Old Edwardians (King Edward's School Bath)

KES tErm datES

in THiS iSSuE…2 PrESidEnt’S wElcOmE

3 nEwS

4 KES KEnyA 2009

5 cHAirmAn’S lEttEr

6 mAKing fAntASy A rEAlity Jonathan green

8 wOrKing At wAddESdOn mAnOr rachel boak

10 HEAdmAStEr’S ViEw

11 OE SHOOting tEAm daniel trenchard

12 frOm nOrtH rOAd tO tHE nOrtHErn iSlES david indge

14 lAnd’S End tO JOHn O’ grOAtS John Ennor

16 Old EdwArdiAn nEwS

18 bAcK tO my rOOtS tom bowles

20 A yEAr in SwitZErlAnd briony martin

21 PEdAlling All tHE wAy Sam williams

22 mOngOl rAlly Peter ludlow

24 rEd cArPEt trEAtmEnt tom bowles

25 trEASurEr’S rEPOrt mErcHAndiSE

26 in mEmOriAm

28 futurE EVEntS And nOticES

FROM nORTH ROAD TO THE nORTHERn iSLES

0CTOBER 2009

MAkinG FAnTASY A REALiTY

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Current members of the Committee

President Professor Francis Ring 1947-1954

Chairman Paul Higgs 1990-2000

treasurer Peter Horton 1942-1949

Rachel Allen 1987-1989

Tom Boyce 1987-1997

Michael Darcy 1992-2002

Naomi Isherwood 1998-2000

Tom Isherwood 1993-2002

Michael Kenwood former staff

Mike Prosser 1938-1948

Andy Ridyard 1979-1986

Jo Stoaling 1994-1997

Brian Wilmot 1938-1945

sChool liaison rePresentative

Geoff Staley former staff

Governors’ rePresentative

John Isherwood 1966-1973

seCretary

Claire Davies current staff

honorary members

The Headmaster

Head Boy

Head Girl

honorary viCe Presidents

Pat Buckingham former chair of Governors

Laurie Coombs former mayor of bath

General Sir Jack Deverell 1953-1963

Peter Horton 1942-1949

John Isherwood former President

Michael Kenwood former staff

John Pearson former President

Mike Prosser 1938-1948

Professor Chris Rapley 1955-1966

Trevor Rhymes 1936-1944

Crispin Rowe former headmaster

Bob Russett 1966-1971

District Judge Rutherford former chair of Governors

Peter Sheppard former President

Geoff Staley former staff

Tim Sylvester 1954-1965

Brian Wilmot 1938-1945

Dennis Whittaker 1932-1939

Adwoa Winter former secretary

Dr John Wroughton former headmaster

exeCutive Committee struCtureThe Association of Old Edwardians is formally managed by the Executive Committee which consists of members who have been elected by those present at the Annual General Meeting. The committee is actively seeking to recruit new members. If you are interested, please get in touch using the contact details on the back page.

President’s WelcomeI am delighted to have been given the opportunity to serve as President of the Association of Old Edwardians. My time at King Edward’s was back in the days when the Preparatory School was in Belmont, Lansdown, and the Main School in Broad Street.

Among the significant events of that time was the arrival of a new fourth form master, Bill Currie, who brought a lively and enthusiastic teaching style that woke up our rather grey post-war days!

Today’s King Edward’s School is a wonderful example of up-to-date facilities and vibrant, modern buildings that must provide an invaluable start in life for the pupils. My last year at King Edward’s in 1952 saw the purchase of Bathampton sports field, the first glimmer of light in the School’s modernisation.

Since that time I, like so many others, have maintained my links with King Edward’s through the Old Edwardians’ Association. In recent years it has been good to meet many of my contemporaries at the Forties and Fifties Brigade Reunion organised

by Geoff Hughes, to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude. Again this year we spent a pleasant afternoon on a Kennet and Avon Canal cruise after meeting for lunch at the School.

In June committee member, Tom Isherwood, and I represented the OE’s at the School Leaver’s Day. It was good to meet not only those who were leaving the School, but also many of the parents. At the close of the summer term we met in Bath Abbey

for the annual Founder’s Day Service. Here I heard, for the first time in my 60 year plus experience of the School, the actual words of the King Edward VI Charter read aloud to the 1,000 strong congregation by the out-going Head Girl, Hannah Williams and Head Boy, James Wright, followed by the thanksgiving prayers and the School prayer. During that service the excellent Senior Choir sang three anthems that filled the Abbey. After the service we were able to enjoy the good weather during drinks and lunch at the Junior School.

As we now live in the age of communication, it should be easier to renew contacts with the School, whatever your vintage! It is especially helpful now that we have our own website, OEs Online, where you can trace others from your year, enter your own email address, and re-establish contact. I have been delighted to hear from two former school friends, despite the gap of over 50 years. Please do take the opportunity to link up in this way we very much want to hear from you!

Furthermore, as you read this in the OE Link, may I add my thanks to Claire Davies, who produces this high quality magazine for us. She would like to hear from more OEs; you do not have to appear in print if you do not wish to.

Could I also remind everyone that, as well as arranging reunions and events that provide opportunities to meet in or outside Bath, the Association gives practical support to activities and provides equipment for the School. This

year we funded the purchase of two new medical dummies for first aid training and in the coming year we hope to provide safety handrails on some steep and unprotected stone steps outside Nethersole.

We recognise that the majority of Old Edwardians leave the Bath area after their time at the School, but do keep in touch; it is an encouragement to staff and can often be the means of renewed friendships.

Francis RingOLD EDWARDIAN 1947-1954

�The Old Edwardians’ Association 2009

New benches for Bathampton Five new solid wood benches were formally unveiled at the Bathampton Playing Fields on 7th July 2008. This was a project initiated by Lang Jones and completed by the Old Edwardians’ Association as a special tribute to Lang. Each bench has a plaque with a special inscription, several dedicated to the man himself.

Representatives from the five groups who generously sponsored the benches – the OE Committee, OE Rugby Club, Fathers’ Committee, Former Parents’ Association and Sue Jones – met for lunch with Headmaster Crispin Rowe to formally ‘open’ the new benches. As envisaged by Lang, the new benches provide a wonderful place for parents, Old Edwardians and visitors to relax and enjoy watching sport at Bathampton.

The eighth lecture in the annual lecture series sponsored by former Headmaster, John Wroughton, was given in March this year by international mountaineer Stephen Venables.In 1988 Stephen became the first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen. His talk, Higher than the Eagle Soars, was illustrated with stunning pictures and covered some of his many travels, ranging from early alpine adventures to great classics like the North Face of the Eiger and overseas expeditions to Afghanistan, the Mountains of the Moon, the mighty Karakoram and culminated in his epic ascent of Everest.

The lecture was a fantastic success, being inspirational for young and old alike, and also raised £2,000 for the school’s Bursary Funds.

Stephen is the author of twelve books – all available at good bookshops – and the latest, First Ascent, is published by Cassell Illustrated.

Leaving Gift for Crispin RoweActing President Geoff Hughes presents Headmaster Crispin Rowe with a special leaving gift in June 2008, on behalf of the OE Association – a watercolour of Nethersole painted by committee member, Brian Wilmot.

“ I had the best job in the best school

in the world.” LANG JONES

Wroughton Lecture 2009

OEs Online

OEs Online – the new website for the exclusive use of OEs and former staff – was launched in December 2008. This secure facility enables members to check their own contact details and update personal profiles as well as adding relevant social and business information with the option to include links to websites. OEs can also search for old friends, advertise events and find out about more goings-on in the OE calendar.

If you didn’t receive an introductory letter it means that we do not have your current address! To find out more and to receive your user ID and password, contact the Development Office on 01225 820357 or email [email protected].

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Through fundraising events held across the Pre-Prep, Junior and Senior Schools, the whole KES community raised over £36,000 in the academic year 2008-2009. This was used to build two science laboratories, a library and a computer room and to create two bore holes at Wagwer School in Kenya. KES is now officially linked with Wagwer School through a link funded by the UK Department for International Development. Another trip is planned for summer 2010 for 32 students and six staff. During this trip, the students will build a kitchen and equip it with log burning cookers – at the moment school lunch is prepared over a log fire in a mud hut. The target for this year is £15,000. Donations are very welcome and can be made at: www.justgiving.com/keskenya10.

On 10th July 2009, after a whole year of fundraising and anticipation, 32 students and seven members of staff gathered in the KES sports hall, along with a huge pile of shoes, textbooks and microscopes, all ready to travel the 6,800 kilometres to Nairobi. Despite the undeniable excitement, nobody was quite sure what to expect, but after two and a half unforgettable weeks, all expectations had been comfortably surpassed.

The first few days of the trip were spent in the capital, Nairobi, home to the Kibera slum, a community of 1.2 million people living in just 2.5 square kilometres. Although the extreme poverty and appalling living conditions which we often see on television were starkly apparent, visiting the slums was as much an uplifting experience as a shocking one. The sense of community was incredibly strong, and for a large part of the visit we were followed by smiling children, desperate to try out the little English they knew.

Besides the slums, we also visited a new primary school

built by Moving Mountains, an orphanage of tiny baby

elephants and a sanctuary where you could kiss a giraffe!

The main part of the trip (ten days in total) was spent at Wagwer School in rural western Kenya, during which we camped at the school itself, along with 32 of the 200 Kenyan students. We spent the majority of the ten days in groups of 16 (eight English students and eight Kenyans), and although conversation was tentative to begin with, by the end of our stay we knew the Kenyans well. It was amazing how, despite coming from totally different backgrounds (different languages, cultures, ways

of life), we still had a lot in common and found plenty to talk about. We could all relate to music and sports and conversation ranged from differences in weather to contrasting levels of political corruption. The Kenyan students felt passionately that their generation were going to solve corruption. In the future, we hope to stay in touch with our new found friends.

One thing that struck many people in the group was the sheer determination and ambition of the Kenyan students. Most of them wanted to be doctors, engineers or lawyers, often purely because they were ‘good jobs’. Not only were they impressively driven, they were also much more conscientious than most of us. Some pupils would wake up at three o’clock every morning so that they could finish their homework before walking for two hours to school. It made us all realise how we take the privilege of a good education for granted.

