News of Old Woodbridgians

OW DINNER 2009: The 2009 OW Annual Reunion Dinner at School on Saturday 19 September 2009 at 6.30pm is announced and tickets are now on sale. Please book early.  Click here for full information and link to your booking form.

A NEW BOOK FROM THE WEAVERS: Work is well under way on the book "When Duty Calls..." by authors Carol and Michael Weaver which will be a fantastic record and archive to celebrate the 2008 centenary of Woodbridge School CCF.  Many, many contributions have been received and a big thank you to all who have sent in their memories.  As many as possible will be used.

ORDER your copy now.  E-mail Michael Weaver (address on Contact Us page) and say you want him to reserve your copy.  The final price, to be confirmed, is likely to be less than a tenner!!  What a bargain - send your order in now!!

Here are six lists of OWs, who have been in touch, over the last 6 years. Each year is roughly in leaving year order.  The first from Spring 2009 and below that each year back to 2004.

SPRING 2009

THE SEARCH GOES ON!

Yes, we will not flinch from the task of searching the corners of the globe for news of OWs and former staff members, reminding you, as we do, that we need your co-operation in getting the facts right.

Former staff members often turn up to a December lunch at School, sitting gloriously again, as once they did, on top table and chatting amiably about the good old days. (Er … this year actually it was about the credit crunch and the loss of pick’n’mix at Woolies. Ed.) Oh sorry. Graeme and Joan Hall do not seem to age and were as cheerful as ever. Mike Lubbock had been injured on the rugby field - this time as a spectator! Gill Lubbock was in attendance, her formerly matron-like duties, having come in useful. I see her popping in and out of School House, of course, doing a bit of baby-minding since Adam and Cara Lubbock have produced another tot. Blimey - I make the Spring Magazine 2009 the Mummies and Daddies issue and everyone goes mad. Pam Morgan was a first time attendee. Then there were the formidable pair of Mark Mitchels and Doug Maude. The former is still as busy as ever, writing and delivering lectures across the whole of East Anglia. Doug is patently missing the cut and thrust of Physics with Year 10 but keeps himself out of trouble in the Suffolk interior.

Graeme Sagar came to the dinner and James Bidwell promised to come but his civic duties held him back; yes, he is now Chairman of the Suffolk District Council. Ken Charrot may now be found in the Seckford Almshouses. William Bryant and Dorothy Hull have been reported as not being well at the moment. We send them our best wishes. James Harper has presented Archives with a massive portfolio of fantastic photographs and by now you should have looked at some of them, as they are on the previous two pages - our centre-spread. Thanks JH. Please note that anyone with school photos can send them to us for careful storage and filing. This year the nephews of Captain G.B.Riddell have sent some large, formerly-framed pictures of the great man. Janet Dewhurst has married since the last Mag and we offer congratulations. Pauline Moore is quite big at Sutton Hoo now and has appeared on telly in that context. Phil Gibbs sends a Christmas Card so he is alive though not teaching and Doug Hurdley still walks the sands of Morecambe Bay.

Now the next group of OWs are the attendees of the September Dinner. Each OW was given a form to fill with the offer of free entry into a prize draw at the end. Everyone dutifully submitted except a certain JS who misheard my announcement and thought I was trying to con him out of a fiver. Here’s what they reported. I did ask all the form fillers to mention other OWs known unto them and also to name their favourite teachers and I may throw a few names at you in brackets.

Russell Ling, 1945, farms at Otley, north of us, and is involved with the Parish Council and the Church PCC. (G.B.Riddell). J.Colby Clarke is extremely busy in Norfolk. He’s involved with the Norfolk Village Halls Association and the National Village Hall Forum and is clerk of three local charities. He plays bowls too. (G.B.Riddell). Patrick Smith, 1948, is a retired solicitor, living on Martlesham Heath. He has five grand-children. He is Director of Martlesham Heath Householders Ltd. Michael Beeton, 1949, still enjoys sailing. He did National Service in the navy and worked thereafter in insurance, was President of the Yacht Brokers Association and served time with eastern Electricity. His daughter Gillian Beeton, is an interpreter of Strasbourg. (Tony Gooden). Tom Henson, 1949, gloriously retired, paints, travels and fishes for trout. We thank him for appearing on stage to collect his medals and for modestly accepting such a huge round of applause. PR is his favourite and he remembers that the great man wore ‘different Alexander’s cords each day!’ Mark Oliver, 1950. A stalwart of our society. He enjoys cooking and travelling and he’s another water-colour painter. Look - here are Tom and Mark in the opposite column.! He’s in touch with Gus Lockhart and Hugh Sandover. (Tom Dewar).

Now we come on to the formidable Ian ‘Gus’ Lockhart himself, 1950, retired but still loves his sport. He does relate that indirectly, his skill at hockey actually kept him out of the Korean War! It’s an interesting tale. I can tell you he was ready to do his duty and would not have flinched. He takes an interest in his Norfolk farm of 6000 acres and has many sensible things to say about modern and indeed ancient agriculture. (Mr. Hart and Tom Dewar). Michael Barnwell is of Gus’ generation. He likes diving - more detail needed, gardening and photography. (Mr. Hart). Neville Frewer, 1951, has retired from banking - and what a good time NOT to be a banker!- and he travels, plays golf and audits books. He’s in touch with Kit Jackman, Clive Piggott and Eric Headland. Brian Spurway is another who plays golf in retirement and seems to be helping restore a vintage jet plane. More detail needed on this. (PR). Dennis Bexson 1955, farms on Dartmoor though sort of retired. He’s also been a management consultant and associated with Ford Motoring Co. (Miss Green). Max Pemberton, 1955, plays tennis, socialises with the Rotary Club and the Probus club locally, travels, plays bridge, gardens and computes. He is in touch with Stewart Raynor. (PR)

Nigel Pusey, 1957, has five granddaughters and therefore how he has time to play golf and go sailing is a mystery to us all but he does (PR). Robert Lightfoot, 1958, is a part-time aerospace consultant and property director, with time for golf, fishing and shooting. Rod Pipe, Neville Meadows and Paul Whitlock are still in touch with him. (J.N.Stevens). Kit Jackman, 1960, is a part-time worker but doing what? He travels and plays golf, coming home to do a bit of gardening. (David Hull). Allen Jones, 1961, is ex-army and United Nations, and now a consultant in emergency food aid and logistics. He is linked to most of the names that now follow.

Richard Howe, 1962, spent 30 years in tobacco but now runs a mining Company in Cameroon. He is married to Diana, a lawyer. He’s in touch with Allen Jones, Kit Jackman, Graham Blackman, Chris Buisseret, Brian Copping etc. (PR and Basher.) Well - here is Brian Copping, jazz musician and lecturer on Jazz at the University of Western Australia. He publishes music too. (Basher, PR. Derek Hyde.) John Stuck, 1962, is a retired computer software engineer and test cricketer. Yes, congrats John, selected to represent England over 60s in matches against Australia. (Mike Lubbock: David Hull.) Roger Harper, 1963, enjoys his grand-children, a lot of holidaying in Turkey and general retirement in Woodbridge. (PR, Basher, David Hull, Rafe Buisseret.) Graham Blackman remembers that PR called him ’chicken’ but does not know why. He is a Maintenance Manager at a small country house in Berkshire. He’s in contact with Ian Barker and Richard Ambrose. (David Hull) Chris Buisseret, 1963, got married in August and we send our congratulations. He plays golf with masses of OWs, goes shooting with Bob Lightfoot and is Chairman of IPAF Training Committee. (Basher). Mike Little, 1963, is a chartered engineer and sings bass in the local choir. (Tony Goodden, David Hull, PR). Andrew Cadman retired as a police officer and is now working for Suffolk Police! OK, Do your best with that one. He keeps an eye on a lot of OWs and here are a few names - Chris Chapman, Adam Williams, Angus Crowe and Keith Banthorpe. (Mike Lubbock) Les Howard, 1965, has two grandchildren, and says he goes to work daily but forgets why he is there. (Um .. what wine were we serving? Should we stick to fruit juice next year? Ed.) Les liked all those who taught him except those that caned him. Rob Taylor, 1965, the OW who really should write a novel, gave a humorous answer on his form, another victim to David Green’s fine wine, mentioned he was in touch with Robin Pooley and gave just one name for favourite teacher. (Ken Charrot)

Geoff Spencer, 1968, is a faithful dinner attendee. He’s a systems administrator for Suffolk Police and plays a bit of golf. He’s in touch with David Cole and Steve Whymark. Roland Brockman, 1968, is an account executive for Heath Lambert, Lloyds Insurance Brokers. John Helliwell, David Houchell and Robin Harper get Christmas cards from him. (Norman Stevens) Dr. Graham Barker, 1972, is a pharmaceutical physician for an extremely long-named company in High Wycombe. ACTB, MAM and Bill Thomas featured in his fave teachers! Charles Craske, 1973, supports The King’s Head and thinks a lot about life. He mentions Roger Brunt, Quentin Cowdry and Tony Irwin. (Mark Mitchels). Sean O’Dell, 1977, is a lecturer at Colchester Institute and trying to write books. Is this the right time to say how nice it was to see Nicola again? (Er .. NO. Ed.). OK MAM and JAL were two of his top 3 teachers. Graeme Pryke, 1977, lives near Norwich and flies planes out of Heathrow. He failed to explain to JS, who will remain nameless to protect his erstwhile untarnished reputation, at the dinner, that the form to be filled in was not a money-grabbing con created by the Registrar. (MAW, MAM, JAL). Rick Hobson, 1979, resplendent in uniform, I might add and winner of the draw for filled-in forms, is a pilot and Group captain with the RAF, currently working in procurement of aircraft and army support vehicles. He has moved back to Woodbridge with wife and two lads. He’s in touch with David Thomas. (Cliff Walters). Glance up to the top of the next column to find our man, Hobson! Incidentally, Chris Hobson - when you read this - we want to see you over here at a dinner. The delights of Framlingham College cannot be that great.

Adrian Mason, 1982, is in the fire service. He has two daughters and lives within a good seven iron of the school grounds (Jim Bidwell). Sarah Kemball (Brown) is our Vice President and is married to Nick Brown. Two of her three youngsters attend Woodbridge School and she is a Director of Bentwater Parks. There is no time for hobbies but she keeps tags on Wig, Mike Warner, Adrian Mason, Nicola Greenfield, Simon Bennett. (Messrs. Tony Warnock and John Mileham). Nick Brown, 1986, runs a haulage business based at Rendlesham. Oh, God bless him; asked to name OWs he’s in touch with he put Sarah Kemball on the top of the list! David Waring, James Hill and his sisters-in-law Bee Kemball and Kate Kemball also figure. (Mr Lanyon.) Stephen Berresford, aka Sid, gave a decade to Woodbridge School. He runs a printing business in London, lives in Woodbridge and sends his daughters here to follow in his footsteps. His associates include David Kemsley, Jock Speedman, Martin Fox, Lucy Wall and Charlie Birchmore. (John Mileham).

I am putting these four guys in a paragraph of their own; I believe you will understand why. It is for everyone’s safety, that’s why. It’s the Cox and Symons bros. Philip Cox runs Atalanta Associates Ltd but what that is I know not. Karen Ward and Giles Korner are numbered among his OW chums. Mike Cox is an IT manager for a transport company. He has a girlfriend and a Honda bike. Glen Symons says he is a farmer and listed the less desirable elements of farming. He mentions Alan Nicholls as his fave staff member indicating that the great man did tend to scare him somewhat. Sean Symons says he is employed but really wants to be a kite surfer. He lives in Derbyshire. Sean mentions such eminent former teachers as Mike Boothroyd, Cathy Hotton and Ian Saunders. OK you lads - this is an official warning - be at the next dinner; I need the excitement.

Wendy Smith, now McNally, 1989 teaches chemistry at dear old Woodbridge School and has two children in Queen’s House. This is carrying loyalty to the school too far! She mentions Seb Hamilton, now Editor of the Irish Mail on Sunday, Sally Youngs, Fiona Watson, Sandra Moore and Jamie Marshall. (Chris Pluke; Graeme Bruce; Dr. B and J.Mileham.) Amanda Todd is a full-time mum of two but does a morning of teaching a week. She remembers Mr. Pluke avoiding a tricky chemistry question by saying, ’I don’t now the answer. I’m a botanist!’ Suzanne Coy, 1992, works for Access Accounting Ltd, supporting accounts and payroll software. She lives in Ipswich. (Mrs Mitchels.) Oh she mentions Amanda Bunn, Naomi Howard and her very own brother, Stuart Coy. What is he doing, I wonder. Naomi Storey - that’s Naomi Howard, of course, see above, is a Lt. Cdr. with the Royal Navy, currently on maternity leave - daughter Sophie born April, 08. She’s back to work in the Spring at Fleet HQ, Whale Island, Portsmouth. Her husband is a true delight and talks with real interest about being a submariner. Good for David Armitage a recent leaver who turned up, bravely, is in his 2nd year of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway. He is currently organising a delegation to the World’s most prestigious model United Nations in New York. And editing the student newspaper. (Mr Greatorex)

Chris Buisseret sent the following news. “The next day Copping, Buisseret, Alan Jones and Kit Jackman golfed at Thetford. Golfing year, having golfed with Bob Tydman, and would have been with Bob Lightfoot and Nigel Pusey – bar an admin error, and the OW Golf “Splinters” group of Buisseret, Brockman, Helliwell and Houchell demonstrated their perseverance and stubbornness as far away as Abbeville (temporarily renamed Les Eclats); unfortunately golfing skill was not one of the traits exhibited, but a good time was always had by all. Tim Buisseret, together with wife Mira and daughter Yuri also made a rare visit to the UK from Bulgaria early summer. David Buisseret (father of Tim) has now retired and is living in Chicago, periodically reinforced with supplies of Gentleman’s Relish, Lemon Curd and Coopers Oxford Marmalade – life essentials unknown to the Americans. Oh, and I also saw Roger Harper, David Houchell, John Helliwell, Roland Brockman and El Presidente, Ken Bailey, when I got married to Trisha Payne back in August.”

I believe the President has mentioned Bill Lankester but we must also add our congratulations on his MBE. Bill lives In Sidmouth with his wife Evelyn and founded the Living with Cancer Group which is highly regarded by those involved. Bill was also President of the Friends of Sidmouth Festival for many years raising substantial funds for the Arts. He was formerly branch manager for Citi Bank. Wearing an OW tie at the ceremony was an honour for our society too!

In the Autumn we were delighted when Lieutenant Commander, Matthew Bowden, 1989, brought his vessel, HMS Quorn up the River Orwell for an official visit to Ipswich. The Quorn is the third ship to carry the name and the final ship in the Hunt class of mine counter measures vessel. She was built in Southampton and launched in 1988.

When Matthew left us in 1989 he read Electronic Engineering at Sheffield University and entered Britannia Royal Naval College in 1993. His initial naval training was completed with NATO operations in the Adriatic in 1995 onboard HMS Glasgow. He served for two years as the Principal Warfare Officer of HMS Ocean. This appointment included three operational deployments to the Middle East, and military action against Iraq. He was promoted Lieutenant Commander in Spring 2003 and following service on the Fleet Flagship, HMS Invincible, completing four major NATO exercises prior to conducting an operational deployment to the Arabian Sea, he was appointed to the C4ISTAR Division of the Fleet Headquarters as the Operations Officer. Matthew assumed Command of HMS Quorn in July 2007.

Nextly the attenders at The King’s Head on Monday December 22, when the OW Committee picks up the tab for sarnies and for the first few drinks. Early birds patently benefit from this system. They were all given ‘forms to fill’ and begged to be interesting. Thanks to the few who wrote , ‘Maths at Uni.’ Ooops … that is NOT interesting at all. They were not invited to mention fave staff but we might try that next year. OK let’s start, appropriately with …

…. Rebecca Start, 2006 who is reading Psychology at Exeter and missing certain teachers and the fun of School. Tom Kitchen had patently sipped his lager too vigorously and was unable to write coherently but did mention Ellis O’Neil. Jessie Allan is a fashion student of Manchester and seems to have been selected ‘to study the fashion design stream.’ Um .. Is that good? Andrew Catt works at Seckford Wines, dealing with customers’ investment wines. He’s always done that but goes on road trips with Ben Balls keeping up with the year of 2006. Sophia Smith says she is enjoying life studying Social Anthropology at Kent. Canterbury is a BIGGG city after Middleton! Emily Stanton is at Birmingham mastering the delights of fashion design. Emma Papworth reads Medicine at Birmingham and is looking forward to hospital work in the near future. John Ramsden is at Grey College Durham, and he studies Maths there. He’s the social secretary of the Hockey Club and sang in the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year Finals. Quite reasonably he states that the OWs he meets are ‘people in my year that go to the pub.’ Rachel Chamberlain is at the University of Sheffield where she studies Landscape Architecture and Planning. She is in close touch with Matthew Cade. Matthew Cade is at York, final year of Accountancy, Business Finance etc., and is in close touch with Rachel Chamberlain. Hey, what’s going on here? (Don’t ask. Ed.) Tallulah Brown was an especially welcome guest. The family seem to have moved back to Aldeburgh. Remember when Tallulah left us in those early days. She is a drama and English student of Manchester, produces music with Isabella Summers and is finishing an album this year. Look out for ‘The Vagabond Trills.’ You read it here first. Sarah Thrift is gapping but we were not told what she is doing and then is off to UCL to study English. Charlie Ilett is a Physiologist of Liverpool and may be also found in Chibuku, where she works. It seems to be a night club. Sis Katherine Ilett worked for Bidwells in Investment Property but patently at a bad time. Now job hunting.

I should have started with the 2004 leavers but could not resist the rather feeble Start link. Alex Edwards works for Santander Bank and is in Asset Finance. He also mentioned ships and planes and is helping sort out the credit crunch. He lives in Victoria, London. Sean Leno is numbered among his OW friends. Nick Tiley-Nunn, whom we are hoping to get on the OW Committee, teaches still at The Abbey. Harris Finn is at Liverpool studying Management to a high level. The credit crunch seems to be threatening future employment opportunities. Will Hotopf studies French. Oh, but where? We know not.

Vikki Buxton, 2005, reads Biological Sciences at Lancaster. She went to Aussie in gap year and became a wind-surf and dinghy instructor. She mentions Chris Smith, Chris Roche and Emma Papworth. Tom Fitzgerald is one of many OWs at Oxford Brookes and reads Economics and Law. John Carrington - surely you have not been away for three years! He walked off with a 2:1 in History at Hull and is now at York working on a Masters in History of Art. He mentions Josh Dodd, MA student of Philosophy at LSE and Stu Lyons, working for a Hedge Fund in the City. Neil Thomas is now in Year 4 of Medicine at UEA, and has just completed his paediatric rotation. In the Summer he is off to the winter of Sydney to work in a hospital there. Adam Hedley is a mathematician of Warwick and lives next door to a pub. Kinda ideal really. Ben Hoyer is in Scottish paradise of St. Andrews, a final year mathematician. He has hopes to sail the high seas with Maersk and fend off pirates wherever they appear. Alex Jenkins reads American Literature and Creative Writing in UEA and upon completion intends to read for a doctorate in US of A. Chris Roche loves life at Kingston College where he learns about Environmental Science. He would actually like to teach it. He became depressed when the tab ran out. Matthew Studley is on a year out travelling the globe.

Laura Bloomfield, 2006, is in her third year at Edinburgh, soon to travel to Ottawa on an international exchange. Emily Foskett learns Jewellery Design at London Metropolitan. Ben Grave reads Eng. Lit at Reading, is Vice-President of the Men’s Hockey Club and the Surf Club. James Morfett edits the student magazine at Leeds Met. Sample copy please James. He is a student of Business Studies. Rowan Edwards reads geology at Brighton and is extremely large in the Geology Society and a whiz at ultimate Frisbee. Dominic Walsh is doing well at Nottingham Trent, Sports Science. He is large in the NT Rugby league Club and is the current Players’ Player of the Year.

Henry Fisher is on his placement year and works for Glaxo Smith Kline in the field of Forensic Bioscience. Jade Harris is now looking to the wonderful world of employment, finishing, as she is, her final year of Law at Leeds. Alexander Sangster is a Physical Geographer of Newcastle and is ‘adapting to northern life.’ (That could be the beer they drink up there. Ed.) Could be, Sir.

Angus Bloomfield, 2007, Economics student supreme of Reading University, has left the College Teetotallers Society, and enjoys hockey, playing at a high level. He is in league with Lee Farthing, Greg Slade, the Grave Bros, Havard and Hallett etc. That gang. In fact Richie Barnett is one of that crowd, a student of Bath Spa Uni where he studies Geography ad Education. He plays football for the seconds. Jenny Harries still reads Environmental Science at UEA and mentions korfball. Quite a few OWs are at Norwich including Keith Rowbury, Emma Hume and Freddie Marlowe. (Did you ask her what korfball is? Ed.) No Sir, sorry. Jack Wakefield was not well but bravely turned up. He’s an ancient historian of Bristol Uni and really seems animated by it. Good. He’s a bit of a surfer - down at Newquay and contacts Hedley and NG of Nottingham and Sam Mace who works with his dad down in Felixstowe. Jemima Steen studies Art and Design at Leeds. Her comment which I could ‘use in the Magazine’ is ‘Happy Christmas,’ which is great as I write this up Jemima but not good in March when the Mag goes out!!!!

Hannah Green is a criminologist of Southampton. Following threats she kindly added that she plays in the netball team and is in training for the London Moon Walk. The whole family are up for that including Sis and OW, Katherine Green, formerly of Leeds who is a lecturer at Lille University for a year. Greg ‘Gregoire’ Slade is at Oxford Brookes, making up his mind whether to study engineering or accountancy. Down the road from him is sis, Hollie Slade, doing a Masters in Politics at Bristol and working for a liberal MP. Did I teach her nothing? She hopes to work in the Foreign Office and I am sure she will. Emily Purser is a Philosopher and Psychologist of Oxenford University. She commented on the joys of studying logic. She is learning contemporary dance too and is in a capella singing group. Chris Gomm studies Automotive Engineering. He confesses to watching the ‘History Boys’ to appreciate the moped jokes that were current when I was teaching him. Now he knows! Jack Wakefield and I are saying NOTHING. He seems to be in close touch with Jade Harris. Natalie Olafsson complains that uni is rushing by too fast. She is a sailor and RAG Committee member and studies Biomedical Sciences at Southampton. We had a chat about the economic situation in Iceland. Saskia Toppin studies Interior Design at Kingston. She complains that Natalie Trueman below had drunk the tab, which is probably not true. OK we’ll put in another fifty quid next year. Get there early Saskia! The extremely formidable Lucy Havard reads medicine at UCL. She plays hockey for the University of London and netball for UCL. She has been selected to sell the college to this year’s interviewees. Sorry to harass you about my book, Lucy. Bridie Sheldon is a geographer of Newcastle, with a massive circle of OW contacts! Hey nice to see you Philippa Thomas, biochemist of Warwick and one who loves Science and her course. Does a bit of salsa dancing. Harriet NG is another biochemist and she can be found at Nottingham. Her career thoughts lean towards the Civil service - something in a science capacity. Laura Henry was playing safe on the info front declaring only Geography at Loughborough but when pressed mentioned Tae Kwando. Jessica Aylward is one of those psychologists of Durham. She plays lacrosse, organises college events and played in the orchestra for the college musical, Fiddler on the Roof. James Hedley intends to be a Chartered Surveyor and therefore studies Real Estate Management somewhere. Ben Hoyer, Chris Gomm, Toby B-F and Harriet Ng probably know where. Fenella Osborne did not enthuse greatly about Foundation Art at Bournemouth. Fred Marlowe is hoping to study medicine and has assembled an impressive list of jobs done or being done, many with a medical connection.

Minna Sheldon, 2008, is saving elephants and teaching children in her gap year. (Shouldn’t it be the other way round? Ed. ) I suppose it could be, Sir - anyway …. unbelievably this was done without applying for an OW Travel Grant. Then she’s off to Oxford Brookes. Adam Harley is a BSc Hons man of Sheffield Uni. Sorry Adam - I could not read the bit about security at the student union. Alice Clarke believes in brevity and ‘she studies the recorder at Music College’. Will Prothero on his gap year is teaching English in Prague. Wish I’d had time to quiz him more on that. Alastair Jackson popped over from Bromeswell which is easy for him as he is a student of Geography at Liverpool. Sustainability was the theme of his address to an eager crowd of OW chums. Uni is ‘the best time ever,’ he says. Jessica Foskett, another denizen of Bromeswell is at Leeds Metropolitan, learning Events Management. Her circle of friends comprises the whole year of 2008! Natalie Trueman has a similar bunch of pals, which she needs as she is in the freezing cold of Newcastle, studying Psychology. Here is yet another one with an abundance of friends. Frith Janes, student of Psychology, with a bit of Italian, at Nottingham Uni. Alice Carter - well done to you. Your form said you were ‘studying St.Aidan’s College, Durham at University.’ Better luck next year! Neil Alderton looked impressive seated in the timber-framed ambience of the KH, telling hordes of admiring ladies about the delights of engineering at Cambridge. It is important to note that he has NOT grown a beard, which I thought was compulsory for Engineers. Emma Stevens is at de Montford studying Business Management and Enterprise and has started her own business selling pre-mixed frozen cocktails, which is indeed enterprising. Paul Jenkins is a scholar of French and Hispanic Studies at Nottingham. He totally loves it and praises the course highly. Anna Stephenson studies Physics at York and has just been appointed Musical Director of the York Glee Singers. Met her again in W.H.Smiths where she confessed to a particular interest in meteorology and was hoping to do a big placement with the Met Office.

Many thanks to the staff who turned up. Ben Edwards, Supremo of the Sixth; Andrew Garfath-Cox, now retired, Graeme Bruce, Scottish linguist and Director of Studies. Perhaps we need to spread the news to more staff that there is a free Christmas drink for them. Committee members, Ken Bailey, El Presidente, and Hon Tresh, Ian Sands with a cheque book presided. Jenny Humphreys, our latest recruit impressed the OWs who realised that you do not have to be ancient to be on the Committee. Mike Lubbock moved effortlessly through the throng gathering the forms. Where are the young Lubbocks? Joanna (1980) is teaching art at a school in Surrey and her daughter, Jessica is in the VIth Form at the same school. Sarah (1982) is a PE teacher at Amberfield. She has a daughter, Megan and a son, Hugh. Adam Lubbock 1989 is Housemaster of School House. He and Cara celebrated the birth of a sister, Ruby, for Olivia, born in School House. Now that began begging many questions - when was the last baby born in School House? (HM. Dudley Symon’s daughter, Christina was born in School House, I believe. That was pre-war. She now lives in Crown Place, Woodbridge. Ed.)

