NEWSLETTER 22 SEPTEMBER 2004
An Adobe PDF version of this newsletter is available here.
Ann Howard Anne Smalley Calling OW lawyers Graham Burford Luke Donald Memories of the 80s Old assembly hall Oliver Godfrey Paul Foot Play from the 40s Staff photographs That'll teach 'em Wycombiensian 1955
The date of the Annual Dinner is fixed for Saturday 16th April. It will be held in the Queen’s Hall, with the Guest of Honour being Andrew MacTavish. For details of Andrew’s CV see the July newsletter. Tours round the school will be organised for those OWs who would like one. In addition on the same day it is hoped that there will be some sporting reunions on the Hockey-field, Sports Hall and elsewhere if there is sufficient interest. How about contacting your OW friends and making up a table at the Dinner?
It has been suggested that the followings should have a Reunion at the Dinner.
1. The 680 boys who fifty years ago were beaten by the Headmaster or Sam Morgan, on one day. (For the full story, read Andrew MacTavish’s splendid account in the July newsletter.) Someone has suggested a re-enactment of the event!!
2. All those who in 1962 were in 5R, the only form I am told in the history of the school where all the boys studied Russian. The list of those in the form is published in the July newsletter.
Two of these have already said they will come. If you were in that form and would like to come, please contact me. We could then advertise who is coming in future newsletters.
Do contact friends from your form, or a shared activity to join you at the Dinner. If you are a member of Friends Reunited, you may wish to contact them through that, but otherwise I could put their names on this website.
If you want to participate in hockey, fencing, or shooting on April 16th, please contact me and also persuade your friends to sign up too.
A REMINDER
If you would like to buy receive a copy of the Wycombiensian, the school magazine, which has just been published, please send me a cheque for £5.
A poem that appeared in this year’s magazine;
The famous Royal Grammar School -
“Wow!” I thought, this will be cool.
Navy blazer, rich red tie
Some passing girls give me “the eye”!
The day’s arrived for me to start.
Thump, thump, thud goes my heart!
I cautiously approach the school
Now I’m feeling less than cool.
Walking past those trees so high
Evokes from me a giant sigh
My brain is fuzzy and in a tangle
As I trudge across the school quadrangle.
Heavy and laden my legs feel-
Is this situation real?
Can my heart really beat so loud?
Suddenly I am filled with glee
Because two boys remember me,
One called Martin wearing braces,
The other called Henry, making faces!
Well, here I am for years to come,
Ha! Loads of homework for my Mum!
No doubt I’ll have to do some too,
But I’ll enjoy myself through and through
With all the opportunities, sports and fun
The RGS is Number One!
And will it help me! We will see.
To become a “Captain of Industry”!
Ed. Would any OW like to write a poem on their memories of the RGS? Please send in your poems for publication.
SOME NEWS FROM THE RGS SUMMER 2004
CHESS
The Under 14 team were the National Secondary Schools Championship winners, and the Under 12 team came third.
The RGS team won the 2004 Maidenhead Chess Congress
Nine RGS pupils qualified for the UK British Land Chess Challenge National Giga Final in July. Results not yet to hand.
These are all outstanding achievements.
MATHS
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Four boys from Year 8 qualified for the
Junior Maths Olympiad. |
DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD
This is a very popular activity, with over 50 boys registered for the Gold Award, and a Gold Expedition to the Brecon Beacons and Peak district planned.
WORLD CHALLENGE
72 boys in Year 7 will be going on an “Explorer Expedition to
Buxton and 42 Year 9s on the River Severn Expedition. 70 Junior
boys hope to on a World Challenge trip to Morocco. Next July
there are 3 teams going to Mongolia and China, and this
July there were expeditions to Kenya, Spain and Turkey.
Editor: It is great to think that when there is so much talk that there will be no more School Trips the RGS is offering more and more opportunities. You can find more news about the RGS from the RGS website. (PLEASE CLICK HERE) Have you any memories of World Challenge or Duke of Edinburgh trips? Do send in your memories so that we can publish them.
Arshad Khan (1987-19930 has written suggesting a network of Old Wycombiensians who are lawyers. This seems to me to be an excellent idea, and I give his thoughts below:
“We are hoping to set up an informal network of old boys who are or have been in the legal profession. Not only does this give us a better prospect of keeping in touch with those in similar professions but will provide us an improved forum for discussing views on the school's current activities and successes. There may also be as yet unexplored opportunities to talk to current pupils about the law as a career or perhaps to provide vacation placements.