Whilst staying at the school, we took part in a number of activities with the Kenyans. These ranged from a trip to Kisumu and a boat trip on Lake Victoria (many Kenyans had never been on a boat), to teaching a lesson to the primary school children, to visiting Barack Obama’s grandmother, who lived nearby. In addition, we worked on the construction of two science laboratories, a library and a computer room. The library will be completed during August and September 2009 using the money we raised during the year. (Wagwer hopes to get mains electricity during the next 12 months.)

The final part of the trip was spent in Nakuru where we went on safari for a couple of days. This was naturally very different to the ten days at the school but was a great way to finish the trip. We spent the first day in Nakuru national park where we saw all sorts of fantastic animals, and the second in Hell’s Gate national park, where we were taken on a walk through a massive canyon with some breathtaking views.

All in all, the trip had everything we could have hoped for – as well as being eye-opening and at times difficult, it was fulfilling, uplifting and a really enjoyable experience. But above all it was inspirational and, for everyone who went, it was less a single trip and more an introduction which has spurred us all on to do similar things in the future. Massive thanks to Mr. Wright, Mr. Bolderow, Miss Kayacan and Miss Stevens as well as Mrs. Crouch, Mr. Evans and Emily Holt for all their hard work.

Joe IlesYEAR 12 PuPIL

KES KEnyA 2009

Digging foundations


Welcome to the 2009 edition of the OE Link! As this is my first year as Chairman of the Old Edwardians’ Committee I ought to introduce myself. I left KES in the year 2000 after a full 11-year stint and went on to study veterinary medicine at Cambridge. In 2006, immediately after graduating, I found myself back in the Bath

area working as a vet in Frome. Being back in Bath has allowed me to take on the position of Chairman and get involved with the future of the Association of Old Edwardians.

KES has always been a thriving force of proactivity and this year is no different. We now have Martin Boden at the helm and much to be proud of with the best-ever set of A-level results: 100% of students achieved a pass and 91% of these were As or Bs. KES has always been a fabulous place to learn but, as all of us know, it has also always offered a vast array of opportunities for students to broaden their experiences of the world. This year, as Old Edwardians we can be rightly proud of one of our colleagues, Dan Wright (1997 leaver), now back at KES teaching physics. With the charity Moving Mountains, Dan enabled KES to forge a new relationship with Wagwer School in Kenya. Through multiple well-organised fundraising events the school community raised over £36,000 for Wagwer and in the summer of 2009 Dan took 32 KES pupils there to help build the new facilities the money was helping to pay for! You can read a pupil’s experience of the visit on the opposite page. On behalf of the Association I would like to congratulate Dan on his continued endeavours for the School.

In view of the economic climate, 2009 has been an understandably quiet year in terms of events for the Old Edwardians’ Association. The London Dinner was held on 11 September instead of its original date in January and, despite reduced numbers, it was an extremely enjoyable evening with the Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street Hotel providing an excellent venue with a great menu. The London Dinner is traditionally the busiest and most energetic of the Association’s annual Dinners and we are keen to ensure that we can continue to host it every year. We are looking for a fabulous venue for next year and ask all Old Edwardians, of any generation, to help us find somewhere which will encourage a healthy turnout and allow us to maintain a competitive ticket price. Many venues in London require a member to ‘host’ the evening and we have been very fortunate in the past in being able to hold Dinners at the House of Commons and the RAF Club. If you have any suggestions, please contact Claire Davies on 01225 820357 or email [email protected]. We really do want to hear from you!

Unlike previous generations we are not seeing a large number of OEs returning to the Bath area, at least not until they are older. This means that as an association we need to rethink how we go about getting in touch with our peers and other generations to encourage social events and communication. The Old Edwardians’ Association, of which all OEs are members, is a fantastic working network of people and the opportunities for forging new contacts and strengthening old ones must not be lost in the mists of time. We need your help to modernise this network so that it can develop with us and continue to provide the resource that it was originally designed to do. Thanks to the continual hard work of our wonderful Secretary, Claire Davies, we now have an online network through which we hope to be able to bolster our contacts list. It is accessible through www.kesbath.com under OEs Online; if you haven’t been supplied with a password please contact Claire using the above contact details.

As part of our endeavours to encourage the younger OEs to maintain contact, the Association will have a number of firsts this year. To celebrate over ten years of organising Ten Tors for the School by Tim Laney, a reunion took place in September on Dartmoor for a weekend’s reminiscing, walking and beer. You can read later on in the magazine about the trouble we got into. Thanks go to Sam Lascelles for his organisational efforts. There will also be an “Eighties” reunion for the 1988/89 leavers on 24th October – hopefully not too much actual Eighties wear will be flaunted! If you are interested in setting up a reunion please contact Claire for help.

Finally we are also starting up a new event which will become another OE tradition. On 27 December there will be a recent leavers’ reunion at the Royal Oak in Widcombe. There will be a buffet put on by the Association. Although this is predominantly for the 2009 leavers, all young OEs are very welcome! We envisage that we will arrange a venue every year, always on 27 December; it will be advertised in this magazine and on the website so keep your eyes peeled. The next generation of OEs is always the most important; if you have any other ideas for suitable events please do contact us.

All that is left is for me to wish you all a safe and profitable 2010 and I look forward to seeing many of you at forthcoming events.

Paul HiggsOLD EDWARDIAN 1990-2000

CHAIRMAN’S LETTER

OEs Ralph Ashman and Brian Wilmot meet in June 2009 for the first time since leaving KES in the 1940s.

Friends Reunited

new travel diary Will Baxter (1998 leaver) has written a travel book – Around the World in 80 Handbags – about his experiences travelling in India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and North America. The book is priced at £12.49 plus post and packing and is available from www.80handbags.com and from ebay.

“A great read. Makes me want to go travelling again.” Ashley Hollebone, the Daily Telegraph

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a writer. Aged six, I was putting together little books. A few years later I was writing and drawing my own comics. By the time I attended King Edward’s Senior School, I was writing all sorts of short stories and role-playing game rip-offs. But it was the Fighting Fantasy series of gamebooks by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone that changed my life.

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When I first encountered The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in a Bath bookshop, I was instantly hooked. I loved the concept of a gamebook – a novel in which you, the reader, were the hero and which was as much a puzzle to be solved as it was a fantastic story – and Russ Nicholson’s awesome illustrations brought a magical fantasy world to vivid life for this particular 11-year-old boy. More Fighting Fantasy books followed and I collected them with something approaching religious devotion. Although I was ultimately distracted by other things, I never completely lost my interest in the FF series.

At King Edward’s, John Chambers’ English lessons, in which I remember having to write everything from short descriptive pieces to play scripts, and O Level English creative writing exercises, only served to inspire me further, while Tim Snowdon’s encouragement as a form teacher also played its part.

Making fantasy a reality

The opportunity to undertake a creative writing course even influenced my choice of university, although, in the end, the course was cancelled just before I arrived at Warwick.

However, I was now training to become a primary school teacher, accepted wisdom being that you couldn’t make a living as a writer. Even when I was commissioned to write my first Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Spellbreaker, whilst still at university – the most rewarding holiday job I ever had – the general consensus of opinion was still that writing would never pay the bills; at best, it could only ever be a paying hobby.

But it was a hobby I was passionate about and I never stopped writing, even when the Fighting Fantasy work dried up (only for ten years or so, as it turned out). I started writing on a freelance basis for hobby games company Games Workshop, writing pieces of colour text – short, atmospheric extracts that appeared within the rulebooks produced to accompany the games of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 – and later, articles for their White Dwarf magazine.

Radio 5 Live with Danny Wallace and Dom Joly


That led to me being in the right place at the right time when Games Workshop’s publishing imprint, the Black Library, was set up. I began by contributing short stories and later comic strips to their various publications, before finally writing my first novel, The Dead and the Damned, in 2002.

As I am writing this, I am actually halfway through my tenth novel – entitled Evolution Expects – although this one is for a steampunk science fiction series of my own devising which goes by the name of Pax Britannia (published by Abaddon Books, an imprint set up by the current owners of classic British anthology comic 2000AD).

Having spent 11 years teaching in London, the last four of those as Deputy Head of a West London prep school (including a stint as Acting Head), in July 2007 I took the first step on the road to becoming a full-time freelance writer. Forsaking a regular wage, paid holidays and all the other benefits one comes to take for granted, I became a part-time class teacher before giving up a career in education altogether in the summer of 2008.

I have been writing and, more importantly, getting paid for it for nearly 17 years now. In that time, as well as fantasy and science fiction novels and a number of gamebooks, I have written for such intellectual properties as Sonic the Hedgehog and Doctor Who. I have also written a number of non-fiction books. The most recent of these have been Match Wits with the Kids (a revision guide for parents and, ironically, the first educational book I have written, having given up teaching to write it) and What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas. This last book led to me ‘appearing’ on Radio 5 Live on Christmas Day alongside Dom Joly and Danny Wallace.

The advice I would give any aspiring author, after that of getting your head checked first, is to read, write, read some more, write some more... ad infinitum. A writer writes. It’s no good simply talking about wanting to be a writer; if you’re going to do it, just get on with it. There is, after all, no such

thing as an unpublished author, whatever some people might have you believe.

Certain members of my family used to wonder whether I would ever ‘grow out of’ the fantasy genre. Well, I’m now a 37-year-old married father of two and, with my sixth Fighting Fantasy adventure Stormslayer (which is also my 24th book) published this September, I think we can safely assume that it’s not going to be any time soon.

Jonathan Green old edwardian 1983-1990

To read more about what I’m up to on the writing front at the moment, log onto my blog at www.JonathanGreenAuthor.blogspot.com. To read more about the steampunk world of Pax Britannia, set your Babbage Engine’s ether-relay to www.PaxBritannia.blogspot.com.

Jon with his children

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I have worked for the National Trust at Waddesdon Manor for nearly five years, having come from the Museum of Costume in Bath, following degrees in English Literature and Museum Studies.

