Old Pangbournian Society

Alex Bourant (06-09)

Alex is now at the University of Arts, London, and loving it following a spell at Henley 6th Form College.

07/01/2012 17:54:25

OPs living in France

It was a vintage year in France, some brilliant summer sunshine once the clouds had drifted back to pudding island, and some cracking grapes, writes Barney Spender. And that probably accounts for the fact that the small but perfectly formed band of APs - Anciens Pangbourniens - were unable to agree a date in their diary, nor even a location for a gathering of the clan during 2011.

There are around 15 known OPs/aps living in France and dotted around the country although there are undoubtedly more than that, either working temporarily or spending a chunk of time at the familial nesting ground in the Dordogne. Here is a brief update on a few of them:

Les Vaisey, who insists he was "the only anarchist CCC of Hesperus," has been in the south of France for the last 30 years. He does work, he claims, although his efforts are pushed more fervently toward his band of "utopian pirates" at the commune libre in Port Germanos (http://communelibreduportgemenos.typepad.fr/commune_libre_du_port_de_/).

After all these years, Les retains a healthy dislike for the "dreaded Macquairians". "I achieved my peak in fame when Peter Points was harassed into giving me the Headmaster's Prize - it has been downhill ever since," he reckons.

Vaisey's Hesperus contemporary Thierry Wertheimer, spent time working for the commercial division of Reuters looking after the likes of Goldman Sachs, Merril Lynch and so on. Today he is based in the Ile de France.

Andy Davies is another former CCC from Hesperus who is now set up in the south of France in Cannes. He works in the boat world with International Marine Projects. " I enjoyed Pangbourne but was sorely disappointed last time I went back there (which was probably about 11 years ago), as the place seemed to be falling into disrepair. But I hear that things have improved and the buildings have all been renovated. Hopefully there will be good news on this front."

Leigh Wootton left the college in 1977, went straight to France and has never left. "I live in Burgundy and work in inland shipping on the Seine and the Loire. I had my 42 seconds of English notoriety making a Rick Stein series for BBC2 a couple of years ago." Not even the Utopian Pirates can beat that.

It is not all Hesperus though. Strasbourg-based Axel Michau (1999-2003) and Emmanuel Dupuy, who went on to become CCCC, both emanated from Port Jackson while Richard Holworthy kept a foot in both camps. "I was in Hesperus 1950-55 and CCC of Port Jackson. I live in the sticks an hour east of Bordeaux - sadly Paris is a long way away for a convivial drink in these straightened times."

That exchange produced another PJ lapin du chapeau in the shape of Peter Somers (1954-58) who has retired and lives in Carentan in Normandy. "It was good to hear of Richard Holworthy, who was my first CCC in Port Jackson. I was never more than a mere cadet and remember I was given more cuts by more CCCCs than I care to remember, so I was not CCC material. All I can say is that my time at Pangbourne gave me the greatest grounding for the big world outside."

Vaughan Ashby, who is now living in the south of France near the historic city of Carcassone, wrote at greater length. In his words: "When I left Pangbourne (1965) I didn't go into the Royal Navy as I failed the eyesight test on colour vision. Instead, after a few years bumming about doing sales rep jobs I discovered I could still go to sea if I joined the Army! So I did a six year commission with the Royal Corps of Transport, based at Marchwood in Southampton, but spending almost all the time at sea in landing ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

"When I came out I started my own boatyard business on the Norfolk Broads but after seven good years the recessions bit and I had to sell up before it was too late. I first came out to France in 1981 as manager of a large hire boatyard on the Canal du Midi near Beziers. That got sold after a couple of years so I came back to England and used my experience running helicopter flight decks in the Army to get a job on the gas rigs in the North Sea, off Humberside.

"After three years of that I got into trucking, working for a company in Norfolk but spending all of each week driving in France. I wasn't married at the time, as my marriage had not stood up to life on the rigs, so I had a great deal of fun driving 40 ton trucks for the next six years. I sometimes wish I were still doing it now!

"Then a friend of mine was starting up a boatyard on the Thames at Staines and wanted me to run it, so I got back in the boat business. After three years, in 1993, I got a job with Crown Blue Line, who had about 500 boats in bases all over France and I was the manager at Chateau-Thierry, on the Marne near Epernay. I was moved after a couple of years to run a big base at St Gilles, near Nimes, where I was also regional manager for the south of France, with seven bases and about 300 boats. I had to drive 3000 kilometres just to do a round tour of all my bases.

"A couple of years later I became technical manager for the whole company, and had a most enjoyable job. Unfortunately the owner then decided to retire and sold up to a group of yuppy tour operators who have themselves been bought out three times and are now based in the US.

"After a few years of struggling miserably to get used to all their new and silly ideas, to say nothing of a succession of no less than nine new general managers, I was by then over 60 so I gave it up. My wife Susie and I sold our house in St Gilles and have "downsized" to a pleasant little town call Péyriac, in the heart of the Minervois vineyards, near Carcassonne. I am more or less retired now but I still enjoy myself working for a boatyard on the Canal du Midi nearby. They call me in to mend things when it all goes wrong!"

Barney Spender concludes: "Hopes are high that 2012 will allow the Anciens Pangbourniens to suckle at the teat of Dionysos. Any OP who is in France and wants to meet up should get in touch. As you can see there are aps spread far and wide. Contact Barney Spender (Paris) at barneyspender@yahoo.co.uk

27/12/2011 11:00:24

Fergus van Niekerk (93-00)

I took a degree in business management and economics at Oxford Brookes and have been pursuing an international business career ever since. I began in South Africa from 2004-07 working in marketing and franchise development. I then moved to Germany and to a firm called SAP Deutschland AG & Co. where I specialised in channel sales and direct sales.

