OPs at the Table From the Archives Tasty ways to earn a crust Gonville Place revisited

School News Bridging the Years Sixth Formers victorious OP’s expert view on in the Bank of England pupil’s research competition

Gift Gift An Enduring An Enduring From the Archives 16 07 Gonville Place revisited

OPs at the Table 16 Tasty ways to earn a crust

In Response 22 Pupil’s research work reviewed by OP

400th Anniversary 31 Celebrations update

Older and wiser... a school that is 399 not out has seen a lot of history. With 400 years of teaching and learning experience, The Perse is well placed to look beyond educational fads and concentrate on what makes a great school. No school can be better than the sum of its teachers, and this edition of OP News includes the obituary of the remarkable Keith Symons who created the CCF Naval Section and used it to develop teamwork, communication, leadership, resilience, and independence. Brilliant teachers inspire young minds, and The 02 Perse is fortunate to have so many enthusiastic, committed, and caring staff. Great schools know that talents come in many different 31 shapes and forms. We are delighted that four Perseans have been selected to represent the UK in academic Olympiads, and that Perse teams reached the national finals in indoor hockey, outdoor hockey, netball, and golf competitions. Beneath the headline successes great schools value the achievements of all their pupils emphasising that endeavour matters most of all. Great schools need excellent facilities to maximise pupil learning. We are very excited about our performing arts centre project, and the high class performance, assembly, lecture, exhibition and social space it will create. Designed by Stirling Prize winners Haworth Tompkins, the performing arts centre will transform The Perse site. But schools are nothing without pupils. The Perse benefits from being a community of talented children who spark off one 22 another to achieve great things. It is right that in our 400th year we are working hard to increase our means-tested bursary provision so that the benefits of a Perse education are open to all children irrespective of family wealth.

Ed Elliott Headmaster Old Perseans / Spring 2015

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Olympiads

Les DÉbatteurs

en Finale Nationale

Gold Sixth formers Monty Francis (U6) Linguistics – 1 and Tom Fane (L6) won the regional Physics – 11 final of the Independent Schools’ Silver Biology – 7 Bronze French Debating Competition, Linguistics – 2 Chemistry – 11 Linguistics – 7 securing them the honour of Biology – 11 Biology – 8 representing the Eastern Region at Chemistry – 20 Chemistry – 17 the national final. Students from over 80 independent Our students have achieved considerable success in recent subject Olympiads. schools took part in the competition, These national competitions, often spanning several rounds, are notoriously with only 10 teams being selected challenging, pushing students beyond the syllabus. The Perse punches well for the national final. Monty and Tom above its weight in these contests with, for example, eight of the 50 top Physics came in a very respectable joint fifth Olympiad One awards going to Perse students. In the Mathematics Olympiad, 12 place, narrowly missing qualification students received Distinctions. to the semi-final on the day by just one point. Félicitations, boys. Special mention goes to Thomas Read (Y11) who reached the national round of the British Informatics Olympiad, making him one of the top 15 young 04 programmers in the country; Jamie Bamber (U6) who has been asked to represent the country at the International Physics Olympiad in Mumbai; and William Drake (U6) who has been selected to compete for the UK in the International Chemistry Olympiad in Azerbaijan. Alex Harris (L6) will be part of the UK and Ireland team for the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad and Rosie Cates (Y11) is representing the UK at the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad in Belarus.

New F.R Leavis Target 2.0 Success Society Founded

A society named after F.R. Leavis, the twentieth century influential literary critic and Old Persean, has been formed at The Perse. The aim of the society is to enrich A level Four sixth formers have won the leading economics journalist. Hannah students’ understanding of the critical National Finals of the Bank of Kirk (U6), Jack Kleeman (U6), Alex debates surrounding English studies; England Target 2.0 competition. Harris (L6) and Ciaran Flaherty (L6) its subject matter will also appeal The Finals were held at the Bank proposed what the Deputy Governor to students studying related Arts and judged by the Deputy Governor called ‘a daring rate rise’, and secured subjects, including History, Politics of the Bank, two members of the first place with the strength of their and Philosophy. Monetary Policy Committee and a argument and supporting evidence. Old Perseans / Spring 2015

NATIONAL HOCKEY RUGBY BOYS SUCCESS

MAKE THE LAMBS A phenomenal hockey season saw four teams make the national finals. Hugo Chambré (U6) and Peter Gordon (U6) have been selected for The The U16 and U18 boys’ indoor hockey Independent Schools Lambs Rugby Club. The Lambs is an invitational side teams played well with excellent that selects from the best independent school players who are not part of an performances from individuals. academy at a professional club. This club is an ideal route to high level rugby Although this wasn’t enough to take for our pupils who are balancing high-academic achievement alongside their them to the semi-finals, it is still sporting careers. Players are nominated by their school teachers and have a huge achievement to reach this to progress through regional and north/south matches to win a place in the stage. The U16 girls’ hockey team, in national team. OP Josh Gray played for The Lambs in 2013. their first appearance at the National Schools Indoor Hockey Finals, There was rugby success for younger pupils too when the U13s sevens progressed all the way to the final, added to Perse silverware with their victory in the Northampton Saints Elite finishing runners-up to defending Insurance Cup. The boys will return to Franklin’s Gardens for a curtain closer champions Repton School. Repton to Northampton’s premiership game against London Welsh. also brought the U18 boys’ outdoor hockey campaign to an end; the team took 4th place in their national finals. Added to this, two Perse sports players have been selected TEAM for the England Hockey squads. Tess Howard (Y11) and Zaman Akhter (Y11) have been selected to represent EFFORT their country in the girls’ and boys’ national U16 Hockey squads. WINS THE 05 Netball 1st VII DAY Makes History

The Perse 1st VII netball team have This year, The Perse U13 girls’ made Perse and county history team won the County round of the by reaching the National Schools’ National Lady Taverners Indoor Netball Finals this year. The team Cricket tournament, which means should be incredibly proud of all they progress to the Regional Finals. that they have achieved; to qualify In the final the team bowled out for the event, train rigorously the opposition in just six overs. and then to play in extremely This was a true team effort and the Golf Team in competitive matches against some girls should be commended for the National Finals very talented netball schools is a quality of play throughout the day. fantastic achievement. The U15 girls’ team won the first The Perse Senior Golf Team of Perse Invitational Tournament in Christie Woosey (U6), Michael April. This event, and the local Pepper (L6) and Robin Anand schools’ league launched last year, (L6) has won the regional final have been created by Perse staff of the Independent Schools Golf to offer girls more opportunities to Association Matchplay Tournament. compete in this sport. The National Finals took them to Prince’s Golf Club and Royal St. George’s, home to The Open on many occasions. The team finished 18th and will be looking to reach the National Finals again next year for the chance to compete on the Old Course at St. Andrew’s. School News / Extra Curricular Full house for Our House

The Perse Players enjoyed performing to a packed ADC Theatre in their three-night run of Madness musical Our House. Led by Director in Residence Matt Hawksworth and Head of Extra-Curricular Music Ben Wingfield, the production provided stretching roles not just for performers but also for the School’s new Technical Theatre Club. During the rehearsals, pupils received a ‘break a leg’ video message from Mike Jibson, star of the original West End production, and a surprise visit from the cast of Rent, also at the ADC.