Here’s a para of goodies from Tim Cook.

Dave Henderson - Recently made redundant from Bear Stearns and so is taking some time out to set up a website for the travelling community. He'll be launching this early next year. Whilst doing this he is also taking a bit of time out to travel, he's doing 4 months in South America and is also doing a car rally with Jonny Manning, a charity 4000 mile journey from UK to Timbuktu. They're starting this in January. (Ooops - I forgot to sort out some food for them. Sorry guys. Ed.) Jonny Manning - Living back home in Felixstowe, now mixing time between working for the family amusements park and his number one love of property development. Olly Grundy - Working in a marketing based role for Top Gear magazine. Alex Boxall - Practising lawyer working for Royal Bank of Scotland. Should hopefully avoid the redundancies coming out! Cain Berry - Working for UK Sport based here in London. UK Sport deal with all the funding that gets given to our UK athletes. They also concentrate on athletes well-being and try to give them the best possible chance of achieving excellence. Tim Ripman - Recently made hotel manager of a boutique style hotel based down in the West End. He's been in the hospitality industry since leaving uni and is well on the way to becoming our very own Basil Fawlty! Simon Drane - Simon is a practicing Sport's Psychologist having now received all necessary qualifications to practice to professional sports persons. Over the last few years he has worked with in a variety of sports covering athletes in professional golf, hockey and more recently the UK Sychronised Swimming team (not a bad gig if you can get it!). He also lectures on the subject at a university here in London. Also of note he recently got engaged to the lovely Elke (a Canadian lassy) whilst his sister, Emma Drane, also got engaged a couple of weeks later to Nick who is an army instructor at Sandhurst. A busy couple of years for the Drane family... Nick Davis - Currently residing in Australia having 'legged-it' there in pursuit of true love. Since finishing some contract work with a telecomms company he has done amongst other jobs Senior Executive work with Pizza Delivery! Anyway, he intends to a qualification in land management and then use this either in a property development sense in the UK or over in Oz. Olly Cook - Recently won award for Best Brother of 2008, and also 'most likeable male Cook between the ages of 20-30'!! To my great upset he's actually moving to NY from the end of this month to take up a senior Client Training role at Reuters in Times Square. He's done remarkably well to get a role this senior so quickly in his time there so he's ticking over rather nicely right now. And finally me! Tim Cook - Still working at ICAP for the Fixed Income electronic broking team. All going well though with so many casualties in the Investment Banking side you never really know how long your job is safe for!

On Boxing Day many of the above turned out on Tollers for a game of footie and a high standard was displayed. Timmy Cook looked particularly impressive in the mid field, especially when playing down-hill in the first half. Someone promised to send me a photie and a list of all those who played. Um … where were they? Who was it?

Here are a few miscellaneous names, following chance meetings in Woodbridge. In fact I met Stu Lyons, mentioned earlier, in the Thoroughfare and he was MOST interesting on the economic problems of our great nation. He works for a Hedge Fund. Hmm. Jenny Suddell told me that she is really cool and studies contemporary dance at bath Spa Uni, 2nd year. She is the Ladies 1st captain of hockey. She shares a flat or house or something with Richie Barnett. Robert ‘Bobbie’ Sudell (2000) works for Northern Trust Bank and may even be going to Abu Dhabi to work in the Summer. Jenny mentioned that Claire Laughlin, (1998) now Astbury, has been inspired by the Mummies and Daddies theme of this Mag. She lives in Melton and so do I but I have never seen her in the paper shop. Oh and Ian Kitson, KtheKK (2000), looked particulary dapper investigating or surveying a property on Melton Park and may even challenge me to a game of golf.

Nick Boxall writes: I'm currently in contact with many OWs, including my siblings Sarah (1996) and Alex (1998). Alex is currently working his way up the ranks of RBS legal team in London. Also in regular contact with Matt Studley and Benjamin Hoyer from my cohort of 2005, with whom I travelled earlier in the year to Estonia. Also with Johnny Carrington, Ian Ackerley and Stuart Lyons. I've finished my second year at the University of Manchester in Medicine, and am now studying at UCL for an intercalated BSc in Orthopaedic Science in which I'm doing research on a new type of shoulder joint prosthesis at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore. I play hockey for UCL medical school, and regularly bump into Lucy Havard who plays hockey for UCL lady medics. I'm returning to Manchester next academic year for another three years to complete my medical degree. I also played for Colchester rugby league club (appropriately named Colchester Romans) at the tail end of the rugby league season this summer after being converted to league from union whilst living in Manchester.

James Mair,1991, says cheerily. Hello Captain! I am now a GP in Long Stratton, married to Caroline and have two daughters. I have recently heard from Paul Tzimas, still in Brussels working with the EU machine and enjoyed catching up with a few faces at the Cricket match in the summer. James appears somewhere in the Mag with his kids so beware.

OWs Huw Turbervill, Nick Pagan, Morgan Davies, David Green, Percy Hallam, Simon Houchell, Chris Marshall, Jon Percival and Oscar Sangster played for the Dulwich-based Carpediems Cricket Club in 2008. To play in 2009, give Huw a shout on turboh@hotmail.co.uk

I met Chris Wells’ (1992) mum before Christmas. She tells me that Chris lives locally but works for a London agency concerned with housing benefit. Chris has not lost touch with Patience Davenport who works for the Environmental Agency, testing water… testing wells? (joke intended.) Rob Wells is a radiographer in Lewisham, University Hospital.

Kim Baker is now engaged on full time MPhil/ PhD study and contributes to teaching on courses in Goldsmiths Anthropology Department. Daughter Anna Baker, graduated with a degree in Sociology from Goldsmiths College in 2004. Since graduation she has been working as a presenter / researcher for BBC Radio 1, and for BBC Any Answers. She has also worked as a full time news presenter on Time FM radio in London. Currently she is combining her radio work with studying for an MA in Broadcast Journalism at Westminster.

Angela Tolliday wrote last summer: I have nearly finished my 5 month placement in Guadalajara with only 2 weeks left to go and will start my hard core travelling in August, - well that is the plan! But I just wanted to thank you again for the financial support.

Here’s a letter from Hedley Watts. Can we put him in touch with a few of his Atlas chums? ‘I thought you might like to hear from one OW of 1936-1939, still hale and hearty at 81 and happily retired in Suffolk. Recently I came across my original ‘Phillips New School Atlas’ of 1939, when I was in Remove. Inside the back cover I had written the names of all 23 chaps in the form together with exam results ratings. I seem to have come fourth in overall subjects. As I remember, Petley and Taylor were my ‘best friends’. I wonder where they all are now - would love to hear.’

Alexander: Baker; Baker II; Banyard; Barrow; Binns; Bird I; Fellows; J.Smith; Jennings II; Johnson II; Kirby; Lockhart II; Nunn II; Patient; Petley; Robb I; Smith II; Taylor; Watts; Welch I; Welch II; Wright.

Now a note from Sean O’Dell, giving fuller details of his historical activities. “I'm currently a lecturer at Colchester Institute. Although History is my subject, I am covering Key Skills and Contextual Studies (History of Art) at the moment as well as some teaching on the Post Graduate Certificate of Education course. I will also be teaching some Local and Regional History classes at Essex University in the evenings quite soon. In addition to this, I am still wrestling with my PhD research. My work on Brightlingsea and oyster fishing during the 19th Century is being published by the History Press, due for release in September next year.”

Sarah Cosgriff says: I'm into my second year at Warwick university now, and it got pretty hard pretty fast. I still love my course, Biological Sciences (despite the odd ecology module) with a specialisation in Cell Biology. It's a lot of work! I'm also still in UBAS (University of Birmingham Air Squadron) and it is still amazing. Hopefully will get some more flying in soon and more solos. I'm still considering a career in the RAF, but conflicted by my love for science. I've also just recently became social sec of Bio Soc, which is a load of fun yet harder work than I expected for a small society! I still see Philippa Thomas on campus and the odd sighting of Sam Parker and Johnny Morris once a term. Well I must go - I'm yet again at RAF Cosford on camp!

I’m living in Rome, writes Katie Alderton, and working as a Consultant for the United Nations World Food Programme. I've been living here for 7 years now.

Tori Groom (2000) speaks. So what's been going on? I live in Australia in Byron Bay which is quite possibly paradise at times. I run a backpacker travel agency and regularly send people off to destroy the natural beauty of the East Coast which doesn't sit well with my conscience but it keeps me in the country for the time being. I will spend my Christmas in the blazing sunshine once again which is just wrong and has about zero Christmas feel to it, can't believe it is only next week, Would love to wake up to snow, log fires and family (Not in this January freezing cold you wouldn’t Tori.)

Cathy Maude (1994) lives in Monewden, looking after her two children (9 and 7 yrs) and doing all things equine; development of new training and schooling facilities (for the horses, not the children!) In 2007, Vanessa Cartwright changed her job and found that she was commuting between Vancouver & New York so often that in 2008, she relocated her family to New York. She is now Senior Vice-President/ Senior Client Partner for Blast Radius (New York).

I have taken up the challenge to run the London Marathon next April, says the great Jo Bennett, (now Howard), so can be seen shuffling the streets around Wickham, Pettistree, Ufford and Framlingham on several days of the week. There are 3 of us running as a team to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, so if anyone wants to sponsor me you can do it direct at www.justgiving.com/johoward3 To make my life even more difficult, I have taken on another TV job as Producer of 4 Red Dwarf Anniversary Specials to go out over Easter on UKTV channel DAVE. So I am working out of Shepperton Film studios on a weekly basis, and coming home to my wonderful family at weekends! Thankfully its only for a short period of time, and in the meantime I can be seen gallivanting with the likes of Nicole Kidman (well - ok - I sat in the next door toilet cubicle to her!). I regularly see Sarah Brown as I worked alongside her at Bentwaters Parks for much of 2008, looking after film and television companies who came to film there. Top Gear were amongst our highlights - we had lots of fun exploding things! Simon Bennett, bro of Jo, has lent us some photos of School House from his personal collection. I will return them Simon, promise.

What am I doing? asks Paul Aranha. (1954) He answers, Mostly, I am actively involved with the Bahamas Historical Society, trying to preserve Bahamian history. My current project is researching the history of Bahamas Airways Limited (1936-1970), intending to commit it to paper, in the not-too-distant future. I had the pleasure of flying for BAL for over 7 years. As for other OWs, the one from whom I hear, most frequently, is Paul Goodwin, who was with me in Marryott House. The ones that I see regularly are John Knowles and his younger brother 'Chuck' Knowles, who live here in Nassau.

Hi there Weavski writes John Carrington. Hope you’re keeping well in your archival kingdom. Just thought I'd give you a bit of a status update I'm currently doing an MA in History of Art at York. It's very cool but quite theory heavy which takes a bit of getting used to, this term I've been studying the Art of the Raj 1790-1900 which has taken me outside my usual comfort zone but you know me always up for a challenge!

I cornered N.E. ‘Smitty’ Smith, Head of History at our dear School and asked for news of OWs known unto him. He turned out to be a real treasure house. ‘Little Miss’ Sarah Watson had texted him (thanks for ignoring me Sarah!) with news that she is accepting a place at Bristol Uni to train as a teacher next September. Beccy Alexander must have texted him too because he knew she is the assistant buyer of handbags at Harrods - top fashion job, really. Her sis, Claire Alexander, is a primary school teacher of Ipswich., Year 6 darlings of Britannia. (Let’s move on from Alexanders. Ed.) Ok, Sir, tho’ there are a pile of cousins too. Maybe next year. Paul Muchal works for Greene King across at Bury. Nick Davies lives in Brisbane, Australia, ‘with the lovely Fiona’, and is shortly to be joined by Matt Burden, recently engaged, on a sabbatical from Willis in Ipswich. Oliver Johnson lives in Bredfield and works for Strutt ‘n’ Parker in Ipswich. His dear lady wife, Katherine, has now returned to School to teach, after producing a tiny tot. Eddy Johnson is a brick-layer locally. Hayley Johnson is a nurse or something medical in Cambridge. Faye Johnson is a nurse in London. (Is this meant to be a take-off of Blazing Saddles? Get on with it. Ed.) Fair enough.

Rob Sledmere works for Credit Suisse and his lady Suzie Betts runs the Wild Strawberry café, the mecca of the chattering classes on Market Hill. Worth a visit. Will Hardcastle is an equity analyst for Fox-Pitt Kelton, advising hedge funds where to invest. (All my cash is with that nice Bernie Madoff in USA. Ed.) Good for you, Sir. Anyway, Will lives in Rotherhithe and in August will marry a lady called Lydia who went to Farlingaye, by no less than the Rev. P., in our Chapel. Martin Percival, of course, lives in Leiston, and may be found playing golf at Ufford Park on occasions. Then Beccy A herself emailed with more names. ‘Lizzie Bailey is engaged, and getting married this coming August. She is now a teacher, and working at quite a challenging school in London. She's looking very well, and is extremely happy. I've recently moved down to Earlsfield in South West London, and Lizzie actually lives in the same area, along with Katie Leach. I think Katie still works for a sports marketing company.

I still see plenty of Mary Cook. She's doing great and her design company is going from strength to strength.
Amie Rey is currently travelling around South East Asia for a year with her boyfriend and having an amazing time.
Lori Firth is still working at the Roundhouse in Camden, but is very interested in getting in to the perfume industry (ie, creating perfumes - I believe you call it a 'nose'). She's going to college in her spare time to study chemistry for it.

Claire Hepton is very happy and working in the Jack Wills shop in Clapham Junction. Livi Neal, as I'm sure you know, is working at the new Woodbridge County Primary.

Natalie Solveland has returned from travelling and is looking to start a photography business. She takes amazing photos, and has a real talent for it. So far she's done weddings and a few odd jobs for companies in London.’

Thanks for those additions, Beks.

Jon Barber would very much like contact his old form IV and V classmates from 1960 -1963. As you know from earlier e.mails, he emails, I was in School House and well remember Basher. Please keep in contact – love the Woodbridgians – so please keep sending the magazines and all old boy info.

Hi, writes Georgette Kluiters (2004) cheerfully. I graduated in 2007 from a Veterinary Science degree at the Royal Veterinary College in London and went on to do an MSc in the Control of Infectious Diseases in Animals. I published my first scientific paper in November 2008 on Bluetongue surveillance in Switzerland. I am now working and at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, leading the surveillance scheme for equine grass sickness within the UK. I’m kept very busy dealing with vets and horse owners, addressing conferences and writing papers, so if anyone wants to take part in the surveillance scheme and has seen a case of EGS then they can find out more at: www.equinegrasssickness.co.uk .

Here’s a link. Anne Brooks now Woods reminds us that she is ‘married with a child and breeding racehorses, so no changes there. We're still surviving, if not thriving, as strangely enough racehorses are one of the things people decide to cut down on in a recession.’ Wonder if Anne and Georgette have met up. Let us know one of you.

John Nevill is another with a fascinating website and some marvellous tales of preservation in distant waters. Please look him up on http://dennisisland.blogspot.com . Keep up the good work. John.

You will certainly find Mary-Anne Bartlett (1987) in www.artsafari.co.uk. She leapt on me in the Thorofare which was not unpleasant.

Pauline Moore, reports on her lads. Son Richard Moore lives in Marlborough with his family and we wish his wife, Claire well, after illness. Bro Gerard Moore is still in Australia.

I met Karen Taylor, (1987) Michael Baumbach, Adam Lubbock, Ali Warnock and others, says Simon Gray, the first time I'd been back to Woodbridge for 10-15 years. Now I'm quietly programming computers in Cambridge, and am always trying to find more time to spend with my family.

Have recently driven through the Anglo-Zulu battlefields says Sean Carlisle, former staff, who announces a move to teach in Hilton College, SA, one of the top schools in the land. Jenny Sharman (1984) says that she has been lying low in Africa for a decade but now she is home again, living in Norfolk and moving to Bristol. She was hoping to hear from Andrew Parkinson, last heard of in Den Haag. Jenny is a producer/director of New Nature Films.

Brilliant to hear from Chris Chambers, (1981) who remembers the excitements of Disraeli as if it were yesterday! He and bro Lewis are Chartered Surveyors in rival companies, both partners, in Colchester. Come on lads - next dinner, please. You have been away over 25 years!

I haven’t overdone the Mummies and Daddies element in this journal apart from the cover photos, but I do congratulate all those of you who have decided to forego peace, quiet and wealth in order to produce future pupils for Woodbridge School. Amanda Yates (Deakin) wheeled her little darlings into Costa’s Kaff in Woodbridge. Then we met Lucy Wall who has skilfully produced a tiny tot with the assistance of Tom Spring. Niazi Fetto is a dad. Emma Birchley manages being a new mum and working on Sky TV. Helen Simpson - (now Gould) - had a baby girl Abigail Tess, before Christmas - so informs Kim Digby. The Shelley lasses were in town at Christmas with a neat set of youngsters. Kirsty Shelley lives in Barnstable with three. Vicci is in Uganda, and owns a delicatessen there. Her home has views of the Nile. One baby. Bumble does public liaison for Sussex police and has more than one but not two little ones.

Other Yateszizz, according to Amanda are Emily Yates, an accountant of Barnes: Sarah Yates, HR in London with eyes on Canada: Lydia Yates 2nd Year medicine in Norwich after 4 years neuro-science in Edinburgh.

Eddie James ‘69-’74, left when he was 16 and is still annoyed that he missed out on the co-ed years. Now lives in Australia and is planning a visit in the next year or two. He’s in Real Estate.

‘I've just been called to the Bar as a member of Inner Temple, and I'm a first-six pupil at East Anglian chambers in Ipswich,‘ says Rupert Myers, adding, ‘hoping to make a career here in East Anglia as a provincial barrister.’ Luke Roberts is still very much the good looking element at Holby City. Sister, Joanna Roberts lives locally and brother Tim Roberts is successfully researching autism in Philadelphia, USA. Mum and dad’s Top Floor Studios did the 1865 photos!! Esme Clarke is a teacher living in Uttoxeter. Where are the rest of the sisters? Katherine Banister (1996) is married and hopes to some professional singing.

Among my neighbours in Melton are Matthew Bettell, Officer of the Law, who seems to have many adventures in Felixstowe and Georgina Cook, now Dickens who commutes daily to the big city. One who moved on quickly was Barnaby Rufford but not before showing us top professional skills. Thanks, mate. Incidentally he has a handful of little angels.

SPRING 2008

FAR and WIDE

Yes, the search goes on for OWs and former staff across the globe and we have raided the pages of Facebook and scoured the streets of Woodbridge to bring you this rare collection.

As you may recall we usually start with former staff and here they are in no particular order. Mark Mitchels …… I just had to start with him ……… still runs Cultural Studies at the School so is hardly former at all. He gave a February Lecture in the Library on Elizabeth Garrett-Anderson and I have to say it was a marvellous evening. He is a touring lecturer on a variety of subjects and I beg you to keep an eye open for his next performance. He even has his own website, listing lectures available. At that meeting Pauline Moore was in the audience and later she called in to the Reading Room to check up on the Moore family. We went back to a Seckford Governor of the late 19thC and vast numbers of uncles of the Moore lads were pupils between 1900 and 1940. Maybe we will do a feature on that next time. Tony Waller was also at the lecture; he seems as busy as ever and is a man about town. Incidentally, MAM spotted Adrian Twiner in Bury, but got no info to report. Jim Bidwell has been elevated to the ranks of Deputy Chairman of the District Council and there seems no ceiling upon his rise to eminence. William and Pauline Bryant came to the former staff lunch before Christmas. William has had a few knees I understand but was coaching maths up to a few years ago. They have 8 grandchildren.

Ken Charrot has a souped-up scooter - seen already in this journal and he tears about Woodbridge on it, terrifying domestic pets and incurring the wrath of our new Community Police Officers. (This is exaggeration. Ed.) OK, but he does get up quite a speed along Burkitt Road. Recent leaver Andrew Garfath-Cox attended the lunch, none the worse for retirement. Graham Sagar has remarried and we wish him well. Cynthia Pendal, now Mrs. Robinson, plays a lot of golf in Portugal and places, and is also seen on the course at St. Audreys. However, she is nervous to challenge the Registrar obviously, as she hasn’t. I met Kim Baker at Budgens and she is studying for a doctorate - anthropologyish. Anyway it was an ology. Mike Lubbock is on the Committee so we cannot get away from him, not that we want to. Jill Lubbock is also around the place and we do commend her for her marvellous speech in September. James Harper has been seen and Dorothy Hull too. David Haynes is down in London for some of the week, advising Ros Kamaryc, now Head of Queensgate School. It seems that Mrs. Kamaryc held a prestigious Speech Day for her Junior Department and a HUGELY eminent historian fell out at the last minute. (Lady A…. F…..). The Registrar was called in to present prizes. All you ask for in this life is 15 minutes of fame. Thanks Mrs. K. and a grand school it was too. Graeme Hall and Joan Hall attended the former staff lunch and did not seem to have lost their spark. It must be the Hacheston air. (Is that some kind of musical pun? Ed.) No Sir. G. is on the Parish Council and is a churchwarden but has ceased wandering the world examining. Alan Nicholls keeps in touch with MAM and the family were thriving according to their Christmas card. (Christopher Nicholls, 1982, is Head of Curriculum Studies at the British School In Tokyo. Andrea Nicholls 1984 is Head of Marketing at Pearsons. Simon Nicholls 1986 is Chief Editor of Hansard. Clare Nicholls is still involved with cardiac care. And there are grandchildren. Talented lot eh?) Tim Nightingale, still top English man in Millfield and Doug Hurdley, man of leisure in Morecambe, telephone occasionally and wish to be remembered. DNH has just about come down from cloud 9 after Barnsley’s victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup. Was it really late in 1982 that Dr. Tim Dilks left us for the wild and woolly ways of Churchers College down in Hants? Anyway he stayed there for 28 years and would you believe it - he is now their alumni officer. He threatens to come to the September Dinner. We hope to see him there. Tony Harvey, also an OW has been discovered down in Exton, Exeter. Here’s a nice letter from Edwin Still. He lives In Hailsham, East Sussex. He is a proud grandfather, has a leaky valve or so, and is ‘revising Hebrew’ at the moment. Also plays the flute still, gardens and sings a bit! If ever a surname was totally wrong it’s Edwin’s, and it was great to hear from him. Janet Dewhurst has been in town this year. She’s a senior figure at St. Helen’s School. Northwood, London. Alex Berry, now Mrs. Davies has produced her fourth son since leaving us. Husb. Matt Davies is a formidable teacher of philosophy at the school. Paul Kesterton emails as follows. ‘As you may know I am leaving Fettes College shortly once I have tidied up one or two bits and piece and begin working later in the summer at The Adam Smith College, Kirkcaldy as Curriculum Head in their Sport Fitness faculty lecturing in HNC, HND and Degree. I remain as Assistant Manager to Scotland Under 18s.’ He took them to Wales recently but the Welsh prevailed, I fear. He did get to meet Terry Cobner afterwards tho’. Dee Piper, former Head of the Sixth Form now concentrates on her business interests, importing Indian goods for the retail market.

That’s one of the fullest former staff sections I have ever achieved. Right, I am now going to move to the recent leavers and start with that great event, the Christmas knees-up at The Kings’ Head, Woodbridge just before Christmas. Each year more and more turn up and this year we passed through the 100 mark. The bar tab ran out very quickly and we do thank those sophisticated OWs who ordered cocktails from the bemused staff early on, so depleting funds at a more rapid rate! Next year - more money in the kitty and a limit on the range of drinks! Each imbiber was given a form to fill with detail of what they are doing and so on. Oh, before I start - special thanks to Supremo of Sixth Form, Mr. Ben Edwards, for turning up. Perhaps we should make a greater effort to get tutors along. What do you think?

So here they are, battle-hardened students, exhausted by essay-writing, scientific experimenting and months of tee-totalism. Leavers from 2004 to last July, in no particular order. Karmia Goldring, one of last year’s cover girls, is studying fashion journalism down in Epsom. She talked of her gap year with Jess Allan and Bridie Sheldon, facing ‘wild hostile dogs, Vietnamese mafia and angry villagers.’ We need more detail but Kay’s implication was that anything that went wrong could all be safely blamed on Bridie. Jenny Sudell is at Bath Spa Uni, studying contemporary dance. She plays hockey for City of Bath III and Uni I. Richie Barnett is also at Bath Spa, reading Geography and Education and has suffered the joys of teaching. He’s a footballer and singer. Rhodri Jones is preparing for Exeter Uni and was off to France to earn some money. Natalia Olafsson enjoys life in Southampton, where she has met lots of lovely people, is a RAG Committee member, windsurfer and cheerleader. There’s just a little time for Biomedical Sciences apparently. Harry Wolff-Evans, who left in 2006, and so is an OW, has now returned and is in our Sixth Form. He finds it ‘simply wonderful.’ Freddy Chenevix Trench is in a gap year and seems to be searching for employment. He talked about going to Hong Kong. I can’t quite read what Alex Sangster wrote on his form. Perhaps he was the one who had the cocktails. Henry Fisher is at Sheffield Hallam doing Forensic Biosciences. He prefers the latter. Mentions scuba diving and Cerys Catton. Cerys is also at Sheffield Hallam and studying Forensic whatnots. She’s on a placement next year and mentions scuba diving and Henry Fisher.

Matthew Cade is in the farthest North - University of York - where he studies Accounting and Business Finance. He finds it cold up there but keeps warm playing hockey and even becoming fixtures secretary. Angus Bloomfield is an economist of Reading Uni, working his way to the first hockey XI through the thirds and seconds. He’s in hall of res., likes that and is not overawed by the course at all. ‘Easier than I thought.’ Louise Smith has left Hallam and hopes to study Occupational Therapy at UEA.

Hannah Mayhew wins the OW Prize for the fullest form. Many thanks to you HM. Anyway, she is at Edinburgh, in the 2nd year of Physical geography and Geology. The numerous practicals and field trips make for good bonding and departmental atmosphere. She’s in the OTC and is Vice-Captain of the Edinburgh Women’s 5’s. I wished I had asked what that was now. In the OTC she is part of the local TA, meeting a further range of students and raising a little cash. Hannah is in a flat with Laura Bloomfield. She’s all Politics and Social Anthropology and is planning an interesting year studying in Ontario, Canada.

Matthew Studley is in his final year at Manchester Uni., reading Economics and Finance. He enjoyed a great semester in Munster, Germany on a study abroad programme. Rachel Wright is at Glasgow School of Art - which made me very envious, studying painting and print-making. She loves it and went on a term exchange to the Emily Carr Institute in Vancouver. She’s in touch with a crowd of OWs. Felicity Sylvester is an American and Latin American Studies student of Nottingham. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese, which I would have deemed as rather confusing, but seems to love it all and is in touch with a lot of school chums. Rebecca Murland is a business woman, dealing in Japanese kitchen knives. Sounds dangerous but she seemed very relaxed about it all. She is Godmother to the twin daughters of Brittany Hughes. Emily Purser of Brasenose, Oxford, reads Philosophy and Psychology and is appearing on stage, even as we write this.

