Bedales Association and Old Bedalian Newsletter, 2016
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BEDALES ASSOCIATION & OLD BEDALIAN NEWSLETTER 2016 The Lavenham Press, Water Street, Lavenham, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 9RN CONTENTS WELCOME 2 HEAD’S REFLECTIONS ON 2015 3 REVIEWS OF OB EVENTS 5 UPCOMING REUNIONS 11 A YEAR AT BEDALES 12 MUSICAL MEMORIES 15 PUBLISH AND BE DAMNED 16 SHOWTIME CHALLENGE 17 BURSARIES EXPLAINED 18 OB PROFILES 21 ART & DESIGN 24 BEDALES ARTS 26 LEST WE FORGET 27 STAFF PROFILE 29 NEWS IN BRIEF 31 OBITUARIES 37 Abigail Browne 37 Alan Gent 38 Allan St John Dixon 40 Charles Ian Milward O’Brien 41 David Robinson 42 Hermione Cock (née Hawkins) 42 Jane Evans (née Brown) 44 John Gilmour Slater 45 Lyn Perry 46 Penelope Massey Stewart (née Lynex) 46 Shirley Guest 47 Sophy Tatchell 49 BIRTHS, ENGAGEMENTS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS 52 DEGREE RESULTS & DESTINATION OF LEAVERS 54 Contents • 1 WELCOME by Sylvia Kahn-Freund, Chair of the Bedales Association Steering Group elcome to the Bedales W Association Newsletter 2016. Over the last year, the Association has again supported the Eckersley Lecture and we are now in the fourth year of the Association’s Global Awareness lecture series, this year given by Shami Chakrabarti. We marked the long service of four members of staff at the Association hosted drinks reception on Parents’ Day in June. Reunions flourished; the 10 and 25 year events took place on Parents’ Day and a 45/46 year reunion on the day after. Looking ahead, the changes to the Association’s constitution agreed at the AGM last June mean that membership includes former parents and staff as well as pupils without payment of a joining fee. The underlying purpose of the Association remains, as always, to provide support for and to advance the educational purposes of the Bedales Schools charity; to promote discussion on educational policy and related topics; to help fundraising for buildings, activities we plan to hold one of our a huge and heartfelt thanks to Tosh equipment and bursaries; and to two annual meetings in London. Denholm who, as Chairman, has foster extended relationships between The Steering Group aims to cast the guided the Committee so wisely parents, staff, Governors, former pupils Association net across all generations over the better part of ten years. and the wider Bedales community. of OBs, former staff, parents and the In spite of a stressful day job with the The Association will work more wider Bedales community to make it NHS Tosh has been most generous closely with the External Relations possible for many more members to with her time, supporting new Office and be directed by a Steering initiate or participate in our events initiatives, resolving differences with Group. It will encompass a number of programme. We hope that there will subtle diplomacy and keeping our related activities and committees, such as be many of you who find something of activities on track with unflagging the Events Committee and the growing interest in the list of upcoming events. enthusiasm. Finally, we’d love to hear OB input to the Professional Guidance We hope you will keep in touch, make your feedback on this Newsletter. programme. To encourage a wider suggestions and get involved. Thank you so much. representation on the Steering Group One behalf of the Association and participation in the Association’s Committee that was, I want to say Sylvia Kahn-Freund (1964-70) CONTACT THE Leana Seriau Stay Connected Alumni Liaison Manager to your Old Bedalian community ALUMNI LIAISON [email protected] E: OB Bulletins TEAM T: 01730 711 572 Subscribe: [email protected] Facebook Dennis Archer Philip Parsons Like us: Bedales School Alumni Officer Alumni Officer Twitter Follow us: @bedalesschool E: [email protected] E: [email protected] LinkedIn 01700 811 611 01730 711 631 T: T: Join us: Bedales Alumni 2 • Welcome HEAD’S REFLECTIONS ON 2015 ooking back on 2015, I see a year L which has been as colourful and engaging as any of the 14 since I have been in post. It is difficult to describe to those who do not know Bedales, the particular flavour that it, Dunhurst and Dunannie have. I sometimes try to illustrate this colourful distinctiveness by talking the curious visitor through a Bedales early morning notices – that (now) weekly event which provides such a medley of happenings – an invitation to buy freshly crushed apple juice can jostle against a heart-rending plea for a particular cause; a history lunch time lecture might be promulgated via a pantomime horse. As Dryden said of his hero Chaucer: “All God’s plenty is here.” Independent-mindedness, student initiative and zesty humour abound. So, if you are fearful of creeping greyness turning British education into a sludge of grim homogeneity in the post-Gove landscape, draw at least a little comfort from