Rosebery Reunion Over 150 Old Roseberians and their guests, some from as far away as Hong Kong, Japan and Switzerland, came together for the College s first house-based reunion on Saturday 21st June.The day began with coffee and tea in Main Hall. The Bursar, Sarah Teasedale, then gave a tour of the newly renovated Rosebery House. All the guests were impressed by Rosebery s transformation. Guests convened in Big School where they were welcomed by the Headmaster, current Rosebery Housemaster Michael Hampshire, former Housemaster David Young and finally by the incoming Housemistress, Natasha Wilson. Mrs Wilson commented on Rosebery s long history and the need to weave the House s future with its past. She looks forward to future reunions attended by both men and women. A sumptuous buffet lunch was served in Big School which, like Rosebery House, has undergone a complete renovation. After lunch a young and talented group of Old Roseberians entertained the guests with a range of delightful musical performances. Current Rosebery boys gave guided tours of the campus in the afternoon. A highlight of the tour included an archive display in Mackinder Foyer, which included the original Rosebery Minute Books. Everyone ended the day where it began, in Main Hall for a final cup of tea. R Goldstein, G Sears, J Edwards, M Hender, C Watson, Dr. D Young Join the OE Lunch Club The OE Club and the Development Trust are delighted to launch the OE Lunch Club. One Tuesday each month there is an open invitation for you to come to the Dining Hall for lunch. Come on your own, bring your partner or organise to come with a small group of OEs. You can be assured of a warm welcome, good conversation and great food! These lunches will be part of the regular hubbub of the school day, making this an ideal opportunity to see the College in full swing. It s simple: Call or email to book a place, meet at Reception at 12:50pm, pitch in 1 and have an enjoyable lunch.the plan is to enter the Dining Hall at 1:00pm and to depart by 2:00pm. See page three for the 2008/2009 lunch dates. College hosts Chernobyl Children It may be more than 22 years since the world s worst nuclear accident took place at the Chernobyl power plant in the Ukraine, but the effects of radiation fallout are still blighting the lives of over a million youngsters living in the neighbouring regions. In July, Epsom College welcomed a group of 9-10 year old children from Belarus for the start of a four week respite holiday organised by the Mid-Surrey Link, part of the national Chernobyl Children Life Line charity. They had access to the facilities at Epsom College, including the swimming pool, sports centre, dining hall and meeting rooms. The Chairman of this Epsom based charity, Philip Taylor (Fayrer 1982-83), was instrumental in bringing the children to the College. He commented, "All of these children are selected because their parents cannot afford to Philip Taylor send them away for respite from the contamination. It really does offer them the chance of a lifetime. Health experts believe that a month in the UK with clean air, water and food could add a further two years to their life expectancy. PHOENIX SUMMER 2008 1
Founder s Day Picnickers were out in force on 24th May as OEs and pupils families made the most of the sunshine on Founder s Day. OEs were welcomed in the OE Club and Development Trust gazebo where they were offered Pimm s and Champagne and then taken on guided tours of the College. Throughout the day, students competed in cricket (vs OEs), rounders and athletics matches where many new records were set. The forthcoming issue of the OE Magazine will feature Founders Day articles by Kuzi Charamba (Forest 2002-6) and Peter Salzer (Propert 1946-49). 2 SUMMER 2008 PHOENIX
Forthcoming events OEs are invited to a number of social occasions over the coming months DIARY DATES 2008-2009 SATURDAY 11TH OCTOBER OE ANNUAL BLACK TIE DINNER SATURDAY 11TH OCT Keith Douglas OE ANNUAL DINNER President of the OE Club, Hywel Bowen- Perkins (Crawfurd 1966-70), invites all OEs to this year s Annual Dinner on Saturday, 11th October.This is a great opportunity to meet up with school friends. However, you do not have to come with a group to enjoy yourself! You can join other OEs from your era or members of various OE Club sports societies. Hywel Bowen-Perkins has invited former Crawfurd Housemaster, Keith Douglas, to attend as his special guest. Keith looks forward to seeing lots of Old Crawfurdians including Hywel s three sons, all of whom passed through Crawfurd. Application form enclosed. DINNERS AT CAMBRIDGE & OXFORD The annual Cambridge Dinner will be held on 14th November at Jesus College and the Oxford