NEWSLETTER JULY 2008

An Adobe PDF verion of this newsletter is available here.

Items in this newsletter:

1920s Rugby photo    Boxing 1938    Centenary Dinner    Death of Alastair Brook    Dr Martin Smith    Ian Wilson    John Saunders' Website    OW v Staff Golf match    Peter Cowburn    Professor Darren Crowdy    Welsh 3000s challenge   

GOLF

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The Annual OW v Staff Golf match took place on Friday, June 27th at Weston Turville, with the usual regulars turning up. A good number of others said that they would like to have played, and one played was stuck at Marylebone when the railway line was closed.

It was great to welcome for the first time Stuart Wilson, Eddy Smyth, and Ian Wooster. Ian goes off to USA shortly and we wish him all the best.

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The weather remained dry, just. The matches were all close with three of them going to the 18th green. The sandwiches and cake were much appreciated and everyone seemed to enjoy the game.

Results

The Staff thus beat the OWs by 2.5 - 1.5

* Old Boy playing for the Staff Team

Trevor Woolliams and Peter Toller are also OWs

I have already booked provisionally the equivalent date for next year, Friday 26th June. If you are a golfer, and would like to play, whether you have played before or not, do put the date in your diary, and let any OW friends know of it.

CRICKET

Unfortunately both the OWs and the Staff found it impossible to get a team, the OWs because several players were involved in a club match, and the Staff because it was a very busy time of year, and so the game had to be cancelled. A report of the OWs match against the School 1st XI for the Duncan Moore Trophy will be published in the next newsletter.

CENTENARY DINNER

We now have a Date and Guest of Honour for the 2009 dinner.

The date is Saturday 9 May 2009.

The guest of Honour is Peter Gibson, who taught at the RGS 1970-2007.

DO PUT THE DATE IN YOUR DIARY.

OW TIE

The OW Committee decided that, as we are approaching the centenary of the foundation of the OW Club, it would be good to create a new OW tie. It is predominantly navy blue with a regularly spaced band of gold-maroon-emerald-gold and is 100% silk. We had a limited number made, which rapidly sold out at the Annual Dinner. A second batch has now been ordered and these ties are expected to be available in mid August. The cost is £22 (plus £3 postage and packing for UK delivery). If you wish to order one, please send your cheque for £25 per tie made payable to "Old Wycombiensians Club" to OW Ties, 18 Coppice Way, Hedgerley, Bucks, SL2 3YL. Please include the delivery address required, together with a contact phone number and email address.

ALASTAIR BROOK

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Alastair Brook died on 23rd April 2007 aged 30. He attended the RGS in the sixth form during 1994/95. He will mainly be remembered by his friends as a charismatic individual who always had time for others. He was very articulate, with a keen wit and he was unconventional to the point of anarchy in his approach to life. He was very much a 'people' person.

Ali died unexpectedly at his flat in Chesham. He had been suffering for many years from an increasingly acute form of mental illness, the early stages of which were responsible for his failure to complete his studies at the RGS and to continue with his plan to attend university to study philosophy.

His earliest school was The Beacon at Chesham Bois, where he was a word-perfect Major General in a school production of 'The Pirates of Penzance'. He then attended Berkhamsted School for 3 years where he took his GCSEs. After a few months at Amersham College, he was accepted into the RGS. During his short time there, he took a lead part in the School production of 'Inherit the Wind' playing the American lawyer Clarence Darrow. In later years he always looked back with affection at the time he spent studying at the RGS, particularly in Mr Gibson's philosophy classes. He continued his interest in philosophy after leaving school. Ali's other great interest was music, which he wrote and performed. His Chesham flat in time came to resemble as much a recording studio as a place to live.

Ali's memorial service took place at Latimer Church on 18th May 2007. He had developed a wide circle of friends and those from his later years decided to hold their own very lively musical tribute to him at a local village hall following the service. The full church and numerous friends at the musical tribute were testimony to Ali's main legacy, that of bringing people together. One of them has decorated a wall in Bristol in his memory with the title 'ALI RIP'.

