Worth Society Blue Paper 2023

The 2023 Review

blue paper

Worth Society Events, News from the Network and The Old Place

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inspiring

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GravetyeManor

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Contents Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians continued

04 Chair’s 2023 Report Jerry Fletcher G’72

52 Book Reviews

Adventureholic: Extraordinary Journeys on Seven Continents

by Land, Sea & Air

By Neil Laughton C‘82 Reviewed by Matthew Brown C’82

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A Message from Mary Lou Burge Worth Society Committee

06 Worth Society Events 2022 London Christmas Carol Service – Will Featherby StB’13 2023 Careers Networking Evening – Oli Brown F’21 2023 Gibraltar Reception – Dan Drummond B’04 2023 Hong Kong Receptions – Nick Bodnar-Horvath B’72 2023 Worth Society Summer Party Class of 1973 50 Year Reunion Class of 1981 (Delayed) 40 Year Reunion – John Bennett R’81

Dementia and Ethics Reconsidered

By Dr Julian Hughes R’78

Reviewed by Professor Steven R Sabat, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Georgetown University 54

Caught on Camera

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Announcements

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News in Brief

64 Obituaries Peter Knyvett G’64 Anthony Renouf C’66

Class of 1983 40 Year Reunion – Sean Buckley G’83

Anthony Hayes G’67

Class of 1988 35 Year Reunion – Tom Garrigan G’88 Class of 2003 20 Year Reunion – Dan Pring R’03 Class of 2013 10 Year Reunion – Will Featherby StB’13

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A year in the life of the School and Message from the Head Master Stuart McPherson

Cricket – Matt Donegan StB’10

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School Staff – Autumn 2022-Summer 2023

Football – Andy Taylor

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2023 Worth School Careers Fair

Golf – Ken Ross G’65

75 Farewell from Matron – Janine Forbes-Kiely

Tennis – Stephen Nurse R’89

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Worth Abbey Pilgrims – Abbot Mark Barrett

Real Tennis – Paul Cattermull StB’73

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University Destinations 2023

Worth Prep School 90th Anniversary Lunch – Peter Agius WPS’66 21

The Old Place

Worthians Sport

Hockey – Charlotte Baker StA’17 Netball – Ellen Brownings StM’18 Rugby – James Kemp F’14, Fergus Ryan B’15 & Matthew Redferne G’18 32

Global Action Awards 2023 Overview - Mary Lou Burge

33 Medical Elective in Nepal – Melissa Torkizadeh StC’17

Life and Times of Worthians 34 Worthians and their Livery Companies 38

The Lurcott Family Rickshaw Run – Finn Lurcott R’13

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A reunion in South Korea – Ciaran Stordy StB’12

44 From St Bede’s Airfix modeller to Spitfire pilot – Shane Bisgood StB’71 46 An architecture of light unique in the world – Christopher Kelly StB’78 48

St Charles de Foucauld – Bishop John MacWilliam StB’67

50 Old Warrior joins Ukrainian war effort – Charlie Whelpton B’75 51

Restaurant Review: Sam’s Riverside – Mary Lou Burge

Advertisers We would like to extend our grateful thanks to this year’s advertisers: Gravetye Manor Wonderful World Wellness Experience Worth Lettings Worth School

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Chair’s 2023 Report

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his year marks a very special one in Worth’s history with the 90th anniversary of the founding of Worth Priory in 1933. It is extraordinary to recall that Worth’s foundation was driven in part by the fact that, so strong was the flow of vocations in those days, that the very large monastery at Downside had run out of space for more monks. How times have changed! But it is also extraordinary to reflect on the powerful legacy that has been left by that very first contingent of monks arriving from Downside. The Worth community is as strong as ever: as well as serving a thriving local parish, the monastic community now runs a large parish in Brighton, another in East Preston, and provides university chaplaincy to Sussex University.

From tiny beginnings, the School is now the largest independent Catholic senior school in the UK – more than double the size it was in my day and still growing – and Worth Society is in contact with thousands of former students, staff and parents.

We are very proud to be in email contact with nearly 70% of our database which we understand to be a much higher percentage than that enjoyed by the vast majority of other senior school alumni associations. This is clear evidence of the desire from our alumni and their families to keep a strong connection with Worth, as well as the extraordinary work done by Mary Lou with her persistent and caring contact with and support for all our alumni.

This year is Mary Lou’s 10th anniversary as the Society Manager, and reflecting upon the transformation of the Society achieved over her tenure, a huge vote of thanks is due to her more than ever for the energy, unstinting enthusiasm and creativity that she brings to the role.

Thanks are also due to both the Society’s Committee members for their wise counsel and to the School, without whose hospitality many of our events would not be possible. Hopefully, the dynamism of the Society is evident from the numbers turning up to the events that you will see across the next few pages.

With the introduction of the very successful summer party on HMS President in London in June, along with our well attended Careers Networking Event in April and our very popular London Carol Service in December, we

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now have some key not-to-be-missed events taking place each year for you to come along to. The Society continues to work in partnership with the Worth Abbey Pilgrims to encourage, former pupils, parents and families to return to Worth for a whole range of activities centred around the Abbey Church. So, in addition to keeping up with the latest news via our networking platform www. worthconnecting.org.uk or our monthly newsletter there are plenty of opportunities to reconnect socially and link up with classmates and former staff.

I want to say a big thank you on behalf of Mary Lou and the School to all the alumni who have come back to Worth to talk to current students this year, either speaking at the Careers Fair or as part of the Spencer Lecture Programme. This year particularly our network has provided a fantastic range of speakers talking about a vast array of topics. Our main aim however is to provide our young alumni with the invaluable knowledge and advice they need to start their career journeys, and this we could not do without your incredible support. If you haven’t already, do join our Mentoring Programme via the Careers page on Worth Connecting.

The Blue Paper is always a fascinating read and this year is no exception. I hope you enjoy reading about the many gatherings, adventures and fun that has been had over the last 12 months.

Jerry Fletcher G’72, Worth Society Chair

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Register on our networking platform www.worthconnecting.org.uk

Message from Mary Lou Burge

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irst of all, let me say a very happy 90th birthday to Worth! How wonderful it was to welcome back some of the original Prep School Worthians to celebrate this historic milestone with us in September.

From all the smiling faces that you will see on the following pages I think it is safe to say that it is very much business as usual after the Covid years. There has been a lot of catching up to do this year with several reunions having been delayed, but the true Worthian spirit made sure the momentum wasn’t lost and year groups did finally get together again.

The highlight of the year for me was our Summer Party on HMS President on the River Thames by Tower Bridge. This was a new event for the Society and an overwhelming success. It was indeed the perfect balmy summer’s evening we had envisaged when the Committee first discussed it in 2022, and we have booked the same venue for 5th June 2024 – so don’t miss it!

In my now ten years at Worth I don’t think I have ever seen such a large number of alumni coming back to support current students in such a variety of ways. The majority of speakers at the School’s Careers Fair this year were Old Worthians and we have a large number coming back to speak about a whole range of interesting subjects as part of the Spencer Lecture Series.

It is also great to see some new events in the calendar. As I write, we are organising an Alumni vs School Debating Evening with alumni from across the years joining us for a black-tie dinner and some healthy debating, and Worthians in Property have planned a networking lunch in London

for anybody working in the sector. Do get in touch if you would like to organise a gathering in a particular profession or field of interest and we can help spread the word.

Worth Connecting continues to be such a valuable tool for alumni to keep in touch with news from the Worth Community, and each other, and particularly for recent leavers to search for careers support from our Mentoring Programme. If you haven’t already, do register on the platform.

We always love to see alumni and their families back at Worth so do get in touch if you would like to make an appointment to have a look around.

The Worth Abbey Pilgrims also put on a series of events in and around the Abbey Church throughout the year, with activities for all the family – so there is no excuse not to come back to ‘The Old Place’.

As always, it has been a pleasure to put the magazine together and you will hopefully find lots to interest you discovering what our alumni are up to across the globe. Enjoy the read!

Mary Lou Burge, Worth Society Manager

Worth Society Committee Charlotte Baker StA’17 - Hockey Mobile: 07799 695216 Email: charlotte@theoaktree.net

Jerry Fletcher G’72 – Chair Mobile: 07785 288570 Email: jfletcher@worth.org.uk

Gordon Pearce – Deputy Head External Office: 01342 710258 Email: gpearce@worth.org.uk

Abbot Mark Barrett Office: 01342 710340 Email: jmbarrett@worth.org.uk

Kitty Gibson StA’12 Mobile: 07876 256924 Email: kitty.gibson94@gmail.com

Daniel Pring R’03 Mobile: 07865 064439 Email: danielpring@ymail.com

Mary Lou Burge – Worth Society Manager Office: 01342 710241 Email: worthsociety@worth.org.uk

Maddy Ilsley StM’10 Mobile: 07952 481636 Email: maddyilsley@hotmail.co.uk

Duncan Pring Email: pringduncan@gmail.com

Mark Collini StB’89 Office: 020 7783 4941 Email: markcollini@yahoo.co.uk

Anna MacMahon – Head of Development Office: 01342 711586 Email: amacmahon@worth.org.uk

Matthew Doggett F’07 – Squash Email: mdoggett@worth.org.uk

Stuart McPherson – Head Master Office: 01342 710222 Email: smcpherson@worth.org.uk

Tim Riley G’18 Mobile: 07979 498552 Email: timothyriley2000@gmail.com Andrew Taylor – Football Mobile: 07749 657073 Email: agtaylor44@gmail.com

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2022 London Christmas Carol Service

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Events

n a festive 7th December 2022, Old Worthians, their friends and family gathered at the beautiful church of St Patrick’s in Soho Square for the much-anticipated annual Carol Service. Despite a few years’ pandemic-induced hiatus, the crowd was strong and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces!

This year, rather than current students leading the chorals, the evening was the first outing of an entirely Old Worthian Choir. The music was totally divine and we thank all who took part enormously for their time and efforts.

Nobody can deny how enjoyable it is singing along to favourites such as Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, In The Bleak Midwinter and of course Hark! The Herald Angels Sing which were all chanted with glee.

Ever the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends of old, we were then treated to mulled wine and mince pies handed out by the likes of Mr Taylor and Mr Pearce.

The atmosphere was totally merry and it was just like old times. A huge thank you to Worth Society for organising the evening and I encourage everyone who can to attend this brilliant evening to join us in future years.

Will Featherby StB‘13

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Events

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2023 Gibraltar Gathering Events The following attended the 2023 Gibraltar Gathering: Robert Vasquez G’70 Bettina Manner Freddie Vasquez G’75 Christine Vasquez Patrick Sheppard-Capurro C’83 Belen Sheppard-Capurro Maurice Stagnetto B’86 Paula Stagnetto James Canepa B’88 Guy Stagnetto B’88 Maite Stagnetto James Holliday C’95 Natalia Holliday Valerie Holliday Adrian Perera G’95 James Quinn G’95 Dan Drummond B’04 Paul Stych B’04 Andrew Welsh B’04 Nick Bell-Young G’05 Katrina Bell-Young Nadine Bell-Young Mark Breen B’05 Anna Breen Toby Ingram B’06 Teddy Sacarello B’06 Charles Sacarello Javier Triay B’06 Seb Triay B’10 Gordon Pearce Andy Taylor

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here's something truly remarkable about attending a Worth School alumni event - I was there for 9 years so they owed me! It's a gathering that transcends time, bringing together generations who share a unique bond and a common history. Reminiscing about teachers, old classmates - memories come rushing back, and the echoes of laughter and camaraderie fill the air.

On 25th May 2023, in the sun-soaked Gibraltar Yacht Club, we knew we were in for a treat, and didn't waste time reminiscing, washed down with a few beers and some delicious tapas. It was great to see our former Housemaster, Mr Taylor, and hear all about the latest school news from Deputy Head, Gordon Pearce.

But reunions offer more than just nostalgia; it's an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

The connections you make can open doors and create new avenues for collaboration and mentorship. The networking possibilities are endless, and the wealth of knowledge and experience in the room is invaluable.

So, if you have the opportunity to attend such an event, embrace it wholeheartedly and let the nostalgia and connections transport you back to a cherished chapter of your life.

We very much look forward to seeing Worth back in Gibraltar again soon.

Dan Drummond B’04

The magic of these events lies in the connections forged.

Whether you finished school a decade ago or half a century ago, you instantly find yourself among friends.

The shared experiences and stories create an immediate sense of belonging. It's a reminder that the bonds we formed in our youth can withstand the test of time. As you engage in conversations, you realize just how much you've grown and evolved, yet there's an underlying thread that connects you to your school days. It's a nostalgic journey, where you revisit the triumphs, the challenges, and the lessons learned. There's also a sense of pride in seeing the accomplishments of your fellow alumni, in knowing that you were part of a community that fosters success.

Mark Breen, Andy Taylor & Nick Bell-Young

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

2023 Careers Networking Evening

Since leaving Worth I have been studying Mechanical & Electrical Engineering at the University of Bath. I attended the networking event to expand my professional network, gain insights into potential career paths, and to learn more about the fields of banking and private equity.

The event was well-organised and I had the chance to meet and chat with several successful and experienced alumni, including Dom Robinson B’11 from Cinven, a private equity firm. He provided me with some excellent advice on transitioning from university to the corporate world and shared insights on making my CV stand out. He suggested a small section of hobbies/interests outside of education and work to help get the conversation flowing during interviews

and helping to convey you as more than just a name on a piece of paper to an interviewer. It was so encouraging to see how supportive the Worth Community is in helping me to achieve my goals.

The short talk by James Chaplin ’96 of Vacancy Soft was fascinating as he spoke about the potential impact AI could have on the job market and how we can adapt our skills to stay ahead of the curve. It was suggested that the best way to future proof ourselves within any industry is to become invaluable within the company; become the ‘go to ‘person, resolving a plethora of issues and with institutional knowledge that would be difficult for AI to gather.

Overall, I highly recommend attending these networking events to other young alumni. The Worth Society network is highly supportive and a fantastic resource to have in pursuing your career goals.

Oli Brown F’21

We welcomed the following young Worthians to our 2023 Careers Networking Evening: Ronald Lau StB’13, Aless Hermitage StM’15, Peter Cloudsley B’17, Tom Scanlon R’17, Ellen Brownings StA’18, Callum Jenkins F’18, Tom Roberts F’18, Toby Hudson StB’19, Ben Ritchie F’18, Ted Fuller G’20, Oliver Goodridge-McHugh F’20, Oli Brown F’2, Ethan Cunha B‘21, Logkith Loganathan C’22, Elliot Martin-Drew F’22, Henry White C’22

We welcomed the following careers advisors to our 2023 Careers Networking Evening: Johnny Harrison WPS’57 Hospitality Industry John Smythe R’70 Consultancy/Entrepreneur Simon McMenemy R’89 Employment Law James Chaplin R’96 CEO Vacancysoft, UK's leading labour market data provider Stephen Wolseley R’98 Military/Middle East/Consulting/Construction & Engineering (Infrastructure & Energy) Dan Pring R’03 Insurance Oli Mulcahy C’05 Royal Navy/Engineering Rory Ryan C’09 Deep Tech Entrepreneur/Biotechnology/AI/Fintech/ Health tech Andy Scanlon B’09 VR Entertainment/Entrepreneur Maddy Ilsley StM’10 Marketing Christian Killoughery R’10 Law (SQE), Think Tanks Dom Robinson B’11 Private Equity Kit Brown B’14 Government/Civil Service Peter Cloudsley B’15 Investment Banking/Asset Management Polina Zoltova StM’15 Consulting Eli Barrott C’18 Public Affairs Holly Booth StM’18 Quantity Surveying, Project & Construction Management Fred Greenslade G’18 Real Estate Will Mersh C’18 Commercial Property Surveying Mary Lou Burge Worth Society Manager Anna MacMahon Head of Development, Worth School Lindsey Shoebridge Events Co-ordinator, Worth School

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Events

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had the pleasure of attending Worth Society’s networking event in London on 18th April 2023. It was a great opportunity to catch up with old classmates and Worthian professionals and hear about their experiences and careers and gain valuable advice and insights into the world of work.

2023 Hong Kong Gatherings Events Worth School’s Marketing Manager, Lizzie Coyne, with Nick and Helen Bodnor-Horvath and a current parent

Some of our younger alumni explain some of the recent changes on campus

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t is always a pleasurable experience when Worthians get together to meet with Deputy Head, Gordon Pearce, and his team whilst they are visiting Hong Kong for schools exhibitions. We also get to meet the parents of existing and prospective students. We have enjoyed two such evenings this year with drinks and canapés, on the 10th February and 19th October 2023, at Soho House, a new club with gorgeous views overlooking Hong Kong harbour.

Camille Olcott, Tony Tyler and his wife, Charlotte, at the February event

The following attended a 2023 gathering in Hong Kong: Robert Carroll R’71 Nick Bodnar-Horvath B’72 Helen Bodnar-Horvath Tony Tyler C’73 Charlotte Andsager John Bowden R’74 Chan Ahn R’99 Rachel Yu Jack Harrison R’00 Tristan Stutchbury StB’01 Ki-Hyuk Lee B’08 Matt Kwong R’10 Ronald Ng R’13 Ronald Tam B’13 Gordon Li B’15 Alvin Tang G’15 Camille Olcott StM’19 Gordon Pearce Jo Everett (Worth School Registrar) Lizzie Coyne (Worth School Marketing Manager)

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As well as meeting up again with local alumni and catching up on their news, it was fascinating to see the building work which has been undertaken at the School over the last 50 years and appreciate its growth in so many areas. As I was leaving Worth, the Abbey Church was almost completed; I note that the Church is now undergoing repairs and even restoration!

The alumni who attended included the usual suspects, although a number have left Hong Kong for other parts of Asia and some have returned to the UK. John Bowden’s family have spent many decades in Hong Kong, but he is now moving to Portugal.

These events were most convivial evenings in which we spoke to many of the current parents and shared many of the experiences we enjoyed at Worth during our time as students. Long may these social events continue!

Nick Bodnar-Horvath B72

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

2023 Worth Society Summer Party Events

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he Royal Naval Base of HMS President by Tower Bridge was the perfect venue for the Society’s first Summer Party on 7th June 2023… and what a party it was, attended by a fantastic range of alumni and former staff, a gloriously warm, sunny summer’s evening on the River Thames and a wonderful buffet courtesy of Worth Catering. If you didn't make it then see you there in 2024!

Head Master, Stuart McPherson, welcomes all the guests

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2023 Worth Society Summer Party continued

Sophie Harrison-Binns and Jemima Lee

Events A great turn out from the Class of 2002

The following alumni attended the 2023 Summer Party:

Mandy, Rehan and Francesca Mudannayake

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Terry Delaney G’64 James Windle C’66 John Smythe R’70 John Watson StB’70 Richard Mitchell StB’71 Gavin Hamilton-Deeley R’72 Nicholas Norton R’73 Nick Metcalf R’75 Suresh Mudannayake C’75 Richard Miles StB’75 Charlie Whelpton B’75 Nick Butterworth G’76 Hugh Easterbrook R’76 Anthony Ward-Thomas B’76 Peter Dewey R’77 Philip Lundberg C’80 Matthew Brown C’82 John Shepherd B’82 Sean Buckley G’83 Ben Drummond R’83 Johnny Greig G’85 Tom Willett G’86 Mark Collini StB’89 Dom Hirons G’89 Robert Windle C’96 Richard Gairdner StB’98 Simon Jones StB’98

Max Barnett G’02 Adam Fudakowski G’02 Matthew Hunt StB’02 Simon Jalie C’02 Max McAlister G’02 Robert Tyler G’02 Alex Young R’02 John Barnes StB’06 Michael Bilbé StB’06 Tom Bilbé StB’06 Rob Butterworth StB’06 Tobias Kulitz R’06 Rehan Mudannayake B’08 Maxim Newman B’08 Maddy Ilsley StM’10 Tim Long B’11 Seb Strudley C’11 Kitty Gibson StA’12 Claire Long (Hodgkinson) StM’12 Elaine Yim StA’12 Alicia Buckley StM’14 Peter Webb C’14 Georges Abousleiman F’15 Ollie Campbell StB’15 Aless Hermitage StM’15 Fergus Shaw R’15 Charlotte Baker StA’17

Worth Society Life

Harry Hamilton-Deeley R’18 Samuel Akwenuke G’20 Sophie Harrison-Binns StC’20 Jemima Lee StA’20 Helena Liddington StM’22 Former Staff: Alda Andreotti Liam Bauress Ian Bonner Jeremy Dowling Abbot Christopher Jamison Alan Mitchell Dr Duncan Pring Worth Staff: Mary Lou Burge – Worth Society Manager Anna MacMahon – Head of Development Stuart McPherson – Head Master Gordon Pearce – Deputy Head, External Lindsey Shoebridge – Events Co-ordinator

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

John Smythe and Robert Windle

Alda Andreotti, Ollie Campbell, Helma & Gavin Hamilton-Deeley

Events

Jeremy Dowling, Alan Mitchell, Dr Duncan Pring, Peter Dewey and Nick Metcalf

Tom Simmons, Kitty Gibson, Claire Long, Maddy Ilsley & Tim Long

Terry and Kathy Delaney, Matthew Brown, Helena Liddington, Elaine Yim and Christopher Tatum

Ollie Campbell, Peter Webb, Georges Abousleiman and Fergus Shaw

Liam Bauress & Suresh Mudannayake

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Class of 1973 50 Year Reunion

Events

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n 16th June 2023 Worth hosted the Class of 1973, along with a few from previous years who had missed last year’s event. Having reconnected over coffee the merry band were taken on a tour of the campus as the sun shone down, ending in the Abbey Church so that they could join the monastic community for their lunchtime prayers. Lunch was a slightly more deluxe affair than what guests remembered from their era, with a Sussex cheese tart, salmon with hollandaise sauce and a rhubarb and custard granita served. We were joined by some very special former staff who we had not seen since pre-Covid, as well as special guest, ‘Tiny’ the dog! Some guests had not been back in the 50 years’ since leaving, but the feeling was unanimous that although the campus may have changed over the years, that special spirit of Worth remains

“I left Worth with a feeling of incredible admiration for all that has been achieved at the School. It really is a most impressive place and must measure very strongly against all its competition, not just Sussex and Surrey but countrywide.”