ANNUAL ROTARY CLUB Joan Rodgers TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE Masterclass

Seven Year 9 students took The Perse Music Department was part in the annual Rotary Club delighted to welcome acclaimed Technology Challenge alongside soprano Joan Rodgers to school other Cambridge Schools recently. Joan delivered an excellent including: Impington Village masterclass to nine of our senior College, Linton Village College, singers in front of an audience of The Leys School, St Mary’s School over 70. She performed for us at and St Bedes Inter-Church School. the beginning of the afternoon, 06 Each year a new engineering singing some Tchaikovsky followed challenge is set, usually involving by a dramatic and funny Mozart Shooting teams from Year 10 woodwork, electronics and the Aria. These performances proved and Sixth Form have recently application of the laws of physics. inspirational not just for those taken part in the Four to Shoot All of the students did extremely singing in the masterclass but also Championship finals, with well, but a special mention goes for the whole audience. considerable success. In Year to ‘Perse Team 2’ – Aidan Jones, 10, Matthew Dougherty shot a Harry Traherne and Owen Peckham magnificent 198 out of 200 in the – who won the overall award UNITED NATIONS second round of the competition, at the competition. They did a to secure himself a place in fantastic job with their design and Perse students from Years 11 to the final of the British Schools its implementation. Perse Team Upper Sixth attended the Model Smallbore Rifle Association Junior 1 – Masaki Hattori, Toby Proudfoot, United Nations Conference, where Championships. George Sanders, Lavnik Balyan and Mark Paschalis they acted as UN ambassadors, Andrew Hughes and Georgina Bush – also completed the challenge serving on a number of different performed excellently, but narrowly successfully with a great design. United Nations committees, missed out on the final. Their including the Security Council and scores meant they were still placed the Human Rights Committee. in the top 30. In the Sixth Form, Pupils also enjoyed a fascinating Elizabeth Ramsay, Sophie Burrows lecture by Professor Jack Spence and George Auty secured places from King’s College, London, who in the final of the British Schools spoke on whether it is ever right Smallbore Rifle Championships, to negotiate with terrorists. Over while Vsevolod Gostev just the course of the day, three Perse narrowly missed out on a place students were awarded ‘highly in the final. The top 20 students in commended delegate awards’ – the country will be taking part Salvador Buse (L6), Greg Stewart in the final. (U6) and Hamza Wahid (U6). Old Perseans / Spring 2015

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Gonville 1 Place 4

FROM ABOVE C. 1953

From 1890 to 1960 The Perse was at Gonville Place. Around 1953, eight photographs of the School and its surroundings were taken from the tower of the Catholic Church (Our Lady and the English Martyrs). 07 It is an obvious vantage point, yet one that seems not to have been utilised before or since. The photographer was Malcolm McFarlane, Head of Geography from 1948 to 1990, who gave the photos to the School in 2004 with the casual diffidence archivists have come 3 — The third photograph shows the School Hall, to expect from donors: ‘If they are of any use for the with Harvey Road running diagonally across the top archives feel free, otherwise chuck them out’. (Imagine right-hand corner. It is particularly interesting in getting the Crown Jewels through the post: ‘The showing the miscellaneous outbuildings, including the Monarchy has been abolished; are these old crowns Scout Hut (light roof furthest from the camera) and of any use to you?’) Four photos showing a panorama the corrugated iron hut (far right foreground) where from left to right have been selected here. the porter received inquirers. All these buildings were demolished in 1960. 1 — The street scene shows Regent Street looking north-west towards the city centre. At the bottom is a 4 — The final photograph looks further right and petrol station where Lloyds Bank now stands, with the higher to include Pendeen House (bottom right) which University Arms Hotel and Parker’s Piece visible top housed the Mummery and Music Room on the first right. The relative absence of street furniture and traffic floor, and classrooms above. Above the line of Harvey is striking, yet the Holford Report of 1950 named this Road can be seen part of Fenner’s, where the annual junction as the busiest in Cambridge. Athletics Sports were held. The view then fades towards the Mill Road area. One is reminded of the smoke 2 — Next we see the light-coloured render of the from coal fires that hung over towns before the Clean 1934 extension, which added science labs, a dining Air Act (1956). hall and a masters’ common room. This wing survives, incorporated into the Examinations Syndicate Time can lend a fascination to the humblest of buildings. The house behind, facing Drosier Road, has objects: readers are encouraged to regard the since been demolished. archive as a filter between their Perse bric-a-brac and a skip. All contributions gratefully received. Feature

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An Enduring Gift Old Perseans / Spring 2015

— The Perse their intellectual potential, maximises talents, launches a major provides routes for social mobility and delivers fundraising on its longstanding charitable mission. Our vision is to double the number of campaign children supported by the Bursary Fund by 2025. We expect to create these places with money from three sources: from investment income, from the growth of the endowed On Thursday 19 March 2015 more than 150 Bursary Fund and, of course, from generous guests gathered at the School to help us philanthropic donations. launch a major fundraising campaign: An Enduring Gift. We were delighted to count Beyond the School Gates among our guests Sir David Tang (1973) and Through the Bursary Fund we will only ever Joanna Lumley. Joanna spent some time with be able to reach out to a limited number of students who performed on the night and children, but we are keen to do more and so delivered a passionate speech highlighting the complement the bursary provision with our importance of performing arts in developing outreach programme. It enables us to support confident presentation and communication a much wider group of children locally and skills. Dr Perse founded the School 400 years internationally. ago through a bequest with the express wish We have forged links with 17 local that it should provide an excellent education primary schools. Our pupils and staff visit for talented children of all backgrounds. We these schools on a fortnightly basis to produce remain committed to his vision and through learning materials, to support children with this campaign seek to make the School even special educational needs and to teach classes stronger for the generations to come and to in Mathematics, Latin, French and Computer 09 enhance the role we play in the local community Science. In partnership with the Fitzwilliam as a charitable organisation. Museum, King’s and Gonville and Caius Colleges we have also developed a 1-to-1 mentoring The Bursary Fund programme with Perse sixth formers using Between 1945 and 1997 the School received History and Art to spark intellectual curiosity, government support and many of you owe your instil confidence and raise aspirations among Perse education to the Direct Grant and Assisted primary school pupils. Places schemes. Today, with no government We are proud of our special partnership support available, to protect those free and with Christel House, an international charity subsidised places we rely on the generosity of that operates in some of the world’s most those who share our belief in education as the impoverished communities to transform lives greatest, most lasting gift. Without this support through education. We support Christel House we would have to raise the fees significantly by means of teacher secondments, exchange which would reduce affordability and, as a of expertise, fundraising and collaborative result, the breadth of our intake. student projects. The Bursary Fund provides £1 million of means-tested fees assistance each year to 120 students across the Prep and the Upper. It also enables us to support families of current pupils who face sudden and unexpected hardship. In so doing The Perse helps children realise