Dinner on 21st November at Exeter College.The Honorary Secretaries for this year s dinners are Ian Mill QC (Propert 1971-76) and John Bowerman (Granville 1969-74), respectively. WEDNESDAY 19TH NOVEMBER CHAPEL CHOIR SINGS EVENSONG AT SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL OEs and current parents are welcome to attend Evensong at Southwark Cathedral where the Epsom College Chapel Choir will be performing on 19th November at 5.30pm.This is a rare opportunity for the Choir to sing in this magnificent cathedral.the service is open to the general public and will include music by Herbert Howells and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Prior to Evensong, guests are warmly invited by the Trust to come for tea and cakes in Southwark Cathedral s Garry Weston Library from 3.30pm. Application form enclosed. FRIDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER OLD EPSOMIAN LEGAL SOCIETY RECEPTION Join host Steven Kay for the launch of the Legal Society at a reception in his Chambers at 9 Bedford Row, London on 19th September at 6pm. See pages four and five for details. Application form enclosed. OE LUNCH CLUB Join members of the OE Club and the Development Trust for lunch during the 2008/09 academic year. 16th September 14th October 11th November 9th December 13th January 10th February 10th March 21st April 12th May 16th June See page one for details OE MEDICAL SOCIETY DINNER 2009 Sir Richard Thompson (Propert 1954-58), President of the OE Medical Society, invites all OE medics to the Royal College of Physicians for a dinner on Friday, 6th March. Invitations will be mailed early in 2009 but you may register your interest now by contacting the OE Club. Outgoing Medical Society President Hywel Bowen-Perkins and incoming President Sir Richard Thompson OE REUNIONS Following the success of three recent house-based events, the College is delighted to announce two more for 2009. A celebration of White House will take place on Founder s Day, 23rd May and a co-ed reunion of Wilson House on Saturday, 13th June. The OE Club is very happy to help any OE organise a reunion, large or small. Currently David Winterton (Holman 1973-77) is planning a 30 Years On reunion for his year group. He is considering holding it in Paris or Dubai, but has not ruled out Epsom! REGIONAL GATHERINGS IN THE UK Following successful regional gatherings in East Anglia and the South West, more gatherings will be scheduled for 2009. Dates and locations will follow. BURSARY FUNDS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE OE CLUB In 1932, the OE Club established the OE Trust Fund to provide bursary support for OEs sons at Epsom College. Although it has undergone a number of changes in its 76 year history, it continues to support the sons and more recently the daughters of OEs whose families could not otherwise afford to send them to the College. These are means-tested bursaries and are awarded based on the recommendation of the Headmaster. To learn more about this programme and the eligibility requirements, please contact the OE Club. PHOENIX SUMMER 2008 3
NEWS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT TRUST SUPPORT THE COLLEGE ARCHIVE Volunteer Your Time The College Archivist and Head of History, Alan Scadding, supports the OE Club and Trust in many ways from from the page to the screen. For instance, if one had an interest in Rosebery from 1955 to 1960, one would record the Development Direc plans to build on the College and its Alum Our aim is to connect our alumni closely with the Colleg alumni through print, events and the use of IT to ensure a very personal way for old school friends to meet up and with change in a very competitive market place. Improved Communications: We are constantly updat and have amended 791 of these addresses in the past 12 alumni communication and we would therefore appreciate abreast of College activities and events through our New number of short video clips that we hope you will find of and the entire video will be available on line or through t creating photo displays at events to researching places and people from the past.the Archive is central to many activities and supporting the continued growth of this College asset is invaluable. Alan Scadding s long term goal is to enter historical information into a database. Understanding historical facts and trends further our identity and traditions. For example, just how good has Epsom been at sport? Or what makes one House different from another? What exactly are we looking for? We are looking for volunteers to choose an area of interest such as a House, a sport, a decade, etc, and to transcribe that information 4 SUMMER 2008 PHOENIX