Early in 2011 I switched to the US and joined GFI Software in Massachusetts as channel sales director. I worked there for nine months but decided to move on and began job-hunting in the Boston/New York area in November focusing on three areas – management consultancy, software/sales, or a go-to-market job in a venture-backed firm.

18/12/2011 10:23:04

Rex Irwin (55-59)

My career has been pleasant and fairly uneventful. I arrived in Australia on my 21st birthday in 1962 hoping to continue my career in the wine trade but sadly the wines Australia grew in those days were not the best, so that did not last. I stayed about eighteen months doing various odd-ish jobs, one of which was handing out catalogues in an art gallery, and then returned to London till about 1968.

Even though my first visit to Sydney was not remarkable I did miss Australia, maybe it had something to do with escaping the clutches of the middle classes, I am not sure. However, soon after returning to Sydney I got a proper job at an art gallery and have been in the art world ever since.

In 1976 I started my own gallery, dealing mostly with youngish Australian artists but with a smattering of English artists as well; Henry Moore, David Hockney, and a little later, Lucian Freud, Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff, mostly modest works by these celebrated artists but I was one of the earliest galleries in the world dealing regularly in the graphic work of Lucian Freud, long before his prints became sought after and very expensive.

Hockney has become a special friend, and I shall be returning to London in March next year to see his major retrospective at the Royal Academy . I have returned to the UK every year since coming to Australia, to combine business and family matters, so I remain in touch with the theatre, which I do miss. My gallery has been a sponsor of the Australian Opera for thirty years, so I am frequently at that remarkable building, the Sydney Opera House, a flawed masterpiece. And every day the sun shines, which it does most days, I still think I am in my twenties and on holiday, so life in Sydney cannot be that bad, can it?

17/12/2011 10:10:27

Kevin Price (76-81)

Kevin has spent most of his working life in the construction industry. He found that writing poetry helped him to cope with the sudden loss of his daughter in 2009 and soon after he turned to writing rhyming children's stories. Subsequently he left the construction business and in 2010 set up his own children's publishing company KAMA Publishing. It now has two titles on sale. Kevin lives in Norwich with his partner Andrea and son Albert.

24/10/2011 10:16:20

Anthony Clifford (75-82)

“Anthony Clifford (1975 –1982) is organising a Reunion Dinner in the summer of 2012 for everyone who joined Pangbourne in 1977 (or for those who joined the junior school in ’75). To date he has found approximately 50% of his old classmates and would like to be in contact with anybody interested in attending a dinner to celebrate the 30th anniversary of leaving the College. Even if you left after the 5th form you are more than welcome to attend. Please contact Anthony for details; anthony_clifford@hotmail.com “

Anthony adds: "To date I have found approx. 33 guys from about 65-70 in our year. As is the case, many are spread around the world now and my goal is to have 35+ people at the dinner."

22/10/2011 16:15:03

A.G. Husband (65-68)

A.G. Husband (65-68), who writes under the name of Allan Cameron, has produced another book. Titled "Can The Gods Cry" and dedicated to the memory of his English teacher at the NCP, Desmond Walker - "a veteran of the 'unforgiving years' whose wife and children were killed in the Blitz but whose humanity was never extinguished" - the work is a collection of short stories that examine behavioural themes and their opposites. The subject matter shifts from the social to the political and, according to the publisher's note, "the tone becomes increasingly pessimistic."

14/10/2011 15:16:20

Richard Waldron (52-56)

Artist Richard recently held an exhibition "Art in the City" at Painter's Hall in the City of London and another show of his work with the Dorking Group of Artists at Denbies vineyard gallery. Richard works in acrylic, pastels, oil, watercolour, charcoal, conte and pen and ink and is happy to demonstrate or tutor groups or individuals in drawing or painting in various media. He can be reached through his home page www.richardwaldron-art.co.uk

14/10/2011 12:23:37

Robin Paterson (69-73)

Robin Paterson (69-73) appeared in the columns of the London Evening Standard in August in connection with a new development that he is planning on the private Caribbean island of Petit St. Vincent. According to the newspaper report, Robin has teamed up with a Texan and paid "about £10 million" for the island. The plan now is to close the island for six months from next Spring to build a new beach restaurant, a spa pavilion and a children's clubhouse while also renovating 22 luxury villas.

14/10/2011 12:18:33

J.B. Sievier (57-61)

Joe was unable to attend Founder's Day 2011 as he hoped. Instead he was in hospital undergoing a quadruple by-pass heart operation. He is now (September) "better by the day... walking and doing everything 'in moderation'. My wife's favourite sayings are: "No" and "You are not allowed that and if you were, certainly not as much as that"!!

"When I came out of hospital (end of July ... seven weeks in there) my wife and eldest daughter took me for walks around the village. On the first two occasions they brought me back home through the graveyard!! All I could say was "X Marks the Spot" ... perhaps they were trying to tell me something!!

"I had the operation and everything else prior to and building up to it, in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. They were outstanding/faultless.

"I have had to get a new pair of glasses and the hearing aid is on the way!! True. When all is done and dusted, I should be as good as new and just like a real 'up-market' (!) second hand car!!"

26/09/2011 10:23:45

Paul Lawrence (03-08)

After graduating from Hull University with a 2:1 in Law in 2011, Paul has begun his Training Contract with Pitmans LLP, the largest law firm in the Thames valley with offices in Reading and the City of London. In parallel he is studying at the College of Law at Moorgate in the City of London, where he is taking a Legal Paractice course.

21/08/2011 10:58:40

J.W.P. Richardson (57-61)

Jeremy Richardson, lately Chief Executive of the Injured Jockey's Fund and a retired solicitor based in Newmarket, was awarded the OBE for services to horseracing in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Jeremy became responsible for management of the charity in 1969 in his capacity as a solicitor. It gradually grew in size. When he retired from the law in 1996 he became part-time CEO, and full time in 2000. On retiring from the role in August, 2010, after 40 years stewardship, the charity had assets of £30 million and had helped more than 1,000 injured jockeys.