“It was great fun to see everyone, to renew old friendships and swap ‘war stories’ with former fellow students, teachers, monks and current students! The School and Abbey both looked magnificent in the summer sunshine, and it was altogether a wonderful event.”

“It was genuinely fun and emotional and reminded me (if I needed it) of what a special place Worth was and still is.”

“Thank you for arranging this historic (for us at least!!) event…we all loved it.”

“All in all, the School seems in really good hands and I for one feel very proud of my alma mater.”

The following attended the Class of 1973 50 Year Reunion: Nick Barnett Hugh Bett Paul Cattermull Chris Coffin Andre de Peyrecave Natasha de Peyrecave Mark Lee-Barber Nicholas Norton Rupert Rutherford Andrew Robinson

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Alex Scott-Barrett Michael Spencer Mark Swabey Anne Swabey Tony Tyler Charlotte Andsager Dominic Wakefield Simon Willson Isabella Ohan

Class of 1972 Jerry Fletcher Tim Tyler Charles Weston-Baker Class of 1971 Fr Luke Jolly David Tye

Former Staff/Guests Abbot Mark Barrett Mary Lou Burge Fred Belcher Anne Belcher Fr Philip Gaisford Mike Margrett Anna MacMahon

Worth Society Life

Stuart McPherson Fr Stephen Ortiger Keith Owers Gilly Owers Gordon Pearce Martin Powys-Lybb Fr Kevin Taggart

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Class of 1981 (Delayed) 40 Year Reunion Events

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t was wonderful to catch up with so many alumni and staff in the private room of The Antelope pub in London SW1 on 14th July 2023. With everyone on cracking form, there was much merriment and laughter and folk came from as far afield as Malaysia, Singapore and USA. It was especially good to see Liam Bauress, George Daly and Dom Stephen in such fine fettle. As Mr Coleburt and ‘Magister’ once taught us way back in the ‘70s, dulce est desipere in loco.

John Bennett R’81

The following attended the Class of 1981 (Delayed) 40 Year Reunion: David Adeleke John Bennett Chris Bloy Dick Brown Rohan Cavaliero Andrew Clutterbuck Hope Elletson Ben Elwes Harry Fisher Mark Gormley Martin Hunt Nick Hooper Mark Jenner Chris Meade Justin Mould

Richard Nunn Fergus O’Meara Paul Owers Reg Peacock Gregory Pickard Stephen Scarr Dominic Strickland Henry Thornton Richard Urwick James Wardlaw Liam Bauress George Daly Fr Stephen Ortiger

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Class of 1983 40 Year Reunion Events

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WOBS and one legendary master, that is James Cockburn, descended upon The George public house on The Strand in London on the warm sunny evening of 2nd September 2023. We had originally corralled some 43 WOBs and masters but, sadly, British Rail had other ideas and due to the strike many who had planned to travel were unable to attend.

There was still a remarkable atmosphere as many people had not seen each other for 40 years. Much banter and retelling of former escapades and catching up on current lives ensued, fuelled by drinks and some fine canapés partially and generously funded by Worth Society.

Regrettably some alumni had to leave early but the remainder made it to a late closing time and by the time we piled out into the night air the evening was declared a success.

As so many were very much missed a promise was made to organise a further beer and curry evening, and a WhatsApp group was rapidly set up to keep in contact and share photos of our days at Worth and beyond. For anyone who could not make the evening or has not been added to the group please contact Marcus Elwes at marcuselwes@hotmail.com Sean Buckley G’83

The following attended the Class of 1983 40 Year Reunion: Gus Barnard, Roger Bennett, Dick Brasher, Seán Buckley, Ben Drummond, Marcus Elwes, Dominic Hall, Andrew Hobbs, Simon Hoskyns, Mark Johnson, Chris McCourt, Andrew Mitchell, Guy Montgomery, Lawrence Owers, Charles Rangeley-Wilson, Patrick Shepard-Capurro, Godric Smith, Tony Sugrue, David White, Justin Van der Lande, James Cockburn

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Class of 1988 35 Year Reunion

We were pleased to welcome Fr Luke, Jonathan Monckton, James Cockburn, Nick Robinson and Jeremy Dowling. All looking well and seeming to enjoy themselves with a few beers.

Giles Coghlin, our Head Boy, has lost none of his oratorical skills as he regaled us once again with what a wonderful year we were. We all agreed and raised a glass to celebrate.

There were some notable journeys to make the occasion a truly worldwide celebration. Mathias Holzacker from the USA, Guy Stagnetto from Gibraltar, Jason Pavry from Ireland, Nick Mifsud from Scotland, Simon Mermod from Wales, and Gaye Wilmot from Leeds. Nathan Stegel and Justin Pik also held their own celebration in Australia on the same day.

In the lead up, we managed to pull together 49 people in the WhatsApp group, which became a central location for photos from our time at Worth, and recollections good and bad! So, all in all a very enjoyable and successful night.

Thanks to all who came and made it a wonderful evening.

Tom Garrigan G’88

The following attended the Class of 1988 35 Year Reunion: Paul Anson, Alex Buckley, Giles Coghlin, Charlie Dunster, Tom Ellis, Tom Garrigan, Bruce Henwood, Canice Hogan, Mathias Holzhacker, Jason Juden, Nik Keane, Stephen McDermott, Paul McGarry, Simon Mermod, Nick Mifsud, Emma Parfitt (Bristow), Jason Pavry, Clare Petre, Nick Pond, Paul Radziwill, Dennis Roberts, James Roch, Guy Stagnetto, Martyn Sullivan, Robert Tye, Paddy Van der Borgh, Simon Walsh, Marc Wiehe, Gaye Wilmot (Robertson), James Cockburn, Jeremy Dowling, Fr Luke Jolly, Jonathan Monckton, Nick Robinson

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Events

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he alumni of 1988 gathered together again on 6th October 2023 at The Northcote in Battersea to celebrate 35 years since we left Worth. As the group photo attests, none of us have aged a day since our last meet up 5 years previously.

Nathan Steggel R’88 and Justin Pik G’88 didn’t miss out by meeting up for some pints in Australia instead

Class of 2003 20 Year Reunion Events

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an Pring R’03 organised the Class of 2003 20 Year Reunion which was held on 2nd September 2023 at The Sun pub in Clapham. Despite a national rail strike attempting to scupper plans, we decided to go ahead and 17 chaps managed to get there by a variety of routes. We enjoyed a very good 3-course dinner and were joined by honorary former staff guests, Duncan Pring, Andy Taylor and James Williams whom Worth Society were able to put up in a local hotel. Whilst there was high quality in the room we would have liked more quantity, so proposing another reunion in 2024!

The following attended the Class of 2003 20 Year Reunion: Charles Birchall Jack Bodkin Samuel Burman Peter Conlon Harry Fielder Ben Green Simon Hilton Ed Long Christopher Major Nicholas Michell Tom Middlehurst Daniel Pring Nick Rush Lachlan Sykes Tom Symonds

Dan Pring R’04

Duncan Pring James Williams Andy Taylor

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

The following attended the Class of 2013 10 Year Reunion:

Class of 2013 10 Year Reunion

As we walked towards the dock, the rain began to pour.

Tidal surges in the Thames made us feel we were in the middle of the Atlantic. Familiar faces of former classmates began to appear. It was amazing to see how time had transformed some so much, yet some so little. There was an undeniable sense of camaraderie that instantly rekindled the bonds formed during our time at Worth.

Of course, nobody could ignore the England vs South Africa world cup rugby semi-final, an extra layer of

excitement to the festivities. Everyone gathered around, cheering for King and country. Despite Handre Pollard smashing our dreams, the atmosphere was electric. The resilience of the group prevailed as we quickly shifted our focus back to the purpose of the evening: reconnecting with old friends and celebrating a decade's worth of memories. The dance floor soon came alive.

Huge thank yous must go to all of those who travelled from afar to join us. At least a dozen flew in from other countries and we are truly grateful that you joined us! Last but not least, a massive thank you to Andrew Oxley and Bruce Morrison for braving it through the evening! We’re sorry for tormenting you at school, and we’re so glad we could connect again after all this time. This was a night filled with nostalgia, laughter, and a deep sense of belonging that only comes from a school as special as Worth.

Will Featherby StB’13

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Events

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he excitement and anticipation had been building for months and finally, on 21st October 2023, the time for our 10 Year Reunion had arrived.

The venue, Tamesis Dock, a charming boat moored on the south bank of the River Thames in London, provided the perfect backdrop for a night of nostalgia and rekindled friendships. The boat's unique setting offered breathtaking views of London's iconic skyline, and a dance floor inside, setting the stage for a memorable evening.

Alex Aslett, Aloysius Atkinson, Ana Bain, Miles Bateson, Jonny Blain, Henry Bond, Olivia Brent, Vincent Brennan, Max Cordes, Luke Donegan, Will Featherby, Will Giesler, Louis Gorringe, Matt Hay, Sandy Hicks, Jonny Hickson, Joseph Jefferys, Katie Kenward, Max Kuehner, Ronald Lau, Sam Law, Bea Lewers, Finn Lurcott, Harrison Marks, Frankie Mercieca, Heather Norris, Oli Pateman, Lizzie Pease, Jamie Pickard, Greg Plummer, Izzie Pollard, Markie Poole, Tom Poynder, Ben Pullen, Jack Rafferty, Isabella Rothman, Mia Ryan, Will Shorthall, May Smith, Will Spicer, Wesley Tang, Alex von Grolman, Ben Wergert, Bruce Morrison, Andrew Oxley

The following Prep School Worthians attended the 90th Anniversary Lunch:

Worth Prep School 90th Anniversary Lunch Events

Peter Agius 1962-66 Michael Agius 1952-58 Patrick Baynham 1956-60 Jeremy Best 1955-59 John Butterworth 1962-65 John Carter 1952-58 Neil Cook 1956-61 Jerome Dillon 1955-57 Anthony Dillon 1958-62 Chris Dobson 1956-61 Bernard Elkington 1954-59 Bill Evans 1967-72 Johnny Harrison 1952-57 John Hawkins 1957-62 Brian Heathcote 1962-66 Adrian Holmes 1962-66 Tim Marlow 1963-65 Nicholas Mellish 1955-61 Martin Milmo 1958-63 Anthony Pontifex 1953-56 Keith Rose 1956-61 Howard Rose 1953-58 Max Rutherston 1963-68 Michael Setter 1955-60 David Sketchley 1963-68 Simon Slaughter 1954-59 Fr Kevin Taggart 1940-44 Carl Tantum 1944-50 Martin Whinney 1955-61 John Wild 1960-65 Peter Wright 1948-49 Nicholas Wynne 1954-59 Andrew Young 1955-61

S

ix years on from our first Prep School Reunion we gathered again on 15th September 2023 to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of Worth Preparatory School. The monks arrived from Downside on 28th September 1933 and started the School in the following week with 60 boys either moved from the Junior School at Downside or starting fresh to the world of Benedictine education. All who attended up to 1965, when it changed to Worth Junior House and the link with Downside was ended, are now 68+ years old but remain young at heart and had fond memories of their time at Worth. Guest of honour, and oldest Worth Prep boy present, was Fr Kevin. Starting in September 1940 his Worth Prep years were entirely during the evacuation to Downside in WW2. At the younger end of those at the reunion were David Sketchley and Max Rutherston who were amongst the last to transfer from Worth to Downside in 1968.

31 attended, many with their wives, and those with less hair than others were regretting not having a sun hat with them on what felt like the hottest day of the summer! We gathered on the terrace for coffee and chat before going on a short tour up the hill lead by some Sixth Formers. First stop was the new Spencer Building, opened last year, that sits on the old playing field between Tower House and Austin/Junior House of ancient memory. This is a great facility for the School which I was familiar with having used it for our Lay Community Summer Gathering just 3 weeks

earlier. Then over to the Pitstop Café behind the tower and a pop in to the old gym, which hadn’t changed very much from 70 years ago apart from the climbing ropes being removed.

We then went into the Abbey for Midday Prayer with Adoration. I had been asked to compile a list of deceased Worth Prep boys and so we began by placing the names on the altar while Abbot Mark said a prayer for the repose of their souls.

On to the Whitehead Room (which most of us knew as the Assembly Room) for a sumptuous lunch with a few speeches. After Abbot Mark’s welcome, we heard from the Head Master, Stuart McPherson, who spoke about how the School is thriving, imbued with the Benedictine ethos. I then gave a pitch for the Lay Community of St Benedict that was the Worth Abbey Lay Community when founded in 1971 and for which I’m now Administrator. After dessert we had a note of thanks from Anthony Pontifex on behalf of the guests.

Anthony is my brother’s brother-in-law and brother of James, founder member of the Senior School in 1959.

I had called him up just 2 days earlier and great thanks to Anthony for accepting the request and giving us some lovely memories of his time at Worth.

A big thanks to Worth for hosting this reunion and special thanks to Mary Lou Burge and Anna MacMahon for organising such a brilliant event. I’m sure we’re all looking forward to the Centenary in 10 years’ time!

Peter Agius WPS 1962-66

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Cricket

I

Sport

t really was a valiant effort from a rather diminished OW Team who played the School 1st XI on Sunday 21st May 2023 on the Playing Fields at Worth.

The OW Team scored 168 for 9 declared with several bowling well. In reply the School reached the target winning by 9 wickets with 3 not out.

A big thank you to Luke MacWilliam R'07, Matt Donegan StB'10, Charles Coleman C'10, Luke Donegan StB'13 Lex Wills, F'18 & Vikram Kohli F'19 with the help of some current students who played for the OW team on the day.

We encourage anyone who is keen to get involved in future matches to email me at donegan.matthew@ googlemail.com and register on the Cricket Club at www. worthconnecting.org.uk/clubs for cricket-related news.

Matt Donegan StB’10

Ties, socks ? page and much more!

Visit the Merchandise section www.worthconnecting.org.uk

21

Football 2022-2023 Season Report

The first AGM of the OW Football Club

Sport The OW 1st XI & Old Gregorians Teams

F

ootball at Worth has always been excellent, it has a good reputation and this has grown in recent years.

Tours to the Valencia Academy with the 1st XI, the appointment of a Football Development Officer and the joining of the Sussex Kent Independent School League (SKIL) has, over the last 5 years, taken football to another level in the School.

This year Old Worthians football has started to match the School. Adopting a more professional approach to teams and fixtures, we now have a Committee with Ollie Rivers F’14 as Treasurer, Harry Woodman F’10 as Secretary and myself as Chairman. We met in August 2023 to work out the fixtures and dates for the year ahead. There are still the usual matches for the 5-a-side team, the OW 1st XI and the Worth Veterans XI. However, we have now joined the London South 5-a-side League, with Worth Society helping to subsidise the costs. This is open to all Worthians moving into the London area and also guarantees the core of the OW 1st XI are fit and used to playing together.

OW 1st XI vs Old Gregorians The sun may not have been shining, but there was a fair wind behind the OW 1st XI football team on 12th February for the annual match against the Old Gregorians (Downside Alumni) on the Worth Playing Fields. Harry Woodman F'10 captained the team to a remarkable 10-2 victory following a very busy and sometimes 'vocal' game! Tommy Ferguson C'15 was man of the match having scored 5 of the 10 Worthian goals, 2 goals were courtesy of Theo Rivers F'11 (who was joined on the day by brothers Oli F'14 and Joseph F'10), another 2 thanks to Freddie Boag-Jones R'15, and then Will Mersh C'18 made it the nice round number. Worth's Benedictine hospitality was firmly on display with a slap-up postmatch tea. The 2024 match will take place in London to encourage more supporters to come along.

The School pitches continue to be a problem, so we are arranging matches against a Worth under 23 team and The Old Gregorians on London pitches, but will still play The Teachers XI at Worth. Also, the match against the School 1st XI for the Henry Surtees’ Cup will take place at Worth on the last Sunday of the Spring term with hopefully Leonora Surtees making the presentation. We will continue with the Vets fixture against The Priory and the 5-a-side Tournament on the Worth Astro the day after the School breaks up for the Summer holiday.

The OW Vets Team

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

There was a wonderful turn-out for our annual 5-a-side Tournament at Worth in June

6-a-side London League

On 19th February a strong OW Vets Team headed out to play Reigate Priory Vets on the Playing Fields at Worth. Captain James Bannister C'04 scored three goals, with two coming from A Malik and one from JP Matthews B'06 (supported in the team by brothers Mike B'99 and James B'08), making it a nice round six. Despite conceding two goals it was a comfortable win for the Vets. As OW Football Club Manager, Andy Taylor, said "It was obviously the new kit!".

The 6-a-side team is a growing force in the Clapham Junction Monday Night League, which consists of 11 matches before splitting into a ‘cup/plate’ competition.

The team began as a mix of Worth alumni and non-Worth players, masquerading under the name Wombledon (a nod to our local AFC Wimbledon) and wearing our iconic fluorescent green shirts. But 2023 saw an influx of Worth faces join the team (O Rivers, O Fletcher, O Maude, J Kemp & T Rivers) and their impact was immediate, winning the plate in their debut season. This was followed by our best season to date, finishing third in the cup, two points off the cup winners. The standout moment of the season was beating the powerhouse of the league Top Shavers 5-2, their only defeat in the 16-game season. James Kemp ended the season as the top goal scorer with 10 goals, but shout out to Theo Rivers for his contribution of 9 goals from 4 games in the cup.

5-a-side Football Tournament On 25th June the Astropitch at Worth hosted the annual Worthians 5-a-side Football Tournament. With temperatures nudging 30 degrees, 8 teams battled it out for the 'H' Trophy in memory of Henry Surtees C'09 RIP. Our OW 1st XI Captain, Harry Woodman F'10, led Team Wombledon, Jack Rackham R'05 captained Team Rackham, Team Rivers was led by Theo Rivers F'11, and Tom Bentley C'18 put together Team Bentley. It was also great to have some more recent leavers returning with Team 7M captained by Ethan Cunha '21, Shaquiri's Kids captained by Jacob McLoughlin C'21 and Farwell FC (& Colm) captained by Caleb Tanner F'22. There was also had a good turnout to complete the Worth Staff team.

After some stellar performances, the Final was played by Team Rackham and Team Rivers with the latter picking up the trophy. A big thank you to all who played, our fantastic referees, Alan Mitchell, Conrad Ware & Andy Taylor, and the wonderful crowd of enthusiastic spectators.

Team Rivers picked up the ‘H’ Trophy after winning the 5-a-side Tournament

Sport

Veteran OWs vs Reigate Priory

This new season sees us officially rebranding to Old Worthians and we are excited to go one better and bring the cup back to Worth! If you’re interested in playing in the team please reach out to Harry Woodman at: nhjwoodman@gmail.com 6-a-side team: Harry Woodman F’10, Christian Killoughery R’10, Harry Luff C’10, Joseph Rivers F’10, Tim Long B’11, Theo Rivers F’11, Oli Rivers G’14, Oli Fletcher C’14, James Kemp F’14, Oli Maude R’17, Freddie Boag-Jones R’15, Alex Stevens (non-Worth) Andy Taylor, OW Football Club Manager

The 6-a-side London League Team

23

Golf 2022-2023 Season Report Sport

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he Old Worthians Golfing Society was founded in 1996 with the first events played in 1997. It has been my privilege to organise the Society since its inception but, now 27 years later, the time has come to hand over the reins. Matthew Wood B’77, a stalwart supporter of the Society, has kindly agreed to take on the work and I am sure will advance the Society with his enthusiasm and innovative ideas. 86 Old Worthians are on our mailing list but with only 34 signed up members.

Should anyone reading this wish to consider joining please email Matthew at: matthewwood11@btinternet.com Each year the Society has Spring and Autumn Meetings with handicap Stableford competitions. We’ve been fortunate to have had some great venues including Tandridge, Cottesmore, The Berkshire, East Sussex National, Royal Ashdown Forest, Dale Hill, West Hill, Addington, Wilderness and Mannings Heath & Hanbury Manor Golf Clubs. In addition, the Spring Meeting has been played at Moor Park Golf Club since 2006 and remains the venue for 2024. Since 2011 the Autumn Meeting has been a weekend event which has proved to be a great success.

Worth is represented also in two Scratch Stableford foursome events each year, namely the Grafton Morrish Public Schools competition and the Russell Bowl Public Schools competition at Woking Golf Club. To date we have not managed to qualify in the former event but have had three victories in the latter, including this year.

Charlie Barclay-Hudson C’13, Peter Gottelier R’70, Niall Keelaghan B’01, Rupert Pridham G’81, Joseph Rivers F’10 and myself, comprised the victorious team.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the depth of low handicap players to ensure a strong turnout every year, so if there are some out there please get in contact with Matthew!

In addition, the Society has a longstanding annual match against the Old Gregorians Golfing Society and more recently an ’Elderly versus Less Elderly’ friendly match, both of which are played at Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club. Finally, a match against the Worth School team has been played in previous years and isbeing planned again for 2024.