If you are interested in finding out more or wish to put your name down for meeting up with others please contact Arshad Khan (contact details tel: 07775 502895 or email arshad.khan@sacker-partners.co.uk) or Ian Clark (contact details tel: 01494 530782 or email ianrclarkuk@yahoo.co.uk)
We are hoping to get the ball rolling by meeting up later in the year at a venue near Chancery Lane."
IF YOU ARE A LAWYER, DO CONTACT ARSHAD OR MYSELF
Martin Berry, Head of Maths at the RGS until this summer has over the years taken many photographs of his colleagues. If you were at the RGS in the last twenty years, I wonder how many of these you will recognise. A selection appears below:
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Who was the 6th Former, who is now on the Staff? |
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| Who are preparing to be Ugly Sisters in a Staff Panto? | |
More photos in next edition.
FOLLOW-UP TO THE LAST NEWSLETTER
Bill
Mercy has emailed me to point out that the questions that Bob Huntley asked in
the last newsletter had in fact already been answered in this year’s magazine
of the OW Club. As a result Bob Huntley and John Bunce,
both OWs of the 1940s are in contact with each
other.
STAFF LEAVERS
For more recent school leavers, the following members of the RGS staff retired in July.
She joined the school in 1989, coming to us from Dr Challoner’s school. She worked full-time for part of her time here and more lately part-time. Over the fifteen years, Mrs Smalley has guided many boys through the school giving plenty of her time to help their understanding. She has taught boys of all ability levels and ages although the middle and upper parts of the school have been her specialities. Sixth Formers found that she was very active helping in the lunch time extra sessions. If a boy was prepared to turn up, she would give him lots of extra help! At the other end of the age range, she contributed hugely to the school’s outreach to local primary schools with our enrichment days for Year 6 children. In addition to her teaching, Mrs Smalley proved to be a dedicated and caring form tutor in the middle school, guiding many boys through this vital time of their development. She also cared for her colleagues, and was very active socially, helping to organise Maths Department meals and various school functions at the school.
Mrs Smalley worked for a time as the second in the maths department and efficiently helped in its organization, particularly in the book cupboard and at Key Stage Three. She was also often to be seen at plays and concerts looking after the box office.
Over the last few years, counselling has taken more and more of her time and interest, and she is to take advantage of her retirement from Maths teaching to continue in this area. Anne Smalley has been a professional teacher and friendly colleague; we wish her well in the future.
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Graham joined the school as a Biology teacher in 1996, but as the school’s IT systems developed, it became apparent that a full-time Network Manager was needed, and Graham was appointed. He was instrumental in planning and developing the new network resulting from our Language College status. Video conferencing was introduced, and Graham managed the new interactive whiteboards with great aplomb. More recently he has concentrated on keeping the network up and running, repairing mice and keyboards, maintaining mice and keyboards, and calming staff when the network crashes. We wish him a healthy and happy retirement. |
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Oliver Godfrey has been the teacher in charge of Drama since 1998. Oliver has directed and co-directed many outstanding productions during his time at the Royal Grammar School. His Twelfth Night and his King Lear were very rightly highly acclaimed, as was his production of Twelve Angry Men. The interpretations showed great imagination and the quality of performance that he inspired was highly professional. However Oliver is equally enthusiastic about encouraging younger pupils and he worked just as energetically to produce some excellent junior plays, a very popular one being Zigger Zagger. |
This year’s major production was Singin’ in the Rain and Oliver worked in collaboration with the Music department. Once again performances were of the highest standard and would have graced the professional stage. (SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN)
His new post is teaching English and drama at Cheltenham College, and we wish him every success there.
Ed. Were you in any of the school productions mentioned above? Do you have any memories of them or Oliver? Do write and let me know
Mrs Ann Howarth |
Mrs Ann Howarth retired at Easter after 23 years of service to the RGS She came to work for the late Rex Knight when Biology was still on the top floor of the Science building and had a sizeable animal house. (Ed. This reminds me that a boy was once given a detention for “doing unacceptable things to an animal”!) In her time here she has worked for and supported four Heads of Department and numerous Biology teachers. But some of the people that Ann was most committed to were the boys. It was because she genuinely cared for them that she was willing to run practicals for boys who missed the session, collect in locker keys, and chase up the 101 things that boys need chasing for. She certainly gained their respect. The commitment to young people can also be seen in her other love, basketball. She and Mike, her husband, have been the driving force behind basketball at the RGS for many years and gave countless hours coaching, travelling and running the table at fixtures.
Ann has earned a rest and
thoroughly deserves a happy and relaxed retirement with Mike in |
Ed. Do you have any memories of
Ann as basketball coach? Do let me know.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Hello Ian
I just returned from a couple of days in Chichester where I saw that their Mayor this year is Mick Shone, who I think was at the RGS from 1957-64.