Ali's sister, Caroline, has been putting together a compendium of anecdotal memories of Ali. Contributions, memories of Ali, irreverent or otherwise, would be welcome. Her email address is carolinebrook@hotmail.com. Alternatively please access Ali's online remembrance space at http://myspace.com/alibrook2007.

Ed. We extend our deepest sympathy to his parents and the rest of his family and friends.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Chris, (This is Chris Cunningham and he kindly forwarded it on the Ed)

It was good to meet you in High Wycombe today, and as promised I am attaching a scan of the School Rugby Team.

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The only people that I know for certain are my father C H N Locke (Corris) back row far right, his brother Clifford Locke, back row second from left, Syd Hands middle row second from left and Norman Barnes in the centre.

The date is a problem although I suspect about 1926. My father was born in 1908 and Cliff in 1904.

If anybody would like to borrow the original and have it copied more professionally than please let me know.

Regards.

Chris Locke

Extra Cover

Chauntry Road

Maidenhead

Berks

SL6 1TS

01628 674277

Dear Ian,

A little more information. My father Corris Locke was a founder member, and in about 1975, you would probably know the exact year, he received a tankard duly inscribed from the Old Boys Rugby Club, commemorating the 50th anniversary. I still have it.

Also my father's 'half brother' Howard Anderson is I believe your oldest surviving member, I think he is 96 this year.

My father died in 1979 aged 71, and sadly Clifford who is also in the photograph, died aged 50 in 1954.

Regards.

Chris Locke

Ed. It is very unlikely, but does anybody recognize any of the other players?

Dear ex-RGS Men,

This is to let you know that two further RGS High Wycombe school photos have been published on my website (http://www.rgs.saund.co.uk/) in the past month.

On 29 April, the April 1958 Senior School photo was published (which was rather appropriate timing). I am very grateful to Martin King for the loan of this 50-year-old photo. It contains all bar the first two years of the school, hence people who were part of new intakes from 1950/51 to 1955/56, or who joined later and were in the 4th form and upwards in 1958, might be found in it.

I have posted the 1962 Junior School photo on the website. It has the first two years of the school, so corresponds to the new intakes for 1960/61 and 1961/62 (not sure of the exact month the photo was taken but it was probably about April 1962). Note that it also features a few senior boys (prefects of the time) who would have been from the 1953-1955 intakes. I am very grateful to Michael Saunders for the loan of the photo.

Quite a few people have already been identified in both the new photos but there are still many more to go - any help you can give will be gratefully received.

All the best,

John Saunders

Dear Ian

I noted from the Daily Telegraph that John Bone had died. I think he might be the same person who was in 6S1 in 1955, so would have left in 1958 or 1959. I noted his funeral was at Amersham.

John Nurcombe

Ed. We extend our deepest sympathy to John's family.

Dear Ian

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There must be few members of the RGS who would remember this photograph at the time. The venue was the Town Hall in High Wycombe, because the School Hall at the School had been demolished, and a new one created. I was sitting next to Mr Pattinson and the other master was C.E.C. Eastham. Boxing was of course abolished a few years later.

I will try to come to the dinner next year if I can but the old body is in pretty bad shape at the moment.

All best wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Geoffrey Stevens, (1936-1941)

Ed. Shortly after receiving this letter and photograph I heard the sad news that Geoffrey had died.

EXTRACT FROM THE SCHOOL WEBSITE

RGS Staff undertake the Welsh 3000s challenge

Two RGS teachers completed the arduous Welsh 3000s challenge with a few friends for charity…

Clive Greenhough and Giles Scoble scrambled, trekked and jogged the 'Welsh 3000s Challenge' in under 24 hours on Saturday 7th June 2008.

Here is their account of the challenge:

"So here's briefly how it went:

"We started at 3.40am after hardly any sleep at the foot of Snowdon and scrambled up and climbed Crib Goch (look it up it's real nasty). Our official start time was when we reached the summit of Crib Goch at 5.30am, we then trekked and scrambled pretty much non-stop except for two 30 minite-ish stops to eat breakfast and lunch a whopping 21 hours and 35 miles up and down the 15 (some say 16) mountains of Wales all over 3000 feet. We reached the last peak at 11pm (official end), but we then had to trek a further 2 ¼ hrs down the mountain and to the nearest road to finish at 1.15am. By the end of it, we could barely walk and had loads of blisters, bleeding feet, swollen ankles and knees, black toe nails etc, but were thrilled to finish.

