by and as you will see from the magazine, the Old Savilians’ Club continues to thrive and prosper.
Our regular dinners in London and Cambridge are well attended and are a great opportunity to catch up with friends and meet new faces, as is our International Dinner in October; this year we are visiting Paris. If you’ve never been to these events, why not give them a try? Our other events, such as the Golf Tournament in June and the Bridge Tournament in December, offer an alternative to our traditional dinners, and we look forward to welcoming many of you in the future. Details about all our events can be found on our website: www.qegsonline.org.uk The Annual Dinner remains as popular as ever and it was wonderful to hear over 200 Old Savilians “raising the roof” of the QE Hall with our rendition of the School Song just before Christmas. Be sure to book early this year as it was a sell-out last time!
in touch if you’d like to be involved. We’re aiming to launch this in the Autumn Term. The first Annual QEGS v Old Savilians Sports Day was held at the end of April, during which the traditional rugby, cricket and hockey matches were played. This proved to be a real success and looks set to become a regular fixture in the calendar. Once again, it has been my pleasure to attend the Founders’ Day Service, the Year 13 Leavers’ Assembly and various social events over the last year. I look forward to seeing you at one of our many forthcoming events.
One of the objectives for the Old Savilians’ Club this year has been to explore and develop mentoring opportunities and to strengthen the links between the Club and the School. We will shortly be launching #MADEINQEGS, through which Old Savilians will be given the ability to provide guidance, support and advice to current QEGS pupils as they contemplate the direction of their future careers. I know many of you have gone on to achieve success in your careers and will be interested in helping and supporting the Club and the School with this new initiative. Please do get
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Alistair McKinlay (OS, 1990) President All OS events can be booked via the online site www.qegsonline.org.uk but if you require further information, please contact Lizzie Hulme (lhulme@qegsss.org.uk).
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WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 2019 As we welcome another cohort of QEGS boys to the Old Savilians’ Club, we hope you will embrace all the Club has to offer. We hope your QEGS journey has been a good one and that you will enjoy staying connected to your School and being part of the wider School community. The original objectives set out when the Club was formed in 1898 were to promote good fellowship of all Old Savilians, to strengthen the links between past and present, and to promote the interests of the School and its alumni. We
honour these traditions proudly and in various ways, including through our dinners, drinks and sporting events, through careers, peer-to-peer mentoring and our latest project, the #MADEINQEGS Mentoring Scheme for current students. The 6,300 Old Savilian community is an enormous pool of goodwill, experience, skills and resources and we hope that you will both benefit from and contribute to it in the coming months and years.
Being involved is simple You should have already received your login details to our online site www.qegsonline.org.uk where you can update your details, view current news and book any of the events we have planned for the coming academic year.
Attend our events – there are some exclusively for Old Savs but many more where you can join your friends from WGHS and enjoy a good old catch-up.
Each year in the Summer you will receive a copy of this magazine, and each month a copy of our e-newsletter, so please do let us know if you have any news you would like to share. Please email lhulme@qegsss.org.uk.
Jake Adams Mohammad Anas Nicholas Ansari Christopher Atkinson Joseph Basford Dylan Beckley-Robinson Matthew Best Blin Bibaj George Booth William Bower Sam Brodie Cameron Brook Theo Brook Christopher Burden Harry Burton-Braide Newman Caddies Luke Chapman Ishan Chaurasia Finlay Clarke Nathan Cook Euan Cowan Ben Cox Jacob Crabtree Sebastian Crabtree Leo D’Cruz James Demeza Neel Dugar Vikrant Dyal Louis Emmerson Osato Emovon Michael Flathers Adam Garside William Gibson James Gilfillan Talha Haleem Ben Hall Pascal Hall James Halliday Joshua Hattersley Thomas Heath James Hewitt Cain Heyworth Joe Hilton William Hodgkiss Ammar Iqbal Lewis Jones Matthew Joyce Matthew Jubb Oliver Keaney Aalim Khan Nabeal Khan Israel Kolleh-McBorrough William Ledwidge
Maximilian Lester Sebastian Lister Harry Love Rory Macrow Vuyo Makoni Athieshwar Manoharan Wesley McGuire Archie Milner Aman Mirza Daniyal Mirza Jacob Mounsey Adam Murphy Salahuddin Nadeem Luke Noble Gabriel Norcup Joseph North Charles Offord Thomas Ostrowski Will Parsons Rahul Passi Dillon Patel Vinit Patel Raheem Pervaiz Henry Pickup Edward Pitchford Danial Rawat Ethan Reeves William Renouccie Patrick Reynolds Ben Rhodes Isaac Richards Chance Richardson Ashley Sanderson Elliot Sanderson Callum Scott Muneeb Shah Alexander Skinner Lucas Smith Patrick Snowball Uzayr Soni William Stirk Matthew Strafford Lawrence Symonds-Barnes Gianni Tam-McMillan Ethan Taylor Todd Taylor Alexander Vanderstraeten Mitch Whalley Patrick Whittaker Benjamin Williams Zach Wright Alex Young
www.qegsonline.org.uk
CLASS OF 2019
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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2019/20 EVENTS LIST OS LONDON DINNER The East India Club, London Friday 20 September 2019 OS INTERNATIONAL DINNER Le Galopin de Lulu, Paris, France Saturday 12 October 2019 WAKEFIELD DRINKS The Yorkshire Deli, Wakefield Thursday 7 November 2019 (Joint with WGHS Old Girls) OS BRIDGE TOURNAMENT Reception, QEGS Saturday 7 December 2019 OS ANNUAL DINNER QE Hall, QEGS Friday 20 December 2019 OS CAMBRIDGE DINNER Clare College, Cambridge Saturday 18 January 2020 (WGHS Old Girls are welcome to attend)
ALUMNI EVENTS Throughout the last academic year we have seen so many of you at our various events and both QEGS and The Old Savilians’ Club are heartened by your support. The Wakefield and London drinks events are becoming a highlight on our social calendar and at the 2018 Annual Dinner, we saw a record number of you in your dickie bows – 200 in total! Our Celebrating Sport – QEGS v OLD SAVS day on 29 April was a great day, with many of you coming back to School to play the current students at rugby, hockey and cricket. Such was the success of the day, we have now added this to our annual events calendar. Our Old Savilians’ Golf Tournament on 14 June was another successful day (despite the weather), with 20 Old Savs teeing off in the hope of winning the coveted Harrap Bowl, as was the Bridge Tournament which will be played again this year on 7 December. And don’t forget our impending jaunt to Paris for the International Dinner; please join us if you fancy a weekend of wine tasting, sight seeing and catching up with Old Savs! We hope you agree there is something for everyone and we look forward to another year of enjoyable events.
OS INTERNATIONAL DINNER Old Savilians were welcomed by OS President, Alistair McKinlay and his wife Claire, at our 2018 International Dinner in Brussels. Fifteen Old Savilians and two guests spent time in this beautiful city, meeting up in the evening at a local Italian. Welcome drinks were served along with a feast of Italian fodder and a glass of vino (or two)! The School song was belted out with enthusiasm to round off the evening. Why not join us for the weekend (11–13 October) this year in Paris?
CELEBRATING SPORT QEGS VS OLD SAVS QEGS Sports Field Date TBC LONDON DRINKS The Horniman, London Bridge Thursday 14 May 2020 (Joint with WGHS Old Girls) OS GOLF TOURNAMENT Wakefield Golf Club, Wakefield Friday 12 June 2020 (Please book early to ensure a shotgun start)
You can book any of the events above by visiting www.qegsonline.org.uk or by emailing Lizzie Hulme at: lhulme@qegsss.org.uk
JOINT WAKEFIELD DRINKS Going two by two in a small lift down to La Bodega at Qubana was a strange experience but it didn’t detract from the atmosphere of the former bank vault, nor the atmosphere of the evening. It was great to see Old Savs and Old Girls from the class of 1949 right through to the class of 2018 attending alongside many staff from both QEGS and WGHS. Qubana did not disappoint, greeting us with a fruity welcome drink and an array of Cuban nibbles throughout the evening. Reconnecting with friends, making new acquaintances and catching up with your former teachers in a relaxed environment is the purpose of our events and we hope to see you all again very soon.
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Tournament Winners
OS LONDON DINNER
OS BRIDGE TOURNAMENT
It was, once again, a pleasure to be able to spend the evening with 44 of our Old Savilians at the East India Club in St James’ Square on Friday 21 September. We were pleased to see both familiar and new faces and were delighted to have as our guest of honour David Hepworth, (OS, 1968). David is a well-known music journalist, writer and publishing industry analyst who presented BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test in the early 80s and copresented the BBC broadcast of Live Aid in 1985.
After a period of absence from the Old Savs sporting calendar, it was about time the coveted Dean Bunnell bridge trophy became up for grabs once more. They say it’s not the winning but the taking part that counts, and this was very much the tone of the afternoon, with the social aspect being the true highlight of the day. Old Savilians’ Club President Alistair McKinlay was on hand to present the prizes and receive a crash course in the rules of bridge! Fancy your chances this year? Join us on 7 December in QEGS reception hall. Andrew Darnton (OS, 2003)
OS CAMBRIDGE DINNER
JOINT LONDON DRINKS
The Cambridge Dinner is a favourite Old Savilian event for many, not just because it is based in such a beautiful and historic city, but because the evening always engenders such a lovely atmosphere.
On Thursday 16 May we paid another visit to the capital city to enjoy an evening with our southern based alumni.
Following a minute’s silence to honour Barry Senior (OS, 1949), a former Old Savilian Club President, who died a few days earlier, we were addressed by OS President, Alistair McKinlay and Headmaster, David Craig. To conclude the formalities, Andy Harter CBE (OS, 1979), High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire (2018) attended in full ceremonial uniform and proposed the loyal toast.
Standing on the bank of the River Thames, outside The Horniman at Hay’s Galleria, the wind was a little sharp, but it didn’t detract from either the view or the atmosphere of the evening. Our rather vigilant security guard ensured there were no gate-crashers as the evening got underway!
CELEBRATING SPORT QEGS vs OLD SAVS
Next year - same place, same time - join us!
On Sunday 29 April, The Old Savilians’ Club was delighted to sponsor a day celebrating sport as QEGS rugby, hockey and cricket teams played against Old Savs. Throughout the day there was a licensed bar and a hearty hog roast for the teams and spectators to enjoy. The weather was kind to us and in true QEGS style, we saw big collisions, fast paced action and a great atmosphere. A huge thank you to the QEGS teams, all the Old Savilians who travelled back to School to play and watch and to all the parents and supporters who came along on the day. A special thank you to all the QEGS sports staff who organised the event and gave up their Sunday to make this day happen. We hope you will join us next year for more sport, food, drinks and entertainment. If you are interested in playing next year in one of the teams, please email lhulme@qegsss.org.uk.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
Until next year Floreas Wakefeldia...
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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THE OLD SAVILIANS’ ANNUAL DINNER On 21 December we held another memorable Old Savilians’ Annual Dinner. As is customary, the tables were decorated with gold and black balloons, Christmas crackers and the best table linen! This year we were also celebrating the 120th anniversary of the foundation of The Old Savilians’ Club. The tables were named in honour of past presidents and a presentation about the history of the Club and the work it does was visible on the big screen. It is always a pleasure to see so many of our Old Savilians gather in one room and 2018 was no exception. With 203 Old Savilians and guests across all peer years enjoying the occasion, the atmosphere was happy and festive throughout. We welcomed 24 OS from the Class of 2018, 20 from the Class of 2017, 17 from the Class of 2016 as well as other large groups. Our oldest guest was once again Mr Brian Hazell (OS, 1950) who has been a regular for many years. We were also delighted to welcome Mr Neil A Smith (OS, 1977) for whom this was both his first dinner and his first visit to the school since he left. Neil came with his wife and two guests. Ten staff also joined us this year and we hope you enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with them over a drink or two, as much as they did with you. After speeches by President Alistair McKinlay and Headmaster Mr Craig, Douglas Haigh honed his fingers and took up his seat at the piano to lead the guests in an enthusiastic, festive sing-song! Thank you to County Caterers for their lovely food and fantastic service and to Ian Shackleton and the staff from The New Inn, Walton who manned the bar so efficiently. Thank you also to all our Old Savilians for your continued support. We hope to see you all again next year!
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Pre-drinks at The Yorkshire Deli
www.qegsonline.org.uk
Presidents’ Selfie!
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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SCHOOL NEWS
The 2018/19 QEGS Head Boy Team
HEAD BOY REVIEW: ETHAN REEVES I have to say, writing this review is a somewhat surreal experience for me, as it officially marks the end of my 11 brilliant years at QEGS. As I think back to first arriving at the School in year 3, the one thing that I remember prominently is how friendly and inclusive both the staff and pupils have always been. The May Ball (the dance lessons went surprisingly well!) and our prefect meal mark the end of our year and education at QEGS! I am truly sad to have to say goodbye to so many people who have been a key part of my life for so many years.
between my position and studies; knowing that he was there to help has been very reassuring. Behind the scenes, Mrs Grafton has also been essential to the team, ensuring that we always had an order of pizzas ready to get us through the parents’ evenings. Finally, I must thank Mr Craig for trusting me and giving me this opportunity. On a personal note, his continual guidance throughout the year has been incredibly helpful, whether that be on performing my role effectively, or fine-tuning my personal statement.