This feature is continued over the next two pages Feature

Continued Our vision is This feature is continued from the previous page. to double the number of children supported by the Bursary Fund A Centre for Outstanding Performance Drama, debating, public speaking, music by 2025 recitals and performances all help children develop the self-confidence, communication skills and dedication needed for later success. For The Perse, an outstanding performing arts centre is perhaps particularly important, building as it does on our heritage of placing Drama at the heart of teaching here. But this facility will do much more than simply promote the arts. It will enable us to Haworth Tompkins encompass and enrich a host of activities across 2014 Sterling Prize Winners all academic departments, for example by The Perse has selected Haworth Tompkins to hosting educational seminars and conferences develop a remarkable new performance space for on all subjects including Science, Technology, the school. Haworth Tompkins was established Engineering and Enterprise. in 1991 and has since created a range of award- We have outgrown our existing spaces winning designs for performing arts projects 10 and there is a pressing need for this new across the UK. development, which will feature a 364-seat Currently, the firm is engaged on the galleried auditorium, fully equipped front and master-planning, extension and improvement of back of house areas, a two storey glass encased the National Theatre on the South Bank and the foyer for exhibitions and receptions, and a redevelopment of the Bristol Old Vic. Other works café. The flexible and architecturally inspiring include the redevelopment of the Chichester building will be enhanced by a beautifully Festival Theatre; the redesigning of the Young landscaped courtyard, where pupils can take Vic; the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; the Britten a break from a busy school day to socialise, Studio and Jerwood Kiln Studio at Aldeburgh; and reflect and relax. the Royal Court Theatre in London. We are fully committed to this project as part of the most radical development of the School site since the move to Hills Road in 1960, and the majority of the finances are in place. But we now need your help to raise £2 Would you like to find out more? million to complete the final step in realising If you would like to find out more about the this important project. campaign and how to support it, please visit:

www.perse.co.uk/ oldperseans/anenduringgift

or contact: Maša Amatt Director of Development [email protected] T 01223 403835 Old Perseans / Spring 2015

Income v expenditure A Look (excluding capital expenditure) at School Finances Fees Growth in pupil numbers Investment income (which ends in 2015/16) and Other educational income prudent financial management has put the School in a strong financial position. Once we have met our day-to-day operating costs, we are left with a balance to put towards future bursaries Education & welfare and major improvements Bursaries, scholarships, etc. Premises (excluding capex) (captial expenditure). Administration Interest

Year-on-year surplus v capital expenditure

£12m Although capital expenditure varies year-on-year, over the past £9m nine years we have spent more than our surplus. The anticipated £6m cumulative cost of major 11 improvements at all three schools £3m in the decade to 2015/16 is £40m, which exceeds the anticipated

0 cumulative operating surplus by £6.8m. Loans and generous ‘06 / ‘07 ‘08 / ‘09 ‘10 / ‘11 ‘12 / ‘13 ‘14 / ‘15 donations make up the shortfall.

– Capital expenditure – Surplus – Surplus plus donations – Surplus plus donations and loan income, less loan repayments Our strategy is to make major improvements as early as possible, 10 year cumulative surplus to maximise the number of today’s students who benefit from the v capital expenditure changes that their fees are helping £6.8 million to finance. To do this, we must £45m shortfall secure loans in addition to the £35m donations we receive. The surplus helps us to service and secure £25m loans at competitive interest rates.

£15m

£5m 0 * school funded capex = capex net of donations received specifically ‘06 / ‘07 ‘15 / ‘16 for capital projects. ** surplus = net Pupil Nos 975 Pupil Nos 1,560 incoming resources on unrestricted – School funded capex* – Surplus** activities excluding depreciation on – Surplus plus loan income less loan repayments pre 2006/07 assets. OP News

Harmonies in the music are strongly influenced by modern jazz

12 OP News

An Old Persean has been engaged by the Master and Fellows of St John’s College Cambridge to compose a special piece of music for St John’s Chapel Choir and Marimba. The commission, which was part of the college music festival, was a re-interpretation of the Marian text, Salve Regina, originally set to music by Herbert Howells; the harmonies in the music are strongly James Welland influenced by modern jazz, but the way the commissioned by the choir’s voices interact are more in line with Master and Fellows Renaissance choral writing. James Welland of St John’s College (2006), who also gained his Masters in Music Composition from St John’s College, is now a freelance composer and pianist living in London. Salve Regina received its first performance in the Chapel in February this year. Old Perseans / Spring 2015

Harry Whittle (2009) has received the John L. Ziegler Award for Outstanding Capstone Project for his Masters dissertation from the University of California. Harry’s project, Food insecurity, chronic sickness, and violence among low-income HIV patients in the Bay Area, was cited for being compelling in its design, execution, and scope. ‘Harry’s novel analysis of the structural drivers of food insecurity demonstrated his commitment to science coupled with deep compassion for our most vulnerable populations,’ said Jaime Sepulveda, Executive Director of UCSF Global Health Sciences, when announcing the award.

OP and former Governor The Rev Dr John Polkinghorne’s (1948) book The Faith of a Physicist (1994) has been included in the prestigious new Princeton University Press Legacy Library. This library’s commitment is ‘to disseminating the highest quality scholarship 13 both within academia and to society at large.’

Tea & Buns as Usual: My years at the Perse School 1940–1952. With The Perse rapidly approaching its 400th birthday, Rodney Dale (1952) is recording some of his memories from his time at the School. “My years Rodney says: ‘My years at The Prep coincided with World War II, so I have woven in at The Prep some wartime memories. The title comes from the coincided with conclusion of Stanley Stubbs’s announcements of forthcoming activities of School Clubs and those of the Societies at the end of morning assemblies. If you recognize the phrase, you may well want to read Second World the book.’ War” If you are interested in a copy please contact Rodney at: [email protected] Rodney Dale or contact the Alumni & Development Office at The Perse School. OP News

Old Persean George Davies (2013) has recently been awarded an Institution of Engineering and Technology Diamond Jubilee Scholarship. Given Old Persean to just 69 engineering students at the beginning of awarded an this academic year, these scholarships are awarded to students who achieved at least three A grades at IET Diamond A level, and went on to study on an IET accredited engineering or technology degree course. Jubilee This prestigious scholarship entitles the recipient to financial support during their study, Scholarship with winners also benefitting from mentoring and work experience through IET networks.

Mark Summers (2005) has been nominated and Highly Commended at the annual EDF Energy East of England Media Awards 2014 for Newcomer of the Year. Mark currently works 14 for Freeview channel Mustard TV, based in Norwich. Mark studied Journalism at Newcastle University and has experience in print and broadcast news.