In his last four years in the job Jeremy was heavily involved in the design and build of Oaksey House, Lambourn, which has been hailed as an exemplar site in the sporting world for the care and re-habilitation of injured sporstmen and women. See www.ijf.org.uk

"I was just doing my job really and couldn't have done it without a loyal and very hard working team," says Jeremy.

19/07/2011 10:31:15

Mike Lubbock (57-61)

Mike is the Executive Director of Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park at Scotland Neck, North Carolina, USA. He had been hoping to attend Founder's Day this year but instead will be heading to Brazil to collect some eggs from a very rare duck he has been working with for the past ten years. The height of the duck's laying season is the first few weeks of July and he has to be on hand to ensure that the eggs are brought safely into captivity in Brazil.

Any OPs visiting North Carolina are most welcome to see what Mike has achieved with waterfowl and other birds in the United States. A flavour can be gained from the park's website at www.shwpark.com

23/06/2011 14:42:58

C.J.S Morris (43-46)

Charles Stuart (OP Rep in Melbourne, Australia) writes: "I caught up with Chris at the monthly WCP lunch after about twenty years of his absence. He had attended one a few months ago whilst I was away after he had got in contact with me about “rejoining”. He is looking good as the elder statesman of the luncheon crowd., It looks like our OP numbers of regulars is up to four."

15/06/2011 11:11:31

A.R. Lade (57-61)

Sandy Lade reports that he spent "31 very enjoyable years in the Royal Marines" after leaving the College. On leaving he became a civil servant working for the MoD (RM) in Portsmouth for seven years. "For the last 12 years I have been in semi-retirment (living in Bishops Waltham) doing a bit of part-time gardening. It gets me out of the house and keeps me fit!"

14/05/2011 10:33:30

Robin Paine (55-58)

Robin divides his time in retirement between Kent and Auckland, New Zealand. He is in the process of writing a book with an ex-Hoverlloyd Captain, who now lives in Tasmania, called "On a Cushion of Air - The History of Hoverlloyd and the Hovercraft" - to be published in May, 2012.

"We have been at it for two years as we are writing it as seen through the eyes of the people involved," he explains. "But sadly some of the key players have passed on. We have, however, amongst others, obtained interviews with the third test pilot, who was involved with the Princess flying boats (and actually flew on the only one that took to the air), and the Chief Designer of the giant SR.N4 hovercraft, who was also involved in the very first experimental prototype. The politics, the difficulty in having the invention recognised, the development, plus the near disasters that could have killed hundreds as a result of inadequate training and basic navigation systems, and why it all stopped, (except for some small ones still in operation), are all told in the book. We have full access to all the pictures that are lying in a heap at the Hovercraft Museum in Lee-on-Solent, plus many others from ourselves and individuals. So hopefully it will be of interest to those involved in the industry and maybe one or two others."

02/05/2011 10:27:48

Garth McDonald (59-63)

After a career of 48 years Garth McDonald is preparing to hang up his compass and retire to the Hampshire/Dorset borders.

In an amazingly varied life, mostly spent at sea, Garth has managed to sail only under the Red Ensign - surely a unique record these days. If any OP can do better please let us know.

Most recently Garth has been with Wight Ferries and had been hoping to be part of a new Swansea-Ilfracombe route but the venture failed to get off the ground.

21/04/2011 17:21:21

Paddy Evelegh (58-61)

Paddy is the OP Rep. in Perth, Western Australia. He writes that he is "still pressurised into undertaking maritime affairs and consequently still spends a fair time climbing up and down pilot ladders. It's ridiculous at my age though good for the soul and keeps me occupied."

He will be in London May 6-19 visiting his son and after that "down along the south coast." At the end of May he will be attending the Australasian CWP Biennial weekend in Singapore. In Perth he is a regular attendee at the quarterly CWP pub lunches - at Clancys in Freo.

19/04/2011 10:03:29

Jonathan Priest (57-61)

"It seems incredible that it is 50 years this summer since we were all up the hill at Pangbourne," Jonathan writes from Perth, Western Australia. "I socialise with Paddy Evelegh (58-61) who is round the corner from us here, but otherwise do not come across too many OPs locally.

"I am settled and have more or less managed to get into retirement, though there is so much work to be done here with the small population that even the old guys keep getting dragged off the beach and asked to go back to their desks. I get in a fair bit of sailing, have another young family at school and university and each year visit my older family and grandchildren in New Zealand.

"I am fit and stretched enough with activities such as play writing to keep very busy and feel lucky to have had a good start at the old school, learning to be adaptable and ready to learn and relearn through life."

15/04/2011 17:08:10

D. J. Fisher (59-62)

David Fisher (59-62) has returned to the UK after spending many years in New Zealand. He is living in Whitekirk, near North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland.

12/04/2011 09:47:05

Philip Bellamy (48-53)

Through Chris Gilson-Taylor (57-61) we learned that Philip Bellamy (48-53) lives 10 miles from him in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The pair met at a model ship club in the Hettlingen area and see each other often. Philip has lived in Switzerland for many years. He is a retired control electronics engineer who arrived in the country to help set up Switzerland's Bloodhound air defence system.

12/04/2011 09:45:39

Chris Gilson-Taylor (57-61)

Chris writes that he has "had an interesting but not profitable past." On leaving the NCP he worked for Metal Box for four years followed by three years in the Army on a short service commission. He married, left the Army and went into reinsurance in the City. In his free time worked with TS Royalist and set up the Square Rigger Club.

Subsequently Chris got divorced and moved to St. Lucia in the West Indies to sail charter yachts - "great fun and I raced in Antigua race week and met one or two OPs out there." He then met a Swiss girl and went on holiday to Switzerland 20+ years ago and has stayed there ever since. "My German is still appalling so office jobs were out and I worked successfully as an electrician - Mr. Dolby must be laughing his head off. The secret is not all Amps and Ohms but organisation and leadership - now I wonder where I learned that?"