I have to thank my outstanding team of Deputy Head Boys – Lewis Jones, Aalim Khan, Sebastian Lister, Vinit Patel, and Todd Taylor – as I couldn’t have performed my role without their vital support. Some of them had been my friends for many years, others I got the opportunity to know well over the course of this year – but either way, I wouldn’t have asked for a different group of lads. Of course, nothing would have been possible without the consistent help and effort of the 20 prefects, who each thoroughly deserved their position. Whether it be braving icy winds to carpark, or trying to organise masses of hungry teenagers eager to get into lunch, each and every one of them has played their part, and made my life a lot easier!
I am truly grateful for all the opportunities I have had over the past 11 years: I have competed in national hockey finals and played in countless school music concerts – all of which I will look back upon incredibly fondly. This year in particular has had some notable highlights, such as giving a speech on open morning to a room full of prospective pupils and their parents (no pressure there!), and giving a reading as part of the annual Carol Service – an event that even someone with my lack of singing talent can enjoy.
I also must thank the various teachers who gave me and the rest of my team these roles in the first place. Firstly, Mrs Palin and Mr Fitzsimons (who organised our fortnightly team meetings, at which bacon sandwiches were a staple) were always there to answer any questions. Their combined experience was invaluable to the team, and me personally. Mr Rees is someone else who, as the Head of Sixth Form, has helped me find the balance
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With the academic year soon coming to an end, many uncertainties and differing paths lie ahead, not only for me, but for the rest of my year. However, I feel confident that Adam Priest will do a fantastic job next year. I wish him and his team the best of luck, and would urge him to enjoy every moment – I know that I personally could not have asked for a better way to end my time at QEGS, surrounded by staff and fellow pupils who have had a huge impact over the last decade of my life. No matter what comes next, I will always be proud to have been a QEGS boy.
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WHAT BEING HEAD BOY MEANS TO ME
Thomas Crewe
To be announced as Head Boy for the next school year on Speech Day was an honour. Standing in front of so many parents and QEGS boys was a proud moment I will never forget and has been the greatest memory of my time at QEGS Junior School. However, one challenging thing came to my mind – having to make a speech in front of hundreds of people at Speech Day. In the Spring Term, my good friend Tommy Crewe became Head Boy which was a great feeling because then I knew he would be there too when we made our speeches on Speech Day. Nathanael Illingworth becoming Head Boy in the Summer Term was brilliant too, as we have done lots of fun presentations together during our time at QEGS, including Facebook Live Tours for Open Morning! Being Head Boy for the Autumn Term was an absolute
I had no idea who was going to be Head Boy for the summer term, as there were quite a few good bets in our year. However as most Head Boys will have said before me, I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be me. And whoever would be announced next, was going to have to fill some rather large boots, as the previous two head boys had been great at rallying the other prefects. So, when I was announced, I was genuinely flabbergasted and extremely flattered. It was lovely to have all the boys clapping and cheering and some of the staff patting me on the back as I walked to the front. I am looking forward to an amazing summer term as head boy!! Nathanael Illingworth
privilege. I joined QEGS in Year 3 and feel I have come a long way to be put forward in a year of so many other deserving boys. This meant a lot to me and my family. The things I have enjoyed whilst being Head Boy have been going to Cannon Hall Farm to Variety and seeing so many deprived or disabled children gleaming. It was heart-warming. Also giving a speech and poem on Founders’ Day and Remembrance Day were very proud moments. I have also welcomed the day to day tasks such as showing prospective parents around the school and trying to be a good role model for the younger boys. I am really grateful for this opportunity I have had; it has made my last year at the Junior School even more special. Thomas Rose
www.qegsonline.org.uk
When the first term came to an end and the final assembly occurred we were all buzzing to see who would be the next Head Boy. When Mrs Gray opened the envelope to announce the Head Boy for the Autumn Term and my name was read out I could not believe it and it took me by surprise. My legs turned to jelly when I went up to collect my badge. I was thrilled to have been chosen but also a bit daunted about my responsibilities. Ewan and all the prefects helped with the formal duties in the Dining Room at lunchtime and the supervision of wet play at break times. I enjoyed making the Facebook live stream to show Centenary House for the school website although am not sure I will have a future in television…! I have really enjoyed this term as Head Boy and am pleased to have made my parents so proud.
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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EXAM SUCCESS 2018 It has been another great year for QEGS boys with success in both GCSE and A Level results.
A LEVEL
GCSE Grade 9
Grades A*-A
Grades 9-8
48%
Grades A*-B
25%
50%
75%
32.5%
Grades 9-7
74%
0%
14.5%
100%
At least six grades 9-4 (A*-C)
58.5% 100%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
WILL COOPER INSPIRES AT JUNIOR SCHOOL SPEECH DAY Talking about ‘balls’ and ‘pants’ at Junior School Speech Day may seem a little strange to most, but not for our guest speaker this year, Will Cooper, (OS 2009). Will is Managing Director of Oddballs, a brand of men’s underwear created to provide men with the most comfortable underwear in the world whilst raising awareness of testicular cancer in a fun and playful way. Since 2014 Will has grown the business to include pants for women as well as hats, towels and other merchandise and now employs 25 full-time members of staff across three different warehouses, each the size of the QE Hall. OddBalls is now the official underwear of a huge number of sporting teams, including England Football, Rugby and Cricket. Such is the success of OddBalls, the company has set up the OddBalls Foundation, a UK registered charity that further raises awareness of testicular cancer and helps people who have been affected by it. Will’s speech was interesting, engaging and thought-provoking; and he confessed to the boys that he wasn’t good at everything at school and even now doesn’t have all the answers at work. He encouraged the boys to try their hardest, not to worry about
getting awards, just to be the best they can be and find the thing that they are good at and enjoy it. Will shared with the boys four important values that he has written on his office wall and that he and every member of his staff learns and abides by: We Smile, We Care, We Support Each Other and We Excel In What We Do Will concluded by telling the boys that if they worked hard and followed these four simple steps, maybe one day some of them would be standing on the stage at Speech Day in 20 years.
FAREWELL TO MRS MONK Mrs Stephanie Monk is a much-loved member of staff who over the past 17 years has helped countless boys in Learning Support, from teaching them basic phonics and handwriting, to helping prepare boys for GCSE and A level examinations. I know that the boys, staff and parents all think very highly of Mrs Monk; without her wise counsel, vast experience and no-nonsense approach, many boys who have left QEGS would not be as successful as they are today. They have a lot to thank her for. We wish Mrs Monk a long and happy retirement. I know that she will miss QEGS and the boys, but I’m sure she will be back from time to time to keep an eye on us all. Louise Gray, Head
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https://www.myoddballs.com/
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ANDY BARRACLOUGH RETIRES AFTER 35 YEARS Well, Mr Andrew Barraclough, teacher of IT, retires this year and so another long-term legend bites the dust! Andy, a Barnsley lad, came to us in 1984 as a footballer who looked like a rugby player and by chance had come across an Old Savilian who had encouraged him to play rugby at Uni. John Cholewa and I were instructed to tap up or “elbow” this man to help… he did and has done ever since! Andy’s contribution to sport doesn’t end with Rugby; he’s constantly been on the games field helping out with cricket and athletics and supported numerous tours as well as being an instrumental member of the School’s rugby committee, keeping alive representative rugby at county 15s! His two sons Matthew (OS, 2013) and Dan (OS, 2011) have both been through the School and will probably always remember when all three were on the pitch, boys playing and Dad refereeing, and he sent Matt off!! Andy’s rugby tours including Savigny (Paris) twice, Dublin, Holland and Belgium twice (and the one he never arrived at – passport problems!), are legendary. There are many stories we could tell (many of them unrepeatable) but we will always remember Savigny Junior Rugby tour in the 80s with Andy sitting looking very much like Henry VII whilst being entertained by the French! He was also part of the Isle of Man Cricket tour, various Sedbergh and Rosslyn Park trips and a stalwart on Cholly’s Ski Trips, Trev’s Water Sports adventures and a memorable first time away trip to Hymers on a red double decker bus! He saw the “Rise and Fall of ICT’, was a Boarding House Tutor (actually managing to lock John Preston in the Boarding House one Saturday morning) and did many DofE Expeditions with Dean Bunnel (OS, 1970), as well as a German Exchange with Stuart Webb, despite speaking absolutely no German! Andy won’t just be remembered for his huge contribution to School sport but for his tutoring of many boys in ICT. He’s been
“Mr Computers” for many years building a database in the early days for The Old Savilians’ Club and often lending his expertise to staff “pimping” up presentations and the like. He’s known as the staff tug of war anchor-man, tea maker, part of the muppet double act with Gazza (Bazza and Gazza), card school, crossword club, paperboy, quiz/general knowledge expert and is a regular at The Old Savs Annual Dinner. He’s been a stalwart in the common room, often fighting battles for the staff that many would not! He may also be remembered for sometimes being a general “pain in the butt”, however, underneath that grumpy exterior is a very sensitive and caring man, husband to his lovely wife Karen, dad and member of staff. If you have had that argument with Andy – and I am sure, like me, many have – he is not being “bloody minded”, he just thinks it’s the right thing to do as he’s very much a right/wrong, black/white (with very few shades of grey) man. The quiet room (Andy’s Office) won’t be the same without him; we will miss his dulcet tones, his e-mail responses and “funnies”, to name but a few, but more than that we have lost a real character. You only need to go to the Old Savs Dinner to hear the boys singing ”there is only one Andy Barra!” to realise what a stamp he has left on the boys’ memories. They, like us, all know that his bark was always worse than his bite! Trevor Barker, Physical Education
GOOD LUCK TO MS PEACE IN HER NEXT VENTURE enormously. Her contribution to the wider life of the school was also impressive. Liz has instructed boys in bidding and tricktaking, running the school Bridge Club for several years. Her QED contributions have allowed myriad boys to find their creative talents: in the Baking Suite, making Origami constructions or needle felting. Liz has decided to finish her teaching career at the top of her game; she leaves us to pursue her creative ambitions and spend more time focussing on her jewellery making business. We thank her for all she has done, and wish her every success in the future. Mark Fitzsimons, Director of Studies
www.qegsonline.org.uk
This year we also say goodbye to Liz Peace. Liz joined the maths department ten years ago and has seen many boys through the rigours of calculus, geometry, algebra and trigonometry. Her kind, unflappable nature allowed her to get the best out of all the boys she taught – many of whom surpassed their own expectations under her expert care. Liz has been a valuable asset to the Department and we will miss her
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR Drama Students ha ve enjoyed a worksho p with BAFTA Award Winner Chris Hann on.
place in l service took fu er d n o w er celebrate the Anoth November to in l ra ed h at mar School. Wakefield C izabeth Gram El n ee u Q f o founding
2013) and Ingham (OS, part of Brothers, Rory 12), who are 0 2 S, (O am an Dominic Ingh d Bonsai, gave med jazz ban ai . cl ts ac en ly d al u ic c st crit shop to musi inspiring work
Year 11 student Oliver Hulse successfully completed his first solo flight at the age of 16! WGSF String Quartet won the 18 and Under String Group Class at the Rothwell Music Festival in March.
on all as a sell-out w ck o R f o l o Scho three nights!
Year 13s receive Gold DofE Awards at Buckingham Palace
wghsintouch.org.uk
A well-attended Heads’ Tea Party took place again this year in March. Year 7 pupils who joined us from other schools invited their previous Headteachers, Deputy Heads and Year 6 teachers to see how they’ve been getting on.
Sixth Form student George Purves-Bennett raised more than £3,000 to help a little boy who has been undergoing chemotherapy at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. He hopes it will fund a holiday for him and his mum.
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OS ACHIEVEMENTS It is such a privilege to be able to include in our publications the many and varied achievements of our alumni community. The following accounts from some of our alumni showcase the talents and diversity of skills that our alumni have. We are confident that the #MADEINQEGS label that we affectionately adopt has, in some small way, contributed to helping you along life’s bumpy roads and ultimately assisted your many endeavours. If you would like to share your story with us, please contact lhulme@qegsss.org.uk. #stayconnected
GARETH VOGAN (OS, 2010) When I left QEGS in 2010 I didn’t really know what I wanted to be doing in life. I knew I wanted to be snowboarding – but when I told my teacher that in my careers one-to-one session, she kindly informed me that it was impossible because I wasn’t good enough to do it professionally, and to pick a proper career. Frustrated, I picked a degree in marketing whilst harbouring the desire to prove her wrong.
The doctor recommended that I should take it easy and avoid snowboarding – but that perspective didn’t really align with my life goals. So I carefully ignored his advice, and through a friend of mine started the process of becoming a snowboard judge. A snowboard judge’s job is to score each run of an athlete during a competition, and ultimately determine the rank that the riders will finish in. I instantly loved it, and threw myself into it, attending national and international training sessions and working my way up to become a World Cup Snowboard Judge. As a point of reference, judging at a
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www.qegsonline.org.uk
Four years later, I left Loughborough University with a 2:1 degree in Retail, Marketing & Management, and a wealth of snowboard competition experience – and a broken back, having fractured my T7 & T8 vertebrae two days after finishing my final exams.