Nick Tiley-Nunn is teaching Year 4 darlings at The Abbey School. Hannah Golding is at Birmingham and Cornell, studying International Commerce and particularly enjoyed New York! Babette Wolff-Evans has left Drama to go into the Law. Wow. I suppose there are connections. Anyway, she is enjoying the challenge and does all this at City Uni.

Harris Finn is an accountant of Liverpool Uni and plays a bit of footie on the side. Charlie Ilett is also at Liverpool studying physiology. She enjoys the course and has been robbed twice! She does some bar-work to help out the muggers and has established a whole new range of chums. Nick Boxall is a medicine-man of Manchester, literally learning what makes people tick, he says, and is active in hockey, choirs and debating. He is in contact with Durham man Ian Ackerley, maths and phys, climber, caver and sailor! It’s one way of getting out of the Durham ’bubble’ he says. Tom Fitzgerald is poised for University this September and was too shy to say what he is doing in his gap year. Katie Longbottom has been to Thailand and is saving for the next adventure, working at HMV somewhere. She is thinking of a university course! Rory Cottam has his own band and this enables him to see GB. Christian Daniels makes the same claim! Rosie Yates is a philosopher of Edinburgh Uni and is in the Wine Society (surely not!) and plays netball. James Ramsden, Mathematician of Durham Uni sings a bit and leads his college hockey XI. Henry Herbert is at Collingwood, Durham reading Physics and does a bit of hill-walking. Rose Janes is at the same college, reads English and Philosophy and was in the freshers’ play. Skis a bit too. She says she’s going on an expedition to the Philippines this summer, conserving and education but has not applied for an OWs travel grant, strangely. Tom Gorst studies medicine at Corpus Christi, Oxenford and is a fencer. Rachel Morris, at UEA studies any subject beginning with A - Archaeology, Art and Anthropology which is both alliterative and interesting. She designs T-Shirts too. Anthony Beynon is a nursing student of Swansea Uni. Bet it’s nice down there. Dominic Walsh, at Nottingham Trent is a sports scientist and even plays a bit of rugby league. Alan Cowie says he presents traffic and travel news on local radio.

Graeme Warden is an International Relationist of Exeter and finds it fascinating. He plays some soccer. He dropped in on the new Seckford Reading Room. Emily Skinner reads History at Gonville and Caius, Cambridge, sings and plays netball, tho’ not at the same time. She seems to be really enjoying the whole experience. Keith Rowbory is an economist and philosopher of UEA and gives the faculty top marks for quality of teaching. He’s a chum of Jonny Harries who is an environmental scientist who enjoys the friendly atmos, playing football and climbing. John Carrington of Hull University is a Historian with History of Art and helps out with the university art collection. He nearly made it onto University Challenge and had he done so would have met up with old Woodbridge School quiz men, Ian Lyons and Charles Markland who wowed the nation with their respective colleges. Charles is in the final as we go to press! Gosh the TV cameras loved him! Another boffin is David Armitage, Royal Holloway’s Politics and International Relations student supreme. He loves the college, sings in the chamber choir and had a trip to UN in NY. He talks of moving to Montreal and a job in the Royal Navy. Michael Bull of Harper Adams reads Ag. Eng with Marketing and Management. He enjoys the practical elements of the course and plays hockey and squash. Louise Gordon-Jones studies Eng. Lit at Manchester, loves it, loves the city and surfs …… where ….. in Manchester? Weird. Tatiana Goodchild reads philosophy at Edinburgh and mentioned euthanasia but I cannot recall in what context. Emily Verrill is another medic - this time at Leeds. She’s into the uni riding team, of course, and plays netball and should be getting her ‘body’ as we go to press. It was an honour to see Greg Slade turning up and making his way shyly towards the bar. Not a pub-goer by nature he patently felt uneasy in the midst of so many drinkers but paused long enough to tell me about Foundation Architecture at London Southbank and hockey and rugby. Emily McKeown learns Graphic Design at the new campus in Ipswich; it’s hard work but fun apparently.

Elodie Ashworth is a psychologist of Nottingham Uni, and is involved in the Charity Society and the Conservation Society. Her call is to ‘get involved in the local community.’ James Pugh studies property at the Royal Agricultural College. He’s out and about with his measuring devices and has time for hockey and a tiny bit of socialising. Philippa Thomas reads Biochemistry at Warwick but I feel she misses a little of the real subject - History! She plays in the orchestra, on the squash courts and does a bit of Latin too …. that’s dancing .. along with ballroom. B D G Grave, Ben to some, is reportedly relishing reading at Reading - English; hockey too and says he’s a library assistant, helping real readers in Reading with their reading. (Absolutely NO more of this word play. Ed.) Andrew Catt is a trainee wine merchant with Seckford Wines. He loves it and is not haunted by university loans. Jo Hatcher is a student of Chemical Engineering at Newcastle. It’s getting a bit tough but she is surviving and anyway, has plenty of hockey activity. Sis, Bonnie Hatcher, is in Puffa jackets - work placement for a year, as part of her Hull Uni course. Naturally she plays hockey too - for Ipswich. Sophie Chick studies Physics at Bologna University. Nice. No, Bologna. (I warned you. Ed.) This is part of a year abroad from Bristol. and she is part of an organised Erasmus Programme that takes in sight-seeing and skiing. She’s in touch with Laura Head, who could not be present but who is still at Oxford Brookes studying History and Publishing and big in the OTC. Alex Darby is in her second year at Oxford Brookes doing a degree in History of Art. She was not at the lunch but I met her in the Strawberry Caff next door. Um, talking Strawberry Café, it is now run by Suzy Betts, 1992, or Mrs. Rob Sledmere, 1995, to the rest of us. Drop in for a drink and say I sent you. Ellis O’Neil is a Natural Sciences man of Corpus Christi, Cambridge and on a number of committees whose titles I can’t even understand. Sam Parker of Warwick Uni loves the maths there and is into all kinds of music not surprisingly. He even gets time to climb mountains, play squash and t.tennis. Sam is chummy with engineer Jonathan Morris at the same college. Jonny is into archery and aikido Freddy Weller praises the delights of Facebook, keeping him in touch with old friends. He’s at Oxford Brookes doing Technology Management and enjoys the thrill of legally knocking people out in Taekwando. Ah well. Ollie Lion is a marine engineer in Southampton Solent and inevitably enjoys a bit of sailing. Hugo Martineau-Needham, resident of Melton Park, see later, and student in King’s London, reads European studies with French. There is a heavy preponderance of young ladies on the course and this he seems to cope with quite well. He goes to LSE a few hours a week and hopes to challenge the domination of the Conservative Students there with an active Labour group. Scott Anderson is at Aberystwyth doing business . He plays several sports and has joined the OTC there. Facebook helps him keep in touch with the gang. Amy Lightfoot is another at Oxford Brookes and is training for the wonderful world of Primary Education. Amy Stockdale of KCL reads Law which is ‘interesting and challenging‘. She does a bit of ballet. Jess Allan, see photo, is at Manchester Uni, on a Management and Marketing of Textiles Course. Best place in the World I would have thought for textile study. She plays netball for her hall and does some kind of oriental boxing which sounds dangerous. Just about last in this catalogue of young talent and burgeoning skills and education are the Lucy sisters, Lucy Hallett and Lucy Havard. Talk about finishing on a high. The former is at Oxford reading French and Italian, loving it, meeting new people, making friends, playing hockey, netball and croquet. The latter is a medic of University College, London, loving London life, playing all the games, doing Rag etc., and keeping in touch with the usual gang.

Zac Potter is at distant Otley mastering animal management. He plays a bit of rugby. Chris Gomm is going to Leeds later this year to study Automotive Engineering but meanwhile he is restoring an old Land Rover, which is helpful.

Several non recent leavers appeared at the lunch which is good. Ed Leith, left 2001, is a mechanical Engineer but that’s all I know. Oliver Mummery, 2002, graduated from Oxford Brookes in Environmental Biology and is now loving life as an Estate Agent. Iona Barclay, 2002, is a graduate in International Equine and Business Land Management, and now works for an insurance company. She has recovered from that ghastly car accident in the Balkans and we are so glad to see her back in the mainstream. Chris Woodard, 1976, said hello. He values commercial property for a small German bank and enjoys it. He’s a sailor still and just to prove it has moved to Felixstowe ferry, after 27 years in London. His son is starting school and there is a 3 year old daughter too, to enjoy the Suffolk air. Welcome home, Chris.

So that is the fall-out from the Christmas gathering, apart from unreadable forms and those who did not fill out forms. Again, I am sorry that I did not get round to talk to you all.

Vets in Practice. Lee Hibbert left us in 1997 but is now back in town, and also working in the Felixstowe surgery. Joe Steventon is 1992 vintage. He is settling in here in town, lives in Melton with wife and daughter, Harper. Ben Ryder-Davies, 1990, makes up the trilogy of local vets. A finer group of professionals you would not meet however far you search and this is evinced by the recovery of Daisy Weaver, also pictured, who lived in School until 2004 and sort of qualifies therefore as an OW. Hey, lets have a meeting of OW vets - Charlotte Searle, 1998, is a vet of Potters Bar.

You will see that the musical Halls attended the Xmas Dinner. What of their talented children? Barty Hall teaches at Lansdowne College in London - computers and philosophy. Drosten Hall conducts the Camerata Orchestra in Chicago, is married with three children and runs a music school. Ambrose Hall is a jazz pianist and has been spotted by JB and me in the Thoroughfare. Sebastian Hall, Abbey only, is something to do with organic food. So there are the Halls.

We have located an early OW - David Rowland, 1938, living in Truro. The Rowland family members were almost a dynasty of pupils here from the 1880s onwards. We’ll get in touch and see if he can send a few memories.

This is Christopher Green, 1947 - 1957. My family had 3 generations at Woodbridge, including my father Ernest Edward Green, my uncle George Green ( who lived in Bromswell and was known as the "cricket bat" man because he dealt in willow trees and made the clefts for the blades of the bats). When I went to school, the prep classes were held at the main school because the Abbey was just in the process of being purchased. I and my 2 brothers, Nicholas and Timothy Green, had to run from Cumberland St. up the hill and down the other side (Angel Lane) to get to morning assembly on time . All us prep boys were put upstairs in the gallery and only much later on were we allowed to sit on the floor, right at the front. We couldn't see a thing even by straining our necks upwards. When I arrived, it was Eric Ayres first time as Head. Anyway, here I am in the USA, for the past 12 years. I have lived and worked in Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and spent some time before that in London. When I left school I got into the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, graduated after 3years, and the spent some 2 years in Aden and Bahrain plus other periods in the U.K. You do have a lot of info on OWs but little on my generation. What of Alan Palmer, Brian Cox, Robin Ormes, Nigel Lewis, Jackman, junior to me, but I met him in the little town of Warri in the Niger Delta. He had just come off a 3 day trip living in a canoe taking soundings for oil amongst the mangrove swamps. I walked into a French oil drilling company in Warri and some guy with his back to me was speaking perfect French into his radio, turned round and it was Reg Hay, another OW! Still enough of this trivia, you can read all about it in my new book, "Its time to leave, the ramblings of a 20th Century Englishman".

Thanks Christopher. We’ll get the book ASAP; Review it too. Alan Palmer follows soon.

It was good to see Nicholas Moore, 1962, and his wife at School and they kindly donated a large number of excellent volumes to the School Library from their bookshop on the Welsh borders. We remember, of course, that it was Nicholas who effectively wrote the tri-centenary booklet on the History of the School, 1662 - 1962.

Alan Palmer, 1969, lives in Louth, Lincs, has a Rectory there which is open for B & B. Alan, a graduate of the Sorbonne, used to teach in Louth. Simon Sorrell, 1972, is a helicopter pilot, working for Bristows in Scotland, servicing the oil platforms.

Richard Beevers 1979 writes after the September Dinner:

Caught up with several folk whom I hadn’t seen since the 70s including fellow dormitory dwellers O’Dell and Simpson. O’Dell still the cheeky chappy. Rugby was fun even though OWs sport is clearly not what it was. Remember when every child had to watch every OW fixture? 1st and 2nd formers wearing caps I vaguely recall. Adam did a sterling job, even providing beer and buns afterwards. Stayed in Swansea last night, educating the savages in how do to business. Are you a man of Swansea? If so, do you know Craig-Y-Nos of Dame Adelina Patti fame? I helped with getting the place back on track a few years back.

Yes, praise to the aforementioned Sean O’Dell, historian supreme and John Simpson, photographer, for their support over the years and for Nicky.

Simon Howe, 1976 now writes:

I rejoice in the appellation of Simon Howe. What have I been up to since departed those hallowed and ivy covered walls of School House? I'm glad you asked! When I finally left with the grand total of *ahem!* "O"-levels and *cough* "A"-levels, I grabbed a job on farm not far from Bentwaters Airbase, you may've heard of the owners, a certain family called Kemball? Then an old friend of the family called up and asked if I would like to head on out to the North Sea to help drill deep holes in the ground. I shipped out 3 days later. The introduction to a semi-submersible oil-rig was traumatic to say the least. All this noise, the damn thing bouncing up and down like cork, and everyone, except me, seemed to know what they were doing. Confused? Oh yes! After about 6 months, though, I'd got the hang of life aboard for the two weeks we were out there, and had made the dizzy height of Roustabout. Not quite as low as you can go, but almost. Another 6 months later and I was working the floor as part of a crew. This crew stayed together for the best part of 20 months, we got to know each others habits, good and bad. Mind you, we did have a lot of fun together, some of it a bit rough and ready. (There followed some unsuitable stories. Ed.) . But all good things come to an end, as they say. After I had my 6" drill bit nicked off me by the Geography Department (is it still there, I wonder?), and the bottom falling out of the oil business, I was handed my P45. After a stint work the Chunnel, working at Willesden Euro Terminal stuffing freight trains through I was once again made redundant. So it was back out on the road again. Where I still am. Since moving out to the West Coast, I've been and done some wonderful things. I've been to a lot of race circuits with Jacqui …. (and here follows a lot of stuff about VERY fast cars driven by Jacqui - not suitable as I drive a Ford Fiesta. Ed.) Well, that's a (very!) brief resume of what I've been up to these past few decades. If I get up to any more high jinks, I'll try to keep you informed.

Thanks for that Simon. I have the whole email if anyone wants it. It is packed with a lot of rather rich detail and forms the basis of an adventure novella.

Peter Clark, 1976, departed from the Beeb and is now living in France, planning to open a gite, we hear. Richard ‘Tigger’ Moore, 1984, has now returned from Hong Kong, and lives in Marlborough School, where his wife Claire is Head of Special Needs. He is poised to do some teaching himself. Bro, Gerard Moore is in Australia and has a family there. Julia Pearson, 1977, teaches English at a Lycee in Auxerre, Burgundy and has four children nearly grown up. James Rea, 1982, is off to Australia to take up a post with the Australian air force.

Jon Thompson now writes: I was at Woodbridge joining the Abbey in 1970 and moving up to the main school in 1973 leaving in 1979. My year included Kev Revell , John Poll and the like. I joined Gloucestershire Constabulary in 1979 as a Police Cadet and joining the Police properly in 1980 . I have been a Detective since 1985 based at Cheltenham, Stow on the Wold and now Cirencester and can retire with 30 years service in 2010! I was married but now single, I regularly visit Portman Road so if any other OWs fancy a pre match drink I usually can be found in North Stand .

Gillian Beeton-Wakenhut, 1975 to 1982. Writes from the heart of Europe. I am now working as freelance conference interpreter (Council of Europe, European Patent Office...), thanks no doubt to excellent French and German teachers at school - Mrs Bidwell, Mr Still, Mrs Mitchels, I love my job and am based in Strasbourg, but living in Rosheim on Alsatian wine route. Married, 2 children.

This is Jeremy Marchant-Forde, 1984. After working at Cambridge and Lincoln Universities, I'm currently a Research Animal Scientist working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture on farm animal welfare issues - my expertise being in pig behaviour! I'm based at Purdue University in Indiana, which has around 35,000 students and its own airport! It also has cricket and rugby teams, thankfully! I can also buy Abbot Ale and Old Speckled Hen at the 'liquor store' and watch the Premier League on TV. We moved over here in 2001 and my wife, Ruth, has just started her veterinary training here, so we'll be here for a further 4 years at least. Thereafter, who knows... We have a 7-year old daughter, Millie, and a 3-year old son, Harry and not enough spare time!Weird. Kim Baker, mentioned earlier is doing PhD in pig behaviour. Let’s hope this Magazine helps these scholars to get in touch!

Ben Ryder Davies, mentioned earlier, gave me valuable info. Sister Jo Ryder-Davies is a teacher at Halesworth Middle School. She married in 2007. Dan Hayward is an osteopath now living in Exeter. Ben met David Goddard in the kitchenware aisle of Tescos locally. Deeply sad really, what can happen to formerly hardened 1st XV players. David is married to Sally Youngs, eminent historian. Byron Sindell is teaching ….yes … but where? Tina Waring runs the Rendlesham Day Nursery with her husband. Tim Waring is married and ‘big in the city’ David Waring lives on the farm and has children. All this info was given over the counter of the surgery and sue Ben and not me if it is libellous or inaccurate.

William Robinson, 1990, lives in London SW4 and says, I'm working for a marine liability insurer as an underwriter, married 4 years ago and now have a demanding 5 month old son who is of course both a genius and extremely handsome as well as being a baby. Ok a proud dad, nothing wrong with that. Alex Hampton, 1991, attended Simon Abley’s wedding and sent me a photo of OWs attending for the archives.

Sports journalist Huw Turbervill, 1991, now works for The Daily Telegraph, and still runs Carpediems Cricket Club together with fellow OWs Nick Pagan, who works for TV company 12Yard, and Morgan Davies, who works for AnswerBack, who produce the audience-participation show, Cash Inn. Simon Houchell, who works for international real estate, infrastructure and construction consultancy firm EC Harris, also plays. They play in Dulwich and are touring Woodbridge for a third straight year this summer, with games at the school on July 25 and 27 (and Southwold CC on July 26). If you are interested, email him on huw.turbervill@telegraph.co.uk

B.J.Weaver, vintage of Huw and Co., now lives in Chiswick, London, and creates programmes for Endemol, including the new concept ‘Upstaged’ down in Bristol. At the dinner she met up with Rachel Bickerton and her extremely charming husband. Would you believe it - they live in the next road and can now meet up regularly. Rachel is extremely big in the music industry, SonyBMG, running one of the record labels (Legacy). Emma Birchley has produced a daughter and Sarah Craggs a son even as I type this. They both live locally. Congratulations, mums. Polly Stephenson is a mum of Hacheston or thereabouts. I think she might be back into legal work too. Jessica Watson, Oyelowo is also a mum again. Faye Stephenson works in Ipswich. Sarah Parker is an educational psychologist of Nottingham. Vicki Steele lives in San Francisco and has a baby boy. Claire Laight still works with the alumni of St. John’s College, Cambridge. Natasha Hayward lives in Washington and is a mother. Johnny Keer now has a degree in ecology from UEA. Olly Johnson pinched one of our best teachers, Catherine Shepherd, went and married her and now they have a daughter, Amelia. Sorry to miss out your married names, ladies. I’ll just put the other Weaver OW in here. Robin Weaver, 1986, has entered the world of advertising more enthusiastically and may be heard in many a voice-over as well as saucily seen on the Tiscali Broadband advert! A number of TV progs too. She lives in Teddington and recently met up with Lisa Dummett who has suffered from ME for many years but who has still managed some wide-ranging world trips.

The very talented Edgar family are as busy as ever. Alistair Edgar, 1993, is in Baghdad, working with CBS news. He has a base in the slightly quieter Hereford. Alexandra Edgar, 1994, emigrated to Aussie two years ago and worked for the Prison Service as a criminal psychologist. She lives in Sydney. Alice Edgar, 1996, lives in Brighton, runs marathons, and teaches little ones at Brighton College. Anna Edgar, 1997, has returned from many travels, working for Thomson’s and now works for Savills the Estate Agents in Edinburgh. Mum Gill who made us all so happy with Scotch Shop coffee in the Thorofare quite a few years ago also lives in bonny Edinburgh.

I met Ian Felton, 1993, in town recently and asked him to email me his career info. He writes: After leaving university I spent 3 years working in recruitment for Suffolk Police at Martlesham Heath. It was an interesting and varied experience, but towards the end I was looking for a change. So, in 2001 I decided to embark on a career change and completed a PGCE at UEA to teach History. Between 2002 and July 2007 I taught at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham. Initially this was just teaching History, although towards the end of my time there I was also teaching Economics and Religious Studies too! I thoroughly enjoyed my five years at Thomas Mills and I was sorry to leave. I was appointed Head of History at Langley School during 2007 and I started in this post in September. The school is about 11 miles south of Norwich and represents a culture change from the 1200 pupils at Thomas Mills to around 500. In many ways it is very similar to Woodbridge School as it also has a strong boarding community. I am a Sixth form tutor and I have also recently become a member of the boarding staff. As well as teaching History at Langley I also teach year 7 and 8 boys P.E. and I do Hockey and Badminton activities after school. As you can see I am keeping active!

James Fisher, 1994, is currently teaching Chemistry at Highgate School where he is also a Housemaster but he is moving to Tonbridge as Head of Chemistry in September. Bro Alistair Fisher, 1996, ran the Barcelona Marathon in March. He is teaching English in that sunny land. Anna Kirk, 1994, carries the title Vice President & Counsel Legal Department Citigroup Global Markets Limited which is impressive and I have asked for more details.

I could run a whole section on people met in the Thoroughfare. Ambrose Hall and Ian Felton have already had a mention. Then there was famous Holby City actor Luke Roberts, 1995 and sister Joanna Roberts, 1990. Luke is bound for South Africa, filming, and Jo lives locally and is a mum. Claire Laight said hello and there at Tescos was John Double, 1971, who has his own driving school. Then there was Clare Fairley, 1980, now Hawes. Last year we had been on stage together in a reading of Under Milk Wood and she had sung so sweetly too. She is a mum and does some acting.

Kim Digby, 1997, called in to the Seckford Reading Room and before you knew it, we were lunching at The Galley. She’s a Human Resources Administrator for Ransomes Jacobsen, recruitment, training and inductions and even the odd grievance and disciplinary. She claimed not to know about anyone else but a glass of wine later and here was the news. Sis, Jane Digby, is a youth worker in Bristol, following Lancaster Uni. Connected to Bristol Uni but I did not understand how. Rachel Utting lives in Falmouth and is looking for work in museums, following a masters in Museum Studs from UEA. Clare Wright has a degree, two boys and is an educational psychologist locally, possibly Wickham Market. (Get back to Digbies, please. Ed.) Robert Digby is a chartered accountant of Rendlesham. Kate Digby works in London, ‘something to do with shipping.’ James Digby is a Chartered Surveyor of Bristol, married with two lads. Helen Simpson, now Gould, married last July at Woodbridge School Chapel. Nice. She’s a dietician of Ipswich Hospital. Suzanne Parsons, now da Silva, married in Angola - that’s quite different from WS Chapel and we do want more info. She’s a speech therapist living in Chiswick, London. I must get her in touch with the Chiswick OW mafia. Oliver Meister is still in Romania, a solicitor, married with a boy, Harry. Sis Rachel Meister is married and is a PA. Emma Gray of Melton has a baby girl and works for Pinfold. Claire O’Malley is married. Thanks for all this, Kim. Remembering History lesson days we would like to find such scholars as Vivienne Button, Amy Ward and Amy Parker. Please.

Here’s Ruth Westbrooke, 2002. Just thought I’d pass on some news; got engaged last week. Getting married on Aug 16th and therefore I have a couple of step children into the bargain! Love them to bits tho’ so its all good. Am now teaching in a nicer school - all Boys, 65% A-C instead of the 35% of my last place.

Ruth finishes by commenting on the more tiring aspects of teaching and confesses that Friday night is more sleeping night than partying night! Congrats on the engagement, Ruth. Sarah Piper, 2002, is getting married to an old friend of ours, David Fishering. The venue? Well you know the Pipers don’t do things by half measures. So it’s the Venus Garden, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Best wishes, you two, from us all, and send some photies please.

Victoria Burton 2003 finished English at Sussex and is now on law conversion with the BPP School in London. Sister, Rebecca Burton, 2006, is in her second year at Oxford and has been promoted to a scholar, which allows her to wear a bigger gown and read grace in Latin, according to dad. She continued rowing for Uni Women's 2nd VIII's, taking part in Summer Eights this year and won blades!!!

Here’s a section on travellers. Some of you include me on your list of recipients of e-mails sent from internet cafes in places so remote that one marvels that they have electricity. This year’s winners are Jessie Layzell, 2000, seeing amazing things in Thailand etc. and Helen Jones, 2006, walking across Spain. Add Hannah Green, 2006, to this list as she sent a fulsome letter to President Bailey from Cambodia where she is working with orphan children.

Aisha Al-Kharusi, 1991, that famous citizen of beautiful Oman, met up with three school pupils doing an educational, exchange with The Sultan’s School there. She remembers her school days with affection and the small party, which included teacher, Stuart Richardson, was thrilled that she could show them some of the sites and sights. Our sincere thanks to you Aisha. Now it’s time you came over here for a visit.

We acknowledge the role played in the modern school by our European students and certainly the Germans have provided some fine examples. Here’s Lisa Muller, 1998.

Hello, Mr. Weaver, I hope so much, you’ll remember me. I was in your history class ages ago, as one of the Germans. I found the OWs website and tried to find any pictures of Old Woodbridgians as they are very lazy to keep in touch…..I wanna pester you to put some pictures of the old pupils and maybe the staff too. I would be so happy to get to know how you all are.. Many greetings from Saarland.

Fiona Billings, 2004, writes after a meeting on Market Hill:

Well as you saw from my lovely green hoodie, I'm still working on the student newspaper in between finishing my degree in British and American history. I'm spending my last year specialising in American race relations, from slavery to the civil rights movement. As far as the newspaper goes, this year I've been made the editor of the entertainment magazine, The Event. It's 24 pages every 2 weeks, so takes up a lot of my time!

Nice to meet up with you, Fiona and keep up with the journalistic work. This Magazine is looking for a new editor! Michael Sutton-Croft, 2004, left Cardiff Uni in academic glory and is seeking new study and employment pastures in London….. MSc at Imperial College to be precise. Ben Head, 2002, is to be thanked for the book on OW Harold Rosher, vital to our research on the CCF. As we write Ben is travelling the World, starting in Singapore and we hope to ask him to look up some OW warriors for the book.