Marco Young (2012) has had great success at the Marlowe Society, the most distinguished dramatic society at Cambridge University. Marco has just played Exeter (the king’s advisor) in Shakespeare’s Henry V, which was part of their annual event production this year for which the society brings in a professional director (this year’s was Lisa Blair) to work with a student cast. Notable alumni of the Society include: Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Peter Hall (1949), John Barton, Sir Trevor Nunn, Rachel Weisz, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Old Perseans / Spring 2015

The Perse Year Group Representatives Scheme Launched

In February 2015 we launched the Year Name Class Group Representatives scheme. The inaugural Oscar Giles 2014 meeting held at The Perse brought together Harriet McLean 2014 20 OPs who had recently agreed to take James Gardiner 2013 on this new role. They had an opportunity Eloise Wilson 2013 to hear about the plans for the upcoming 400th anniversary, including events and Christopher Kingstone 2011 memorabilia, as well as about the activities Michael Franklin 2010 of the Alumni & Development Office more Rajen Mahendra 2010 broadly. Feedback gathered at the meeting Ophelia Brook 2008 enabled us to shape some of the plans better Nicholas McLellan 2008 to reflect OPs tastes and interests. George Dean 2006 The YGR scheme is designed to foster Thea Doble 2006 15 closer links between The Perse School and Victoria Brookes 2004 its alumni. YGRs will liaise with the School, Adam Harris 2004 and in so doing, help to build a feeling of participation and mutual interest. The Benjamin Freedman 2002 important, two-way communication will enable Duncan Parish 1998 us to tailor various engagement opportunities Andrew Herriot 1994 so that they are of interest to OPs. John Odell 1990 YGRs provide an indispensable service Morris Berrie 1984 to The Perse by helping and encouraging Simon Flett 1981 contact among alumni, as well as between Yuen-Wei Chew 1982 the alumni and the School, and providing Timothy Dingle 1977 feedback on the School’s programme of alumni events and communications. Julian Tunnicliffe 1976 On the right is a list of the current Lindsay Marr 1974 Year Group Representatives. If you would Arthur Brookes 1970 like to make contact with your YGR please William Harrison 1968 email [email protected] with the name of Stephen Stanley 1964 your rep and we will forward your message John Sacks 1964 on. We are still in the process of recruiting David Ward 1962 OPs who are willing to act as YGRs for their Brian Bertram 1961 alumni year group; if you would be interested in taking on this role where there is a vacancy Victor Walne 1960 we would be delighted to hear from you. Michael Johnson 1956 Ian Gordon, Rodney Dale 1950s Peter Biggs, Anthony Gray 1940s Feature

OPs at the table

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restaurants and pubs nationally as well as to Cambridge colleges. The demands of a modern food manufacturing business are now very stringent and food safety and traceability are paramount. As well as having a great iconic Grant Powter (1976) food product to start with, marketing Managing Director and PR have been important to our success. Also vital in keeping the brand Powters Sausages fresh and relevant in a hugely competitive market have been product design, recipe A Family Business innovation and packaging.

During the early seventies at school I had no intention of entering the family Recently, the business, which at that time was just a Newmarket Sausage butcher’s shop. became the UK’s 50th In 1976 my father bought a small farm food product to gain and everything changed. I must have spent PGI protected status much of my A level year (I was a boarder) poring over the map of the newly-acquired land, imagining myself on the tractor ploughing and rearing livestock (beef cattle). Recently, the Newmarket Sausage became Eventually, after working on other farms and the UK’s 50th food product to gain PGI 17 completing an HND in agriculture at Seale protected status in the EU, alongside Parma Hayne in Devon, I established a 100-sow pig ham, Stilton cheese and Champagne! With breeding enterprise to supply our shop and the Cumberland, it is one of only two more recently I have bred pedigree Welsh sausages to share this accolade in this country. Black cattle which we reared organically on At the time I left The Perse most of the farm – a lesson in sustainability! my peers went to university and went on to The pig unit occupied my time pursue illustrious academic or professional careers. Business or vocational courses were for about 20 years. During this time the not widely encouraged and I am pleased that shop was thriving, partly due to the pork this is no longer the case. As an only child but mainly as a result of the popularity of there was a degree of pressure to continue and the Newmarket Sausage, which my family develop the family business but I don’t regret had produced since 1881 (it was my great my choice and find the challenges of running grandfather’s recipe). It became increasingly a small business stimulating and rewarding, if evident that I needed to market the sausages at times frustrating! As managing director and more widely to satisfy demand and I set up a an employer of 20 people, I am aware that factory to enable us to supply supermarkets ‘the buck stops here’ but it is good to be one’s which were key to this. I was soon supplying own boss and I am beginning to enjoy more not just Cambridge and District Co-op, time, the rewards and to plan the succession but also Tesco, and we were delivering to of the fifth generation. superstores all around Cambridge, eventually becoming a regional supplier throughout East Anglia and including Sainsbury’s and Continued Waitrose. We now also supply to caterers This feature continues and food service distributors supplying on the following pages. Feature

insight into the wealth of careers involved with food. I come from a family who have established a business in food (Powters Sausages) and indeed it is certainly the reason why my father, brother and I were able to be put through private education. Lydia Powter (2007) Private Chef Anyone who glances Lydia Powter Catering at the media nowadays will immediately see After taking my A levels at The Perse, something food-related; I took a gap year as a chalet host over it is a big industry and a ski season and then went travelling. being at Leiths gave I went to the University of Leeds where me an appreciation and I graduated with a 2:1 in Management. insight into the wealth Following this I had a couple of jobs in of careers involved the City but realised my true passion was cooking. I then decided to re-train as a with food. professional cook, so I went to Leiths School of Food and Wine in London, where I gained a distinction in the Diploma 18 My brother (also an OP) has gone in Food and Wine. Since leaving Leiths, down the more conventional route and I have cooked abroad and all over this is now a fully qualified lawyer. However, country, at a range of different functions. he tells me all the time he wishes he had I am still in the early days of setting up my his own business and that would feel like own business. a greater success to him than being in a I valued my time at The Perse as conventional job. I felt it gave me an all-round education, Since moving away from London, and I chose the school over other schools I am now local to Cambridge and I am as it wasn’t all about academia. I think looking to establish some local clients in this is extremely important in children’s the area. schooling. We were able to choose between a great variety of enrichment activities. I did CCF in L6th and then Art in U6th, which gave me a chance to do something creative, that was not part of my A level subjects. I think this equips students better for both university and later life. One thing we weren’t offered (although this may well have changed now) was anything culinary. Anyone who glances at the media nowadays will immediately see something Continued food-related; it is a big industry and being This feature continues at Leiths gave me an appreciation and on the following pages. Old Perseans / Spring 2015