information contained in the Rosebery Minute Book from that period. Although it is painstaking work, it is quite fascinating and rewarding. Please get in touch with the Trust if you are interested and let us know when you may be available. We will try to create a regular schedule for volunteers. Obviously it is more fun to work alongside other OEs than on your own. Alan Scadding Events: The bond that alumni have with their Houses w opportunities have been created for Houses to reunite du incorporate both Wilson boys and girls. If you wish to org Professional and Careers: We are aware that we hav support offered by experienced OEs to those who are st experience through the first batch of Alumni Questionnai appreciated. The Medical Society will be joined shortly by knowledge to help them in a number of ways. We can pr these groups and intend to open up more sector groups Does this all come down to money? Yes The College does need the financial support of those the opportunity of an Epsom education to those with abi is as much about time and commitment. Current pupils ga develop their lives, and many of us within our Epsom fam opportunity. Old Epsomian Le The Trust is delighted to announce the launch of t Honour Judge Christopher Compston (Fayrer 19 1968-73) have been instrumental in its launch. Membe profession and current Epsom College students consid One of the principal aims of the Society is to be students considering the legal profession and to commented, Epsom College has produced many lawy will enable them to keep in touch in the same way tha medics. I was helped on my way by OE Sir Anthony M never forgotten his kindness and the opportunity that Steven Kay has generously agreed to host the first Row, London on 19th September at 6pm. Steven i England but also specialises in international criminal la
tor Richard Love discusses relationship between the ni: e and with each other. We are working to improve our communications with ll our community is aware of developments within the College. Events are a to relive their school years and for the College to show how it has kept pace ing our database records and we have 3,336 e-mail addresses for 9,396 OEs, months. E-mail is a swift and sure way for College to alumni, and alumni to receiving your current e-mail address. We will be using e-mail to keep you s link. In addition, the College website is being upgraded and will soon have a interest. They come from the filming of OEs at recent events, are unscripted he Development Office. Nostalgic Return Ravinder Sehmi (Fayrer 1982-87) was delighted to catch up with his Housemaster, Norman Rice, as well as Masters Mike Oliver and Jud Drinkall, during his first visit to the College since he left in 1987. Currently residing in Melbourne, Ravinder came over in June with his family and was very keen to show his daughters where he went to school. A guided tour was followed by lunch in the Dining Hall, all hosted by Mike Oliver who wistfully recalled Ravinder s outstanding skills on the hockey pitch. as clear to see at the recent Rosebery Reunion and the Forest event. Two ring 2009;White House on Founder s Day and Wilson in June. The latter will anise a group reunion, the Development Trust Office will be pleased to help. e to develop ways of engaging with our alumni of all ages and one area is the arting out on their career paths. Many have offered careers advice and work res and we are delighted with this response.all help is very much the Legal Society where students can rub shoulders with OEs and gain ovide more assistance to alumni as they begin their working lives through through the College. who benefited from their education at Epsom, especially if we are to widen lity but without sufficient family resources. But it is not just about money; it in huge benefit from the connections with our alumni as they seek to ily feel we have an important part to play in promoting the College at every gal Society to be launched he Old Epsomian Legal Society. His 53-59) and Mr Steven Kay QC (Propert rship is open to all OEs in the legal ering law. a source of information to current support those starting out. Mr Kay ers over the years and the Legal Society t the OE Medical Society supports ccowan (Carr 1942-46) and I have he gave me. Reception in his Chambers at 9 Bedford a barrister practising at the bar in w.the most notable case with which he was involved was the trial of ex-serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in The Hague. He has recently established the International Criminal Law Bureau with colleagues from other jurisdictions. Invitations have been posted to approximately 200 OEs with current addresses and who are known to be in the legal profession. It is likely the actual number in the law is much higher. It may be that we do not have your current professional details on our OE database. If you have not received your invitation, please get in touch: development@epsomcollege.org.uk Steven Kay PHOENIX SUMMER 2008 5