I was a sixth former at KES between 1996 and 1998, studying for A Levels in English Literature, History and Music. Working in museums interested me early on and, while still at school, I did work experience and voluntary work at the Museum of Costume and Holburne Museum. After KES, I studied for a degree in English Language and Literature at Worcester College, Oxford, accompanied by more voluntary work at the Ashmolean Museum. This was followed by an MA in Museum Studies by distance

learning from the University of Leicester.

My first job, as Documentation Assistant at the Museum of Costume, grew out of

voluntary work. I started at Waddesdon in 2004 as Assistant Curator (Steward), combining documentation with the practicalities of looking after the collection, and was promoted to Curator in 2007. I am part of a team of ten, with roles ranging from administration and creating exhibitions, to running the photographic library.

Waddesdon is a combination of historic house and museum, with changing exhibitions, as well as a unique set of 19th century interiors. As a curator, I am involved in the care, documentation and exhibition of a collection of predominantly 18th century French decorative arts.

Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, was built and furnished in the 1870s and 1880s by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839-98) from the Viennese branch of the banking family, who settled in the Vale of Aylesbury. As collectors, the Rothschilds favoured treasures from pre-revolutionary France and recreated interiors in this style in their

Working at Waddesdon Manor

town and country houses. Ferdinand mixed 18th century French panelling, furniture, porcelain and textiles with 18th century English portraits by Gainsborough and Reynolds and 17th century Dutch paintings by artists including Cuyp, Wouwerman and Teniers.

Having survived two world wars, and because of the lack of an heir to the estate, Waddesdon was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1957 by James de Rothschild (1878-1957). It has been open to the public since 1959 and is run by one of the Rothschild Family Trusts, chaired by the current Lord Rothschild.

Boy building a house of cards by Jean-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779), 1735. Oil on canvas, 76 x 99 cm. Waddesdon, The Rothschild Collection (The National Trust). Photo: Mike Fear © The National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor, south front Photo: Hugh Palmer © The National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

Rachel dressed for sculpture cleaning


Working at Waddesdon Manor

My work revolves around Waddesdon’s cycle of open and closed seasons. Annual open season tasks include inventory checks of everything on display and in store, condition checking and cleaning the garden statuary, cataloguing the costume and textiles, and leading tours and study days on the collection.

From the end of October each year the house is closed, although part of it reopens for Christmas, and decorating trees is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. The winter, from November to March, is the busiest part of my year, with the ‘putting to bed’ of the house for its annual deep clean and the preparation of exhibitions for the next season. Even the garden statues are covered to protect against frost. The winter closed period is when any large scale conservation work is carried out, such as the recent cleaning and restoration of the ceiling painting in the Red Drawing Room, one of Waddesdon’s most important interiors.

My work also gives me opportunities to attend conferences at other museums and historic houses, and to travel as a courier, accompanying objects to loan exhibitions. Since Waddesdon’s collection is on a par with the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, objects are continually requested as loans. In return, we borrow objects from other museums, including two pairs of 17th century gloves lent by the Fashion Museum in Bath to Waddesdon’s 2008 exhibition on shopping in 17th and 18th century Paris. At the moment we have on loan a Gainsborough portrait from the Holburne Museum, while the building is being refurbished.

The collection at Waddesdon is still growing. The most recent acquisitions have been some important French paintings: a state portrait of Louis XVI by Antoine-François Callet (1782), a ball and a concert celebrating Giovanni Paolo Panini’s depiction (circa 1751) of the birth of the Dauphin’s son, Boy building a

house of cards by Jean-Siméon Chardin (1735), and a portrait of the Duc de Choiseul by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard (1786). There is also some contemporary sculpture in the grounds, the most recent addition being a life-size bronze statue of a shire horse and cart by Sarah Lucas called Perceval (2006).

Waddesdon does not stand still and is constantly developing access to and research into the collection. Working here is never dull. There cannot be many jobs where I could be showing a visiting scholar around the house in the morning and up a stepladder decorating a Christmas tree in the afternoon!

This year Waddesdon’s special exhibitions are focusing on the Rothschild passion for horseracing, and drawings and porcelain collected by Baron Edmond de Rothschild (1845-1934). There is also plenty to see in the gardens and in the area around the Stables, where there is a new shop and a children’s play area. The website address is www.waddesdon.org.uk and the drive is only two hours from Bath. Please do come and visit.

Rachel Boak OLD EDWARDIAN 1996-1998

Conservation of the Red Drawing Room ceiling

Perceval by Sarah Lucas (b. 1962), 2006. Bronze and concrete. Waddesdon, The Rothschild Collection (The National Trust). Photo: Mike Fear © The National Trust, Waddesdon Manor

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Before I launch into the many highlights of the past year, I would like to say that it has been a genuine pleasure to meet so many Old Edwardians of all ages at the Dinners held by the Association of Old Edwardians, the Forties and Fifties Brigade Reunion and at School events such as the Careers Convention, the Wroughton Lecture and our annual Carol and Founder’s Day Services. To those who haven’t been back to visit the School yet, I would like to extend a very warm and open invitation to come back and see us.

During the Autumn Term, the School was inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate and emerged with flying colours, receiving one of the best Inspection Reports anywhere in the country during 2008. The word ‘outstanding’ was used to describe the achievements of pupils and colleagues in every category in which these were judged, and the School received ringing endorsements not only of the academic success for which it is rightly renowned, but also of the quality of pastoral care and social, moral and spiritual development of pupils which lie equally at the heart of education at King Edward’s. Another aspect highlighted by the Inspectors as outstanding was the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available to the boys and girls across sport, music, drama, art, outdoor pursuits, CCF, clubs, societies and trips. Here are just some of the highlights of the last year:

In sport: we remain the top rugby school at senior level in Bath for the seventh year running, were 3rd in the National Netball Championship, 3rd in the National Biathlon Championship and won team and individual first place in pistol shooting at the National Schools Championship at Bisley.

Headmaster’s view

In music: the School won the Best Senior Orchestra accolade at the Mid-Somerset Festival and there are over 360 pupils across the Junior and Senior Schools taking instrumental music lessons, not to mention a very accomplished staff band!

In drama: 85 Lower School pupils performed in The Arabian Nights and just before Christmas we enjoyed a Senior School Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which would not, in the judgement of everyone who saw it, have been out of place on any professional stage.

In art: nine of this year’s leavers are going on to study Art/Design/Architecture courses at university, including at the prestigious Courtauld Institute, and earlier in the summer the School played host to a fantastic Art and Photography Exhibition, sponsored by local firm Monahans, showcasing work by pupils and colleagues and appreciated by hundreds of visitors.

We continue to perform each year with great success in Ten Tors, yomping 35, 45, even 55 miles across Dartmoor. We also have an expanding Duke of Edinburgh programme, which now sees around 35 pupils taking Bronze award and 15 the highly coveted and prestigious Gold award.

Our Combined Cadet Force is one of the oldest CCFs in the country and enjoys a high-profile link with a group of fine young cadets from Beechen Cliff School. This year the corps is nearly 100 strong.

As for clubs and societies – where to start? There are over 60 listed in the School Calendar, from Aeolian and Amnesty to Young Life Savers and Young Magicians Club. One of our increasingly popular societies is the Astronomical Society. Last year two groups visited the home of Sir Patrick Moore, who has since become the Society’s Patron. They had lunch with him, presented him with a chess board specially adapted for Sir Patrick’s arthritic hands by our own DT Department, played chess with him and had a guided tour of the observatory where The Sky at Night is filmed. Shortly after the second visit, I received a letter from Sir Patrick, “Dear Headmaster, two groups of your pupils have now been brought to my observatory. It is a real pleasure to have them: impeccable dress, faultless manners, speaking the Queen’s English, intelligent and good company. What a grand job you and your staff are doing. If all teenagers were like yours, I would have no qualms about the future of our country.” High praise indeed!

They say that time flies when you’re having fun. And when you’re very, very busy. Presumably, when the two sets of circumstances coincide, it fairly races by, which would explain why I can scarcely believe that it is a year since I became Headmaster.

11The Old Edwardians’ Association 2009

It gives me great pleasure to write this piece as an update to Major Brigitte Yeshim’s article in the July 2008 issue. Those of you who read the article will be aware of the huge progress made by both the school cadet force and the shooting teams over the past few years. This year has been no exception, with both organisations still growing in size and success.

King Edward’s School has been represented in county, national and international shooting events for the past four years by its own Combined Cadet Force. Those of us who have been part of shooting at KES since its rebirth in 2006 wished very much to continue the sport once we had left the Sixth Form and gone on to gap years and university.

We decided to form an Old Edwardians shooting team and enter the ‘Schools Veterans’ competition which forms part of the annual Imperial Meeting at the National Shooting Centre, Bisley Camp in Surrey. The meeting lasts for three weeks and involves shooters from hundreds of countries competing in the world’s premier shooting event.

Having shot in the meeting’s cadet competitions in previous years we were no strangers to Bisley and, after completing a two-day ‘shake out’ course at Warminster military ranges (to make sure we still knew which end of the rifle was which), we were ready for Bisley schools week.

The team consisted of me as captain and three other shooters – 2Lt Charles Randle, 2Lt Sebastian Vass and 2Lt Nashua Mashhor – all of us recent school leavers. The team was coached by WO2 David Lee who has been instrumental in the rebirth of shooting at KES since his arrival in 2006. During the competition week we practised alongside our cadets as they competed in their own competitions against over 50 teams, including those from Epsom and Clifton Colleges, The Oratory and Dollar Academy as well as teams from Canada and Australia.

After three days of practice for both the cadet and the OE teams the competition day, known as Ashburton Day, approached. The morning and afternoon saw our cadets shoot at 300, 500 and 600 yards in teams of four, achieving a very respectable fourth place overall. The four members of the cadet air pistol team achieved a place each in the top 10 individual scores and a first place in the team event.

Much to our surprise, our very young OE team was faced with over 60 veteran teams made up of shooters with extensive experience. These included Old Epsomians, Old Marlburians and Old Wellingburians veteran teams. We achieved a hard fought 45th place overall with a score of 208.8v out of a possible 250.10v.