Here are some messages I elicited from The FaceBook crowd. No particular order. Suzanne Coy 1992. I am working for Access Accounting in Stratford St Mary. My brother Stuart is back at Uni studying to be a Quantity Surveyor. Rachel Ward 1999. At the moment I am a school sports co-ordinator in Bedford. Its a wicked job. Family is all good Sophie is a high flying sales woman for a medical company. Maria Wyard Hi Mr Weaver, Thanks for your message. I hope you're well and that the OW magazine is shaping up! I think you might know that I'm going to Mexico in just over two weeks to volunteer with Tearfund for four months. I wrote to Ken Bailey who met with the other trustees and they have very generously given me £300 towards my costs. Oh, and in October I'm going to Corpus Christi, Oxford to read Classics if you wanted to know my future plans! I would love to make a visit to Woodbridge again some time - perhaps in September. Hannah Hardy 2006. Since I got back from Fiji and Australia, about two weeks ago, I haven’t done much. Having said that I have been learning to drive and passed first time today!!! whoo!!! Now that’s out of the way I am hopefully going to get a job in London to stash some cash so that I can go travelling again before October when I go to Durham. I did bring you some Cava back from Fiji, their traditional drink that tastes of mud!! Cat Growder, Aussie gappie supreme. I'm well and am still living and working in London. Been here for 3 years now and I am loving teaching Year 5. I'm also Director of Sport and ICT so that keeps me busy. I got engaged last year to my long term South African Boyfriend, Jacques. We are planning to marry in December this year in Sydney. I'm still in contact with a few folks from ‘Wooders’ and remember my days with you all very fondly!

Emma Norton 2000. I am still teaching English in the YOI at Hollesley prison; I've been there nearly three years. I've just started teaching GCSE literature at Carlford - which is the teenage lifers unit. The results are usually in the EADT in August so if you keep an eye out you'll see how I'm doing! PS Will tell the OWs I still see to let you know what they're up to, although I don't really see many people from school. Cathers, Catherine Norton 1998. is in Brighton working for an accountant and enjoying the Brighton experience! Sarah Lewis 2000. What am I up to? ... Well I’m a final year trainee solicitor working at Birketts in Ipswich and I will qualify as a solicitor this year in September. Absolutely love it! And my brother James Lewis, 1996. who was four years ahead of me at school, became a qualified actuary at the end of last year and he is working for Buck Consultants in Ipswich. We must definitely have a game of golf, although I may need a bit of practice first. Saying that I think I’ve agreed to play for work over the summer in a competition so I should probably start hitting the golf course. Sarah Watson, 2003. Intends to graduate this July with a good degree in Criminology and Social Policy, do another year of travelling and then maybe even go down the teacher training lane. There is talk of an Easter meeting with Helen Gilmour and Hollie Slade and some gang members. Remember the flying ducks? Graeme Warden 2007. Things are going well here, really starting to get into the meat of the course now. Lots of fun recently doing collective security etc. Looking forward to another visit in Easter to monitor your progress! Laura Doggett 2004 Sadly not in Kent any more; now back on the doorstep and desperately trying to be all grown up by working full time! Graduated in the summer with a 2:1 in Comparative Literary Studies and Classical and Archaerologic Studies! Now I'm working at University Campus Suffolk in Ipswich. Hopefully will be venturing back to school in a month or so to come to one of the things at the Theatre - really just want to see all the new work finished!

Good old Facebook. My intelligence tells me that Facebook, Bebo and so on have reached their peak and numbers are slowly in decline. (It’s March 8 2008 as I write.) It seems that the early thrill of contact actually wears off in time. Look, you read it here first. Feel free to tell me I was absolutely wrong - in a few years. Sarah Watson is so right when she describes it as, ‘the biggest procrastination tool for us students.’ Maybe that will actually keep it going. Any of you youngsters played Geosense? See you on-line.

Neighbours is another theme I could adopt. How many of you, in my teaching days softly suggested I would end up at St. Audreys? Quite a lot as I remember. Well you were right. The inmates have been removed and they have opened up the estate to the middle classes. Hugo Martineau-Needham, recent leaver, passes my dwelling regularly but Matthew Bettell 1990 actually lives opposite. He has been a Suffolk Police Officer for the past ten years and lives with Clare, that’s Mrs. B., and the twins, Anna and James. He tells me that his brother Charlie Bettell, 1991, lives and works in southern France and is currently Captain of a privately-owned ‘Super’ yacht. Then to my pleasure and surprise Georgina Cook, now Dickins, Head Girl, who left in 1997 moved in next door to Matt. Blimey, I was her Sixth Form tutor and here she is - our neighbour. She works in the city and so pops off early in the morning and has never bothered us for a cup of sugar or anything. Every now again the lads turn up - Oliver Cook 2001, and Tim Cook. 1998, for a family visit. Cuppla charmers.

Next is Daniel Yelland 2002, scholar of UEA, Creative Writing. Some Routledge sisters lived around the corner but I have not seen them for some time. Sorry to those whom I have forgotten in this neighbourly trawl. Oooo - James Gibbins is one of those; he’s got a sleek black sports car! The rest of the houses are filled with current pupils and their parents. You know it is strange to relate, but in the days of Dr. David Younger, the School gave very serious consideration to moving up here. Lots of schools have moved from high value town centres to institutional sites in the suburbs. (Ipswich HS for gels.) How the history of Woodbridge School and the town of Woodbridge would have changed ….. it is impossible to tell.

Malcolm Lloyd wrote: I am an Old Woodbridgian, now Headmaster at Brymore School, a state boarding school in Somerset. I was at Woodbridge from 62-72 and was in Queens House. You can see where I am now at www.brymoreschool.co.uk

It was good to see Malcolm back for the September Dinner.

Now this is Jonathan H. Barber 1964. By 1966/7 I was fortunate enough to be a broker in LLOYDS of LONDON insurance market where to my surprise I ran into a contemporary 5th year and house and under 15 colt rugby player Toby Twyford. My father saved some rather nice memorabilia of those days including –the proud winners of a rugby cup outside SCHOOL HOUSE circa unknown but I look ABOUT 14/15 yrs. He also saved Speech Day programmes as well as old Woodbridgian mags of the period 1961-1963. They are a good memory tool for those distant days. Being a border at School House the name LUBBOCK is quite familiar as matron and certainly for sports. Alistair Westbrook is also familiar and probably in my rugby photo. Anyway I have also a programme named ‘ BOARDERS ENTERTAINMENT –Christmas 1962 – and Westbrook is shown as being responsible for the lighting. Basher was also very familiar as both a French teacher and latterly Housemaster of School House.

All this reminds me to remind you, wherever you are, to look out your old memorabilia and send it along to M.A.Weaver at School where it will be stored and catalogued and ready to be used by researchers - many of whom are still unborn! Simon Paterson kindly writes:

Since I left in July 1988, doesn’t the time go quickly? I spent 12 and a half years at Customs & Excise in Felixstowe. I Left there in 2002 to become a security officer at Sizewell A. I now live in “sunny” Scotland in a wee town 5 miles outside Kilmarnock having moved here in August 02 to live with my fiancé and 2 stepdaughters. After completing an HNC in Social Sciences I’ve gone back to the civil service; once you’re in there’s no escape, and I’m now a debt enforcement officer for the CSA. I’m starting my degree in Social Sciences through the OU in January. It’s great to keep up with things through your brilliant website and magazine. I manage to get down to sunny Suffolk twice a year but with a young(ish) family and 2 dogs in tow the weeks are busy. Finally, I’d just like to congratulate Mr Weaver and Mr Mitchels on their retirement. I’ve many happy memories of history and English lit with them.

Thanks Simon. MAM and MAW are most grateful for any praise! Look, here’s another in the same mode. It’s from Chris Lambert, 1971, Director of Resources, Universities UK.

You probably don't remember me but I was one of those A level History students of yours 1969 - 1971, along with James Skinner, Mike Allison, Russell Patient et al who frankly had less time for the pleasure of English History - and much more time for in depth discussion on the merits (and it was always merits - relative or absolute) of the previous episode of Monty Pythons Flying Circus as a prelude to the lesson. Whilst I am sure you really wanted to start the lesson you never failed to give MPFC the just time it deserved; for which many thanks. The intervening years have seen much flux and fission, but through the OW magazine a glimpse on the quite outstanding achievements of the school have been relayed including of course the introduction of girls! (not even on the horizon in 1971). May I also ask that you pass on regards and best wishes to Mark Mitchels who joined Woodbridge at the same time as you did. I recall a very young man, joining the English Dept working alongside the master himself - PR; a daunting introduction but a role he quickly made his own.

Thanks you, Chris and yes, we do remember you as we remember all fans of Monty P!

Nick Petch is here. Since leaving in 79, I joined Lloyds bank & have been with them ever since. We moved up to Norfolk 11 years ago & I have recently switched roles having been a local director of the bank overseeing 13 branches in Norfolk. Married for 25 years in Sept; we have a daughter aged 23 & a son 19.

Thanks Nick and we look forward to seeing you at a Dinner. You represent that group of very successful OWs who moved straight into banking in the good old days! Now here is David Adamson.

Well it is a very long time since I crossed the playing fields from Queen's House to leave via the "Top Gate", with my suitcase in-hand, heading for the railway station. I can remember having very mixed emotions about leaving the place and people that had been such a huge part of my life.

There follows an amazing and rather interesting list of academic achievements, hovercraft, merchant navy, carpentry, pilot’s licence, commercial flying worldwide deep sea communication cables, and a lot more ….before we come to ….

I live in Devon with my lovely Wife Natasha (BA long haul Airhostess out of LHR), and my two gorgeous Boys Austin (5) and Flynn (3). Elder Brother Paul Adamson. is still in Brussels working for Eurocontrol.

Ed Bowden 1992, is … living in Dulwich now and teaching at Dulwich College Prep. Its a great place with a young staff. Hooooge contrast to Ampleforth and a completely different lifestyle! Still see Jonny Percival 1992 regularly and he's coming down this weekend. Did you know that Rachael Bowden 1990 was married last August and that Charlotte Bowden 1995 is due to be married in July.

Catherine Norton writes: Claire Laughlin 1998 is starting a placement at Ipswich Hospital in the summer. Ollie Dutton is in music PR and now working for himself, which I believe he finds preferable. Oli Cottam is running a pub in Norwich and managing his brother's band. Oh, yes, Collette Smith and Laura Hoppitt are both getting married in Woodbridge this summer. Rory Cottam's band Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds are doing very well.

This is Lisa Maree. I'm generally well and happy and living near Highbury, North London.. I've also recently bagged myself a shiny new job working in Conferences and Events at The Economist Group and start there in a week or so. I'll be looking after the production and logistics of conferences and events in Paris, Brussels and London. At Toby Jenkin 's recent birthday bash in Islington I was fortunate enough to run into a recently hitched Lewis Clarke and his lovely wife Becky as well as Tom Hayhow, William Jennings and Richard Hardcastle who were all in high spirits and appeared to be happy enough and doing very well for themselves by all accounts. Despite at least one too many over-priced cocktails that night I seem to remember that Toby works for the Bank of New York Mellon, Lewis is a Cartographer, Tom works for GlaxoSmithKline and Jeggs is an Architect.

This is a collection put together by Reading Room guru, Alex Gordon-Jones. Some leaving dates omitted, sorry.

Michelle Clarke, 2001, works in Leamington Spa as a volunteer Development Worker. Mary Jane Clubb, 1998, married Andy Whally in August 2007. Helen Deakin 2001, is working for Goldman Sachs. Lottie Green, 2001, did a BA German with Spanish at Keele and is now a translator/editor in Frankfurt. Katie Tzanoudakis, 2001, is now Mrs. Katie McFarland. Ellie Mason works for Suffolk Sport as a Hockey Development Officer. Ticia Pinto is back in the US of A having studied music business management. She lives in Tennessee, Charlotte Potter is engaged and has finished studying Biology at Edinburgh. Sadie Rhodes, 2000, works as a plant biologist/ Research assistant in Berkshire, studying tropical diseases. Vanessa Smith, 2000, is a junior doctor of Sheffield.

Victoria Markland, 1999, was discovered on Facebook!

A quick update on meeeee - I currently work for the Department for Work and Pensions in PR and Marketing, on the employment and benefits agenda (no ifs, no buts benefit fraud is a crime; let's rip up sick note Britain etc!!). I am being transferred to the Ministry of Defence in March though, to do similar work for them, specializing in TV documentaries and will probably get the chance to travel a bit with the troops at that stage which is exciting. I got married in Framlingham Church in August last year to an American (Sean) who I met at university. We had a second ceremony in Hawaii on New Year's Eve which is where his family hails from. We live in Maida Vale, London with our 2 cats, Hono and Lulu

Rachel ‘Sparky’ Sparkes, 2007 has written from Bristol.

I'm loving university and being in Bristol. My course is pretty hard, it's strange handing in my work when I've only been able to do half of it but that's normal for everyone here. I get six pieces of work a week and have 12 lectures, three problems classes and two tutorials a week, so that's quite busy compared to most people. I am enjoying it and it is definitely challenging. I still don't know
what job I want when I graduate so I guess anything in my course could be useful.

My most exciting news is that I am going to be a Hall Christian Union leader next year. I actually take over in two weeks time. It means I’m living in my hall again next year, which is a bit of an ask as it’s a 35 minute walk away from university and I’ll be surrounded by freshers but I’ll be here to help them. I have to lead Bible studies and put events on like making and delivering free toasties in hall from 11pm until 3am every so often. I play my violin and saxophone two Sundays a month. I’m also in the university’s jazz orchestra but taking it a lot slower on the music front than I did at Woodbridge.

These are late messages which did not make the Spring Magazine 2008.

Steve Hudson is now a Queen's Gurkha Engineer. As a result he has been in Nepal since September learning Nepali. He's just finished his course and is about to start earning his money as he flies to Afghanistan next week. The QGE are currently helping to rebuild Musa Qalah (Helmand) following its liberation by coalition forces last month. Gavin Hudson is still serving with 1 R Anglian. He got back from Helmand at the beginning of the summer and since then hasbeen training recruits at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick. He likes to think of it as TopGun for recruits!!

Zoe Porter has re-established contact with a fabulously detailed message. I am keeping well really enjoy being a mother and not working in a stressful environment however I think this new role is more demanding! As you know when I left Woodbridge I took a gap year and became a Cordon Bleu Chef which I am so glad I did it was brilliant and cooking/food is now my real passion in life. Also it gave me a lot of confidence as I won most of the awards for the year!!!

After that I went to Canterbury College and did a Geography and business Studies degree, it was the perfect place for me, not too big so that I was not lost and I had a great time, however I did work hard and I even had my own seat in the library which everyone knew was mine. You will be pleased to hear that the reason I was there was that I could see everyone come out of lectures there and ended up going to the Student Union when people came out and saw me there!!! But I did end up with a 2:1 so not that bad! After that I did a Management Training program with Thistle hotels at their flagship hotel in London (Whites, 5 star country house property at the side of Hyde Park), that was for a year and then I became their Front Office Manager. However I left and got a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers and stayed there for 18 months.

With 3 hours travelling everyday and the fact that the role was so boring that I was reading 2 of my own books a week while there I decided that I really needed to push myself abit more so I went back into the hospitality industry. I became a Conference co-ordinator with the now De Vere Venues at Horsley one of their venues near Guildford and mainly became a Wedding co-ordinator; God I loved that role.

I have been in Guildford now for about 10-12 years. Now I don't seem to do that much, keep the house up, decorating, the gardening (learning this one as I go, not that good at the moment!!) look after Isabel and we have a little side business as well, I won't tell you about it but just let you have a look!! (staginabag.co.uk) but now I am at home I am cooking alot more which I love so I am happy and days seem to fly by. Husband, Karsten works in IT up in London for a company called TaTa which is the biggest company in India.

Ali Warnock sent a welcome e-mail. I have been a fireman in London for ten years now, a job which seems to get evermore challenging with the ongoing terrorist threat. I live in Melton. I am married to Ali…. Yes Ally & Ali…. My son Ben is now 17 and doing his A levels at Farlingaye and I have a step daughter Jaz 16, step son Paddy 14 (both too at Farlingaye) and can’t possibly forget to mention our lab/border collie Barney. Peter Warnock lives in Stroud but has just returned from another few months working in India and has a lovely son Josh 4. Richard Warnock works for a landscaping company and lives locally in a fantastic setting on the edge of an ancient wood, with deer literally looking in at him through his windows. Tony Warnock, ex staff is fine and now lives out at Knodishall, accompanied by Mrs Jan Warnock and their three dogs and enjoying retirement.

Sophie Eastaugh writes: Busy up in Leeds, really enjoying it, the course is good (French and Spanish), but mainly excited about hitchiking to Morocco this Easter holidays in aid of Link Community Development! It promises to be an interesting adventure.

Zoe Last (now Davies) - 1978-85 - is the most recent re-arrival, having returned to Rushmere last year after living in the Cayman Islands for 10 years. The oldest of her four children has started at the school and maintaining the tradition by featuring in the school sports teams. Zoe had been working as a doctor in Cayman, but is currently happy spending her time at home with her family. She has kept in regular contact with Ali Lanyon.  

Mike Last - 1974-81 - has returned to Ipswich after spending much of the last three years working and travelling in Turkey. He now runs his own marketing consultancy. He has a 5-year old daughter and a baby is on the way (due around the time of the OWs dinner!). He is still in touch with Phil Cox and Rob Irving, and bumped into Katherine Andrews at a Burns Night supper last year.  

Fraser Last - 1976-83 - has been living and working in the area for a number of years. In his spare time, he has continued his involvement in sport, coaching/managing a boys football team and running the London marathon. His latest project is to complete the Coast-to-coast cycle ride with his elder son.

SPRING 2007

Some OWs do not need to contact us, as we spot them on our televisions.  Elisa McNally appeared over the horizon, literally, in Ship-wrecked one of those reality shows set on a desert island.  Quite frankly, her Woodbridge School education was manifestly obvious but, as we go to press, we do not know if she was on the winning team. We will press for an interview for the Spring 2008 Mag.  Luke Roberts has made his mark in Holby City and there’s a photo of him further opposite.  He is the glamour element in the hospital, no doubt about that, but that does not detract from his acting ability and Shakespearean roles still lie ahead.  Nick Boxall appeared on The Weakest Link and was the last to make the walk of shame, just missing out on the final head-to-head.  Robin Weaver appeared in one of the most dangerous places on earth - Midsomer!  However, disappointingly, she was neither victim nor murderer in the end although a nasty piece of work!   Let me know if you spot an OW on the telly.

Right - we usually start with former staff and so let us mention a few.   Jim Bidwell, as you may read elsewhere, is this year’s Mayor of Woodbridge, following a distinguished company of men and women associated with the School.  He is also District Councillor for Trimley but all that is up for grabs in the May elections.   Dorothy Hull, matron of Queens for many years, was made Freeman of the Town of Woodbridge in an Autumn ceremony. This recognised her role in a variety of town activities.  Look, while we are on council business let’s mention two OWs - Roy Burgon, who serves on that august body and who is a credit to the School, and Hannah Fieldman returned from Koh Phi Phi School in Thailand to take on the more exotic job as front of house person at the council offices on Market Hill. A number of other councillors are parents of OWs, including the Editor!  (That really is enough local government.  Get back to former staff, please. Ed.)

Ken Charrot was 91 in March and may be seen nipping into town on a souped up buggy.   Peter Lanyon appears in the papers fighting noble causes.   Tim Nightingale, as we have mentioned, was a welcome visitor to School in September.  Mike Illman is recovering after a spot of illness.   Edwin Still now lives in East Sussex.  Tony Warnock has moved even further into the depths of the Sandlings.  Chris Tyndale-Biscoe has got most of his family teaching at Woodbridge School.  Whatever do they talk about at family get-togethers?  Nick de Wet is head of biology and hockey at Uppingham and enjoying it. Kay Pluke comes into school to help on the drama front, leaving Chris to do the washing up.  Paul Kesterton has become a dad again.  Miss Cynthia Pendal, as we all remember her, (now Mrs. Robinson) enjoys the delights of golf at St. Audreys and Ipswich, as well as courses across the World.  The Registrar played a delightful game with the Robinsons, instead of working on this magazine.  A few of these former staff turn up for a Christmas lunch each year and in 2007 we will have a new bunch of imbibers for that occasion.   Are you a former member of staff?   Let us know where you are.  The ones I’ve just mentioned are the usual lot of villains and I am sure our readers would like to hear of others.

Mike Lubbock has won so many awards this year that his mantelpiece is buckling.  On the title page you spotted him receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to sport, from the Duchess of Wessex.  Then the local authority made him a similar award and he moves on to regional finals. There seems to be no stopping his progress.  With wife Jill celebrating 42 years as a matron here and Adam taking over at School House, this has been the Year of the Lubbock and we do on the editorial side congratulate them all.  Here’s one strange thought.  How many lifetime achievers could have taken their mums to the ceremony?  Mike could have but didn’t.  His mum is 103!!!  Pleasing for Mike too is that Sarah Lubbock, now Rafferty, is Head of Games at Amberfield.

I’ve gone a little more thematic this year and we now move to examine that incredibly strange but happy breed of men and women - OWs who come back to School - NO, not to retake those O-Levels they failed, but to teach or work here.  The number seems to increase year by year and it is a tribute to the School that these, quite intelligent and sensitive persons would wish to return, sometimes even facing their old teachers.

Let’s start with the Tyndale-Biscoes, dad having already been mentioned.  Alison Hillman remains as Head of Chemistry and has been joined by sis Isobel, another scientist.  (You have a lot to answer for Tindy!)  The latter of these two distinguished teachers has just returned from many years in America, bringing the family back to civilisation, I suppose.  She has taken her place in the Science Department and the family tradition goes on. I claim that a school cannot have enough Tyndale-Biscoes and Farlingaye has only got one.  Hillman, you are aware because Alison married fellow OW James of the same name.  It’s all rather confusing.  Move on to Jonathan Percival, son of former Chaplain, Martin, who now teaches economics etc. from the safety of Rooms 7 and 8. Wendy McNally, now Smith, is still here and with a growing family to feed skilfully moves between home and school.   Jo Middleditch seems well-settled and is always a cheerful presence.  Adam Lubbock has a page to himself.  Rowena Doble has turned up and has settled in to our strange ways very well.  She is also married with two children.

Here’s a section on writers!  I have before me Paul Aranha’s biographical work, The Island Airman and on the cover he and Prince Philip seem to be sharing a joke with a fellow pilot.  The volume is a magnificent account of a career more in the air than on land, full of fascinating stories and gems.  However, we OWs are just a little more parochial and would turn to Chapter 8, 1949 -1954, Woodbridge School.  Paul arrived here when rationing was in full swing, after the war and when Marryott House had just reopened as a boarding house, under the leadership of Desmond Proctor-Robinson, the famous PR.  The detail included in this chapter is remarkable.  We take food for granted these days but not then and Paul remembers the various items sent from the Bahamas that impacted upon the taste buds of his fellow pupils - a case of ripe pineapples, a coconut or a box of packets of bubble-gum, that eventually became very saleable items.  Paul relates experiences from the classroom and all our old favourites get a mention, Tony Goodden, Basher Lewis, Norman Stevens and PR, of course.  Read about the CCF, cadet exams and there’s even the story of the wing-tip fuel tank that fell from a plane over the school - with photo.  Paul was one of the first cadets to undertake glider training and the description of his first solo flight is very moving.  He applied for an RAF scholarship and was successful.  The rest is history as Paul takes to the air.  The Island Airman is published by Media Enterprises Ltd., Nassau.

Thanks to Sean O’Dell, 1977, for a delightful local history monograph, The Essex and Suffolk Stour. It traces the rise and fall of the Stour Navigation over a period of nearly 400 years and the book stands as an impressive model for anyone writing on a specific feature of industrial archaeology.  It is a well illustrated volume and OW John Simpson turns up as a key provider of visuals.   Local History can lead one down the path of anecdote and unrelated stories and Sean has skilfully avoided this pit-fall to create a steady and developing narrative.  Look, this is Suffolk and it only seems fair that the first constructors failed to provide a proper tow-path which led to many interesting ad hoc methods of propulsion.  John Constable captured many such moments in his paintings, including the lighter man poling a barge across the river with his horse alongside, taking a ride.  So there are nice moments of humour and irony, as poor old Suffolk strove to enter the era of the Industrial Revolution.  The great depression ended the Stour Navigation Trust but the post-war fascination in our industrial past started the movement to restore the waterway in the face of formidable obstacles.  All this is skilfully related by Sean in what is a carefully researched volume.  The author runs his own business and is reading for a masters degree in local and regional history at the University of Cambridge.  How Mrs. Nicky O’Dell copes we are unaware but in congratulating Sean on his publication we are also happy to offer Nicky honorary membership of the Old Woodbridgians thanking her for supporting our annual dinners so enthusiastically.

David Buisseret has just finished working on the Oxford Companion to World Exploration, a reference volume which will certainly be around for a long time and kindly sent a copy for the school library.

Arthur Smith, 1935, has seen the publication of his wartime memoirs in a local magazine. They make fascinating reading and are the sort of thing we are looking for to publish in our CCF memories.  Arthur bailed out of a blazing Wellington over Germany and served his time as a POW, in Stalag Luft III, the infamous ’Great Escape’ camp. Marvellous material for our book.  ‘Gus’ Lockhart is a faithful OW who regularly keeps in touch with a phone call.  Look forward to seeing you at the dinner, Gus.  Colin Stannard who left here in 1942 recently returned for a visit accompanied by his wife.  He had never been back!  What a thrill to take him into the School Hall and see his name on the list of exhibitioners.  A great moment. Colin is now Venerable follwing a long and distinguished career in the Church.

I met Martin Watson, 1963 at the Seal pub in Woodbridge and he now lives in Beccles.   Roger Jubb, 1969, spent a lifetime in the RAF and is penning memories for us, some of which, pleasingly, are unprintable!  They are often the best.  Chris Buisseret has sent a pile of useful memories of CCF Camps, flying and helicopters.  Don’t miss our great publication next year!

