Staff Leavers David Force David Came to the College in 1991 to Join the Newly Appointed Director of Music, Graham Jones

OLD Eastbournian Staff leavers David Force David came to the College in 1991 to join the newly appointed Director of Music, Graham Jones. Graham was looking for someone who was an able organist, a talented During the year the College said goodbye to musician with a variety of skills, and who would have a some long-serving members of staff. Here we good rapport with pupils. David had been at Sedbergh for reproduce the tributes paid to them in the two years but though he appreciated the pastoral setting, he is, in essence, a Kentish man. He was educated at Dart- College magazine, The Eastbournian ford Grammar School before going to Durham University as an organ scholar at St Hild and St Bede where he met his Spencer Beal future wife Ruth, a choral scholar. The classics department and College as From the very start of his time at Eastbourne, David, often with musical a whole are sad to say goodbye to Spen- involvement from Ruth, immersed himself in the life of the school and local cer’s expertise and enthusiasm. Since his community. Within the College, he took on various roles, some more eccentric arrival in September 1984, including 24 than others. He became master-in-charge of croquet; invented Aunty Mabel’s years as head of department, this Arsenal problem spot in Links, the school newspaper, which he edited for ten years; supporter has become synonymous with and was the main drive behind the weekly meetings of the Monday Club which the teaching of classics and fives at East- brings together local elderly residents for company and entertainment. This bourne. He has built up and consolidated suited his abilities well for David is not only quirky – which is much appreci- a classics empire of which even Augustus ated by the elderly as well as the young – but a very sociable and thoroughly Caesar would have been proud. decent chap. Spencer has enthused and educated generations of East- David is a versatile and skilled musician. Members of the music department bournians in Latin, Greek and classical civilisation as well as appreciated his many musical arrangements, particularly for the swing band, his being a chief examiner for GCSE Greek. Not only has he been a schemes of work (he later become head of academic music), his many visits to supportive head of department, colleague and friend to some prep schools, where he was much liked by headteachers, staff and pupils, his twenty classicists, he has also inspired countless OEs to study willingness to help out whenever asked, his boundless energy, bonhomie and the subject at university and make a career out of teaching friendliness, and, above all, his musicianship. it. His ability to bring out the best in those around him cannot His involvement in music in the community was also an important part of his be underestimated. His incisive mind, infectious enthusiasm musical life and this was fully welcomed by both Graham Jones, with whom he and considerable wit have spurred pupils to do their best and worked for 21 years, and Graham’s successor Nick Parrans-Smith. David supported ensured the popularity of departmental trips to Greece and the Eastbourne Symphony Orchestra as a committee member, by conducting, Rome, always a rich source of amusing anecdotes as well as taking choral rehearsals, playing the organ and also playing his double bass. being fun and highly educational. His early music group with Ruth and others was a source of great satisfaction, As player and coach, Spencer has been synonymous with and they continue to give concerts locally and further afield. Another source of the proud tradition of rugby fives at the College. Encouraging a personal fulfilment was and is his research for his PhD into 17th century English broad player base by means of an inter-house fives programme, music, looking at the use of the organ in devotional and consort repertoire. One he has made enthusiasts of girls and boys who may not have of his abiding loves is choral music. He was a stalwart of the Chapel where he been attracted to the mainstream sports. This commitment has was one of the many unsung heroes at the organ console, and he ran the Chamber ranged from maintaining three good courts (sweeping them, Choir from its inception. drying them, and at times strategically placing buckets to keep David is now looking forward to new challenges as Director of Music at St them dry) to finding suitable fixtures for pupils and staff. Ronan’s Prep School. They will greatly value not only his many musical skills but Spencer has enjoyed a memorable career at Eastbourne his warm personality and high standards both in and out of the musical arena. College and will be greatly missed. We wish him well in his John Thornley retirement, happy in the knowledge that classics teachers do Micheal Partridge adds: not retire, they merely decline gracefully. David was a much valued member of the Arnold Embellishers committee and Ben Jourdain and Ian Sands held the post of Hon. Secretary with skill and dedication for several years. David Hodkinson How can one sum ter. Hoddy immediately threw himself into life He has also wielded a cricket bat for the up the 39-year at the College, serving first as a house tutor Eclectics, bowling (or rather sending a ball teaching career and then for 11 years as the superbly organ- down with the same action as a javelin thrower of a Common ised and supportive Housemaster of School – for which he represented Glamorgan) and Room colossus House, during much of which he was Senior taking stunning catches in the outfield. His like Hoddy? This Housemaster. last-over heroics at East Dean should have pseudo Welshman He has been Master in Charge of rowing, made Wisden: he was the last man in and 24 has stretched the has run Duke of Edinburgh and has coached were needed off the last eight-ball over. Six sharpest minds 1st XV, Tigers and Colts rugby. The complete runs were eked out from the first five balls and made the schoolmaster, he has the highest standards and thanks to much scampering between the trickiest molecu- powers of organisation, as demonstrated by his wickets, and then with 18 required from three lar kinetic theory exemplary running of the physics department balls, Hoddy came into his own. The sixth ball accessible to the for 14 years and the science department for of the over went for six, the seventh ball went weakest. Yes, pseudo Welshman: Hoddy was 13 years. for six… Could Hoddy do it again? Yes he did! It born in England and his father Les was an Eng- When Hoddy came out of School House he is difficult to say who was more stunned – the lishman, though his mother, the delightful Mair, became a tutor in Reeves, launched the Leavers crowd, the bowler, Hoddy or the sheep in the is Welsh. Year Book and the Eastbourne Foundation, and adjoining field. After a physics degree from Hull and a moved the Cornflower Ball to Speech Day. None of this would have been possible spell at the Royal Military College of Science A Major in the army section, he was 2nd in without the tremendous support of his wife researching the thermo-luminescence of poly- command in the CCF for 25 years. He enjoyed Frances. Their three children, Ollie, Lizzie and thene, Hoddy turned to teaching, travelling marking so much that he became an examiner Will, enjoyed being brought up in the environs down the M4 from Wales to Bradfield College, for OCR and AQA, and took on a myriad other of Eastbourne College, and I count myself lucky from where he moved on to Eastbourne with very important but extremely boring jobs within to have taught alongside him and had him as a Chris Saunders, the newly appointed Headmas- the College (ATL rep was one) and outside. friend for nearly 34 years. Dusty Miller 50 John Penn John Penn (Gonville 1926–30) was, we think, the oldest surviving Old Eastbournian at the age of 103; he sadly died in November 2015 n March 2014, David Stewart had visited What was the food like in Gonville? John at his home in Eastbourne where he Every Sunday, a large sausage roll. And if I recorded an interview with him. Covering a we’d been to church earlier we came back to wide range of topics, from his early prep school that. And that we had every time. I wouldn’t days before coming to the College, through his say I went hungry or anything but of course war service and career at Barclays Bank to his we had our tuck boxes. retirement, the interview includes a unique You left the College in 1930? insight into College life in the late 1920s. I suddenly left. We came back from the Spring Here we present a few excerpts, with term and I was told that there was a job for John’s thoughts on some College teachers and me in Barclays Bank. the contrasting styles of two headmasters. Is this something that you had wanted to do How was it that you came to Eastbourne or were you just told ‘No, you’re leaving College? school’? We lived in Surrey, in Purley, because my Not particularly. No, I wanted to be a farmer father worked in London and our local vicar’s John Penn and David Stewart with the 1928 really. And my father said you’ll never make son – Bernard Shattock – was the same age as Gonville House photograph any money farming.

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