Our report begins with the Autumn Meeting in October 2022 held at Dale Hill Golf Club. I am pleased to announce that your future leader, Matthew Wood, saw off the

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Matthew Wood was presented with the Worth Salver at the Autumn Meeting at Dale Hill

opposition to win the Worth Salver with James Blake B’77 and Peter Gottelier in second and third places. Also rans were James Ambrose G’75, Dermot Flood C’77 and Hugh Maguire R’77, all stalwart members of the Society.

Unfortunately 2023 started off with two cancelled events; the match against the Old Gregorians was cancelled due to administrative problems on their side, and the scratch Grafton Morrish qualifying game at Knole Park due to one of our team having to withdraw at short notice. As I mentioned above, we need more depth in lower handicap players.

The Spring meeting at Moor Park went ahead as scheduled and as usual was enjoyed by all the participants. Dominic Pasqua B’77 carried off the Worth Rose Bowl Trophy with an excellent 36 points with Matthew Wood and Matt Carter G’74 close on his heels.

Nearest the pin prizes were won by Hugh Bett B’73, Peter Gottelier (X2) and George Ross G’95. The longest drive prize went to Charlie Barclay-Hudson.

Next up was the annual ‘Elderly versus Less Elderly’ game at Royal Ashdown Forest in August. James Ambrose, Stephen Bamford StB’68, Nick Barnett G’73, Dominic Pasqua, Simon Pickard StB’78 and Joseph and Ollie Rivers F’14 graced the Old Course after an excellent lunch which boosted their confidences but not necessarily their performances! It would be invidious to report who played for which team but suffice to say that a good day was had by all.

I feel sure that the Society has a great future but this will depend upon its members both new and old. I hope this report will encourage some of you to consider joining.

Ken Ross G’65

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Tennis

If you are interested in getting involved with Worthian Tennis go to the Club Page at www.worthconnecting.org.uk/clubs to find out more.

H

Sport

aving met a very high standard of Tennis playing Worth students last year, Chris McCourt B’83, Stephen Nurse R’89 and Paddy Hopkirk R’89 were keen to come back for more at this year’s Afternoon of Worthian Sport on 9th September. They thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play current Worth players as well as Rhys Hanger, one of the School’s Level 5 coaches, a former pro player, and a top national squad coach.

The students have now been invited up to Queen’s to play alumni at a special fixture next year.

Stephen Nurse, Chris McCourt & Paddy Hopkirk

Real Tennis

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any have heard of Real Tennis, but few have actually tried it. Before seeking your opportunity, perhaps the answer is to ask yourself the following questions; Do I enjoy a sense of history?

Did the monastic community ever get time for sport in the cloisters?

Do I have an eye for a ball?

Do I think the concept of the handicap makes a sport more competitive and therefore enjoyable?

I wonder where the nearest one is to where I live?

ring your nearest court and ask if you could visit and try it out, I guarantee they will say yes. It is such a community sport played by all age groups and watched from the Dedans with such enthusiasm by the same.

Perhaps I should watch the game being played by the World Champion on Youtube or on the T&RA website?

You can find out more on our Club Page at www.worthconnecting.org.uk/clubs

By all means explore answers to these questions and more; but in any event I am keen to get more Old Worthians playing this wonderful game and happy to answer any questions that you might have. Equally, if you

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, please contact me on 07811 939 048 or email me at paul@duckfolly.co.uk

How many real tennis courts are there in UK anyway?

Paul Cattermull StB’73

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Sport 26

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

The following played in the 2023 match: Charlotte Baker StA’17, Jane Neave StA’17, Chloe Pullan StC’17, Natalie Riley StM’17, Milly Bodle StA’19, Claudie Cooper StC’20, Amber Buggins StA’21, Ciara Halpin StC’21, Rania Hyde StM’21, Anna Wills StC’21, Anna Riley StM’22, Bea Chappell StM’23, Anna Riley StM’22

Hockey

The first quarter saw us off to a great start with multiple passes being made to stretch the pitch. We managed to put the ball on the foot of a current Worth girl defender, which saw Amber Buggins having a 1 on 1 with the goalie and seeing the ball into the top right of the goal. The pace of play was quick throughout the first half despite the heat with some excellent saves being made my Milly Bodle. The third quarter saw the current Worth girls display some excellent attacking and defensive skills

which consequently allowed them to score three goals.

Not to be defeated, we managed to keep the ball away from their attacking D in the final quarter, and continued to keep our eyes on scoring another goal. Rania Hyde struck the ball which saw it hit the corner back board, just before the final whistle.

The final score was a well-deserved 3-2 to the school team - congratulations! We will be back next year to regain the winning title. It was a fantastic day seeing new and familiar faces. Well done to everyone that played and thank you to all the supporters for coming along and showing that Worth spirit!

If you are interested in hearing more about Worthian Hockey do look at our Club Page at www.worthconnecting. org.uk/clubs or email me at charlotte@theoaktree.net Charlotte Baker StA’17

Netball

O

n 9th September 2023 a group of alumni gathered at the familiar Worth School courts for the highly revered annual Worthians Netball Game. The 30 degree midday sun was blazing down and turned up the heat on the ‘friendly’ leavers vs students rivalry! With the alumni team being a few members down, a willing bunch of Year 13 boys stepped up to play and soon solidified their place in the team after some stellar basketball-inspired shots.

The game got off to a strong start with goals being scored by both sides during the first quarter. Following some agile mid-court play from Natalie StM’17 and Anna Riley StM’22, Rania Hyde StM’21 and Ellen Brownings StA’18 secured a number of points for the alumni. However, it was clear that the students team dynamics were well rehearsed as they pulled ahead with a number of shots.

It was a closely fought match with plenty of encouragement from passionate supporters on the side lines. After a lively back and forth the match ended in a very democratic draw. Many thanks go out to the umpires, supporters and all those who got involved! Looking forward to settling the score next year…

We’re hoping to get back into the Spring/Summer netball league in London in 2024 so anybody keen to get involved please email me at: ellenbrownings@me.com and join the Netball Club for latest news at www.worthconnecting.org.uk/clubs Ellen Brownings StA’18

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Sport

9

th September 2023 marked the annual Worthian vs current Worth girls Hockey match. As always, it was lovely to be back on the school grounds and to see familiar faces. On the alumni side we had 12 players with the current Worth girls having a full squad with plenty of subs raring to go. Due to high temperatures and the pitch being in direct sunlight, we decided on having four quarters to try and conserve everyones’ energy.

Rugby 2022-2023 Season Report

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Sport

he 2022/23 season started as most seasons start by taking a few games to find our feet and establish our core set of players. We scraped a 2725 win away at London Media, having a rather fortuitous refereeing decision go our way, followed by a damaging defeat away to London Economicals when holding the upper hand at half time. Not for the first time, the scrum put us under significant pressure and we were unable to hold on to eventually lose 26-17. After gaining a walkover win vs Old Wellingtonians, we faced an old enemy in Cranleigh. A 2 hour journey into the heart of Surrey followed, knowing we would again be put under pressure in the scrum. We put in a gritty performance to hold off the sizeable forwards of Cranleigh and cut through them in the backs to win 19-8. After 3 scrappy wins from 4, we had actually shown that we could challenge in the upper half of the table this season, building on last season’s 5th place finish. Regular forwards Elwes and Bonner had been rewarded by being appointed Vice Captains for the season to support Captain Kemp in selection and dominant performances in the pack.

Old Wimbledonians stunted our progress to continue their fine form against us over the last few years with a 14-17 defeat at home. Following a walk over win vs

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Met Police (all placed on shift on Fireworks night) we comfortably defeated Old Johnians away, which involved a moment of magic from new full back Tom Roberts. He made a move to kick but instead slipped the ball behind his back and, with a grunt of pleasure to himself for pulling it off, slipped through to score a truly remarkable try. This move was worthy of winning the WOBS historical Pink Fluffy Cushion Award.

WOBS inconsistent form and availability continued, losing the next two games to Old Cats and Old Wellingtonians before the Christmas break. Despite this, we put the defects to one side to produce the customary carols at The Roundhouse to celebrate what had been a solid start to the season.

After Christmas we were firing with huge wins against London Economicals and Cranleigh but which came at a significant cost. First a head knock to stalwart Curtis Widmer, followed by another ankle injury to orchestrator Fergus Ryan left Captain Kemp without his two most regular players through to (almost!) the end of the season.

I'd like to take this moment to personally thank Fergus for all his work on and off the pitch over the years. We have shared so many incredible moments.

The loss of the two legends took its toll on form with a damaging defeat to Old Wimbledonians, but bounced straight back to spoil Met Police's special day with a fiesty 41-19 victory.

Ladies' day is a hugely successful biannual event which encourages all ladies linked to WOBS to come and support the team and enjoy some drinkable treats on the sidelines. After a hugely successful day in November another great turnout arrived to watch our battle to a 17-32 defeat against a strong Old Johnians side.

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Sport

With a chance to finish 3rd still on the cards, we faced the difficult prospect of playing recently promoted Old Caterhamians away from home. With a threadbare squad, Kemp had finally found a team ready to take them on.

However, drama struck on Saturday morning with the loss of the front row, leaving Kemp scrambling around to even raise a side to avoid a point deduction. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Curtis, who had recently 'retired', received the dreaded phone call with a plea to save the team. With 10 years of service and over 70 games alongside his Captain, Curtis could not refuse. What followed was the most exceptional performance seen by a highly inexperienced WOBS team. 14 men for the last 30 mins and behind, we flicked a switch to run in try after try to shock Old Cats into submission resulting in a quite remarkable 27-24 victory away from home followed by the most raucous rendition of Che La Luna in the changing rooms. Chairman Des could not even resist as we danced ourselves silly celebrating such a huge victory.

Momentum truly with us, we obliterated London Media on the final day in front of a range of VPs and legends before a highly enjoyable end of season dinner. Finishing 3rd in this league really is a fantastic achievement and we should take great pride in our progress as a team. Huge thank you as ever to Desmond Calnan R’69 whose commitment is unrivalled. Finally, our committee who give their free time to support me and Des in running this fantastic club. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you would like to get involved. UTWs James Kemp F’14, Captain WOBS RFC

Appearances

Players

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James Kemp F’14

12

Giles Killoughery R’20, Tim Chandler StB’17

11

Barney Elwes R’17

10

Toby Pullan C’15, Frederic Boag-Jones R’15

8

Fergus Ryan B’15, Max Tew B’16, Marco Casagrande

7

Angus Bonner R’14, Tom Roberts F’18, Dominic Robinson B’11, Matt Ball

6

Matthew Redferne G’18

5

George Suckling B’14, Fred Greenslade G’18

4

Dominic Suckling B’14, Nick Elvidge C’11, Oliver Bunn B’15

3

James Griffiths R’16, Ben Ritchie F’18, Andrew Riley G’18, Andrew Furness F’08, Will Harries R’15

2

Tommy Ferguson F’15, Tim Riley G’18

1

Ted Fuller G’20, Benedict Smith F’20, Craig Monteiro StB’03, Christian Killoughery R’10, Will Greenslade, Tom Calnan R’95, Rich Brown R’95, Max Bergot F’14

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Worthians Rugby continued

Sport The Adam Braverman Memorial Day Planned strike action and adverse weather, what with it being the 6th wettest July since 1891, proved feeble adversaries to the indomitable WOBS spirit and enthusiasm for one of the highlights of our year - the Adam Braverman Memorial Day on 22nd July 2023.

Numbers were already strong as Ellen Brownings StA'18 led a pre-tournament Yoga session and accompanied by the gentle sizzle of some early rashers confirming that the Club BBQ was still functional, the willing WOBS executed a perfect Sun Salutation.

Having cleared the clouds and reached a state of zen unfamiliar to a rugby pitch, it was time to kick off the Tournament proper.

Before diving into the Tournament's twists and turns, it is important to remember what the day is really about.

It is a way for the Club to welcome all those interested in playing rugby after Worth, particularly the recent leavers, into the fold ahead of the new season as well to meet new faces and reunite with old friends. More than this though, it is our day to come together as a club to remember our friend and former captain Adam Braverman, who exemplified so strongly the values that we strive to uphold and is very dearly missed. Ten teams, including two Ladies sides, joined to share a minute's silence in Adam's memory before the commencement of the pool stages and what promised to be a fantastic day of rugby.

With tries flowing almost as freely as the pitch-side bar, the WOBS showed their finest brand of rugby as soft hands and elusive running elicited audible gasps from the crowds. The Silver Fox's BaaBaas showed early on that they very much 'still had it' as they comfortably

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made it through to the first semi, losing narrowly to the tournament favourites led by James Kemp F'14. Had The Fox (aka Desmond Calnan) not been felled and injured on the sideline earlier in the season, he would surely have been the difference to send them through. The other semi produced another hotly contested affair with Caspar Cordeschi F'22 side looking to right the wrongs of last year and go one further to win the competition.

They were unfortunate in coming up against a side led by the fearless and ever-smiling Cam Sayer - once a simple ‘plus one’ to the Club but now a fully integrated and well-loved member of the WOBS (a testament to Worth’s enduring community spirit) - whose commitment to the Club's partiality to champagne rugby was rewarded with a place in the Final against the imposing figure of Team Kemp, hungry to make it a third tournament victory in a row. Both teams saved their best for the gold-medal-game and there was very little between them. So little in fact that after scoring in the final moments of normal time, the game was to be decided by a golden try. Cam's team produced a moment of magic to do the unthinkable defeat the once-unstoppable Kemp behemoth and deny them tournament victories three years’ running.

Congratulations to all involved for what was a wonderful display of skill, friendship and shared love of a club that gives so much to so many. Special mention must go to the referees and the Killoughery-Chandler-Elvidge axis behind the bar & bbq. The day was a resounding success and, as always, a huge thank you to Desmond Calnan R'69 who gives his absolute all to the Club and its custodians both past and present. We look forward to seeing you all down at Fortress Whiteley soon!

Fergus Ryan B'15

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Captain James Kemp receives the Glenn Robertson Memorial Trophy from Head Master, Stuart McPherson

The Young vs Old Worthians annual rugby match - played in memory of Glenn Robertson the stalwart of Worth Rugby for 30 years and the founder President of Worth Old Boys’ Society RFC – was kindly hosted by the School on 9th September 2023. This was the curtain raiser for the WOBS’ season, providing great opportunities to recruit new players to the Club but to also develop relationships on and off the field with recent graduates from the School.

The game was a reflection of the great weather, being made possible by the efforts of the talents coming up from the School (Will Ritchie F’22, Elliot Martin Drew F’22, Will Speake F’22, etc) all playing in the Young Boys team. A plethora of skills were being expressed by both sides, with the Youngers team, captained by Will Speake who illustrated effortless pace throughout the game. Despite the exuberance of the Youngers, who pushed their older counterparts right to the end, the Older’s experience and physicality prevailed and came out eventual winners at 26-22 in sweltering conditions.

The future looks exceptionally bright for WOBS rugby as a whole, providing a great advert for the game. The School once again provided fantastic hospitality, accommodating

Sport

The Glenn Robertson Memorial Game the needs of the individuals on and off the field. Players and guests headed to the Pit-Stop after the game, where Head Master, Stuart McPherson, presented the Glenn Robertson Memorial Cup to the winning captain, James Kemp. The Club is grateful for the continuing support from both the School and the Worth Society. Moreover, Matt Bridge’s work should not go unnoticed, as he refereed the game and ensured it was played in the right spirit for such a great occasion.

Matthew Redferne G’18

Remember this is your Club for all Worthians, and we always need new players. Everyone is welcome – even if you can’t commit to a full season. If you’re interested in playing, please contact one of the following: James Kemp (Captain): 07577 199607 Nick Elvidge (Treasurer): 07784 255775 Desmond Calnan (Chairman): 07475 609128 or 01372 386511 Christian Killoughery (Secretary): 07702 911185 Dominic Robinson (Fixtures): 07917 044214

The Younger vs Older Teams: Back row, left to right: Chris Wyles, Harrison Chapman, Logkith Loganathan, Giles Killoughery, Elliot Martin Drew, Sebastian Brogan, Dominic Suckling, Daniel Aghedo Jacob, George Melik, Ed Harcombe, Freddie Bosshard, Tom Roberts, Kitan Ojo, Jasper Sykes, Emil Farr Front row, left to right: Christian Cairns-Thomas, Benny Smith, Josh Webb, Joe Jones, Barney Elwes, James Kemp, Ollie Rivers, Will Speake, Will Ritchie, Ollie Brown, Charlie Rudman, Alex DeMontiers, James Donnelly

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The Global Action Awards

The Global Action Awards

T

he Global Action Awards (GAA) were established in 2000 by Worth Society to offer grants to Worthians proposing to spend an extended period of time in unpaid work for the good of others.

To date, a total of £33,780 has been awarded to those who have participated in voluntary work for good causes around the globe.

In February 2023 Melissa Torkizadeh StC’17 passed her Finals at King’s College London to become a fully qualified doctor and applied for a GAA expressing her wish to do her medical elective in Nepal. Melissa was awarded £1,900 and left almost immediately to volunteer in the A&E Department of the Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara. You can read all about her experience on the following pages.

In June 2023 Pia Middleton StM’21 shared her GAA experience with Worth Sixth Form students at a presentation given by the Society. Pia had spent her volunteering project in Nepal last year teaching English in schools and a monastery with Volunteer Initiative Nepal.

As a reminder, applications are reviewed and awarded by the Worth Society Committee which consists of the Chair of Worth Society, Worth School’s Head Master, alumni and current and former staff who meet at Worth each term. If you interested in finding out more contact Mary Lou Burge, Worth Society Manager at worthsociety@worth.org.uk or call her on 01342 710241.

GAAs Awarded since 2012 2022-23

Melissa Torkizadeh StC’17 – Medical Elective in Nepal £1,900

2021-22

Pia Middleton StM’21 – Volunteer Initiative Nepal £900

2019-20

Will Harries R’15 – ICS in Tanzania £1,700

2018-19 Sophie Enoizi StA’18 – Operation Raleigh in Costa Rica £1,000

Frances Oesterlin StM’15 – The Hope Agency in Cambodia £500

2016-17 Edward Bridge StB’11 – Medical Elective at The Western Regional Hospital, Belize and volunteering with ‘La Choza Chula’, Guatemala £1,000

Andrew Morris R’06 – Medical Elective at Ananthapuri Hospital, Kerala, India £1,500

2015-16

Antonia Foldes StM’11 – TECHO in Colombia £2,100

2014-15

Peter Webb C’14 – Manquehue Movement in Chile £1,000

Benjamin Booker B’13 – Puericultorio JAVA Orphanage in Peru £500

Beatrice Lewers StA’13 – Puericultorio JAVA Orphanage in Peru £500

Stephen Free C’15 – VSO & ICS in Tanzania £500

2013-14

Merrick Winter F’13 – teaching English with Global Vision International in India and Nepal £500

Charlie Bridge StB’09 – teaching English with TASK Brasil in Rio de Janeiro £500

Thomas Harrison StB’92 – founding Fusion Enterprise Music & Drama Group for adults with learning disabilities £150 2012-13

Charlotte Bonhoure StM’13 – Manquehue Movement in Chile £750

Naomi Dring StA’13 – Worth Abbey’s ‘Outreach Peru’ programme in Peru £1,000

James Folger B’10 – teaching English at schools in San Jose in Costa Rica £400

Ciaran Stordy StB’12 – Manquehue Movement in Chile £500

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A transformative journey discovering the magic of the Himalayas

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edical electives mark a significant milestone for final year medical students in the months before officially starting work as a doctor. Whilst many students prefer to use this time to travel, ski or relax, I wanted to do more for the community, my future patients, and my own self development.

Nestled amidst the majestic Himalayas, Pokhara, Nepal, emerged as more than just a picturesque destination for me. It was the backdrop of a life-changing, medical elective.

Having passed my final exams, I set off to Kathmandu with a great deal of excitement and a sprinkle of nervousness.

Arriving in Kathmandu is an experience that combines anticipation, culture, and a touch of chaos. The city is known for its chaotic traffic, vibrant street markets, and intricate architecture. I even had to rely on the generosity of locals to simply help me to cross the road! It is a hub of cultural and religious sites, including iconic landmarks like the Swayambhunath Stupa (also known as the Monkey Temple) which I spent my first 2 days exploring before taking a 12 hour, bumpy bus journey to Pokhara.

I delved deep into the realms of Emergency Medicine in a busy government hospital, embarked on rural village postings, and experienced the warmth of Nepalese culture through an immersive homestay. This unique blend of experiences not only expanded my medical knowledge but also enriched my perspective on life and healthcare, ultimately making me a better doctor.

The Emergency Department at the Western Regional, Gandaki Hospital (WRH) became my haven for the next few weeks. Under the guidance of Nepalese physicians, I witnessed the challenges and rewards of managing critical cases, honing my skills in rapid assessment, decision-making under pressure, and utilising the limited resources available.

From trauma cases resulting from trekking accidents to acute medical emergencies such as strokes, I observed the vital role that emergency physicians play in providing timely and comprehensive care. The exposure revealed the importance of adapting medical practices to the resources available in diverse settings. Many of the clinicians we spoke to said they felt their training was ‘inadequate’ compared to ours. However, I was impressed by their incredible knowledge and ability to deliver care using their clinical judgement and experience, with less of a reliance on technology. At a time when the NHS

begins to roll out Artificial Intelligence to help detect abnormalities on imaging, scans were presented on films and, more notably, the Resus Room at WRH struggled to provide machines that measure all of a patient’s vital signs. Some machines were found to have no blood pressure measurement function whilst others were unable to record heart rhythm, leading to a cascade of wires across the room.

