THE December 2017 Sibford Rocket The annual magazine of Sibford Old Scholars’ Association INSIDE: Animal Magic It’s monkey business for former pupil! Looking Back Special 175th anniversary feature Shaken, not stirred From Sibford to The Savoy PLUS Old Scholars remembered News from the annual reunion AGM reports SOSAThe Sibford Rocket / 1 elcome to The Sibford WRocket, the 2017 annual magazine of Sibford Old Scholars’ Association (SOSA). We hope that you will enjoy reading about what some of our former pupils are up to these days and share in their memories. 2017 has been a special year for Sibford School and we hope that you will enjoy our 175th anniversary feature. It’s also been a great year for welcoming former heads back to Sibford ... as you’ll see from the following pages both John Dunston and Sue Freestone have been back to the school this year. In producing The Rocket it never ceases to amaze me what diverse career paths old Sibfordians follow ... and this issue is no exception as we feature former pupils working with creatures, cocktails and colours! We compare and contrast two very different versions of the Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret. And we share in the reflections of Maggie Guy who has retired after 33 years at the school. If you’ve got news that you’d like to share with other Old Scholars, don’t forget to get in touch ... you can email me at [email protected] or write to The Sibford Rocket, Sibford School, Sibford Ferris, Banbury OX15 5QL. In Friendship Ali Bromhall Editor On 13 October 2017 Old Scholars and former staff joined present pupils and staff Cover photograph: Rainbow to celebrate 175 years of Sibford School. Pictured from top are: Former Head John over Sibford School Dunston and wife Suzie with current Head Toby Spence and wife Jill; Grace Beckerlegge The Sibford Rocket welcomes articles from and Jenny Munday (Head Girl 1979). SOSA president Harriet Langridge and Catherine Old Scholars and other interested parties. Please note, the Editor reserves the right to Roussel (née Stewart); Eleanor Smith; Richard Hughes, Liz Belcher, Erica Strofton, edit articles for reason of length or legality. Judith Beeby and Lori Spencer; David Dyer, Jean Wain, Peter Wain (Head Boy 1950) and Keith Dyer. Stuart Hedley (former woodwork teacher), Yvonne Hedley and Di Howes (former science technician). 2 / The Sibford Rocket From Sibford ... to The Savoy American Bar names first senior female bartender in a century Former Sibford pupil Philippa Guy the American (1998 ~ 2010) has become the Bar. She first female senior bartender to be relocated appointed to the famous American to London Bar in The Savoy in over 100 years. in August She follows in the footsteps of 2015 to join The Savoy as a the famous Ada Coleman, who was server, becoming junior bartender senior bartender at the American in December 2016 and senior Pippa is pictured in The Savoy’s Bar in the early 20th century. bartender in July 2017. American Bar in her special After leaving Sibford, Pippa went “I love my job,” said Pippa. “I’ve white jacket. She explains: “In the to Leeds Metropolitan University worked very hard to get to where 1930s our head bartender, Harry to study Sports Science. While still I am and I consider myself one of Craddock, introduced white jackets at university she took a part time very few, extremely lucky, people to the bar and since then it has job working for Arc Inspirations, that can genuinely say I look become an iconic piece of our which is where she learnt how to forward to going to work every heritage. The Savoy had a custom make cocktails. day. white jacket made especially for me to wear. It’s great to put the jacket After graduating and a gap year “My workspace is a beautiful Art on and become a part of the bar’s spent travelling she returned to Deco bar within The Savoy. I could ongoing history.” Leeds to work as bar manager at never work behind a desk, I don’t Oporto and it was while hosting think I would be able to sit there Top right: School photo ... Pippa in the ‘Leeds Love Cocktails’ event for long enough! I love meeting her last year at Sibford. that she met Declan McGurk of new people and, daily, I meet people from different walks of life with completely differing reasons for visiting the American Bar. To me it’s fascinating.” A spokesperson for the Savoy said: “In a city where female bartenders are the minority, impressively, Pippa has managed to break gender barriers at such a young age, through sheer determination and considerable passion.” Favourite drink Pippa’s favourite creation is The Moonwalker. “I love making this drink,” she says. “It was sent to Neil Armstrong and the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission and was the first thing they drank on arriving home. We still have the letter from Armstrong thanking bartender Joe Gilmore who created the drink. The Sibford Rocket / 3 Jamie’s animal magic! When Jamie Clubb was at Sibford (1987 – 1994) he came up with the most authentic excuse for school absence on record: ‘Sorry I can’t come in today …. I’ve been bitten by a hyena!’ And when he met current Sibford pupils in July 2017 he was delighted to learn that in the subsequent years no one has come close to beating his originality! “Maggie Guy apparently told pupils to ask about my hyena bite when they met me,” he said. “The kids thought it would be a laugh to try the excuse themselves but I pointed out it wouldn’t work as I’d already done it ... and have the scars to prove it!” As the son of Sally Chipperfield and Jim Clubb, Jamie has been around animals throughout his life … and today is no exception. He is Administrative Assistant at Amazing Animals … the largest supplier of trained animals for the media industry in Europe. Heythrop Zoological And while he doesn’t get involved much with Gardens, home of Amazing the day to day training of the animals … he Animals, is a private animal leaves that to his Dad who is director of the collection, registered under company … with more than 100 species the Dangerous Wild Animal on site he’s never far away from a furry or Act 1976. The zoo is not feathered friend! open to the public, however, Life in the office of Amazing Animals keeps the company does hold open Jamie on his toes … “you can’t begin to days three times a year and imagine the paperwork involved when your also organises private tours filming with a tiger!” he says. He is also responsible for Amazing Animals’ … which is how Jamie met work experience programme and is a respected authority in the field of current Sibford pupils who animal training and animal welfare. were visiting as part of their In 2006, he co-wrote an NVQ in Animal Training for the Audio- Curriculum Enrichment Week. Visual industry and became an NVQ assessor (later Credits for the zoo’s changed to QCF assessor); and in 2016 he was inhabitants include: part of a team invited to help develop two of Films the Government’s new Trailblazer Standards • Victor Frankenstein ~ ‘Animal Welfare Assistant’ and ‘Animal • Jungle Book Trainer Level 4’, which will be delivered • Tarzan shortly. • Fantastic Beasts and “If it hadn’t been for the influence of Pam Where to Find Gibson, Sibford’s Business Studies teacher, I’d Them probably never be doing what I am now,” TV says Jamie. “Other teachers who really • Our Zoo • Endeavour • Mr Selfridge • Dr Who Commercials • Johnnie Walker • British & Irish Lions Tour • Schweppes 4 / The Sibford Rocket Jamie’s animal magic! inspired me were Raymond White Jamie never got and Maggie Guy, who were brilliant to do the knife English teachers, and Peter Agnew, act. After leaving who gave me a love of history that school he spent I have to this day.” four years teaching When Jamie first began at Sibford kick boxing and then his single aim was to keep his head set up an Extreme low for five years so that he could Wrestling business get out as quickly as possible. where he got “I didn’t really want to be at to perform school at all,” he says. “I was the Gothic martial only kid at Sibford who lived in a arts as part of caravan rather than a house and all an act called I wanted to do was get back to the ‘Dead Souls’. circus every day.” “There were no knives involved between Amazing Animals and his Jamie’s place at Sibford was in the act,” says Jamie “But it did self-protection and mixed martial courtesy of his Grandfather who feature swords, spears, barbed arts business, Clubb Chimera. had plans for him to join the family wire, dancing and gigantic Burmese His love of History and English business. pythons! has led to him writing a number “Grandfather was a self-made “Ironically the act was inspired of books including ‘The Legend of millionaire having established by my performance as Puck in Salt and Source: The Amazing Story of a sand and gravel company in Sibford’s production of “A Right Britain's Most Famous Elephants’ and Dartford, Kent,” says Jamie “He Midsummer’s Dream Up’ where ‘Mordred’s Victory and Other Martial was hoping that my Dad would my character was described as ‘a Mutterings’. His latest book ‘When take over the reins in due course kung with a bit of foo and puck Parents Aren’t Around’, which looks but instead Dad ran away to join thrown in’.” at children’s self-protection, is due the circus, which is where he met Today Jamie splits his time out soon.