"We now have a lot of respect for anyone else who has done this and certainly have a lot of respect for the elite forces around the world who do this sort of stuff with a small house on their backs and then go and fight. We could barely lift a cold beer to our lips before passing out with exhaustion. It was awesome though and we thoroughly recommend it." The Snowdon Massif

They put their bodies and minds through this torture to raise money for two very worthwhile charities:

The Alzheimer's Society and all the great work they do and also for SOS Children's Villages, who are a superb charity that make a difference to so many young people's lives.

They would be grateful if you could sponsor them by clicking on one of or both of the links below, but as ever, please feel no compulsion.

http://www.justgiving.com/clivegreenhough - Alzheimers' Society

http://www.justgiving.com/clivegreenhough1 - SOS Children's Villages

If you are not able to make a contribution on line, you can also make a cheque payable to 'The Alzheimer's Society' or 'SOS Children's Villages' and pass them to the school office for Clive Greenhough's attention.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

Many thanks

Clive Greenhough & Giles Scoble

Ed. Were you aware of anybody at school when you were there of rising to such a challenge?

FOR MORE NEWS OF RGS EVENTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE!

DARREN CROWDY (1983-1989)

If you were at the RGS in the eighties, do you remember Darren? If so, you may be interested in an article that appeared in the Times recently

Eureka moment solves 140-year-old puzzle

Lewis Smith Science Reporter

Boredom during a lecture proved to be the key to finishing a formula that has baffled the best mathematical brains since the 19th century. Professor Darren Crowdy's mind was wandering as he tried to listen to a talk on vortex dynamics when he hit upon the solution to the incomplete equation. "I was in Paris listening to a talk when it suddenly came to me," he said. "It just clicked. I stood up and left the room. I was so excited that I had to get up to work on it there and then."

The Schwarz-Christoffel formula was created in the 1860s as a tool to help designers to work out if the structures they wanted to create would stand up to stress or fall apart. It proved invaluable in the design of countless buildings, bridges and aircraft but was limited because it would not work for irregular shapes or those with holes.

Professor Crowdy, a specialist in applied mathematics at Imperial College, London, has now succeeded in completing the formula that eluded scientists for 140 years. He realised that by applying a different mathematical technique - the theory of Schottky Groups, which was developed 20 years after the orginal equation - the formula could be improved to cope with any shape. The mathematician was first put on to the idea of using Schottky Groups at a conference in Sydney a year earlier. He had been working on Schottky Groups and realised as he listened to a lecturer describing the problems of the Schwarz-Christoffel that it could provide the solution.

The Schwarz-Christoffel formula was developed independently by German mathematicians Elwin Christoffel in 1867 and Hermann Schwarz in 1869. Its uses in predicting the success or failure of designs before a single rivet, nail or screw is bought derive from the formula's ability to test the stresses that will be brought to bear on it. Now that it has been adapted to cope with other shapes it is likely to be used more frequently by designers. Its main uses so far have been in modelling airflow over wings of aircraft while they are still on the drawing board, and in explaining the shapes that are created in nature, such as patterns of expansion by bacteria.

"This formula is an essential piece of mathematical kit which is used the world over," said Professor Crowdy, whose findings are published in the journal Mathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. "Now, with my additions to it, it can be used in far more complex scenarios. In industry, for example, this mapping tool was previously inadequate if a piece of metal or other material was not uniform - for instance, if it contained parts of a different material, or had holes. With my extensions to this formula, you can take account of these differences and map them on to a simple disk shape for analysis in the same way as you can with less complex shapes without any of the holes."

Professor John Elgin, head of mathematics at Imperial College, said: "Darren is perhaps the world's leading expert in solving challenging problems involving multiply-connected geometries. "This longstanding classical problem was a natural one for him to tackle. It is an important result: his new formula will appear in the next generation of textbooks."

Darren's web site is at www.ma.ic.ac.uk/~dgcrowdy. Another old boy, Kevin Buzzard is also a professor of Maths at Imperial, and his web site is at http://www.ma.ic.ac.uk/~buzzard/

Ed. If you ever hear of any news involving an OW, please let me know.