Best wishes.
Willie Watson
Hello again, Ian
Another follow-up, having looked at the Newsletters again.
The feature on 1954 threw up loads of names that are (all-too?) familiar, but I was particularly pleased to see reference to Derek Maurice. Is anyone in contact, as far as you know?
And I was one of the 30 confirmed at Terriers by the Bishop of Oxford.
Willie
Congratulations on a great newsletter. I have recently discovered the website and have been browsing the past newsletters, disappointed that there are not more people from ‘my day’ (1980-1985). It was a surprise to discover staff looking much older than I remember. I guess one assumes that people you knew of long ago would stay that way forever. At the end of the May newsletter, you published a chess team photograph. I can put names to three of the front row. On the far right is Malcolm Lewis and second from the left is Chris Kennedy, both in the year above me. Chris took a large part in organising some of the teams. The far left is easiest as that is Nicky White. We were at primary school together and remained in the same class into sixth form. As Nicky and I were virtually always in the same chess team from the age of eight, I am wondering why I am not in the photo, but then seem to remember a chess tournament sponsored by a newspaper where each board had to be in a different year. This could explain why I could not remember more of them. As there are some half colours ties on display, I therefore guess the year at about 1984. May I contribute a short anecdote? I am delighted to see Mr Ian Wilson is still teaching, who taught me Latin and was a keen supporter of Sunderland FC. In 1985 he sold me two spare tickets for the League Cup Final as Sunderland were playing my team Norwich City. I proudly put on my Norwich stuff and went to Wembley along with Marcus Lamb, a Sunderland supporting co-pupil. Unfortunately I was dismayed to find myself in the wrong end, surrounded by thousands of Sunderland fans (I should have thought of that) and wondered if it was Mr Wilson’s revenge for failing my Latin O-level the previous year! So as Norwich roared to a 1-0 victory and lifted the cup, I kept very quiet! If anyone remembers me, I am now living in Sittingbourne, Kent with my wife of two years, Mary, and work in Westminster in local government.Yours sincerely
Keith Nevols
Editor’s emails
(1) I received
an email from someone asking for information about someone who might have been
at the RGS in the middle years of the 1850s. I contacted John Mitchell the RGS
Archivist who is a fount of information. He sent me a photocopy of a page from
the book of applications to the RGS. On the page was written by hand the full
name of the applicant, age, description of background and date of
application. The age of the applicant
varied from 8 to 14. The description included terms such as, Paper Maker,
Shopkeeper, Nephew of Mrs. Dix of
(2) Rob Andrews (OW 1988-1994) emailed me from the High Wycombe library where he works. He said that they had been approached by a customer who had acquired a small, metal badge, circular in shape, with a diameter of about an inch. The RGS coat of arms is on the badge, with the swan on the left and the shield on the right. Underneath the swan and shield is the date 1562, the year when the school was founded. Around the outside of the badge is a wreath, and on top of the wreath is a crown. The badge gas a small pin on the back and it is possible that the whole thing is made of silver. The badge was purchased by the customer from a guy in America via Ebay. He is eager to find out how it ties into the RGS history, and just what the badge is, whether it is just an old prefect’s badge or whether it was made to commemorate a particular event.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MIGHT BE?
If so, please email me with any information.
If you are one of the more mature OWs do you remember the old Assembly Hall? If you are one of the younger OWs, do you recognise what the space is now used for?
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I wonder if you saw the Channel 4 programme in August and beginning of September, when the buildings of the RGS were used for the second year running to recreate a school of the past. This time it was a Secondary Modern School of the 1960s. Rooms of the Junior Block became a Home Economic Room and a Typing Room, and outside Bricklaying and Rural Studies were taught. What would Jock Learmonth have said had goats been grazing on the School Field in his time? I am surprised that they found teachers ready to take part in the programme. Neither Andrew MacTavish nor Geoff Heath took part in the programme this year, as they did last year. What were your thoughts about the programme? What did you think about the education in a Secondary Modern School in the 1960s? Did you recognise the various parts of the School? |
DO YOU RECOGNISE ANYBODY IN THE PHOTOGRAPH?
Below is a photograph of the cast of the School Play in 1940-1941, “The Amazing Dr Clitterhouse.” Ian Fairnington very kindly sent in this photograph, together with the School Hymn Book that was used at the RGS at that time. I shall be giving them to John Mitchell, who is the School Archivist. John welcomes all memorabilia. So if you are clearing out a desk or cupboard and find something from the RGS, and no longer want it, please contact me,
“MISSING”
Some OWs would like to contact Barry Kempson, Head of RE in the 1980s and 1990s. He has moved out of the area in the last year or so and unfortunately, nobody seems to have his new address. Does anybody know how to contact him?