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that I believed in, wines that had a story, that were made with individuality. So I took the plunge to start my own business. We are staunchly independent and love to give friendly knowledgeable advice and sell top quality characterful wines without any pretentiousness. Noel Young (1987) Owner of Noel Young Wines and Co-owner of Magpie Estate The Perse allowed me to express myself in Noel Young Wines many ways, gave me confidence in taking I left The Perse back in 1987 and started responsibility and my business – Noel Young Wines – in 1991, moving to our current premises just public speaking. up the road from The Perse at 56 High Street Trumpington in 1992. I wanted to get even closer to the I look back at my time at the School fondly. subject and a meeting in Australia in 1993 Whilst not academically hugely successful, proved very fruitful. I had fallen in love with I had a full and enjoyable time. I keep in Australian wines very early on, and later touch with many Old Perseans, and many that year decided to start a business there: others have become customers. Even my old a venture called Magpie Estates, with my headmaster, the legendary Mr Melville, is now partner Rolf Binder. I go over twice a 20 still to this day a fairly regular customer. year and get involved in all aspects of the Sport and acting were what I business, including the blending of the excelled in, captaining Athletics and Cross wines. My favourite part is creating wines Country, and I also directed the Sixth and styles, then seeing people rate them Form play. I think The Perse allowed me highly and enjoy them. to express myself in many ways, gave me Today NYW has a retail and confidence in taking responsibility and wholesale business. We work as an agent public speaking. I always knew I was for wineries around the world selling on to destined to run my own business; my father other independent merchants around the UK and the stores like Selfridges and Harvey had his own supermarket when he was 21, Nichols. My brother Daniel, also an OP, so I guess it was in the blood. joined the business in 1993 and is in many I grew up in a pub and restaurant ways my right hand man. In 1997 we were and alcohol in its many guises always joined by Jamie Harrison and to present fascinated me. Why did this real ale taste day remain a small, loyal and superbly different to another, why did that whisky knowledgeable team. smell of peat when another did not, and of We are excited to be involved in the course wine and its many, many, tastes and 400th anniversary celebrations for which I different types of production. have created a couple of exclusive blends from A few months after I left school, the our estates in Australia. These will be available assistant manager role became available at from September 2015. Victoria Wine opposite Heffers. I applied, and in three months I was branch manager (still 18), and started taking wine courses. I found I had a natural flair for the subject and soon realised that I wanted to sell wines Old Perseans / Spring 2015

I am now the 6th generation of the family to run the business.

Philip Schluter (1991)

Managing Director mid-twentieth century, we have been focused and Owner on African coffees, and since I took over, we have specialised in gourmet coffees Schluter Ltd from Africa. Over 90% of African coffee is The Joy of produced by smallholder farmers, who are subsistence farmers relying on coffee as their African Coffee only cash crop. Their coffee price dictates their cash income for the year, and thus is a I grew up in Kenya and have many happy big contributor to their standard of living. My memories of my childhood. My time there dissertation at Oxford showed that increasing gave me a passion for East Africa, and a smallholders’ incomes is one of the most desire to see economic development in effective ways to develop a local economy, the region. as almost all of the expenditure is on locally produced goods, as well as health and At The Perse, I chose to study History, education. As well as a passion for African development, I have developed a passion Geography and Economics, and really for coffee as a product. There are many and enjoyed all three – gaining a broad varied natural flavours in coffee, stemming understanding of the world of trade and from different tree varietals (such as Typica, 21 business, and the challenges faced in different Bourbon, Caturra, Batian), different soils regions of the world. I have great memories of and growing conditions (with altitude a studying all three for A levels, and of enjoying key determinant of flavour), and processing the sixth form years. methods – coffee is fermented rather like I applied for History and Economics wine, or can be sun-dried, leading to a less at Jesus College in Oxford, with the aim of acid, sweeter and thicker coffee – more like studying African development. After the first grape juice. I love to show consumers the year, I realised that the only mention of Africa difference between different coffees, and see in the course materials for the next two years them discover flavours which they did not was in a course entitled ‘British Colonial know existed. Policy Abroad’. I switched to Geography We today serve over 70 roasting and was lucky to make the move without clients worldwide including South Africa, repeating a year. I studied international trade Morocco, Palestine, Israel, Japan, South and took papers on the history of Southern Korea, most European countries, the USA, Africa. On graduating, I was offered a job by Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We my uncle in our family coffee business, based are buying primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya, at the time near Geneva in Switzerland (my Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, father was involved in Christian charities in D.R. Congo and Cameroon, and have our the UK). I joined the family business at the own offices or sourcing operations in many bottom, and worked for two years in the of these countries. It is great to get to travel sample room preparing coffee samples to the world doing something you love, and I send them all over the world. I then joined am grateful for the foundations I received the trading team, and ended up buying the through a great education, and the teachers majority of the business in 2003 and taking who inspired me and nurtured my interests over as MD. what now seems a long time ago. The Schluter coffee business was founded in 1858, with offices in London and Liverpool, and I am now the 6th generation of the family to run the business. Since the Feature

In Response

Cole Sansom (U6) writes: — How have I’m fascinated by the idea of artistic or literary movements, how just a few artists can suddenly change the artistic landscape into the writings something completely different from what it was a generation before. For my Extended Project Qualification, I decided I wanted of David to focus on recent changes in literature and stumbled upon the works of the author David Foster Wallace. I read more of his books Foster Wallace until I was sure that I wanted to research more for the EPQ and I influenced discovered many critics who argued that he caused a significant change in American Literature. For my project, I not only read 22 a change in many of Wallace’s works (both fiction and non-fiction), but many critical works about Wallace as well as several more recent novels. Postmodern I intended to find out any connection between his work and other recent works of fiction. Literature? Wallace is most celebrated for his 1996 behemoth of a novel Infinite Jest, in which he creates a near-future USA in order to demonstrate the problems of postmodern literature, and an attempt to escape them. In his essay ‘E Unibus Pluram’, Wallace argues that irony, once a useful tool in postmodern fiction, has become absorbed and commercialised into mainstream culture. In the ‘60s, it was a literary device used to tear down hypocrisies, but by the ‘80s and ‘90s it had not only lost its purpose, but it had become the aura that surrounded society. This, along with post-structural theories of language, had led to an antihumanistic literary landscape in which both authors and readers had lost faith in language’s ability to communicate meaning. Wallace attempted to write literature that used postmodernist irony for humanist ends; to restore language and literature’s faith in humanity, and literature’s own power to be meaningful. Infinite Jest features a man who struggles to be earnest and sincere in a society that favours ironic detachment, who never quite manages to communicate his emotions to other people. The book features nearly 400 endnotes, which are placed so the reader is deliberately taken out of the fiction, and is not only confronted with the constructedness of the story, but has an active role in piecing it together. Wallace’s fiction often uses layers of distortion separating the reader from the story, in order to reflect questions of meaning back towards the reader. Old Perseans / Spring 2015

Literary influences Cole Sansom U6

23 Feature

Continued This article is continued from the previous page.