Members of Forest House resident in 1958 Big send off for Fayrer Housemaster Forest Celebrates 50 Years Over 80 OEs gathered to celebrate 50 years of Forest House in its current location. For many it was their first visit to the College since leaving. Current Forest Housemaster Andy Bustard, together with many of his predecessors, OEs and their guests, enjoyed an informal barbeque in Forest quad. Chairman of Governors George Pincus (1955-61) cut a ribbon over a plaque to commemorate the official opening of the new Forest wing, which was built in September 2004. Peter Irvine was presented with a gift in recognition of his 20 years of service as a Forest House tutor. OE Jeremy Diamond (1952-58), the benefactor behind the Diamond Bursary Fund, travelled from Malaysia for the occasion and spoke about the importance of supporting the Development Trust bursary programme at the College. See the full report in the OE Magazine by Christopher Morrison (1960-65) House of Commons Reception Alarge gathering of current Fayrer boys, OEs and current and past parents, including many former Heads of House, attended a leaving party for Paul and Sarah Williams. As a tribute to an outstanding Housemaster, 13 of the previous 15 Heads of House turned up to celebrate Paul's 15 years in Fayrer House prior to handing over the reins next term to Stuart Head (Fayrer 1979-84). The reunion was organised by Jud Drinkall, a Fayrer tutor for 25 years, who personally contacted all the old boys. Jud gave a highly entertaining speech in Paul's honour, picking out highlights from each of his years in the House. Current Head of House George Lowe also gave a speech and presented Paul and Sarah with gifts from the boys. 6 SUMMER 2008 PHOENIX Morley Pecker, Chris Mitchell, Philip Ribeiro and Sue Mitchell Lord Carlile of Berriew QC (Hart- Smith/Fayrer 1960-66) hosted the fourth OE Reception at the House of Commons on 3rd July. Always a popular event, 120 OEs and their guests enjoyed the enlightening and amusing guided tours of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Guests then proceeded to the Terrace Marquee where they enjoyed wine, canapés and that extraordinary view of the Thames. Richard Bland, Rupert Hakim and Peter Hakim Falcon 58 Reunion Jeremy Bolton, Duncan Moore, former headmaster John Cook and David Jackson Celebrating their 50th anniversary, members of the Falcon 58 Club and their guests met at the Barber Surgeons Hall on 9th May.The Falcon 58 Club was formed by Crawfurd leavers of 1958 and includes all those who were in the House that year. Organiser,Tony Bourne, was delighted with the turnout of 40 OEs and 36 guests. The forthcoming issue of the OE Magazine will feature the full report by Tony Bourne.
OE PROFILE A New Face at the Royal Medical Foundation Fiona Anderson, a biochemist by training and with extensive experience in grant making, is the first woman to take on the role of Secretary to Council and RMF Administrator since the RMF s inception in 1855. She is employed by the Royal Medical Foundation of Epsom College, which is the parent charity under which Epsom College and the RMF operate. As Secretary to Council, Fiona helps to ensure that the charitable objectives of the entire organisation are met and advises Council on relevant legislation. Public Benefit, as it relates to independent schools, is one such area where Fiona will have an important role to play. She advises the Development Trust on correct procedures relating to Gift Aid. And if that s not enough, Fiona also oversees all major investment assets. Feeding The Thousand Beef is back, tarts are in and fish struggles these are some of the trends Bev Spencer, Catering Manager, considers as she decides what to feed 1,000 hungry students and staff who pass through the Dining Hall each day. Our students know good food, have very high expectations and are quite discerning. Bev and her staff not only match these expectations but exceed them. She sets a three week menu cycle, which ensures that no single meal is served more than twice in a six week cycle. This changes each term in line with the seasons, though there are some items like chicken kiev which are favourites and stay on the menu year-round. She commented, When the pasta bar is slow I know my menu is working and when it is busy I know it isn t. Fiona Anderson and Helen Jones In her other role as RMF Administrator, Fiona is responsible