VISIT TO THE RGS

If you have not visited the RGS for some time and would like a trip round your old school, and perhaps meet some of the teachers, who taught you, please do not hesitate to contact me (contact details are at the end of this newsletter). It was great to meet Mark Halliday (1978-1982), who had a tour of the school recently. He is Head of a Junior School in York, and is one of four brothers, who attended the RGS.

Ed. Does anybody know of five or more brothers attending the school? Do let me know?

EXTRACTS FROM THE 2008 WYCOMBIENSIAN.

A number of staff are leaving in July, and these are extracts of what is written about them:

IAN WILSON

Ian Wilson came to the RGS in 1972 after taking his degree at Leicester and doing his teacher training at Nottingham. He joined a formidable Classics department containing two legendary figures, Kit Haworth and Neil Cooper. Ian has gone on to create a legend of his own over the ensuing 36 years.

The poet, Virgil, would readily have characterized the quality that Ian has most exhibited in his career: pietas. That is; "loyalty" to the school, to his colleagues, to his, to his football team. His lessons delivered fortissimo and in a wide variety of voices were challenging but enthralling; delivered at high tempo, but relentlessly inclusive of everyone in the room; full of quick wit and awful jokes, but deadly serious about the subject matter in question. A mark of a great teacher is the ability to give a lesson that one has taught many times as if one has only just come upon the material for the first time- to communicate a joy in discovery. Ian is a master of this skill.

From 1973 Ian was House Tutor in the old Tyler's Wood boarding-house. He served under Reg Pattinson and John Samways, and in 1981 took over as Housemaster of Tyler's Wood, and, with his wife Judy, ran the house with great success until the decision to close it in 1984.

Ian took over the organization of Prize Giving in 1981. Again his meticulous attention to detail was paramount, and nobody could visualize the hours of work in putting the whole thing together, organizing over 80 books to buy a book, getting them stamped with the school crest at Oxford, retrieving cups and trophies from last year's winners, getting the prize labels stuck into books, compiling the programme and so on.

Ian is also a fanatically keen sportsman. He managed the school's cross-country team for over 25 years, and ran U14 or 15 cricket teams. He has also been an indefatigable participant in and organizer of sports events for his colleagues. For two decades he was a stalwart centre-half in the staff soccer team, as well as playing staff cricket and tennis. But perhaps his most appreciated contribution over many years has been in organizing the staff corporate golf club membership and running the hugely popular and successful staff golf day in the summer. And of course there is his beloved Sunderland FC, and he is the epitome of the true fan.

In 1986 Ian helped to pioneer the sequence of occasional RGS trips to Classical lands, which reached its ninth instalment in Greece this year. His own sheer excitement at seeing the ancient sites and museums easily communicated itself to the boys, and it was thanks to him that several generations of boys can boast that they "ran the stadion-race" at Olympia thanks to him.

Ian has always been an enthusiastic supporter of school events. From the early RGS shows, at which one year he broke a bone in his neck when the "Staff Stocks" collapsed to his regular appearances at concerts, standing on the touchline at rugby matches to taking the juniors camping at Buxton, he has loyally supported the activities of pupils of all ages and all levels. For the last two years his seniority on the staff has elevated him to the position of "Father of the Common Room."

As a Form Tutor, Ian always takes immense trouble getting to know the boys in his care. With his natural inclination to see the best in everyone, many generations RGS boys have benefited from his deep commitment to their well-being.

Ian has been literally and figuratively the towering figure in the Classics Department over the last 36 years. His present colleagues will greatly miss his warmth, good humour, total professionalism and constant availability to help out where needed. We wish him and Judy a long and happy semi-retirement in Devon.

Ed. If you have been at the school since the early 1970s, how do you remember Ian? Have you any special memories, stories to tell? Do let me know.

MR PETER COWBURN

In 1980 a young Peter Cowburn joined the RGS from Gay ton High School, Harrow, where he had been second in the English department. He accepted the post of Librarian as well as teaching English throughout the school. It must be remembered that this was the era when RGS did not have a full time professional librarian and Peter undertook the management of the Library with typical gusto, enthusiasm and imagination. The Library thrived and I recall that the appointment of a Librarian was met with some regret by Peter. This was soon tempered by the opportunity to succeed Dermis Smith as Head of Junior School in 1986.