For the project, I read recent novels such as Mark I would look at Danielewski’s House of Leaves and Dave Eggers’s A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, in order to look for Wallace’s influence. the partial I found that these texts and many others also utilised devices he popularised. House of Leaves features a ‘spiral of remediation’, in decrypts which many different layers of editing and editors prevent the reader from directly accessing the story, but also has the opposite effect and try to find of making it more distant. Instead, the story and the relationships word fragments between the characters on the different levels of editing feel more realistic and meaningful. Danielewski claimed that he was inspired 24 which I would by Infinite Jest’s use of endnotes, and in House of Leaves, the reader plays an even more active role, piecing together the text’s many complete and narratives and characters, and navigating through the maze of writing that is sometimes spiralling across the page, and other times add to the backwards or even upside down. These devices allow the reader to find some sort of meaning through the novel, which features irony cribs. In this and sincerity in equal measures; both used towards humanist ends, as Wallace envisaged. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, way I was shows many signs of Wallace’s influence as well. Eggers, who was a close acquaintance of Wallace, doesn’t hold back on emotion; the able to novel reads as if he is throwing his feelings at the reader. Instead of postmodernist detachment, reconstruct the Eggers aims for sincerity and honesty, and by not withholding any emotion, he manages to communicate his feelings to the reader. original key. The novel features a lengthy preface and addendum, advising the reader on how to approach it, interpret it, and possibly miss out selected chapters, further increasing the reader’s control over the narrative, as well as making the presence of the writer felt. This allows Eggers to directly communicate with the reader, and what could be seen as a postmodern device is used for humanist ends. Ultimately, Wallace’s writing has influenced the novels I have mentioned, along with several others, in creating fiction in which poststructural and postmodern techniques are used for humanist ends. He has ushered in a new trend in fiction, influencing writers such as Jonathan Franzen and Zadie Smith to create literature that emphasises sincerity. Old Perseans / Spring 2015

itself, Wallace and those that centre of the American canon have followed him have sought in the 1950s because (among not only to move beyond the other things) of its investigation metafictional devices employed of the American psyche at a by Pynchon, Kurt Vonnegut, time when the Cold War made In Response John Barth and others, but also this investigation of paramount to play openly active roles in interest; Beloved seemed to TO Cole Sansom transforming individual lives. Thus, act as a particularly sensitive for example, Dave Eggers founded register of new multiculturalist ScholarMatch, an organisation histories that challenged the devoted to finding donors for optimistic and often triumphalist students requiring assistance with accounts of national identity that college tuition fees, published had dominated the post-War a collection of interviews with years. Did these books assume exonerated former death-row such importance because they Every decade or so, American prisoners, and released What Is enabled readers to reshape literary studies seem to become the What: The Autobiography of their understanding of the fixated on the significance of Valentino Achak Deng (2006), a United States, or was it that a particular novel. During the ‘non-fiction novel’ recounting the they articulated ideas already 1950s and ’60s, it was Herman story of Deng, a Sudanese refugee understood and agreed upon Melville’s Moby-Dick (published whose travails continued after he more widely in particularly in 1851, but only receiving serious had migrated to the United States. effective ways? critical attention after World As Sansom notes, one of the key Sansom has written a War Two); in the 1970s, it was features of Wallace’s fiction has report that identifies these issues Thomas Pynchon’s postmodern been its suspicion of irony, once in a manner that stresses their epic, Gravity’s Rainbow (1973), a central component of ‘high’ impact on literary studies and, 25 while Toni Morrison’s Beloved literature, but now ‘absorbed and even more importantly, makes the (1987) was at the heart of literary commercialised into mainstream case for the ongoing significance debate through the 1990s. In culture.’ For Sansom, Infinite Jest of serious literary fiction in the recent years, it appears that features ‘irony and sincerity in twenty-first century. The report is David Foster Wallace’s Infinite equal measure’ in its quest for very well structured and clear and Jest (1996) has assumed the role humanist significance. I wonder, indicates that he has understood previously occupied by these however, about the extent to the multiple ways in which David books, attracting the interest of which the two can be separated: Foster Wallace has helped to a new generation of academics irony, as Susan Sontag noted in reshape the literary terrain. and students. the 1960s, is very much in the Sansom’s grasp of the nuances In his report, Cole Sansom eye of the beholder, a point that of this debate suggests that he is identifies several of the reasons Wallace seems fully aware of in ideally placed to conduct further why Infinite Jest has become so his insistence on the role of the research in the area. significant: he notes that – unlike reader in shaping the meaning earlier purveyors of postmodernist of a text. fiction – Wallace is determined to Sansom begins by reinstate not only the importance recording his fascination with the of humanist values within literature, extent to which ‘a few artists can but also to reclaim a central place change the artistic landscape into for literature in debates over something completely different the future of humankind. Where from what it was a generation earlier postmodern writers, such before.’ While I would endorse Dr Chris Gair (1979) as Thomas Pynchon, sought to this claim wholeheartedly, Senior Lecturer in English conceal their own identity and I would also add a note of Literature, University insist that the text speak for caution: Moby-Dick was at the of Glasgow Outreach Enterprise Conference

Almost 250 students from 20 co-author and designer of the — Almost schools from across the East award-winning Cook.Taste. of England, including King Smile - multi-touch cookbooks 250 students Edward VI School Bury St for iPad; Johnny Luk, CEO of the Edmunds, Meridian Academy, National Association of College from 20 King’s School Peterborough, and University Entrepreneurs; Uppingham School, Saffron and Max Grell (2009), co-founder schools from Walden County High and The of GivTree – an online platform across the Perse met successful business that uses a chain reaction of people last February to learn donations to raise money for East of about what it takes to start up charity. their own business. Students pitched their England met Student delegates aged 15-18 business ideas to a panel of reviewed business case studies judges consisting of OPs and successful to select the most promising, current parents, including: and designed a plan to grow the Rick Mitchell (1962), former business business, pitching their ideas to Group Technical Director of a panel of ‘Dragons’ to secure Domino Printing Sciences and people last £100,000 of ‘investment’. Their Visiting Professor of Innovation second networking workshop at University of Cambridge; 26 February to tested students’ ability to form Glenn Collinson, co-founder of effective working relationships Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR); learn about by quizzing 15 potential business Dan Sandhu, Chairman & CEO of people to find out who was a Digital Assess and Swift Shift; and what it takes genuine business guru and who Ewan Kirk, CEO and co-founder was an impostor. of Cantab Capital Partners LLP. to start up This annual event, now in its Ed Elliott, The Perse Head tenth year, is organised by The commented: ‘The proliferation their own Perse School, and is designed in start-ups over recent years to help students develop their means any careers advice business. interpersonal and leadership worth its salt must include the skills, whilst learning about what opportunities entrepreneurship it takes to start up a business can offer. We need to realise the and attract that all-important talents of the next generation investment to drive it forward. and ensure that good business Business leaders who shared ideas and flair are supported their insights included William and developed. This conference Reeve (1990), founder of connects the would-be LOVEFiLM and co-founder of entrepreneurs of tomorrow Secret Escapes and Zoopla; with the successful business Edward Taylor (2010), leaders of today.’ Old Perseans / Spring 2015

Keith Symons 1948 – 1966

“Remembered with affection as an inspirational man.”