The chief of Emergency Medicine pulled myself and my colleague aside to talk about potential improvements we could suggest for the department. It was important for us to maintain a level of respect and awareness of the resources and funding by suggesting feasible improvements. This included checklists for triaging patients, documentation forms for repeat vital signs, including graphical charts and even bed sheets so patients did not have to lie on damaged mattresses.

Due to both economic and geographical barriers to healthcare, patients would often present late, which in turn meant a poorer prognosis due to delayed access to treatment. Patient care is very much led by relatives.

Doctors would write up recommendations for blood tests, imaging and medications and then a family member would often queue up to pay for whatever they could afford. Family members would help to run the bloods to the labs, take their loved ones to the radiology department and even assist with personal hygiene. The culture of looking after and respecting your elders is a core Nepalese value.

Geographical barriers were apparent due to many of the population living in rural, mountainous regions where the only way to transport is to walk on an incline. This meant that it often took patients and their family hours to reach hospital, by then some of them had poor survival outcomes on the cards.

Overall, my Global Action Award allowed me to expand my own clinical knowledge and skill set. Medical conditions seen in Nepal are varied and different to what we have been taught here in the NHS. With global travel becoming more widespread, it has never been more important for front-line NHS doctors to be able to recognise the rarer pathologies.

On a spiritual level, this whole experience has made me more grateful for what I have, for our NHS and helped evoke a sense of humility on my journey to inner peace.

I have been inspired to want to continue giving back to communities as I progress in my career. I believe if more people experience healthcare in another country, they will value our current system and become more grateful for never having second thoughts about seeking medical help due to financial worries.

I will forever thank Worth School for shaping me into the person and doctor that I am, and the Worth Society for awarding me a Global Action Award to help fund my elective.

Dr Melissa Torkizadeh StC’17

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Worthians and their Livery Companies In May 2023, Tim Maile G’78 had the great honour of presenting, on behalf of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers, the candles for the chandeliers that burnt brightly above the High Altar in Westminster Abbey during the Coronation Service for King Charles III. Tim became Master Wax Chandler in 2022 and here he describes how these ancient organisations still have an important part to play in the modern world.

F

ounded in 1371, the Wax Chandlers Company is one of the ancient livery companies of the City of London whose main role was to regulate the trades in which they were associated.

The Wax Chandlers would have been responsible for ensuring that beeswax candles sold in shops were of proper quality. If they were not, a chandler could not only expect a visit from the Mayor’s ‘heavies’ who would destroy the sub-standard wares, but he was then either fined, put in prison or the pillory.

The temptation to adulterate beeswax must have been great. Beeswax was an important commodity in the Middle Ages. Vast quantities of beeswax candles were burnt in churches, both for Mass and for acts of devotion to speed the souls of the dead through Purgatory - this was the time of plagues such as the Black Death when mortality rates were already high.

In addition to ceremonial and daily illumination, beeswax would also have been used for the making of seals for documents and as a base for pigments to make paint.

It was also a highly prized commodity. In 1432, a statute was passed to cap the price of beeswax at three old pennies (3d) per pound. Today, that 3d would have inflated to £12.50, which is not far off the current value of beeswax. However, 3d in 1432 was close to a day’s wages for a labourer, so beeswax candles, particularly for lighting, were the preserve of the rich.

Even then, you had to be very rich. Great houses could use up to 100lbs of wax and tallow in a single winter’s night for lighting, so if you could not afford it, you went to bed earlier!

Times were indeed good. In 1484, the Company was granted its Royal Charter, the only one bestowed on a livery company by King Richard III in his short and bloody reign. A year later the Company was granted Arms, proudly displaying a permanence and distinguished heritage, that would be further embellished with the addition of unicorn supporters and in later years our motto, ‘Truth is the Light’.

Tim in his ceremonial robes as Master

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We acquired the site of our first Hall in 1501, on which the sixth and current design now sits, having lost previous versions to the Great Fire in 1666, general disrepair, town planning and the Blitz of 1940. Such was the influence

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of the Company that in 1515 we were allocated the position of 20th out of 48 in the Order of Precedence for companies in civic processions - a number that the Company has held ever since.

Fast forward over the next few hundred years and life starts to get a bit tougher. The Reformation in 1538, which saw the dissolution of the monasteries meant that not only did an important source of beeswax production cease, but the burning of ceremonial candles in church during daylight hours was prohibited.

The use of wax for seals was being replaced by shellac, whose brittle nature and better adhesion to the surface of documents provided greater security against prying eyes. And other forms of lighting such as from oil, gas and eventually electricity were being developed too, which further reduced the demand for beeswax.

In fact, by the time of the First Industrial Revolution, the link that many livery companies had with their trades was fast being broken. The advances in modern technology meant that some, like the Longbowstringmakers, disappeared entirely and no new livery companies would be created for almost 200 years.

Happily, as a result of action by the Corporation of London, there are now 111 Livery Companies, and more are being created providing a forum for modern industries such as the Airline Pilots and Information Technologists to come together and promote some of the other livery ideals such as charity and good fellowship. How appropriate that the one hundred and eleventh is the Worshipful Company of Nurses!

As a patron of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) the Wax Chandlers Company has worked closely with the BBKA on promoting excellence in the craft of beekeeping through awards such as the Wax Chandler Award for the candidate who scores the highest marks in the Master Beekeeper examinations. We are also forming new relationships with other national associations such as the WBKA and Newbattle Bees in Scotland.

We work with the Bee Farmers Association too, through the Livery Companies Skill Council and Livery Companies Apprenticeship Scheme to promote the commercial business of bee farming.

The arms of the Wax Chandlers’ Company

Further afield, we are working to raise awareness about pollinators and the importance of biodiversity, through Pollinating London Together (PLT), which until recently was part of the Wax Chandlers Charitable Trust. Since initiation in 2020, PLT has now grown into a collaboration of some forty other livery companies, and is working to help develop and increase the number of biodiversity corridors across the City of London.

Ancient though we are, livery companies are very much alive today! To find out more about the Wax Chandlers Company do please visit our website www.waxchandlers.org.uk Tim Maile G’78 Tim presenting the Coronation candles to the Dean’s Verger at Westminster Cathedral

Many of the older livery companies too have found new ways of contributing to their trades by transforming themselves into foundations focused on education, training and awards.

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Worthians and their Livery Companies continued

With now 111 livery companies in the City of London we thought it would be interesting to research other Worthians who have connections with them: Nick Butterworth G’76 (right) at his first Lord Major’s Show as Master Founder in 2023 with his son Lt Robert Butterworth VR RNR StB’06

Gavin Hamilton-Deeley R’72 The Worshipful Company of Woolmen The Woolmen were formed in 1180 so are one of the oldest livery companies. Gavin is a member of Court and a Past Master, currently working on a charitable initiative creating woollen products to provide relief for refugees.

Nick Butterworth R’76 The Worshipful Company of Founders Established in 1365 as the Guild for articles made of bronze and brass, Nick became a member of the Founders Company in 1996, joined the Court in 2014 and became Master in October 2023. With the decline of the Foundry Industry, the main focus for the Founders today is on charitable activities and the majority of grants are made towards supporting those in education, with the emphasis on materials science and engineering.

Chris Mathews B’80 The Worshipful Company of Innholders A 5th generation liverymen, Chris’s great-greatgrandfather started an architectural practice in Dowgate Hill around the corner from Innholders Hall. He became the Company’s architect, subsequently joining to finally become Master, as did his son. Chris’s grandfather was instrumental in overseeing the repair of the damage to the Hall caused by the Blitz in the Second World War. Chris’s son is about to become the 6th generation liveryman.

Malachy Doran B’83 The Worshipful Company of Barbers Founded in 1308 to look after the welfare and interests of barbers and surgeons, today the Company’s charitable programme embraces education, particularly in the field of medicine. Malachy’s role is as Clerk/Chief Executive.

Above: Chris Mathews (left) with his wife, the Master of Innholders and his wife Right: Chris Mathews’ father when he was Master of the Innholders Company

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Patrick Sanders R’84 The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths In addition to his current role as Chief of the General Staff, Patrick is also a Court Assistant of the Blacksmiths’ Company. One of the oldest livery companies, having been first mentioned in 1299 and receiving its first Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1571, it supports young blacksmiths to this day.

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Simon McMenemy with the Master of the Solicitors Company

Giles Turton being ‘clothed’ into the livery in 2019

Simon McMenemy R’89 The Worshipful Company of Solicitors and The Worshipful Company of Fletchers Simon is Court Assistant to the Solicitors having spent his career as an employment lawyer. He has recently given some presentation training to a detachment of young cadets who are sponsored by the Company. As his mother’s maiden name was Fletcher, this family connection prompted Simon to also join the Fletchers Company as their Court Assistant.

Giles Turton F’02 The Worshipful Company of Farmers As a Rural Chartered Surveyor (Land Agent), The Farmers aligned with Giles’s career. The Farmers are unusual in that members are entirely connected to the farming world and so herald from outside of London. They are very active in supporting and coordinating educational programs for farmers and land managers, and engaging young people in opportunities to experience farming who might otherwise never have the chance.

Daniel Garrigan G’99 The Merchant Taylor’s Company Founded in 1327 and considered one of the 12 great livery companies, The Merchant Taylor’s have been on Threadneedle Street since 1347 and the only livery company to remain on their original site. Daniel is their Finance Director.

Will Watkins R’10 The Worshipful Company of Vintners Will is about to become the 4th generation Vintner, with his great-grandfather having been a Master.

Samuel Coulton-Poynder at a Company of Bakers reception

Samuel Coulton-Poynder F’13 The Worshipful Company of Bakers Founded in 1155, and therefore the second oldest livery company. Sam is the Events Executive for the Bakers Under 40.

If you have an interest in the rich history and traditions of the City of London, The Guild of Young Freemen is a volunteer-run organisation open to aspiring young freemen with the aim of introducing them to a livery company they may wish to join. You can find out more at: www.youngfreemen.org

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The Lurcott Family Rickshaw Run

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The Indian people truly are the most honest and humble people we have ever encountered.

I

n April 2023 The Lurcott family; Finn R’13, Hugh R’14, Angus R’18 and mum Niamh, armed with nothing but determination and a pair of rickshaws, embarked on a 3,500km journey across India; from Kochi in Kerala to Gangtok in Sikkim. From an idea that germinated back in 2014, after watching a couple of YouTubers take on India’s famous Rickshaw Run, we finally managed to turn our dream into reality.

The Rickshaw Run first took place in 2006 when the same team that brought Europe the Mongol Rally (where teams try to drive from London to Mongolia in beaten-up old cars) decided to try and travel across the whole of India in rickshaws. Their philosophy was to create an event which tests you and creates mayhem in a world of travel that has become all too simple with modern technology. Rickshaws are designed to travel over very short distances, going around 30mph if you hammer the engine - so putting these clunky, unsafe vehicles through hell was where the fun started to happen…

Our voyage began in Kochi in Kerala, where we met the other 50 or so teams that would be setting off together.

There was no fixed route, but instead a start-point and finish line, in the Himalayan mountains of Gangtok, Sikkim. Each team was entrusted with the task of designing and decorating their rickshaws, and submitting drawings in advance - we turned up to find our rickshaws painted incredibly by local street artists - but still looking like whimsical contraptions hardly designed to withstand gruelling 14-hour drives each day.

We met some of the most fun, adventurous and humble people from all over the world over our first two days of test driving and gathering rickshaw supplies - before a big party sent us off on our way.

After day one the reality of the distance we had to cover began to hit us. 3,500km is a seriously long way, and we learnt quickly that stopping for too long would mean we would never complete our mission in the 14 days we had to get to the closing party. We struggled to get to the nearest town in the pitch dark, driving our metal tin cans that had the smallest headlight ever seen on a vehicle, and dodging cyclists coming down our side of the road…also with no lights on!

By day two we had had our first breakdown, something we realised would be a regular occurrence and would always seem to happen at the most inconvenient times on the journey. We quickly got the hang of the score; take

the other, hopefully working, rickshaw to the nearest town, then head for one of the many mechanics that you can find. Get Google translate out and try explain the problem in broken Hindi, then watch as the entire town runs over to join the commotion and follow you in convoy to the broken down vehicle. All maintained that they were the ones who could fix it. Some of these repairs went very successfully, others not so successfully, as it became apparent that some just wanted to be involved, rather than have the necessary skills to repair vehicles!

Frequently mechanics wouldn’t take money from us claiming that in India “Our Guest is our God”. The Indian people truly are the most honest and humble people we have ever encountered.

Our rickshaws became our trusty steeds, bearing us through relentless 40-degree heat without air conditioning - like being inside a pressure cooker on wheels. By day three our journey took an unexpected turn when we learned of a harrowing head-on collision involving fellow adventurers. Two brave souls from Brixton ended up in hospital with broken legs, reminding us how dangerous this journey was, and we breathed a sigh of relief every time we stopped for the night and found a local hotel to sleep.

At every pit stop we were met with curiosity and enthusiasm from the locals, who eagerly queued up for selfies with the whole family. We soon began to understand what it must be like to be an A-list celebrity.

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The Lurcott Family Rickshaw Run continued

We couldn’t go anywhere without being swarmed by the entire town - and our stops had to be very tactical as the clock ran down every day. These encounters were heart-warming, including a sprint to capture the sunset on a secluded beach along India's eastern coast. We made it just in time, with the entire village chasing us onto the sandy shore. We dashed into the sea, leaving a couple getting married on the beach convinced that we were their good luck charm.

As more daily breakdowns became routine, we learnt a crash course in rickshaw mechanics. Changing the spark plug, a ritual we believed to be the only way of getting the engine working again, turned out to be futile. Instead, we realised it was the cooling-down period of the engine that did the trick, as it was taking us so long to change it!

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Our challenges extended beyond breakdowns. After deciding to take a more scenic route through a nature reserve we quickly ended up in a remote area with no phone signal and the worst roads we’d ever encountered.

The rickshaw's suspension system, or lack thereof, made every bump feel like an earthquake, leading to my mother dropping our last fuel bottle out of the side of the rickshaw - leaving us dangerously low on fuel. We finally managed to take refuge in the remotest village surrounded by people who had never seen international travellers before. We stayed in very basic accommodation, and after venturing out for some food in the dark I ended up falling knee-deep into the town sewage system with nothing but a bucket and jug in my hotel room to get clean. This was by far the toughest day of the trip - but we made it through and next day felt ready to take anything India had to throw at us!

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Amidst the chaos, Varanasi, the holiest place for Hindus, was our real highlight. We witnessed puja ceremonies from a boat on the Ganges River and observed cremations along the riverbanks of the esteemed dead, looking to end the cycle of reincarnation, and finally find Nirvana.

As we neared our journey's conclusion, a torrential downpour and a rickshaw breakdown struck simultaneously, midway up a hill on the Himalayan approach to Gangtok. Angus, attempting a makeshift repair, accidentally tore out the fuel pipe, unleashing a chaotic spray of fuel. Eventually, the police arrived to guide us backwards down the mountain for repairs and to reach the Finish Line.

Our journey through India was more than an adventure; it was an expedition that pushed us to our limits and brought us closer together as a family. In the chaos and uncertainty we discovered the strength of our bond, the depth of our resilience, and the warmth of human connection.

In those 14 days of laughter and tears, we experienced the real India; its diverse landscapes and its people's incredible hospitality. Whilst not without its challenges, the journey created shared memories as a family that we will cherish for a lifetime.

Finn Lurcott R’13

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A reunion in South Korea

O

ne of my best friends at Worth was Gun-hee Yoo StB’12, or ‘Gun’ for short. We were in St Bede’s together, growing close over weekends mooching around the School and Crawley with other international students. After leaving Worth, Gun, a memorably brave rugby player, undertook military service in the artillery of his home country of South Korea before pursuing his passion for gastronomy, while I stayed in the UK to study English Literature. We kept in touch with a vague but genuine intention to visit each other in the future. This year, more than ten years on, I got the opportunity to do so with a trip to South Korea.

Travelling there was a deeply impressive, exciting and moving experience, motivated not only by my longstanding desire to see my old friend but also a growing fascination with the country. The latter, since I returned to the UK, has only grown, which I’ve been feeding with Korean language lessons, as well as plans on how I might get back there to work in television production, the industry I’ve been in since leaving university. South Korea is one of the world’s top exporters of film and television drama, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of it, from the films Parasite and Train to Busan to the series Kingdom, Deserter Pursuit, All of Us Are Dead, Squid Game and many more. Every Korean film or series I’ve seen has been brilliant, from the production values to storylines and characters; K-drama makes you want to visit the country for real.

A typical cornucopian coffee menu

My motivation for writing this article is twofold – firstly, I met up with my old friend, something to celebrate; secondly, it seems that not enough Europeans know how amazing South Korea is. My girlfriend and I were among few other European tourists there, and those we did see were predominantly French. This observation that relatively few people visit Korea from Europe is borne out by a quick glance at the stats – three times as many Brits go to Japan every year, and ten times as many go to Thailand. And yet when one considers the fields of film and TV, fashion, music, food and sports, it’s clear that South Korea wields greater influence today than either of those two countries.

Our trip covered three cities in just under two weeks – Seoul, Jeonju and Busan. Arriving in Seoul was immediately impressive; not only is it huge, it also has a powerful energy to it that makes London, implausibly, feel boring and slow. There is an atmosphere, of competition and activity, like electricity crackling in the air, not just in the straightforward sense of people in frenetic and

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Gun & Ciaran together again, eating Jeonju street food

purposeful movement but also in how they dress: razorsharp, hungry for the next on-trend style. Meanwhile, every bit of available space is put to use, with each floor of the towering buildings commercialised either with some kind of business or a lively advertisement for one.

This spreads for tens of miles, covering many different neighbourhoods with distinct styles, giving way here and there to broad avenues like the one leading south from the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seoul is a magnificent city that stands as testament to an extraordinary economic transformation: South Korea was one of the world’s poorest states after the brutal civil war of the ‘50s, but today it is one of the richest.

After excitedly gorging ourselves on Seoul, we were ready to travel to Jeonju to meet Gun and his wife Suni. The country is criss-crossed with high-speed railways that put ours to shame, but they also have excellent bus routes which is how we reached Jeonju two hours away. One of the first things you see is rows of enormous apartment blocks on the outskirts, which, built in many cities, represent the country’s rapid economic growth. At the heart of Jeonju is something altogether different, namely a ‘Hanok village’, or traditional Korean quarter preserving centuries-old tradition and architecture beneath the towering apartments. It was such a happy reunion with Gun, the both of us quickly back to our rapport from Worth days. The first thing we did was go for a proper Korean pork BBQ, which was the best meat I’ve ever tasted; Gun and Suni were perfect hosts, explaining lots of conventions that Koreans practise at table with friends, my favourite of which is to never pour your own drink lest you offend your friends.

Gun is rightly proud of his home city and region – Jeonju is in the south-west of the peninsula and famous as the birthplace of a seminal ancestor of the Joseon dynasty, which ruled Korea from the end of Mongol occupation until the Japanese annexation in the 20th century. It is also

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The local sauna in Jeonju

At the Geumsansa Temple

known for several fierce rebellions, both against Japanese invasion in the Imjin War (which fans of the zombie drama series Kingdom on Netflix will recognise) and against the feudal system itself during the egalitarian Tonghak Revolts. Gun took us to one of the sites of resistance that his region is known for: the Geumsansa Buddhist Temple, up on the wooded slopes of the Moaksan mountain.

this is now realised in a beautifully designed space where diners can enjoy Western fusion food and great wine.

I recommend Worthians look up Oscuro’s Instagram page at oscuro.brasserie

There is no state religion in South Korea, but its Buddhism has ancient roots, and this temple was founded in the 7th century. Walking up through the trees into the temple’s precinct, towards the shrine with its Buddha and a stone pagoda on even higher ground, was quite a moving experience. The monks of Geumsansa were among those who formed guerrilla bands to harry the invading samurai in the 16th century, and paid for it when the latter marched up into the hills to raze the temple to the ground. Among the rebuilt shrines, I thought of those monks who decided to do what the regular Korean levies had failed to do – fight for their land against destructive invaders. There is certainly a blockbuster film waiting to be made about them!

We owe many other unforgettable experiences to Gun and Suni, including a meal of pigs’ trotters down a side-street restaurant, as well as discovery of the Korean sauna.

Imagine the typical Roman bath complex diagrammed in your Latin textbook, kitted out with steam rooms, masseur stations, and rows of basins, showers and hot baths.

The analogy with Roman baths is also appropriate to the ‘jimjilbang’ in terms of their ubiquity, both spatially – practically every neighbourhood of a Korean city has one – and in daily life. It is common for hardworking people to head to the sauna at the end of the day, though I didn’t need any excuse to go as much as I could!

On our last night in Jeonju, we had the most important and special experience of all, namely dinner at Gun’s restaurant Oscuro. I have already mentioned Gun’s passion for gastronomy that he displayed at Worth, and

We parted from Gun and Suni to go to Busan, a major port and city on the south-eastern coast that feels like Barcelona crossed with Las Vegas and known for its beaches, seafood and brilliant nightlife, as well as vast shopping centres. Notwithstanding the ranks of skyscrapers, it has an atmosphere of fun. By this time, we fancied ourselves well versed on Korean food, and the Korean palate’s great peril - its insatiable appetite for sugar. Since arriving in Korea, we had become intoxicated with their cornucopian habit of ‘coffee’; from the enormous, sleek coffee bars to street-level holes in the wall; menus were vast, offering creamy lattes sweetened ten different ways, slushies with jelly and cream, frozen drinks in countless flavours, all putting Starbucks to shame. And it’s not just coffee that gets pumped full of sugar, it seems to be in everything!

