The-Gossip-Bowl-2012
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
‘Sometime lurk I in a gossip’s bowl’ * In this, the year of the 30th Olympiad, individuals from countries around the globe will be focussing their talents, desires and determination in the pursuit of excellence. Here at Prior Park Alumni we are no di!erent, as the many inspirational stories of our former pupils demonstrate. Each is a testament to the strength of spirit that we foster at Prior. It is this commonality of strength, drive, compassion and determination that identi"es us as a Community For Life. In this issue: – !e PPA, ‘A Community for Life’ – A Vision for the Future Prior Foundation – Interview with ATOC’s Chief Executive – Volunteering in Palestine – Alumni Choir – Reunions: Classes of 74, 5 & 6, Class of 91 & Class of 85 ISSUE 13. 2012 President’s Letter Tony Bur y At the very heart of this Vision Paper is a commitment that ‘the former students' organisations and parents’ association will be a vibrant part of who we are...’ and make us truly ‘A Community for Life’. We continue to work to support sixth formers at the College, rewarding musical talent with Contents the annual PPA music prize and sponsoring students through the PPA Gap Year Award. President’s Letter 2 So much has happened in the past twelve By demonstrating the functionality of the From the Headmaster 4 months… various year group reunions at Prior PPA database to the sixth formers, we are !e Headmaster’s Round 4 and elsewhere, the introduction of a new Alumni able to convey the impressive breadth of Prior’s Development Director 5 Choir and past pupils returning to visit the professional experience within the alumni Preparatory School Report 6 College, some following many years’ absence. body. We encourage sixth formers to contact Paragon Report 6 alumni asking for views on career paths and Take Pride in Prior Park’s People 7 higher education choices to help inform their Gap Year: Argentina 10 own important decisions. We are very grateful Operation Wallacea, Indonesia 11 to PPA members who have taken the time to Palestinian Orphanage project 12 respond to these queries. Gossip 13 Our recent re-branding as Prior Park Old Boys Rugby 21 Last year I identi"ed fundamental themes for Old Boys Cricket 21 Alumni was enhanced by the addition the PPA to focus on and de"ned a number of PPA 2011 Golf Day 21 of our motto: ‘A Community for Life’ supporting initiatives: Patrick Tobin: Dinner Guest 2011 22 New 65+ years Alumni Lunch 22 which says it all! Improving our information: I am delighted that Prior Park Alumni Choir 23 we have been able to signi"cantly increase both Class of 2001 23 the number of former pupils with whom we can Weddings at Prior Park 24 now communicate, plus the accuracy of their PPA 2011/12 Music Prize 25 information. As you can appreciate this is an Early 70s Old Boys London Lunch 25 ongoing exercise and one that we will continue Class of 68 to meet again 25 A strategic document looking to the future to treat as a priority. Classes of 74, 75 & 76 25 of !e Prior Foundation in 2020 has been Class of 1991: 20 years on 26 written by College and Foundation Head, PPA Events: whilst the year group get-togethers Class of 1985 26 James Murphy-O’Connor, together with the remain extremely popular, we have reintroduced Obituaries 27 Headmasters of Prior Park Prep School and !e reunions in London. !e "rst ‘Headmaster’s Legacies for !e Prior Foundation 30 Paragon (available to download as a pdf "le on Round’ drinks evening, also open to former and !e Phoenix school magazine 30 the College website www.priorparkcollege.com current parents, took place on 17 May and we are Tracking Prior Park’s sports results 30 under the Resources tab). planning a repeat event on 27 September 2012, Hire Prior Park 30 plus further regional reunions elsewhere in the Prior Park Memorabilia 30 UK and overseas. Year Group Representatives 31 Calendar of Events 32 Internships: we are speci"cally looking to o#er Contact the PPA 32 these to departing school leavers from this year and annually herea$er. If you are able to assist, do please let the PPA Secretary, Debbie O’Bryan know on [email protected] Editor – Debbie O’Bryan Development: I am delighted that the ([email protected]) " Our vision is to o!er our pupils wonderful Foundation has appointed Melanie Ball as its opportunities to develop their strengths through "rst Director of Development and we welcome Design – Hello inspirational teaching and excellent facilities" her input to the Gossip Bowl (see page 5). (www.01134.co.uk) 2 WWW.PRIORPARKALUMNI.COM www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4037541 Engaging