David Ward (1962) writes: In 1966 Keith was appointed Headmaster Keith Noel (Ken) Symons died on 12 December 2014 of Ryde School on the Isle of Wight, at that time aged 90. At a Service of Thanksgiving attended by a modest boys-only school. He soon established a over 400 family and friends representing the myriad CCF Contingent which produced three Admirals range of his life interests, readings by members of and numerous senior officers across the three Keith’s family were followed by a eulogy presented by services. In 1982 he was awarded the OBE for his nephew Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. services to the CCF. 27 Keith attended Dartford Grammar School By the time Keith retired in 1984 Ryde and was an enthusiastic member of the OTC. In 1942 School was fully co-educational and is now a he was awarded an Open Exhibition to St Catherine’s member of the Headmasters’ Conference with over College Oxford to read History. 800 pupils. The school named a magnificent new In 1943 Keith was called up; on D-Day, at cricket pavilion after him and for many years he the age of 20, he commanded three Landing Craft was president of the Old Rydeans Association. The Tanks and landed the 6th Battalion Green Howards Bentleys of Perse days gave way to a collection of on Gold Beach. He made a total of 14 Channel three Rolls Royce limousines. crossings. Later Keith served in a variety of HM Keith and Jean retired to Wilton near vessels on the Middle East and Far East stations. Salisbury. They remained very active in the local After V-J Day he commanded a minesweeper. and wider community. Keith was Chairman of In 1946 Keith resumed his studies at Oxford, the Wiltshire and District branch of the RNLI, an graduating in 1948, and immediately accepting an active member of his local church and was for a time appointment as House Tutor and assistant History Secretary and Chairman of the National Association of Master at The Perse. In the 1960s he was Housemaster Decorative and Fine Arts Societies. of the Junior Boarding House, supported by his wife Sadly Jean died in 2008; Keith is survived Jean whom he married in 1954. Keith and Jean by his daughters Emma and Jo. formed a close friendship with Keith and Beryl Barry Keith Symons will be remembered with and between them provided the perfect foil for Stanley affection as an inspirational man of strong family Stubbs’ methods of maintaining discipline. commitment with a firm belief in development of In 1949 Keith formed the Naval Section the individual; for his wisdom, courtesy, kindness of the CCF which flourished under his enthusiastic and enthusiasm for all that is good in life – not to leadership. Former RN Cadets recall ‘Arduous mention his sartorial elegance and mischievous sense Training’ in the form of East Coast and Norfolk of humour. Broads sailing, punting Canadian canoes on the upper Cam and an eclectic range of courses on Royal Navy ships and shore establishments made available through Keith’s contacts in the Navy. Obituaries

Benjamin, Stanley Barry (1947), died 2012, aged 84 years Colin Kidman OBE Challis, Dr Michael Farinton (1965), died 27 October 2014, aged 67 years 1938

Cope, Colin Edward (1950), died 5 April 2015, aged 84 years Mr Charles Kidman writes: I feel honoured and privileged to have been asked Doggett, John Sidney (1946), to write some words about Colin’s life. Colin was died 25 February 2015, aged 87 years a very proud OP, a fact illustrated by the support he gave to the School over many years. He greatly Garraway MBE, Allan George Weldon (left 1938), appreciated the fact that the School kept in touch and died 30 December 2014, aged 88 years acknowledged his generosity. On leaving school in 1938 he went to The Goodman, Adrian Stuart (1946), London School of Building. However, during his died 2 December 2014, aged 84 years second year, the College was bombed and totally destroyed. Colin returned to Cambridge. He failed Halnan, Judge Patrick John (1942), his medical call-up for Military Service due to his died 14 December 2014, aged 89 years severe asthma and so began his employment with Kidman & Sons, the family building company Khazzam, Jack (1935), founded by his grandfather in 1876. Colin’s died 19 October 2014, aged 97 years distinguished career with the company lasted 72 years, including 40 as Chairman. Moore, Keith (1957), died 25 April 2015, aged 76 years 28 Morris, William David Lee (1947), died 19 December 2014, aged 82 years “Colin was a very proud Mossop, David John (1959), died 6 September 2014, aged 72 years Old Persean.”

Sheppard, David Samuel (1953), died 3 December 2013, aged 76 years Colin represented the company at the local Walne, The Rev Alfred Damien Sydney (1957), branch of the National Federation of Building Trade died 7 March 2015, aged 74 years Employers. His knowledge, expertise and ability to express himself, was quickly recognised and he was Whittaker, Robert (1958 – 1988), asked to Chair the National Small Firms’ Committee. Head of Mathematics; died 29 March 2015 It was for this work, which he did so well, that he was awarded his OBE. Wilmore, Joseph Clarence (1941), Colin also became a Tax Commissioner, sat on died 11 October 2014, aged 92 years Industrial Tribunals and became more involved with Masonry, where he held very high office. Colin’s sporting passions included horse racing and cricket. He played for The Travellers Cricket Club and was, for many years, their President. He was also, for a number of years, Chairman of the Cambridgeshire County Cricket Club. More online Sadly in 2011, Colin suffered a minor stroke This list was up-to-date when we and, after careful thought, decided to move to a home went to print. Obituaries may be where he would be looked after; a typically selfless read in full on the website decision by a much loved and respected man. Colin www.perse.co.uk/oldperseans died on 26 April 2014, aged 92.

Old Perseans / Spring 2015

John Terence milligan miller 1944 1937

John Milligan grew up at The Perse where his Adapted from The Daily Telegraph father, a retired Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer, Terence Miller was a geologist and palaeontologist who, as was the caretaker. John progressed to Gonville and a university administrator, came under fire from extremes Caius College with a county scholarship. He sang of Right and Left. Early in his career he contributed to in the college choir and took part in tennis and volumes of Pevsner’s Buildings of England series; as a hockey which he continued to play for many years. palaeontologist he isolated and identified a group of Following his degree in Natural Sciences, he studied aquatic invertebrate animals, the Upper Palaeozoic Bryozoa. medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, where he met After education at The Perse School, Terence and married Doreen. won a scholarship to Jesus College to read Natural Sciences. His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. After seeing action on D-Day and at Arnhem, Terence returned to Cambridge to complete his studies and remained at Jesus as a research fellow. “John grew up at The Perse where his father was a caretaker.” “In later life Terence moved to Norfolk where he devoted 29 He thought of studying anaesthetics, but an RAF his time to sculpting.” career in Physical Medicine soon beckoned, as he was stationed at the rehabilitation units of Chessington and Collaton Cross, where there were many recovering war wounded. Working with Kit Wynn Terence continued his career at Keele University Parry and others he helped to devise back supports where he was a founding member of the Geology and similar aids to daily living. department from where he moved to Reading University. Along with Doreen and their four children, a In 1967, Terence was appointed principal of the posting in Singapore saw a return to general medicine. University College of Rhodesia. Deeply committed to He gained his membership of the Royal College of liberal multi-racial vision, he came into bitter conflict Physicians, before retiring from the RAF in 1968 with the Smith regime. When Rhodesia declared itself following a final posting at Headley Court, where he a republic, with a racist constitution, Terence resigned was a much loved boss. and returned home. Physical Medicine changed to Rheumatology, Two years later he was appointed director and he, and his family, were delighted when he of the newly formed Polytechnic of North London became the first Consultant in Rheumatology for East (now London Metropolitan University). At the time Dorset. For the next 20 years he enjoyed a very busy the Polytechnic’s branch of the National Union of and successful lifestyle, participating in competitive Students was in the grip of the International Socialists. dinghy sailing, as well as choral singing and exploring Even before he took up his appointment, the group Dorset and Hampshire. had issued a statement promising “the most serious A long retirement led to him being able disturbances this country has yet seen in a polytechnic”. to travel widely and enjoy being with friends and Militant students staged an occupation family, and a number of visits back to The Perse. demanding that Terence stepped down. Despite the Despite being registered as partially sighted and with enormous stress, he soldiered on as director until Alzheimers, he remained very fit until dying suddenly 1980, when he took early retirement. at the age of 87. In later life Terence moved to Norfolk where he devoted his time to sculpting. He died on 17 January 2015, just short of his 97th birthday.