Peter's application was successful and the rest, as they say, is 'history'. One of the RGS 'legends' was born and Peter has fulfilled this role with distinction for the last 22 years. As Head of Year, Peter has always been deeply concerned for the young men under his care. He expected high standards at all times and woe betide the young man who did not reach and maintain them. However, Peter was more than a disciplinarian; he cared about his charges and was always quick to defend or support when necessary.

As an English teacher, Peter enjoyed the opportunity to instill his love for the subject in the young men who have passed through his classes. He was never happier than when reading a favourite play, novel or poem to his pupils and explaining to them the deeper meaning of the script they were studying.

Peter's love for the theatre, music and culture were evident from the moment he joined the RGS. His support for Junior and Senior Vulture trips has lasted for 28 years and I suspect will continue after he formally 'leaves' the RGS. His trips to London, Stratford-upon-Avon or further afield were always over subscribed, proving to be popular with boys and staff.

Peter masterminded and produced so many musicals and plays in the Queen's Hall and he now continues his passion with the Fourways Drama Group. It would be wrong to highlight anyone production, but you could always rely on Peter producing an exciting, colourful and entertaining evening.

Peter's commitment to the RGS was total and he always gave generously of his time in supporting the boys. It may come as a surprise, but he was a regular supporter of the rugby teams, proudly wearing his RGS rugby shirt. When a well known Director of Sport forgot the team shirts for the final at Twickenham, it was Peter who quickly volunteered to return to RGS to collect them.

In recent years, Peter joined the Senior Leadership Team and his contribution was always thoughtful and supportive. His role in masterminding all the school's major events was one that really allowed him to express his creativity and flair to the full. Remembrance Day will always be associated with Peter with his careful insistence that boys should respect and be aware of the sacrifice of others. He managed two entertaining 'Festivals of Talent' that allowed individual boys to display their particular skills.

His love for the school and all it stands for is evident to anyone who has engaged in conversation with him and he will be greatly missed. Peter plans to travel in his retirement and we all wish him every success with his plans and a long and healthy retirement.

Ed. How do you remember, Peter? As an English teacher? Head of the Junior School? As a producer of a School play in which you took part? One OW was recalling recently his first lesson on T.S. Elliot, and the OW now writes a lot of poetry. Do send me your memories of Peter.

DR MARTIN SMITH

This year marks the departure of Dr Martin Smith who has been a stalwart of the History department since his arrival in 1982, when he was appointed by Headmaster Rowland Brown. In his 26 years he has taught all year groups and specialised in Modern History with the Sixth Form. He also served as a Form Tutor with Years 9 to 13, spending 21 years in the Middle School. He edited the Wycombiensian for 20 years and ran Fives for, appropriately, five years. Arguably the RGS activity that most revealed his professionalism was Public Speaking, which he led for 22 years.

Martin Smith was born in Chile and spent his boyhood in South America. After coming to live in England he was educated at Brighton College, where he attained the top A Level and S Level results of his year. He went on to read Modern History, Economic History and Politic at Royal Holloway College, London, where he won the History prize each year; he also won the College prize for graduating with the top First of his year in all subjects. After this Martin studied for a Ph.D. and within three years completed the research for his doctoral thesis on English political radicalism in the late eighteenth century. He then worked for the Bentham Project at University College, London, where he co-edited and oversaw the publication of the definitive edition of the writings on education of the utilitarian philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. For this achievement he was made a Fellow of the College of Preceptors.

The school was privileged to receive a teacher with such an impressive educational pedigree, and Martin used his erudition to great effect in the classroom. Successive heads of department have praised his consummate professionalism and reliability, and the highest accolades have been registered from his pupils. Cohort after cohort of boys at the RGS have described Dr Smith as a 'legend'. Pupils are inspired by his classroom delivery, enjoying his 'hilarious yet subtle remarks'. They describe him as 'a fountain of knowledge', 'endlessly amiable', 'always prepared to put in extra time' and possessing a 'legendary storytelling ability that brought history alive'.