The end of the shooting did not signal the end of the day however. It is now tradition every year at Bisley for all the teams to take part in the ‘Bisley Ball’. This is a semi-formal dinner with the odd toast and speech here and there to round up the year of shooting and celebrate the success of all the different teams.

The formation of the first Old Edwardians’ shooting team was a resounding success. We have created a foundation for pupils who will be leaving the School with international shooting experience behind them. We hope that it will also give those Old Edwardians who have shooting experience, or who used to be part of the Combined Cadet Force, a chance to come back and use their skills in many different shooting disciplines.

We hope that next year the veterans’ competition at Bisley will be one of many events in the team’s calendar and that it will provide a fitting end to a busy and successful shooting year.

2Lt Daniel Trenchard Old Edwardian 2001-2008

Old Edwardian Shooting Team

Above from left to right: Daniel Trenchard, Sebastian Vass, WO2 David Lee, Charles Randle and Nashua Mashhor

Hundreds of pupils have also taken part in dozens of trips over the last 12 months. The following are just the trips that took place over the Easter holidays: Classics trip to Naples, Geography trip to Iceland, French trip to Paris, German exchange to Braunschweig, Spanish exchange to Pamplona, History trip to Berlin, Art trip to Barcelona, Cricket tour to Antigua and in the UK, CCF camp and the Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition to the Peak District. And if that wasn’t enough, in the summer there was a rugby tour to Canada and our inaugural trip to visit our link school in Kenya.

You’ll notice that I haven’t mentioned academic results yet. My point is a simple one: while this aspect of School life is a hugely important part of what King Edward’s is about, what King Edward’s is about is of course much more. It is still a great pleasure to be able to report that this year the School enjoyed its second best ever GCSE results – 74% of all entries were graded A* or A. At A Level the results were our best ever by some way: 91% of all entries were at A or B grade, with well over 60% at the higher level, ranking King Edward’s amongst the top 50 independent schools in the country and the top school of its type in the South West of England. I said to the pupils in an assembly recently that it is important not to be too proud – and certainly not boastful – about one’s achievements, but the School can certainly take great pride in this fantastic success, and great pleasure in its rude academic health.

Do keep in touch and I look forward to meeting many more of you in the coming year.

With best wishes

Martin BodenHEadmastEr

12

From North Road to the Northern Isles

On the Hebridean Princess with John Wroughton in 2008


Having been to the Park Prep School in Weston, I passed the entrance exam to King Edward’s and made my way there in 1967.

Enjoyable memories come flooding back – the social side of army camps at Penhale and Culty Braggan with haircuts at the last minute to be allowed to go; the ski trip to Norway led by John Wroughton, on a ferry that hit a force ten. (Had I not been with hardier boy sailors I might have been put off the sea for life!)

Achievements for winning house colours in Symonds as part of the successful music competition and hockey team go hand in hand with the sad reminder of exam results. My lack of success in the O Levels was not down to the teaching or even the revision (which I genuinely did) but simply to the fact that they asked the wrong questions!

I would like to say that KES gave me confidence

and a good grounding for the future, based on the

knowledge I did retain from the map of the world

drawn on the board by Lang Jones and the Latin

phrases uttered by Mr Willett as he came into class.

The CCF with Colonel Currie and Sergeant Major

Dodge also helped to instil discipline for the future.

After this time my father asked me what I would like to do as a career – since studying was clearly not to be. I had no idea. My father then asked me what I enjoyed doing most. I quickly answered: “Going on holiday!” I must thank him for that question and his suggestion that the hotel industry would be my best suited direction (which it still is after 34 years). I had two enjoyable years at Weston-Super-Mare Technical College where I met a student who had gone to work on ships. This inspired me to apply to several shipping companies to experience travel whilst working as a steward and I was accepted by P&O.

After two years on the Canberra, I was transferred to Princess Cruises where in 1979 I met my wife on board the Sun Princess (the ‘Love Boat’!) When we married in 1982 (and had our daughter Liz a few years later), I left deep sea cruises and worked on the P&O ferries across the Channel and the Bay of Biscay. Then, in 2005, came the opportunity

to work with Hebridean International Cruises. Working on the Hebridean Princess around the Western Isles of Scotland and on the Hebridean Spirit as far as India and South Africa brought back memories of the Canberra world cruises.

Having moved up the ranks over the years, it

was a fantastic experience to work on a small

cruise ship as food and beverage manager. Within

two months of joining, I was informed that the

Queen had chartered the ship to celebrate her

80th birthday in July 2006. This is a memory I will

never forget. If only my father were alive today

to hear me say, “I still enjoy going on holiday but

never thought it would be with the Queen”!

It is coming up to two years since I was promoted to chief purser and I have met some very interesting people from all walks of life, including teachers. What a small world it is that one of our on-board guides has a sister who lives in Bath just below the school in North Road. Not only did she have a son who went to KES, but her husband has proof-read several of John Wroughton’s books.

The KES link culminated in an extraordinary

case of déjà vu one month after I crossed over to

Bergen to cruise the fjords on board the Hebridean

Princess. Last summer, forty years after that

stormy crossing to Norway on the school ski trip,

I found that I was again sailing with my old History

teacher, none other than John Wroughton!

David Indge

Old Edwardian 1967-1974

From North Road to the Northern Isles

KES school photo from 1968

Land’s End

St Austell

Okehampton

Taunton

Bath

Upton-upon-Severn

Much Wenlock

Buxton

Bretton Hall

York

Barnard Castle

Hexham

Hawick

Edinburgh

Crieff

Kingussie

Inverness

Helmsdale

John O’ Groats

14

Over a period I undertook longer and longer distances, culminating in successful completion of the Salisbury One Hundred ride in 1991. This entailed a start in Salisbury, going north to Devizes and Bradford-on-Avon and then climbing Brassknocker Hill to Combe Down, and returning to Salisbury via Midford and Warminster, a total of 100 miles in one day.

Then, in 2001, when I retired I decided that I needed a greater challenge. The ride from Land’s End to John O’ Groats seemed to fit the bill but there were two major problems. The first was to be fit enough to complete the course and the second was the logistical problem of where to stay each night and how to carry the necessary luggage without too much effort. In the end I joined an organised camping trip where luggage was carried from stop to stop and breakfasts and evening meals would be provided at each site. Lunches were taken in the inevitable pubs and cafes along the way. The organisers also provided tents, which they would put up each day for the weary cyclists, and a bicycle mechanic to follow the riders in case of breakdowns.

Training took the form of regular cycle rides in the months preceding the trip, gradually building up the mileage to the necessary 60 or 70 miles per day. I found it fairly easy to cope with this sort of distance in one day but was warned that it would be much more difficult to keep this up every day for three weeks.

Land’s End to John O’ Groats – “Because it’s there”

The ride took place in July and early August 2001 and on the appointed day I and some 40 others arrived at the camp site at Sennen near Land’s End nervously wondering just what we had let ourselves in for. The group were a very mixed bunch ranging in age from the youngest in their late twenties to the oldest, a gentleman in his seventies – no, not me! The first evening was spent enjoying the first of many excellent meals prepared in the catering van which was to accompany us, and on introductions to the organisers who would be supporting us along the way. Then an early night to prepare for the hard work ahead.

The following morning the sun was shining and we all cycled the couple of miles to a very misty Land’s End for the necessary group photographs before starting off in twos and threes as we were ready. It turned out to be a beautiful Cornish summer’s day as we rode through Penzance and on to our overnight stop in St Austell after riding almost 60 miles. We were all pleased to be on the way and had great hopes that the weather was going to be kind to us.

Our hopes were dashed the following morning when we woke to a fine drizzle with overcast skies but fortunately it dried up as the day wore on. This was to be a much harder day as we headed for Okehampton, crossing Bodmin Moor on the way and negotiating the steep slopes of the Cornish hills and valleys. Late in the afternoon we arrived at Okehampton Rugby Club ground, our overnight stop after 67 miles. We now realised that many of our stops were to be at rugby club and school grounds where there were communal

showers which were sorely needed at the end of each day. At Okehampton there was only one set of showers so the ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ had to take it in turns to use them!

The next day again started off wet for our journey to Taunton but we were much relieved to reach the flat lands of Somerset after the hills of Cornwall and Devon. Then on to Bath, crossing the obstacle of the Mendip Hills on the way. Bath was to be our first rest day and I resisted the temptation to return home for the night to sleep in a comfortable bed having only just become accustomed to sleeping under canvas. Our camp was set up on the rugby pitch on the Recreation Ground and we were treated to the calls of the hundreds of seagulls that arrived before first light to disturb our sleep.

Over the next days we travelled to Upton on Severn, Much Wenlock and into Derbyshire to Buxton and over the southern Pennines. It was on the morning we were to leave Buxton that the conditions I had most feared occurred – we awoke to torrential rain beating down on the tents and had to get up and out and set off in the rain. However, once we had been cycling for half an hour or so, the little matter of getting thoroughly wet did not seem to matter any more! The only consolation was that this was one of the shortest days at 45 miles.

The plain around York was a short-lived relief after the Pennine Hills but we soon came to the high hills of the Durham Moors between Barnard Castle and Hexham. The Scottish border was crossed in the Kielder Forest Park, once again in heavy rain.

Never a great one for participating in sports whilst at King Edward’s – I seemed to expend a great deal of effort in trying to avoid games – I surprised myself in later life by taking up running. I managed to complete the Bath Half Marathon several times and later, when the knees could no longer take the pounding, I took up cycling.

Land’s End

St Austell

Okehampton

Taunton

Bath

Upton-upon-Severn

Much Wenlock

Buxton

Bretton Hall

York

Barnard Castle

Hexham

Hawick

Edinburgh

Crieff

Kingussie

Inverness

Helmsdale

John O’ Groats


By the time we reached Edinburgh for our second rest day we had cycled for nine days continuously and for thirteen altogether, but we all seemed to be coping well and quickly getting fitter. Also there were ‘only’ five more days to go to John O’ Groats.

One of the hilliest days was on the journey from Crieff passing through Kenmore, Tummel Bridge and thence joining the A9 over Drumocter summit at over 1500 feet to Kingussie. From here on we were treated to long, slow climbs and then fast downhill runs before the next climb on our way from Inverness up the east coast of Scotland to the relatively flat country from Helmsdale to John O’ Groats.