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
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RETURNING TO UNIVERSITY AT 30
World Cup is probably comparable to officiating at a Six Nations match. In short, this means that I regularly pack my bags and head to various destinations around the world – from the expected (such as France, Switzerland and Austria) to the more obscure (Lithuania, Bosnia and Slovakia). A snowboard judge’s pay isn’t anything worth shouting from the rooftops, so I needed a supportive job that would pay the bills whilst I was jet-setting, but at the same time would be completely flexible and wouldn’t restrict me to a certain number of days of annual leave. I don’t know if you’ve ever asked an employer for more than 60 days off in a single year – they don’t seem to like that idea, for some reason. Enter Vogan Creative – the social media marketing agency I set up that would allow me to work remotely and flexibly. Its prime focus is on creating and implementing social media content strategies for sporting brands, as well as broadcasting events onto brands’ social media channels. We’ve covered everything from fast-paced ski racing, to high-end charity galas. The spin-off mini-career from snowboard judging came in the form of an invite from Eurosport, asking me to be their ‘snowboard expert’ for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. I understandably jumped at the chance, and joined Ian Findlay in the commentary box for snowboard slopestyle, halfpipe and big air competitions. It was an incredible experience, and it still blows my mind that tens of thousands of people around the world were listening to me ramble on about snowboarding. So there you have it – an “impossible” career in snowboarding. If you want to find out more about Gareth’s judging career, you can follow his blog at www.itsajudgeslife.co.uk or on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaaU_JKGzfk7afi8A3viPdQ). For more information about Vogan Creative, social media marketing or social media live-streaming, visit www.vogancreative.com or email Gaz@VoganCreative.com.
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Old Savilian James Bowers tells us about his experience at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School where he is currently completing his MBA In August last year, I quit my job in consulting to return to University to undertake an MBA. Masters of Business Administration are broad degrees covering business and management disciplines, aimed at those with roughly six years of professional work experience. Returning to study has allowed me a broader understanding of business topics, to step back from working life and to evaluate the career I want. My MBA classmates are a huge part of the learning: nowhere before have I sat with an American Army officer, an Indonesian McKinsey consultant and a Nigerian agriculture specialist and been tasked with building a strategy for a genomics company – something none of us had any background knowledge of. Returning to study does require a huge mindset change. Moving back into college halls, not having a steady income and being among the older students has required adapting my lifestyle and having a sense of humour – a particular highlight was being given the nickname ‘Grandad’ by some of the undergrads in college! Cambridge is an incredible place to build a strong network, particularly in graduate degrees. I have found that University has an incredible ability to combine being both very English and also hugely international – the MBA alone has over 50 nationalities. Being part of a college, attending debates at the Cambridge Union Society and all the other events that go on in and around Cambridge, including the Old Savs Dinner in January, is a privilege. Although still undecided, over Easter I’ll be working for Google in Amsterdam, in the hope of moving into the tech sector following graduation.
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OLD SAVS CONQUER THE LONDON MARATHON Running the London Marathon has always been on my bucket list. It offers a great opportunity to challenge yourself and to raise money for a charitable cause. Having completed the London Triathlon in August 2018 I set my sights on getting a place in the 2019 marathon for my next challenge. After applying to several worthy causes I was accepted by Dementia Revolution in October 2018.
Tom Scatchard
I did a few light runs before Christmas, but training really started in January. I borrowed training ideas from various places and designed my own training plan. After a few niggles in my early training days I managed to stay relatively injury-free in the 17 weeks between Christmas and the marathon. I had the benefit of living in London so could train on the course which meant I got a good feel for the route. All in all I ran over 400 miles in training so I felt well prepared for the big day. At 10.10 on 28 April the marathon started. The route meanders through some of London’s most famous landmarks and has crowds of people lining the streets from start to finish. As expected, going over Tower Bridge just before halfway was a particular highlight. People shouting your name from all angles helps to keep you going and made sure I got to the end. Seeing familiar faces of friends and family was also a great boost with many Old Savs and Girls on the route. I finished the marathon in 3h36 and raised over £4k for my charity. Thankfully I wasn’t the only Old Savilian running. Pat Dawson and Chris Pashley (both OS, 2009) were running for Bone Cancer Research Trust, raising over £11k between them. Joe Allott (OS, 2011) was running for Wakefield Hospice and raised £4k for the cause. The four of us formed a WhatsApp group to share training tips, advice and to update each other on progress which was a huge benefit to each of us. This was a pivotal part of getting us over the line; both start and finish! We found the experience extremely rewarding and raised a huge amount for our respective charities in the process.
Joe Allott
Tom Scatchard (OS, 2009)
Room 26 of the Maths Department was my home away from home. With ancient textbooks lining the walls and the distant din of the playground, Room 26 is a room built for students to discover and dive deep into academia. It was in this room that I developed a deep appreciation for Mathematics; I am now a Masters student in Mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge and will be embarking on a PhD in Number Theory next year. I have mentioned Mathematics thrice so far and I imagine some stomachs are already churning. Mathematics has this remarkable, universal property to stir up bad memories from school of “solving for x” or the endless number of trigonometric identities. In reality, this is not Mathematics. On the contrary, Mathematics is a precise and creative language to describe our universe. My area of interest is Number Theory – the study of the integers
(whole numbers, eg. -2,0,1). This is possibly the simplest object in Mathematics but strangely the most elusive. Much like a house is built from bricks, the integers are built from the primes, the numbers which can be divided only by 1 and themselves. For example, 2, 3, 11 are prime numbers but 6 is not as it can be divided by 2 and 3 as well. The primes are mysterious objects at the heart of Mathematics but we cannot answer even basic questions about these numbers, such as whether they follow some sort of pattern? Ironically the lack of ability to answer this question is the very reason that we can perform credit card transactions securely. Prime numbers are literally the fabric holding society together. One of my Mathematical heroes, the late Srinivasa Ramanujan made colossal contributions to Number Theory and his story is a
www.qegsonline.org.uk
A MISSION TO CELEBRATE SRINIVASA RAMANUJAN
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
20 tale of grit, wonder and inspiration. Reading his epic biography, ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’, inspired me to follow in his footsteps and pursue a career in Pure Mathematics. This article is about an ongoing project to commemorate Ramanujan’s genius. After three rigorous years at Trinity, and completion of my undergraduate final exams, I thought it was time to pay homage to this great master. On 11 June 2018, I embarked on a flight to India to retrace the footsteps of my late hero; to be in the place where it all began, to see first-hand the places where Ramanujan had lived, loved and received inspiration. As I travelled across South India, visiting all the key landmarks in Ramanujan’s life, I was overjoyed to get glimpses into the man behind the Maths. From his humble childhood home in Kumbakonam to the ancestral temple in Namakkal, each location evoked a sense of amazement. While browsing through the archives of a museum in Chennai, I chanced upon his death certificate. The adventurer within me could not let this opportunity slip by. I found my way to the other end of the city, to see where it all came to a tragic end. The trip was very special for me but I felt anguish and anger at each landmark. Many of the places have fallen into disrepair and nobody seemed to care. These heritage sites of national and international pride have been ignored by the local and central government and the population at large seemed to care less. This is in stark contrast to such monumental sites in the UK, such as Woolsthorpe Manor in England, where Isaac Newton lived, or Dove Cottage, Rydal Mount and the Wordsworth house in Cockermouth, associated with the life of William Wordsworth. As a child I often visited Newton’s house. Such trips are not only informative but they inspire students to dream big and one day make their own contribution to the world. With a ruthless exam-
focussed education system, these sorts of trips and dreams are not encouraged or supported in India. As I continued my India trip to Pondicherry, Siliguri and Mumbai I started conversations with fellow travellers, people I met in cafes and restaurants. Each exchange left me in disbelief – they were completely unaware of India’s greatest mathematician. I realised this was no longer a personal trip for me – it had evolved into a bigger mission to honour Srinivasa Ramanujan. As soon as I returned to the UK, I wrote to Mr Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. I shared vivid details about my journey, my experience and my proposal to redevelop these iconic landmarks and build a museum of Science and Mathematics for the world to see Ramanujan’s life and work. I am very pleased to say that the government’s initial response is positive and we are now in the very early stages to make this a reality. This summer I will be again be travelling to India to see how we can realise this dream. This trip began as a personal journey but has now evolved into a bigger mission. A mission to celebrate Ramanujan and the numerous other great Indian thinkers. Near the end of his life, Einstein was asked by the New York State Education Department what schools should emphasise. “In teaching history,” he replied, “there should be extensive discussion of personalities who benefitted mankind through independence of character and judgement.” It is my wish that this project will inspire students to follow in his footsteps and contribute something of their own to the world. To conclude I would like to thank all my teachers at QEGS and in particular the Maths department who helped me believe in myself. Soham Karwa (OS, 2015)
SAM BEEVER & MUM RUN 100KM ULTRAMARATHON It was after my Grandpa and I had just dropped Dad home after a night at the cinema that he had his first stroke. After a day or so in intensive care, where we believed he was making a good recovery, he had his second stroke. He passed away on 21 February 2013. He had just turned 44. When Dad passed away, our worlds stood still – everything ground to a halt as we tried to process what had happened and how we’d carry on. Days would go by when the only thing I’d think about was the dad-sized hole left in my life; our lives. But Dad wouldn’t want us all booing over him – he never liked the attention anyway – so Mum and I are making sure we live out the days he lost to the fullest. So, as my Mum turns 50 this year, and I am turning 21, we decided it would be a good idea to raise money for Stroke Association UK in memory of my Dad by entering the London to Brighton Ultramarathon - a 100km (62mile) run from (you guessed it) London to Brighton. Unfortunately, with two weeks to go, and after an intense training schedule including altitude training at Everest Base Camp, Mum picked up a severe hip/leg injury. After she
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endured epidurals to minimise the pain with little success, the physios told her not to compete. Though she couldn’t race the full event, she was determined to pace-set where she could. It was extremely nerve-racking to say the least, but we did it! With Mum pacing me for the final 20km, and the incredible support from Old Savs Tom Logan (OS, 2012) and Jenson Brook (OS, 2014) throughout the day, I completed the 105km run in 14h and raised c.£16k for Stroke Association in the process. Thank you to all those who donated and helped along the way – with the funds raised, I hope we can make a difference.
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MY RUGBY CAREER
Rugby was always at the heart of my time at QEGS, from playing tennis ball rugby in the yard at break times to afternoon games sessions, come rain or shine! I was extremely lucky to be part of a very successful team during school and achieved some really special things such as winning the U16s Rosslyn Park 7s and playing twice at Twickenham in the NatWest Cup finals at U15s and U18s. As cliché as I found it when we were told then, these memories have never left me and never will, creating the pathway to where I am today. I was brought into the Yorkshire Carnegie Junior Development squad at 14 and progressed through the Junior Academy and into the Senior Academy upon leaving Sixth Form. During my first year in the academy I was on loan to Wharefedale RUFC in National 2 North, which was my first taste of men’s rugby and of a rowdy following of the tweed-flat-cap-wearing Dalesmen at the “Avenue”, finishing the season playing for England 19s in Paris against France. Since then I have played with: Leeds Beckett, where I study, in the BUCS Super Rugby competition and in my third final at Twickenham earlier this year, Hull Ionians in National 1, England students; and Yorkshire Carnegie, playing in 19 senior games now.
After leaving Sixth Form I went straight into a full time professional rugby environment, training and playing over five days a week with Yorkshire Carnegie which I massively enjoyed, and led to me making my senior debut in Jersey against the reds at 19 years old which was equally nerveracking as it was exciting for me! I hope to continue playing rugby professionally for as long as I can and creating great memories, never forgetting where it all began… at QEGS. Elliott Ward (OS, 2016)
www.qegsonline.org.uk
My rugby career began at QEGS alongside Sandal RUFC from being six years old. I progressed through Junior School into Senior School where I really developed my aspirations to be a professional rugby player. The long string of passionate coaches at QEGS were always a huge influence on me and my year group’s team, from Mr Parsons’s compulsory woolly hats to Trev’s notorious figures of eight.
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
22 On board HMS ARGYLL during a transit of the Suez Canal, 2005
My Life In Service Alistair Haigh (OS, 1987) Great Britain has always been a maritime nation, with a Navy that can trace its origins back to the 16th century whose job it has always been to protect and project the country’s interests across the globe. With 95% of the UK’s economic activity depending on the oceans in some way or other, and about half a trillion pounds’ worth of business arriving by sea every year, a strong and credible Navy has always been a necessary part of the national fabric. When I joined the Royal Navy in 1991, however, there was something of an identity crisis. The Berlin Wall had not long since fallen, the cold war was officially over, and the Armed Forces as a whole – along with everyone else – were questioning themselves about their role. The Army began the long process of withdrawing from their permanent presence in Germany, the RAF had to restructure away from bombers into more multi-role aircraft and the Royal Navy scrapped huge numbers of ships and aircraft. As the Gulf Wars and later Afghanistan showed, modern Armed Forces needed to be much more flexible and responsive and less like cold war behemoths playing a strategic stand-off against the Eastern Bloc. Into this context stepped a fresh-faced graduate who just wanted to be a helicopter pilot! I’d met someone at a 21st birthday party who was already in the Navy and that seemed like a fantastic career – see the world while conducting one of the most
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Deploying a boarding team from HMS ARGYLL’s Lynx helicopter during operations in the Persian Gulf, 2005.
