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The Website of the Old Boys of the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe

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2011 Dinner Photos Development Newsletter J Saunders' photos      '58-'67 T Hare's photos '47-'60 RGS 450th Anniversary Events

NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2011

Greetings to any new readers!

An Adobe PDF version of this newsletter is available here.

Items in this newsletter:

A Level Results  |   David Jones  |   Duncan Moore Memorial cricket match  |   Golf  |   Graham Nash  |   Memories of RGS  |   Old Wycombiensians' Dinner  |   OW Diary of Events  |   Peter Marcan  |   Prizegiving  |   RGS Twitter account  |   Stephanie Trott  |   Three Peaks Challenge

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OLD WYCOMBIENSIANS' DINNER

Isabella Eastham, Director of Development, writes:

It was with great pleasure that the RGS and Old Wycombiensians' Club Committee hosted the annual OW Dinner on Saturday 17 September with over 90 guests sitting down to a three-course dinner served by pupils currently at RGS who were helping out for the evening in the hope of raising funds for their overseas trips.

Many diverse groups came together for the Dinner including fourteen OWs who left in 2007, a group of leavers from the 60s who boarded together in Uplyme House and Arpad Turmezei's winning Rugby 7s team from 1971.

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As the chapel lights lit up the darkening sky, Mr Page, Headmaster, gave a short presentation of the School over the past year to show the improvements being funded, recent school exam results (still breaking records year on year) and a snapshot of daily life as an RGS pupil in 2011.

Reminiscences and memories came to the fore with particular interest of the Old Gym chimney, (a once popular illicit pupil meeting point after hours) which still stands despite the Old Gym's conversion into a Maths Department and Mezzanine Study Centre.

A fantastic evening was had by all and we look forward to seeing Old Boys back next September for the 450th Anniversary Dinner celebrating the signing of the RGS' Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1562.

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Ed: If you came to the Dinner, do email your thoughts and any suggestions to Isabella ime@rgshw.com.

If you did not want to come to the Dinner, but think you might to come to another kind of Reunion, do let her know. Already a couple of OWs have written in with their suggestions. Would you want a lunch-time occasion? One with partners? A more informal one?

DAVID JONES

David Jones, who taught at the RGS from 1958-1992, died on Sept 14th. He was much loved by his students and indeed 4 or 5 of the 1960s generation used to take him out for an Annual lunch.

John Saunders writes:

David (affectionately nicknamed 'Benny' by generations of RGS boys, and also as 'DG') had taught history at the school from 1958 until his retirement not so many years ago. He was quite simply one of the all-time greats of the RGS staff - a quiet, mild-mannered, good-humoured, dedicated man who inspired the respect and affection of everyone who came into contact with him and who was a hugely effective and successful teacher. His sphere of influence extended beyond the RGS: in the past few years I have met a couple of people from High Wycombe who had nothing to do with the RGS but who had somehow come into contact with David and fallen under his spell. David was legendary for keeping in contact with his former pupils and he forged lifelong friendships with hundreds of them. He will be greatly missed - R.I.P.

John

OW Michael Ferguson writes:

David - for some odd reason known as 'Benny' by some of my generation - Jones was my history teacher for only a year regrettably. Had I had him longer I might have passed the subject at O-level! A very genuine kind of person, impossible to dislike I'd have thought. My most vivid memory of him is, funnily enough, not of any teaching situation, but of having conversations with him and other sixth-formers - possibly during lunch hour or a free period or whatever - in October 1962, at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. These were really dramatic weeks for all those of us old enough to realize just how close the world was to a nuclear confrontation, and talking to someone older and wiser, like 'Benny' Jones, must have been some kind of relief to the tension which we all felt at the time. Seems so long ago now, doesn't it, but the world back then, at the height of the Cold War, really was a different place. The threats to our civilization today are of an utterly different kind, unimaginable back in 1962, when the 'old hall' was still the actual school hall.

Ed: If you knew David Jones, do email in your thoughts of him.

FAREWELL STEFFI

The Editor writes:

Stephanie Trott has left the RGS to join Wycombe Abbey. She worked for the OWs, developing and maintaining the data-base, sending out the emails, putting the magazine together and doing such a lot to organize OW events, the Dinner, Garden Party, Cricket Reunions etc. She was a joy to work with. I would like to thank her for all her work and wish her all the very best in the future.