Martin has inspired a love of History in many of our boys, which is a gift they will always retain. Huge numbers have studied History at GCSE and A Level and gone on to read the subject at many of our most prestigious universities, and Martin's significant contribution to this cannot be underestimated. He has even inspired some boys to become History teachers themselves.

When he was running Public Speaking the RGS was consistently the most successful local school in the 'Youth Speaks' competition. He produced team after team of fluent, polished, witty orators who won first prize on no fewer than 24 occasions. In 1991 the school team became Home Counties and South Midlands champions; in later years two subsequent teams were runners-up. The 2005 team became South East of England regional champions, and then went on to become national Champions of Britain and Ireland, which Martin regards as one of the crowning moments of his career.

Martin Smith was a highly effective and dedicated schoolmaster with traditional values and a fine sense of duty. He set great store by punctuality, and was reputed to have the tidiest classroom in the school. A passionate bibliophile himself, he generously donated more than 100 History books to the school Library. His contributions to the History department and the wider school have been, as his pupils would say, 'legendary'. He will be remembered as an exceptional teacher.

Ed. How do you remember Martin? As a form-teacher? As a History teacher? Were you a debater? Do send me any memories you have of him!

NEWS OF OLD WYCOMBIENSIANS, (as published in the Wycombiensian)

ASHCROFT. MA (1962-64) Michael generously paid a £75000 reward which secured the return of 96 medals, including 9 VCs, which had been stolen from the Army Museum at Waioura, New Zealand, in December 2007.

CAMDEN. L (1999-2006) Luke, currently at Keble College, Oxford is next year's Master of the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers.

CANN. GJ (1979-85) Gareth was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police Force on his 40th birthday.

COHEN. A (1997-2003) Alistair graduated from the University of Manchester in 2007 with a First as Master of Engineering.

GAY. SM (1967-74) Simon appeared on Mastermind recently, performing creditably on 'Coronations since 1066'.

HILL. C (1998-2001) Charlie is now an employee of the BMW Sytner High Wycombe dealership. On completing his technician's apprenticeship he was named BMW Group Academy UK's Best Improver 2007, and has been nominated for a Learning Skills Council 'Learning First' Award.

JOHNSON. D (1998-2004) David graduated from Queens' College, Cambridge, in 2007 with a starred First in Part II of the Music Tripos, having scored the top marks of his year.

KHERA. J (1997-2003) Jas graduated from King's College, Cambridge, in 2007 with a First in Part II of the Oriental Tripos.

KINGSNORTH. P (1985-91) Paul is a writer, environmentalist, poet - and an honorary member of the Lani tribe in New Guinea. He was arrested during the 1993 Twyford Downs road protests, and was named one of Britain's 'top 10 troublemakers' by the New Statesman in 2000! He was deputy editor of the Ecologist and is a frequent media contributor. His first book, One No, Many Yeses, was published in 2003; his most recent book, Real England, was published in April 2008.

SMITH. CW (1993-99) Christopher captained the Worcester College, Oxford, team in the 2007-08 season of University Challenge.

WALKER. A (1985-91) Alexander made his debut in 2007 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducting the Nutcracker Suite.

WARREN. S (1998-2004) Sean graduated from Queens' College, Cambridge, in 2007 with a First in Part II of the Natural Sciences Tripos.

OBITUARY

PATTINSON. J Jean was the widow of the Deputy Headmaster Reginald Pattinson, who served on the staff between 1936 and 1977. She was responsible for many years for running the domestic side of Tyler's Wood boarding house, which she and her husband founded in 1948. After her husband's death she served as Matron in School House under the Rev. John Skipp. She died in March 2008, aged 94

NEXT NEWSLETTER

This will be published on Sept 22nd. We hope to publish photographs and reports of the OW v School Cricket match, and further extracts from the Wycombienian that might interest OWs, including an appreciation of the teachers, Joan Henderson, who is retiring, and Richard Shreeve. Please send in your contribution, your memories, and your photographs to me, Ian Clark ianrclarkuk@yahoo.co.uk or post it to 5, Foxhill Close, High Wycombe. HP13 5BL

Ian edits the Newsletter, and Martin Berry ensured that it appears on the website this month.