There were great celebrations as the group trickled into John O’ Groats at the end of the ride, continuing into the night in the village pub.

Only three of the original group of 41 failed to make it: unfortunately one person became saddle sore and could not ride, one person was knocked off his bicycle by a car emerging from a junction near Buxton and dislocated a shoulder and had to withdraw, and the last fell on a gravel cycle track near the A9 only three days from the end and decided not to continue.

Bearing in mind that the ride took place in July and August, we had only two days with no rain at all with everything from a light drizzle to torrential rain on several occasions. The lasting impression I have though is not of the weather but the varying scenery from the coast of Cornwall to the hills of the Pennines and the Scottish mountains and the views across the Pentland Firth to Orkney. Also we managed to cycle the length of Great Britain without using main roads and therefore without seeing traffic jams and large towns during the nearly three weeks it took us to ride some 1100 miles.

I have been asked by many people who would not contemplate such a foolhardy plan why I would want to undertake such a ride and the answer I usually give is “Because it’s there”.

John Ennor

Old Edwardian 1948-1960

16

News from Old Edwardians

1940sLauriE COOmbS, 1944

Was presented with the MBE by Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle earlier this year for voluntary service to the community of Bath.

A member of Bath City Council for 30 years, Laurie was Mayor of the City 1982-83. He was Governor at KES from 1986 to 2001 and is a Life President of the Old Edwardians’ Association.

He has served as a trustee or chairman of a wide range of local and regional charities and voluntary associations including St John’s Hospital, Age Concern and Knightstone Housing Association. His particular interest has been education, particularly the independent and church sectors. This was recognised in 2004 by the Rt Rev Peter Brice, Bishop of Bath and Wells, when he presented Laurie with an award for his services to christianity in the diocese.

1950sDErEk TigwELL, 1954

Derek pictured on the left, who lives in Australia, receiving his Rotarian of the Year award.

1970smark HODgES, 1970It is with great pride that I look back at my years at King Edward’s, in particular the time spent playing rugby, hockey and cricket for the school’s first teams.

I have been living in Durban, South Africa since 1980 when I took up a managerial post with Nedbank Limited. In 1986 I left and started my own business which, with hard work and some good fortune, has developed over the last 20 years into one of the largest clothing wholesalers in South Africa.

In March 2010 – exactly 40 years since I was KES Hockey Captain under Peter Gayton – my 17-year-old son Alex will embark on a hockey tour with Clifton College, Durban which includes a Hockey Tournament at King Edward’s. We think this is a coincidence of note and I look forward to seeing some old friends when we come over for the tour.

If any Old Edwardians are thinking of making a trip to South Africa, my wife and I will be very happy to accommodate you at our guesthouse (which can offer golf, game parks and barbecues in abundance. Email: [email protected]

marTin JOHnSOn, 1977Martin married Ann on 2nd January 2009. OE Rob Prosser was best man.

1980sJOHn HEmingway, 1985

BBC Radio studio manager John Hemingway (far left) with production staff and the Prime Minster, Gordon Brown, who was interviewed by presenter Jeremy Vine (seated) on his lunchtime Radio 2 show in November 2008.

SimOn kiTSOn, 1985

In July 2009, Simon, who works as the Director of Research at the University of London Institute in Paris, appeared in an episode of the genealogical BBC1 television series Who Do You Think You Are? The programme was devoted to Big Brother presenter Davina McCall and Simon told the story of her great grandfather, Celestin Hennion, who was head of the French police.


STuarT wiLLiamS, 1986I am currently Deputy Managing Director & Marketing Director for Sony Pictures in the UK. My work covers the marketing of our film releases in cinemas, including the advertising and media, promotions, publicity and premieres and events. Recently I have worked on the release of the last James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, which included organising a royal premiere in aid of Help for Heroes and the British Legion that was attended by Prince William and Prince Harry. This year I have worked on film campaigns for the release of the follow-up to the The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, plus the next instalment of the Terminator franchise, Terminator Salvation, and a movie based on the life of Brian Clough starring Michael Sheen, The Damned United. Future releases include 2012 in November, which is a spectacular disaster movie directed by Roland Emmerich based on the Mayan prophecies of the end of the world.

1990sian FEaSEy, 1997

Ian Feasey, a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy, was married in May to Caroline, a fellow naval officer, at St Mary’s Church in Claverton near Bath. The sun shone and a number of KES friends were there to share the day with them. Ian is currently in a Command appointment on HMS Severn, one of the Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessels, conducting patrols around the UK waters in support of customs, fishery protection

and security agencies. Over the last few years the Navy has kept Ian away from UK shores with deployments in the Middle and Far East, preventing his attendance at OE functions, but with an appointment ashore planned in 2010 he hopes to have more time to catch up with old school friends and finish renovating his house.

DaviD OSbOrnE, 1998 LEavEr

Is working in Bangladesh for the UK Government’s Department for International Development. One of his projects involves working with the political parties to help them better represent themselves through programmes such as Bangladesh versions of Question Time and Panorama. In his spare time, he is doing his best to introduce Bangladeshis to rugby.

PHiL CaSS, 1999 anD CHriS DixOn, 2001

Both are Army captains and delighted to have met up on the military frontline in Afghanistan. They are among 120 soldiers at Patrol Base Woqab, near the previously Taliban-held town of Musa Qal’eh in northern Helmand. Chris is the operations officer of B Company, 2nd Fusiliers Regiment responsible for its overall running and management. Phil is a member of 19 Regiment Royal Artillery and has been attached to the Fusiliers for a six-month tour of Afghanistan. He is responsible for coordinating all the artillery, mortars and air cover which support the infantry troops from B Company on the ground. Chris said, “We knew each other at school because, even though Phil was two years above me, I am best friends with his younger brother, Dave (also an OE and a captain serving in Afghanistan). It is good to have a friendly face that you have a past with. It is something that we have in common and something different that we can talk about.”

2000sED PHiPPEn, 2004Was awarded a First Class Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton in 2008.

rOry maCQuEEn, 2004

Rory MacQueen left KES in 2004 to move to the United States. He attended the Lawrenceville Prep School and graduated as Valedictorian of his class in May 2008. He is now studying at Stanford University and plans to major in Economics and Philosophy. He remembers his time at KES with affection and credits the School for his sound academic base and discipline.

SEb vaSS, SaraH mCgrigOr, TOm POOLEy, JOn buCkLEy, guy vErnOn, 2008 LEavErS

This image is a scene from their play, Forgive Me Father. The play envisages how the Second Coming of Christ would affect the modern world and was developed during their drama classes at KES. Having impressed the judges from Bath Spa University during a showcase of school drama talent, they went on to take the play to the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe.

18

Back to my roots

19the old Edwardians’ association 2009

I come from a farming family, with my dad and two uncles all involved in food production in different ways. all three of them are also old Edwardians. Dad (rich) left in 1975 and my uncles, steve and Geoff, left in 1974 and 1977 respectively. From school, they all went to agricultural college before setting up their farms.

When I left school in 2003 I was presented with a completely different set of opportunities from the previous generation and decided to take the obligatory gap year before going on to cardiff University to study Economics. It was over these four years that I discovered my interest in food. to start with, it was mostly tasting, but this soon grew to cover other aspects such as the production, preparation, cooking and serving of food.

With a degree behind me but little in the way of money or a clue of what to do next, reality kicked in after graduation when a career decision had be made. many things came together at the same time. the family farm was going through changing times and, having produced for supermarkets for 20 years, we were looking for a more varied and sustainable farming system. I had been involved in our farm since I was old enough to be put to work (in farming terms that’s just about when you can walk!) but now I wanted to help to shape its future and keep it a ‘working farm’. to do this we had to change our system and keep in control of our own production. I persuaded my parents to allow me to join the business and open a farm shop and café to market all of our family produce, including that of both my uncles.

That was the easy bit!

In august 2008, apparently the worst time to set up a business in the last 30 years, we opened our farm shop in one of our vacant barns. We deliberately set out to ‘walk before we could run’, to try and gauge our market and also to manage our demand. there is only so much planning, predicting and forecasting you can do when starting up a new business (I did try to use all the theory passed on by mr Heywood and mr Vile!), but until the doors are open you have no idea what’s around the corner.

as I write, we are planning our first birthday celebrations after a great first year. We have forged excellent relationships with other farmers, producers and suppliers and are

proud to offer the very best quality local produce along with our own. our local community have given us terrific support and with this we have been able to make investments and establish our shop to a level not previously imagined within our first year. our guiding principle is to listen and to react to customer feedback so that Hartley Farm becomes something for the community. this is one big advantage we have had over the multiples and other large food retailers. I have had some great support, not only from my family, but also from friends including a lot of oEs. I managed to rope in Ed Norris, an oE friend, to help start up and manage our butchery and regular customers include roger and carole rowe, Jill ross, andrew thomas, his son steve and their family, Dorothy George and her family and Barry Heywood, to name but a few!

the big focus now is where next? our first priority, of course, is to continue to grow and evolve in the right way. many other retailers have been a victim of their own success and lost sight of their original motives. We have made great strides in establishing our shop and café and making Hartley Farm a recognisable food name and I am passionate about keeping our name synonymous with good quality, local food whilst also unique to other specialist food shops. We have received website funding for an online shop to deliver our produce further afield in the future. another ambition is to add value to more of our produce in our kitchen and to increase the range of ready-prepared products made in our farm kitchen.

all in all, it has been a hard but rewarding 18 months with a very steep learning curve. We know now that with retail there is little in the way of day-to-day trends and warning signs, but the key is not to lose focus of where you want to be. With the tremendous support we have had, especially from a few old Edwardians, we are more and more confident of making a future for our farm and most importantly, a sustainable future.

Tom BowlesOld Edwardian 1992-2003

www.hartley-farm.co.uk

Not so long ago I was congratulating myself on having eluded the clutches of farming. However, this last 18 months have taken a turn in the opposite direction!