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challenging and dangerous jobs in the world. I spent over 26 years having fun in the Navy, flying helicopters from all manner of ships – from small frigates to aircraft carriers – in places as far apart as the USA and Australia. People sometimes ask whether I would recommend joining the Navy and I would say yes without hesitation, but with a caveat; just as the world never stops changing, so the Armed Forces must never stand still. Just as in financial planning, past results are no guarantee of future performance, but as long as people go into it with their eyes open, the fundamental tenets remain the same – a career in the Royal Navy will be interesting, varied, busy and will involve a lot of time away from home. But it’s also hugely rewarding and it made me who I am today.
In my capacity as Commanding Officer of 815 Squadron, signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commanding Officer of 627 Squadron, Republic of Korea Navy, 2013.
My name is Paul Sykes and I attended QEGS from 1990–2000. I was sponsored through my A Levels by the Royal Air Force before attending the RAF College at Cranwell in Lincolnshire. I was selected to train as a pilot, enjoying the awesome challenge and privilege of military flying training. After receiving my “Wings” I was posted to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire where I flew the C-130J Hercules, an aircraft still in service today. The C-130J is a tactical transport aircraft, meaning although a fairly large aircraft, it is capable of landing on a beach or desert strip, flying at low level, and dropping all manner of equipment or parachutists onto drop zones at day or night. When I arrived
In terms of professional satisfaction there is nothing like seeing something your team were part of on the next day’s front pages. Away from Operations I was able to get involved in sports, playing rugby for my station and training as a Mountain Leader, and to throw myself into the active social life that being a member of the military offers. As I grew older my priorities changed and I left the RAF in 2014. I have continued my career in civil aviation, returning to my Yorkshire roots as an airline pilot with Jet2.com at Leeds
www.qegsonline.org.uk
Paul Sykes (OS, 2000)
at Lyneham the Hercules was heavily committed to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and, wanting to be close to action, I applied and was selected to join 47 Squadron, which at the time was solely dedicated to supporting UK Special Forces. My time on the front line was exciting, sometimes stressful, and always challenging. I worked with some incredible people, and was involved in some Operations which received national attention.
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The Old Savilian Issue 4
24 Bradford airport. I look back on my time in the RAF with great fondness and would commend it, or any branch of the military, to anyone looking for challenge and adventure. When asked to write this piece I wanted to include something that might prove useful to anyone considering a career in the Armed Forces. With that in mind I have included what I hope are three helpful pointers for anyone currently in this position. First is the power of adopting and maintaining a positive mindset. This is something of a cliché, but it has only become one because it is true. When I first strapped into the cockpit of a training aircraft I was certain my destiny was to join the ranks of the sky god fast jet pilots. However, like most, at some point during training I fell short of the mark and instead trained to fly large aircraft. I was incredibly disappointed and frustrated, but by focussing on what I still had rather than what I had lost I was able to put this behind me. I still had an opportunity many would have given everything for, even if it wasn’t the one I had hoped for. Military training is designed to test you, either intellectually, mentally or physically, often to your limit. Through selection, training, and onto operations, being able to stay cheerful and find positives in the face of the challenges you encounter will be your best chance of success. It isn’t always easy, but it is especially true if you aspire to be a leader, which I am sure many of you will. The second is advice I was given by the best Commanding Officer I ever had. “Achieve, achieve, achieve, because you get out what you put in.” Not every achievement has to be monumental, but if you always have an eye on your next challenge or qualification you will very quickly be surprised by how much you have done. More than most, the military will help you identify those opportunities, and by adopting this approach, in pursuit of either professional success or personal satisfaction, you shouldn’t go too far wrong.
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The final piece of advice comes from a personal perspective. I chose not to go to University after my A Levels, and while I do not regret this, if I could have my time again I would do it differently. At 18, three years of studying before following my dream felt like a lifetime, but it really isn’t. Be honest with yourself – are you the kind of person who would benefit from three years’ extra life experience before committing yourself to such a huge challenge. I passed all of my initial and officer training as an 18/19 year old, but there were times when I was hanging on by the skin of my teeth. Three extra years of life experience would have allowed me to take a lot more of it in my stride. Talk to your parents and teachers and try to get an honest idea of which path is right for you; you owe it to yourself to give yourself the best shot at your dream, even if it comes a few years later. Finally, I wish you all the very best of luck with whichever career path you eventually choose. The academic, cultural and sporting opportunities you receive at QEGS will put you in an excellent position to make a success of your decision, be it with the Armed Forces or otherwise.
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Andy Dobson (OS, 1984) After leaving QEGS in 1984, I went straight on to Trent Polytechnic to do a degree in Production Engineering. However, I had always been interested in joining the RAF ever since the RAF Careers Officer visited QEGS, so post-degree, in 1988 I joined the RAF as a Regiment Officer. After twelve months of Officer and RAF Regiment Training, I went on my first tour with 19 Squadron RAF Regiment, a Rapier Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton. In 1992 I moved to a Special Duties role for two years before moving to RAF Lyneham as the Station Regiment Officer, responsible for training all 2000 personnel in Ground Defence and Survival techniques. I then moved to the RAF College at Cranwell where I was responsible for RAF Initial Officer Training.
In 2002, I was promoted to Wing Commander and went directly to Kosovo for six months before taking up a post back in the UK responsible for all RAF Regiment Operations, particularly Iraq. My last tour was at RAF Wittering commanding a Wing of approximately 500 personnel, during which I completed a further two tours of Iraq, latterly as Chief-of-Staff, Basra. Having enjoyed every minute of my time with the RAF, I decided to leave in 2005 and pursue a different career in the commercial retail sector. I had a fantastic 18 years, and was fortunate enough to lead people on operations, experience things that money can’t buy and to be part of the unique esprit de corps that only exists in the Military. The leadership and personal skills I developed during my time in the RAF are now with me for ever and have given me the opportunity to move on to different challenges – and in that respect I would recommend it to anyone.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
Promoted to Squadron Leader in 1997, I went to work in the RAF Headquarters as part of the RAF Regiment Operations Staff.
I was fortunate enough to assume command of 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF Leeming, completing Operational tours with the Squadron in Oman, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, where I also led a team to reactivate Kabul Airfield during Operation Enduring Freedom.
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MEMORIES FROM THE PAST
A LASTING FRIENDSHIP Peter, Martin and Roy met at Wilthorpe Primary School, Barnsley in the late 1940s. Peter and Martin were enrolled in the reception class and Roy joined them two years later when his family moved into the house next door but one to Peter. Thus their long friendship began. All three gained scholarships to QEGS, to which they travelled by bus. As a reward for passing their O Level examinations, their parents bought them racing bikes on which they rode many miles together, sometimes camping and riding to School, using the slipstream of the school bus. They joined the local tennis club which provided hours of pleasure during the long summer holidays. Inevitably, upon going on to higher education, their paths diverged, but they maintained their friendship via family events, letters, telephone calls and emails. Realising they had all survived three quarters of a century, they decided to spend a long weekend together with their wives in Barnsley and Wakefield. Without doubt, the highlight of the weekend was a nostalgic visit to QEGS, organised by Lizzie Hulme, with a memorable tour of the school led by Nigel Rigby and accompanied by Alistair McKinlay, OS President, during which they were pleased to meet the Headmaster, David Craig.
ROY STORRS (OS, 1961) On leaving QEGS I gained a Certificate of Education from Borough Road College (now Brunel University). Later I gained a degree in Art History and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Arts. I enjoyed my 40 years in the education service as teacher, headteacher, local authority adviser, with my last 16 years as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools. Like Peter and Martin, I gained a great deal from the overall ethos and the masters at QEGS. In particular, I had great respect and affection for the Head of Art, Peter Hawkin, a quiet yet inspirational man, whose advice and encouragement helped forge my career in art education. At QEGS I played for the tennis team and took turns at playing piano for assemblies and performed piano duets in the annual concerts with Martin.
PETER JOHN RODGERS (OS, 1961) On leaving school seven years were spent at University gaining degrees in Chemistry and related topics. This was followed by a career in industry at various levels and in a multiplicity of roles, but never far away from science and its applications, latterly straying into the now fashionable area of Biotechnology. Time was also spent on Government and Industry committees in the UK and Europe. However, at all times I remembered and was grateful for the basic principles instilled by the “legends”; “Happy Harry” Hughes and Jack Morrell (Chemistry), “Shortie” Collins (Physics) and “Pop” Ellis (Mathematics) and not forgetting the teaching of Mr (Walter) Teasdale on the proper use of the English Language and the value of “precis”.
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MARTIN JOHNSON (OS, 1961) On leaving QEGS, I studied Chemistry at Reading University and subsequently enjoyed a fulfilling career in the pharmaceutical industry, initially in West London and latterly in Cumbria where I have now settled. Like Peter, I have fond memories of those inspiring and influential teachers whom he mentions. Music has been an abiding passion since school days, thanks in no small part to the influence of Dr P.G.Saunders, the then organist and choirmaster of Wakefield Cathedral, who gave musical appreciation lessons at the school and ran a lunchtime choir. My earliest public performances took place in the newly built school hall, occasionally accompanying hymns at morning assembly and playing duets with Roy in Summer Concerts.
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And so it was that in the beginning of April of 1968 – my family having relocated to Horbury – I started work at the District Bank (which disappeared when what later became the National Westminster Bank bought it out) in Wakefield Bull Ring. With my new-found wealth, naturally I bought a motor scooter. This was the swinging sixties and I was a ‘mod’!
QEGS HOSPITAL CRASH David Keighley, now 67, attended QEGS from 1963 to 1970. He subsequently became a BBC journalist and news executive, and then director of public affairs of the ITV company TV-am. Since 1993, he has been a self-employed consultant, advising politicians and broadcasters globally on business development, media strategy and communications. In 2010 he read for a Masters degree in psychotherapy, and now, on top of his media work, counsels 15 clients a week in Brighton, where he has lived for the past 25 years. In 2007, he was appointed a magistrate, and is now a chairman on the Sussex family court bench. He says: “QEGS gave me the best possible start in life. It instilled in me, above all, a love of knowledge and a deep sense of curiosity about the world. And it opened my eyes to the fact that, through work and application, success follows.” At QEGS, I did what were then called GCE Ordinary Levels in four years because in those days, there was a “fast stream” for the boys thought able enough to do this. As I was sitting the exams in the summer of 1967, my father got an exciting new job in Blackburn, and so in the August – as my results came through – we moved there. I sadly said what I thought would be my final goodbyes to my school chums. I thus started my first term in the sixth form at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Blackburn. It was an exciting, heady time for me, but as I turned 16 at Christmas of that year, came more news from my dad. His new role was not working out, and he had very reluctantly decided to go back to his former job. For me, it was devastating. QEGS two was
I settled into a new life in my old city, formed a new circle of friends, and soon QEGS seemed a distant memory. However, fate intervened. One day, I set out to work from Horbury, and as I passed the Lupset Hotel on Horbury Road, a car turning right up Broadway cut in front of me. It was impossible to stop. All I could do was swerve, but that didn’t work, either. I hit his bonnet with a sickening thud and was catapulted up in the air. In what seemed like an eternity later, my head hit the curb. I didn’t lose consciousness, though, and thankfully, I was wearing a crash helmet. Despite a lot of pain, I managed to pull myself up to a sitting position. It was then I saw the blood. There was a massive gash on my right shin where I had hit the car’s bumper. The rest is a blur. I was rushed to Clayton Hospital – then Wakefield’s main emergency treatment centre – and spent several days in intensive care as doctors and the wonderful team of nurses battled to deal with both my leg and internal bleeding. Eventually, after almost a week of excruciating pain, I was declared out of danger, and put in the orthopaedic ward while my leg wound healed. But it did not, or not immediately. I developed major infections and at one stage I was warned I could lose my leg because antibiotics were not working. It meant that I spent almost the whole of that summer in what felt like a prison sentence, because I was not able to leave my bed. But there were compensations. I filled my time by reading voraciously. I began to study for my banking exams. The ward was at ground level on the cut-through access road between the Grammar and High Schools, and so every day, I watched my former colleagues and chums on their way
to school and home. I began to wonder about my former life... Finally in mid-August, I was told that I could go home. But on the evening before my release, there was a new admission in the bed next to me, a boy who had broken his leg. At visiting time – then a fixed hour every evening – a familiar figure turned up to see my new ward mate. It was Mr Williamson, a teacher at QEGS who, in my first and second years, had taught me history, my favourite subject. The boy with the broken leg was his nephew. Mr Williamson was, of course, very surprised to see me, because he thought I had moved away to Blackburn and knew nothing of my return. “What are you doing here?” he asked in a puzzled tone. Excitedly, I told him about my new grownup status working in a bank. I was expecting a thumbs up. But that’s not what I got. He first congratulated me on my diligence in getting a job, but then said: “Are you really sure that’s what you want to do, because I think with hard work you could have got to Oxford or Cambridge.” No-one had told me that before in such a direct way, or if they had, I had not believed it possible. But in that moment, Mr Williamson was both brilliantly persuasive and utterly inspiring. Somehow, in those brief seconds, he conveyed that I could do and achieve much more than I was accepting. Three weeks later, I was back at QEGS in the Sixth Form. The accident was emphatically not my fault and I received nearly £800 in damages, then the equivalent of two years’ pay. It was easily enough to fund my own school fees, and that is what I did. And thanks to Mr Williamson and my stay in Clayton Hospital – together with a strong dose of serendipity – I did get to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where I read History and Archaeology. PS: in the “odd coincidence” stakes, there’s one more twist. Before our family’s move to Blackburn, we had lived opposite the Lupset hotel near the scene of my 1968 accident. Eight years previously, on my way to school, I had crossed Horbury Road at the bottom of Broadway and missed seeing a motorcycle coming from Horbury. He hit me. I bounced against the kerb, losing my three front teeth, and ending up staring down a grate. After my crash in 1968, I ended up staring down exactly the same grate!” David Keighley (OS, 1970)
www.qegsonline.org.uk
over. And so was QEGS one. I had got there on an eleven plus scholarship, the local authority ruled that it was now lapsed, and my father could not afford school fees. I could not go back. My reaction? I would find a job.