the continued strong flame of independence that positioning our students well for these school who come from overseas has burns on our little hill in Steep. Take a challenges. Let me allude here briefly to been an aim over recent years and I morsel of reflected glory in the fact two areas. Global Awareness – shortly am pleased that we are maintaining that Sevenoaks have decided to follow to be a BAC subject and supported a good geographical range, with China, our lead with courses that mirror our both by a thriving student involvement Russia, continental Europe (France Bedales Assessed Courses (BACs). and by a student exchange programme and Italy especially) being to the Relish the idea that, as the required whose focus is mainly on the USA and fore, as the number of overseas standard A Level diet drops to three India – is a strong thread that runs passport holders approaches 7% – A Levels, Bedalians are embracing through our daily lives. It is increasingly a very small proportion relative to the new set of enrichment courses difficult to feel that the ‘Bedales Bubble’ other UK boarding schools, but still that they do alongside their A Levels, is unpunctured. The Professional a welcome boost to the diversity enabling them to start a new language Guidance department, helped greatly of our community. Our bursary or even learn how to do oak-framing. by the enthusiastic response of OBs programme, a cause I know is very The increasingly competitive world to the call for those willing to guide dear to OBs’ hearts, as it is to mine, of work, where (we are told) a growing current students in their area of continues to expand. The combination number of previously safe middle class professional expertise, is making good of the 5% of fees committed to jobs are being automated, will require headway in organising events when financial support, plus the (now very) core skills of collaboration, flexibility of OBs and current students can meet significant amount given each year by mind and the ability to communicate and our youngsters can benefit from the Bedales Grants Trust Fund, the with a range of people from different your hard won experience. John Badley Foundation grants and cultures and backgrounds. Although all Diversity within the school body other educational grant-making trusts schools too often prepare people for is helped by increasing the number that we are in partnership with mean a world which has changed out of all of students and staff who go out, that approximately £1.1 million is recognition by the time they emerge, visit other places and return with being committed to financial support blinking nervously, into the world of the benefit of a changed perspective. this academic year – a figure that work, I think that we are increasingly Increasing the proportion of the I am very proud of. In this respect, Head’s Reflections on 2015 • 3 HEAD’S REFLECTIONS ON 2015 as with our building programme, peculiar, demanding, all-consuming but class where his métier has been we have been greatly helped by the deeply fulfilling life of a boarding school most influential: an inspiration to the generosity of OBs, especially through educator. This year we said goodbye to followers of the dismal science, a much some significant legacies of late. The tax two teachers whose influence has been loved critical friend to his invariably incentives to give to charities remain particularly decisive for many of you. wayward tutees, the straight talker par strong, both for lifetime gifts and Michael Truss’s eight years at Bedales excellence and the zealous football legacies. Please see article by Alumni saw his gifts as a Maths teacher extend coach, his impact on generations of Officer, Philip Parsons on page 17 for beyond the classroom. We have much Bedalians has been a pervasive and more information. to be thankful for: his work as head of powerful one. Although John claims Happily, the energy and commitment academic enrichment, his leadership to be retiring from the front line of to the school’s founding ideals and the of the Maths department and his education, we know he will remain willingness of all students and staff to championing of Maths as a cool thing, engaged with schools as he moves to make their voices felt mean that we enabling, for example Block 5s who had Frensham Heights where his wife Becks can apply a great deal of heft in areas trembled at the prospect of the subject, (née Hobson) is deputy head. that are identified as being of crucial to go into the sixth form knowing If you visit, as I hope you will, on importance across the three schools. (in the words of his end of summer Parents’ Day (25 June 2016) you will This academic year two priorities reports) that the subject “need hold no be able to see our magnificent new have gained considerable traction: fear.” We wish Michael all good fortune Art & Design building opened.