Chris hasn't visited the College for several years but is pleased to learn through the various publications he receives that it seems to be doing "more than well. It is a long cry from the college we knew."

12/04/2011 09:41:12

J.W.P Richardson (57-61)

Jeremy Richardson retired in August, 2010, from his solicitor's practice in Suffolk and has been playing a lot of golf and real tennis since then. He lives near Newmarket and is still playing cricket - keeping wicket for the Suffolk Gents, the Newmarket Racing X1 and his village side.

08/04/2011 17:07:19

J.B. Sievier (57-61)

Jo Sievier called to let us know that he hopes to attend the 2011 Founder's Day Reunion on Saturday July 2nd of everyone who left the NCP in 1961 - 50 years ago.

Jo joined the Army after Pangbourne and served in the Royal Engineers for 15 years, retiring in 1976 with the rank of Major. He then went into HR first with Costain and latterly with Bovis Lendlease. He retired three years ago and lives outside Stratford-on-Avon

07/04/2011 09:56:04

Charles Duffield (96-03)

Charles has qualified as a doctor and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. He recently passed out from Sandhurst.

30/03/2011 09:44:58

Keith Mann (45-49) & David Kent (39-43)

Keith Mann (45-49) and David Kent (39-43), two OPs living in Christchurch, New Zealand, have been in touch to confirm that they survived the recent earthquakes in the city.

"My family are all safe and sound after our rather violent wobbles" writes Keith. "There has been some damage to our individual properties which in due course will be repaired with the cost being borne by the government Earthquake Commission and/or the insurance companies. Our homes are livable and operating efficiently and we are so much better off than other folk...It is now the time for readjustment and recovery. It will take the city quite a while to become fully operational again with a lot of reconstruction to do."

David Kent (39-43) reports that his house is in "the luckiest area of Christchurch and we are okay. Just books flying off shelves, two broken vases and a leaky connection on the hot water tank. (But) the various shocks have been nasty experiences and somewhat disconcerting."

Meantime the OP Rep in New Zealand, Nick Edwards (55-58), who lives in Auckland, was fortunate when his wife Yoko was in a plane ten minutes from touching down in Tokyo when the Japanese earthquake struck. The plane diverted elsewhere and Yoko eventually caught a train to Tokyo next day, attended a family wedding and then beat a hasty retreat back to New Zealand.

29/03/2011 17:12:09

Ewen Southby-Tailyour (55-59)

Ewen's new book on 3 Commando Brigade's experiences in Afghanistan, "Helmand Assault," won a highly positive review in The Financial Times January 8. The reviewer, Patrick Hennessey, formerly of the Grenadier Guards and author of "The Junior Officers' Reading Club," described the book as accessible and comprehensive and argues that Ewen "makes excellent use of primary material."

10/01/2011 10:18:51

Mike Smith (68-71)

In November Mike organised a meeting on the "Common Good and Capitalism" at a Greencoat Forum held at the London centre of Initiatives of Change. Speakers included Roger Steare of Cass Business School and Paul Moore, the former HBOS employee who was sacked for warning that the company was spiralling out of control. In an article on Times Online in early December Mike concluded: that "banks and corporations needed to set an ethical tone at the top."

22/12/2010 09:19:17

Ian Tew (56-60)

I was inducted as a Freeman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners in September.

I sailed to Scotland and back earlier this year with my brothers in our Nicholson 40. Rory Macnamara (56-60) left a note on board in Tobermory but we did not meet.

10/12/2010 09:21:37

T.N. Hall (44-48)

Recently I spent a most enjoyable day at the College -my first look at the old place since the 1960s when I was working at the Ministry of Aviation. I departed feeling that Pangbourne College is in very good hands and very good health.

I left the NCP at the end of 1948, going into the Royal Navy as a Special Entry Cadet. During my naval career I was an Air Engineer Officer of a Fleet Air Arm Squadron - 890 Sea Vixen FAW Mk1. I served on the staff of Flag Officer Naval Air Command and did the Naval Staff Course at RNC Greenwich. I left the RN at the beginning of 1971 having resigned over the decision to do away with the fixed element of the Fleet Air Arm in the 1966 Defence Review. My last year in the RN was actually spent with the 'Know Your Navy' presentation team which toured the country encouraging people to join the RN; I stayed at the team's base HMS Daedalus as the Staff Officer as it was felt I might not be the best advertisement for recruitment if I was asked about my prospects in the RN!

It is ironic that on the day of my visit to the College the latest Defence Review concluded that the Harrier jets were to be axed together with HMS Ark Royal but we are to get two new aircraft carriers without aircraft. There is nothing new in the world, is there?

Today I live in Liskeard in Cornwall. I had a wonderful day at the Pangbourne College of 2010 - the old Nautical College of 1948 has gone from strength to strength. I was vastly impressed and wish everyone at the College the best of good fortune.

07/12/2010 15:52:37

Ewen Southby-Tailyour (55-59)

"Just back from nearly a month totally incommunicado in the South Atlantic as a Guest Lecturer on board the Polar Star. Not a holiday – hard work entertaining passengers 24 hours a day (sort of!) but immense fun.

Fascinating! South Georgia - magnificent. Wildlife and glaciers - stunning. Photographed (and sketched) the Fortuna glacier from seaward in fine weather. Landed at the two spots used by Shackleton after his James Caird journey (Cave Cove and Peggoty Bluff) then later walked the final four miles of his overland journey from Fortuna Bay via a 1,000 foot final ridge from where we slid down the snow (as he did) into Stromness. What a privilege!

Having now 'walked the course' from Fortuna to Stromness why the SAS wanted to land on Fortuna glacier in 1982 is an even bigger mystery. Apart from being a well-crevassed glacier it does not make tactical sense.

