ALDENHAMIANA ISSUE 45 October 2017 News from the OA Society Arts Review News from the School Letters from OAs Obituaries and tributes FROM THE EDITOR One of the things that has always struck me about Aldenham is its sense of community. I was only at Aldenham Aldenhamiana for two years in the Sixth Form, but No.45 October 2017 even visiting the School for the first Published by The Old Aldenhamian Society time, it had a feel about it that I have Aldenham School, Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3AJ UK never forgotten. It’s a feeling of Email: [email protected] friendship and community that Web: www.oldaldenhamian.org permeates throughout the School, and, as a weekly Tel: +44 (0)1923 858 122 boarder, Aldenham always felt like a home away from home. Returning to School in January after a five year absence, I felt the same as I did when I visited for the first time. Aldenham has once again become a big part of my life, for which I am extremely grateful. One of my aims as the new Editor of the OA Review is Contents to try and involve as many OAs as possible, whatever their age, in the magazine. Neil Sutherland (1966-70) has done a fantastic job over the last seven years he has served as 2 From the OA Society President in targeting younger OAs, and encouraging them to come to Society events. His successor, James James- 2 From the President’s Desk Crook (M1968-72), will be continuing Neil’s good work, and we are looking forward to welcoming OAs of all ages 4 OA Day to upcoming events. 7 Mentoring The OA Review cannot be put together without a fantastic team behind it, and I would like to thank Sara 8 Annual OA Dinner 2016 Price (CR1987-2006), Lindsey Kelly (née Hall) (P1985-87), 11 Sport and Alice Erman (P2006-12) for their contributions to both articles, proofreading and ideas for this issue. My thanks 15 Dates for Your Diary also go to Hugh Schermuly (M1974-79), who once again has worked his magic and made this edition so beautiful. I am also extremely grateful to James James-Crook, who, as From the School my predecessor, has been a great support, and for letting 17 me take over his project. Finally, I am entirely indebted to the wonderful ladies in the OA Development office,Ann 17 Letter from the Headmaster Saffery, Jackie Wilkie and Heather Sherman, Marketing 18 Exam results Manager; thank you all for allowing me to come in and disrupt your afternoons, and letting me commandeer your 22 The Letchmore Trust Art Prizes office for meetings. You’re all stars! I hope that you enjoy reading this magazine as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. Issue 45 has a careers focus, and we have chosen to celebrate an area that 24 News and features Aldenham really cultivates in its students: the Arts. In my two years at Aldenham, I was a part of the School Choir, 28 Arts Feature a keen dramatist, and a member of the School Magazine committee, so the Arts is an area close to my heart; I hope 39 Forms for forthcoming events you will forgive my indulgence in this! 43 WWI 100 years On We love hearing from OAs about their achievements, so please do get in touch with us! You can reach us at [email protected], or via our Old Aldenhamian Society Facebook page. We would love to hear what you think about 49 Obituaries and tributes this edition of the OA Review, so please let us know what you would like to see more of in our next issue - after all, it’s 49 List of Deaths your magazine! Have a fantastic year, and we look forward to seeing and 50 Obituaries and tributes hearing from you soon. Lydia Chapman Editor, OA Review Email: [email protected] 2 From the OA Society From the President’s Desk This year, Aldenham celebrates 420 years since being OA Society founded by Richard Platt in 1597. pin badge t was a personal honour to be elected President of the OA Society at the IAGM in March and I intend to continue the excellent work achieved by my predecessors since the Old Aldenhamian Society was founded in 1902. On behalf of the OA Committee and indeed the whole Aldenham community, my gratitude goes to my predecessor, Neil Sutherland OBE DL (B1966-70), for his dedication over the last seven years. At the invitation of the Headmaster, I attended Visitation Day this year and had the opportunity to meet many pupils on the cusp of leaving Aldenham and entering the larger world as OAs. The OA Mentoring scheme, now in its sixth year and administered and supported by 50 OAs from different professions, offers valuable career OA COMMITTEE MEMBERS guidance to both students and OAs. As of today, there are currently some James James-Crook President 4,565 OAs