Richard Mendes is still involved in the Olympic movement but will he be helping to sort out London? Michael Maddison, 1971, is now one of that distinguished group - Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools.  He visits a range of institutions across the North of England, leads inspections of primary and secondary schools and undertakes subject visits in History, provision of IT in University Departments of Education and more.  Best news of all is that he thoroughly enjoys the experience and remembers with affection, Tom Dewar of the Abbey who sparked off that interest in History.  Of the same era, well a bit later,  you will find Adrian Mew who lives and works in Aldeburgh, Simon Cowlin, ‘a sailor at Aldeburgh’, Adam Salt, who teaches English and French in Derbyshire, and Jackie Cotton, now Scovell, an artist of Earl Soham.  Much of this latter info was given by Tessa Young, now Batholemew, who paid a visit to the school and had lunch with us and chatted over the old days of the first girls at school and the impact they had!  Tessa is in touch with Rowena Doble, who teaches here now. Mark Hazell, 1973, moved to Durham in 1982 to join a medical practice.  He has since left that but may be found in Durham still.   Another welcome visitor to Suffolk shores was TV Exec Producer Sam Organ who was overlooking a film shoot on the old Bentwaters airbase. Look out for ’Avoiding Armageddon’ on Channel 4.  It’s a tale of the Cold War. Sarah Kemball, now Brown, runs the base with the Kemball clan.  I presented myself as a potential extra but was never called!!  Sam has worked on the Tribe programmes you may have seen, where Bruce Parry lives with various indigenous folk, and is also involved in ‘a raft of projects’.   He has taken up golf and threatens to bring his sophisticated media chums on a golfing tour of Suffolk.  We are ready for them all.  Incidentally, Sarah is now on the Committee and her influence is already showing.  While in Kemballand, Kate Kemball is married to William Leith who buys and sells plant and machinery.  Kate works on events and they have three events of their own.   A few weeks later I was back in Kembalville to witness the opening of the Cold War Museum - well worth a visit.  Some nice photos from this occasion will be on this site soon.

Ian Pask, 1974, was discovered wandering through the School by the Reg.  He is the area manager for Marriott Hotels and has been something of a world traveller.  He was showing the family his old haunts and remembered a story of a pea-shooter and Ken Charrot very vividly.  You, OWs, if you want a visit and a proper guided tour, do contact me at school.  You are always very welcome.  Nice to meet up again, Ian.

Nick Pond, 1976, has been in touch and sent some valuable archives for our collection.  Thanks NP.  He has confessed to spending part of his honeymoon in The Bull Hotel and also visiting the Hulls for a reminisce.   He trained as an accountant and IT man, did an MBA, went into house-building, lived in North Wales, was the Financial Controller for a care home company and has recently been appointed Head of Service Delivery for HR and Payroll business at LogicaCMG.  Nick has two teenage daughters, ran the Dublin Marathon and over 20 half marathons and is the Hon Sec of the local Teetotal Association.  (Is that true?  Ed.)  No.  He does tell a nice tale about his last day here, being collected by his parents and popping into the Wagon and Horses for the ‘first’ time to be let down by the landlord who started pouring a pint of Norwich, asking, ‘…… and what will your parents have, Nick?’  Nick Pond now lives in Worcester and I am delighted to report, reading between the lines of a fascinating e-mail, that he has not changed a jot and remains a fine example of what Queens House and Woodbridge School could produce!

Here are the Illmen.  Mark Illman teaches English in Dubai at the women’s college.   Communication is by e-mail for some of the time even when the student is in the same room.  Julian Illman is an Aim Higher Manager for Suffolk, bringing more people into higher education, especially under-represented groups and families with no history of university attendance.  The new university campus in Ipswich is an important centre for him.

Here’s that well-travelled OW Ollie Hicks, 1979.  He has moved from the Falklands to Borneo but where specifically I am unsure and is hoping to be back for a visit in July.  His School is rented from the army whose barracks is next door and the odd bullet comes whizzing by occasionally or a helicopter mistakenly lands on the sports ground.  David Bellamy made a visit recently as the School aims to be environmentally friendly.  It’s all happening there!  Anyway Ollie, many thanks for marking MAW’s retirement so liberally!

Gavin Foster, 1984, married with two young ones, runs a small IT consultancy in the City, looking after individual clients and at least one big US bank.

Look, here’s another OW marriage - Lisa Gibson is wed to James Little; they have 2 children, live near Ipswich and run the caravan park business. Vanessa Cartwright, 1985, may still be found in Vancouver.  In fact Alex Brooks found her there in 2006!  She’s MD of RMG Connect, Canada and hops between Vancouver and Toronto a lot.  I met Anna Staines, now Sheepshanks, at the Hasketon Farm Shop and she promised to e-mail but never did.  She has two youngsters and 7 dogs and runs an organic food business with her husband.  Mary-Anne Bartlett, 1987, has a career in art with quite exciting dimensions.  She has been taking painting trips to Malawi and Kenya on artistic safaris.  She has a ggg.father, Sir John Kirk, who travelled on David Livingstone’s expedition in the 1850s and so Africa is in the blood as well as painting, which was also Sir John’s interest. In Malawi she is working to build a state-of -the-art (no pun there) orphanage for youngsters and with Urban Fox Press has produced an Art Safari Sketchbook, proceeds to go to the good cause.  HIV Aids has decimated families in her area and serious help is needed.  Mary-Anne is such a Malawi expert now that she has been asked to work on the Bradt’s Malawi Travel Guide.  Email info@urbanfoxpress.com for your copy of the safari sketchbook at £12.75, knowing you are helping a great cause.  Our congratulations to Mary-Anne Bartlett, who still has a base in Woodbridge, incidentally.

Jules Vandegrift, 1987, got in touch.  She’s with BT full-time, in business management and studying for a masters at Brighton.  Brother Toby Vandegrift is a Sales Account Manager for an IT Company in Wiltshire, married with nearly three children.

Adam Clarke, 1990, has emailed. He’s a major in the British army and now living and working in Kuwait, married and with two children. Adam actually joined the Royal Regiment of Wales (well done, my lad).  He completed a course in Arabic and is now a bit of an expert in military history. Brother Andrew Clarke lives in Pimlico and works as a producer for Bloomberg TV in London. 

I’ve just heard that Emma Birchley is marrying.  Emma is a TV journalist, often seen on the box.  There’s a hen party in Poitiers, I understand so Anglo-French relations may be strained for a while! (Later, I turned up for the occasion but it was raining so hard I could not get my camera out.  Congrats.  Emma B.)  Bryony Weaver still produces programmes for Endemol and lives in Whitstable.  Find Conrad Meehan in King’s Lynn, losing sleep on a nightly basis as Finlay, now a year old, finds his lungs.  Giles Meehan is the co-owner of Felixstowe TV, a TV style website that features all the news and events for people of that lovely seaside town.

Daniel Webster sorted out my holidays this year!  He left us in 1993 and worked for a decade on timber barns with his dad.  He has meanwhile purchased a few properties, including a windmill on the River Yare in Norfolk and that’s where Mrs. W and I went for our summer hols.  Daniel turned up with a bottle of wine and then left us to the cows, the amazing bird-life and the quiet.  You’ll find him under ‘Listed Escape’ on Google.  He’s also got a flat in Val d’Isere.   I’m not onto 5% commission here but that windmill is a really great escape.

Josie Norris, 1994, who appears in the Letters page has moved back to UK and is now Josie Usher.  Congratulations.

Jennifer Humphreys, 1995, former Head of School, is now a solicitor advising the seriously wealthy how to avoid tax!!!  - legally you understand.  She’s training to be a notary public too.  She is a great musician as you know, playing viola with the Birmingham Philharmonic and coming home to sing with the Woodbridge Choral Society. She’s in touch with Fran Hammond who works in ’publishing’ and Laura Kasasian, a barrister also of Birmingham.  Jennifer promises to make up a year party for the September dinner.  It would be good if you could JH.

Congratulations to any OW who marries a member of staff and that’s what Ollie Johnson did!  He’s wed to Catherine Shepherd, as was.  You just thought that the School provided you with a first class education.  No.  There is more.  Lots of OWs attended the wedding, conducted by former chaplain, Martin Percival.  Andrew Nowosad is just about married as we go to press - to Charlotte Purssord, who worked at Queens last year.  Elizabeth Nowosad is working in Marseilles, France.  Names at the wedding include,  Caroline Sale, Becky Barr, James Holland, Jon and Tim Percival, Daniel Davies, Ed Johnson, Rob Sledmere and Suzy Betts, now Sledmere - keep up you people - and Polly Stephenson, now Noades.  Incidentally Polly is mum to Alfie and the Reg has played a visit to the rural retreat wherein the family lives and can report on a very handsome child.  Claire Laight was there and is still at St. Johns, Cambridge. These people are mid 1990s leavers and the real danger here is marriage, for Catherine reports that some of the above are close to it.  Helen Stephenson was married this year.  Vicky Bunn has been there for ages and has twins.  They live in NZ.  Paul Gosden has been seen in Ipswich.  Tim Percival, incidentally, works for NPower in Worcester, looking after their sports sponsorship.  Sadly it is not an easy job as he has to spend time at test cricket grounds, drink Chablis and schmooze the glamorous NPower girls.

Thanks to Mr Ian Saunders who came up with a portfolio of OWs and here they are.  Tom Saunders is now a happily married man living in Halesowen, Birmingham.  He works for Antilis (?) and plays No 10 for Harbourne Rugby Club. I just do not understand that, quite frankly - suddenly to join the pampered three-quarters but there you are; it’s true. (See also Ben Head!)  Bro Ben Saunders is engaged to be married, lives in Nottingham and is about to start work with Price Waterhouse Cooper, along with many others in these pages.  He plays hockey locally as does Michael Vipond.  The last of the clan is Ruth Saunders, a physiotherapist at Lewisham Hospital who shares a house in Kennington with Anna Bracewell.  Leila Ward teaches music at Sidcup Grammar in Kent.   Sarah Crowley is a doctor (second year) in Kingston, paediatrics her speciality.  She lives in Putney.  Holly Hastings-Payne works for ClicSergeant.  To me I see a whole table at the September Dinner here.

Ed Bowden teaches French at the Prep School of Dulwich College.  Ed, have you met up with James Fisher now a house master at the main school.  We should be told!  Anna Noble bumped into me in the Queens House car park and this spurred thoughts of the ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes‘. Look, we don’t explain everything here.  Anyway it appears I have to stay on a few more years in order to teach young Abi. Teresa Pearce, 1994, now Williams, is a Chemist and Environmental Scientist of Bristol Uni, first class, decommissioned the furnaces at Llanwern -a big part of British industrial history there - and now works in Cardiff protecting the environment from polluters.  She is a water-skier, walker, dog owner and taking a qualifying course in Women’s F1 motor racing.  Incidentally, another good capture for Wales.

Ed Groenhart, 1995, lives in Nottingham and has his own Chiropractice.  He’s in touch with James Cleland-Smith who lives in Madrid and flies planes for EasyJet.  Sister Sarah Cleland-Smith lives in West London and teaches Pilates courses for the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates institute. Karen Dorward is another physiotherapist and at the moment is heading for New Zealand via Moscow and Beijing.  Caroline Dorward is a lawyer in London but maybe looking to extend her experience in Europe.  Brother Chris Dorward lives near Chamonix and when not skiing he earns a living on computers.  And news from Hong Kong - Tony Luk has qualified as a doctor and intends to concentrate on family medicine.  Anne Li has graduated with a masters degree and is working in the UK.  OK we’ll try to be more specific next time.  And that concludes Mr. Saunders’ reporting!

Brilliant to see Charlie Leighton, 1998, and Tim Cook in the Autumn, visiting the Reg up at Melton Park.  Many thanks you two.  Tim works for Reuters, lives with Olly Grundy and Nick Davis in Kensal Green.  Jamie Cullum, not OW, lives next door, so it’s a smart area.  They meet up regularly with Dave Henderson, Jonny Manning, Alex Boxall, Cain Berry, Tim Ripman, Barney Read. It’s at moments like this you just hope the Met aren’t getting copies of this Mag.   Charlie is sorting out family affairs after the sad loss of her dad and we wish her well.

Another correspondent is Becky Alexander.  Becky herself is still at Harrods and works for the Luxury Accessories buying office.  Handbags in Becky’s department average about £700 each!   She lives in Greenwich, sharing with Mary Cook. Mary has set up her own business which she runs from Brick Lane.  ‘Us Creates’ designs innovative interventions and facilitates consultations for campaigns that tackle social issue.  (Quite unclear.  Please investigate.  Ed.)  Mary is doing a PhD on social issues and regeneration.  Amie Rey lives in Cornwall and doing a bit of work on the Eden Project before exploring Australia.  Lori Firth works for the ‘Roundhouse’ in Camden.  It’s an arts venue involved in events of that nature.  She’s living in Notting Hill.  Charli Hall works on photo shoots for ‘Elle’ magazine.  Camille Devaux is another OW qualified physiotherapist and lives in London, but where? She’s in a string quartet with Saskia Blake, a barrister and picture frame restorer.  Lizzie Bailey works in recruitment in the big city. Susannah Wellesley-Wesley is in her third year at Edinburgh, reading politics. Katie Wellesley-Wesley gained a first at Edinburgh, History of Art, and is working in an art gallery - in Fulham, I believe. Olivia Neal is a primary school teacher in Holbrook.  Thanks Becks for those sightings.

Aurelia Ditton thanks us for making her the Most Adventurous OW of the Year, last year.  She is now writing a fictionalised biography, ‘Too Young to be Nostalgic,’ about her first ocean voyage and was just about to look up old chum Katherine Norton when she e-mailed.  Katherine is in publishing and lives locally.  Incidentally, this Year’s OW of the Year Award goes to Iona Barclay.  Iona was seriously injured in a car crash down in the Balkans and held on for dear life in hospitals for ages.  She has returned to Britain and is rebuilding her life with recent chunks still missing from her memory.  It was quite humbling to meet her and to see such positivity and cheerfulness in the face of adversity.  We wish her well in the future.

Jodie Brown emailed with info.  Jodie went off to Reading Uni and is still in the town (city?) where she worked for Reading Borough Council for a while,  Now she’s at the Foreign Office ’doing their server/support projects.’  What I love about you OWs is that I still don’t know what you are doing even when you’ve told me! Jodie is the proud owner of two cats.  She reports on Clare Laughlin (now Astbury) who is studying to be a doctor in Warwick.  Er, get in touch Clare please - want to see you and the gang at the September dinner.  I may need a doctor there, anyway.  Isobel Kneebone is married and last heard of in New York.  Charlotte Barnard has been spotted around Woodbridge.  Amanda Leggett, mathematician, is an accountant of Norwich, which sounds bad superficially but she’s still a great fan of the Manic Street Porters - ah yes, the old jokes from Archive days.  Thanks Jodie.  Jamie Allan is one of the most high-profile clergymen in the land, following his own TV series.  This year he’s persuading more young couples to marry in Church.  Gavin Hudson, 1998, is a captain with the Royal Anglians and may be in Afghanistan even as we write. Younger brother, Stephen Hudson is a green beret, a Royal Engineer who completed the Lympstone Commando Course successfully.  Jo Whitear is married to a doctor in Nottingham and among other things runs a small group caring for university students.

Lewis Clarke is marrying.  He’s into oceanic charts and lives in Bristol.  Sister Emily Clarke works at Suffolk County Council using her degree in human resources.

Miles Muttitt takes top spot in The Registrar’s favourite OWs as he sent an e-mail full of detail of OWs known unto himself.  Here they are.  Oliver Weir is completing his 5th and last year of Medicine at Manchester.  John Tolliday completes his 4th, same subject, at Bristol.  Joe Simpson is currently travelling around Europe in a sort of camper van.  Edward Harkness, with his degree in Commercial Property development from Oxford Brookes, is doing that very thing in Chelmsford and maybe will move on to London soon.  Dale Hastings-Payne completed a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at Brunel and is praying that the British car industry holds on long enough for him to be able to save it.  Guy Gibbins moved from Chemistry at Bristol to Pharmaceuticals.  Oliver Youngman is a chemist of UEA and temping prior to a world trip.  Michael Archer is another Mechanical Engineer, at Southampton.  He’s enjoying it tho’ it’s not easy!  Phil Nicholls, mathematician of Warwick, is training to be a teacher.  (We’ll have him back here any time!).  Look, thanks Miles, but I seem to have lost what YOU are doing!

What a thrill to meet the Yates sisters at the December ‘do’ and a photo taken outside the KH, recording their own special OW reunion may be found elsewhere in the site.  Go on - search.

Amanda Yates, now Deacon, is a full-time mum.  Baby Isobel has already been signed up for Queens and Amanda has agreed to join the OW Committee.  Basically, every committee member has been signed up at the KH!!!  Don’t worry Amanda; it only leads to becoming president.    Sarah Yates has recently returned from a two year stint in Brisbane and now works for PwC in London.  Emily Yates is soon to qualify as an accountant at PwC, Jersey but her heart lies on the snowy slopes and she may do a ski season or two!  Lydia Yates is hoping to go to Med School next Autumn and is meanwhile working at the Wild Strawberry café on the Market Hill.    So there they are, the Yates sisters and what a pleasure to meet them all again. And talking of sisters, the Registrar attended a Christmas party chez Gemma Wall now Parker and met up with sisters Lucy, Zoe and Olivia Neal and there you will find them on our colourful cover. Lucy Simpson lives in Weaverham, Cheshire and is a freelance translator, a pilates instructress and a sport massage therapist. Zoe le Cornu lives in Jersey and is a mother of two.  Gemma Parker is mum to Tabitha and Guy and handles marketing for the Royal Harwich Yacht Club.  Olivia Neal is a teacher locally.  I may have said that somewhere else.

Finally, in siblingsland, thanks to the Fetto people for luring Mrs W and I into the depths of the country for Sunday drinks.  Niazi Fetto is making his way up the ladder of litigious success, ably partnered by Doctor Helena whom it is always a pleasure to meet.  Yazan Fetto writes scripts and appears in comedy roles and his masterpiece Freak Out has been released in UK and USA.  Helen Fetto, a graduate of Exeter Uni, is a singer of note with a number of concerts to her name.  (I honestly think you have overdone the siblings ‘theme’.  Ed.)   There was news of other OWs at this party.  Catherine Bacon is an MA Durham chemist now into horticulture at Writtle and doing practical work in Scotland.   John Bridson works on the legal side for Box TV and is married to Rebecca Sledmere.  Dominique Devaux is a designer for Libertys. Michael Hutchinson got married and invited the usual crowd of Niazi, Barnaby Harper, Phil Bowles. Jet Bielecki is a journalist in Lincoln. Hannah Signy is in Africa, along with Catherine Merrett. Amber Bielecki did very well at Leeds and an MA in war Studies and works now in political lobbying.  Polly Bielecki is a gallery assistant with the Fleming Art Collection.   Most of this information was jotted down after several glasses of champagne and if it is inaccurate, I can only apologise.

Jessie Layzell, now Gjergji, toyed with teaching for a while but settled for a job in a theatrical agency, locally.  Her husband has just been granted British citizenship and now they plan to travel the world.  Great to see the whole family at our recent Slavery lecture.  Brother Charles Layzell has just finished his time as full time president of the Student Union at Suffolk College.

Peter Hailes is finishing his Masters in Business Studies at Edinburgh Uni and got a placement on the graduate training scheme at Bidwells.

Ollie Dutton sent an e-mail and I did not understand a single word.  Here it is.  ‘I’m now the national radio-plugger at Rocket PR, which basically means I spend my days charging round BBC Radio 1, 2 and 6 and haranguing producers until they play the records I want them to, which is great fun.  I also run regular nights for the Delta 9 Collective.’  See what I mean?  Sister Amy Dutton is Head of Marketing for the Northern Ballet, which is quite an important post in the higher echelons of the arts.

Laura Hoppitt, or Dr. H, as I should call her, lives Mildenhallish way and has been researching Anxiety for the Medical Research Council in Cambridge.  Ed Hoppitt is a technical designer for the BT web hosting service.

Tom Ardill, art historian of Birmingham and MA of the Courtauld Institute, was discovered at the National Portrait Gallery getting valuable job experience.  He may be found in Finchley.  Emily Hough is a paediatric nurse at the Chelsea and Westminster.  Sara Molan is a recruitment consultant in California and Harriet Pawsey works in social services.

Now the next group are the  people are the bold and the brave who turn up just before Christmas for free drinks and nibbles at The King’s Head on Market Hill.  You will find some of them on the cover of this journal.  They are recent leavers and not in any order of age or good looks - just random.

Anna McElhinny just loves Dartington College of Arts.  Her other claim to fame is that she is effectively the Registrar’s next-door neighbour!!  Not everyone can live on Melton Park, you know.  In April, she appeared in the Seckford Theatre where she featured in ‘Art’ by Reza Yashmina.  Charlie Ilett has survived a whole term at Liverpool where she reads Physiology.  She doesn’t have a scouse accent - well that’s her proud boast and plays netball for her hall of residence.  Tom Kitchen is at Sheffield, studying Computer Science, features in the Judo Club and is lighting technician for college performances.  Ben Higgins, runner supreme of Loughborough, would be running if he didn’t get injured so much.  Natasha Leigh (2004) is about to embark upon a gap year adventure in South and Central America. She will then proceed to Oxford University to study Iberian languages.  She is in touch with a wide range of OWs ranging from Flora WW, via Ben Burrows to Matt Charlton.  Bonnie Hatcher is working on a BA in Marketing at Hull Uni and plays for the Ladies Hockey XI.  Sis, Jo Hatcher is up the road at Newcastle Uni studying Chemical Engineering, and also a hockey player.  Sarah Harvey is at Suffolk College preparing a BA in Early Childhood Studies.  I was tempted to boast about the prowess of young Archie, my grandson but held back.   Sam Lincoln is reading Sports Sciences at the City College, Norwich and coaches a junior cricket team.  Chris Longman, a mathematics student of Sussex Uni claimed 5-a-side football as an interest.  Henry Fisher studies Forensic BioSciences at Sheffield Hallam and remains above and below the water-line with his surfing and scuba diving interests.   He’s still in touch with Cerys Catton.  Alex Sangster is not reading this as he is travelling the world with Ben Burrows and Rowan Edwards, from Australia to Peru.  Lucy Wilmott is a budding actor-performer, studying at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.  She was rapidly promoted to join a 3rd year showcase musical which is going on tour.  Another drama queen is Babette Wolfe-Evans, learning the art at Goldsmiths Uni in London.  Look out for her in the 2008 Prospectus!  She also featured in ‘Art’ at the Seckford Theatre. (Did you spot bro, Harry W-E on the cover?) He’s at ‘another school’  Laura Bloomfield is a Politics and Social Anthropology student of Edinburgh, does a bit of hockey too.  Lizzie Reeve is at Oxford Brookes mastering International Hospitality Management and worked for Raymond Blanc at the Landmark Hotel in London.   She’s been on a world trip with Anna McEl., previously mentioned.   OK Move to new paragraph.

That’s better.  Richard Cottrell is an engineering student of Durham Uni and has joined the Alternative Music Society and the Full Collapse Society.  Fine, I don’t know what that is either!  Stuart Lyons is an entrepreneur supreme and still not 20!  He’s studying Economics at Manchester in conjunction with work at Singapore University and has formed an Investment Partnership, specialising in FTSE firms undervalued in the Market.  He’s looking for a job with a value investment firm and the first million is on the cards.  Remember your old History Master, when it arrives, Stu.    Tom Wells at Exeter Uni reads Geography, Environment and Society and plays his part in the Photographic Society.  Ben Burrows, and this is now his third mention, is a gappie and has been working for the Seckford Foundation at the Almshouses.  He hopes to read Geography in October and then proceed into the RAF.  Alex Edwards is a second year economist of Loughborough and describes himself as ‘a former tennis coach’.

There was news of other OWs at this party.  Catherine Bacon is an MA Durham chemist now into horticulture at Writtle and doing practical work in Scotland.   John Bridson works on the legal side for Box TV and is married to Rebecca Sledmere.  Dominique Devaux is a designer for Libertys. Michael Hutchinson got married and invited the usual crowd of Niazi, Barnaby Harper, Phil Bowles. Jet Bielecki is a journalist in Lincoln. Hannah Signy is in Africa, along with Catherine Merrett. Amber Bielecki did very well at Leeds and an MA in war Studies and works now in political lobbying.  Polly Bielecki is a gallery assistant with the Fleming Art Collection.   Most of this information was jotted down after several glasses of champagne and if it is inaccurate, I can only apologise.

The Parker party gave me news of Francoise Bolton, mum of two, who works in the tourist industry in Charent and lives in Angouleme.  Louise ‘baggy’ Bagnall is engaged to a pop star.  OK - that’s all they knew and I will investigate. Clare Coulson is still at the Daily Telegraph and has been enjoying fashion shoots.   We await the follow-up to her last book.

Lee Hibbert is a vet of Grundisburgh Road, Woodbridge and my cats can testify to his high professional standards.

Ian Ackerley is a maths and physics student of Durham and is into indoor climbing as well as his old favourite - sailing. James Ramsden  is also at Durham and also studied maths.  He plays hockey and sings in a local choir, the Northern Spirit Singers.  One remembers his dulcet tones. Alice Boone is a BA fashion student of Northampton Uni, and has been working on the Clothes Show as an ASM.  Paul Dobson is a full-time golfer, training at Stonham Barns Golf Centre.   Ben Hoyer, a Maths and Theoretical Physics student of St. Andrews is on an exchange year abroad - at the University of Texas in Dallas.  Dide Siemmond?  All we have as info is ‘Cambridge’.  More next year.  Nicholas Boxall, apart from TV appearances reads medicine at Manchester, plays hockey and sings for the university chorus.  Rose Janes is up at Durham - hey you Durham OWs, do you ever get together?  I’ll have to arrange it - and she reads English and Philosophy in a joint honours course.  Katie Barron is on an Art Foundation year in nearby Colchester.  Rachel Morris also did this course, at Norwich School of Art and design, and has moved on to study Archaeology, Anthropology and Art History at UEA.  She was bound for a 3-week dig in Cyprus over the New Year holiday.  Nice.  Emily Foskett is in the same line, doing a Foundation at Leeds College of Art and design.  She hopes to specialise in jewellery in London later this year. Rachel Carr, 2000, is now working in the admin department at the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts. There’s a lot of art about and OWs seem to be part of it. Dominic Walsh worked at the KH in town and paid his way on a fabulous trip to see most places below the Equator.  Joe Bloomfield is an Agriculture student of Harper Adams and Jamie Harris is a Civil Engineer of Leeds Met.