Ed Norris

20

I wish I had done French a Level at kEs because it would have been a great help when we arrived in switzerland one year ago with our three small boys and the only words we had were “merci” and “bonjour”. switzerland has four official languages – French, swiss German, Italian and the mountain dialect, rumantsch – and our year has been spent in the French-speaking region of Vaud on the beautiful northern shore of Lake Geneva. on a clear day the mountains at the eastern end of the lake frame the towns of Vevey and montreux like a majestic white cloak, each peak hinting at the alps rolling away behind. But to our five-year-old and seven-year-old “mountains are for Mummy”. the only question in their minds is , “What is there for kids?”.

First up for all of us has been a crash course in French. Not in school or with a tutor but in the boulangeries and magasins of Blonay, the sprawling swiss village 2000 feet up the mountain where we have made our temporary home. the boys missed a term of school when we first arrived here and so they were my shadows and helpers as I toured the local villages, sampled the various coffee shops and reeled at the wonderful quality but horrendous prices of swiss food. and they have been quick to pick up the lovely politeness of swiss-French street conversation, addressing everyone as ‘madame’ or ‘monsieur’ accompanied

by a winning smile. my early attempts at chat were more earnest and much more embarrassing, but then it’s harder work as a grown-up, not only because you have been used to talking in a certain way for years but also because expectations are higher.

at first there seemed to be endless ways I could feel my own foreignness. there were the shopkeepers who listened patiently and then replied in English, the tradespeople who corrected each and every word I said before I’d even finished, and the checkout lady who tutted and rolled her eyes as I tried to ask a question. But these were all outweighed by the vast majority of lovely people who smiled and made a real effort to understand. this isn’t just a swiss phenomenon. Incredulity in the face of someone’s inability to make themselves understood is global, and no doubt we Brits are some of the worst offenders. When we come back to England this summer I’ll never again undervalue someone’s poor English. Now I know what it’s like to be saying in my head a complicated and interesting sentence about how long we’ve lived here and what we think of it, and yet all people hear is an overdose of the present tense along the lines of “one year we live here, we like”!

Despite the language barrier we have found being foreigners strangely seductive. If you clearly don’t belong then you always have the option of detaching and retreating

into onlooker mode. Being an outsider has enabled me to value what’s great here – the clean air, the feeling of safety and security, and the fierce independence of the swiss – and also to see more clearly what it is I love about the Uk. Despite the credit crunch, falling house prices and economic doom and gloom, England, for me, is home. It’s where I belong. Just as my swiss neighbours have been nurtured and formed by the mountains and the alpine pastures, so the flatter, gentler countryside of Wiltshire has nurtured me.

Unlike our neighbours here, we have been floating on the surface of switzerland, dipping in to make fondue or drink the local ‘fendant’ wine, but never really belonging. It must be very different to move abroad permanently, through work or a relationship, and to know that ultimately the language and cultural barriers must be overcome. that is someone else’s article to write and no doubt many old Edwardians have lived it. For us, our swiss interlude is drawing to a close. We will return with improved French and a lifetime’s worth of admiration for swiss cakes, and we’ll never forget the soul-lifting sight of the mountains that you get here on every street corner. But we’re going to be ready to say “merci” and come home.

Briony MartinOld Edwardian 1987-1989

a yEar IN sWItzErLaND Briony Martin, her husband Peter, and their sons, Max (7), Ben (5) and Jack (2), moved to Switzerland last year for a work project. They returned to the UK in July 2009.

Our house in Blonay (in the foreground)

Briony sledging with sons Jack and Ben at the local ski slope


In 2008, I rowed a 23-foot boat across the Atlantic by myself. Of all the questions people used to ask me, one came up again and again: “Why?” Thankfully, there was a very simple answer. I was raising money for a project set up by FARM-Africa, a charity that supports rural communities in eastern Africa. After a while, I made the decision to visit Mwingi in Kenya in order to find out, first-hand, what it was all about. Everyone agreed that that seemed a very sensible idea.

Then I got on my bicycle.The 109 days that followed my rather unsteady departure from London on 29th March this year took me everywhere from the ambassadorial residence in Jordan to a ditch by the side of the Danube (at which time I was hiding from a gang of drunk Hungarians). I was surprised on more than one occasion: I certainly never expected the Sudanese to be the friendliest people I’ve ever met, nor that a Turkish petrol station would prove to be the perfect campsite. But the 6,000-mile journey was incidental to the real point of the trip: the Kenya Dairy Goat and Capacity Building Project in Mwingi.

FARM-Africa works with the poorest households in the areas in which it operates. I spent quite a bit of time with a man called Macdonald Munuve. Soon after he turned 20 both of his parents died, leaving him to provide for and raise five siblings and cousins. Not helped by the fact that the family’s only livestock had been sold in order to pay the hospital bills, Macdonald’s only option was to take whatever casual labour he could find, earning less than £1 a day.

Much is made in Britain of the sacrifices needed to send your child to a good school. Macdonald faced a similar problem; the only way to pay the school fees for his cousin, a promising student, was for the whole family to fast for three days, eat for one, then fast for another three days.

In 2009, Sam Williams cycled from England to Kenya, a distance of nearly 6,000 miles across three continents and 17 countries. It took a total of 109 days to reach his destination – FARM-Africa’s Kenya Dairy Goat and Capacity Building Project in Mwingi.

Pedalling all the way

When FARM-Africa arrived, he was selected by the local community to become one of the beneficiaries. Having been given suitable training, he was loaned two goats by the project. Once settled in their newly built houses,

these were sent to be bred with a Toggenburg buck, a dairy goat breed from Britain. Having repaid the initial loan with the first two kids, Macdonald continued with the project. He now has 14 goats, worth over £1,000, whose milk and offspring provide a source of both nutrition and income to his family, including his new-born baby. His cousin is entering his final-year at university.

But the most important thing about FARM-Africa’s work is the intelligent way in which it is designed. With the running of the project being taken over by the Kitui Mwingi Dairy Goat Breeders’ Association, a community-run, financially self-sufficient organisation, the benefits will continue to be felt long after FARM-Africa leaves.

Rowing the Atlantic was probably a crazy idea. Getting on a bike to cycle to Kenya was undoubtedly a crazy idea. Thankfully it turns out that, sometimes, crazy ideas can turn out to be the best ideas, and worth every ounce of effort that goes into them.

But please don’t ask me to do it again!

Sam WilliamsOld Edwardian 1994-2002

Sam has raised nearly 25,000 for FARM-Africa. To read more about his journey to Kenya visit www.pedallingalltheway.com

a yEar IN sWItzErLaND Sam arriving in Mwingi with an escort

Mongol Rally

It is a four-week, 15,000km, 20-country dash to the distant city of Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, which starts in Hyde Park, London. The entry criterion was that the car in which you were to be travelling had to have an engine capacity of one litre or less. That was it. Having made the somewhat rash decision to sign up (without really thinking it through) we had to decide which of the charities nominated by the organisers we were going to raise money for.

It was a difficult decision because each of the charities was doing very important work in its field but eventually we chose Hope and Homes for Children and The Christina Noble Foundation’s Mongolian branch. Hope and Homes for Children operates in Eastern Europe working with governments to close down unsanitary and desolate Soviet-era state orphanages in which children, who often are only separated from their families due to poverty, live in terrible conditions and are often left with physical and mental disabilities.

The charity re-homes the children with foster parents and where possible locates relatives for the children to live with. The Christina Noble Foundation cares for the orphans of Ulaanbaatar and surrounding areas by housing and educating them in a village of traditional Mongolian nomadic houses or ‘gers’ on the edge of the city, saving them from a dangerous life of begging and stealing on the streets and having to survive the freezing winter months by living in the city’s sewers.

With the charities chosen it was time to raise sponsorship and begin preparations; a garage owner and family friend of Olly had a VW Polo from 1990 that he was planning to sell on eBay for £50 but when he heard of our plans he donated the car to us and we named it ‘Gordon’ after the previous owner. We spent the majority of the two months before launch day adding lights and a roof rack (fashioned from a garden centre trolley), collecting spare parts and adding the odd artistic touches to Gordon’s paintwork whilst collecting

In late July 2008 I set off with my friends Oliver Wright and Ben Tilley (2007 leavers) on what was to be the greatest adventure of our lives so far. We had been travelling together before but had decided that for our next trip we wanted to do something that involved raising money for charity. The perfect opportunity arose when Olly showed us the website for something called ‘The Mongol Rally’.

22

Ben, Peter and Olly on arrival at Ulannbaatar

Mongol Rallysponsorship from friends, family and local businesses. Before we knew it it was time to leave and we found ourselves in Hyde Park with around 200 other woefully underpowered and underprepared teams buzzing with excitement. We had had a minor issue with Gordon as we arrived in London with the engine seeming to cut out and then struggling to start again but Ben later (and possibly correctly) put this down to my ‘incompetence’ behind the wheel!

We were off! The drive to Dover, ferry crossing and first couple of hundred kilometres seemed to pass in a blur of excitement; we were brought back to reality suddenly with the most challenging navigational situation we were to face in the entire journey – Brussels. Not only did the city’s road system seem designed to trap the unsuspecting driver forever but the streets were so crammed with people and bright lights that we concluded we must have had the misfortune of arriving on ‘Belgium Day’, a national holiday with magnificent street parties unrivalled throughout the known world (or so we liked to imagine).

As we continued on through Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and into Hungary we began to see more and more huge concrete buildings, reminders of the Soviet era and also of the bleak orphanages that Hope and Homes had made it its mission to close. In Bucharest, Romania we saw homeless children probably in their late teens begging for food and money in between taking deep sniffs of what looked like a powerful solvent. Sobered by these disturbing sights but also given drive by the fact that our journey was raising money to help these children, we continued on through Bulgaria and to Turkey, the gateway to Asia.

Apart from the budget-wreckingly expensive petrol, Turkey is a fantastic country to visit and we found the people very welcoming and we were serenaded with car horns as we drove down the motorway! We stopped in Istanbul briefly but just long enough for it to become the site of the, now infamous, ‘poosplosion’ story which, alas, is much better told in person...