The Falklands were beautiful and old friends friendly… Nearly delayed reaching Ushuaia (and the aircraft) by ship (just under 5,000 tons) as we were hove-to north of the Beagle Chanel for eight hours in a F10 (WNW) plus serious gusts. Lots of room at breakfast - except there wasn't any (nor lunch) as the galley was certainly unmanageable and clearly unsafe!"

An unusual - for me – and fascinating experience.

01/12/2010 15:19:45

Jeremy Hodgson (51-54)

Following National Service in Royal Marines 45 Commando in Cyprus fighting EOKA terrorists in the mid-1950s followed by a commission in The East Surrey Regt., Jerry emigrated to Canada and spent the next 30 months travelling around North America and working in a variety of jobs including in a bakery and as a truck and bus driver.

Returning to the UK he joined Unilever as a sales rep selling margarine. The training he received at Unilever has stood him in good stead ever since during a working life spent mostly in sales in companies involved in the flooring industry. More recently Jerry moved to France and the Loire Valley with his French wife for a couple of years before returning to East Sussex to be closer to two of his children. He continues to work full-time in the flooring business and currently is a Sales Manager with D.J. Hann.

Despite his advancing years, Jerry says he rows every Sunday and does track days with his three-litre Alfa Romeo GTV. In the summer of 2010 he went down with the Alfa Club to Milan for the 100th anniversary of the marque and en route drove the grand prix circuit at Spar for the third time. "Sorry, but you can't keep an old petrol head down!" he remarks. He had a pacemaker fitted in November but otherwise says he is in excellent health.

29/11/2010 15:57:15

Paul Scott-Masson (1979)

Paul is a NATO intelligence analyst covering the Balkans and based in Naples. According to his Mother Anne-Marie, "he loves living there and the job is busy."

29/11/2010 15:38:01

Paul Haynes (78-83)

I am an OP of 1983 vintage, Managing Director of Cadogan Tate Ltd (moving & storage) and a Freemason. I regularly visit the Old Wellingtonian Lodge that meets in Fremason's Hall, London WC2 and once a year at Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire. During my visits I have met one other OP Freemason. I am interested to understand how many OP Freemasons there are. Perhaps we could get together and support the OW Lodge or even consider starting our own Old Pangbournian Lodge?

I would welcome emails to me at p.haynes@cadogantate.com

16/11/2010 09:25:05

David Harding (72-78)

According to a long profile in The Sunday Times (14.11.10 - page7 of the News Review section) David, owner of Winton Capital Management, one of the world's most successful futures funds, goes from strength to strength.

Winton Capital now employs 200 people, 100 of whom are scientists experienced in analysing data. It returns around 17% each year to its investors and even made money - 21% on the Futures Fund - in 2008 when the global economy crashed.

David's main cash outflow these days is said to be philanthropy. His most recent donation of £20mn to the world famous Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge is designed to support fundamental research in physics - the subject in which he got a First in at the university in the early 1980s. David has also recently bought a pub in Oxfordshire to be managed by his nephew.

15/11/2010 09:59:27

EWEN SOUTHBY-TAILYOUR (55-59)

In his second letter published in The Daily Telegraph in 2010 Ewen Southby-Tailyour argued in early October that it was "lunacy and unworkable" for the Admiralty Board to apparently favour one fixed-wing carrier protected by just 12 escorts in the ongoing Defence Review.

Ewen pointed out that all but one of the campaigns involving British forces abroad since 1945 have involved Royal Marines Commandos operating from an amphibious fleet. "The current amphibious fleet is highly trained, paid for, balanced, easily tailored to meet most foreseeable eventualities and needs no 'host-nation' support," he wrote.

11/10/2010 09:56:41

Mike Nicholson (57-61)

My company, Hazeldene Consultancy Services, has jsut unveiled a new web site for Forces Business Net www.forcesbusinessnet.com - a port of call for Armed Forces and former Armed Forces personnel seeking work or looking to employ Service people.

We continue to operate The Liquid List -a networking opportunity for former Service folk who may be looking for a new job. This group meets on the first Thursday of every month at the National Liberal Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1. Doors open 1830 hours. Our gatherings usually feature a short presentation by a guest speaker and end by 2100 hours. Next meeting: October 7th, 2010. PLEASE COME!

30/09/2010 11:41:44

Robin Knight (56-61) Letter to The Times

In a letter to The Times published on September 24th, Robin Knight (56-61) took issue with the England batting selections for the forthcoming Ashes tour of Australia.

Pointing out the poor batting averages and performances during the 2010 English season by those chosen for the Ashes tour, and the non-selection of the leading four batsmen (by their averages), he concluded: "Roll on the next English batting collapse."

25/09/2010 11:00:51

MIke Smith (68-71) Letter to The Times

In a letter published in The Times September 23, OP Mike Smith came to the defence of Business Secretary Vince Cable following the latter's "robust critique of capitalism" in a speech to the Liberal Democrat party conference.

According to Smith, Dr. Cable "was patently stating the obvious" in his various criticisms and "simply pointing out the distortions of capitalism and, in effect, pointing us towards a social market economy."

Claiming to fear the "prospect of a new class war"
Smith added: "What is needed is a capitalism that serves the common good and which allows everyone to fulfil their human potential. The private sector, at its best, has a crucial role to play in this, including job creation. So does the public sector."

25/09/2010 10:57:05

Ben Brundell (53-56)

BEN BRUNDELL (53-56) Charles Stuart (54-57) writes: “In February I spent a pleasant evening in Chile in perfect conditions at the home of Ben and Moira Brundell where I went for a BBQ. They are both well and Ben is still playing golf off a single figure handicap (although he does play every day!). Shortly after my visit there were the devastating Chilean earthquakes. I rang later to see if they were OK. They had survived with some minor damage to one wall and were without power for a short while and no phones for a week, but otherwise fine.”