worldwide whose ages range Neil Sutherland OBE DL Vice President from 18 to 97 years old. Membership of Derick Burlingham Johnson Vice President the OA Society lasts for 20 years after John Edwards TD JP Vice President which you have the choice to continue John Ashley Cockett Vice President as a member of the OA Society by David Ronald Male CBE Vice President making an annual voluntary Field Marshal The Lord Vincent GBE KCB DSO Vice President subscription which helps fund the Peter John Purton OBE Vice President future of the Society to maintain a link Richard Wood Vice President between OAs and the School. Frank Rogers Hon. Secretary Having been Editor of the OA Review Richard Peart Hon. Treasurer for the last five years, I have now passed Ian Luetchford Annual Dinner that role to Lydia Chapman (P2010-12) Lydia Chapman Editor, OA Review and I offer both Lydia and her team my David Hayes Mentoring Scheme congratulations on producing such an Clare Yeabsley née McCarty Committee Member innovative and informative edition Helen Shelton Committee Member which I hope you enjoy reading. James Fowler Headmaster Recently, at my instigation, I chaired Peter William Boorman Headmaster 1974-83 a meeting with the OA Committee to Michael Higginbottom JP Headmaster 1983-94 discuss updating and improving the OA Stephen Robert Borthwick Headmaster 1994-2000 Society website to ensure it is more Richard Harman Headmaster 2000-2006 informative, visually attractive and Emma Murray Assistant Head, Co-curricular compatible with mobile devices. My Sixth Form & External Affairs thanks especially go to Hugh Schermuly Ann Saffery Development & OA Manager (M1974-79) for his talented input. Apart Jackie Wilkie Development & OA Assistant from the OA Review, connecting with OAs can now be made via the OA website From the OA Society 3 through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by attending various events during Aldenham History, Live Online the year including a gathering next Spring for aldenham.net giving you the With over 400 years of history at Aldenham School there is chance to catch up with other OAs and inevitably a great deal of archive material including magazines, develop business opportunities. registers, event programmes and many, many photographs. Having attended a number of funerals recently for OAs, it has made me realise even more that being a The question is where do you store 1914-18 is included, along with the first member of the OA Society equates to it and who looks after it all? ever government inspection report from a lifetime connection with Aldenham In the absence of a professional 1910, school rules from 1971, School and that we, as OAs, are a close archivist at Aldenham, the Development photograph albums and event knit community. I’m sure you all have and OA Office gathers items of interest programmes. A publication produced by different memories. Indeed Aldenham is from the School’s past. Cupboards and John McAllister (CR1967-2005) in 2002, now quite different, though in many cabinets are full to overflowing, but ‘Platt Revisited’ is also now available ways not that different, from when I first every effort is made to keep a record of through this digital archive. This records attended as a full boarder fifty years ago. what things are, who they came from memories written down by OAs who As the saying goes - ‘you can take the and where they are kept. It is a were at Aldenham in the 1920s & 30s. individual out of Aldenham but you can particular joy to find photographs from This fascinating facility is fully never take Aldenham out of the the past, especially if the people in them searchable and available to members of individual.’ It’s in the blood. are named. the OA Society through the website I am pleased to announce the recent Now, thanks to donations to the www.oldaldenhamian.org Members formation of the Old Aldenhamian Choir Aldenham Annual Fund, we have begun must log in using their unique access comprising OAs and members of the a project to make as much memorabilia details and then click on the Digital Aldenham community. They plan to as possible available electronically, Archive tab. hold a Christmas concert in December so that it can be searched and viewed This project will continue to be at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London with through the internet by anyone with developed as funds allow and some future plans to include a concert in a link to, or an interest in, the School. donations to the next Annual Fund Cambridge at which an OA drinks In April 2017, after a short trial will be allocated for this purpose.