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LIFE AFTER THE COMMON ROOM PATRICK GANLEY I was at QEGS between 1970 and 1975 in Savile House. I became a teacher at QEGS Junior School in 1993 until 2003 in charge of ICT and running the U9 rugby team and U11 cricket. In 2003 I became Head of Science at WGHS Junior School. I also became an Ogden Fellow for Physics which included doing some outreach work within junior science. I have lived in Wakefield all my life and continue to do so. I am still connected with the Foundation, invigilating exams at QEGS Senior School and assisting with WGHS Junior School Nativity Play at St Austin’s Church where I am currently the Director of Music. I continue to support Wakefield Trinity as I have done since 1963!!
MIKE RYLANCE
MIKE HALLS After leaving QEGS in July 2008, having taught in the Junior School for thirty nine years (1969–2008), I did worry how I would fill in the huge void that was left in my life. I really should have known better. My wife, Eileen, had it all planned – lots of travelling to all corners of the Earth. Basically that’s exactly what we have done for the last ten years. Even as I write this (January 2019) I am sitting in the beautifully hot weather in Melbourne, Australia. We are taking in the tennis at the Australian Open. Over the years we have spent a lot of time out here; our elder son, Andrew, lived in Sydney for six years and now our younger son, Simon, lives in Brisbane, where we were lucky enough to have Christmas. Sport has always played a large part in my life as many of you will remember so, whenever and wherever possible, we have enjoyed watching major sporting events around the world. The list includes Grand Prix, Olympic Games, International Rugby and Cricket, Commonwealth Games, Baseball, World Cup Skiing and a lot of tennis. I still love to ski and will be in Val d’Isere in February.
Even without QEGS as the backdrop, life has continued in much the same vein. Though the dash to the place in France is less frenzied than it used to be at the end of term, we still go there regularly, now despairing at the calamity that is Brexit. Most of what occupies my time was in place before I left School definitively in 2010. Thus the regular articles on rugby league, with two books in the past decade - Trinity and the very latest, The Struggle and the Daring: The Remaking of French Rugby League, a follow-up to The Forbidden Game (1999) and which I’m now, logically enough, translating into French. As with those Sixth Form art trips with Pete Dryland, visiting galleries in London and Paris remains a great pleasure, and nudges me into doing art work of my own, instead of telling other people to do it.
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We have tried to visit as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible such as Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat, Chichen Itza, Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, to mention just a few. We love travelling in the USA and have visited thirty seven of the fifty states so far with the intention of filling in the gaps over the coming years. One of the great joys of travelling is meeting up with Old Savs in different countries – sometimes by chance and sometimes by design. On this trip to Australia I have met up with no fewer than seven former pupils all of whom I taught at some stage of their time at QEGS. Closer to home, I still enjoy coming to the school fields to watch QEGS boys play their matches. When we are at home we enjoy time with our friends and family. Our three delightful grandsons, Lachlan, Finlay and Connor (Andrew and Lorna’s sons) are growing up rapidly and we spend as much time with them as we can.
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ANNE WOOD
JOHN PRESTON
I worked at QEGS from 1987 until the end of 2004 as School Matron, a position I enjoyed immensely and which was varied and interesting. Over the years I also did many sessions at both WGHS Junior and Senior Schools. Prior to coming to QEGS, I worked for the NHS for twenty five years – thirteen of which were at Clayton Hospital – as a student nurse, staff nurse, ward and unit sister. My son attended QEGS from 1975 to 1986 and in the Sixth Form was a senior prefect, School rugby captain and second team cricket captain. My daughter attended WGHS from 1977 to 1991. My husband and I served on various committees at QEGS including the PTA and the rugby committee. When our son left QEGS we joined “the Friends” (now Friends of WGSF). We both served on the committee in the past and I spent three years as Chairman. We are still involved with “the Friends” and are enjoying our retirement together and with family and friends.
PAT WHITEMAN
I was Head of DT at QEGS 1984–2010. I am still living in the St John’s area of Wakefield but hope to move to Tynemouth in the near future. I remain busy in retirement and spend much time on DIY and projects in my garage. In the garden I like to keep my lawn in good condition, I produce cuttings and bedding plants in my greenhouse, and grow large onions. My interest in rugby remains strong and I watch Newcastle Falcons. I attended the opening match and the final of the 2015 World Cup. I am a keen angler – generally sea fishing these days, often from my kayak but also from the shore when conditions dictate. I also enjoy fly-fishing for trout and salmon when the opportunity arises.
DEAN BUNNELL I was a pupil at QEGS from 1965 until 1970. I returned to QEGS as a Mathematics teacher in 1980 and became Head of Mathematics in 1989, until retiring in 2009.
I did part-time teaching at Batley Grammar School and then 8 years part-time at QEGS senior before finally ending my teaching life with a few months of home tutoring for Leeds City Council.
Upon retiring, I continue to work as a volunteer for the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust and am still in in the Problem Setting Groups for the JMO, IMOK and SMC.
I now do voluntary work in Pinderfields Hospital and as a “befriender” for people living alone in the Wakefield area.
I now also run national Team Maths Challenges for Years 8/9 and Years 12/13. I have recently expanded into setting fun questions for the Primary Team Maths Resources, which I thoroughly enjoy.
Any spare time is taken up with gardening and I still live in Stanley near Wakefield.
The UKMT is based at Leeds University which is convenient as I still live locally in Ossett.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
I feel that the major influence I made at QEGS, besides teaching Mathematics, was starting The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and running it for 17 years.
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JOHN CHOLEWA
ANDREW DERBYSHIRE Andrew Derbyshire (Darbo) was Deputy Headmaster from 1996–2005 and for four months was Acting Headmaster while Mr Mardling went on sabbatical. From 2005–6 he studied for an MA in Religion and Theology at the University of Manchester. He has since qualified as a green badge tourist guide for Greater Manchester and works showing visitors and locals around Manchester. Since 2006, he has worked part-time at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester’s internationally acclaimed concert venue, where he is a guide for building tours and a steward for classical concerts. Mr D also has a growing number of speaking engagements on the themes of why tourists visit Manchester and the Bridgewater Hall.
NEAL RIGBY
I am in my fifth year of retirement and I must admit it has flown by spending most of my time split between Wakefield, the South of France, Dubai and London. I have five wonderful grandchildren who fortunately love sport so I am fortunate enough to be able to enjoy watching them perform. I have done some coaching but mainly in Dubai and still have a desire to do a little more (if I can find the time). I still keep in touch with a lot of former students, mainly through Facebook, and take great pleasure in seeing the many successes and important developments they have achieved and managed. I thoroughly enjoyed my near forty years at QEGS and would not have changed it for the world. As Director of Physical Education I certainly enjoyed both the practical involvement with the pupils but also got much pleasure from introducing and developing the Academic department which allowed many to go on and study the subject area at University. Happy days!
I joined the QEGS teaching staff in 1971 and retirement in 2009 inevitably came as something of a watershed. The change was cushioned by numerous kindnesses and by my continuing association with the Old Savilians’ Club. I am proud to have served as the Club’s President from 2008 to 2013 and to still be a member of its Council. The Club is part of a pattern of friendships formed with colleagues and pupils over many years. In 2014 I was particularly touched to be remembered by the Headmaster, David Craig, and by Elaine Merckx, then Manager of the LRC and QEGS Archivist and now Archivist for the Foundation as a whole. That year they had launched a splendid initiative to commemorate the Wakefield Grammar School Foundation’s involvement in the Great War and they subsequently invited me
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to help. The project led to lectures at school and further afield, to storyboards and to a book jointly authored by Elaine and myself (Some Other And Wider Destiny: Wakefield Grammar School Foundation and the Great War). I continue to occasionally help in Archives, to read, to collect books and memorabilia, to enjoy music and cinema, to value the company of family and friends and to drink too much coffee. I’ve also continued to travel, including trips to Texas and Colombia as well as to various parts of Europe and the UK. Walking remains a pleasure, from longer expeditions, such as St Cuthbert’s Way and the Camino de Santiago, to daily outings with our two whippets. The fact that my whippets are infinitely faster than me is not a sign of ageing, but may well be the fact that they can often out-think me.
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I was a pupil at QEGS between 1963 and 1974. Having been inspired by Derek Coates to study Classics, I was delighted to have him as my mentor at QEGS when I joined the staff in 1982. For seven terms I was also the boarding house tutor. After working in Israeli kibbutzim between degrees at Oxford, I spent a summer teaching in the West Bank and Gaza, which persuaded me that I needed to learn more about the area. Mostly as part of the Quaker Middle East Placement Programme I spent 1985–90 teaching in schools and refugee camps in Jordan and writing about social and political issues there. I also met my wife there. When I returned to the UK, I spent a few months in a Camphill community in Aberdeen for young people with mental health and intellectual disabilities. From 1990–2017 I taught Classics at Sherborne School in Dorset and for the last 20 years was Director of Higher Education and Careers, which involved visiting all UK universities and a few abroad. I am now retired, but Ruth and I still live in Sherborne, where I am involved in teaching and supporting Syrian refugees. My other major project has been writing and disseminating my free guide on how to choose a university course (www. uniapplicationpro.org). The oldest of our three daughters has just introduced us to grandparenthood.
JUDY PLAUT
I dovetailed my final (part-time) year at QEGS as a parttime Community Development Worker for my synagogue organisation. I continued to work part-time in that role for another nine years, supporting Jewish communities in various parts of England. Alongside this role I taught Jewish Studies to adults for six or seven years in Leeds. Somewhere along the line I found time to direct a musical for my own synagogue in Leeds. A real portmanteau career developed as I eventually started teaching English to refugees and asylum seekers as a volunteer, as well as to some of the women of the Wakefield Pakistani community. This new departure for me proved to be some of the most challenging and rewarding teaching I have ever done as I needed to jettison the niceties of teaching plans etc. and think on my feet, responding to a transient student population with whom I often had no common language except being a fellow human being. What an honour and a challenge! Alongside all this I have taken up classical singing, becoming a member of the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir for a couple of years, and also embarking on an A Level Art course (as a complete beginner), which I very proudly passed with a grade A. I still paint regularly and exhibited my work in a few Wakefield venues before moving to Hertfordshire in 2017. We now live very happily in Potters Bar, enjoying the proximity of our son, Josh (QEGS Head Boy 1993–4), and his family.
Thank you to all our retired teachers for contributing to our Life After the Common Room feature. Whilst no longer in School, you are still very much a part of our School community and we hope you will join us at some of our alumni events in the coming academic year. (For information on our events, please contact lhulme@qegsss.org.uk)
www.qegsonline.org.uk
PHILIP ROGERSON
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PETE DRYLAND
far longer than it should have been, I eventually penned my resignation from QEGS almost two years ago. Continuing as Chief Examiner for A Level Art and Design, I am busy all year, writing, planning, training and assessing. So, a great deal of time is spent replying to emails and phone calls, attending meetings in London, Manchester and Guildford, and visiting schools and colleges across the country. The beloved Alfa takes a hammering. How sweet is that Italian! Since retiring from teaching there are many things which, mainly by choice, I have not got around to doing. I’ve not extended my linguistic skills, taken a cruise, or enrolled to do an MA. No backpacking in Nepal, either. Definitely no golf, bowls or gym. I have, however, redecorated the dining room and two bedrooms, a surprisingly cathartic and practical use of my painting skills, and have ongoing battles with a profligate cherry tree and a delinquent garage door. I’ve enjoyed the aesthetic and culinary delights of Barcelona and Italy, have squeezed the Alfa around the Isle of Man’s TT circuit and have recently become a grandpa.
I am sure that Savilians spend many minutes of their busy lives wondering what their old teachers are getting up to and avidly read about the pleasures of retirement...Putting off the moment
Among the biggest pleasures of retirement is having time to eat a leisurely breakfast of porridge or yogurt and fresh fruit, with toasted home-made bread accompanied by my wife’s incomparable blackcurrant jam. I’ve traced my family’s lineage back to the 14th Century but have yet to discover how recusant Drylands lost land and property in the 17th. I read Raymond Chandler without feeling guilty and have the freedom to take off for a day’s drawing or to visit a gallery with one or other of the sons. It’s nice to enjoy a shave and a shower, at any time of day. There’s time to take in the sky, the weather, to watch blackbirds and great tits building their nests. Time also to “skeet” out the window for a moment and wonder what all the rush is about. Next, finish clearing the studio and get some serious painting done.
As many of you will be all too aware, I retired from the post of Biology tutor at QEGS in 2010 and only tentatively retained links with the school through the occasional invite to events, visits to meet with ex-colleagues and, of course, the annual Old Savs Christmas Dinner. In fact it was at such a dinner that the indefatigable Lizzie Hulme suggested that I should write a paragraph or two on how a former master had been filling in his time since leaving the teaching profession.