24/08/2010 09:45:35

JOHN LANG (55-58)

John Lang set a hare running with a letter to The Daily Telegraph July 27 about British-flagged ships. John, a retired Rear Admiral, had spotted that the vessel which took The Queen on a Hebridean cruise earlier in the month “was wearing the Red Ensign, the much respected, and increasingly rare, symbol of British register.” Two days later the paper carried four replies. One of them pointed out that following “recent changes in tonnage taxes, the Red Ensign has made quite a flourishing return” to favour with ship-owning companies although many of the vessels flying the Red Ensign today employ multinational crew

29/07/2010 10:29:25

ANDREW SIMPSON (90-95)

Andrew simpson with his sailing partner Iain Percy has been rated “one of Britain’s strongest gold medal chances for 2012” in a survey by The Sunday Telegraph. “America’s Cup duty with TeamOrigin and the recent birth of Simpson’s son have restricted their competitive season this year,” noted the paper. “But, as their victory at the World Championships in January proves, they are a class act and more than capable of managing their sailing commitments.”

29/07/2010 10:28:04

Ken Russell (42-44)

The veteran film-maker cropped up in The Times in mid-July in a feature on whether or not the BBC should commission a "Men's Hour" on BBC Radio similar in format to "Women's Hour". He thought not. Men, he wrote, "could quite well be interviewed on any other radio programme" about subjects they would like to hear about "divorce, for example" or his films ("there are lots of them") or art or "characters with a touch of daring." Russell concluded: "I don't think men are interested in talking about emotions. They don't want to hear each other emoting."

29/07/2010 10:26:46

ROBIN PATERSON (69-73)

A full page spread in The Sunday Times at the start of July brought us up to date with a huge property development in the Caribbean being masterminded by OP developer Robin Paterson and his business partner the hotelier Michael Pemberton. According to the report, the Paradise Beach development of 35 villas with price tags of about £11.6 million on 32 acres of Barbados’s exclusive west coast is back on course after a rocky 2009-10 when it was hit by the credit crunch and the withdrawal of funding from HBOS.

As outlined by Paterson, the British principal of Cinnamon 88, the Barbados-based company behind the resort, there is substantial interest now from new buyers. In the first phase of the development 16 villas were sold. Meantime the project has been refinanced thanks to support from the Barbados government and a £40 million loan from a Trinidad bank. Construction work is expected to begin again in a few months after a survey is completed. “We are delighted everything is now underwritten, enabling us to move ahead and restart the project,” Paterson told the newspaper. Subsequently an article in The Daily Telegraph written by the film director Michael Winner indicated that another outcome may have resulted from the new loan – one that excludes Paterson from the project.

29/07/2010 10:25:11

Tim Lee (51-53)

Captain Tim Lee (51-53) was one of 15 retired Royal Navy officers to sign a letter which appeared in The Daily Telegraph on election day May 6 urging the retention of the Trident nuclear missile system.

The letter argued that the Conservatives "are the only party who (sic) will ensure that while our troops are overseas our citizens are safe at home... By wanting to remove Trident the Liberal Democrats are offering danger and showing naivety... Labour has proved its failure over 13 years of defence underfunding and ill-timed cuts for the Forces but it has been consistent over the necessity of Trident."

10/05/2010 12:37:33

Malcolm Graham-Wood (OP 70-75)

MALCOLM GRAHAM-WOOD (70-75), a former Chairman of the OP Society and now a director of oil and gas broking at Westhouse Securites, was quoted in The Daily Telegraph April 27 arguing that the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico "shouldn't make too much difference to BP's financial position...In terms of their reaction, there's really not much more they could have done." Earlier in April Malcolm appeared in another Telegraph story on the energy industry when he informed the paper that Scottish & Southern Energy's purchase of the North Sea gas field assets of US company Hess for £277 million was "an entirely sensible acquisition as the company needs to have its own supply to replace existing contracts."

05/05/2010 09:40:48

PATRICK DERHAM (72-78),

PATRICK DERHAM (72-78), the present Headmaster of Rugby School, has edited a book with the vice-provost of University College, London, titled Liberating Learning. According to a piece in the Financial Times at the end of February written by the historian Andrew Roberts, the book will be published in April and "will set the education debate alight in a manner reminiscent of The Black Papers, a series of polemical pamphlets on progressive education published in 1969." Liberating Learning includes contributions by the historian and television presenter Niall Ferguson, the philosopher AC Grayling and the joint heads of the Young Enterprise education charity Stuart Rose and John May. Concluded Roberts: "It (the book) could become a bible for reformers - those fed up with the past 13 years of missed opportunities."

01/03/2010 10:50:57

EWEN SOUTHBY-TAILYOUR (55-59)

EWEN SOUTHBY-TAILYOUR (55-59) went back to a thesis he wrote for the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich on his return from commanding the Falkland Islands' Royal Marines' Naval Party 8901 in 1979 in a letter to The Daily Telegraph February 24. Sharing the proceeds of Falklands oil with Argentina, he pointed out, was considered by the UK as long ago as 1975. Following a seismic survey in the mid-1970s "tentative plans were made for British companies to drill the oil and pipe it ashore to Comodoro Rivadavia, an oil town on the Argentine coast," Southby-Tailyour stated. "There it would be refined and sold on the world's markets to the financial advantage of all, including the Falkland islanders. On April 2, 1982, Argentina forfeited any such collaboration. Foresight might have saved the day - and lives - all round."

01/03/2010 10:50:12

RHIDIAN LLEWELLYN (70-75),

RHIDIAN LLEWELLYN (70-75), a former teacher at David Cameron's prep school, Heatherdown (it closed in 1982), was quoted in The Daily Telegraph at the end of February as saying that he remembered the future Conservative Party leader as "a charming and bright" pupil with a "cheeky grin." Cameron was ranked last in a sixth form of 13 boys at Heatherdown in 1978, but at age of 11 was a year younger than the other boys because he had been marked out as "very bright" and promoted ahead of his age. "To suggest he was a dunce is unfair because you would expect a younger boy to be behind chaps who had already sat their scholarship exams to Eton," Llewellyn (who now runs an educational consultancy firm) told the Telegraph.

