The Old Felstedian
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DECEMBER 2017 The Old Felstedian The ARTS and Felsted OLD FELSTEDIAN SOCIETY 2017-18 President Brian Lott OBE (a56-62) Chairman Michael Yeatts (e76-81) Hon Secretary Julian Scofield (d88-93) Hon Treasurer James Willington (fb82-92) For full details please visit felsted.org/OldFelstedianSociety1 78 Please send your articles and OF News to: CONTENTS Felstedian Liaison Manager Selina Joslin [email protected] 4 Noted & Quoted 6 OF Society News 7 Felsted Network and Development Office News 8 Weddings and Events 9 Headmaster’s Interview 10 Bannister Green boy makes it big in Hollywood Art provides real value for 13 10 the Mission 14 The amazing art installations of Bruce Munro 16 Sam Walters and Adam Speers Front cover on a Life in the Theatre Artwork by OF Elena Caicoya (b99-00). 18 Felsted and the Fringe Festival Elena was born in Vigo, Spain. In 1999, she studied at Felsted for one year and 13 20 A look back at Martin Homer’s discovered her passion for art through long and varied career at Felsted her teacher, David Smith. Her art has 22 Faces and Places been exhibited in Spain, London and Portugal and is recommended by the 24 Obituaries Amigos del Prado Museum Foundation. 27 50 years of the Felsted Robins In 2016, Elena returned to Felsted as Artist in Residence. She starts a new 28 Sport reports artistic role in Madrid with Gestilar, a Spanish property developer in 2018. 14 Field of Light, Uluru, Bruce Munro 2016 Photo: Mark Pickthall 22 28 2 FROM THE EDITOR Contributors Katyana Rocker-Cook (gn11-13) Putting the ARTS at the forefront Having completed her MA in Writing at the University of Warwick, Katyana is taking a PGCE with first-ever guest editor in English at Oxford University. In addition Joel Garner (b85-90), editor of The Old Felstedian to her passion for teaching, she has When I was persuaded, somewhat arena, but the genre is so broad and diverse, maintained an active reticently, to dedicate this issue to the that I felt it needed narrowing to give participation in the creative and performing arts, I felt a some focus and coherence. performing arts and little like the proverbial “fish out of So we settled on an issue dedicated to the recently co-directed water”. and performed in performing and creative arts, focusing on “Night Shift”, a sketch It’s not that I don’t like the arts. No, I drama, theatre, film and art. love the arts. They are inspiring, comedy show with Still, I felt I needed some expertise, create wonderful and stirring Warwick Comedy at someone who really knew their emotions within, showcase the Edinburgh Fringe way around the subject. Festival. This year’s people’s tremendous talent and Fringe also saw the are the best advert for humanity Enter stage left, Alecky Blythe, née debut of her musical and its force for good in an Bulgin, who has a fabulously successful comedy duo, which uncertain world. career as a playwright. performed to sell-out crowds throughout. She No, my concern was where do we It has been a pleasure to work with hopes to spread her love of writing, reading and start and where do we end and did I her and her help and guidance as performing to her future students and is excited to have enough knowledge of the our first-ever guest editor has been start her teaching career. subject to edit an issue devoted to invaluable and hugely appreciated. it. Felsted isn’t an art school with a massive pool I hope you enjoy this issue as Rob Short (fec94-08) Rob is the senior marketing executive at of alumni that have carved out notoriety in this much as I have in editing it. Over to Alecky… Chelmsford City Racecourse. He is married to Annabel, and they have a daughter, called Violet. They live near Dunmow, Essex. Guest editor, Alecky Blythe (m89-91) Martin Homer there were plenty of school plays to get involved I was honoured to be asked to guest edit with outside of lessons. The Old Felstedian magazine, having been at the school for my sixth form. Personally, my starring role was in the Follies house play Sweeney As a playwright and screenwriter, who Todd, in which I played Mrs Lovett from a very early age wanted to be an alongside Jonny Reader’s actor, the arts have always played a devilishly good demon barber. central role in my life, so I’m delighted Also starring was the now West to see the alumni bringing them to the End theatre impresario forefront by dedicating this edition to their Adam Speers, who I had the cause. pleasure of catching up The role teachers play in our lives is with recently to interview enormous and it was certainly the about his current role as case for me. I had been