JOHN BIRKINSHAW
Now, although it is not quite so easy to resist the undeniable charms of the above-mentioned young lady when such a request comes your way, I did believe that in the cold light of day and after several months had elapsed she had thought better of such a request. Indeed, the hope was that she may have simply forgotten. But I had not allowed for a flanking manoeuvre; when one of your very good friends happens to be Neal Rigby, whose devotion to matters QEGS and the OS Club in particular is legendary, and he also puts pressure on, it is then hard to say no. So, reluctantly, here goes! Now, on the surface, being asked to write a short piece on one’s retirement would appear a straightforward, reasonable request. Until, that is, thought processes come around to the obvious question, “Who in their right mind will be remotely interested in what an ex-biologist has been doing since retiring from the profession?” Well, I could say that I had combined my lifelong passion for things piscatorial with a detailed scientific study into the habits of the mayfly Ephemera Danica. Why do they hatch when they do? How is the hatch so synchronised? Do they really live for just 24 hours? What is the purpose of their existence? And how can we use this knowledge to improve our fly-fishing experience? I could even tie my own killer pattern that would be so imitative that no selfrespecting trout could resist. But I didn’t do that. In any case, the renowned entomologist Dr Cyril Bennett had spent a seven-year study into the life cycle of the mayfly and even he couldn’t answer half these questions; so I had no chance. Instead, I went to “Fly Only”, bought some mayfly patterns that looked vaguely realistic and cast them in the waters of Scout Dyke and the Rivers Don, Wharfe and Ure. With little success. Now, retirement brings with it the small matter of free time and the question of how to fill it. I suppose, initially, I was moderately successful in sidestepping those issues that befall all senior citizens. Having moved away from paid employment, there arrives that initial
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sense of guilt on firstly confronting the fact that one is no longer significantly contributing, through taxation, to the nation’s economic wealth and to paying off the national debt. Plus, all this apparent free time on offer begs the question: ‘Does one actually still have a usefulness and a future role in society?” Such emotional turmoil did not, you will be relieved to hear, remain with me for any significant length of time. My wife, Anne, had a list of jobs that required attention. Pointing the house took longer than anticipated, but the department’s retirement gift of a poultry house, plus occupants, enabled the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition to keep chickens, grow my own veg, and with it that feeling of selfsufficiency and DIY that had been ingrained and nurtured at an early age through working on an uncle’s farm and helping in the family butchery business. Of course, watching episodes of the sitcom. The Good Life did indeed serve to firm up this idea and encourage thoughts of self-reliance and initiative. (NB. This last comment will only resonate with those of a certain age. Suffice to say Felicity Kendal was one of the stars of the show and she was always to be found, rain or shine, in her suburban vegetable garden, tending her carrots and cauliflowers. What will, however, resonate with many is the fact that for two years running she was voted “Rear of the Year” in the popular press.) This “growing your own” and keeping chickens lasted well into the first decade of retirement, but a bout of ill health and the arrival of our first grandchild did much to curtail such activities. I continue to hold a season ticket at Barnsley Football Club and you will all be delighted to hear that this season’s success on the field has seen promotion and a return to the Championship (much to the delight of one Joey Barton of Fleetwood Town). All this in a year which also saw QEGS Rugby return to Twickenham. After almost 40 years helping with the running of the village youth club, I decided that it was time to call it a day, partly influenced by the fact that I was rapidly approaching the end of my seventh decade and partly because I was no longer prepared to indulge the irrational behaviour of adolescents. Attempting, with little success I am ashamed to admit, to separate two solidly built young ladies who were standing in the middle of the road and having a less than ladylike argument over a boy at the youth club was the final straw. My failed attempts to bring matters to a successful conclusion did however bring great amusement to those in the queue at the local chippy. Trips to Snowdonia and the Lake District satisfy a passion for hill-walking and the freedom to fish the rivers and stillwaters of my home county brings great enjoyment in retirement. But, as with all activities, there is the need to guard against overindulgence. A sound Methodist upbringing and a continued role as a Church Steward do serve to keep me firmly grounded; and of course it’s no bad thing to have a higher authority on your side when casting to some unsuspecting trout. I am eternally grateful to my good friend David Benn who continues to invite me back for QED Angling and the annual angling trip. Wednesday afternoons spent tying knots, helping to assemble rod, reel and line and then retrieving fishing tackle from tree branches, do prove immensely satisfying. I still hold such fond memories of my time at QEGS – assisting in the games department; organising biology field trips and the annual summer angling camp; and who could forget working in a department under the leadership of George Korosi. I could go on and provide details of many happy times and also of incidents that received no official record, but in the immortal words of George Korosi and John Cholewa - “What goes on tour, stays on tour.” I still meet up occasionally with ex colleagues. You will be delighted to learn that a regular lunch date with good friends Neal Rigby and Mike Rylance brings a most civilised touch to the week. Incidentally, both Mike and Neal have, over recent years, had books published. Mike has recently brought out his third book on Rugby League and its ‘French connection’, and Neal and Elaine Merkx co-authored ‘Some Other and Wider Destiny’, recounting the involvement of former QEGS and WGHS pupils in The Great War. Anne and I were invited to become members of a rather exclusive walking club, “The Wakey Walkers”. Lyndsey Firth, Hamish Gibb and John Holt (plus spouses) meet regularly for walking trips around West Yorkshire and the Peak District. With daughter and granddaughter commitments down South, we’ve only managed the one trip, so in all probability we may well be thrown out of the club for poor attendance. So, you see, the life of a retired teacher, if not glamorous, is nevertheless not without its pleasure and excitement.
Incidentally, Lizzie and her team do an excellent job in putting together a magazine that keeps us all pleasantly aware of matters QEGS, past and present. They are to be congratulated. Long may it continue. Finally, to all excolleagues and support staff with whom I shared the most professional, vibrant and happy staffroom, together with the many pupils who were less fortunate in sharing their class time with me, thank you and may good fortune and contentment be with you always.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
To those of you out there who have got this far and are still reading this drivel, profuse apologies. The tenacity of both Lizzie Hulme and Neal Rigby are to blame for this account that was made under extreme duress and with little regard to the high standards of grammar that would normally be associated with any written piece emanating from the Foundation.
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OLD SAVILIANS’ HALL OF FAME Dr Alister MacKenzie (OS, 1888) (30 August 1870 – 6 January 1934) Doctor / Golf Course Designer Alister MacKenzie was born in Sandal, to Scottish parents, and lived in Normanton. His mother had family roots in Glasgow and his father, a doctor, had been born and raised in the Scottish Highlands near Lochinver which is where his family spent many summer holidays. Alister started his education at QEGS in February 1881, receiving an honourable mention in 1886 for his exam results. Alister sat the London Matriculation Examination in June 1887 and is noted as having passed in the First Division.
In 1888 after Alister completed his QEGS education, he went to Caius College, Cambridge, graduating with degrees in chemistry, medicine and natural sciences. Alister spent some time working at Leeds General Infirmary as well as joining his father’s medical practice before being called away to serve in the second Boer War. During his Service (being stationed in London), he attempted to rescue a drowning man from the sea whilst on horseback, despite not being a swimmer himself, for which he was recommended for the Royal Humane Society’s medal for a courageous act of humanity. It was during his wartime service that he became interested in camouflage, which he later claimed was closely related to golf course design. In his subsequent period of service to the military during World War I, he worked as a camoufleur, not as a surgeon and he developed ground breaking camouflage techniques employed throughout the British military during this and future conflicts. MacKenzie is most famous, however, for designing golf courses, the Augusta National being his most noted. Interesting that his first taste of golf was when he was around 18 years old and he is quoted as saying, “I first commenced to play golf in Scotland when I was about eighteen years of age. At that time I described it as a rotten game, that you simply smote a ball as hard as you could and then spent half an hour looking for it. I did not take it up again seriously until nearly ten years later and I then developed the disease badly.” Latterly, he is also reported as believing that golf was of
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great benefit to patients recovering from ill health. Consequently, he was a member of several golf clubs including Ilkley and Leeds Golf Club. He was one of the founding members of The Alwoodley Golf Club where he cut his teeth as a course architect. Although this was his first project, many of the hallmarks of his later work are evidenced on this course. He was very much in favour of emphasising the natural beauty of the terrain rather than using artificial features and his undulating, long and narrow greens angled from the centre of the fairway, fairly large and free-form bunker shapes, and substantial additional contouring all became part of his “signature style”. He went on to serve as both Honorary Secretary (1907–1909) and Club Captain (1912–1913) and he remained on its Green committee for many years until 1930. After his success at Alwoodley, he went on to design a course at Moortown Golf Club and through the early 1920s he often reworked existing courses across Britain and Ireland, including that of The Duff House Royal Golf Club in northeast Scotland. One of his fundamental principles as an architect was to build courses for the most enjoyment, believing that each golfer should be tested without finding the course an impossible challenge. He reworked courses in Derbyshire, Kent, Scarborough, Blackpool and Southampton and had carved a formidable reputation for himself by the time he headed to New York in 1926. He spent much of the remaining eight years of his life travelling across the continent, working on some of the bestknown golf courses. These included
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Pasatiempo in California, which is where MacKenzie made his American home, Crystal Downs in Michigan, Royal Adelaide and Royal Sydney in Australia and Cypress Point in California, which opened for play in 1928 and is considered some of MacKenzie’s finest work. MacKenzie’s reputation preceded him and on meeting Bobby Jones, a multiple golf champion of the 1920s, at the 1926 Walker Cup, Jones commissioned him to create a new course in Augusta, Georgia. The course opened in 1933 and in 1934 the first Masters Tournament was held there, starting a tradition that still stands today. It has become one of the most famous and recognisable golf courses in the
world, sporting creeks, dramatic changes in elevation and fiercely undulating surfaces. By the end of his career MacKenzie had laid out some 400 golf courses. Sadly, he died of heart failure in January 1934 and his ashes were spread over the Pasatiempo golf course. During his final years he wrote (but never published) The Spirit of St. Andrews which included a foreword by his great friend Jones. It was published in 1995 and it gave those who admire his work one last treasure from a man whose golf courses will be admired for generations to come.
Professor Ian Fletcher (OS, 1962) Professor Ian Fletcher attended QEGS leaving in 1962 to study at Cambridge. He was considered by his masters to be a bright student, who worked hard and was full of promise.
Professor Fletcher’s accolades are too many to mention but it is safe to say he reached the heights of achievement, recognition and respect throughout the world. His academic work was highly relevant to legal practice, with which he had a close relationship. He was elected as a Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn in 2003, and was an academic member of South Square Barristers’ Chambers, Gray’s Inn. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (Honoris Causa) in 2013. Professor Ian Fletcher’s work also had great impact, not just in the UK but globally. He was a world-renowned insolvency scholar, with his work informing policy-makers and shaping insolvency law for over 40 years. His international reputation is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that in 2016, INSOL International, the International Insolvency Institute and Queensland University of Technology established the Ian Fletcher International Insolvency Law Moot Competition (the Fletcher Moot), in recognition of his enormous and inspiring contribution to the field of international insolvency law. The competition encourages the best and
Alister McKenzie (Photo by JP Graham)
Professor Fletcher being presented with the Festschrift brightest students around the globe to learn about international insolvency law and international commercial litigation and will serve as a lasting tribute to his memory. Alongside his international acclaim, Professor Ian Fletcher will perhaps be remembered for his many academic publications, including The Law of Insolvency and Moss, Fletcher and Isaacs on the EU Regulation on Insolvency Proceedings, a collaboration with other renowned names in the legal profession. He was also a member of the III’s academic committee, and was the founding chairman of INSOL International’s Academics’ Group from 1993 to 2015. In 2013, he received the INSOL Scroll of Honour for his work organising no fewer than seventeen academic conferences during his chairmanship. Two years later, INSOL International presented him with a Festschrift at a ceremony in San Francisco to mark his retirement as chairman of the Academics’ Group. Sadly following a long period of illness, Ian passed away on 21 July 2018. Despite Ian’s giant reputation, he was a quiet, private man who has been described by many as learned, brilliant, kind, modest, unassuming and utterly dependable. Such was his standing in the legal and academic community that a service of remembrance and thanksgiving was held for Professor Fletcher at Lincoln’s Inn Chapel in London on 17 January this year.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
Studying at Cambridge in the 1960s, he completed an LLM in 1966, followed by a Masters in Law at Tulane University in New Orleans in 1967. After finishing his US Masters, he took his first academic teaching post at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales. He remained there until 1991, taking the role of Head of Department for three years between 1985 and 1988, and becoming a professor of law in 1986. During his tenure at Aberystwyth he picked up a further Masters from Cambridge in 1969 and a PhD a decade later, ultimately leading up to an honorary doctorate in 1993. Upon leaving Wales in 1991, he joined the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, as a professor of commercial law and head of the insolvency law unit. In 1994, he was made director of that centre and held the post until he joined the Faculty of Law at UCL in January 2001, where he remained for the rest of his professional career. All the while, Fletcher had been a visiting professor at the University of Texas, Austin, and at his alma mater Tulane.