Haeundae Beach, Busan

Having visited the medieval city of Gyeongju near Busan, we returned to Seoul before flying back home. Having originally stayed in Hongdae, the entertainment and student district, we were in Itaewon, a multi-cultural and touristy neighbourhood close to the American Embassy Compound. It’s interesting to note there are 28,000 US Army personnel stationed in South Korea, a reminder that the country began its existence seventy years ago as a war-torn American protectorate.

Gun and Suni promise to repay our visit by coming to London, which we’ll hold them to. Meanwhile, I’m determined to return to Korea as soon as possible, this time understanding, reading and speaking Korean, to be able to learn even more about this unique country.

Ciaran Stordy StB’12

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From St Bede’s Airfix modeller to Spitfire pilot Having completed a short necessity of paperwork and a few polite questions, next came a 10 minute video on safety procedures during the flight. Following this a tour of the museum and a close inspection of a variety of fascinating exhibits which included other Spitfires, a genuine ME 109 and a bird-dog scouting aircraft from the Vietnam war. But my only thought was to get air born.

Back to the pre-flight area I was being regaled by my friend Steve Norman of his experiences on stage with his band Spandau Ballet. He had made the trip to Biggin Hill with his partner Sabrina, to come and share this day with Molly and me. What a wonderful friend he is, no doubt many of you have seen him while watching Top of the Pops in the ‘80's. Well he still looks the same as he did then blast him!

A call to present myself curtailed our memories, time to make some new ones. I was introduced to my pilot Steve (another one) and directed up into the rear cockpit of this amazing aircraft. He gave me a list of names who had flown in her, including HRH Prince Phillip - exalted company! I stepped carefully into a fairly small space, crowded with levers and knobs, dials galore, a full set of instruments and controls, identical to the front cockpit.

E

very now and then appears a story of fulfilment... this is one. I was born and brought up not far from the RAF aerodrome at Biggin Hill in Surrey. My sister Sandra and I would often watch the taking off and landing of both fighter aircraft and the occasional bomber from the base. This summer we returned to our old family home to see what remained and to shake memories loose from the dark recesses of our minds.

We then went to Biggin Hill itself; a vast expanse of hangers and related buildings but following directions to Peter Monk's establishment, we walked past a P51 Mustang, casually parked outside his hangers. Then our goal appeared, a Spitfire in D-Day livery sitting quietly ready to take to the air.

The reason for being there was to take a flight in this aircraft, a superb present given to me by my dearest partner, soon to be wife, Molly. She had given me this last Christmas but the flight was on my birthday in July, a full seven months of anticipation, a wonderful gift for someone turning a milestone age of 70.

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Then the straps, first the parachute harness and then to hold me in the aircraft. I was led through a number of safety sequences, ensuring that there is some memory left to obey all necessary acts prior to leaving the aircraft while flying. I seemed to pass the test and was issued with a helmet with boom mike tight to my lips.

A few words over the aircraft's radio with Steve and suddenly the peace was shattered by the extraordinary sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine. How many times have I heard that familiar sound watching films or attending air shows where these superb machines have cartwheeled across the sky? It was everything I remembered, although this time with an added dimension; the tremor, the vibration running through the airframe through the seat and via my fingertips.

A number of waves to all on the gallery and Steve opened the throttle to taxi down to the end of the runway. A brief check, some radio traffic and MT 818 was rolling, slowly at first but with ever mounting urgency. Within yards our tail had lifted and she was flying, oh...and so was I. The moment that you know the aircraft has left the ground is special, the tiny little elliptical wings, so stubby compared to the familiar length and expanse

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Steve came back on the radio, "How about a victory roll?"

of a commercial jet. And up and up to about 2,000 feet and a gentle turn to port. And through my ears the most magical invitation... would you like to take control? Oh heaven, yes, yes please.

complete freedom! My equilibrium seemed unaffected and when Steve suggested another victory roll I was all for it and a final invitation to do a third brought no complaint from me.

First a gentle turn to port, such a tiny movement of the stick, maybe half an inch and slowly turning 90 degrees.

"Watch your horizon" from Steve. I suddenly realised we were slowly losing altitude. Easily corrected and with little movement, then a turn to starboard - simple stuff you may say but I was determined not to scare or damage Steve's tolerance for me as a pilot.

We had been in the air about 30 minutes and I could see London on the horizon. We started our approach and then MT 818 flew over the threshold of the runway and slowly came down to touch the tarmac. A sense of calm, then a feeling of exuberance and a determination that this would be remembered carefully forever.

Then steeper turns and overflying some territory that I had covered on horse-back many times with the Surrey and Burstow Hunt. Why on earth this occurred to me I really can't explain but this was a moment of memories and thrills. Steve came back on the radio, “How about a victory roll?”.

I handed back control and almost immediately the aircraft went into a shallow dive, gaining speed she bottomed out and, as we started to climb, the left wing tip was rising the right falling away and the horizon was performing aerobatics. It’s fascinating when the blue is below the green but it doesn't stay that way for long. I could see the ground rotating and the starboard wing falling to level flight. Just brilliant... What a sensation of

Arriving back at dispersal, the old lady built in 1938 was home and shuddered to a silence. Out on the concrete apron all family and friends were coming towards us. Seat lowered, harness for plane and for parachute undone, helmet off and slide back the cockpit canopy to be met by a chorus of voices.

Should you have wondered what this may be like, should you have promised to do this one day, stop promising and make a phone call, the people that run this operation are superb, that's the only word I need use. I saw a MK9 Spitfire that will be auctioned by Bonhams soon, what an extraordinary possession, what an amazing machine, I would love to own it. So try it, you will be utterly delighted.

Shane Bisgood StB’71

Shane was supported on the day by his sister, Sandra, his partner Molly (on his left) and his great friend, Steve Norman, of Spandau Ballet fame, with his partner

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An architecture of light unique in the world

The Basilica Mary Magdalene of Vézelay

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n 2008, while working at the ‘Ateliers de scénographie des Forges’ in Southern Burgundy, I was called by clients for whom we had designed the scenography of the Visitor Centre in Vézelay, a Unesco designated World Heritage Site near Chablis. They asked if I would give an English visit there to the Australian New South Wales Premier, Bob Carr. I did so and was struck by the degree to which he was bowled over by his experience. "I have visited the 7 wonders of the world but this is unique", he said. Since then I’ve become a heritage guide and a member of the board of governors of the association ‘Présence of Vézelay’ that runs the Visitor Centre, a decision I have never regretted.

The 12th century abbey church, known today as the Basilica, is a masterpiece of Romanesque art. But what makes it unique worldwide is the exceptional play of light with the stone. The abbey’s history gives us the key to understanding this.

The foundation of the monastery dates back to 867.

Initially a nunnery situated alongside the river Cure in the valley a mile below Vézelay, it was destroyed by the Normans six years later. It then became a monastery and the monks moved up the hill to the present site.

At its apogee Vézelay was to become a thriving medieval city with a population supposedly 10,000 strong, equivalent to London at the same time. It owes its importance to the presence, allegedly, of Mary Magdalene’s relics. Her story of transformation from sinner to first witness of the resurrection is a source of hope for Christians. As Europe was predominantly Christian at the time and pilgrimage was in full flow, Vézelay became one of the four gates in France opening onto the Via Lemovicensis pilgrim path to Santiago de Compostella.

The growing numbers of pilgrims at the beginning of the 12th century made a bigger abbey church necessary. To pay for it local taxes were increased. Tension with the inhabitants of the city grew and culminated in 1106 with a group forcing their way into the cloister of the monastery and the Abbot’s murder. Two monks are also reported to have killed a peasant in the same period. Faced with such a delicate situation the new abbot sought appeasement.

The monastic community designed a new church highlighting Mary Magdalene’s story from shadow to light and the capacity for personal transformation possible for all; be they pilgrim, monk or inhabitant of the city.

Midday on Midsummer’s day; nine pools of light to celebrate the feast of John the Baptist

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At midday solar time on Midsummer’s day, when the sun is at its highest, a path of nine pools of light runs down the centre of the nave to celebrate the feast of the prophet John the Baptist. Situated at the entrance to the nave, he indicates the path to the one who says "I am the path, truth, life", the words of Christ symbolized by the altar.

The recurrent theme in the sculpture of the Basilica is transformation and not condemnation. The Great Tympanum at the entrance depicts Christ arms wide open at a time when last judgments were commonplace.

The iconographic programme of 153 capitals focuses on the intimate struggles of the human heart, hence their universal significance so pertinent for visitors to this day.

Many great civilisations have left us with remarkable examples of the art of building with light, most of which are connected to or assimilated with notions of the divine such as Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids. The Basilica also bears witness to the art of creating dialogue with sunlight - for the Romanesque builders the sun was a way of symbolizing Christ. He is the light who comes to encounter humanity. The Abbey Church itself built of stone was to become an image of that meeting. When the rays of sunlight touch the stone and the stone resounds to the clarity of that light, there appears to be something like a conversation between stone and sun. This exchange is a way of symbolizing the dialogue between creation and Creator, between man and God, between the Christian and Christ.

At Christmas the sun on its lowest path lights up the capitals on the South facing side, representing the divine light coming to encounter humanity’s darker nights. From then on each day is longer - "Light shone in the darkness, darkness could not overcome it" (Jn 1,5).

At Easter-tide the morning light blazes down the centre of the church from the choir windows down to the entrance doors, symbolizing the light of the resurrection announced by Mary Magdalene.

The ‘Madeleine’, a popular name for the Basilica, and Worth have their Benedictine origins in common. The Benedictine genius experienced by many a visitor here in Vézelay is to make ‘enlightenment’ a very earthly process.

With hindsight I realise that at Worth there was more than good teaching - instilled in the School was a form of ‘enlightenment’ which has helped to guide my steps since.

Doubtless desired by the governing body, the monastic community and those working and teaching at the time, may that spirit continue today!

Should any Worthian wish to visit Vézelay please don’t hesitate to contact me at christopherkelly@orange.fr Christopher Kelly StB’78

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Charles de Foucauld’s desert legacy

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So how does the Church continue that mission in the Sahara today, 106 years after Charles’s sudden and tragic death at the hands of a group of tribal raiders at Tamanrasset in 1916?

Charles wanted to go to Morocco but couldn’t, so in 1901 he settled in Beni Abbes, Algeria, for a while, in the hermitage where the Little Brothers of the Gospel welcome pilgrims and visitors to this day. There, he began his mission of rescuing slaves and working to abolish slavery.

Since the arrival of the first missionaries in the region in the 1870s, the Church has recognised that the people of this vast two million square kilometre region were largely secure in their Muslim faith and did not want to be ‘coerced’ into becoming Christians. When Charles arrived he had no difficulty in assuming the same charism – a brother to all, a priest to the few Christians (mostly military), and a man of simple lifestyle and profound faith in the love of God expressed in Jesus.

After four years there, he felt called to a new mission among the Tuareg people in the Hoggar mountains in the south of Algeria. He settled in what is now the town of Tamanrasset, where he learned the Tamachek language, wrote a dictionary, founded a fraternity and lived among the nomads where he helped and protected them in their need, and above all, lived a life of prayer in intimate union with his Saviour, Jesus Christ. He said that he wanted to be known as a ‘universal brother’ opening his heart in charity towards all, no matter their race or culture or faith. In that he mirrored the life and sacrifice of Our Lord.

Over the years, as many as twenty different religious institutes have been founded, drawing on the inspiration of Charles de Foucauld, both in his Nazareth days and in his Sahara days. Of these, five are present in Algeria today.

All the missionaries in the diocese today live in the same basic spirit of simplicity and fraternity among our Muslim neighbours, building on years of trust and mutual respect which is ingrained in the hearts of those who know us.

There are now five places in the Sahara where the ‘Charles de Foucauld spiritual family’ is still present. We can take them one by one:

reetings from the Algerian Sahara! The different stages of the life of the newly canonised Saint Charles de Foucauld are well known: French aristocrat, spoiled playboy, solider for the fun if it, explorer, and then, after his conversion at Saint Augustine’s Church in Paris, monk, priest of the diocese of Viviers, and hermit-gardener at Nazareth, before coming back to North Africa for the rest of his life.

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As already mentioned, since 1967 the Little Brothers of the Gospel have a fraternity in the place where Charles lived from 1901 to 1905, a joint community with the Little Brothers of Jesus, at Beni Abbes. Their Christian presence is important in that oasis town on the edge of the great dunes of the Western Erg. The Little Sisters of Jesus also have their house in Beni Abbes, but they have had to temporarily withdraw. Their garden, which provides for the community, is well-cared for by Muslim neighbours.

Moving 1,400 kms further south, we come to Tamanrasset, where Charles settled in 1905 and where he died 11 years later. Today there is a fraternity of the Little Brothers of Jesus there, living a life of prayer and solidarity among the people of the region; Tuaregs, Algerians from the north and migrants coming from countries in subSaharan Africa. Also in Tamanrasset is the community of the Little Sisters of the Sacred Heart, who arrived there in 1952. Faithful to the traditions of Charles de Foucauld, the sisters (at present one religious sister and one lay volunteer) carry out charitable activities among the local women in need, the poor, the sick, the homeless and others. They also regularly visit Christian detainees in the local prison for a time of prayer and sharing. Just next to their home is the (restored) building in which Charles lived, the ‘Frigate’ (so called because of the long, thin boat-shaped of the building, which was made necessary by the lack of trees for a roof).

Eight kms to the north east of Tamanrasset lies the plateau of Assekrem (2,780 metres above sea level), in the Hoggar mountains. Charles de Foucauld spent several months there in 1911. Today there is a fraternity of Little Brothers of Jesus, who welcome both retreatants and other visitors, many of them tourists, to this beautiful place with its spectacular sunsets. A place of calm and prayerful isolation, it is also one of the few places in the world where the clear skies and lack of pollution allow for detailed meteorological measurement.

In 1929, Charles’s tomb was moved from Tamanrasset to El Golea (El Menia today) where he now lies near the Church of Saint Joseph. The cemetery is cared for by two priests of the Priestly Fraternity Jesus Caritas, as well as the Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette. It is hoped to renovate the tomb and the church in the future. Being a tourist town, with its old fortress, its palm groves, its spa and the same splendid dunes that are found 600kms to the west in Beni Abbes, the sanctuary receives many visitors and some pilgrims, though not from abroad at present.

Bishop John in his desert parish

Mention should be made of two other oasis towns with links to Charles de Foucauld. In the north of the diocese is El Abiodh sidi Cheik where, in 1933, the Little Brothers of Jesus were founded by Father René Voillaume. Their fraternity closed in 2015, as did the house of the sisters two years later, but we hope to re-establish a Christian presence there next year. In the north-east of the diocese, at Touggourt, we find the Little Sisters of Jesus in the ‘mother-house’ – where the congregation was fouded by Ven. Little Sister Magdeleine of Jesus (Madeline Hutin) in 1939. They are known locally as the Blue Sisters.

As we can see, the spirit of Charles de Foucauld continues to witness to Christ through the little communities, fragile though they be, scattered here and there in the great Sahara. Thanks to worldwide support, by prayer, by material means and by the new missionaries we hope for, that presence will bear fruit alongside Saint Charles.

Bishop John MacWilliam StB’67, Bishop of Laghouat, Algeria Adapted from Monastic Encounter Spring Newsletter 2022

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Old Warrior joins Ukrainian war effort

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fter reading about the Ukrainian Army’s need for pickup trucks as manoeuvrable front-line attack vehicles, I started thinking about donating my beloved old Mitsubishi Warrior. I looked at the journey, about 1,300 miles, and then looked at the truck – would it make it? More importantly would I make it!

A contact that I had made from my previous excursion to Ukraine found me the leader of an army platoon who had lost his vehicle to a Russian mine and was so keen to get his hands on the truck that we contacted each other daily as I prepared for the trip to Lviv to hand it over.

I managed to coerce my good friend and erstwhile tennis partner to join me as wingman and co-pilot. He gave up the comfort of his Aston Martin for an 18 year old, battered Mitsubishi truck.

We set off from High Hurstwood, East Sussex, on 24th October 2023 headed for Calais via the Eurotunnel. By evening we had negotiated France and were deep into Belgium for our first night stay in a roadside hotel. We set off the next morning to drive through Belgium, part of Holland and into Germany, rarely exceeding the 65mph speed at which the truck seemed most comfortable.

However, midway through the day, the truck overheated and we stopped at a service area to check for leaks and refill the radiator. After the refilling we tried to start the truck but nothing happened. A truck driver saw that we were helpless and totally out of our depth. He soon diagnosed and fixed the faulty earth and we were on our way - but always cautious about the overheating.

Our second overnight stop was in Hannover and, after nearly 11 hours of driving, we were exhausted so it was dinner plus a beer and some red wine to encourage a good night’s sleep. Next morning we got on our way and

headed for Poland, crossing vast swathes of the country to get to Krakow – our next stop and ostensibly only 5 hours from Lviv. We had another overheating incident, but fortunately had plenty of water onboard and soon found that at the optimal cruising speed of 60mph the engine cooled itself.

On Friday we set off for the Poland/Ukraine border and had been told not to declare that we were donating the truck as it caused significant issues both in leaving Poland and entering Ukraine. After nearly 3 hours of interrogation, having photos taken and standing in queues in the cold and wet – we suddenly realised that the authorities assumed we were exporting the truck. We then convinced them otherwise with the help of an interpreter, although the last words from the customs officer as we left the border were, “You must return with the truck”.

Once across the border, the immaculate motorways of Poland were left behind and the rough potholed road from the border to Lviv gave us a very bumpy ride into the city, in the dark, rain pouring down, limited visibility and terrible road signs in Cyrillic. We eventually arrived at our hotel at 8.30pm - a 12 hour day on the road, we decided a vodka shot and a large lager were in order.

The next day was the day of great excitement as we met the military team and handed over the truck – they were so thrilled and grateful, making us feel very humble as we knew that they, and the truck, would soon be fighting on the Eastern front. We learned that the right-hand drive trucks were particularly highly sought-after as they would put a mannequin in the passenger seat and the Russian snipers, assuming it was a left hand drive vehicle, would shoot the mannequin first allowing the real driver a chance to escape!

We had 2 days exploring the cosmopolitan city of Lviv, meeting friendly and hospitable Ukrainians, and enjoying the culture and life of this city so far removed from the frontline of the war. Our journey home by bus and plane took 2 days – but we felt relieved to have made it and to have contributed in some very small part to support Ukraine’s defence of its land against the Russian invasion.

Charlie Whelpton B’75

The Warrior in the field

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Sam’s Riverside, London W6

Sam’s Riverside can be found close to Hammersmith Bridge. Sadly, the great British weather deciding not to play ball meant we had to reject the outside terrace, but instead had a window seat admiring the fantastic views down the Thames. Whilst being entertained by Johnny’s globe-trotting life stories from ‘60s adman, to Hollywood PR, to London oil exec, we tucked into some rather special cuisine.

Sam’s focuses on the very best seasonal produce from all around the UK, particularly from small artisan suppliers, and so the array of tempting dishes made decisionmaking difficult. To kick things off Anna and I chose to share a couple of ‘small plates’; Salt Fish Croquettes with Lobster Mayo and Devon Crab Toasts with the added bonus of some Parmesan Churro as a complimentary amuse bouche – all absolutely delicious. Johnny picked one of his favourite dishes, Beetroot & Buttermilk Gazpacho with Dill, Cucumber and a Hen’s Eggs which was not only a gorgeous colour but was the most wonderfully thick consistency of unctiousness.

Beetroot & Buttermilk Gazpacho

On to the mains; Johnny and Anna both chose the Twice-Baked Lincolnshire Poacher & Asparagus Soufflé, the perfect balance of strong cheese and lightly whipped eggs which came with a Bitter Leaf Salad. Being partial to a good salad I went for the Hot Smoked Salmon with Pickled Fennel & Courgette, Yoghurt & Almonds which raised things to a whole new level in the salad stakes – I loved every mouthful.

Puddings were where we reached new heights! The man Sam himself, who came over for a quick chat, recommended the Strawberry & Mint Soufflé with Clotted Cream Ice Cream which not only looked like perfection, but each spoonful a light fluffy heaven which I found difficult to share! Johnny’s Amalfi Lemon Sorbet was as refreshing as it sounded and Anna classed her Buttermilk Panacotta with Passionfruit & Mango Compote & Coconut Sorbet as ‘sublime’.

A couple of glasses of wine, all handpicked by Sam from wineries he has personal friendships with, washed everything down very nicely. The bill came to £150 + service for 3, exceptionally good value for the 1st class lunch we so enjoyed.

As well as a private room for 18, the site also houses Sam’s Larder, opened during lockdown, which stocks delicacies from the restaurant’s favourite suppliers, and the latest addition to the family, a café, Sam’s Kitchen, serving breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Sam’s Riverside may be slightly off the beaten track, but it is so well worth the trip. I can’t wait to return, in fact Anna already has! www.samsriverside.co.uk Mary Lou Burge – Worth Society Manager

Twice-baked Lincolnshire Poacher & Asparagus Soufflé

Strawberry & Mint Soufflé with Clotted Cream Ice Cream

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Restaurant Review

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’ve been in touch with Johnny Harrison WPS’57 several times over the years, as well as his son, Jack G’00, a former Head Boy now based in Hong Kong, who has supported us in organising events there.