Her successor will, I understand, be appointed next week, but in the meantime please contact Isabella Eastham at the RGS ime@rgs.com with any queries about OW activities or changes of address, postal or email.

OW DIARY OF EVENTS

Wednesday 19 October 7.30pm

RGS in the City - a London OW Drinks Event

Private Bar, Corney & Barrow, Paternoster Square, London. All London-based old boys welcome!

RSVP to ime@rgshw.com to be put on the guest list for this event

Monday 21 November 7.00pm

RGS Cambridge Dinner 2011

St Catharine's College OCR, Cambridge. All-Cambridge-based old boys welcome - only 20 places!

Tickets £32.50 each, for more information please email ime@rgshw.com

Monday 21 February 7.00pm

RGS Oxford Dinner 2011

Venue TBA. All oxford-based old boys welcome.

Tickets £32.50 each, for more information please email ime@rgshw.com

TO NEW READERS AND OLD

If you have not explored the site before, or you have not read this recently, please note:

CRICKET

The Duncan Moore Memorial match between OWs and the School was played in July. David Stone, Manager of the OW's Team writes:

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OW's captain Bob Dix won the toss and chose to bat in this 25 overs-a-side match. A fine opening stand between Richard Royce (41) and Tom Francis (36) set the OW's up for a good total. Further contributions from James Nicholas (63) and Dave Tang (40*) took the OW's to 206 for 4 wkts. Fred Owen took 2 for 28, Matt Millns 1 for 31 and Matthew Noyes 1 for 36.

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In reply RGS kept up with the scoring rate and an excellent century by Mark Hughes-d'Aeth (120*) supported by Mark Eteen (29) of year 9 almost took the school to victory but a final total of 196 for 4 wkts meant that the OW's won by 10 runs. Imran Nawaz took 3 for 33 and Joe Stevens 1 for 28. Nick Moore, father of Duncan, presented the trophy to the winning captain Bob Dix.

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GOLF

The traditional OW match against the RGS staff was played in June. Robin Dorkings, (1957-63) captain of the OW Team, reports as follows:

"We can certainly say that the match was played in fine conditions, and in good spirit.

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Results:

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The RGS Staff won 3-1. We look forward to the rematch in 2012. Also, the OB's are looking to arrange some games involving OW's in the 450th anniversary year as part of the programme of celebrations."

THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

In the June newsletter, we reported how many members of RGS staff were set to climb the traditional Three Peaks, in memory of two much-loved colleagues, and to raise money for the Child Bereavement Charity.

All the teams comfortably beat the target 14 hours time limit, and together they raised over £16,600 for the Charity. Well done to all, who participated in the event!

MEMORIES OF THE RGS

Clifton Hughes (1957-1964) writes:

Thursday used to be the most horrible day of the week. I would wake in dread, knowing that the horrible, itchy, army uniform was waiting for me. I would take the scratchy shirt and slide my arms into it, trying not to touch the material. Then I would hold the trousers vertically, like tubes, and try to get my legs down through the middle of these tubes. At breakfast (and all day in school) I would sit right on the edge of my chair, so that the material wouldn't press against my thighs. And at the end of the day I would know that it was all going to happen again next Thursday.

And then I started to have organ lessons with Jimmy Dawes and it looked likely that I'd be applying for an organ scholarship to Oxford. I needed time to practise. Boss Tucker, keen as ever for glory, agreed that I could quit CCF in order to practise in the Parish Church. Not only that, but "Tweet" Nightingale had to grind his teeth, when I went to tell him that, rather than submitting to his ritual humiliation in Games every Tuesday, I was going to practise the organ on Tuesday afternoons as well!

As I write these words I shudder, and can still feel my flesh creep at the memory of those awful Army clothes that I was forced to wear for one inglorious year.

I don't think I was unique in escaping this way. I think it possible that Richard Hickox managed to wheedle the same time out.

All the best Clifton

Ed: Did you dread the CCF and manage to find a way to avoid it?

Tom Baldwin (1950-1955) writes:

1954-55 memories are getting more hazy as the years go by, but one is clear.