Obituaries

Brian Lister 1941

“An unfailingly polite, drily humorous but essentially diffident man.”

Adapted from The Daily Telegraph and the car was put into production for 1958. Brian Horace Lister, who has died aged 88, was Lister was suddenly in the first rank of sports car one of Britain’s foremost post-war designers and builders; if he was bemused by this, aware as he was builders of competition cars. Lister was born on 12 that the car had been designed around the physical July 1926, one of two sons of Horace and Nell. On peculiarities of Scott Brown, he did not show it. leaving The Perse School, Brian was apprenticed to It was at a race at Spa, in May 1958, that the family firm George Lister and Sons in 1942, the great adventure faltered: Scott Brown died after 30 completing his training in 1946, when he joined crashing, and Lister had to be persuaded to keep the RAF for two years’ National Service. He chose going. Finally, in the summer of 1959, after the the RAF for two reasons: the prospect of using his deaths of Ivor Bueb and Jean Behra (neither in Lister engineering skills, and his enthusiasm for jazz (as he cars) he withdrew from racing, supporting existing put it: “The RAF had the best bands.”). He became a customers until the effort wound down in the 1960s. well-known performer on the drums, having formed He remained actively involved in Lister a band, The Downbeats, during the war. Engineering, taking it successfully into the field of In post-war Britain, motorsport was packaging machine manufacture. He also continued enjoying a resurgence, and Lister turned to to pursue his interest in jazz, performing publicly as competition. He helped to co-found the Cambridge late as 1990. 50 Car Club, another member of which was a An unfailingly polite, drily humorous diminutive Scot, Archie Scott Brown. The two men but essentially diffident man (despite his affection became firm friends and shared a mechanical guru, for colourful bow ties), Brian Lister viewed his Donald Moore, who maintained their hard-worked professional association with Archie Scott Brown as engines. After he had been almost beaten in one race both the highest point of his career and, in the way by Scott Brown, on Moore’s advice Lister handed it ended, the lowest. He married, in 1951, Josephine his car over to him for the rest of its career; his own Prest, who survives him with their daughter. interest was veering towards being a constructor. Accordingly he asked his father to fund the development of a car bearing the family name. By the summer of 1953 the project was under way. Brian would build the car, Moore would provide an MG engine and Scott Brown would drive. The car made its debut on 3 April 1954 at Snetterton, and won. Then, in 1957, the Lister Jaguar appeared. That season, out of 14 races entered, it won 12, setting either a fastest lap or an outright record on each occasion. Unsurprisingly, customers appeared, Old Perseans / Spring 2015

Anniversary For more information on any of the 400th projects, events or celebrations memorabilia please see our website: www.perse.co.uk update

Reserve your With the start to our 400th anniversary year getting Perse Rose closer, the countdown has well and truly begun. We are busy planning our events and projects to help us As announced in the last edition of the OP News, celebrate our heritage, appreciate our present and a beautiful deep pink, delicately fragranced rose has look to our future. We hope you enjoy reading about been created by Peter Beales Roses to mark the School’s how our plans are shaping up. 400th anniversary. It will be officially launched at the 31 RHS Chelsea Flower Show this month. Anniversary The School has a limited number of these Launch Event bare root roses for sale at £16.95 each. The roses will come with planting and care instructions and will 30 September 2015 marks the 400th anniversary be available from November 2015. Roses can either of the foundation of The Perse, which is dated to the be collected free of charge from the School, or be death of The Perse’s founder, Dr Stephen Perse. We delivered to a UK address at an additional cost. lift the curtain on our anniversary celebrations with If you would like to reserve a rose, please an evening of drama, art and history that will tell complete our simple online form at www.perse. the stories of the defining, and sometimes surprising, co.uk/400. moments in The Perse School’s history. Our selection of anniversary memorabilia will An anniversary also go on sale for the first time. As a member of the premiere School’s community, we very much hope that you will join us at one or more of our special events. We are delighted to be working with the award winning composer and animateur, Rachel Leach, on a special 400th Anniversary music commission. Rachel, who is one of the UK’s OP Gala Dinner leading education practitioners and a central part of the London Symphony Orchestra’s education team, 30 January 2016. Save the date! All Old Perseans are and professional musicians will work with pupils at the warmly invited to a special 400th anniversary Gala Pelican, Prep and Upper to create an original piece of Dinner at the School. For OPs who attended Gonville music based on the pupils’ creative ideas. The pupils and Place, earlier in the day we will gather at the former the Upper’s Senior Orchestra will perform the piece at a School site, courtesy of Cambridge Assessment. More special 3-18 music concert during Lent Term 2016. details about this event will be published in due course. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact the Alumni & Development Office at [email protected]. OP Reunion Dinners 1993 Reunion 2015/16 1964 — 1968 Saturday 26 September 2015 2015/16 1984 — 1988 From 1pm, Fort St George, 2016/17 1969 — 1973 Midsummer Common, 2016/17 1989 — 1993 Cambridge. Organised 2017/18 1949 — 1953 by Oliver Metherell, David 2017/18 1994 — 1998 Jones, Julian Gough 2018/19 1999 — 2003 and Richard Reed.

Benefactors’ Lunch OP US East Coast Event Saturday 6 June 2015 October 2015 12.30pm, The Perse Details TBC By invitation. OP History Dinner OP Cricket Saturday 7 November 2015 Friday 19 June 2015 6.45pm for 7.30pm. Play begins at 2pm, The Perse. The Perse. OP Hong Kong Event OP Bristol Lunch November 2015 Saturday 20 June 2015 Details TBC 12.30pm, Riverstation.

For more information OP Rugby please visit perse.co.uk/ Saturday 12 September 2015 oldperseans/events or Kick Off 2pm, contact theAlumni & The Perse. Development Office by telephone on OP London Event 01223 403808 or email Thursday 17 September 2015 [email protected] The Savile Club, courtesy of John Sacks (1963). Further details to follow. Cambridge, CB2 8QF. Tel: 01223 403 808. 808. 403 01223 Tel: CB2 8QF. Cambridge, is a registered charity no. 1120654 charity no. School is a registered Perse The [email protected] www.perse.co.uk/oldperseans [email protected] The Perse School, Hills Road, School, Hills Road, Perse The Office, Alumni & Development the Perse school

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