Georgette Kluiters studies Vetinary Science at the Royal vet in London and is moving on to further degrees, possibly at Cambridge.  She is now a member of MENSA. Laura Doggett at Kent University reads Comparative Literary Studies with Classical Archaeological Studies.  (Phew. That’s some reading.  Ed.)  She has been working as a student ambassador, visiting schools in the county, giving university taster days and helping with UCAS applications.  Catherine Bacon is an MA Durham chemist now into horticulture at Writtle and doing practical work in Scotland.   John Bridson works on the legal side for Box TV and is married to Rebecca Sledmere.  Dominique Devaux is a designer for Libertys. Michael Hutchinson got married and invited the usual crowd of Niazi Fetto, Barnaby Harper, Phil Bowles.  Jet Bielecki is a journalist in Lincoln. Hannah Signy is in Africa, along with Catherine Merrett.  Amber Bielecki did very well at Leeds and an MA in War Studies and works now in political lobbying.  Polly Bielecki is a gallery assistant with the Fleming Art Collection.   Most of this information was jotted down after several glasses of champagne and if it is inaccurate, I can only apologise.

Fiona Billings, student of British and American History at UEA, is now Deputy Editor of the student newspaper, liking it so much she might even make journalism a career.  Daniel Yelland was up there too doing creative writing. He spent a year in Italy as an English Language Assistant and was soon chatting to the locals in their own tongue.  He looks to a career in journalism. Richard Carr is in his final year of a BA Architecture course at Oxford Brookes, looking for a congenial placement.  Any OWs help? Christopher Stephenson at Downing Cambridge has completed a gap year with Cambridge Consultants ltd., as part of his engineering course.  He’s heavily into drama, has founded a folk singing group and skied against Oxford in the Blues races.  Tom Sawkins spent an amazing year in Namibia teaching English in a primary school and gained work experience in medical clinics.  Sorry about the slight slip-up on getting you an OW travelling grant, Tom.  Registrar’s fault now made public apology!  Tom is at the University of Central Lancashire studying Paramedical Practice.  Felicity Potter is at Royal Holloway, reading Classics.  Sorry I could not make your party, Felicity, but congratulations, anyway.  Hannah Swanson reads Theology at Nottingham after gap year travelling.  Her notes speak of water polo.  Is this true?  Robert Kitson is at Writtle reading for his BA in Business Management.  He says he won a prize in his first year and I can believe it.  Jade Reeve is at Huddersfield in the second year of sports therapy.  She plays hockey for the firsts there and is very happy with Uni life.  Another happy student is Hayley Clarke also in her second year, this time at Brighton studying Retail management.  Flora Wellesley-Wesley is at the London Contemporary Dance School, lives in Camden and is also a student of drawing at the Prince’s Trust School.  Jade Harris reads law at Leeds, ‘it’s hard but interesting’.  She has involved herself in university life by signing up to a number of societies.  James Reiss wields a handy golf club and was off to La Manga for 5 weeks training before going to Iowa University.  Look out Augusta!!   James will study business but on a golf scholarship.  He writes, ’the college has its own golf course and during the winter months when it is pretty cold we get flown down south from Friday to Monday most week-ends to play in tournaments.’  James mentions Mexico and Florida!  He is Iowa’s first international golfer. Hannah Mayhew studies Physical Geography and Geology in Edinburgh, plays hockey, including a tour to Dublin at Easter, and also takes modules in Astronomy, Business Economics and Oceanography.   (How do they do it? Ed.)

Now here’s a dodgy grouping.  Laura Cameron studies History of Art at Manchester, up north, where it all started.  She’s President of the History of Art Society.  I knew that A-Level coursework would get you places!  Caroline Ashard is at St. Andrews, a student of Psychology and also the Scottish reel.  Kay Goldring is a fashion journalist - er, student of.  Jess Allen is studying Business Management.  Hollie Slade is a student of politics and Sarah Watson is into crime.  (You mean studying criminology at University, surely.  Ed.)  Oh, yes.  She still sees a bit of Jeremy Marshall.

Kate Penny works at the Orient Express offices in London, as a secretary.  Harry Werber is in his final year at Nottingham, reading English.  Thanks for all those letters Harry and maybe we will meet at the Tide Mill Café in the Summer!   Guy Williams does a fine job at the Budgens check-out in Woodbridge.  His natural charm will move him on from there soon, I imagine.  Sis Francesca Williams was waitressing during the University hols, at Snape and seemed very happy with college life.  Lucie Bowring lives and works in Aldeburgh and there is talk of marriage.  Emma Papworth is on a gap year prior to studying medicine at Birmingham.  Ian Pearson has returned from America and is into Golf Management.  Neal Pearson is reading for an MA in Criminolgy at London Uni.  John Monkham is a London Law student.  The Walsh brothers?  Sean Walsh studies Biochem at Bristol, following a gap year at Tesco, Thailand and Cambodia.  Dominic Walsh worked in the KH for a while and then went on his travels.  Andrew Wolfe has enjoyed time in the Philippines as an exotic model.  You should see the pictures!!  Now he has come back to earth by planning to study architecture in that distant place.

     Ben Head, Felicity Bush and Sarah Piper chez nous!

Pictured above is a group of visitors to our palace on Melton Park.  Ben Head, now in his final year of Business Management at the Uni of Surrey.  He’s been studying and researching recruitment targets for the British army.  Plays rugby but in the threes!  Weird.  He hopes to travel following graduation.  He mentioned a chum, Graeme Page studying Primary Education at Kingston and big in the local leisure centre. Sister Laura Head is at Oxford Brookes studying Publishing with History and a leading member of their OTC, artillery her speciality. She had many adventures in Zimbabwe last September. Hey, Laura, I want some printable material for our CCF book, please.  Visitor two was Felicity Bush, 2nd year software engineer at Northampton Uni, working on data-bases and captain of basketball.  Brother James Bush is a student of Manchester.  Then there was Sarah Piper, a Registrar Assistant at the School of Pharmacy but more importantly engaged to an old friend of ours, David Fishering of the USA and getting wed in August.  Congrats to you both.  Sam Piper is a second year computer scientist at Imperial and singing quite extensively too.  Another welcome visitor to our humble home is Alice Hogg, a neighbour and classical student of London.  Matthew Bettell is a final neighbour and has added delightful twins, with Clare, of course, to the old hospital site!  Congratulations both.

Of course, it is always sad to report on Old Woodbridgians who have died during the year.  We made a conscious editorial decision some time ago not to print lengthy obits, as some magazines do.  This is not out of any disrespect, I can assure you.

Allan Tattersfield died in Frinton ‘during an afternoon nap and after the Telegraph Crossword’ said the newspaper announcement.  He had left the School in the early 1930s and worked with company accounts all his life, emerging as a Financial Group Controller for BXL Plastics.  Alan had contributed to our Memories booklet in 2000 and was a stalwart of Frinton and also Masonic circles.

The loss of Malcolm Bowie was a great shock and the quality newspapers provided detailed and moving obituaries of a man who was rightly regarded as one of the leading French scholars of our time.  His many publications will ensure his legacy and we also remember Malcolm as an Old Woodbridgian who visited the school and was proud of its more recent achievements.

Jack Bielecki’s tragic death was also marked in local and national newspapers.  He was lost at sea with his father, Jacek, and two companions, on a trans-Atlantic venture, sailing the yacht ’Free Spirit’ on 15 June. We send our condolences to the Bielecki family who are mentioned elsewhere in the journal.

SPRING 2006

So, here we go again - that annual trawl of colleges and universities, banks, companies and businesses, great national institutions, law courts, museums, theatres and opera houses, as well as prisons and retirement homes wherein may be found that unique collection of men and women who bear the proud title - Old Woodbridgian.

We always start with former staff. Congratulations to James Bidwell, now Deputy Mayor of Woodbridge and, as we write, shortly to become Mayor of Woodbridge if tradition holds. JB attended the former staff lunch at Christmas, meeting Ken Charrot, who reached 90 on March 12. Pauline Moore and Cynthia Pendal, now Mrs. Robinson, represented the former lady members of staff along with Joan Hall. Graeme Sagar attended this year, for the first time.

Ken Bailey, Hon Treasurer, Ian Sands and the Reg. had the great pleasure of taking Ken Charrot to a celebratory lunch at the Seal in Woodbridge. KJC was in tip-top form and his memory of events in School, indeed in the Burma Campaign, were remarkable. We’ve booked the same table for Ken’s 100th. Here he is - KEN CHARROT AT 90.

The Registrar often meets former staff in the Thorofare. James Harper seems happy in retirement and Tony Warnock looks younger than ever. Chris and Kay Pluke are about also between travelling and grand-parental duties. Pauline Moore is a Woodbridgian but with sons and grand-children in foreign parts is always up for a flight East. Former chemists John Mileham and Chris Tyndale-Biscoe are harder to find as they are also global travellers. Tony Waller calls in occasionally and Paul Kesterton sends e-mails of his new baby and he’s running Scottish Schools Rugby these days. Edwin Still writes to say that he’s on the move - over to Sussex. Doug Hurdley may still be found wandering across Morecambe Bay with his shrimping net. Reg also runs into such escapees as the formidable Tim Nightingale occasionally. Tim invited Mr. and Mrs. W to a performance at Millfield School, celebrating in music and drama the 75 years of that glorious institution. Then at Whitstable in Kent at Christmastime another happy reunion just inches from the beach. It was at that point that Tim was persuaded to return to Woodbridge next September to address the assembled OWs at the annual dinner. Former Chaplain Martin Percival, having moved to Leiston, may be found on occasions at Woodbridge RUFC or playing golf at Ufford Park. Catch him there if you can’t make it to his Sunday sermons. Former Abbey person Glen Thomas occasionally phones and is quite well down in Bristol.

1940s

The Venerable Colin Stannard opens the batting for the OWs this year. We sent him Spring 2005 and the Memories booklet and he was delighted to see the references to his headmaster, Canon Dudley Symon and to his housemaster P.A.Curtois whom we featured last year. Curtois offered himself for ordination to the Church of England when he left us and he and Colin were ordained priests together in 1950. We look forward to meeting the Stannards when they visit Woodbridge in July.

John Spooner came to Woodbridge School, something of a refugee from the bombing in London, in January 1941 and left in March of 1941! He’d caught the measles and his mum took him away to look after him and anyway Hitler seemed to missing their home. After a career of travel he returned to Britain to live in Cornwell and was delighted to be discovered by Rachael Woodmansee and to be made an OW. Michael Taylor - yes, you are OW of the Year, a rare honour of Oscar proportions. What a moment at the September dinner when you pointed out to the master of ceremonies that you had an interesting library book in your possession and agreed to hand it over in full public view. The cheers and applause of a crowded Tuckwell Room. will long be remembered. It was 63 years overdue and a fine of £850 was immediately calculated and remitted. The papers and TV picked it up and Michael’s phone was hot with requests for interviews. When Newsweek published the story to a world audience we knew we had made it at last. Harrow and Oundle and all the rest, eat your hearts out! Donald Wix deserves our hearty congratulations for his Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters at Loughborough University. The citation reads, ‘For outstanding achievement and meritorious service to the community, spanning education, local history and the development of sporting institutions.’ He was joined by the Australian cricketer Rodney Marsh at the ceremony. Donald attended school during the war under the watchful eyes of Dudley Symon, and Messrs Riddell, Curtois, Elliot, Haines et al. The Headmaster caned him for throwing snowballs within fifty yards of a school building but his Latin master wrote, ‘His keenness in the subject has imbued the whole form with enthusiasm.’ He is not sure which of these events set him on the road to do some good works in later life! Jex Woods is another OW who deserves our praise. He lives in Birstall, Leicester and received the Citizen of the Year Award last year for his tremendous community work. He is Chairman of the local Age Concern group but the photo of him taken for the local press depicts quite a youngster. Well done JW. John Lennard writes from Ripon in North Yorks and his wartime memory seemed very suitable for our Endpiece. Kenelm Burrows has clear memories of his stay here and he writes, ‘One difference in my time was that we were always addressed by our surnames, Smith 4 and so on. In my case I was having a scratch during a PT lesson when "Rat" Johnson told me not to be a "fidgety-fudge" and from then on I was called Fudge, a name that is still used. The masters also had nicknames. J.R. Sayers was known as "Cabby" a name that had been given to him earlier when he was a pupil at the school. G.B.Ridell was "Hoi"; A.D.Elliot was "Jelly"; Philip Haines was "Percy" and by some mysterious alchemy Peregrine Astaire Curtois was known as "Bill".

(Editor’s thoughtful response: When I came to Woodbridge School in 1969 most of the staff had nicknames - pretty harmless stuff really. Surnames were still in use but we were converting to Christian names and when girls arrived in 1974 surnames disappeared for ever. There are nicknames today among the pupils but it is not a cottage industry as it was in the 40s and 50s.)

1950s

Ray Gladwell sends a cheery note about Tom Henson and Bob Stiff, mentioned in our last magazine. Here’s one tale: ‘When we were due to play Framlingham College, Bob Stiff, as Captain of Cricket, took real delight in posting up the team sheet to play "The Prince Albert Memorial College" to remind everyone of the difference in age between the School and the College.’ You may all be delighted to know that in the March, 2006, hockey clash with the aforementioned P.A.M. College, as big a game as I can remember in my short 36 years here, we pulled back a 2-4 deficit to win 5-4 with a penalty flick in the last minute. What excitement! Tony Pearce, now a commercial artist of Liverpool, Lancs, paid a visit to School in the Summer. Edward James received last year’s mag from OW chum Richard Aldred. He sent a fascinating narrative with life under ‘Basher’ Lewis which was not as harmonious as the one we had published. Edward joined the RAF when he left us and later studied electrical engineering, working for a year in Iran before moving to Australia. He has worked with engineering consultants in Australia and Japan on the design of liquefied natural gas plant projects.

David Mackenzie has sent us some marvellous archive photos and also contributed CCF memories which we will use in the promised centenary masterwork. Thank you David. (He lives in draughty Lowestoft, incidentally.) Nice letter from David Blake, who now lives in Durham. He recounts his experiences in Latin class with the new Mr. H.R. Naylor. ‘It was his practice to require us to read out loud and, when it was my turn, I was bombarded from behind with paper missiles. The inevitable happened and I was creased up with uncontrollable laughter. In the end, I was no longer required to read!’ David has also sent some contemporary verses which we may print in a later edition.

1960s

Like David Mackenzie from 1959 Graham Blackman has sent some great photos and vivid memories of his days in the CCF. One photo shows him impressively airborne in the infamous CCF glider. This is the stuff for the centenary book but I may find space in Spring 2007. He describes beautifully the launching of the corps glider on its bungee rope. ‘....the teams pulled harder, intent on catapulting the hapless trainee with as much force as possible. As the glider went forward the bungee slackened and the teams would run. Finally the glider would overtake the bungee, which would drop off and the teams would watch in gleeful anticipation.’ Read more in our centenary volume! Here’s a marvellous and brilliantly funny letter from Alistair Westbrook in response to Rob Taylor’s article about Basher and the production of Barbarina. It appears in its entirety on our website in the Archives section and in next year’s Magazine. Alistair commenced rehearsals as a village girl but half-way through was converted to a village boy. While a girl he had suffered great indignities at the hands of the staff in charge of costumes. It’s a mini masterpiece and I am disappointed not to be able to use it this time. Alistair is now a cabinet maker in the very depths of Norfolk, after a fascinating career in a variety of different fields. We really do demand a visit AW! Patrick Wales paid us a visit in the Summer - the family were gathering to celebrate mum’s 100th birthday. Roger Fielding and family also made a very congenial visit to the School in the Autumn and I am still looking for that photo of Roger as a bridesmaid in Trial by Jury. Welcome back Michael Dean, who now lives in Douglas, IoM. He’s a Marketing and Internet Manager. HM Stephen Cole gave him a guided tour and Michael was amazed to find that his old Marryott attic room is now the repository for the School Archives. He has distant cousins now at the School. John Mouncy was discovered by the development Office. He left school in 1969 to join Rolls-Royce in Derby and he’s still there. He has sisters in Suffolk and has promised a visit. Arthur Davy was a welcome visitor to the 60s dinner and produced some interesting archives for our examination.

1970s

Neil Symon, grandson of our former great HM, Dudley Symon, has sent some material for archives, for which we are grateful. Neil lives in rural Shropshire and works at Manchester Metropolitan University as a Senior Lecturer in the Hospitality and Tourism Department. He reports on his brothers, Andrew Symon, 1968. who commutes to the City from his hideaway on the Norfolk borders and Pyers Symon, 1975, who commutes from Worcester to Cardiff to carry out computer wizardry with BT. Richard Broyd has found us again. He left us to go to Colchester RGS Sixth Form and later gained a first at Reading in ‘Ag Ec’. Thence to Cornell University for a Ph.D. before a glittering career, working for the UN in Japan, and later for McGraw Hill in Brussels and Milan. Now he runs a corporate finance business. Nice to have you back Richard, after 35 years! Come up and see us some time. John Loftus lives in Beccles and according to my correspondent is a lawyer and a vicar at the same time. Er., how is that possible? The two professions just don’t go together! More research needed for 2007. Andy Peaston invested in a set of old OW Magazines. He is the A.Peaston element of A & A Peaston Interpreting and Translating Services. Mark Rands, who was assistant bursar here for a short while, has emigrated to Canada and can be found on Vancouver Island. Here’s an e-mail from Andrew Doble. "I had a very enjoyable reunion with Angus MacNeilage, Keith Nicholls, Mervyn Shelcott and Paul Wisdom in The Bull on Sunday August 14. ‘They sat in the corner having a laugh at my expense while I stood at the bar not realising they were there. Our wives tried to look interested as we reminisced over lunch.’

Great to hear from Peter Hogg . He writes: ‘I left with Stevie Brunt in ‘77 and joined the local regiment. In ‘85 I went to the city for a few years, got the Asia bug around 1990 and finally emigrated in ‘95. Have briefly lived in KL and Singapore and for the past 8 years in Jakarta. Spent a few years in the marble quarrying industry and subsequently in the production and export of marble fireplaces. Now moving into stone landscaping.‘ Thanks Peter - this all reads like a Somerset Maugham story! Peter worked for a while with that great historian Abdu Simba who is now MD of the family business in Dar-es-Salaam, but whose address I can’t find even on the Internet! Help me someone.

Now here’s a great tale! It’s all about Sean O’Dell and John Simpson who wrote in July to ask if they could visit the school and have a conducted tour - and this they did. Even better, they brought the extremely pleasant Mrs. Nicky O’Dell who tragically never attended WS. At the end of the tour I politely said, as you do, ‘please visit us again’ and they replied - ‘OK - next Friday!’ and there they were again and we explored Tallents and Queens House and their memories were unbelievable. Their old dorm in Queens is now a teaching room for the tiny tots, who were thrilled to be told where the lads’ beds were. Pictures were taken and later sent to our archives. Thanks chaps for two excellent afternoons which brought back many memories to yours truly! Finally the threesome turned up to the OWs dinner. I was asked by several parties how it came about that I, the Registrar, got to sit next to Mrs. O’D. at the dinner. It’s all down to duty, you see. Someone has to do these jobs.

Murray Sims is now Head of Personal Banking at the National Bank of Ras-Al-Khaimah and has an address in Dubai. Bro. Andy Sims has been a Headmaster down in Buckinghamshire for 12 years. Paul Evans, after working 20 years for the Halifax has made a complete career change and is about to finish a degree in Diagnostic Radiography. He lives in Reddich with wife and two teens. Olly Hicks left uni. in 1983 and has had 20 different jobs and quite a few adventures, some of them to be found in earlier magazines. Now he is teaching in the Falkland Islands. More of Ollie later! George Waller lives in Woodbridge - what he calls his spiritual home - and life here is made even more pleasant by his association with Laura Collinson.

1980s.

It was good to see Simon Bennett at Woodbridge RUFC recently. He was supporting a team crowded with OWs and free for a few hours from an Aldeburgh Lifeboat call. Simon’s three youngsters are at Woodbridge School. He promised to relate some lifeboat experiences for the next issue and said that sis, Jo Bennett, (1984) also lived locally, married with one youngster.

He’s at it again. We would have to produce this journal twice a year to keep up with Wayne Garvie’s promotions at the Beeb. He has just been appointed Director of Content and Production at that great institution. I think this means he’s promoting the Beeb abroad. He’s been Head of Entertainment since 2001 and helped to give the world ‘Strictly Come Dancing.’ Says Wayne, ‘This is one challenge I couldn’t resist. Television is now truly a global business and I aim to ensure the best of British content and formats get the global exposure and rewards our producers deserve.’ Wayne lives locally with wife Tracey and two daughters, six and three. And would you believe it, there he was at the Melton Station on the day I took a group of Sixth Formers down to a London Conference. He has promised to come to the September Dinner.

Graham Monro was spotted some months ago living in Winchester, married with two children and working for Sun Microsystems. Gerard Moore now Goodwin-Moore, since his marriage, is Faculty and Site Manager for the School of Midwifery and Nursing, at the University of Technology, Sidney. He has two children. Bro. Richard ‘Tigger’ Moore lives with his family in Hong Kong where he is Team Leader of PHSE at the South Island British School. Married with two children. Jonathan Parker has joined the elite of Melton, near Woodbridge and recently met up with Andy Honess. More research needed!

Robert Hillman works as a physio on the PGA European Tour, travelling around Europe and the Middle East, ministering to the world’s top golfers. Richard Cardwell, still in the music business, lives in W. London and has a daughter called Thea. Matthew Bowden is a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. We’ll get details of what he’s doing for the next Mag. Centenary book too!

Marcus Madden, and this is a third party account, is a teacher living in Manchester and married to Sally and may be off to teach in Vietnam later this year. Get in touch MM if you are reading this. Isobel Tyndale-Biscoe, married to Alex and with two youngsters lives in Tucson, Arizona and works as a teacher. Sister Alison Tyndale-Biscoe, now Hillman, 1984, teaches at dear old Woodbridge School where she is Head of Chemistry. Peter Prentice is temporarily in the catering business, managing restaurants in London while awaiting the inevitable call from the Stage. Jamie Allen who formerly featured in the BBC series, A Country Parish is the new vicar of St.Andrews Church, Great Cornard. His first task, according to the local press is to encourage more young couples to get married in church.

1990s

Penny Tyndale-Biscoe now Tyndale-Hardy works at Farlingaye High School, Woodbridge, teaching English and General Studies. She keeps up with events in the wider world as her partner works for the News of the World!

(Editor’s rude interruption. That is definitely enough Tyndale-Biscoes who are teachers. Three already. Can anybody in the know tell us why these three gels went into teaching? E-mail your answers. There may be a prize.)

Adam Barlow was a welcome visitor to School and gave a brilliant talk on his work in tiger conservation. He started in Nepal about five years ago but has more recently moved to Thailand and Bangladesh. In the latter’s mangroves he’s collecting data for a PhD with the University of Minnesota, collecting ecological data on the tigers living in this unusual habitat. The man-eating tiger is something of a problem in the Sundarbans, says Adam. He’s helping to train forest department personnel so that they have the necessary skills to deal with problem tigers. Adam and his team collect data on the tigers by ‘catching them and fitting them with collars that give off radio signals.’ No problem there then! Catching tigers is the tricky part, continues Adam. Hang on, mate, I could have told you that. How do you do it? Well, we basically set out some cows in the jungle and wait for the tigers to come by. If a cow gets nabbed then we set snares around the carcass to catch the tiger when it returns to feed. If a tiger is in a snare we can immobilise it with a drug-loaded dart. What next Adam? Then I have to go back and follow it about. I am also helping with a similar project in Thailand where we have caught four tigers so far. Adam is using this research project as a platform for a wider conservation initiative and we do congratulate him on this extremely important work. We do not apologise for printing this recently received e-mail from Adam and hope that some OWs will get interested and even involved.

As part of its conservation awareness program, the Sundarbans Tiger Project is trying to spread knowledge about tigers living in the Mangrove forest of Bangladesh and the current efforts being undertaken to help secure their future. To help facilitate this we are developing a web site that will offer up to date information, discussion groups, and free educational material. It is still a work in progress but many of the features are running. We are hoping that you could spare the time to explore it, and if you think it worthwhile, to pass on this message to as many people as you can, either through your own personal contacts or by adding the web address to relevant links pages. A little of your time could make a big difference towards increasing public support for tiger conservation.

www.sundarbanstigerproject.info

News of the recent tiger collaring is there, and the research team will send updates from the field at least once a week. I hope you enjoy the web site, please send us your comments.

Many thanks: Adam Barlow

Edward Groenhart has returned from Australia and now is the master of all he surveys in his very own Chiropractic Clinic in Radcliffe on Trent. He is an ardent Ipswich Town fan. He reports on Sarah Cleland-Smith, who lives near Twickenham and bro. James C-L., who is learning to fly Jumbo jets. He reminds us that John Bridson and Becky Sledmere are engaged to be married and that Phil Sutton is getting wed at about this time (March 2006) in Chile. Thanks for the info. Ed., and for remembering my best lesson - the one where I showed ‘Blackadder’ on video!!

House Rules, by Clare Coulson.

Not content with being Fashion Editor of the Daily Telegraph and writer for Harpers & Queen, Clare has decided to become the next guru of smart living with the publication of her monograph, ‘House Rules’, published by Bantam. In fact I am not sure how I have managed to get this far in life without it as it is a detailed guide to glamorous living allowing me to run my life ‘in an orderly and supremely stylish way.’ No stone is unturned in this pocket-sized domestic encyclopaedia and chapter headings include, Wardrobes; The Bedroom; Laundry; Entertaining and Etiquette. Having taught Clare to a high level at Woodbridge School I particularly searched the Etiquette section to see if any of the tips I had patently offered over the years would be reflected in her handy tips. No, not one. I think I might have mentioned ‘Baby Showers’ as there is a section on that subject.

Just one criticism, Clare. I have read the book from cover to cover and really it’s written for the girlies...... ‘The stress-free way to plan parties and play hostess.’ Don’t forget that we blokes are now heavily into household chores and like nothing better than an assiduously tidied airing cupboard.

Good luck with the book and we await your next offering with eager anticipation.

Huw Turbervill, journalist and dad, now runs the Carpediems Cricket Club, playing home matches at Dulwich College. Several notable OWs turn out under his captaincy and these include Matt Clarke, Morgan Davies, Simon Houchell, Nick Pagan, Jon Percival, Tim Percival and occasional visits from Percy Hallam, Ollie Johnson, Andrew Nowosad, and Rob Sledmere. Want to play? Let me know as I’ve got Huw’s contact details.

Jaik Campbell was a great success in August at the Edinburgh Fringe with his show, ‘I’ve Stuttered so I’ll F.F.Finish.’ Here Jaik confronts his speech impediment head on and is an inspiration to the nation’s 750,000 sufferers. Says Jaik, ‘One of the reasons I became a stand-up was because I didn’t have much control of my life, since I couldn’t really speak. Stand-up has helped, Because I think, if I do this I can do anything. It gets better the more confident you get.’ Looks like an invite to speak at the next dinner, Jaik - that’s if we can afford you now you are a celebrity!