At the bottom of Uplyme's garden was the music room. I did music to "A"-level so knew it well. I even had a key... At 17+, girls were a feature of growing up. Girls liked to dance. I couldn't dance. Nor could two RGS friends whose names escape me. On Thursday afternoons we let ourselves into the music room, grabbed brooms from the cleaners' cupboard for our left hands, opened our "Dancing Steps Diagrams" handbooks in our right hands, and Waltzed, Fox-trotted, Samba-d and Tango-d while lesser mortals were crunched and mauled in rugby scrums. Much more civilized! A winter bonus - on the way to our secret rendezvous there was a good chance the girl's High School had borrowed the hockey pitch and they were there, with glorious red legs from the top of their socks to the bottom of their very short skirts. Magic!!

Those were the days! Best wishes, Tom

Ed: Do you remember watching the girls on the hockey field?

Peter Price (1976-82) writes:

Staff soccer (a word invented by a Carthusian actually!): I played on both sides of the divide and great fun was had. Memories:

  1. Being pushed and kicked by Dosser and Wilson
  2. Scoring a goal direct from a corner for the Staff on the Bisham astro

Peter

Ed: What are your memories of matches against the Staff?

Robin Browne (1953-1961) writes:

I was interested to read the comment about A.S. Hett by RV. We had a similar incident in the first XI cricket playing away at Queen Elizabeth, Barnet (I think), which was usually a good day out. We were dismayed when we came to board the coach to find that Mr.Hett was substituting for "Hosh" Johnson. The weather was good and the game pleasant, but there was little joy in the day and no one could relax.

On our return journey the coach turned down a country lane and our thoughts were "typical now he's lost". But we couldn't have been more wrong. When we stopped it was at a country pub and he bought us a drink. This provided a very strange contrast to my other meetings with him. Obviously he was a man of contrasts.

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Another incident, which may be of interest relates to S.A. Morgan. I was outside the Boss' study waiting to see him about some University papers when SAM came down the corridor. He saw meet waiting and said, "Is the Headmaster in?"

I replied that he had just left heading for the boarding house with a pupil following him. His comment to this was "No doubt the Headmaster will send him on his way rejoicing!"

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Mr Ashford (History) was also known as "POP". He had a habit of lifting the lid of one of the front desks in a classroom and leaning on it whilst teaching. One of these desks belonged to Dave Almond. One day unknown to anyone he had drawn, in chalk, a spider hanging from a web and the word POP with two arrows point up on the inside of his desk lid. So when Pop adopted his usual posture, and lent on the desk lid, it looked as if it was hanging from his arm. Of course the class burst into laughter, but fortunately he also enjoyed the joke.

Robin

Ed: Any more memories from anyone?

SAD NEWS

Patrick Taylor (1952-1960) writes:

Dear Ian

Had you noted the report in the Times this week of the death of Graham Nash, our most distinguished hockey umpire? Graham lived in the Sands area, very close to where I did, and was in the Oakridge Road Cub and Scout group. As you probably know, he came to RGS in September 1954 and left from Upper Fifth Remove on 1960.

Below is the FIH obituary, with odd bits from elsewhere:

Best wishes Patrick

John Saunders (1963-1969) writes:

Dear Ian,

Hope you are well. I was googling for information on an old RGS friend Peter Marcan today and was desperately sad to learn that he had died nearly two years ago. The page I found was http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/4018 and it seems he died in July 2009.

I hadn't had any contact with Peter since he left school in about 1968, when he won a place at Jesus College, Oxford, to study German. He was, as the article indicates, very musical and an accomplished violinist. His date of birth was 20 May 1951 and he was at the RGS from 1962 to 1968, I think. I believe his parents ran a market garden near Little Marlow, and I used to chat to him on the bus on the way back and forth to school. He seemed quite reserved until you got to know him but very amiable and warm-hearted, and possessed of a brilliant mind. It is evident from the article that he put his considerable talents to good use in book publishing and in the Bermondsey area of London. R.I.P.

Regards John

EMAILS TO THE EDITOR

Hi Ian,

I thought you might be interested to know that I played tennis for Bucks veterans last week with fellow former pupil Robin Smith 1961-62. We first played together for the County in 1963.I was still a pupil and was given time off school by ERT. Another member of our squad is former pupil Roger Keeley 1954 -61. He is currently recovering from a shoulder operation.