01/03/2010 10:49:22

Richard Hamilton (87-92)

Since leaving the college I rowed internationally for GB for 8 years and went to the 96 Atlanta Olympics. After a brief spell teaching at Windsor Boys School I was appointed to Coach for Britain Internationally where I won Gold with the Junior 8+ in Athens and then a silver with the Mens Coxed four at the World Championships.

We then moved to NZ where I was Director of Sport at Tauranga Boys College before taking up Dairy farming. We are currently milking 1000cows of which we own 400 and employ 6 staff. Its a great life style where we farm in the Bay of Plenty, lakes, beaches and great hunting areas are all close by. I am married to Louise and have 3 children Fergus (10), Tiereny (8) and Rory (4).

We recently caught up with another OP Jim Bryce who farms all the grounds around the college and had a fantastic time meeting his family and had some great days water skiing and fishing on the lakes.

I am very keen to meet up with any other OP out here and even happier to accomodate any OP who may be travelling out here and want some accomodation for a while.

08/02/2010 11:19:08

Tim Goodenough (86-93)

Sylvia Goodenough, Tim's mother informs us that 'Tim is a mechanical engineer in Neuchatel, Switzerland. He and his partner are expecting their first child, already known to be a boy, in March 2010. He should be an interesting child as he will grow up in a French speaking part of Switzerland with a Spanish mother and a British father - hopefully ending up trilingual rather than just confused!'

25/01/2010 08:53:02

Richard (Sam) Strachan (58-62)

December 31st, 2009, sees the end of my 48 years in shipping - 39 as a broker, mostly in Australia where I live. This is anticipated with an odd mixture of exultation and uncertainty. My immediate aim is an increased involvement in training and lecturing in which I have been involved informally for a while. In 2008 I wrote an article on training for the Institute of Shipbrokers magazine and this has led to an unusual invitation from Irano Hind (one of Iran's national shipping lines) to conduct a week of personal tutoring in Tehran sometime in 2010.

18/12/2009 12:09:28

Anthony Hayes (51-55)

After a full 43-year career in Air Traffic Control which started in the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, at sea in various aircraft carriers and subsequently with the Civil Aviation Authority, mostly as an Airways Radar Controller at the London Air Traffic Control Centre, Weswt Drayton, I retired some four years ago to Pewsey in Wiltshire.

My last project in the ATC world was a ten-year posting to Eurocontrol, the European ATC planning organisation in Brussels where I was responsible for implementing the introduction of Airborne Collission Avoidance Systems in all airliners flying in European airspace, so markedly improving the standards of European flight safety.

Whilst at Eurocontrol I met and worked with Richard Jenyns (50-55). We visited the College together some five or six years ago.

I continued by RN connections in the RNR, eventually rising to command the RNR Photographic Interpreters Group.

Health has been dodgy recently. However, the current post cancer prognosis, I am assured, is GOOD. Also continue to enjoy touring across Europe (last year to Croatia) in my 1963 Alvis TD21 Coupe.

Greetings to all.
Tony Hayes

18/12/2009 12:05:04

Charles Stuart (53-56)

Charles made two visits to the UK from Australia in 2009. The first followed his participation in an air traffic controllers conference in Dubrovnik. This allowed him to travel on to the OP dinner at the Hurlingham club at the end of April - "what a night, and extremely well organised." Charles stayed with Adrian Stow (54-58) and later caught up with Lionel and Pat Stephens over lunch at the Bell in Aldworth. In October he returned to London to attend the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators annual awards dinner at the Guildhall. Subsequently he stayed with Adrian Stow for a night before going to Warsash, overnighting with Robin Bradley (55-59) and meeting John Webster (46-50) at a small dinner party. He then moved on to spend a few days with Jeremy Ainslie (55-59) in Devon, catching up on what he has done in the past 50 years. Charles is now planning a visit to Santiago, Chile, in February "on my way to Patagonia fly fishing with my son and his friends." He hopes to meet Ben Brundell (53-56) while in the country.

19/11/2009 12:20:27

Richard Mitchell (63-68)

Richard is working in the Ministry of Defence "in a challenging and interesting post providing advice on maritime capability - quite suitable after 35 years of warfare appointments in the RN," he says. He meets OPs from time to time "but not as many as in the past. Having bought a new OP tie recently he hopes to reveal more OPs in the MoD corridors of power in future.

19/11/2009 12:18:55

The Hurman Brothers - Tim, Adrian and Richard

The mother of Tim, Adrian and Richard Hurman emailed to bring us up to date about their varied lives. Tim (91-96) is a systems architect for ING Life based in Tokyo. Adrian (92-98) is a design engineer for Mustang Engineering (oil and water plant machinery) presently working in Perth, Western Australia. Richard (93-00) joined the Royal Navy and is commanding officer of HMS Charger based in Liverpool.

10/11/2009 11:17:55

Philip Bach (81-88)

An OP from the 1980s, Philip Bach (81-88), let us know in March that he still had a job with ING in London but that the credit crunch had hit the bank hard and he was hoping to get through the next nine months unscathed. Philip had recently renewed acquaintance with Matthew Way (82-87) who is a housemaster at Stowe School.

10/11/2009 11:16:39

Rory Copinger-Symes (79-86)

OPs in Afghanistan in 2009 included Rory Copinger-Symes (79-86). In May he returned to the UK after a six month tour as Deputy Chief of Staff in Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines. “It was a tough time…but I think we moved the campaign forward,” he wrote while adding that the Marines had sustained a high number of fatalities. Later in the year he was promoted to become Colonel Naval Recruiting responsible for all the Navy’s recruiting effort, based in the dockyard in Portsmouth.