for the allocation of approximately 260,000 per year. The principal aim of the RMF is to support registered medical practitioners and their families who find themselves in financial hardship. She works with Helen Jones, an experienced case worker, to identify eligible beneficiaries.the RMF provides funding for living expenses for widows or widowers, urgent needs and education. Fiona believes the RMF provides an invaluable resource to the entire medical community. She commented, Not only is Helen a sympathetic ear, she is able to direct those in need to government welfare organisations who can provide financial support.these huge benefits cannot be measured on a balance sheet. The College kitchens were refurbished last summer. Bev and her full time staff of 40 now work in state of the art kitchens with greatly improved light and air quality. The volume of food prepared each week is difficult to appreciate. However, when one considers the 6,000 bananas, 5,760 eggs or the 750 kilos of beef ordered each week one begins to get a sense of just how vast an enterprise it is. PHOENIX SUMMER 2008 7
OE bags York Minster Post In September, David Pipe (Crawfurd 1996-2001) will take up the post of Assistant Director of Music at York Minster.York Minster is the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe and the seat of the secondhighest ranking official of the Church of England, the Archbishop of York. David commented, York Minster is one of the most impressive cathedrals in the world.the Minster holds many special services and events at which there is a great sense of occasion.this variety, coupled with the obvious bonus of working daily in one of the great architectural spaces, is tremendously exciting. David will be part of a newly formed team of three whose principal aim will be to give even greater stature to York Minster s choirs. David will be working with the girls and boys choirs and looks forward to a rich and varied experience. Unlike the American system where there is often a clear delineation between conducting and organ playing, in the UK one has the advantage of carrying out both roles. David s interest in music started with the piano at the age of five. At the College he demonstrated his dedication early; by the end of his second term he was playing part of the Wednesday service and in the U4th he was playing the entire Saturday service. David s musical interests extended well beyond Chapel, being part of the Downs Singers and playing the piano in Big Band. Join the Epsom College Choral Society David went on to become an Organ Scholar at Downing College, Cambridge. As there is not a Director of Music at Downing or a long tradition of organ scholarships, David had a very hands on experience. He was responsible for two Evensong services per week and several choral tours. Recruiting choristers at Downing was a real challenge. It often came down to designing the most eyecatching posters, he said. In his new post he hopes to maintain his interest in baroque music, ensemble playing and as an organ soloist. David will also have to make time in his busy schedule to play at friends weddings! He was recently called upon to play at the wedding of Jonathan Gill (Crawfurd 1992-97) held in the College Chapel. The Choral Society will resume rehearsing in Big School on Tuesday 2nd September 8.00pm-9.15pm. This choir is open to anyone interested in singing, including alumni, parents, friends, pupils and staff.they will be preparing for a performance of Handel s Messiah in Big School in February 2009, with professional soloists and a symphony orchestra. If you enjoy singing, and would like to join please contact the OE Club. 2008 CALENDAR 19TH SEPTEMBER OE Legal Society Reception Application form enclosed 11TH OCTOBER OE Annual Black Tie Dinner Application form enclosed 14TH NOVEMBER Epsom College Cambridge University Dinner Jesus College 19TH NOVEMBER Chapel Choir sings Evensong Southwark Cathedral Tea from 3.30pm Evensong commences at 5.30pm Application form enclosed 21ST NOVEMBER Epsom College Oxford University Dinner Exeter College 2009 CALENDAR 14TH JANUARY OE Club AGM Epsom College 7.00pm 6TH MARCH OE Medical Society Dinner Royal College of Physicians 23RD MAY Founders Day & White House Reunion College Grounds 13TH JUNE Wilson House Reunion Big School For further information regarding any of these events please contact the Development Trust or the OE Club. Epsom College, College Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 4JQ www.epsomcollege.org.uk OE Club: 01372 821294 e: oeclub@epsomcollege.org.uk Development Trust: 01372 821042 e: development@epsomcollege.org.uk Design & Print: Summit Print 8 SUMMER 2008 PHOENIX