Best wishes, Dave Orchard (1956-1963)

Dear Ian,

I imagine you or someone else at the school will have spotted this but just in case you haven't... http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/sport/9141072.Dallaglio_to_be_included_in_Hall_of_Fame

... Freddie Hawkins and Clive Ashby to be inducted into the Wasps hall of fame. Freddie was both pupil and teacher at the RGS, of course. I remember him taking rugby in the mid-1960s. He left to start a sports retail business, Hawkinsport, which still has premises in Bourne End and Amersham, I believe.

I've also just had an email from Trevor Toms (RGS 1963-69) regarding a jug band he and others formed at the RGS in 1967. I've set up a page on my website - http://www.rgs.saund.co.uk/1967jugband.html - there is a photo with identification of all the band members (bar one), plus a link through to their website - http://www.reverbnation.com/revampedjugstompers - with photos of Trevor and two former jug band members, Adrian Broadway and Roger Martin-Fagg, who got together recently to recreate the jug band's sound. They have posted a few songs there. Very enjoyable!

Regards John Saunders

Ed: If you were at the RGS in the 1960s, do have a look at John's website.

Hi I am a friend of Alexander Holmes and Paul Handley from class of '92. Alexander and I are trying to get in touch with Paul Handley but we have lost all our contact details for him. Do you have any contact details you can pass on or is it possible to send him a message to contact us through the old boys network?

Many thanks, Anna Saunt

Ed: If you know of the contact details of Paul, please let me know.

Dear Sir,

On July 1967, I visited High Wycombe and spend two weeks at MILLOR, YEW TREE DRIVE, WIDMORE END, at MICHAEL G. MILES home, member of your Royal Grammar School. He also spent holidays here at my home in 1967, 1968, 1969. He was studying to become a Spanish teacher at that time. I should be glad to contact again with my friend.

Yours sincerely VICENTE F. PEREZ GOZALBO

Ed: If you know of the contact details of Michael, please let me know.

RGS Twitter account

I'm making an effort to tweet regularly - starting from this term.

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Alan Crease (Teacher at the RGS since 1980)

NEWS FROM THE RGS

Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe A Level Results Summer 2011

Noteworthy Achievements

We are delighted with an outstanding set of A level results that have exceeded our previous best year with 81% A*, A and B grades. All 178 candidates have qualified for Higher Education places and throughout the full range of the achievement spectrum, personal targets have been met and improved on. The average success rate per candidate was over three grade As.

One student achieved 6 A* grades at A level:

One student achieved 6 A*/A grades at A level:

Five students achieved 5 A* / A grades at A level:

Three students achieved four A* grades at A level:

The following students achieved at least three A* grades at A level:

18 boys achieved their Oxbridge entry requirements.

PRIZEGIVING

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The Guest of Honour at this year's Prize Giving was Old Wycombiensian (1968-1974) Mr Adam Wood, Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man and previously a diplomat who served in several posts in Africa.

After a musical interlude by Jordan Lam. James Duff and Jonny Lane, Mr Page opened the proceedings with an account of the school's highs and lows throughout the year. He spoke movingly of our late Head Of Maths, John-Paul Stevens and congratulated the colleagues who raised over £19000 pounds for Child Bereavment in his memory with their successful 3 Peaks Challenge. He also paid tribute to staff leaving this year, most notably Mike Earl after 38 years and Old Boy, Peter Toller.

After the awarding of the prizes Mr Wood spoke of the changes he had noted at RGS since his day. He said that today's teenagers are growing up in a world with much greater uncertainties than in his day. He left them with three pieces of advice;

He concluded with an adage that he had found useful in his career: Have courage to change the things you can, accept the things you cannot change, and have the wisdom to know the difference.

Ed: It was a real joy to see Adam again after so many years. A lot of those who had taught him in the early 1970s were there, including John Samways, Head of Geography, who had travelled up from Somerset, where he now lives.

If you wish to learn more of what is happening at the RGS, PLEASE CLICK HERE

THANKS!

Many thanks to Martin Berry for his management of the OW website and for his wonderful help in preparing the newsletters and the emails.

PHOTOS AND MEMORIES

If you have any photos or memories of the RGS, please send them to me, so that they can be published.

NEXT NEWSLETTER ON THE WEBSITE

Hopefully the next newsletter will appear in Jan.

With my very best wishes to all,

Ian Clark, ianrclarkuk@yahoo.co.uk