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Ron Rylance (OS, 1939) One of only a handful of former QEGS pupils to play professional rugby league, Ron Rylance won a Challenge Cup medal with Wakefield Trinity, captained Yorkshire and earned international recognition. Aged 15 in the 1939–40 season, Ron was already playing scrumhalf in the School First XV, where he was coached by Frank Williams, himself a former teenage prodigy who had represented Wales at fly-half. Ron also represented the First XI at cricket in the same academic year. The Frank Williams trophy, awarded to the outstanding QEGS Under 16 rugby player, was donated by Ron, who left School at that age.
Ron Rylance Wembley 1946
After having trials at football with Leeds United and Huddersfield Town, he opted for rugby league and, aged 17, made his first team debut in 1941 in the wartime competition. In the first post-war Cup final at Wembley in 1946, Ron played on the right wing, for the first and only time in his career, in the thrilling 13-12 triumph over Wigan. In that year, he was a key member of the team which won three of the four trophies available, usually playing in his preferred position of stand-off, though he was equally at home at centre or full back. In the sensational 71-0 defeat of Leeds in 1945, he equalled the club points-scoring record with 24 points from two tries and nine goals. Ron led Trinity to victory over Leeds in the replayed 1947 Yorkshire Cup final, the same year in which he represented England and captained Yorkshire, as he did again in 1954. After a surprise move to Dewsbury, big spenders at that time, he signed for starstudded Huddersfield, where he won further Yorkshire League and Cup medals. In 1954 he was selected for the Great Britain squad which, against expectation, won the inaugural World Cup in France. He was described in an obituary as “a brilliant footballer with an eye for the gap and the quickness to go through it. For many his greatest glory was his acceleration and subtle change of pace. He was a fine handler, a thinking player, an astute kicker and a good sportsman.” An accountant by profession, he served on the committee of Wakefield Trinity in the late 50s and early 60s, at the most successful period in the club’s history. Ronald was married with four children and we are proud to call him an Old Savilian. Mike Rylance
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Remembering James Moran Every November, the School pays its respects to former pupils and staff who died in service to their country. In the company of those young, hallowed heroes are an even smaller number who died in service to their School. For this reason, at about the same time you don your poppy each year, there are some Old Savilians who also remember James Moran. If you didn’t know James, then you really missed out. Here was a guy who would talk to you all the way through a maths lesson, contrive to be hilarious and still get everything right! You might think that would have made him a bit jammy, and maybe he was, but his pals became so comfortable with his unique mix of quick wit and academia that they gave him the nickname “Jeff”. This was, perhaps, the nicest way to call someone you liked a bit of a boffin. It was a name he embraced with fondness and it stuck.
It was November and QEGS were playing Bradford Grammar. It
didn’t really matter who we were up against, or whether we were winning, James was always a steadfast player. Give him the ball and he’d fly off at pace down the wing. There was never any great celebration when he scored though, just his modest, trademark grin. He had style. He was also a great tackler. One of the best. He tackled hard – but then he was tackled hard. A foul moment in time that didn’t go his way. Like his countrymen years before him,
From left to right, those who attended are: James Howard, Simon Jesson, Neal Rigby, Jonathan West, Oliver Smith, Rohan Silva, Richard May, Duncan Moran, Prof. Matthew Dennis, Andrew Casson, Aman Khela, Ben Gordon, Simon Buxton, Ross Harding, Sam Butterworth, Oliver Hughes, Chris Atkinson, Douglas Haigh, Mark Gill, Chris Smith-Moorhouse, (Seema Gosrani-Clark), (Fr. Michael Hall), (David Craig), (Alistair McKinlay), (Trev Barker), (Ben Cooper).
www.qegsonline.org.uk
So Jeff Moran was quite the scholar, quite the comedian. He was also quite the sportsman. A natural athlete and rugby player since the Junior School, he carried his sporting prowess into the Upper School and by age 17 had worked his way up to the First XV Rugby squad of 1998. With such an array of talents at his disposal, as well as being an accomplished artist and musician, James was literally spoilt for choice. It was no wonder that there wasn’t room for everything and during that year, he decided to reduce his rugby duties, opting to play for the credible but less demanding Second XV.
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entertained only in thoughts.
Twenty years later, a group of James’ friends returned to QEGS, to that same pitch and lined up between the posts. Father Michael Hall (OS, 1977) led the tribute, attended by James’ brother, Duncan Moran (OS, 2004), Headmaster David Craig and OS President Alistair McKinlay. Joining them were former OS Presidents, Douglas Haigh and Neal Rigby, both of whom knew James from their teaching days.
After saying prayers, the group walked in silence to the halfway line, where Duncan laid a memorial wreath and Father Michael delivered a blessing. Duncan then spoke about his brother and gave thanks on behalf of his family. Those assembled briefly stood under the posts again for a photograph before retiring upstairs to the pavilion, where there is a plaque and photograph installed in James’ memory.
A low autumn sun cast an aureate glow over the field, illuminating the faces of those stood together. For some, it was their first time on school soil in two decades. For all, it was a stirring show of solidarity and respect for a young man who would have certainly gone on to celebrate successes and accomplishments that can be
It is a disgrace to be ignorant. It is also one to forget. Stood together on the pitch, stuck fast in our minds were the words: They shall not grow old, We will remember them. Sam Butterworth (OS, 1999), Second XV 1998.
The Moran family would like to thank Father Michael Hall who led a beautiful service, and David Craig, a true gentleman, for helping make this happen.
LIVES REMEMBERED Frank Jones (OS, 1942) Frank Jones was born on 29 February 1924 but always celebrated his birthday on the 1 March. He was the son of Thomas and Nellie Jones from Walton near Wakefield and had four sisters of whom one was younger and three were older – and they rather indulged their younger brother! After a life-threatening illness as a small child, Frank made his family very proud when he passed the Entrance Exam to QEGS and went on to enjoy seven fruitful and happy years at the School. This equipped him well for his further education as he quickly progressed to win a prestigious Mining Scholarship at Leeds University and obtained his Honours Degree in Mining Engineering. Frank rose steadily through the ranks at the National Coal Board, eventually reaching the Chief Safety Engineer for the North Yorkshire area – in charge of 17 collieries across the county. He was always extremely modest about his achievements and never let the pressures of his hugely stressful job impact upon his family life.
– Christopher (OS, 1970) and Elisabeth. He also spent many happy hours with his four grandchildren and was delighted to see the arrival of his first great-grandchild, who he met just four months before his death on 27 August 2018. He had a long and very happy retirement – spending time not only with his family but also acting as Secretary of the Mining Society, working on charitable ventures as an active Freemason and serving as a Justice of the Peace for ten years. Even in his final few years he had a full and active life, becoming highly proficient on his Computer and iPad, where he would order his shopping online every week and converse with his 63 Facebook friends! He remained an Old Savilian until his demise and always spoke with great affection about his time in the School. When his son Christopher retired the two would sit together and reminisce about their School days. He was a unique man in many ways; still living on his own and in his own home until the time of his sudden death. He will be greatly missed.
Frank was married to Joyce for over 60 years and had two children
Robert Clive Smith (OS, 1970) Mr Robert Clive ‘RC’ Smith (OS, 1970) passed away last autumn. Mr Smith lived at Tickhill near Rotherham and was a successful barrister who enjoyed life to the full.
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Peter Newton Hepworth (OS, 1946) Peter Newton Hepworth who was at QEQS between 1939 and 1946 sadly passed away earlier this year.
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QEGS ATHLETICS TEAM 1951
Peter ‘John‘ Wheater (OS, 1952)
In preparation for this eulogy I contacted the School who provided me with not only photographs and sporting records, but his full report card for the five years he was in the Senior School. I discovered that in the 1940s QEGS was an elite boys’ school, as it is today. It was at school that Dad developed his love of sport, excelling in athletics, cricket and especially rugby union. Returning to his report cards, he wasn’t the well-behaved, hardworking student that he had led us to believe. No, we had a few similarities in that respect, with his report having comments about him “being the class clown”; “capable but more interested in sport” and other comments that parents today would possibly complain about. He did however always score top marks for being “sociable and friendly” which I consider as positive traits. He left school just as O Levels were introduced, and in 1953 he joined the Royal Navy, shortly after he turned 17. My father met my mother Pauline when he was 17 and she was 16 and married as soon as my mother turned 21. They had a very happy 21-year marriage with four daughters until our mother died suddenly in 1978 after a holiday in Malta. I don’t think my sisters and I are in any doubt that on that day Dad lost the love of his life, and he never truly recovered. Her memory was kept alive by talking about her, playing music, and looking at photographs, but I think he found being both mum and dad to four girls aged 9 to 19 a bit of a mystery. Dad had a very successful and satisfying naval career spanning 25 years, travelling all over the world including Canada, Hong Kong and Tynemouth. This was followed by 15 years working in the construction industry as a building surveyor. Latterly, he went to work at Wetherby Golf Club doing the books; he liked the odd round of golf, but in all honesty probably preferred the refreshments waiting for him at the 19th hole! It’s no secret that Dad liked a drink, and a smoke, but even the stubborn Yorkshireman that he was, he saw the error of his ways
with regard to smoking and he stopped many years ago. He would sometimes put the money he would have spent on cigarettes into a big bottle and I think even he was surprised at how often it needed to be emptied and counted. In retirement he didn’t seem to mind going on holiday with his children, and between us we travelled with him to London, Scotland and much of Europe. Dad could navigate his way round a new city not by landmarks, but by the best pubs! He continued to travel, finding a group of like-minded rugby fans, which saw him take trips in retirement to New Zealand and the Far East. I recall collecting him from Gatwick after he returned from another exotic trip away on the same evening I had been invited to a friend’s hen party. He was the last person to leave the dance floor, dancing with the belly dancers and the bride, and we have the photos to prove it. For his 60th we asked him where he wanted to visit most so that we could club together and surprise him with a trip. His choice was closer to home - the Orkney Islands, which he told us were beautiful. I know at times all four of us tested his patience, as children often do to their parents, but we always knew that we had a home to return to whatever happened, until he was no longer able to remain in his beloved Yorkshire. Fortunately we all believe that when dad developed vascular dementia after a series of strokes in 2016, he was unaware that he was never going to return to Boston Spa or his lovely garden. Dad was a true Yorkshireman, bloody-minded and stubborn, but he was also a decent, honest, sincere and hard-working man. He was strong for us at the times when we needed it and a great support – offering us sound advice but accepting it when we didn’t always heed it! He encouraged us to live our lives and to be independent. Exactly as he had always done. What you saw was what you got with Dad and he will be forever missed by all four of his daughters, but we take some comfort that he is now reunited with our beloved mum. Emma Steel and sisters, Jo, Karen & Lou (To read Peter’s daughters’ tribute to their father in full, please visit the Old Savilians’ website: www.qegsonline.org.uk (community/announcements))
www.qegsonline.org.uk
Dad was the only child of William and Lily, born and educated in Wakefield. He won a scholarship to Queen Elizabeth Boys Grammar School, which has the motto “it is a disgrace to be ignorant”. I’m sure Dad would have known the Latin translation, and possibly even the Greek and French as his thirst for knowledge never wavered!
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Geoffrey Lionel Bottomley Bradford Grammar, where he taught for eight years. Whilst there he wrote a practical chemistry book with the Head of Department, his former teacher, who had been instrumental in his success in Chemistry. It was 26 years later that Geoff retired after a hectic life at QEGS, reorganising the Chemistry Department, helping to plan the new science block, being a staff representative on the Old Savilians’ Committee and then becoming President. He was also a founder member of The Friends of QEGS. It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden death of Geoffrey Lionel Bottomley on 28 August 2017, aged 84. Geoffrey, or Geoff, as he was known, was born in Brighouse on 21 June 1933. He attended C of E schools in his home town and at the age of 11 won a Governors’ Scholarship to Bradford Grammar School where he excelled academically. He was awarded an Open Scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford, where he obtained a 1st Class BA Honours Degree, followed by his MA. Geoff was appointed to teach Chemistry at Manchester Grammar School 12 months later so had to find a temporary appointment which he took up at Heath Grammar School in Halifax. After two years teaching in Manchester he returned to his former school,
Tennis and cross-country running took up time in his earlier years, but with increased responsibility after being made Director of Studies, he had little time to partake in these activities. Geoff’s leisure time was spent with family and friends. Caravanning was a great part of his life, together with gardening and listening to music. The family enjoyed holidays on the continent and often had either boys from QEGS or girls from WGHS joining them. He is sadly missed by his wife of 58 years, Valerie, daughters Anne and Jayne and four grandchildren, two of whom have attended QEGS.