We entered Georgia and experienced the worst road of the trip as we crossed a mountain, in a thunderstorm, in the middle of the night (a shortcut) and left the following day having suffered nothing worse than a broken radiator. We later learned that the Russians had invaded Georgia two days after we left but at the time had no idea. Azerbaijan was next and this was easily the most troublesome of all the countries we were to visit; in most of the countries beyond Turkey, officials asked for bribes but on the whole they would get bored if we refused and let us go. This did not apply in Azerbaijan as we found to our cost, spending seven hours impounded at the border because we refused to cough up $30.

Prior to setting off we had been slightly concerned about our next country, with visions of being mobbed in the street for being UK citizens. As it turned out this couldn’t have been further from the truth. The country was Iran and the very first thing we noticed was the friendliness of the woman at the border and the lack of a request for a bribe. It was the first of many good qualities of the country; we were struck by how surprised and even grateful the people seemed that we had come to visit their country, many of them having never met any Europeans or Americans before. We were overwhelmed with the generosity and hospitality that we were met with and had we accepted every offer of tea or a place to stay I have no doubt that we would still be there now! So it was with some regret that we had to leave and go to Turkmenistan. The border crossing was not without incident and we were impounded once more for 24 hours, having left at the wrong border and having had to re-enter Iran on expired visas. (A cursory interrogation and then cup of tea and chat about Tony Blair with the customs boss solved our problems.)

We passed through the spotless and gold-leafed, but strangely empty capital city of Ashgabat and then hit the scorchingly hot Karakum Desert where we experienced temperatures of up to 55°C. Uzbekistan brought fabulous ancient Islamic architecture and we had the strange experience of bumping into some German tourists in the city of Bukhara. Kazakhstan is a surprisingly vast country and it took us a full three days to cross it and it brought with it our first sighting of camels! After a brief dip into Russia (whose border guards did not like our Georgian passport stamps) we were finally at the Mongolian border.

Even the vastness of Kazakhstan hadn’t quite prepared us for the barren landscape of Mongolia. It’s a very high country and we were met with a view of rocky plains and hills stretching as far as the eye could see, interspersed with mirror-like lakes. Mongolia was tough on the cars. During a brief rest on the second day we discovered that our fuel tank had been punctured by a rock (not

for the first time) but this time it was slightly more exciting because the exhaust pipe had also been bent so that it was touching the tank and the leaking petrol was covering both of them. We attempted a repair but it was far from perfect and we drove the next few hours with the somewhat worrying thought of a fiery, explosive death in the Mongolian wilderness lurking in the back of our minds. We needn’t have worried. At next inspection the exhaust pipe was conspicuous in its absence and the fuel tank was dripping away risk-free.

We arrived in Ulaanbaatar after five days of Mongolia without having seen a single tree. Gordon was given to the organisers who donated all the cars to local services after repairing them and we passed two weeks camping about 10km outside the city (the money had run out!). On a day when I was attempting to secure visas from the Russian embassy for our journey home (this involved a few difficult moments as “Da” only seemed to be the answer to the first question the official asked) Ben and Olly visited the Christina Noble Foundation village and saw firsthand the great work being done there. The children were being taught not only to read and write Mongolian but also to read English using donated books.

With visas secured and time run out we said our fond farewells to the people we had met and to the adventure and began the voyage home...

Christina Noble Foundation: www.cncf.org

Hope and Homes for Children: www.hopeandhomes.org

Peter LudlowOld Edwardian 2000-2007

23the old Edwardians association 2009

Ben and Olly at Christina Noble Foundation village

With Iranian host Shahram and friend

24

A former Bath schoolboy is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman after landing a role in a major film.

tom Payne, who went to king Edward’s school, made a name for himself in Britain with parts in the BBc drama Waterloo Road and channel 4’s Skins. Now the 25-year-old’s work is being seen in cinemas across the world after he landed the role of Phil in the film Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, working alongside oscar winner Frances mcDormand and oscar-nominated amy adams.

He has just returned from the film’s premiere in New york. It’s a far cry from 10 years ago, when tom was treading the boards in the lead role in his annual school play. tom says his one-time drama teacher at the school played a key part in his development.

“I have very fond memories of my drama teacher, Sue Curtis, and the drama department at King Edward’s,” he says. “I first started acting in school plays from about the age of seven, when my teacher saw that I was quite loud and mouthy and decided to put me in the show. But it was Sue, at King Edward’s, who first moulded me, not only as an actor, but also as a person.”

tom left the school after completing his a Levels and won a place at the central school of speech and Drama in London. He graduated from the college three years ago. since then he has enjoyed success in West End plays and was named as one of Screen International magazine’s stars of tomorrow 2007.

His former drama teacher, who has just left king Edward’s after 20 years at the school, said tom’s talent stood out from the beginning. “Right from a very early age, Tom was absolutely determined that the only thing he wanted to be was an actor,” sue curtis recalls. “He was a central figure in performing arts at King Edward’s all through his time there.”

tom played ariel in a school production of shakespeare’s The Tempest and also took the lead role in a play, The Fool, written for the millennium. “He was a lovely performer. He was also a brilliant improviser and has got a very quick imagination,” says sue.

after the success of Miss Pettigrew, tom now hopes that his future lies in films. He says “Making the film was wonderful. I couldn’t have wished for a better calibre of actors to work with. I was surrounded by all these people I admire. I went over to America for the premiere in New York and also went to LA. It was completely crazy. I now have a manager and an agent and also had a chat with Tom Hanks and Morgan Freeman. At the moment I would just love to do more films.”

Article Copyright: thisisbath weekly, Bath News and Media

Tom PayneOld Edwardian 1990-2001

FootNotE

more recently, tom played famous footballer, George Best in the BBc2 Biopic: Best: His Mother’s Son.

actor tom GEts tHE rED carPEt trEatmENt

As George Best

As Phil in Miss Petigrew Lives for a Day


as the new treasurer of the association, I am pleased that in my first report I can confirm that the association’s finances are in good shape.

our accounting year runs to 31 august and at the end of 2007/8 we had a surplus of income over expenditure as against a deficit of £1,291 at the end of 2007. this improvement was attributable in the main to a useful profit on our social events and an increase in the subscription income, mainly from school leavers. as already reported, we have funded the purchase of two new solid wood benches at Bathampton and two new medical dummies for the school in addition to the annual contribution of £750 to the school’s Bursary Fund. We have also contributed to the fundraising efforts for kEs kenya, the old Edwardian shooting team and the school’s sports tour to canada. our contribution to the production of the OE Link magazine will rise this year, but the committee members consider it money well spent.

the country is in the middle of an economic downturn with many people finding life difficult. the association’s members are not immune from these pressures and this was reflected in the much lower numbers booking for our events this year. the cambridge Dinner was cancelled and the London Dinner, which was postponed from its January date to september 2009, suffered a loss in the region of £1,300. It will be vital for the association to increase attendance at our Dinners if we are to continue to host events such as these.

With careful management, we remain optimistic that the association can and will be able to continue to support the school and the wider old Edwardian family.

No report would be complete without a ‘thank you’ to the Finance committee for its support and guidance. also to claire and Nia, without whose input my job would be so much more challenging!

Peter HortonOld Edwardian 1942-1949

Report

HoNorary trEasUrEr’s

An order form can be downloaded from the ‘Old Edwardian’ section of the school website – www.kesbath.com

Alternatively, please send a cheque, made payable to the Association of Old Edwardians, to the Development Office, King Edward’s School, North Road, Bath BA2 6HU with a note listing the item you require and your name and postal address.

Merchandise

£14.00

£2.00

£3.50 +pp £1.75

£15.95 +pp £4.00

Medical prefects Sylvia and Bradley training with the new dummies

Hands-on trainingThe Old Edwardians’ Association has contributed £2,949 to enable the Medical Centre at KES to purchase some much-needed new medical dummies for lifesaving training across all three schools. The basic dummies the School had been using were useful and much loved but, at over ten years old, they were rather worn and no longer fit for purpose. The donation means that KES now has an adult-sized dummy and a junior version which are being used for first aid training for staff and pupils, the St John’s lifesavers club and for pupils participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Both models have an in-built traffic light feedback system, or ‘skill saver’, which provides a visual aid to show trainees when they are using them correctly.

School Nurse, Andrea Choules, says “The new dummies provide learning on different levels, not only practically, but also visually reinforcing good practice for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) – a life skill. They are a fun learning tool and the ‘skill saver’ means self-assessment can take place along with staff direction. This is an important part of developing pupil skills in a non-judgmental and safe learning environment.”

26

Trevor BrownAt KES 1939-1947

Passed away 15 December 2008

Colin Peter CandyAt KES 1929-1936

Passed away 9 June 2009

Timothy Denis CliffordAt KES 1961-1972

Passed away 7 August 2009

Robin HamblyAt KES 1942-1949

Passed away 31 August 2009

After leaving school Robin was articled to a well-known firm of Bath solicitors and qualified in 1954. He then joined the Army for National Service and upon commissioning served in Malaya with the Somerset Light Infantry. On completing his service he joined a firm of solicitors in Bristol before moving in 1958 to practise in Northampton. He retired as senior partner from his firm in 1995.

A keen sportsman at school, he subsequently played rugby for the Old Edwardians and then Bath RFC, before moving to Northampton. Much loved, he will be greatly missed by his wife, Joan, daughter Alison and son Simon, who is also a solicitor. A greatly respected man with a strong sense of humour and many friends.

John BrightOld EdwArdiAn 1940-1948

Ian WhiteAt KES 1940-1950

Passed away 16 January 2009

Ian was born in Bath and attended King Edward’s from the age of six. He enjoyed his school days and remembered that the School taught fair play, loyalty and great comradeship. He was encouraged to dig for victory by Miss Gardner and noted that Major Wally Lewis was a strict but fair disciplinarian who ‘did not spare the rod and spoil the child’.