our members: We have boosted our online presence with our own Prior Park Alumni Facebook page and LinkedIn group as well as a new integrated PPA website www.priorparkalumni.com To make this into a community platform, we need your support. Please ‘like’ our Facebook page and join the LinkedIn professional networking group. Please take the opportunity to advertise your business under the ‘business network’ tab and please complete the forms with your o#ers of internships or careers advice under the ‘careers network’ tab. Please log in or register to update your pro"le on our database. !ank you [email protected] www.facebook.com/priorparkalumni THE GOSSIP BOWL 3 FROM James Murphy-O’Connor THE Headmaster However, both Mark Pearce (Headmaster at and goals for us all to work towards. One PPPS) and I are delighted to welcome Andrew tangible advance has been the introduction Harvey as Titus’s successor. Andrew joins us of a Foundation Development O%ce and from Lambrook Prep School where he has been the appointment of our "rst Development Prior Park continues to move Deputy Head for the last "ve years. Director, Melanie Ball. Melanie has made an excellent start and she will be instrumental forward as an innovative, creative and !e three schools in the Foundation continue to in helping us all to achieve some of the goals work closely together in a whole range of initiatives we have set ourselves – perhaps most notably successful school and I am excited (academic, sporting, musical and dramatic). In April in helping us to develop the College site with about our future as I approach my we enjoyed a joint academic Continuous Personal new facilities such as a Sports Hall. Development Day with all 125 teachers meeting fourth year as Headmaster. to discuss ways in which we could work ever closer I thank Debbie and Tony for all their together. We already do this is in our marketing and dedication and hard work with the PPA branding and I was delighted to see the "rst edition and look forward to exciting times ahead of Heart and Soul being published earlier this year. !is magazine includes stories from all three schools and it is an important statement of our unity (the !e Prior Foundation continues to thrive with publication can be viewed on the Foundation excellent numbers and quality of students website www.thepriorfoundation.com). joining Prior Park from !e Paragon at 11+ and from the Prep School at 13+. We are sorry to be Perhaps the most striking example of our losing Titus Mills (Headmaster at !e Paragon) collaboration can be seen in the recent release of who leaves us to become Head of Hordle !e Vision for !e Prior Foundation for 2020 Wallhampton Prep School in the New Forest. which outlines an ambitious series of initiatives 1 THE HEADMASTER'S Round On a mild May !ursday evening in Ludgate Le! to right: Hill, over 30 alumni, sta#, parents and Governors from !e Prior Foundation gathered 1 Matthew Tobin, James Murphy-O'Connor and Richard Parkin at Jamie’s Bar to enjoy a drink, swap notes with old friends and make new acquaintances. 2 Stephanie Shea & Emma Andreae !is was the "rst social event of its kind 2 open to both our alumni and the entire Prior 3 Johnny Mullen, Kate Cutts and Gavin Mullen Fowler Foundation community who live, work or could "nd a compelling reason to be in London that 4 Nick Bailey, Gary Winch and Eddie Chann night! We were joined by Prior Park College Headmaster, James Murphy-O’Connor plus Deputy Head, Denis Clarke, who was delighted to catch up with so many of his former pupils. We are planning a repeat event at Jamie’s Bar 3 (http://www.jamiesbars.co.uk/ludgate-hill/) on !ursday 27 September 2012. Everybody is welcome. Please let Debbie O’Bryan know on [email protected] if you are able to join us between 6pm and 9pm. Further details are available on the PPA website www.priorparkalumni.com 4 4 WWW.PRIORPARKALUMNI.COM THE PRIOR FOUNDATION Development O"ce Melanie Ball I am the new and the !rst Development Director at "e Prior Foundation, based at Prior Park College in St Paul’s building which will be familiar to many of you. For the last nine years I have worked in the voluntary sector for both large and small charities and relish this new challenge within education. My role is to build relationships with all those who who have ever played a part in the sporting success care about the community that is now !e Prior of the College, you will know what a di#erence this Foundation. I have been thrilled to meet former will make. pupils, parents and former sta# on visits to the College and hope to meet with many more of you All of this comes at a cost and the total project will in the near future.