A few years ago, Johnny mentioned that he was assisting his other son, Sam, in setting up a new restaurant and that I must come and try it. Sam’s Riverside opened in November 2019 and, of course, we all know what happened in early 2020! The fact that a new opening got through the Covid crisis indicates just how good Sam’s is, and since then the restaurant has established itself as one of the top foodie destinations in West London. So, on a not-so-sunny day in July, Anna MacMahon and I finally took up Johnny’s invitation.

Adventureholic: Extraordinary Journeys on Seven Continents by Land, Sea and Air

By Neil Laughton C’82 Whitefox Publishing 2023

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Book Review

o you fancy approaching the summit of Everest in the midst of the worst storm in a hundred years? Or playing golf at the North Pole? Crossing the Sahara Desert in a rickety flying car? Paddling a bath made of ice across the Solent? No? That’s because you are not Neil Laughton. You are bound by established rules about what we can – and cannot – do. Neil marches to a different drumbeat. His approach: to imagine the craziest thing imaginable, to plan it, to execute it – and to come back in one piece. Adventureholic is Neil’s reflection on a lifetime of adventures – the obstacles overcome, the people he meets and the lessons he learns.

Neil sees these adventures as challenges in themselves but also, at some level, appealing to his “sense of the eccentric”. The book is shot through with a very British sense of humour, which tempers the gravity of some of the situations. We learn what went well, what didn’t, and why.

The book is arranged around loose themes – The Arctic, deserts, etc. – and ends with a ‘Nine Lives and How I lost Them’ section – covering trains, hand grenades, running bulls, and jet skis – the moments when he shouldn’t really have made it through.

There is fun – setting fire to the Sahel desert while taking a bathroom break, or nearly being arrested by the Special Boat Service in the unlikely setting of Poole Harbour at night. There is proximity to death – nearly drowning in the sea in Bali, while his mates played football on the beach nearby. There is an abundance of bodily functions. There is a modest reflection on his ten years leading a successful youth development programme. Above all, there is a strong sense of a life lived “all in”, as Bear Grylls puts it in his foreword.

Each chapter is rounded off with ‘Three Top Tips (Lessons Learned)’ – thus the rarified experiences are brought into a real-world context, where we might all learn something.

He doesn’t say much about his time at Worth – choosing to gloss over the experience, which was primitive compared to the opulence of the School today. He does own up to setting the Chemistry lab on fire, so that’s one mystery resolved.

What would have boosted the reading experience? Some reflection on the Why. Why would anyone do this stuff?

What was it that drove Neil, through his 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s to attempt these things? Perhaps it is self-evident to him, but I wanted to see what lay underneath. What impact did the death of his father have? What did his young family think of his risk-taking? Perhaps these are questions for another book.

This book is superficially about the adversity that he overcomes, and the things he achieves. But, underneath, it is really about the people he meets, leads, gets to know.

It is a story of the humans that we meet, and what they reveal about themselves in the most difficult situations.

Matthew Brown C’82

The endorsements speak for themselves – Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Bear Grylls, Col John Blashford-Snell, Sir Chris Bonnington. Their presence puts Neil in an elite cadre of men who have taken on the toughest physical challenges and, through luck and determination, survived to tell the tale.

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Dementia and Ethics Reconsidered

by Prof Julian C Hughes R’78 Open University Press 2023

Physicians study the signs and symptoms of diseases leading to dementia, examining people in hospital clinics. Some opine about how dementia affects people’s selfhood and mental life and make recommendations accordingly while often unaware of the social and cognitive strengths and complex family dynamics of the persons they have diagnosed and their effects.

Some philosophers discuss what dementia does to a person’s mind and selfhood, others are concerned with ethics, ethical theory, bioethics, and discuss the ethical treatment of people living with dementia.

All too often, the philosophers in question have had negligible direct experience with people living with dementia and the physicians have had little to no training in areas of philosophy of mind, selfhood, and the variety of ethical theories and their applications (apart from the Hippocratic oath). This state of affairs has been common in my more than forty years of experience as a neuropsychologist learning first-hand from people living with dementia (including my mother) and their families.

Julian Hughes, however, has not been working and learning in one silo. After his undergraduate years at Oxford University, he studied Medicine, specializing in old age psychiatry. In addition, he earned a PhD in Philosophy. His education is profoundly well-rounded.

As a physician, he has had first-hand experience with people living with dementia, viewing such people through medical, philosophical, and human lenses, seeing people not only in hospital clinics but in their own homes, care homes, and interacting with them in the everyday world. Thus, the reader will understand why Prof Hughes’s new book is not only refreshing, but is a seminal contribution to the realm of ethics and the treatment of people living with dementia.

Reconsidering Dementia and Ethics is a tour de force examination of what dementia means not only as a medical condition, but also its meaning to those diagnosed and their families, the rights that ought to be accorded to those diagnosed, the important obligations we as a society have toward people living with dementia, and the bases for the recommendations that he offers.

He provides no easy, formulaic answers, but how could

he when the subject is the treatment of human beings by other human beings, especially when there is great vulnerability experienced by all? A wise person noted, “If you’ve seen one person with dementia, you’ve seen one person with dementia.” That is to say, what dementia does and means can be different from person to person, from family to family, and this is something that Hughes makes powerfully clear because it is immeasurably important.

It is impossible for me to convey in this space the full scope of what Julian Hughes has accomplished in this book, including an examination of medical practices, a range of moral and ethical theories, approaches to ethical treatment from diagnosis to death and examples of the concerns and trials of real people and families. What leaps out, however, is a combination of two things: Virtue Ethics (from among a variety of ethical theories) and the Person living with dementia. The former can be captured in the idea that “…we become the best type of people we can be if we are brave, true, caring and compassionate, steadfast, just, honest, wise, and prudent…” (P. 19) and “…sometimes, we are presented with choices where no choice makes us feel comfortable, no choice seems like a good one…but one of them must be the right thing to do however bad it makes us feel” (P. 21).

Acting virtuously, flourishing as people, requires that the person living with dementia, rather than the dementia, comes first for others. This means that people must be treated with solicitude, that we have an “I-Thou” relationship (Buber) with the person diagnosed, that we see through the veil of dementia, embrace the person behind it and treat that person as they would wish to be treated. This requires that we see the person in the fullness of his or her being.

The grandmother of one of my former students was in the end stage of Alzheimer’s disease, bed-ridden, seemingly unaware of her surroundings. When, at my suggestion, the family played one of her favourite opera arias; tears streamed down her face. In this exceptional book, Julian Hughes helps us appreciate and understand the meaning of those tears - for the grandmother, for the family, and for all of us who seek to do the best for people living with dementia.

Steven R Sabat, PhD, FGSA Professor Emeritus of Psychology Georgetown University Washington DC, USA

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Book Review

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n an age of ever-increasing specialization, we frequently find experts’ knowledge is confined within their own professional arenas or ‘silos’.

Caught on Camera

Ed Kemp F’10, Harry Luff C’10, Joseph Rivers F’10, and Harry Woodman F’10 at the top of Helvellyn whilst spending a weekend in the Lake District in September 2023

Robert Tyler G’02, Angus Mackay WPS’57 and Hugh Walford WPS along with 6 Old Gregorians and a few from Ampleforth and Stonyhurst, attended the annual Benedictine School Dinner in Bangkok in November 2022

GP, Virtual Doctor and Expedition Medic, Daniel Grace F’05, Rugby Olympian, Tom Mitchell F’07, Theatre Director, Katherine Farmer StA’11, and ABC News Foreign Correspondent, James Longman B’05, all feature in the School’s new Sixth Form Video

Andrew Hogge StB’75, as Trustee of The Ciao Foundation, & Tom Taverner R’07 with his neuro rehab centre, Vim Health, joined forces in October 2023 to do a sponsored walk along the Sussex Downs Way to raise money for their partnership project

A very jolly pre-Christmas lunch gathering with L to R: Martin Hunt StB’81, Bob Mannix StB’81, Justin Mould StB’81, Giles Hamilton B’82, Greg Pickard StB’81, Fr Stephen, Simon Pickard StB’78, Piers Jennings StB’80, and photo taken by Dom Strickland C’81 Rory Ryan C’09 gave an inspiring talk to students in May 2023 as part of the Spencer Lecture Series about how he is using AI to help find a cure for cancer

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The Old Place

Three former French teachers with 82 Worth years between them; Richard Knowles, Tim Bryant and Mike Margrett got together for lunch in November 2023. After about 40 years they had lots to say to each other…

Chris McCourt B’83 came to give an insightful talk to students about his career as a divorce lawyer in October 2023

Suzy and Patrick Nivelles R’64 are keeping well!

Some of the Class of 2013 St Mary’s girls met up with their former Matron, Housemistress & Chaplain for a 10 year reunion lunch date at Highdown in Sussex in May 2023. L to R: Mia Ryan, Charlotte Bonhoure-Janssens De Bisthoven, Nikki Webb, Kate Hamilton, Izzie Pollard, Fr Stephen, Caroline Brown, Fly Smith & Lizzie Narbeth-Pease

Sir David Bell C’64, Gareth Dancer R’64 & Terry Delaney G’64 popped in for a spot of lunch with Fr Kevin in March 2023

Timeo Schmidt G’19 dropped by in May 2023 before returning to live in Hamburg after his UK studies and caught up with l to r: Assistant Matron Maxine Lake, Matron Janine Forbes-Keily, Robin Moss, Andrea Beadle & Jonathan Fry

Some of the Class of 2017 got together in Norfolk in February 2023 for Tim Chandler's StB’17 birthday weekend. Left row: Oliver Maude, Georgie Lee, Tim Chandler, Jenny Hamblin and Will Seibert. Right row: Max Sandeman, Barney Elwes, Gabba O'Brien, Brooke Benwell & Ben Lovill Tony Fletcher G’65 and Charles Kanani R’16 wearing their Worth ties when they linked up in Toronto in May 2023. Charles is currently working in the city and is the boyfriend of one of Tony’s cycling friend's granddaughter – small world!

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Caught on Camera continued

Michael Haran R’87 exhibited some of his artwork at the Florence Biennale in October 2023

Bumble Strickland, Martin Hunt StB’81, Dominic Strickland C’81, Ollie Hunt and Giles Hamilton B’81 on the occasion of his 59th birthday. Giles’s wife, Mini, took the photo

Theresa Roth StM’22 and Filippa Hofmann StM’22 spent part of their gap years volunteering at a school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, helping to teach English to children in impoverished neighbourhoods

Mary Lou Burge was delighted to provide a tour of the campus in August 2023 to visitors Nicholas Franck R’82, his wife Bernadette, and their great friend Monika, Sophia Adlkofer’s StM’14 mother

Ed Paget G’96 and his children visited Worth in July 2023 whilst on a trip back to the UK from Nicaragua

The Morrissey Brothers; Anthony R’74, Charles R’72, Paddy R’84 and Mickey R’78 got together in August to celebrate Charles’s 70th Birthday It was a family outing for Matthews brothers JPB’06, James B’08 and Mike B’99, when they played for the OW Vets against Reigate Priory at Worth in February 2023

Newly qualified doctor and Global Action Awardee, Melissa Torkizadeh StC’17, and former England Rugby 7s Olympian, Tom Mitchell F’07, were key motivational speakers at the annual Moving On event for Year 13 Leavers in April 2023

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Simon Gordon StB’74, Andrew Rome G’78 and Benedict Kelly StB’78, the fearsome threesome, got together on the tennis court this summer

Tom Taverner R’07 had the Minister for Disability, Tom Pursglove MP, and local MP, Mims Davies, visit his Sussex-based rehabilitation centre, Vim Health, in September who both took a keen interest in Tom’s work to support people with neurological conditions

There was a big Worthian gathering at the wedding of Mia Wilcox StA’15 to George Suckling B’15 in Denmark in August. L to R: Tommy Ferguson B15, Toby Pullan C’15, Hugo Young F’15, Fergus Ryan B’15, Ella Jenkins StM’16,Dominic Suckling B’14 Bryony Maxwell StM’15, George Suckling B’15, Mia Wilcox StA’15, Emily Hollings StM’15, James Tomlin F’15, Hannah Wilcox StC’19, Federica Williamson StA’15, Freddie Boag Jones R’15, Giles Holland B’15 & Nina Rousell StA’15 (not pictured)

Simon Willson C‘73 playing at the Cindyfest23 music festival with his band MzLeadinG in South Gloucestershire in August 2023

Amber Buggins StA’21 is loving her veterinary nursing at the University of Middlesex

A sad but also joyous occasion in February 2023 when Fr Stephen joined the Hobbs family for the Requiem Mass for Elise Hobbs, mother of six Worthians. L to R: Christopher G’80, David G’82, Peter G’79, Tim G’87, Andrew G’83, & Francis G’77

As part of the Spencer Lecture Series, Chris Kelly StB’78 (here with Mary Lou Burge) was welcomed back to Worth in February 2023 to talk to students about his work at The Basilica of Vézelay, the World Heritage site in Burgundy, France. You can read more about the site in his article on page 46

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Announcements Engagements Benedict Lang StB’07 to Valesca Baroness zu Knyphausen on 15th July 2023 in Berlin Alicia Buckley StM’15 to Dominic Wood on 14th October 2023

Weddings Rodney Bligh C’64 to Michele Tinker on 15th July 2023 at St Peter’s Catholic Church, Leatherhead Paddy Ward R’06 to Marian Davidson on 13th May 2023 in Laxton, Northamptonshire Benedict Lang StB’07 & Valesca zu Knyphausen

Luke MacWilliam R’07 to Louise Wright on 25th March 2023 in Kent and had a Convalidation Ceremony on 15th April at Worth with Fr Peter presiding Jeroen Bromilow StB'09 to Alexandra Matthews on 27th May 2023, at Milton Abbey in Dorset Harry Whelpton R’11 to Nina Schenkman on the 21st October 2023 at Chalk Barn, Pewsey, Wiltshire Sam Steers C’14 to Rebecca McAleese on 28th July 2023 at the Clandeboye Lodge in Bangor, Northern Ireland Elaine Yim StA’12 to Christopher Tatum on 8th July 2023 George Suckling B‘15 to Mia Wilcox StA’15 on 26th August 2023 at Stjaer Church, Denmark

Michele Tinker & Rodney Bligh C’64

George Suckling B‘15 & Mia Wilcox StA’15

Paddy Ward R’06 & Marian Davidson

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Jeroen Bromilow StB'09 & Alexandra Matthews

Rebecca McAleese & Sam Steers C’14

Nina Schenkman & Harry Whelpton R’11

Deaths Peter Knyvett G’64, on 3rd December 2022, aged 77 Anthony Renouf C’66, on 17th February 2023, aged 74 Anthony Hayes G’67, on 31st December 2022, aged 74 Robert Bishop R’71, on 14th February 2023, aged 70 Anton Lanni StB’98, on 11th January 2023, aged 42

Luke MacWilliam R’07 & Louise Wright

Elaine Yim StA’12 & Christopher Tatum

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News in Brief News in Brief

Worth Prep School Nicholas Mellish WPS’60 Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebration - September 29th 1973 at the Catholic Church of St Joseph and St Mary, Guernsey, Nicholas to Elaine.

Now living in Suffolk.

Worth School 1960s Patrick Nivelles R’64 had lunch before Christmas 2022 with Bernard Elkington R’64, Nick Wynne G’64 and Jeremy Best C’64 with wives and all seemed in excellent health.

Peter Stein StB’66 School memories are starting to fade, but some happy ones remain; long summer afternoons on the cricket field, bicycle rides to East Grinstead to place the last 10% of the term’s pocket money on ’Anglo’ in the 1966 Grand National, (who obliged at 50/1). Also, the amusing after lunch stroll by Housemasters, Dom Edward (St Bede’s) and Fabian (Chapman) who, on reaching North Lodge, suggested turning right, but Edward said “no, let’s go left and catch Stein returning from his afternoon cigarette behind the pavilion”. Sure enough, I passed them on my way back with a polite “good afternoon”, at which they both completely crumpled up with laughter. Much confused I enquired that evening and Edward told me the story. In later years when returning from Lingfield races, I often couldn’t resist stopping for a quick puff by the Old Pavilion – just for old time sake! Academic prowess was severely lacking. My last term French report read “due to his casual attitude to work, it will not surprise him when he fails A Level”. Last minute cramming squeaked me a pass, so very strange how life turns out… About 6 weeks after the exams, in the early days of a European hitch-hiking tour, I sat every day for a week with a fun crowd of French teenagers on a nice beach in the South of France. Plenty of plonk available, I received a free vocab lesson from the French boys, with many words and expressions that I hadn’t come across in the old potting shed classrooms – a world away from struggling with

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Balzac and Molière. After spending 6 years in the City, 5 of which as a stockbroker in the Eurobond market, I managed to obtain a position with a French bank on the Champs Elysée. There followed a very pleasant change in lifestyle but a disastrous change in waistline! 3 years later, a consortium bank in Place Vendome offered me a more senior position where I stayed until the end of 1987. Due to a takeover by a large Dutch bank my department closed and I joined the ranks of the unemployed, but having no major outgoings and time on my hands, I set off for a few adventures, playing some beautiful golf courses, particularly in Thailand. The thought of spending the next 25 years working became less and less appealing, so I took a risk and retired early. First summers were spent in Spain and winters in Thailand, where I eventually settled and been living for nearly 30 years. It’s a very beautiful and somewhat exotic country, with a year-round warm climate, a very reasonable cost of living and, over the years, a friendly stock-market which has enabled me to indulge in one of my passions and have a few runners on the flat in France, and more recently, one over the jumps with Tom Symonds B’03 in Herefordshire. For me there was a lot of truth in the saying ‘Life begins at forty’, and despite play being somewhat curtailed by Covid in recent years, it’s been a good innings so far!

Tony Fletcher G’65 - Recently discovered that the boyfriend of a cycling friend's granddaughter is OW Charles Kanani R’16 who has just finished his 3rd year of law school and is articling with a law firm for the summer here in Toronto. Finally had the chance to meet and share our many fine memories and experiences at Worth - he was amused to discover we wore detachable stiff collars back in the old days! We also spoke fondly of Dom Kevin Taggart, who was Gervase Housemaster when I was there.

John MacWilliam StB’67 is in his seventh year as missionary Bishop of Laghouat (the Algerian Sahara). He is approaching the age of retirement for diocesan bishops (75) and might soon find himself able to participate in a few more Worth Society UK events. The diocese is under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist (obviously - it's all desert!), but has a special devotion to Saint Charles de Foucauld who lived and died there and was canonized last year (see article on page 48).

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Simon Willson C‘73 played the Cindyfest23 music festival with his band MzLeadinG in South Gloucestershire in August. The band plays pubs and clubs around Southwest England and South Wales. Simon’s first recording was as part of the choir in Worth’s 1970 album Make Music to the Lord.

Andrew Hogge StB’75 had excellent weather for our Sponsored Walk on the South Downs Way on 8th October 2023 which 40 of us completed and thanks to everyone‘s generosity raised over £23,000 to fund our CiaO Awards including our commitment to Tom Taverner’s R’07 neuro rehab centre, VIM Health. We have so far provided funds for rehabilitation care for several people including a lady with Cerebral Palsy and a young man with a neurological condition causing muscle wastage in his limbs. VIM Health will continue to provide at cost care to their patients with the support of funds raised from the walk.

Michael Bernard C’77 Still busy, with board roles at Southern Health Trust, The Royal Humane Society, Exeter Business School, and board advisor to a start-up with a mental health app. I am also an Executive Volunteer at Arctic Base Camp. I stepped down as Chair of Governors at Downside early this year, as it proved to be too hard to combine the requirements of this role with my other ones. Still playing golf and guitar, neither particularly well.

(www.veerni.com), a charity which provides education for girls in rural Rajasthan - the founder of which, Jacqueline de Cholet, had a son at Worth, so a further Worth connection! Our donation webpage is: www.prosperoworld.enthuse.com/pf/murray-shanks Ed Mannix StB’79 Life continues in Zermatt with wife, Suzanne, and Daisy the crazy spaniel. A happy family occasion earlier in the summer in London with the marriage of my son to Jen, although shortly after the wedding I had to return to Switzerland for a knee operation. That now makes a total of 4 different titanium implants. Looking forward to getting back on skis this winter but in the meanwhile, it's difficult being a patient patient!

1980s Philip Lundberg C’80 After 41 years as a broker at Lloyd’s of London I have taken the plunge and gone full time with the cider business I started last year. Retiring was not so much a wrench as I thought it would be and am still keeping up with old friends in the market. The cidrerie has grown from a hobby two years ago to a passion which is stocked in some the best off licences and pubs in Hampshire and we are expanding our reach every day. www.hydescyder.com

Andrew Caillard C’78 Author of a new lavishly illustrated three-volume book entitled The Australian Ark, a history of Australian wine. Will be available in paperback and hardback editions in the UK after its formal release in March 2024. The first work to chart the complete history of Australian wine from 1788 to the present day. The unfolding story is told over 1,700 pages and highlights young ambitions in an ancient land, the cycles of tragedies and triumphs, and the development of a truly unique and fascinating wine culture.

Matthew Brown C’82 Still happily living in Shaftesbury, Dorset, with long-suffering wife Rebecca, Helena StM‘22 now studying at Exeter, Josh StB‘25 loving Worth Sixth Form, rugby, Bede’s and life in general, and Atticus (dog).