Terence Arthur Neal Terry Neal was born in Bedford on 22 January 1932 but soon moved to Ipswich after his father was relocated to work for Ransomes as a draughtsman. Following his National Service, he commenced a History degree at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, graduating in 1954, followed by an MA of the Cambridge University Teaching Certificate. He played both cricket and hockey and was Secretary and Vice President of the Debating Society. His first teaching post was at Battersea Grammar School where he was second History master and responsible for the first XI cricket team. In 1957 Terry moved to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School as second History master. He spent ten years at QEGS becoming the first Head of General Studies and also Sixth Form master. He was jointly responsible for first XI cricket and junior rugby. During his time at QEGS he made lifelong friendships with Ronald Chapman, Clifford Brook, Laurie Brown, Miles Coope, Peter Driscoll, John Fitzpatrick and many others. He was also a tutor at Wakefield Prison. In 1957 he married Beryl Greene and in 1961 their only son Patrick was born in Wakefield. In 1977 he was appointed Headmaster of the newly formed John Masefield High School, Ledbury. He was also a member of the Ledbury Parish Church Council and Churchwarden, a member of the Rotary Club and a playing member of Ledbury Cricket Club, a social member of Ledbury Rugby Club and Chairman of Ledbury Scout Group. He was a member of the board of visitors
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at Gloucester Prison. In 1991 he retired and moved to live in Cheltenham where his wife Beryl was a Head teacher. Terry had many interests, including History, publishing seven History text books. He read extensively enjoying historical and general literature and liked to write poetry. He enjoyed fine wines – being a member of the Wine Society – and good food. He was also a member of many organisations, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and Cheltenham Festival Society. He loved sport, particularly cricket being at times a member of both Yorkshire CCC and Worcestershire CCC and was a supporter of Bedford and Gloucester rugby clubs and of Ipswich Town FC. He died suddenly on 13 August 2018 at home in Cheltenham aged 86. He will be missed by his wife Beryl, son Patrick, daughterin-law Gill and grandson John and all who knew him.
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John Hopkins (Honorary Member of the OS Club Council) John died in September 2018 aged 81.
On Friday 8 June, family and friends gathered at St Peter Mancroft, Norwich, for the funeral of David Cubitt. He had been a member of the congregation and the Mancroft Guild of Ringers from November 1960. David was born in 1931 at Douglas, Isle of Man, where his father was a school dental officer. Two years later the family moved to Wakefield and he attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. He was proud of his sporting achievements, most of which were on the rugby field. He played three seasons in the first XV as hooker and competed in the Ilkley Schools 7s. On leaving school he joined the army for National Service, serving with the 1st Battalions of the King’s Own Royal Regiment and the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. He played for both the regimental XV and 7s and was awarded his regimental colours. At the conclusion of his service he was liable for three years in the Territorial Army with a company at Wakefield and later Pontefract. He was discharged on 30 March 1956. He joined the Wakefield Cathedral ringers shortly after the new bells were installed in 1947. His first peal, conducted by
Gerald Helme (OS, 1966) Gerald was a pupil at QEGS from 1958 to 1966. During his school years, he developed a keen interest in the French language, particularly through a French exchange to Lille, and was also an avid rugby player. He went on to complete his teacher training at Exeter and graduated from the University of Sheffield with an MA in Education. He progressed quickly through his career in teaching at Campsmount School and Don Valley High School, Doncaster,
herself a distinguished lawyer and until retirement was a key figure at Girton). John was my tutor at Downing and tutored many QEGS Old Savilians over the years, including Phillip Hodson (OS, 1969), (Chairman WGSF Fundraising Committee) who I know held John in high esteem. (Please refer to the www.qegsonline.org.uk to read Phillip Hodson’s tribute to John). He will be sadly missed by all that knew him. Neal Rigby
David Cubitt (OS, 1950) Wilfred Moreton, was rung in January 1953 at St Helen’s Sandal Magna. Large files at the family home on the history of ringing at Wakefeld Cathedral and St John’s Church in the city show his capacity for researching tower records. He was elected a member of the Yorkshire Association and joined the Royal Society of College Youths in 1959. He was articled to a firm of solicitors in Wakefield and admitted a Solicitor of the Supreme Court on 1 October 1959. Upon qualifying, he moved to Norwich. He chose this city for its rich ringing history and because Norfolk was the home county of the Cubitt family who originated from the coastal village of Bacton. Over the years, his love of Norfolk history saw him contribute to 29 books on subjects ranging from architecture and archaeology, to music and Norfolk shipping. This interest inspired him to study for an MA in Local and Regional History in the mid 90s. He married Maureen in 1963 and they had three children and five grandchildren. After a period of ill health, he died on 27 May 2018. As a man – he was a gentleman. Honest, trustworthy, reliable and unchanging. You would rarely see him without a tie – and his jacket always had a Bic pen and pencil in the top pocket and some paper, ready for taking notes. He had wonderful memories of Wakefield Grammar School and was a member of the Old Savilians’ Club.
becoming Head of Modern Languages, Head of Year, and then Deputy Head Teacher. Gerald sadly passed away on 9 February 2019 at the Prince of Wales Hospice, Pontefract, following a long illness. He is greatly missed by his wife, Joan, his three daughters, Ruth, Sarah and Catherine, and his two grandchildren.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
John was a very distinguished lawyer and a lovely human being. He was born in Yorkshire and went to QEGS Junior School until the family returned to Wales. He never forgot QEGS and was a friend of Ronald Chapman, former Head of History at QEGS. John spent most of his academic career at Downing College, Cambridge and was for a time Senior Tutor. John earned many distinctions as a lawyer, was a superb teacher and was a governor of a number of schools, including Harrow, but was touchingly delighted to accept when the Old Savs asked him to become an honorary member of the Old Savilians’ Club’s council. He was our Guest of Honour at Cambridge Dinners held at Downing and Girton (his wife Cherry is
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42 Donald Blakeley attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School between 1942 and 1950 and was Head Boy during his last year. A keen and able rugby player, he was part of the First team and often used to ring Lizzie Hulme, OS Administrator to regale her with tales of his rugby days and contemporaries. He shared many happy memories of his time at QEGS. Donald left QEGS to study History at Brasenose College, Oxford and graduated with a degree in Modern History. Donald joined the then industrial colossus ICI at Billingham, County Durham, straight after university and stayed with it until retirement, returning after only one week from London following a promotion to top management in favour of his job at Billingham. During four decades, he was a key mover in founding and developing Yarm School
in North Yorkshire, now near the top of the table of the country’s best independent schools. He was one of the longest standing members of the Brasenose Society Committee – “a great supporter of our work,” recalls its secretary, Alexandra Marks. Donald also served as a magistrate for 30 years. And, remarkably, he and his wife Penelope throughout their marriage of 55 years, adorned their handsome 18th century Grade II listed home in Norton, Teesside, with a comprehensively collated collection of antiques. Some might say it was an accumulation: “You are thing-mad,” his BNC contemporary Robert Ramsden gibed. Maybe, but he knew everything about everything that he and Penelope amassed. “Ever engaging and amusing, waggish but also erudite, witty but also nimble-witted, amusing and perceptive, companionable even in the briefest of chats but wonderfully confrontational as well, not
Donald Blakeley (OS, 1950) to say argumentative and even irascible in discussion,” a neighbour has written. “Yet, he was a unique friend – highly intelligent, warmly kind and with lovely social graces.” Donald leaves behind his wife of 55 years, Penelope and their three sons, Rupert, Toby and Jasper. Extracts taken from the Obituary shared by kind permission of the author David Loshak (Modern History, 1952) Brasenose College, Oxford. (Please refer to our website www.qegsonline.org.uk to read Mr Loshak’s compressive and endearing obituary of Donald).
Gary Whitehead (OS, 1982) “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.” This soliloquy, delivered by the replicant Roy Batty in the film Blade Runner could have been spoken by Gary Whitehead. His life brought him wide-ranging experiences, from living inside both polar circles, to flying robotic spacecraft observing our planet, exploring Venus, and mapping our own galaxy with unprecedented precision. Gary was born in 1963 in Plymouth. His father served in the Royal Marines, and although Gary was not the military type, he spoke about his father with respect and pride. Perhaps this influenced him into a life seeking adventure and exploration. He attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School until 1982 and it was here that he developed his interest in science, culminating in studying Natural Sciences at Jesus College, graduating in 1985. Cambridge was a time in his life when he threw himself into sport. With his large physique, he took naturally to rowing, and was soon representing his College, which meant five days a week of torturous outings and training. On graduating, he joined the British Antarctic Survey and was sent to their most remote base at Halley in Antarctica for two years, as a meteorological observer, specialising in measurements of the stratospheric ozone layer. There were only 18 men on
the base and the re-supply ship came once a year for about a week. Otherwise, communication with family and friends back home was limited to 100 words per month. His instinct for exploration led him to join field trips to visit areas at the limits of BAS’s travel directives. Travelling more than 150 kilometres on Skidoos towing sledges, these trips echoed some of the epic exploration done in the 1960s. On returning from Antarctica in 1988 he commenced further study at the world famous Jodrell Bank Institute before taking up an opportunity to work with the European Space Agency. He moved to ESA’s site ESRIN, close to Rome, in 1991 to work on the ground system for the ERS Earth Observation satellites, followed by moves to the Arctic, Darmstadt and Melbourne, Australia where he worked on payload systems for Asiastar, operated by WorldSpace, returning a year later to ESOC to the ERS flight control team, this time working on payload systems. Darmstadt was where he finally settled meeting his wife Hanna here, and after 20 years finally celebrating their marriage in 2019. Further missions followed, including the support launch and early orbit operations for Rosetta, the Venue Express mission and latterly the Gaia mission where he worked on operations preparation through to routine operations. Gaia is currently mapping our galaxy with the highest precision ever. His colleagues recall his quiet selfeffacing humour, as well as his considerable
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knowledge of physics and his formidable ability to use logic in pursuing, and usually winning, an argument. Following diagnosis of a life-threatening cancer, Gary reacted like an engineer. He tried to understand the problem and do what was necessary to overcome it. Later, as it became clear he was not going to survive, he adopted the attitude of living each day and enjoying the moment. During this period, he remarked that he was lucky to have had enough experiences to fill numerous lifetimes, as he enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and reminiscing shared experiences. Tragic though Gary’s illness was, it brought forward the love of all those who have crossed paths with this true gentle giant. The lives of all who knew him will be, at the same time, poorer without him, yet richer for having had the privilege to know him. Extracts from Eulogy written by Toby Hastings-Clark (OS, 1981) To read full obituary, visit www.qegsonline.org.uk (community/obituaries).
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Barry Senior (OS, 1949) It is with great sadness that we report the passing of another or our much loved Old Savilians, Barry Senior. Barry was born in 1933 and attended the Grammar School between 1943 and 1949. He loved his time at the Grammar School as a pupil and continued his links with the School through The Old Savilians’ Club becoming Club President in 1979 - 1980. Barry leaves a widow Joan and 2 sons Dean (OS, 1977) and Timothy (OS, 1979) and 4 grandchildren. He will be missed by all that new him.
A GIFT THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE The QEGS Legacy Society is known as the 1591 Society. The 1591 Society was launched in 2016 to recognise those Old Savilians and Friends who wish to help with the work of the Foundation by leaving a gift in their will to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. The role of the 1591 Society is primarily to support the long-term financial security and development of QEGS and to help provide bursaries. We hope that in time, as the membership grows, we can create a schedule of annual events for 1591 Society members, alongside regular communication. Since our earliest foundation, we have been fortunate to have benefitted from a number of legacy donations. The first legacy left to the school was made by one of the original Founding Governors, George Savile senior, in 1593. Those who follow in this tradition by leaving a gift in their will to QEGS become members of the 1591 Society. Legacy income represents a valuable source of funding, enabling us to plan for the future, fund additional buildings and ensure that more boys can benefit from a QEGS education.
If you have already made provision for a gift to QEGS in your will, please do let us know so that we can thank you for your generosity during your lifetime. We are happy to supply more information about how to leave a gift to School in your will. For all enquiries please contact cworsley@qegsss.org.uk.
www.qegsonline.org.uk
A legacy gift in your will can benefit the School long into the future and is a wonderful way of helping future Old Savilians. Making a will is not purely about money, it’s about ensuring your wishes are respected and your affairs are in order. Whether big or small, every gift makes a world of difference.
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QEGS SPORTS COLOURS On the front cover is a picture of the various caps and blazers housed in the QEGS Archives. Blazers and caps were introduced for pupils who excelled at their sport, initially only for rugby and cricket. As the original school blazers were black, multi-coloured sports blazers were introduced: black, blue and gold for rugby, black, green and gold for cricket. The rugby colours blazer (far left), belonged to Thomas Bernard Murtland (OS, 1924). The exact year he gained his colours is unknown. Whilst at QEGS he lived at Carlton Hall Farm, Carlton, Wakefield, which was a rhubarb and turkey farm. After leaving school he was articled to Thos. Coombes, Chartered Accountants in Leeds. He stayed with them for his entire working life, becoming Senior Partner until his death in 1974. The blazer was donated by his daughter Pat Aspinall. The rugby colours blazer (far right) was donated by Denis Wheatley, a former Spokesman to the Governors. The cricket blazer with cap (second left) does not have any provenance attached to it. The striped blazers were eventually replaced by single colours and colours were awarded for additional sports. Black for rugby (at the time school blazers were dark blue), royal blue for cricket, dark green for athletics and crimson for tennis. The royal blue blazer (third left) was donated by David Pryor (OS, 1959). This is believed to be the first blue cricket colours blazer – available from 1958. This blazer was purchased in 1958 after David was awarded his full cricket colours and worn for school attendance in his final year at QEGS. The boys on the back row are wearing a variety of caps which were given for sport. The earliest one we have is dated 1919–20. Caps went out of fashion many years ago and eventually colours blazers were replaced by ties. If any Old Savilians can shed more light on any aspect of the colours or offer corrections to this information, I should be delighted to hear from you. Also, if you would like to donate any items (school clothing or otherwise) to the QEGS Archive, they would be assured of a good home! And finally an open invitation to visit the Archives – it’s always lovely to meet Old Savilians! Many thanks to the Year 9 pupils who very kindly volunteered to model the clothing. Elaine Merckx Foundation Archivist
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