UPDATES
There will be updates soon to other parts of the OW website, namely the list of those “missing”, email addresses and personal details of OWs and details of those OWs living abroad. Please check these sections in about a fortnight, and let us know of any mistakes and help us find “missing” Old Wycombiensians. PLEASE CLICK. In this way we have managed to regain contact with about 20 OWs this year.
In 1955 the Wycombiensian contained the following :
An Editorial on the need for Maintenance payments, better homework facilities, and less apathy among the parents for more pupils to stay on at school. It ended with the following Latin Tag:
“Maxima debetur puero reverentia”
Ed. Does anyone know where this Latin sentence came from?
Eleven Sixth Formers won State Scholarships, Open Scholarships or Exhibitions.
John Skipp and Doris Wilson joined the Staff.
Ruddigore was the School Musical.
An article by “Sisyphus” on exams, that starts “We seem to live in an examination-ridden world.” Ed. I wonder what he would think of it now.
An article about 4th Formers, or in modern parlance Year 10, by P J Thompson.
“What is that curious being, a fourth-former? It is a matter of opinion. According to his masters he is an idiot who does not know a single thing and never will. To a prefect he is a thorough pest who is always in trouble. His father quite likes him but finds him a trial to his nerves. The only person who really cares for him is his mother and even she thinks that he is a nuisance at times and simply cannot believe that it is possible in one term, he can lose a couple of fountain pens, his school cap, two left plimsolls, and a brand new pair of gloves. (Ed. A schoolboy today would wonder what fountain-pens, school caps and plimsolls were, and how many would ever wear gloves?) She cannot understand how he leaves home in the morning looking fairly respectable yet returns with his trousers torn, his jacket stained, his shoes coated with liberal layers of mud and his face and hands in much the same state of filth. On the rare occasions when she is rash enough to search his pockets she is amazed to find lumps of toffee, half-eaten apples, odd nuts and bolts and “creepy-crawlies” in matchboxes. (Ed. I wonder what you would find in a Year 10, pockets today?)
There were articles on Mountaineering by G.A.R.M., the Bursar, the Jazz Band by G. Warner, A Royal Holiday by P. Draper, a Bird Course at Dungeness Bird Observatory by J. N. Keeling, “The English- are they human?” by G. D. B. Jones, and a Spanish Journey by R. H. Powell. W.A. C. Knowles wrote about the Toton Marshalling Yards, which were situated seven miles south-west of Nottingham and a mile north of Trent Junction. (Ed. I do not imagine that they exist now.) A quotation from the article: “The humping is carried out at two speeds (hump normal 3m.p.h. and slow 1.5m.p.h.” (Ed. I wonder how many schoolboys today ever visit a Marshalling Yard now)
There were also articles on the British Empire by P. Draper, and the Care and Use of a Shotgun by R. A. Richards.
There were reports on the Stamp Society. Chess Club, Science society, Classical society, Spanish Society, History Society, Jazz Club Music Society and TCOS. (Ed. This was apparently a debating society.) In addition there were reports on all three sections of the CCF the 6 rugby teams, and the House matches.
Details were given of the planned new cricket pavilion. More of this and the pavilion it replaced in the next newsletter. How much do you think that the new pavilion would cost?
If you were at school in 1955, almost 50 years ago, what were your memories? If you are one of those named above, do contact me if you want a copy of what you wrote.
Old Wycombiensians’ London Gathering
An informal get-together in London is being planned to allow OWs to catch up with old friends and the latest news from school.
Anyone interested in attending should contact Martin Davidson (1990-96) at:
E-mail: rgslondon@hotmail.com
Mobile: 07989 744832
Address: 32, Lavender Sweep, Battersea, London, SW11 1HA
NEWS OF OW SPORTSMEN
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Congratulations to Luke Donald on his selection for the European Team after a very successful season. Well done Luke on your splendid debut for the team, and the points you gained. Were any OB’s there?? We would love to hear from you.
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Luke while at school |
Matt Dawson is this season playing for Wasps, whose home ground is of course in High Wycombe.
If you are aware of any OW sportsmen doing well, please let me know. Are there any OW professional footballers or cricketers? Did any perform in any sport at the Olympics?
Paul Foot, another OW, appeared on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year. Click on his photograph for details.
If you wish to make any comments on what is published in the newsletter or write anything for publication, please contact the Editor, Ian Clark, whose email address is ianrclarkuk@yahoo.co.uk
The next newsletter will be published on 22nd November.