I visit the School frequently and would recommend a visit to all Old Worthians – the campus, and food, much changed (it is now impossible to smoke anywhere), but the place is as magical as ever. Occasional get-togethers with Quigley, Shepherd, Hamilton, Moore, Middleton, Hayhoe & Dean all ‘82 and recently saw Alex Saunders R‘82 for the first time in 41 years - unchanged! Saw Neil Laughton C’82 give an outstanding talk at the School last year. Buy his book, Adventureholic. Giving up motorcycling as I am struggling to get the bike off the side-stand.

Pondering retirement. Seeking donations thereto.

Always available for a catch-up in London or Dorset. matthew@brownglobalenterprises.com

Murray Shanks R'78 along with my wife, Diana, step-daughter Ciara Horton StM'23 and step-son, Alexis, a current Worth student, ran the last 10K of the Venice Marathon in October 2023 for Veerni

Giles Hamilton B’82 Living in blissful and bucolic retirement in the countryside just outside Horsham (the apple doesn’t fall far) and not missing The City one iota.

My son Hugo has just left Exeter and my daughter Lexi is

Justin A H Brown C'78 Broadly experienced executive with Asian emerging markets focus. Track record in Myanmar (since 2000) with references to support.

Introductions to the market with appropriate network to establish and represent.

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News in Brief continued

News in Brief

in her last year at St Mary’s Ascot. Still write the occasional magazine article but it seems everyone is a music critic nowadays. Still not entirely sure what I want to be when I grow up but I’d like it to be something to do with rock music or fast cars. Still in contact with old friends especially Dominic Strickland C’81, Greg Pickard StB’81 and Martin Hunt StB’81.

Adrian Whyatt StB’83 Resident in Portugal since 2020.

Has included studying the language and even a bit of grape harvesting.

Séan Donnellan StB’86 Have changed my commute from the 73 bus to Oxford Circus to a fleet of Ryanair, Easyjet and BA planes as Debora (Robertson) and I moved lock stock and barrel to Marseillan, in SW France. Often misheard as Marseille, but we're actually 200+ kms further west, between Beziers and Montpellier, but still on the water. Have just celebrated 8 years at the BBC - probably still considered a newbie! Working on International and UK technical & infrastructure projects while trying to coax a Belle Epoque house into the modern era, without ruining it, or upsetting the locals.

Micheal Haran R’87 Exhibited 8 paintings at the Florence Biennale in October. Living and working in West London and my son is 10 years old. www.michealharan.art Mark Collini StB’89 Beatrice (8) and Sophia (7) both thriving at school. Cycled to Paris with 31 other parents and teachers in September to raise money for a new muga pitch and in aid of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

1990s Mel Carson B’90 After 10 years in business, Mel Carson and Ashley Seffernick sold their Seattle-based technology marketing agency, Delightful Communications, to a local consulting company in Bellevue, Washington, USA. Ever the entrepreneurs, they are cogitating their next venture by spending some downtime with their two daughters and menagerie of pets and wild animals in their new home on Bainbridge Island.

Tom Calnan R’95 Now living near Guildford in Surrey with my wife Bonnie & two little boys Archie and Milo (7 and 4). Still occasionally pulling on the boots for WOBS

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RFC albeit only when they’re desperate (!) and I frequently attend related events and matches as one of the Club’s longstanding VPs. My father Desmond R’69 continues to act as WOBS Chairman and my brother Ben R’97 and mother Julie remain staunch supporters also, so it’s something of a family affair! Still in touch with a number of my fellow 1995 leavers (some who do not appear to have aged - or indeed matured - in almost 30 years) and I continue to work in London as a solicitor specialising in corporate real estate.

Mick Cataldo StB’97 After 22 years in the Armed Forces I have somehow got involved as Executive Producer making a documentary about veterans who sustained life changing injuries in Afghanistan. Once We Were Warriors is a veteran led initiative to acknowledge the 10th anniversary of combat operations ending there, during which 457 British Service personnel were killed, and 7,800 sustained life changing injuries. My foray into television and film was leading an MOD initiative to better connect Defence with the Creative industry. It is here I became passionate about telling authentic stories that reach those that would otherwise have nothing to do with the Armed Forces. The documentary will follow Afghanistan veterans using the restorative power of skiing to address trauma and their personal struggles and raise awareness of Military Charities. MP Jonny Mercer at the Office of Veterans Affairs (OVA) is fully behind the initiative. I am reaching out to Worth alumni to explore how the network could support us either financially or with resources to reduce costs. If you think you can help please email me at mick.cataldo@gmail.com Alex Kenney B’97 Still living a few miles down the road from Worth and working in London. I now bring my young daughter with me to Sunday Mass at Worth which is quite a different experience to attending as a pupil many years ago. Occasionally manage to meet up with friends from Worth which is always a pleasure.

Ollie Barnett StB ’98 Continuing to work in private banking in London, now Head of Private Banking for Weatherbys. Catch up with Richard Gairdner and Simon Jones (both also StB‘98) relatively regularly and both in good form. Living in Cobham, young family getting older and keeping us on our toes!

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Mark Hayhurst B’00 Pleased to report that the Worthians in Property Lunch will take place on Thursday 18th January 2024 at Brooks's in St James's - any alumni involved in Real Estate welcome to attend. Please get in touch: mark.hayhurst@hotmail.com Oli Mulcahy C’05 All change here! Left the Royal Navy after 12 enjoyable years and am now the Head of Product for ACUA Ocean; a small start-up that will build a 13.5m long uncrewed vessel powered by liquid hydrogen. We've moved to Finchingfield in Essex where we are converting a barn on a plot of land into a family home... watch this space for how well that goes!

Jeroen Bromilow StB'09 married Alexandra Matthews on 27th May at Milton Abbey in Dorset. A very memorable day and a wonderful celebration! Currently based in London and Bristol for any Worthians looking to re-connect: jeroenbromilow@hotmail.com

2010s Ed Kemp F’10, Harry Luff C’10, Joseph Rivers F’10, and Harry Woodman F’10 spent a weekend in the Lake District in September 2023. We were blessed with amazing weather and scrambled along Striding Edge and got to the top of Helvellyn.

Mia Wilcox StA’15 & George Suckling B’15 Got married on 26th August at Stjaer, near Skanderborg, Denmark, the second joint Worthian wedding! A three-day party ensued at the Sophiendal Slotshotel, attended by an additional 14 Worthians.

advocates to bring about change at government level.

I am aiming to raise £2,000 for this amazing charity, as it is a cause I feel very passionate about. Any donation you give will help Epilepsy society to continue their incredible work, and will spur me on throughout my training!

Zoe Blake-James StM’21 Currently reading English Literature at Bristol University. During July and August 2023, I spent 5 weeks volunteering in a small town named Moshi, near Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. During this time, I worked and volunteered to help teach English in a primary school called Soweto School, but I also got involved with visiting and helping at the local orphanage (Children of Kilimanjaro Orphanage), the Maasai tribe village and their local nursery school. I had the best time anyone could have asked for and feel so lucky to have had the chance to experience and learn so much from new people/a different society.

Filippa Hofmann StM’22 and Theresa Roth StM’22 Decided to spend our Gap Year travelling through Southeast Asia and spent 3 months volunteering at an NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Cambodian Children's Fund ensures that children from the most impoverished neighbourhoods of the country don't lack basic nutrition, suitable housing and access to education. We helped support the English teachers in one of the schools, designing lessons and preparing study materials and led classes, allowing the children to experience the English language first-hand. As the supply of technology equipment was poor we initiated a fundraising scheme to enhance their teaching possibilities.

Sam Higgs C’16 graduated from King's College London in 2021 with a PGCE in Religious Studies and now teaches at Gresham's.

2020s Ciara Maher StA’20 In April 2024, I’m planning on running the London Marathon for Epilepsy Society UK, a charity that funds cutting-edge research into epilepsy, with the aim of improving the quality of life of individuals diagnosed with the condition. It offers support and information to people diagnosed with epilepsy, and

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2000s

Peter Knyvett G’64

19th November 1945 – 3rd December 2022 Obituary

P

eter Knyvett sadly passed away in December 2022, aged 77. He attended Worth School from 1959-1963 and was one of the oldest of the 32

founder pupils who caused dear Dom Kevin a few heart palpitations when they started the Senior School. Peter had many happy memories of school, principally on the cricket pitch – despite having his nose accidently broken while wicket keeping in a colts match against Christ’s Hospital!

He went on to serve in the British Army with the Household Cavalry before pursuing a successful career in the world of aviation. During this time he lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok for British Aerospace in the Far East. Due to the nature of his work he formed a strong diplomatic contact base which led him into a second career latterly working to shape government policy.

In his spare time he was a keen fisherman, a good shot and could often be found on the side of a lacrosse pitch with his dogs cheering on his daughters.

He is very sadly missed by his daughters Victoria and Miranda and his granddaughter Eleanor.

Victoria Knyvett

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Anthony Jocelyn William Renouf C’66 3rd April 1948 – 17th February 2023

Obituary

A

nthony was the son of Tony, the popular former Worth art master, and his wife Mary.

He was also the greatly loved eldest brother to

the Worth Court siblings, husband to Julia and father to Alexander, Nik and Jon Jon. Anthony died after a ten year decline due to vascular dementia. He passed away peacefully overlooking the sea at Evergreen care home in Hastings where he was visited daily by his family. Anthony was an erudite academic with a great sense of social justice and outstanding ability at political debate. At the age of 18 at Sixth Form College he started a magazine, The Speaker, with the support of two journalists from Fleet Street. He went on to study History at Manchester University where he was an active member of the Debating Society.

Following University, he lived and worked in London as a shipping journalist for Seatrade and Lloyds List, reporting for TV, radio and print. He was also an active member of the Liberal Democrats as well as a compere for live music club nights and pub quizzes. He loved music, film and literature and was quietly spiritual, remaining loyal to the Catholic church throughout his life. His idiosyncratic intellect and charming good humour will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

Anthony’s funeral, led by Fr Stephen Ortiger, took place on the 24th March at St Mary’s Star of the Sea Church in Hastings with his lifelong Manchester University friends and fellow Worth boys Chris Dobson StB’66 and Tony Jaques, playing a dominant role. This was followed by a Mass at Our Lady of Grace in Charlton London on the 1st April 2023.

Jon Jon Renouf

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Anthony Hayes G’67

26th October 1948 – 31st December 2022

Obituary

A

nthony Hayes died on New Year’s Eve 2022 after a brief illness. Born in Louth, Lincolnshire in 1948 and at school and among friends he was more commonly known as Tony. His father was a Fleet Air Arm pilot and the early years of his life were dominated by the vagaries of Navy life as his father’s career moved around.

Having been baptised in Louth, he moved south to Lee on Solent, but there was also time in Scotland, back in Lincolnshire, Northern Ireland, Weymouth and Key West Florida. The USA was where he took his first communion - suitably attired in white suit and bow tie – having been taught in a class of 60 by some very dedicated nuns.

Back in the UK, school was more stable with prep at Avisford before arriving at Worth in 1962. He had originally been destined for Ampleforth but the pioneering enthusiasm of Fr Dominic Gaisford in the early years of what was then still a relatively new senior school made a great impression on his parents. His (Anglican) father was also taken by the relatively modern approach of the School and the generosity of the Head Master’s whisky pouring! Joining Gervase House under Fr Kevin Taggart (DK) he flourished making many friends and playing sports – notably sailing with Fr Bernard and cross-country running where the combination of his lean whippet ‘racing snake’ physique and FAM initials earned him the nicknames of ‘FAMished’ or ‘oxFAM’.

Another notable extracurricular activity was ‘community service’ – mostly clearing gardens for elderly folk – although this was somewhat curtailed when he managed to put an axe through his foot whilst trying to remove a tree stump. Many years later there was still an active debate as to who it was who had the presence of mind to rapidly apply a tourniquet – health & safety and first aid standards have probably developed somewhat since the ‘60’s. Attitudes to tobacco have also probably evolved from a time when Sixth Form smoking seemed more of a norm than an exception.

The 1960s saw the family posted first to Turkey and then Norway which brought him new opportunities. In Turkey he developed an interest in archaeology which led to time on ‘digs’ there and up on Hadrian’s Wall, as well as a collection of bits of pot which covered all the spare surfaces in his bedroom. In Norway he took to skiing, also encouraged by DK and school trips – in the age of leather lace up boots and wooden skis he excelled to the extent that when in the Navy he represented them competitively

in inter service races. Sailing in his Portchester Duck, Teal, at school and at home on the Solent was a real pleasure.

Post school, Teal stayed on as part of the ‘fleet’ and pupils from the early ‘70’s may recall drifting around Keeper Knights ponds in her.

Sailing combined with family ties meant that the Navy was always a likely career option. After A levels he joined the Navy from Worth to study at Dartmouth as a cadet. He was commissioned and initially served in submarines which at the time of the Cold War were the ‘hot spot’. He quickly realised that his enjoyment of fresh air and daylight meant that they and he were really not suited to each other.

Having got his head back above water one of his first postings was to Hong Kong. Although some of the work was difficult, dealing with refugees fleeing the Chinese cultural revolution, it also included the rescue missions during Typhoon Rose and overall was a very happy and exciting time for him.

Following late ‘70’s budget cuts he had a period at sea with P&O but then re-joined the Navy specialising as a weapons systems officer. Towards the end of his career in the 1990’s he moved to Northwood and stayed on post-Navy as an education and resettlement officer.

He involved himself in the care of all ranks and became a governor of a local school – a role he found in turn fascinating and frustrating.

In retirement he lived with his long term partner, Simone, in Westcliff-on-Sea and was a keen golfer and latterly had rekindled his school days theatrical enthusiasm with the local theatre group – much to the amusement and delight of his many friends and family. In addition to Simone he leaves his widow Fiona, children Philippa and Paul and grandchildren Clemmie, George, Juliette and Lizzie.

Robert Hayes G’80

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A year in the life of the School

I

t was another year of change, development, new ground being broken, but at its heart Worth was just the same at it has always been – a value-centred school offering education with heart and soul.

One of the biggest changes at the School for the 2022-23 academic year was the abolition of Saturday morning lessons, instead offering students a weekends programme packed with choices of activities, clubs, societies, lecture programmes, study support sessions, trips and visits, in addition to regular sports fixtures. The move was in response to study group wishes and, while

tweaks will occur as the School moves forward, it was a bold move that was received well.

Another big change for the year was the renaming of the teaching block as St Scholastica’s Building, a move which coincided with the opening of six new classrooms, including a network classroom, on the top level of the teaching block where the library had previously been before being relocated to the Spencer Building. Other developments included re-laying the tennis courts with a jazzy blue-top surface and the unveiling of plans for a £2.5m Science block extension, a project which involves

Above: Actor and comedian Brian Conley performed at the West End to Worth charity show in the Performing Arts Centre Top: The choir enters the Abbey Church at the start of the School Carol Service in December Left: St Anne’s emerged triumphant in an all-girls House Debating final as they defeated St Mary’s in a highquality affair

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A year in the life of the School continued

A Choir and Ensembles Music Tour to Austria at the end of the school year included four concerts, three outdoors and one in a church

Actor Layton Williams, who would appear as a contestant in Strictly Come Dancing later in the year, visited Worth to deliver a performance masterclass and Q&A

constructing a single storey building and infilling the space between the existing Science and Art/D&T buildings to provide three new Science laboratories and a new entrance to the department.

These are exciting times and certainly a further step away from the dark days of COVID. That step was echoed in other ways including the re-introduction of overseas trips such as an end of year senior rugby tour to Canada, a music tour to Austria, a History trip to Berlin and two ski trips during the year.

The academic year began with record numbers for the school again – a further sign that the re-emergence from COVID had gone extremely well for Worth. The year also started with a fabulous Saturday afternoon/evening Welcome Festival, which was organised by the Friends of Worth and was enjoyed so much that it will now become an annual fixture. The event also included lots of Worthian sport and that combination between past and present certainly enhanced the community spirt of the day.

an opportunity for pupils to ease into the new academic year, to have fun, to make new friends and renew old friendships before knuckling down to academic studies.

The introduction of ‘Retro sports’ including egg and spoon, wheelbarrow, three-legged and sack races certainly delivered on the fun element.

From an opening assembly, pupils and staff were back in the Abbey Church far sooner than expected to mark the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II. In a period of mourning, some events were pushed back as a mark of respect including a Year 12 Matriculation Ball to welcome all students starting Sixth Form life.

As has become a feature under Head Master Mr Stuart McPherson, the school term was launched with Worth Week which, despite its name, is two days of ‘soft return’ to academic studies. The idea is essentially to provide The Senior School Drama production of Little Shop of Horrors was an excellent show

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Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

The Summer Concert in May was a wonderful celebration of the year’s music making at the School

Rutherford were House Music champions, winning both parts of the competition – House Shout in November and House Bands in March

Life respectfully soon returned to normal and a Year 11 History trip to Berlin in the October half term was followed by a particularly busy second half of term. It began with a powerful and eloquently-delivered, student-led assembly to celebrate Black History Month. Boys in Rutherford grew moustaches (some better than others) for their annual charity push for Movember, House Drama was held for the first time (or at least for the first time in many years), Worth was again voted into The Cricketer Magazine’s top schools for cricket for the programme we deliver for boys and girls, local MP Jeremy Quin was one of the guest speakers at our Spencer Lecture Series, a Worth Goes Pink event raising money for Breast Cancer Now was organised and run by students, while the senior drama production of Little Shop of Horrors took place. There were also two excellent concerts – a Scholars Concert and an Ensembles Concert – while the School Carol Service and accompanying mini-Christmas market provided a spirited end to term, at which point a ski trip for senior students took place in Austria.

included a traditional Ukrainian prayer read in both Ukrainian and English.

Actor and comedian Brian Conley was the headline name at the School’s fabulous West End to Worth charity show at the start of January. The new year also saw the new classrooms in St Scholastica’s Building being officially opened and another ‘new’ for the new year was the appointment of the School’s first social outreach coordinator.

For the start of the Summer Term we welcomed a new Deputy Head (Academic), Dr Daniel Coughlan, who replaced Mrs Alice McNeill. This part of the school year is always a particularly busy time with the Worth Musician of the Year final, Year 10 Confirmation and then our annual Sports Dinner being followed by a Summer Concert, Sports Day, a Summer Dinner for parents and Speech Day, where the talk by visiting speaker Alexander McLean was especially emotive.

The culmination of the House debating competition, involving all 10 Houses and more fiercely contested than ever before, took place in February while the month finished with a special assembly to mark the anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine which, poignantly,

Jeremy Quin MP was one of the guest speakers in the Spencer Lecture Series for Sixth Form students and Year 11 academic scholars

Drama took centre stage in March with the Drama scholars’ performance of The Crucible, a charming Middle School staging of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and a masterclass session with visiting actor Layton Williams, soon to be of Strictly Come Dancing fame. On the musical front, Rutherford won House Bands and there was a thoroughly enjoyable Ensembles Concert, while in sports news our rugby teams did well at the Rosslyn Park National Sevens, with two teams winning their groups, and the outstanding performance came from our new girls’ team who reached the second day of competition before losing in the Plate semi-finals – a superb effort.

There was a junior school ski trip to Italy in April and we also celebrated a record number of pupils completing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award with 17 who undertook their Gold expedition in 2022 being signed off for completion by the end of Easter.

After time to breathe – otherwise known as half term – Worth went into the final phase of the school year with

Retro sports, including the wheelbarrow race, provided plenty of fun as part of Worth Week at the start of the academic year

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A year in the life of the School continued

exams taking central focus for Years 11 and 13, while for others there was still plenty going on. The Junior School Drama production of Hogwartz was particularly fun, while Year 12 students took on roles as actors for a new Sixth Form film, which was an impressive collaboration with Smokescreen Visuals.

Year 13 said goodbye to the School at the Leavers’ Ball in June. The evening concluded with a firework display

In the final week of term, there were all sorts of trips going on, as well as Worth in the Community Day where Year 12 students carried out valuable service work to support charities and schools in the area. A Year 13 Leavers’ Ball was followed by the rugby tour to Canada – where our boys went undefeated – and the music tour to Austria.

At the end of the year we said goodbye to some notable faces including Head of Hockey Mr Simon Faulkner, Farwell Housemaster Mr Jon Fry, St Anne’s Housemistress Mrs Siobhan Isaacs and long-standing Gervase Matron Mrs Janine Forbes-Kiely. It was sad to see them go but life moves on and Worth School moves on at a significant pace.

With new faces, a new academic strategy and record numbers yet again going into 2023-24, the School remains in excellent health.

The new girls’ rugby team performed superbly at the Rosslyn Park National Sevens, eventually losing in the Plate semi-finals

The senior rugby boys gather at Gatwick ahead of their summer tour to Canada, where they enjoyed four wins out of four

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Worth Society Life

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I

A Message from the Head Master

t was great to have so many old Worth boys and girls join us at the Welcome Festival, held at the begining of the Autumn Term. Despite the heat, the Old Worthian sport fixtures went ahead as planned, with more participants this year than the previous year when we introduced this popular event.

Those who were able to join us, or have visited at any point throughout the last year, will have noticed how much the School has developed in recent years as we have continued to grow. One major capital project, the £1.5m repurposing of the old library into new classrooms for Maths and English, and a new IT suite and IT support hub, was completed in the Lent Term. What was known as the Classroom Block, with the library situated on the second floor, was renamed St Scholastica’s – an appropriate title given St Scholastica’s connection to St Benedict and her status in the Church as patron saint of education.

Planning permission was also granted for a £2m extension to the Science facilities. Work on this project will begin in May 2024, with completion due in February 2025.