inspired by executive producer at the a drama teacher at my junior Ambassadors Theatre Group school, St Nick’s in Old Harlow. (see pages 16/17). Caricatures by Felix Sanchez del Rio I remember in one of the first classes a girl from I hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much a couple of years above came in to rehearse a as I have in helping to oversee it. I have loved Joyce Grenfell monologue and she needed some learning about other OFs who have gone on to Editor: Joel Garner young children to deliver her lines to. I sat there carve out all sorts of wonderful careers in email: [email protected] cross-legged on the floor transfixed, as I was the arts. transported into the world of make-believe for Contributing Editor: Selina Joslin For a school whose achievements have always the very first time. OF Office, Felsted School, Felsted, Essex CM6 3LL been so plentiful on the sports field, it is easy to Telephone: 01371 822645 email: [email protected] The influence of Mrs Blythe’s lessons on me were assume that the arts are overlooked but I think such that 20 years later, as a struggling actress, I this edition goes a long way to proving that this Design: Roberta Rees Telephone: 01842 814083 decided to adopt her name, thinking it had a is not the case. They are clearly thriving and I’m better ring to it than my given name of Bulgin – optimistic that they will continue to do so. Print Production: Lavenham Press Limited it turns out it did! At a time when the world we know is changing 47 Water Street, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10 9RN It’s great to see the wide selection of arts at such a pace, it’s more important than ever that Telephone: 01787 247436 subjects available to Felstedians now, which we go out of our way to engage with it and were more limited in my time. However, thanks reflect on it, which is the very essence of the Visit the Old Felstedian website at felsted.org/ofs to the energy and drive of masters such as creative arts. 3 “noted – a round up of OFs in the news "ed” Scientist Awarded Sjöberg Prize for Clarinetist studying at Royal Groundbreaking Cancer Research Military School of Music Tony Hunter (e56-61), professor of molecular Charlotte Webb (fmbn06-11) has and cell biology at the Salk Institute Cancer completed 14 weeks of basic Center in California, has been awarded the soldier training at Army Training inaugural Sjöberg Prize for Cancer Research. Camp Pirbright this summer and Prof Hunter was chosen for his is now at the Royal Military “groundbreaking studies of cellular processes School of Music studying the that have led to the development of new and clarinet. Charlotte explained: effective cancer drugs”. The $500,000 award “Having spent five years was announced by the Royal Swedish working in London as a personal Academy of Sciences, which is best known for assistant, I wanted a career awarding the Nobel prizes in physics and change. I had always been chemistry. passionate about music, but never thought of a career as a Inspirational Charity Founder Award musician with the British Army. Sarah Brook (gn06-08), I am hoping to join the Band of chief executive and founder the Coldstream Guards next year of Sparkle Malawi, has and look forward to marching gained international down the Mall for Trooping the recognition for her Colour.” charitable work. She was awarded the Humanitarian Actress in BBC comedy drama of the Year Award as part Andrea Smith Valls (bn06-11) has of International Women’s landed a lead role in a new CBBC Day and later in the year comedy drama Waffle the Wonder took home the Middle East Dog, telling the story of the CSR Leadership award for Brooklyn-Bells family living with her role as a corporate the world’s worst puppy. The social responsibility show will be broadcast in 2018. consultant in the United Arab Emirates. Sam McArdle awarded Scholarship at Oxford Sam McArdle (fdc99-13) has been awarded a scholarship to Oxford University’s St Edmund Hall to sit a PhD in Quantum Computing. Sam gained a first class honours for his four-year master’s degree in Theoretical Physics at Durham University and was awarded the university’s AJ Chalmers Prize for Physics this summer. During his time at Durham, Sam was also the recipient of the Sir Arnold Wolfendale Prize for Physics three years in a row. Hockey Star Nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year Award Anna Middendorf (gn11-13) was nominated by the University of Connecticut for the Political Correspondent publishes Brexit Book National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Sky News Senior Political Correspondent Jason Woman of the Year award.