After KES, he trained to be an air radar fitter where his time in the KES cadet force proved to be invaluable. He finished his training as Top Recruit and was presented with the A.O.C. He was then posted to RAF Upwood in Huntingdonshire and, although not flying, he was happy to be in a world of comradeship, discipline and aircraft. He joined the 148 Sqdn in Tengah in Singapore, operating against the Chinese support insurgency. A further overseas posting took him to RAF Luqua, Malta, where he spent 18 months with the 38 Sqdn. In 1958 he enrolled at the Radio College in Earl’s Court, London, to learn Morse. He spent 14 years working in Hong Kong. He married Carol in 1963 and they had two children, Anne and Stewart. In 1982 they moved to Cheltenham where he worked as a civil servant for GCHQ. 1986 saw the end of his marriage to Carol and his marriage to Alice Meek from Argentina.

In 1989 he was transferred to the Foreign Office and spent three and a half very happy years working for the British High Commission in Lusaka, Zambia. On retirement he and Alice ran the Chiawa Safari Camp on the Lower Zambezi for ten years. In 2002, after retiring for a second time, he and Alice travelled as much as possible to Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Egypt, France, Portugal, South Africa, the Baltic and many other lovely places.

Taken from memories compiled by Alice White.

In MemoriamSimon MannAt KES 1983-1990

Passed away 22 October 2008

During his time at King Edward’s School, Simon quickly emerged

as a multi-talented pupil and a thoroughly likeable young man. My own memories of him centre on four areas of his life at the School. First of all, he was an outstanding Head Prefect in his final year – one of the very best in my time at King Edward’s.

An imposing figure who was always immaculately turned out, he displayed real leadership qualities from the outset and was greatly respected by staff, pupils and colleagues alike. Setting for himself and others the highest standards, he was an inspiring example to younger boys, who responded to his enthusiasm and warm sense of humour. I very much enjoyed working closely with him during that year and appreciated his loyalty, dependability and honesty in all our discussions.

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that, by the time he was appointed Head Prefect, Simon had already thrown himself wholeheartedly into a wide range of School activities, contributing richly to the life of the community. A passionate rugby player, he distinguished himself as a member of our highly successful 1st XV in 1989 which (coached, it has to be said, by two England internationals) won 11 out of its 14 fixtures. He was equally committed to the Combined Cadet Force, rising to the rank of sergeant. It was almost inevitable, therefore, that he would be chosen as a member of the special Guard of Honour which welcomed the Princess Royal on her visit to the School in 1988 – the first-ever visit by a member of the royal family.

But Simon enjoyed far more than just the robust life of the rugby field and the parade ground. He was also a talented pianist. I well remember his fine performance in the concert staged at the Holburne of Menstrie Museum in 1989, featuring all our top instrumentalists. Having only just recovered from German measles, he played the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata with great sensitivity and expression. He was, in short, a most rounded personality, a delightful character to have around and an enormous credit to the School.

John WroughtonHEAdmAStEr, King EdwArd’S ScHOOl, 1982-1993


Jane PrestidgeStAff 26tH dEcEmbEr 1950 – 2nd July 2009

It is an honour to be able to say a few words today in memory of Jane on behalf of all her friends who got to know her, respect her, laugh with her and share her love of life during her time at King Edward’s. Jane started work at KES in March 1980 – a long time before quite a few of the colleagues who now work with us were actually born. Indeed, an association of nearly 30 years means that Jane must be one of the longest serving colleagues in recent memory. During that time, she saw service under six different Head’s, which just goes to prove the old sporting adage that form is temporary, but class is permanent.

Jane was certainly a classy lady in so many respects. Firstly, and quite obviously, in her appearance: always elegantly attired with perfectly manicured nails. She once nearly stole the show at a Founder’s Day Service when she wore a stunning navy blue hat to complement her equally elegant dress. Such was the impact of the hat that the then Chairman of Governors, Mark Rutherford commented on it in his Chairman’s end of year address, much to Jane’s mild embarrassment, but much greater private amusement. In case you are wondering, Jane bought the hat on a whim from – yes, you’ve guessed it – Marks and Spencer, so it’s not only recent profits for which M&S have Jane to thank!

Secondly, she was classy in her demeanour. She was always well balanced, poised, serene, even under pressure, but steely when it came to making a difficult decision. She was classy in her quick, mischievous wit, usually accompanied by an irreverent twinkle in the eye and a kindly, inclusive smile.

Jane was classy in her job. Or should that be ‘jobs’ given that she was, at different and occasionally the same times, Secretary and later PA to the Bursar or Head of Operations and Finance, as well as Resources Co-ordinator and Accounts Administrator responsible for Assisted Places and Bursaries. In this last capacity, it was Jane’s organisation, eye for detail, empathy and diplomacy which allowed her to navigate so successfully through what is a complex and mine-ridden process for the benefit of hundreds of current and former parents and pupils, many of whom will perhaps never appreciate the significant role that Jane, working behind the scenes, has had in their lives.

Jane was classy in her suffering – in her long-suffering battle against this dreadful disease. Classy and brave, right

unto the end. And still so kind and caring: always asking you about how you were, what you had been up to, how things were at home and showing a genuine interest in your welfare, rather than dwelling on her own circumstances.

Jane loved her job. She loved working with the colleagues who almost invariably became close friends, many of whom are here today to let it be known just how much they loved her, and just how lucky they feel to have had their lives touched by such a special lady.

Above all, Jane loved her family. She was so proud of Tom, of his academic success, his achievements in life, of the boy he was and the man he had become. As a recent parent myself, I now appreciate just how difficult it is not to talk constantly and effusively about your son, no matter how old he is, and I understand now how that will never change. Our thoughts and our prayers are with Tom, Tony and Jane’s parents.

Jane also loved having fun, and she loved life, which makes her passing all the more tragic and hard to bear. But it is not difficult to imagine Jane sitting amongst us today, poised, serene, elegant, perhaps wearing a Marks and Spencer’s hat that she had hastily bought for the occasion, smiling and calmly asserting that we needn’t be glum, that everything would be ok, that the love and friendship that brings us together today would see us through.

In recent years, we have rather carelessly employed too many people called Jane; Jane Rowell, the Bursar; Jane Howard, PA to the Bursar and Second Master; Jayne Gilbert, Head of the Pre-Prep; and the Head of Geography, Jane Knight, who also happens to be my wife. Sometimes, I have thought that there must be a workable shorthand or code to distinguish between the different Janes at the School. And in Jane’s case there was. She was Jane P, the one and only, the original, the loyal colleague and friend, for whose life it is an honour to give thanks today.

Martin BodenHEAdmAStEr

28

2009Autumn Term 3 September –

16 december

Half Term 22 October – 30 October

2010Spring Term 6 January – 26 march

Half Term 15 february – 19 february

Summer Term 19 April – 14 July

Half Term 31 may – 4 June

Please contact the Development Office to:• Arrange a visit to the School• book tickets for OE events• receive log-in details for OEs Online• contribute your news or write an

article for this magazine• find help in organising a reunion• find help in tracing old friends• Purchase merchandise• update your contact details

Twenty Year Reunion 1988 and 1989 Leavers

24 October 2009 7.30pm

Eastern Eye restaurant, bath

to book email: [email protected]

Old Edwardians’ Association Annual General Meeting

18 november 2009 7.30pm

board room, KES

Ladies’ Committee Christmas Fair

5 december 2009 10.00am – 2.30pm

Entrance £1 children free

rutherford Sports centre, KES

Senior School Carol Service

16 december 2009 7.30pm

bath Abbey

Pub Party For 2009 leavers and young OEs

27 december 2009 8.00pm

royal Oak, widcombe

Old Edwardians’ Oxbridge Dinner

22 January 2010 7.00pm

Pembroke college, Oxford

tickets £45 (£35 students) Price includes reception drink, three course meal and wine

booking deadline: 16 december 2009

Forties and Fifties Brigade Reunion

lunch and river cruise

12 June 2010 more details published in early 2010

KES tErm datES

diary of EvEntS

Contact: claire davies

Tel: 01225 820357

Email: [email protected]

By post: development Office King Edward’s School north road bath bA2 6Hu

OLD EDwARDiAn TEn TORS REuniOnin September 14 Old Edwardians, all veterans of the ten tors challenge, convened for a weekend reunion at a remote camping barn in darkest dartmoor. the party was joined by one current member of staff, tim laney and former staff member Zen rogers. indeed the reunion was nominally a celebration of tim’s successful management of ten years’ worth of ten tors teams. that’s a lot of miles!

friday night (early morning!) saw old relationships re-established over some beers and a few drams. this was a nice change for some, whose last visit to dartmoor would have been in the ten tors challenge where friday night was for carbo-loading, route planning and an early night!

Saturday morning brought excellent weather. the group took a leisurely- paced hike on to the moor, visiting old haunts and ticking off a few tors on the way. then it was

back to the camping barn for tea and cake before enjoying some well-earned beers. A full slap-up three course meal in the local pub rounded off a most enjoyable day.

A relaxed start to Sunday allowed OEs to enjoy their bacon butties sitting outside on another beautiful dartmoor morning. then it was off for a small hike north of Postbridge. come 3pm there was time for a quick farewell pint before the party split to head their respective ways.

Such was the positive feedback from the weekend, it was decided that an Old Edwardian Hiking weekend will be an annual fixture of the OEs’ calendar of events. the date for the next weekend will be 12-14 november 2010 and it will be open to any OE who got involved in the School’s outdoor expeditions and hiking trips.

Sam LascellesOld EdwArdiAn 1993-2000

KES Careers Conventionthe next careers and Higher Education convention will be held on thursday 11 march 2010 between 7.00 and 9.00pm. the evening is designed for year 11-13 pupils to help them identify education and training choices as they try to establish the career route most suited to their individual needs and talents. if any OEs are able to attend and offer advice about their profession or area of work, please contact daniel wright on 01225 464313 or email [email protected] and he will send further information.

London dinnerdon’t forget to email your venue ideas and suggestions for the london dinner to [email protected].

oE Cricket teamAfter a successful match this year, a group of recent leavers are keen to set up an annual Old Edwardian cricket fixture in July/August at the bathampton Playing fields. OEs of all vintages are welcome. if interested, please contact matt green (2008 leaver) via [email protected].

Bath old Edwardians’ rugby Union football Clubclub information for OEs who would like to continue with rugby after KES can be found at: www.batholdedwardians.org.

Old Edwardians (King Edward's School Bath)

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