The refurbishment of boarding house social spaces was carried out over the 2023 summer holiday, and there are plans for the ongoing refurbishment of houses and classrooms in the coming holiday periods. Preparation for new sporting facilities continued this year and we expect to launch a fundraising campaign in the first part of 2024.

Once the sport facilities have been moved to the north of the Paddockhurst Road, exciting options will open up around the Spencer Building in the heart of the school campus. The School’s tennis and netball courts were also resurfaced during the course of this year at a cost of £75,000.

example, 2023 saw Worth girls compete at the Roslyn Park Sevens Rugby Tournament for the first time – we expect this to be the norm from now on. Similar enthusiasm was seen in the summer sports of cricket, tennis and athletics, which continued to enjoy high participation rates across all pupils. The School continues to excel in Music and Drama, too, where the level of pupil participation and achievement remains very high. This year the orchestra embarked on a week-long tour to Salzburg, the culmination of a busy and impressive programme of concerts through the school year.

We have been working hard to invest in the wider school and Old Worthian community, as this edition of The Blue Paper clearly shows. Worth Connecting, our alumni communications and events platform, has become the established way for the School to communicate with old boys and girls about social and networking opportunities.

The parents’ association, The Friends of Worth, has contributed energetically to school life again this year, with events very well attended by our parents, and – I am pleased to say – some past pupils, too.

Stuart McPherson

Worth’s confidence continues to find new expression in sport and other co-curricular pursuits. Boys’ football and rugby teams enjoyed successful seasons in the Autumn and Lent terms, and it has been encouraging to see the girls playing these two sports with equal vigour and accomplishment, in addition to hockey and netball. For

Speech Day provided the pinnacle of the academic year, with that perfect balance of formality and fun

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School Staff –

Autumn 2022-Summer 2023 Mr Stuart McPherson, MA, Head Master Mr André Gushurst-Moore, MA, Second Master Mrs Alice McNeill, MA, Deputy Head (Academic) (to March) Dr Daniel Coughlan, BA, MA, PhD, Interim Deputy Head (Academic) (from April) Mr Gordon Pearce, MA, Deputy Head (External) Mr Julian Williams, BSc, MA, Dip TESL, Deputy Head (Co-Curricular and Partnerships) Mr Mark Macdonald, BSc, Assistant Head (Pastoral) Dr Bruna Gushurst-Moore, BA, Mst, PhD, Assistant Head (Sixth Form) (to March) Mr Matthew Doggett, MA, MSc, Assistant Head (Sixth Form) (from April) Mrs Sarah Flint, BA, Assistant Head (Pupil Progress) Mr Daniel Harris, Director of Mission Mr Jim Francis, MA Cantab, ACMA, Chief Operating Officer (Worth School) Teaching Staff: Mr Paul Ambridge, BA, Physics Mr Roger Appleton, BA, French Mrs Esmé Mustian Atkinson, BA, Librarian Mr Garry Backshell, BSc (Hons), MSc, Physics Mrs Frances Baily, BSc, MSc, Physics (Head of Department)

Mrs Andrea Beadle, BA, MA, German (Subject Leader) Mrs Sophie Belloul, BA, French (Subject Leader) Mr Jonathan Bindloss, BA, MA, Religious Studies (Head of Department), Theory of Knowledge Mr Stuart Blackhurst, HND, Head of Digital Strategy Mr Lewis Brito-Babapulle, MA, Director of Music Mr William Burch, MSc, Maths Mrs Caroline Burton, MSc, Biology Mr David Burton, BEd, Director of Sport Mrs Lucinda Button, BA, Art & Design Mrs Katie Camp, BA, Art Mrs Olivia Carter, BSc, Mathematics (Second in Department) Mr Raj Chaudhuri, BCom, ECB Level 4, Master in charge of Cricket Mr Paul Cheeseman, BA, Design and Technology Miss Sarah Clarke, BA, History (Head of Department) Mrs Dawn Clubb, BA, MA, English (Head of Department) Mr James Coleman, BA, Religious Studies Miss Karen Collingwood, BA, Art Mr Daniel Collins, LLB, Head of Football Mrs Camilla Cook, BA, MA, English Mr William Crénel, LLCE, French, St Bede's Housemaster Miss Stephanie Dawes, BSc, Psychology Miss Maria Isabel Del Valle, BA (Hons), Spanish, French Mr John Dent, MEng, Mathematics Mr Charlie Douglas-Hughes, Director of Lettings and Wider Curriculum Mr John Everest, BA, Photography (Head of Department) Mr Simon Faulkner, BA, Head of Hockey, Assistant Director of Sport, Economics Mr Jonathan Fry, BA, Economics & Business Studies, Farwell Housemaster Dr Barbara Gehrhus, Diplomchemiker, PhD, Chemistry Mrs Sarah Glanville, BA, English Mr Jamie Gostlow, BA, History Mrs Danielle Gwynne, BSc, Mathematics (Head of Department) Mrs Helen Harris, BAH, MSc, Economics Mrs Jo Harvey-Barnes, Cert Ed, Games & Physical Education, Biology, St Catherine's Housemistress Miss Hannah Higgins, BSC (Hons), MSc, Physics Mrs Luthfa Hood, BA, Computer Science Miss Juley Hudson, BA, MA, Art (Head of Department) Mrs Harriet Hunt, BA, MA, Religious Studies Mr Andrew Hunter, BA, MA, MSc, English Mr Joseph Huntley, BA, Religious Studies, PSHE Coordinator Mrs Siobhan Isaacs, BA, Games & Physical Education, St Anne's Housemistress Mrs Andrea Kirpalani, BSc, Science (Head of Department), Chemistry (Head of Department) Miss Naomy Larkin, BA, English (Second in Department) Mrs Catherine Latham, BSc, MSc, Head of Learning Support and SENCO

Background image courtesy of current Worth Year 12 student Charlie Latter

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Worth Society Life

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The Old Place

Mr Andrew Lavis, BA, Geography (Head of Department) Mrs Rachel Le Mare, BA, MA, Business Studies Mrs Daniele Lloyd, French Miss Lucy Lockwood, BA, Music Technology Miss Elizabeth Longstaff, BA, Learning Support Maths Mrs Natalie Lynch, BA, Director of Drama Mrs Anna MacMahon, BA, MEd, Austin Housemistress Mr Alick Macleod, MSc, Geography, Gervase Housemaster Mrs Helen Macleod, BA, History Mr David Marks, BA, MA, English as an Additional Language (Head of Department) Mrs Claudine Maude, BSc, Biology Mr David McColl, BSc, Sports Coach Mrs Sigrid Moiseiwitsch, German Mrs Maria Molinero, BA, Modern Foreign Languages (Head of Department), Spanish (Subject Leader) Ms Kirsty Moore, BA, English Mr Bruce Morrison, BEd, Games & Physical Education, Mathematics, Butler Housemaster Mr Robin Moss, BSc, Chemistry & Science Miss Tania Murphy, Head of Pupil Healthcare Miss Tola Olawuyi, BEng, Mathematics Mr Andrew Olle-Nasim, BSc, Games & Physical Education, Chapman Housemaster Ms Elizabeth Peters, BA, History & Politics Mr Richard Phillips, BSc, Economics and Business Studies (Head of Department) Ms Alessandra Pittoni, Laurea in Lingue, Italian Mr Thomas Richardson, Head of Rugby Development Mr Liam Richman, BSc, Mathematics, Rutherford Housemaster Mrs Beverley Rodwell, BA, Learning Support Mr Stephen Rodwell, Cert Ed, Assistant Director of Music Miss Kathryne Rosati, BSc, Science Miss Eleanor Ross, BSc, Chemistry, St Mary's (Middles) Housemistress Miss Charlotte Rule, BSc, Geography, St Mary's (Sixth Form) Housemistress Ms Victoria Sadler, MA, Geography Dr Peter Scott, BSc, PhD, Biology (Head of Department) Mrs Kirstie Smith, Sports Coach Mr Bevan Soga, BA, Mathematics Mrs Geeyoung Steele, BA, Religious Studies Mr Hugo Sutton, BA, History, IB Coordinator Mr Ben Taylor, Games & Physical Education Dr Bianca Thomas, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, Biology Mr Philip Towler, BA, Classics (Head of Department) Mr Dan Weaver, BA, Design and Technology (Head of Department), ICT (Head of Department) Mr Matthew Wellman, BA, MA, Drama Mrs Jennifer Williamson, BA, Design and Technology Mr Ben Young, BA, Spanish Miss Bei Yu, BSc, Mandarin

Prefects Senior Prefects Head Girl: Amity Blowey Head Boy: Freddie Bosshard Deputy Head Girl: Genevieve Bailey Deputy Head Boy: Sam Hardwicke School Prefects Alyssia Brown Beatrice Chappell Eden Cortesi-Hennell Alexander Da Gama-Rose Lucas Heine Carlotta Hipp Meggie McLoughlin George Melik Caspar Reimnitz Lorcan Rice Akanimo Udofia Johanna von Grone Prefects with particular areas of responsibility Co-Curriculum/Sport Prefects: Christian Cairns-Thomas, Gabriel Cairns-Thomas, Johanna von Grone, Meggie McLoughlin Chaplaincy Prefects: Eden Cortesi-Hennell, Sam Hardwicke, Emily Meisinger, Henry Wright Academic Prefects: Daniel Aghedo-Jacob, Finian Clarke, Szymon Florek, Max Manzi Music Prefects: Denis Delblond, Harriet Jensen Drama Prefect: Efosa Idiaghe Pastoral Prefects: Izzy White, Grace Wormull, Rebecca Zammit Pace St Mary’s Middles Prefect: Emily Meisinger Austin House Prefects: Theo Jouas, Polly O’Maoileion, Chloe Perversi

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2023 Worth School Careers Fair

W

orth was delighted to welcome a number of guest speakers to the School to deliver a range of fascinating talks to Year 12 students at the annual Careers Fair in June: Speakers included a number of alumni and Worth parents, representing a diverse range of industries including consultant orthopaedic surgeon James Ritchie; lawyer Mike Rebeiro; Dr Daniel Grace F’05 who talked about his career as a GP, being a virtual doctor supporting practices in Africa, and his experiences as an expedition medic; Charlie Parker C’14 gave an honest account of his experiences as a vet (with some grisly photographic evidence); and adventurer and entrepreneur Neil Laughton C’82, who was also able to talk about his time in the Special Forces.

Further talks came from Tom Taverner R’07 on neuro physiotherapy and robotics, who brought an exoskeleton

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along with him for students to try. Sports media executive Max Barnett G’02 talked about his diverse journey since leaving Worth and Hugo Sutton on his career in the Armed Forces. Niall Quinn R’18, who took a degree apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce after leaving Worth, discussed this increasingly popular option for Further Education.

Completing the two-day programme Head of Sixth Form, Mr Matthew Doggett F’07, gave a UCAS talk and Pia Middleton StM’21 talked about teaching English to monks in Nepal thanks to the Global Action Award she was awarded by Worth Society.

The event was part of Worth School’s programme to support all Sixth Form students preparing for life after School, be that university/apprenticeship applications or general careers advice. We are hugely grateful to all those who came to take part.

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

The Old Place

Farewell from Matron

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ell, this is it! I’m finally hanging up the keys to Gervase House and calling it a day after a wonderful 24 years at Worth, and wanted to reach out to all my Gervase students to say a final farewell via The Blue Paper. From the moment I walked into Reception for my first interview at Worth School I felt I had ‘come home’. The staff were so welcoming and I was amazed that people always took the time to say “good morning and how are you?”, even to such a new and relatively lowly recruit to the Worth family. From the Abbot to the Head Master, everyone was so hospitable, something I quickly learnt was one of the core Benedictine values; a value I hope I’ve in turn been able to foster and encourage in my students over the years.

I remember saying to Abbot Mark, the then Gervase Housemaster, how much I appreciated him giving me the chance to serve as Gervase House Matron, and that when he offered me the role I felt I’d won the lottery! I can honestly say that as I reflect on what has come to pass, I still feel the same way 24 years later. I sometimes can’t believe how lucky I have been to work in this close-knit community in the most glorious of surroundings, and to have had such a wonderful and fulfilling role.

As all connected with Worth know, the routine of school rolls seamlessly from lesson to lesson, from term to term, academic year to academic year but within that are a million little stories to be told and anything and everything can happen on a daily basis. No two days are ever the same for a Matron which keeps one fresh and constantly evolving, forever learning new tricks and solutions to student life’s little problems. And by little problems I mean everything from sewing on a button to the School being cut off by heavy snow and the local sheep getting loose and wandering round the grounds! I have been everything from seamstress to farm hand.

So, what have I learnt… well I have learnt so so much and most of it from ‘the boys’… key life skills such as how to work my new-fangled iPhone or get through my office window having shut myself out of my newly ‘Salto’ locked office! It has probably helped my shared affinity with the boys that I understand there will be times when

we don’t always hit the gold standard expected of us, particularly recalling my own school days at an all-girls school in leafy Surrey when I famously managed to acquire the most demerits ever handed out by the Head!

It also helped that my sense of humour has always been slightly juvenile and that I often found the antics of the boys hilarious. Being able to laugh at work each day has been a gift and has certainly caused the last 24 years to pass in the blink of an eye.

I have so many wonderful memories of ‘my boys’ over those years, and I want to pay tribute to them. Their strength of character, their uniqueness in being a Worth Boy, their compassion and friendship towards each other and others in the wider community. I have, I think, been Matron to over 1,000 boys, and I love reading The Blue Paper to see how their lives have evolved and flourished in so many different and sometimes unexpected ways.

I have had boys in Gervase from as far afield as Japan to North America; from Sri Lanka, Europe and Singapore to Sweden; and locally, some from just 2 miles up the road. Many still keep in contact, but this article gives me the opportunity to say goodbye to them all. I have been so proud to have been a small part of your lives and will always cherish the time I spent with you all.

I have always thought that my role as Matron is a bridge between the academic side of school and home (wherever that may be). A Matron is a bit like a Swiss Army knife, we have lots of tools, or should I say skills, ready to deploy to meet any and every eventuality, but in truth I couldn’t do my job without the wonderful support of my fellow workers; the House staff from my Assistant Matron, Maxine, and our domestic staff to our Boarding Tutors and Deputies to the Housemasters (Abbot Mark, Andrew Taylor, Giles Watson and Alick Macleod). Thank you all for putting up with me, and for allowing me to be part of your journeys too. I would like to finish by saying that it is the students and staff that make a House a home and as the saying goes “team work makes the dream work”, it is certainly true of Worth School and how I look back on my time here.

Janine Forbes-Kiely - Gervase Matron 1999-2023

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WELCOME

–

WISDOM

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WORSHIP

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WORKING IN SERVICE FOR OTHERS

Worth Abbey Pilgrims

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orth Abbey Pilgrims is now in its third year and building a strong network of supporters who are keen to keep in contact with news from Worth Abbey and be included in a range of activities and events that now take place here at Worth. The Pilgrims Steering Group is made up of representatives from all sections of the Worth Community, with the strong support of Worth Society and the School, with the aim of giving a very warm welcome in the Benedictine tradition of hospitality to all our existing, as well as new, friends.

In November 2022 we hosted a wonderful evening with Abbot Christopher Jamison, which saw many old and new faces coming to hear him talk about his latest book Finding the Language of Grace: Rediscovering Transcendence. The close of 2022 saw all sections of the Worth community, including alumni, return to join us for a beautiful Advent carol service in the Abbey Church. Many also joined us on Easter Sunday when, following Mass, we put on a range of activities for all ages. This included a contemplative resurrection walk to the Quiet Garden and another to view the best sights of the Worth Estate. Children took part in the Easter egg hunt, whilst their parents enjoyed coffee and Italian Easter cake.

In early November we organised a new event, a Remembrance Evening in the Abbey Church, with a Mass for all Souls for which we had gathered names of loved ones to be remembered. This was followed by Vespers, a light supper, and the evening was completed by a performance of Fauré’s Requiem by the Worth School Choir.

We are discussing several plans for events next year, including a Pilgrimage centred around the Abbey Church and the Worth Estate - look out for further information on our newly launched website: www.worthabbeypilgrims.com. We would love to see many alumni, their parents, families and friends coming back to join us. The Worth Abbey Choir, who meet to rehearse on a Saturday once a month, would also love to see former Worthian choristers return to sing when they can.

For further information, please email edean@worth.org.uk All good wishes Abbot Mark Barrett

In June we hosted ‘An Afternoon with St Benedict’, a fantastic opportunity to gain further insight into the prayer lives of our resident Benedictine community through talks, walks and prayer sessions, as well as Benediction featuring music by Worth's Abbey Choir.

We also took part in the High Weald Walking Festival in September with a series of walks that attracted many people who had never visited before.

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University Destinations 2023 Student

University

Course

Student

University

Course

Daniel Aghedo-Jacob

Imperial

Chemical Engineering

Beatrice Kellock Ryle

St Mary's Twickenham

Primary Education with QTS

Corrado Ambrogi

Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan

Economics & Management

Roman Kostromin

SOAS London

Business, Management, Economics & Law

Emma Bauli

Regent's London

Business & Management

Helena Liddington*

Exeter

Philosophy & Politics

Charlotte Beattie

Exeter

Politics & International Relations

Max Lochmann

Nottingham Trent

Civil Engineering

Pierluigi Bertazzoni

Newcastle

Architecture & Urban Planning

Maximilian Löwenheim

Maastricht

Economics

Amity Blowey

Newcastle

Contemporary & Popular Music

Vladimir Lung

University of Sussex

Politics & International Relations

Marta Bogdanenko

Royal Holloway

Biomedical Sciences

Max Manzi

Lancaster

English Literature & History

Frederic Bosshard

Durham

PPE

Chloe Marquet

Rollins, Florida

Liberal Arts

Charles Brookes

Plymouth

History

Elliott Martin-Drew

Cardiff

Biological Sciences

Alyssia Brown

Plymouth

Ocean Science & Marine Conservation

Peter McBrien

Newcastle

Ancient History

Megan Mcloughlin

Loughborough

Architecture

Holly Burton

Newcastle

Sport & Exercise Science

Rio Midha

West London

Gabriel Cairns Thomas

Durham

Natural Sciences

International Business Management

Alexander O'Hara

Westminster

Business Management

Christian Cairns Thomas Loughborough

Applied Sports Science

David Cassidy-Garcia

Salford

Computer Science

Finian Clarke

York

PPE

Holly Cooper*

Surrey

Veterinary Medicine and Science

Sebastian Critchlow*

Lancaster

PPE

Letizia Crotti

City London

Economics

Alexander Da Gama-Rose Exeter

Philosophy & Modern Languages

Astrid de la Seigliere

Institut Catholique de Paris

Law & Political Sciences

Hugo De Vito

Nottingham Trent

Sport & Exercise Science

Denis Delblond

York

Psychology in Education

Charlie Duckworth

Portsmouth

Counter Terrorism, Intelligence & Cybercrime

Ryan Elsayed

UMCH Hamburg

Medicine

Madeleine Flint

Aberystwyth

Veterinary Biosciences

Szymon Florek

Cambridge

Economics

William Francis*

Oxford Brookes

International Relations/ Sociology

Margueritte O'Maoileoin Lancaster

History

Ines Oliver Villagordo

Fundacion San Pablo CEU Madrid

Marketing & Digital Media

Carla Denisa Oprean

King's London

History

Friedrich Orlopp

City, London

Finance

Anuoluwapo Otto

Leicester

Biological Sciences

Maria Paixao

Regent's London

Business & Marketing

Tommaso Pappini

ESCP Business School

Management

James Peacock

Sussex

Business, Management & Economics

Chloe Perversi

Manchester

Children's Nursing

Charlotte Piraino

Brighton & Sussex Medical School

Medicine

Lorcan Rice

Leicester

Biological Sciences

Oliver Constantin Riess

King's London

Economics & Management

Ethan Ruprai

Sheffield Hallam

Financial Trading & Investment Management

Tomoya Shiina

Oxford

Chemistry

Karan Sidhu

Sussex

Biomedical Science

Kate Sinclair*

Durham

Business & Management

Sienna Stilon de Piro

University of the Arts London Fashion PR & Communication

Nana Suzuki

Royal Holloway

Financial & Business Economics

Frederick GeradaAzzopardi

York

Biology

Alice Grant*

Loughborough

History & International Relations

Edward Hall Bleackley

Southampton

Aeronautics & Astronautics

Edward Harcombe

St George's London

Physiotherapy

Chi Wai Tang

Essex

Occupational Therapy

Esme Christina Hedges*

Kent

Accounting & Finance

Sung Lam Tong

Bristol

Lucas Heine

Karlsruher Institute of Technology

Chemistry

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Carlos Leon Tortorici

City London

Law

Hannah Higginson

Loughborough

Politics & International Relations

Akanimo Udofia

Reading

Politics and International Relations

Jack Hulford-Funnell*

Lancaster

Business Management

James Underwood

Oxford Brookes

Foundation in Business

Efosa Idiaghe

Durham

Business & Management

Grace Wormull

Exeter

Politics

Hugh Irven*

De Montfort

Marketing

Chun Hung Yam

Imperial

Chemical Engineering

Jasper Jakob

Maastricht

Economics

Rebecca Zammit Pace

St Andrews

Theo Jouas-Yosano

Edinburgh

History & Economics

Comparative Literature & Modern History

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*2022 Leaver. Based on information available at time of going to press.

Worth Society Life

Life and Times of Worthians

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EDUCATION WITH

HEART & SOUL

Ages 11 to 18 – Boys & Girls – Day & Boarding Two stops from Clapham Junction – Individual tours available

www.worthschool.org.uk