10/11/2009 11:07:39

Roderick Line (72-75)

Roderick Line (72-75), sent a newsy letter from Lewes where he lives. After Pangbourne he joined T&J Harrison as an engineer cadet and spent five years in the MN. In 1980 he switched to the RAF and flew a variety of military aircraft for 16 years before moving into commercial aviation in 1997. Over the last 12 years he has flown holidaymakers to many destinations for a charter airline and seen a good deal of the world. He keeps in touch with Robert Wyld (72-75) who lives in Weybridge and works in the medical profession.

10/11/2009 11:06:27

Nick Devereaux (70-73)

Nick Devereux (70-73) got in touch to report that in January he completed 35 years in the world of metals and commodities. “Where has the time gone?” Recession, he wrote, “is taking its toll of some of our customers but life goes on.” Meantime William Creasy (71-74) let us know in February that he had retired from the Cambridgeshire Constabulary and now worked for them as a civilian investigator “which is great fun.” Later in the year he attended Founder’s Day.

10/11/2009 11:05:12

Simon Marriott (64-68)

One of two letter-writers from the 1960s, Simon Marriott (64-68), responded to Nick Knollys (62-67) who had wondered in Issue 39 about OPs who had served in the Sultan of Oman’s armed forces. “Add my name to the list,” he wrote. “I completed two tours: January 1975–September 1976 with the Armoured Car Squadron; and June 1980–April 1983 with the Armoured Regiment.” The other 1960s writer, Paul Parkin (66-70), attended Founder’s Day in 2009 for the first time in 38 years. He lectures at Brunel University in Uxbridge, Middlesex, on a new MBA in Healthcare course – one of only four such courses in Europe.

10/11/2009 11:03:52

Jeremy Sanders (56-60)

Jeremy Sanders (56-60), Chairman of the Falklands Islands Memorial Chapel Trust, sent some musings to Steve about his time at the NCP. Reading that Garth Morrison (56-61) had become a Knight of the Thistle, he wondered if this was a unique distinction for someone who played rugby for England Under-15s. Jeremy’s contemporary, Ewen Southby-Tailyour (55-59), contacted us in July to say that he was writing again – a sequel to his book on 3 Commando in Afghanistan which reached high into the Sunday Times best seller lists. Ewen is also contracted to produce “a huge format, glossy portrait book” about the Royal Marines to appear in 2014 on the Marines 350th birthday. He recently re-met Chris Roberts (52-56) after many years. Chris was in the Marines with Ewen before heading the Forestry Commission in the west country.

10/11/2009 11:02:32

Tony Hepworth (50-53)

Tony Hepworth (50-53) who lives in Suffolk writes that he retired from the Royal Navy in 1969 and then spent years overseas, chiefly in the Middle East. Now back in the UK he has undertaken consultancy work for the World Bank, Lloyds Register and others as well as setting up a computer services company. Another OP running his own company, Simon Dyer (55-58) reports that it has expanded to the point where he has to sub-contract work to other surveyors. “This is in part because I continue to sail as Master with Wightlink, Isle of Wight Ferries, which I enjoy immensely.” Writing in February, Simon was preparing to go to Croatia to collect a new vessel and sail her back to Lymington. He reported bumping into Patrick Adair (56-60), a “lost” OP, on a training course for Chief Officers in Kiel. Patrick also works for Wightlink.

10/11/2009 11:01:26

Malcolm Mackenzie (52-55)

Malcolm Mackenzie (52-55) wrote from Athens to request a new OP tie and to explain how he came to go to the NCP – “a serious error in principle” according to his father who believed that boys wishing to go to sea should first achieve a university-level education. At the time of writing Malcolm was preparing to make the purchase inspection of a roll on roll off car carrier while also undertaking teaching commitments – “I keep well and busy.”

10/11/2009 11:00:18

Denis O'Kelly (44-47)

From Spain Denis O’Kelly (44-47) sent an unusual letter – dictated into a recording device which then transformed his words into flowing blue print. “But I wrote the envelope!” Denis “remains a recluse in Jerez de la Frontera, alas no longer able to enjoy the sherry, and managing to get by with occasional visits from my wife and daughter…I am unable to convince them that a permanent life in Spain would be better.” He reports that the minor frustrations of life annoy him increasingly and he feels “like a dinosaur” but he is never bored.

10/11/2009 10:58:42

Cliff Bragg (46-49) and John Rudge (46-48)

Also in Australia two OPs from the 1940s met up in July after many years – the OP Rep in Eastern Province, South Africa, Cliff Bragg (46-49) and his contemporary at the NCP John Rudge (46-48). John (on the left below) emigrated to Australia by delivering a tug to Fremantle, WA, after World War 11. He worked for Castrol in Sydney for seven years, before going into mining with RTZ in Broken Hill. Later he linked up with management consultants in Queensland before settling down to lecture in the Management School at the University of South Australia for 17 years. In retirement he is a volunteer at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

10/11/2009 10:57:01

Dick Covington (40-43) reports

Dick Covington (40-43) got in touch from his home in Devon to report that he had met Tony Chambers (40-42) in Cornwall after the latter had returned to the UK from Spain. The two met thanks to a list of members of the Association of Royal Navy Officers. Another OP from the 1940s, John Lock (45-48), contacted us to correct a detail in the obituary of Peter Pinkster in Issue 39 (he was never Captain of Eagle but Second in Command). John lives in Hampshire and says he spends “far too much time with doctors these days.” Soon after Ian Lindsay (45-49) emailed from Australia to assert that “the new breed of OP…will be bland and uninteresting” based, apparently, on his view that the modern generation’s alleged lack of interest in the past bodes poorly for the future.

10/11/2009 10:55:01

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