The famed Maroussi have been discovered in London. Claire (‘92 actually) lives in Tooting. Michael and Nicholas Maroussas are in SW18 and SW2. We will search out more info on this noted family. Catharyn Maude lives locally with her partner and two children, looking after numerous horses and running an equestrian website. Neil Berry currently works at Ipswich Hospital as an A&E doctor and sis, Caroline Berry works for British Telecom in Sales. Emma Noller works as a dietician at the West Suffolk Hospital. She now has a daughter.

Hearty congratulations to Aurelia Ditton for her fabulous exploits on the high seas. She single-handedly sailed the Atlantic last Summer and emerged the only female competitor to finish. The race was the prestigious Original Single-Handed Transatlantic Race (OSTAR). She set off with 45 competitors from Plymouth at the end of May and completed the 2,803-mile journey to Newport, USA in 28 days. Her vessel was a 34ft trimaran, Shockwave. Her mum reports that she survived sail-shredding storms, a flooded front compartment and several scary trips up the mast to come in second position in her class and 11th overall.

As a student of sculpture at Chelsea College of Art, Aurelia then used the boat, with herself inside, as a piece of performance artwork on the parade ground of the college Aurelia wins this journal’s Most Adventurous OW of the Year Award and we offer her our congratulations again for a splendid achievement.

Good to meet Victoria Leighton in Woodbridge in January. She’s been living in Spain for many years but has returned home as Mrs. Doumas and now living in Ipswich with her family. She couldn’t have a better lodger than sister Charlotte Leighton, (1998) whom we would also love to see in our corner of the globe.

Zoe Smith, now Vice President and a committee member no less, is now helpline manager and conciliator at UCAS, working out of Bury St. Eds. Can you imagine how good she is at committee meetings when tensions and disputes arise? Lieutenant Gavin Hudson returned safely from a tour of Iraq with the Royal Anglian Regiment. He doesn’t know it yet but his reminiscences will be in the final chapter of our CCF History, due out in 2008. Kate Pike is doing PGCE at Bristol, hoping to teach Biology. Rachel Stratton works as a Research Nutritionist for the Food Standards Agency in Holborn, London She’s off trekking in Nepal this September.

Before we start the Noughties here’s info about Woodbridge School ‘luvvies’. Jessica Oyelowo formerly Watson, is the first OW in our knowledge to hit the front cover of The Radio Times, big time. She plays a central character in the detective series ‘Mayo’. Robin Weaver has been seen in ‘Broken News’, ‘The Family Man’ and ‘Green Wing’, and in May and June will be found at the Almeida Theatre, London in a Gorky play, ‘Enemies’.  Luke Roberts has made it in the world of medicine and is a dashing doctor in ‘Holby City’. There are others out there in this strange profession. Please keep me informed you OW spotters.

2000s

William Newham got in touch this year. He left after GCSEs, then relented, picked up his education and is now studying Chemical Engineering at uni. He lives in Ipswich. Susie Gordon-Jones is in her final year of studying Psychology at Bristol. Alex Gordon-Jones has completed a degree in Geography at Edinburgh, took an extended visit to Peru and is now applying for MA courses. Stephen Hudson is an officer cadet at Sandhurst, following big bro. (1998). Due to pass out in August. Victoria Groom has moved to Cambridge and works for a PR company. She’s promoting a history trivia boardgame, ‘Not Tonight, Josephine.’ I’m on 10% for any sold so please contact me with your orders. Katherine Pennington graduated from Exeter Uni. with a degree in Biological Sciences, returned, unharmed, to Woodbridge and then risked all by taking up an appointment as Events Manager at Otley Hall. Becky Alexander is assisting the buyer of young people’s fashions in Harrods. Laurie Firth having served as an assistant curator at the V&A now organises art exhibitions for ‘Roundhouse’. Amie Rey is an events organiser and I spotted her in Woodbridge only recently. Olivia Neal is a teacher at Holbrook Primary School, nearby. That’s quite near to sis. Gemma Parker, whose youngsters are of such an age as to allow career thoughts again. Emma Norton is also teaching - at the Young Offenders Institute at Hollesley and intends to develop a career within the prison service firstly by gaining professional academic qualifications.

2002.

And there was Georgina Hewlett in the Thoroughfare with her hound. She had worked for a while with the ITN News folk and there were some interesting tales to tell and not enough time in a windy Thorofare to tell them. I did manage to mention that I had met her great-uncle, actor Donald Hewlett on a tennis court in Whitstable, proving that it is indeed a tiny world! Ruth Westbrook, with a Natural Sciences degree of Robinson, Cambridge and a lot of rowing and coaching on the river, is doing a PGCE in Manchester. Doing a teaching placement in Salford she found herself on a steep learning curve. Ian Lyons has signed a book deal with Blackwell’s we hear - a first year medical text book. Younger bro, Stuart Lyons is at Manchester and is hoping to study at Singapore Uni later. He was one of 600 applicants to be accepted for an exchange programme. He’s writing big time for the college newspaper, serious articles to stir up the thinkers. He’s been playing rugby and squash in his spare time!

Many of the following but not all, turned up at The Kings Head just before Christmas for the recent leavers’ shindig. There were beards, near beards, woolly hats, even one duffel coat but not a college scarf in sight. Tell me why, someone. Not a lot of smokers which is pleasing.

2003

Tom Peacock at RAC Cirencester prepared for the world of farm management with a gap year visit to New Zealand. Brother Ollie Peacock is also with him and so is Davina Greenwell. Tiny Tom Berresford is in his final year at UCL reading psychology and intends to ‘go into the hospitality industry.’ He wants a year in New York first. Plays for the university golf team. Nat Thomson is working in Sizewell B, maintenance department. He’s in touch with Kate Penny, Gemma Cowling etc. Jonathan Hamler is at Surrey reading and playing music. Plays in bands and teaches the guitar. He says he’s NOT considering a job in the music industry. Significant? Cleo Hayman, originally Smith, works at Ipswich Police Station, preparing evidence for court and PA to the area commander. Very interesting and possibly a new committee member. Annika Smith is at Leeds University Medical School and is now into meeting patients. She’s on surgical rotation in Bradford.

2004

Michael Sutton Croft, biologist of Cardiff is preparing for a Kenyan field trip in the Summer. Nice. Alex Edwards reads economics at Loughborough and while not massively enthusiastic, seemed reasonably content. Ed Holdcroft is a student of Business Studies at Lincoln Uni and claims to have achieved 100% in a recent module, being the first mortal to have reached that pinnacle. He’s President of the Hockey Society. Alan Spall studies Geography at Newcastle and his winsome smile betokened general satisfaction. Hamish Bigg lives in Glasgow and attends the Glasgow School of Art. Product design is his specialisation. Lovely ambience there, Hamish. Tom Moss raves about Architecture in Nottingham and yes, there is some History in it after all! Nick Tiley-Nunn studies Primary Education at Canterbury Christchurch. Playing hockey and being a RAG and SCA Exec. Officer at the Student Union have brought him great excitement. Felicity Potter reads Classical Studies at Royal Holloway. ‘It’s like History but better,’ she states boldly, without care for my sensitive feelings. Katherine Green is off to France in April, part of the agony of reading Italian and French at Leeds. Then it’s Italy after that. James Trower is also a linguist - studying Arabic at Edinburgh..... with a bit of Geography too. He’ll be off to Cairo next September. Hollie Slade is at Bristol, reading politics. Jamie Holloway is at Writtle where he learns about Business Management and Horticulture. Kate Sudell hobbled into the King’s Head exhibiting a broken foot, revealing that Psychology at Goldsmiths can be a dangerous activity. She reports that older bro, Bobby Sudell now works for the Bank of new York, but in London. Sarah Tilbrook is a student of Hatfield, Herts, mugging up International Business and French. She reported on Katie Lightfoot, UEA musician and Hannah Swanson, Notts theologian. Emma Fasson is alive and well and starting Uni after a gap year. No more details available! Christopher Brooking gained top marks in the engineering department at Durham Uni and was awarded a ‘Norton’ Prize. Oliver Signy is another Cirencester student, learning the art of International Equine Business Management. Little Miss Sarah Watson is to be commended for her excellent e-mails sent during her gap year travels across the world. Sorry it rained on the Golden Gate Bridge. She met up with Jeremy Marshall too, which was convenient. Natasha Leigh writes a very nice e-mail from Uppingham where if rumour serves, she is Head of School. Anna Horakova reads Modern Languages and Philosophy at St. Peter’s College, Oxford. She continues to paint and to play the piano and was preparing a recital when she e-mailed us.

2005.

Jade Reeve is reading Sports Therapy at Huddersfield Uni, a key player in the 1st hockey XI and totally positive about the course and university Life. Hayley Clarke is another enthusiast, studying retail marketing at Brighton Uni. How could she not enjoy her first field trip - to the Bluewater retail complex?! Sophie Chick is reading the wonderful combination of physics and Italian at Bristol and also enjoying the experience, being surrounded by OWs. Ginny Sylvester at Oxford Brookes is a student of real estate management but managing between lectures to be on the polo team and to have tried her hand at a number of new sports including rugby and clay pigeon shooting. It must be a hard life because she is off snowboarding now to Val d’Isere with college chums. Josh Dodd, a philosophy student of York stated rather deeply, ‘Things are pretty alright’ when I was expecting him to bore us all with his interpretation of Hobbes’ Leviathan. Maybe next year Josh. He does graphic design for the student magazine.

Nick Boxall in a gap year is a self-employed chemistry tutor and also working at St. Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich. He’s in Moscow as we speak. Lisa Pang is another Bristolian and is studying Zoology. I think she said she had been looking at the insides of crayfish. Anyway the whole college and indeed town is preparing for the arrival, in the Zoology Department, of Henry, Harry, O’Neill next year. The lad prepared for this by mapping out bits of Cambodia that Pol Pot forgot to do when he was wiping out the population some years back. There was some talk of naming a forest glade after MAW. John Carrington, as dapper as ever, is at Hull studying History with History of Art and has his own student radio show, but has not yet announced his talents to the quiz team. Watch this space! Lizzy Pipe is another gappie and had booked a flight to LA in January, travelling with Caroline Ashard, with Tahiti and the Cook Islands also on the menu. Then it’s psychology for Lizzie at Sussex. Sam Piper is an IT scholar of London and still singing. Ian Ackerley, physicist of Durham, is a climber and sailor and had a good word for the maths department whose rigorous teaching has enabled him to cope with the Durhamesque demands of physics. Florence Ford is making and repairing violins at Newark. The violin school comprises 90 students and recently, reports Florence, enjoyed the excitement of the ‘fiddle race’ where teams of four had to make a violin in 24 hours. Emily Mayhew at the Royal Agricultural College of Cirencester studies Property Agency and Marketing. She has also shot at clay pigeons and is going skiing with the college in March. Laura Head of Oxford Brookes studies History and Maths but which one she prefers I was not told. Neil Thomas is a medical student of UEA. Alex Jenkins is also at UEA, reading American Literature and Creative Writing. He was a little impressed when I told him that I, the registrar, was also a creative writing student of UEA. Adam Hedley studies sums at the University of Warwick. Francis Longhurst reads History at Bristol Uni and eagerly awaits the prof’s judgement on his Industrial Revolution masterpiece. Alice Boone is an Art Foundation scholar of Suffolk College. Alan Cowie is a geographer of Reading Uni and dabbling in freshers’ rugby. Ben Higgins, in the Loughborough Athletics team, rubs shoulders with Paula Radcliffe and ashes bowler, Simon Jones. Matthew Studley is at Manchester studleying (sic) Economics and Finance. He just loves city and uni and plays a bit of Badminton. Then at a ‘party’ in town a mass of the above turned up again. Babette Wolfe-Evans drifted by and I missed the chance to ask her what she was doing these days. Laura Cameron did stop for a chat and is a great art-historian of Manchester. Then there was a marvellous meeting on a railway station, a brief encounter between your Registrar and Mrs. W and Emma Payne and Izzy Maxwell-Watts. Emma had flown in from Kenya where she is now at school to meet up with chum Izzy who’s at Farlingaye. Great excitement and witnessed by Elisa McNally from a slightly earlier stage, just off to an audition in London. All this at Melton Station. Remarkable. Incidentally, nice picture Elisa in the Daily Mirror, June 17, of you in a magnificent ‘cocktail’ hat on Royal Ascot Ladies Day. Completing a magnificent collection of 2005 leavers, here’s a note from Izzy Finbow, now in the Sixth Form at Rugby School. School is pretty scary she writes, describing the walk down the Chapel aisle to sit facing the most rowdy boys’ boarding house who make faces and comments. However, she is coping magnificently and still loved us enough to make a pre-Christmas visit.

STOP PRESS - LETTERS FROM AFAR!

From Lou van Zwanenberg.

Hello Everyone

I am now in Guatemala...in Chichicastenango precisely...a shoppers heaven!! The market here is enormous, full of textiles, flowers, leather goods, wooden masks and of course poultry and mangy dogs!! Came here by local bus...my advice would be not to sit too near the front...best if you can´t see what´s happening.

I came from Panajachel which is on Lago Atitlan...stunningly beautiful...a blue green lake surrounded by volcanoes and cacti in bloom. The accommodation has been fantastic so far...at the moment I am staying in a villa with pool and its own jetty onto the lake.... and I´ll have to put up with that for 6 more nights with my groups..... ho hum! Things here are quite tense.. it is not brilliantly safe for tourists and I have taken to putting most of my money in my shoes and knickers!!

Tomorrow I am going to recce the boat trip on the lake hopefully going to Santiago which is famous for 5 things... textiles, volcano, massacre during the civil war, Kaquichel Maya and Maximon the god of drinking and smoking. He is represented by an effigy that moves from house to house guarded by a brotherhood of drinkers and smokers!

(Nice one Lou. We look forward to hearing about all your adventures on your return.)

From: Ollie Hicks.

It’s been another windy week in the Falkland Islands. It’s surprising how easy it is to get used to being beaten up by the weather and I think it must be vaguely healthy because I haven’t had a cold since I arrived at the end of August.. Then again, I’ve yet to go swimming in the South Atlantic, but only because, when I went to the beach the other day I discovered that a group of elephant seals had got there before me. Makes a change from Germans, I suppose.

The military keep themselves to themselves and live in a world of their own at Mount Pleasant, but just as the USAF Phantoms from Bentwaters used to disrupt Royce Salt’s French lessons, so the RAF Tornados scream past every so often. More prosaic is the Red Baron, the pilot of the local air service who flies anyone anywhere, provided they are sober and pay in advance.

I live across from the racecourse and it’s been a hive of activity this week because Stanley Races are the sporting event of the year. The chap in charge of the PA had programmes dating back to the 1920s and a pair of binoculars to match. At the end of each day of racing, the horses were billeted in nearby back gardens, where they dutifully saved the householders the bother of cutting the grass.

The islanders are a fairly laid-back bunch, because, looking out of the back window I can see the wreck of the ‘Jhelum’, one of the many three-riggers that put into Stanley Harbour in the 19th century for repairs. One of these days they’ll get round to it and perhaps it’s a reminder for me not to get too far behind on my marking.

As they say the school has room for improvement, even with students that have such illustrious names as Rhys, Robyn and Evan, and I am striving to improve the standards of academic attainment. On the other hand, it was nice to be able to write a good report for one of my year 10 students whose grandfather sneaked away from Stanley in 182 to fight with the Paras. Blimey, is it so long ago?

(Thanks Ollie. Keep us informed and let’s have a picture of you for Spring 2007 with elephant seals et al.)

ANTARTICA

Mahap this is the moment to tell you about my own adventures in the Antarctic. Woodbridge School was informed that the journal of OW Arnold Spencer-Smith, who left us c.1902, was coming up for sale at Christie’s so I was dispatched to view the item. Arnold was the first ordained clergyman to set foot on the Antarctic continent - a member of Shackleton’s expedition. He was the photographer for the ‘Aurora’ party, laying depots along the Beardmore Glacier. It became a nightmare re-run of Scott’s fatal return journey and many in the party including OW Arnold contracted scurvy.

The journal turned out to be a typescript copy of the original, covering the period March 1915 to March 1916, 124 pages of quarto tied up with tape and valued at £2,500. It appeared to have been typed in the 1950s. The sale also contained a number of photographs from Shackleton’s famous expedition as well as items and memorabilia of Antarctica 100 years ago.

Poor Arnold suffered slowly deteriorating health, heart trouble and swollen knees but there was not a moment of complaint from him in the journal, a diary he maintained until just a few days before his death on the night of 8th March 1916. For a while he was left in a tent 30 miles from his party’s destination, the Beardmore Glacier. Upon their return he was carried for 40 days and 300 miles on a sledge by his companions. He was consoled in his final days by memories of Woodbridge and home life and there can be no doubt that he displayed the highest qualities of fortitude and character. A true Woodbridge School hero. Suggestions for a memorial, please.

We did not bid for the journal which was of more relevance to the Polar historians and which begs publication some time in the future. It would be interesting to find out where Arnold’s original script resides today. In the Jeff Leslie Room there is a short framed account of his bravery.

POST SCRIPT.

Here are final sightings of OWs and apologies to those I have inadvertently missed out.

Nell Hamilton is studying for her PhD. at Simon Fraser, Vancouver and her subject is dugongs and manatees. She has recently won a Commonwealth Scholarship to carry out this important work. Brother Charles Hamilton completed his MA into Human Rights and now seems very happy working for The Office of Fair Trading. Amanda Bunn has a husband, delightful baby and a part-time job teaching at Rendcomb College. Victoria Bunn married last year and recently announced the expectation of twins. Her home is in New Zealand. Richard Bunn continues his work on the international golf circuit. Frances Mannings is spending a year working for a pensions company in Redhill as part of her economics degree course at Surrey University. Peter Mannings works for East Herts District Council as a Democracy Assistant. We need more details on that one. Philippe Bowles will be found at the new Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Oliver Bowles continues to teach maths over at Cambridge and is a keen amateur boxer these days. The two probably go together. We never argue with Mr. Saunders at Woodbridge School, do we? Holly Gooch has been working at Ufford Park Hotel as a gappie but is now in Aberdeen, studying psychology as a Master of Arts. Dominique Devaux works in Liberty’s design department

Steve Hampson, Marryott House, 1967, lives in Zurich and has done for 15 years. He’s even a Swiss subject. He has told me what he does but I did not understand. It looks very technical and tied up with the German giant, Siemens. An MIS specialist, anyway. He keeps in touch with Simon Lane and Tim Jenkins. Steve’s brother, Martin Hampson is a college lecturer in Lowestoft.

Sam Fairs, 1988, was prettily pictured in the EADT Food and Drink Magazine. He sells oil from crops grown and processed on his Suffolk farm. Hillfarm Rapeseed Oil. Lucy Steele, 1999, was even more prettily pictured and interviewed in Elements, a specialist magazine for surfers of all kinds.

Obituaries

We are sad to announce the deaths of a number of OWs and we send our condolences to their families and friends.

Richard Colby, 1933.

Geoffrey Houghton Pleasants, 1933

Martin Greenfield, 1956

Bob Campbell, 1975

John Hill, 1981

Spring 2005

Former Staff.

There was a good turn-out at the annual staff Christmas lunch where the distinguished ones of yesteryear relive those moments of glory on top table. One thing they do marvel at, actually, is the quality of school food these days and the choice available. Of course, it’s all self-service too - unlike those days of Miss Keeble when the kitchen doors swung wide and the trolleys appeared and water swilled down the tables and the boarding prefects in charge took a good helping and those at the far end of each table hoped there would be something left! Send your food memories for the 2006 magazine!.

Among newcomers to the scene were Peter Stuart, linguist, musician and raconteur and former Queens House matron, Dorothy Hull. However we could not persuade the recently departed, Miss Pendal, now Mrs. Robinson, John Mileham, Chris and Kay Pluke or Martin Percival to join us. They did have excellent excuses, mainly to do with foreign travel and exotic holidays. Ken Charrot was
the most senior staff member to appear and it is always good to welcome him to our social functions. Tony Waller and William Bryant testify to longevity among former mathematicians. Terry Kermode was unable to attend but has been spotted in town. We also heard from Carolyn Youngs, off to baby-sit a grand-daughter and Mary Liley, off to sunny Spain to see OW Vivienne and her daughter, thence to America to see OW, Chez about to produce a second. (See also Page 11.) News of Durwyn is that he is to marry soon a highly-approved-of-by-VML-and -all-the-family academic botanist and is at present working for English Nature.

Other spotees include Pauline Moore, James Harper, Jim and Valerie Bidwell, Adrian Twiner, Jane Spirit, and Michael Booth from The Abbey.  Special note.  Jim Bidwell is Deputy Mayor of Woodbridge and should be Mayor next Spring!

Many former staff members keep in touch from afar and these include Doug Hurdley, Tim Nightingale and Janet Dewhurst and Cliff Walters of IoM. The Walters C. and R. are grandparents and do a bit of teaching on that windy island to avoid boredom. We have also heard from Albert Holmes down there in Frinton. Thanks too to Dr. Ann Johnson, daughter of the formidable E.G.Johnson, who has given us archival material from her father’s collection.

Congratulations to former Head of PE, Paul Kesterton, on becoming a dad and surviving the rigours of the Scottish weather. Our own Adam Lubbock, not to be out-done, also produced a daughter during the year.

It was a great thrill and pleasure to welcome back to Woodbridge School the largest ever collection of vintage 30s 40s and 50s. This was the idea of the Headmaster, Stephen Cole and the work was done by Rachael Woodmansee of the Development Office.

Special mention for Bernard Meyer and Allan Tattersfield, 1933, Harold Lambert 1936, George Smith, 1937, the most senior OWs to attend the grand reunion lunch.

George Pipe, 1951, wrote after the above lunch to say how much he had enjoyed the Chapel Service and he reminded us that back in the 1940s the Lyttelton Reading Prize Competitions were also held there. Peter Hall said that we have ‘sown the seeds of curiosity surrounding the development of Woodbridge School.'  Arthur Stevens, 1945 met up with Russell Ling, with whom he had shared a study over fifty years ago. He also found his name on the Airy Prize board.

1951. Nicholas Green has had a rather fascinating career, serving in the RAF as an engineer then working for British Airways and Quantas. As if that was not enough he then studied History at Oxford and entered the noble teaching profession, educating the youngsters of such diverse establishments as Cheltenham Ladies College, Fram. Mills and Farlingaye H.S. in Woodbridge. He’s been in the news locally dabbling with UKIP. Bob Stiff brought the members of The Whitstable Historical Society on a day trip to Sutton Hoo but we are not sure if he pointed out his old school as he passed by!

1953. David Buisseret writes in despair from America, following the strange decision of its people to ask President Bush to do another four years. David flitters between Texas and Chicago and has announced his final, honest Guv, retirement from academic life, er. ... possibly, probably, in 2006. Many thanks, David, for the nice collection of memorabilia from the early 50s. Peter Hall was a most enthusiastic visitor in the September reunion. Via the RAF and a short time nursing Peter undertook theological training and served thirty years in his final parish in Immingham and in 1986 was appointed a Canon of Lincoln. He was such a legend at Immingham, however, that a school has been named after him! Now I think this is a first for OWs.

1956. Emlyn Jones has been discovered in Metaire, Los Angeles and we’ll tell you next time what he’s up to there. Stuart Douglas Rayner has degrees in electrical engineering but is now retired and likes cabinet making.

1958. Many thanks to David Mackenzie, resident of draughty Lowestoft for a marvellous package of items for our archives; sports and play programmes by the dozen. Be inspired other OWs who are clearing out attics. We will look after your old school memorabilia. Throw nothing out you OWs! Send it to us.

1959. Richard Powell of School House now works for a defence company and lives in Hampshire. He spent 13 years in the RAF and worked in Dhahran and Lagos before returning to our shores.

1963. Michael Harrison has our congratulations on his recent by-pass op. and is in good shape according to an e-mail spammed to all friends.

1964. Roger Jackman lives in Brisbane, Australia.

1965. A special thanks from the Editor to Rob Taylor for his magnificent memories published in the Spring 2005 Magazine. I do not want to exaggerate but his description of ‘Basher’ Lewis is truly magnificent and the memories will form an important corner of our archives. Rob left school to serve in a long career as a primary school teacher, a special needs teacher in Tower Hamlets; a Dagenham car worker; seller of encyclopaedias, double-glazing and conservatories; a mini-cab driver, a driving instructor and loft converter. Now he sells and installs blinds. I quote, ‘I really should have taken my interview with the careers master more seriously.’

1967. Marryott House’s Steve Hampson e-mails from Switzerland. He is a Chartered Certified Accountant and moved to Zurich in 1990, becoming a Swiss citizen in 1996. (Still a UK citizen as well!). He works for Siemens as an MIS specialist and shares that delightful mountainous land with a Swiss wife. He’s on the Tim Jenkins, Simon Lane e-mail round which keeps him in touch with the madder side of British life. Also Steve Fry who let it be known that he was impressed by our GCSE results. ‘Was it like that in our day?’ he questioned.

1969. We welcomed Nicholas Eve back to School, a first visit, in January 2005. He was spotted at our hockey match against King’s Ely. Nicholas studied photography when he left us and ended up working for the likes of Terence Donovan and John Kelly in the fashion industry. After that he became a lighting designer for stage and tv and finally set up his own company, ‘providing creative solutions in the business of corporate theatre.’ Nicholas inevitably showed particular interest in our new theatre! He asked after Martin Battye, an old chum and has only to look in the 1970s section to see where he is.

1970. Martin Battye featured in the Anglian Business Awards in November. His company Kirton Healthcare provides specialist seating for the elderly and disabled. He has transformed the interior, and the lives of many in them, of nearly every long-stay hospital in the UK, said the fulsome press release. Our congratulations to Martin. William Gilder lives in Northampton but sometimes yearns for the sound of the sea thumping on the stones of Shingle Street.

1971. Mike Maddison is Assistant Headteacher and Director of Curriculum at Bingley Grammar School in West Yorkshire. He’s done a bit of History teaching in his past and has young Maddisons well on their way to academic success, including one university historian. Good. Alan MacDougall still keeps in touch from darkest corners of Eastenderland and one day I will visit, I promise, Alan. He is Managing Director of PIRC Ltd.

1972. Richard Mendes also keeps in touch after 30 years or more. He’s been round the world more times than Ellen MacArthur and has recently moved from New York to Santo Domingo, where he has opened up a language school specialising in sports management in the Dominican Republic, in partnership with a Manhattan Bilingual company or you might say, en sociedad con una compania linguistica en Manhattan.

1976. Richard Jennings was captured when we sent him an unsolicited Spring 2004 Magazine! He’s now the Managing Director of a small chocolate factory in Wiltshire but comes our way occasionally to visit the family in wild Wickham Market. Michael Roddham, dad of two sons, is librarian for the Sussex Health Authority. Paul Turner, an agricultural engineer for many years has moved to Budleigh Salterton to take up a lecturing post at Bickton Agricultural College. He has a grown-up family and has grand-parent status.

1977. Keith Nash drove past the school t’other day and was amazed by the changes. You do know, you OWs that you can actually enjoy a tour of the school absolutely free! Contact the Registrar of the OWs. Keith works for a forwarding company at Felixstowe as Export Manager but has his eyes on sunny Spain and a deck-chair so we’ll see. Paul Adamson still lives in Brussels with a family that is well into education. He’s in a tough business environment. Chris Sanderson is currently living in Beijing and is the marketing director for power generation of a major engine company; difficult, as his address in Queensland Australia. He’s a rugby player, always was, and founder and organiser of the Bali International Rugby Tens, now in its 11th year.

1978. Alison Roddham is a history teacher in Clacton but was rumoured to be yearning for the wild Scottish scenery.

1979. Picture the scene; a crowded train at Paddington Station, destination Swansea. Two people are struggling for the last table - they look up, cries of delighted recognition and a tearful hug. It’s your registrar meeting Debbie Padfield also on her way to that ugly, lovely town. Bemused travellers were informed that it was no more than a noisy reunion of student and former History teacher and the journey passed remarkably quickly in WS memories. Debbie is also in contact with Meg Staddon (now Baker) who lives in East Sussex, and Sophie Money, resident of SW11, and Saskia Sarginson. Reunion time calls, you people, and Laura Ricks and Sarah Bruce will have to join us. Richard Beevers is a resident of Derbyshire and is Marketing and HR Director of Capita Symonds. Graham Simmons pops up all over the world chasingsports stars and was calmly interviewing Ryder Cup heroes on the 18th green last year, amid scenes of frantic excitement. However, he may be looking for a change of career. Watch this space. Quite frankly I can’t keep up with Lawrence ‘Ollie’ Hicks, at present teaching in the Sudan but off, in the summer to the Falkland Islands to teach in a secondary school there! He spent a week teaching with us some years ago and I can testify to the good fortune of those distant South Atlantic children. John Simpson found a book on the Red Baron recently and there discovered one of his victims, Vernon Reading, who left us in 1912.

1980. Julian Heal has finally taken to the air as a civil airline pilot for Thomas Cook. Greg Buss seems to have forgotten what we taught him here about cricket and attempted to head a cricket ball in circumstances which still remain shrouded in confusion. But now he has four titanium plates and special ossifying mesh in a slightly reshaped cranium. He has our congratulations upon his recovery and we note that his SOH is unimpaired!

1981. Andrew Roddham celebrates the birth of a second child, a son named Benjamin. Well done! Andrew is Product Engineering Manager for Perkins Shibaura Engines Ltd., a joint venture between Perkins Engines and ISM of Matsumoto City in Japan. This involves a lot of world travel including three trips to Japan. The good news is that the Matsumoto culinary delicacies include fried bee larvae and raw horseflesh. ‘I haven’t tried the bee larvae yet,’ he writes, begging a question which we won’t ask.

1982. Anne Brooks has contacted us from Newmarket. She’s now Mrs. Woods, a mum and qualified chartered accountant, but helps to run a stud farm. ‘I’m quite an expert in equine midwifery now,’ she writes, ‘I always knew those Biology lessons would come in handy one day!’ Christopher Nicholls is enjoying life in Singapore where he is Head of English at The Tanglin School. Married with a son. Sarah Lubbock, now Rafferty lives locally, is a proud mum of 2 youngsters and teaches full time.

Wayne Garvie

Oh Greg Dyke - you were so wrong when you made fun of Wayne’s new idea on HIGNFY. So wrong. Strictly Come Dancing, was the big prize-winning hit of the season and brought back the fun of Saturday evening TV and Monday morning office chat. The idea came from a BBC entertainment commissioner but it needed Head-of -Entertainment-Wayne’s courage and determination to see it past the faint-hearted and the doubters. The public response was huge; Bruce Forsyth was saved from extinction, and a whole new Wayne’s World of spin-offs has arisen. How can we ever forget that Wayne has brought us more Natasha Kaplinsky too. On and on goes our hero and there seems no post in the Beeb with which his name has not been linked. It is now I would like to talk of the quiet and modest young pupil that we knew here over 20 years ago. Sadly, I cannot. Wayne was a character and a communicator then. He posted a news bulletin of the House Room boards daily and Mr. Hurdley was often on discreet board-watch to prevent ‘problems’ arising. One History master proudly recalled the time that Wayne waltzed into his Lower Sixth class having found the other group just a tad lacking in fun. That was the start of a good two years and at the end Wayne went off to Canterbury to read History. A first class degree and a doctorate of Sheffield were the stepping stones to a career in the media and The Krypton Factor, I recall, was an early success. Hard Spell, Dragon’s Den, Bank of Mum and Dad and a host of new ideas both from within BBC and from independents show that Wayne is the man to watch and we wish him well in the future.

1983. Michael Jones was our inevitable choice as OW of the Year as the Clerkenwell Bike Ride feature on Page 6 will show. Remarkably, some weeks before the ride, the Registrar was taking a history society group around Woodbridge when Michael swung into view at Cross Corner on his bicycle. He had done most of the ride as a training exercise. Such dedication must be rewarded.
Michael is a specialist cheese retailer of Greenwich, London so call in and support his venture. It’s farewell to Louise van Zwanenberg, committee member and staff member, off in September to do voluntary work along the Inca Trail in Peru. From thence to climb two peaks in Nepal, a visit to Wales (!) and then Mt. Kilimanjaro. All this without even applying for an OW travel grant. We
look forward to regular progress reports nevertheless.

1984. Robert Bentley has an address in Christchurch, NZ. He has a PhD in micro biology and is working with musical instruments, say my less than helpful notes. Andrea Nicholls, now Ruddock, lives in Oxford and is senior Marketing Manager at Blackwell.

1985. Vanessa Cartwright, mother of two, including the recently arrived Jake, is Managing Director of R.M.G Connect in Vancouver. Mike Cox lives on The Isle of Wight, where he is Operations and Training Manager for a haulage company. He says he’s into climbing and walking at the moment, skills he first picked up with the CCF.

1986. Robin Weaver has broken into the wonderful world of children’s tv, featuring in 13 episodes of ‘Barking’, with more to come. Meanwhile for those quieter moments she and her partner have moved into the retail trade in Whitstable. Simon Nicholls, married with two youngsters, is deputy editor of Hansard in the House of Lords.

1987. Alex Brooks (Baller) e-mailed from Somerset. After taking her language degree at Exeter she worked to the dizzy heights of Marketing Manager for Estee Lauder. She married a naval chap in 1996 and now is a Director of an engineering design company. They have two daughters and hope that Tim Nightingale will still be teaching at Millfield when the time comes. Nuts in May was mentioned. Yes, they were great days. She used to be in touch with Fiona Carter and Vanessa Cartwright, now both over the pond. Hey, we must get people communicating again. Remember our motto - ‘Bringing OWs Together.’ Malcolm Rycraft has moved to NW2 but I don’t know what he’s doing there!

1988. George Bentley has achieved the status of Professor, at Berkley, California. Avian endocrinology is his speciality. Amelia Reynolds is still working at Reuters in London, looks after a young son, ran the 10K in Woodbridge last May and keeps in touch with Nicky Gould (now Smith) who’s a mother of two.

1989. Second in a series of strange encounters was when the Reg and Mrs. Reg. met Sally Youngs, (now Goddard) and Tinneke Meeson taking baby Goddard for a pram push down Southwold Pier. Such was the excitement and ice-cream that no one gleaned from the OWs any useful info for this journal. You won’t find a prouder dad than Adam Lubbock and we congratulate him and Cara on the birth of Olivia on Sunday 12 December 2004. Adam, of course, now serves on the OW Committee and is Head of Games at our great institution.

1990. Dean Miller is a software person, working locally at BT. Thanks for the card Aisha al-Kharusi. She is a business analyst with Boeing, working at Dubai Airport. Poor old Matthew Bettell - just when he thought it was safe to settle in the locality, the Weavers moved in opposite. He’s an excellent neighbour not least because, as a police officer, he keeps us all under control.
Incidentally, all this law and order takes place on the old St. Audrey’s Hospital site where I have also spotted the Routledge sisters from 1994/5. The remaining houses are taken up with current parents so it is a merry community. Tonwen Jones has just finished working for Ivy Press, as a designer and illustrator and is off to India to do some teaching and research. The latter will lead to an MA in ‘sequential illustration’ at Brighton Coll. of Art. Olivia Cooper emails from Thurso, a pretty wild corner of our land. She’s been promoted to Group Director, Human Resources, for AEA Technology Environment business which may mean a bit of travelling between Scotland and Oxford. Congratulations to Clare Coulson appointed Fashion Editor of The Daily Telegraph. You can spend many a happy moment looking at her writings on the paper’s website. There doesn’t seem a corner of the fashion world about which she hasn’t written. It looks as if she gets to see a few of the fashion hot spots of the world too..... New York, Milan, that kind of thing. Big feature on Clare next year.

1991. Nell Hamilton is moving on to a Ph.D. She’s a world expert on dugongs- a sort of elephantine sea mammal, now quite endangered. She’s working out ways of getting them together with tourists in a way which will enhance the experience of both species. Very worthy, Nell but we want photos and some stories for the next mag. please. And don’t forget to apply for a travel grant if you are popping off somewhere exotic, on dugong patrol. Bryony Weaver has produced a son Archie, whom Lucy Duffield, doctor, has pronounced a fine specimen. Bryony is working freelance in the wonderful world of television. Lucy was spotted trying to buy a coffee table in Woodbridge. Louise ‘Baggie’ Bagnall still works for Warner Brothers on the European business side, DVDs her speciality. She gets to travel Europe, visit Head Office in LA and has a massive collections of DVDs. She’s in touch with Clare Coulson, Catherine Mileham, Judith Mellor and the Calver lads. Emma Birchley may be spotted on Sky News, an ace reporter. The Registrar was delighted to attend the wedding of Polly Stephenson in the Summer - a brilliantly hot day at Hasketon Church. OK, I wasn’t invited to the ceremony or anything but taking my camera I hung around in the graveyard outside and waited to photograph the OWs as they emerged. Ollie Johnson, Jon Percival and Rob Sledmere were voted ‘top totty’ by the village girls hanging around by the lychgate. Sarah Parker, Polly Hardiman, Sarah Craggs (now Clarke), Vicki Shelley and Faye Johnson represented the glamour side along with Lucy, Bryony and Emma B from earlier in this year group. Oh, and add Claire Laight and Faye Stephenson (sis). Jonny Keer and Nick Pagan and later Morgan Davies represented the sophisticated and possibly the intellectual element of the OWs present and Jamie Marshall and Sancha Ford (now Mrs. Jamie) spoke up for the ‘been there and got more than a tee shirt to prove it’ faction. Also present was a slightly older group led by Timmy Johnson, 1963. Apologies to any OWs not mentioned here who were there..... and congratulations to Polly and Andy, a very nice lad despite his lack of a Woodbridge School education.

Katherine Self.

Katherine was an excellent student and a top sports woman here at Woodbridge School and she left us to take a Diploma in Stud Management at Milton Ag. College and later HND in equine business management at Bishop Burton College in Yorkshire. She became a stable girl for nearly two years, involved with a number of top horses at top race-courses. She spent three years as a secretary at Stratford-On-Avon racecourse and moved to Worcester Racecourse for rapid promotion to clerk of the course, licensed by The Jockey Club, one of only a few women qualified in this field. But Katherine is a Norfolk lass, born at North Walsham, and she was invited to take the top job at Great Yarmouth. It was a job she could not refuse. The business had recently been purchased from the local council and the scope for development is considerable. An impressive new stand has just been opened. Katherine gets to visit many other race courses, to train her own horse and to follow her love of sailing.

1992. Sacha Miller is now a freelance photographer, having emerged from an early career in Wales were he met and photographed some eminent names, including the odd royal. Amanda Bunn has left the wonderful world of teaching - at Rendcombe College down in the Cotswolds, to become a mum. She and husband Paul are poised to find a new dwelling in delightful Winchcombe.

1993. Luke Miller, golfer supreme, is looking for posts in the golf world, concentrating on clubs around London. Emma Howe is living with her young family in Barcelona. Calum Reid has a Newcastle Uni. chemistry degree and an MS.C. in Computer Science

Camilla Rutherford

turns up in most papers on a regular basis, being a model, actor and mother. Her role in Gosford Park promoted her rapidly to the forefront of media attention some years ago and she has been subject to the attentions of the usual ridiculous gossip journos. Like.... the Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson snubbed her at a polo match .... ooooh, handbags at dawn ..... and refused to be photographed with her. And all that nonsense and more was published in The Independent!! Bizarre. Camilla left us in ‘93 to read maths at University. She had been modelling since the age of 15 - commencing with photo shoots in Just Seventeen. Modelling took over from maths and by the age of 21 she was appearing in leading fashion magazines. Then along came Gosford Park where she played opposite every star in the British cinema! That has led to roles in Vanity Fair and also The Freediver. She won the Max Factor Studio Talent Award this year as well as a contract with the company itself and she is currently filming a new movie, Breakdown, in which she plays a criminal fleeing justice. About four years ago she married the fashion PR guru, Rufus Abbott and now also boasts a son, Hector. So life is a balance between family and career for Camilla and we wish her well.

1994. Here’s an OW we don’t miss at all. Jo Middleditch. And why? She’s come back to teach here, joining a very talented bunch of OWs. She did a gap after leaving, studied at Farnborough College, was a ski instructor in Austria for four years, worked in Copenhagen. Completed her degree in Human Biology and Sport and in September 2004 joined us on the staff. She says she finds it difficult to call the staff by their first names but has enjoyed a warm welcome. Victoria Bunn moved to NZ in 2003 but is returning this year to marry and where better to hold a reception than the Seckford Hall. She and her partner run a small luxury hotel near Nelson but she gets the chance to travel the globe, marketing the establishment. It was a pleasure to meet Jo Sparrow (now Calver) in Angel Lane recently. Husb. Tim Calver (1991) is on the technical side of the electrical industry. It is interesting to note that the old Waggon and Horses a pub well known to many of you ..... er .... as you used to pass it on the way to school every day, is now a veritable Sparrow’s nest and Madeleine Sparrow (1999) lives there. Mads was the OW face of the year being part of the Red Cross publicity campaign and seen in huge posters all over the land. She was relating her experience of how the Red Cross had saved her life some years ago. Back to Jo. She was pushing a pram with Jamie and Isla on board.

1995. Nick Sparrow is in Colchester Hospital at the moment on a GP training scheme but just off to Tanzania on a fact finding mission. He might even work there for a while. He is married with a daughter. (That really is enough sparrows for a while. Ed. ) Jennifer Humphreys, former Head of School, is now a Brummy lass, a trainee solicitor and musician with the Birmingham Philharmonic
and the Sinfonia of Birmingham. We look forward to the promised visit, Jenny. Emma Wallis has rented me a large number of cars and vans from Global in Ipswich. She is so efficient and I am convinced will be running the Company before the decade is out! Richard Utting is pleasantly living in The Lake District and running a successful IT consulting business there. Sis, Rachael Utting is in distant Falmouth and organising art exhibitions in Cornwall and beyond. We’ve had a big update from Elizabeth Cowdell who has enjoyed a remarkable career in the decade since she left us. After a Law degree from Aberystwyth and a Masters in Environmental Law she became private secretary to the Home Secretary, ‘the most amazing job I could hope for!’ However she has since moved on to the diplomatic service and has landed in New Delhi. From here she has discovered the Himalayas and made it to the Everest base camp last year. When she contacted us she was facilitating the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Indian governments on important immigration issues. This involves a lot of travel across India. I think we’re looking for a feature article next year, Elizabeth! She’s in touch with Kathy Pope and Fran Hammond and Heather Salisbury.

1996. Richard Bunn was spotted in St. Lucia, having travelled from Las Palmas on a 47ft. sailboat, coming third in class in what was a big field. (A big ocean? What do you say?) He’s rising rapidly through the ranks in Sky TV. Jo Ford is a freelance photographer in Brighton but largely working in France. Oliver Bowles is a dad and a teacher of maths in St. Neots. Edward Hoppitt has been in the news recently. As captain of Team Storm he won the Robot Wars World Championship last year and when the programme was taken off air he bought the extravagant set with the view of getting the programme back on the small screen. Storing it has been somewhat of a problem and if any OW has a rather large empty barn, do get in touch! Jessica Watson (now Oyelowo) may be a mum but she continues to land interesting film parts. Look out for Churchill, The Hollywood Years, a comedy spoof, in which Jessica plays Princess Margaret. She reports that she has some very raunchy lines and indeed, although I have some of them in front of me now, there is not one I can quote! This is not the Jessica we know but that’s show-biz! Jesse is married to Spooks - and RSC - actor David Oyelowo. Amy Dutton has gone north to work with Northern Ballet in Leeds.

1997. Michael Forrest read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, took a masters in Edinburgh, has been lecturing in Japan and is back in Cambridge to complete a doctorate. Sarah Yates studied geography at Cambridge, did a couple of ski seasons at Chamonix and is now living and working in Brisbane, Aussie. John Ramsden is a chemist of Surrey University and is now ‘trading electricity’.

1998. Gavin Hudson is a 2nd. Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Anglians, preparing for a tour to Iraq, maybe as we go to press. Megan Harries studied psychology at Coventry and IT at UEA and is now making her way in accountancy in Norwich. Zoe Smith graduated from De Montfort in Leicester and is now an employment law expert and ACAS conciliator, working in Bury. She’s the youngest ever conciliator in the trade, no mean achievement. Best news of all, she has attended an OWs committee meeting. Amanda Yates, (now Deacon) married the brother of an OW (Ben) which is the next best thing to marrying an OW and is working in IT consultancy in Ipswich. She plays hockey for Felixstowe and has successfully resisted OW committee duties although she only lives in Market Hill. Time will tell. Bryony Wallis took a degree in Psychology at Aston and is working in a Birmingham children’s unit. Simon Drane recently returned from The University of Queensland with a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Just as we were about to sign him up to talk motivation to our sports teams he announced his departure for Toronto where he will practice his art.

1999. Jenny Seaman has graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a degree in Theological Studies. Charles Hamilton worked for a year with the Refugee Council but has now returned to academic life, doing an MA in Human Rights at UCL. He is still a keen singer and may have been seen last season singing ‘Swing Low’ etc. on the green grass of Twickenham. Olivia Berry, see also Editorial, is soon off to a rural hospital in Western Samoa, thence to Washington to work in a trauma unit. She is now a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Army Medical Corps, commissioned in July. She hopes that Dr. Broaderwick will approve. Surgery is her career hope and I think we’ll have to keep a careful eye on the talented Olivia’s adventures in the future. Emily Ashman works for OK magazine in Dubai. She has her own column - as beauty and fashion editor. Laura Tilley is the events organiser at Hampton Court. Interesting. She sees a little of Dave Henderson. Tom Edwards is doing a psychology conversion course and is talking about a PhD., a book and £1m before he is forty. Katy Wellesley-Wesley is at Edinburgh, ‘doing lots of plays’ as well as a History of Art MA. She’s been joined by sister Susannah (left 2002) who is in the first year of Politics and Economics. Deedee Forrest, marvelled at in the Editorial, lives in Brussels to get to work more easily. She was a research assistant at the Beeb before taking up this most interesting appointment., working for the Vice-pres. of the European Parliament. Rachel Stratton lives in Kent and works for Brakes, on the nutritional side. Brakes supply food to Woodbridge School. Emily Yates graduated from Bristol with a French degree and is now living in Jersey, training to be an accountant. Eleanor Wallis is student of English Literature at Reading Uni. Toby Francis-Bromley emails: I’m still living in London and working for the Cabinet Office, currently preparing policy for the upcoming UK EU Presidency. Will Jennings is ‘a designer of Shepherds Bush’ slightly missing the Bristol University ambience.

2000. Nice letter from Melanie Vickers with the good news that she, Georgina Hewlett and Tara Grant have fulfilled Miss Gill’s dream for them and have completed and received their D of E. gold awards. Claire Alexander finished a psychology degree and is now doing teacher training at Reading and enjoying it. Susannah Annesley appears in the editorial. She is now investigating career possibilities. Alex Forrest, Surrey Uni, is working for an IT firm and living in Hampshire. Rachel Carr completed a degree in French and English at Reading and is studying for an MA in TV Production at Falmouth School of Art.

2001. Ian Kitson is temporarily in charge of the Seckford Golf Club. Stephen Hudson prepares for Sandhurst entry this year by completing a Civil Engineering degree at Bristol. Travel is on the agenda too. Ellie Hawkes is enjoying life at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she is reading History. She is rowing for the college and bumps into Rupert Myers occasionally, tho’ not on the
river presumably. Ellie has been working for Marks and Sparks in the holidays and enjoys identifying former staff members..... and possibly noting the bizarre things they buy? Tom Bracewell graduated from King’s London with a BSc in biomedical science, now working with BT before a 5 month tour of the Far East and possibly post.grad medicine at Nottingham. Becky Alexander is back from Italy and now well into her final year at Sussex Uni. Save our Modern Languages Department, she cries, as another top department is threatened. Olivia Neal is in her final year of a teaching degree at Canterbury. Amie Rey, at Bournemouth, aims to be a top film producer and there is also talk of events organising. Charlotte Potter is another OW happily living in Scotland. Oh yes, so why did Mr. Bruce and Mrs. D. flee from that cold colonial outpost? She’s studying Biological Sciences and will graduate in 2006. Mary Cook’s just finishing a design degree and hopes to set up her own design practice in September. Phil McGough, former Head of School, in his final year at Nottingham University reading Psychology and Philosophy, has completely disregarded one teacher’s advice to enter politics and be a cabinet minister before the age of 35 (guaranteed) and hopes to take up a career as a professional drummer. His band, Teratoma, is a top student band. and up for something big in the National Student Music Awards. Lizzie Bailey finished at Southampton with a top degree in English and seems to be ‘somewhere in Africa’ at the present moment. Harriet Todd studies Illustration at Norwich School of Art and Design. Australia calls, though. Sam Botterill is a student of Civil Engineering at Leeds. He’s a skier and explorer and may even work for Railtrack when he graduates. Lydia Yates is nearly through a neuro-science degree at Edinburgh and in her own carefully chosen words ‘is gonna be a shrink or a brain surgeon, so WATCH OUT!’ Paddy Steen is in his final year at Reading, reading economics and accounting. He is President of the Hockey Union, plays for the 1st XI who are undefeated this year. He keeps in touch with Celia Fletcher and Jesse Clarke. Josie Norris is enjoying life at Cambridge and has been on tour to USA the Uni Orchestra. She been involved in local politics and was chased by an irate man with a stick!! She’s into human rights and other important issues.

2002. Hey, where are you 2002 leavers? Romy Finbow is in her gap year, travelling to Italy and Barbados and hoping to visit Africa. Thence to Edinburgh University for History of Art. Katy Ashman is into teacher training. Iona Barclay is in her second year at Cirencester, doing a work placement with Saracen Feeds. (Horses)

2003. Gemma Cowling is a Philosophy and Law student of Esex Uni. Cleo Smith is rather sensibly living in Portugal where it is warm and sunny. Tristan Steen completed a gap year of travelling and is now at Leeds reading Law and Accountancy and liking the former. He plays hockey for the 3rd XI but is moving up! Huw Semken is enjoying Law at Essex Uni. Tom Power reads History at Oxford Brookes. Jonathan Crowther is at Southampton, in his second year of Economics and is also rowing for the University. A big lad. Frances Mannings is up to the same thing at Surrey - well, the economics, not the rowing. Joanna Payne is a second year Philosophy
and Sociology student at Canterbury. Rebecca Hawes seems to be flourishing as a medicine student of Southampton. Andrew Wolfe spent a gap year in the Philippines ‘where he has become fluent in Tagalog’, and emerged as a media figure apparently. He should have commenced a course in Computer Systems Engineering, if all has gone well but I haven’t heard! Katie Wyke is reading Theology at Durham and has joined a couple of choirs. She’s also taken up rowing and came 2nd in the November Regatta. She trains five mornings a week with circuit and gym sessions to boot. Never one to do things half-heartedly, Katie. Emma Struth is finishing her
studies at Felsted School, nearer her Colchester home. Good to have a long e-mail from Harry Werber, gap-year-traveller-supreme. He’d spent some Christmas time with ’The Ginger Trinity,’ his phrase not mine - Dan Yelland, Tom O’Neill and Jamie Harries. Harry’s at Nottingham, and is enjoying acting and drama essays.

2004. Former Head of School, Helen Gilmour, paid a nostalgic visit to the History Department in January. She’s at Sheffield, reading Law with French, playing hockey and going on tour with the team. Helen Jones is at UCL, reading Law with Spanish. Hollie Slade is, as we speak travelling in South America on gap year. Before she left she said she would treasure the memories of a less than peaceful lunch at Hintlesham Hall when flying ducks caused quite a rumpus. Katherine Green was also there and is now studying languages at Leeds. Jed Smith is studying pharmaceutical Science at de Montfort. Harris Finn, on a gap year, is ‘working in brewing retail,’ which sounds ideal and would hope to go to Uni in September.  Richard Carr is studying Architecture at Oxford Brooks. Charlie Tunstall is yet another student at Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt in fact, where he studies actuarial maths and statistics. Will Aylward is at Manchester reading Chemical Engineering. Mike Sutton-Croft is a biologist of Cardiff Uni. Alan Spall is working for Suffolk Coastal DC prior to the long journey north to Newcastle Uni. Laura Doggett is really enjoying life at Canterbury - Darwin College - and has met up with Nick Tiley-Nunn and Sophie Kleinschmidt ..... oh and Suzie Grimsdick Alex Barclay has been bungee jumping and a bit of scuba diving in Australia. Felicity Potter has been and returned from Aussie.

Hockey chums ReUnited.

Nick Smith, Head of History at WS, reminds me that Felixstowe Hockey Club, league leaders at the moment, is essentially a gathering of OWs. He named Paul Muchal, James Judge, Leon Jones, Matt Burden, Edward Parker, Joe Maclean, Will Hardcastle and Howard Green. To this add NES himself, Phil Trett and Rob Earle, staff members. Half a dozen pupils also turn out for the club. The gels, not to be outdone supply ‘little Miss’ Sarah Watson, Polly Stephenson (now Meades) Elisa McNally, Amanda Yates (now Deacon), Laura Philpot, Liz Nowosad and Suzie Betts, (now Sledmere) with staff members Louise Rickard, when not playing rugby for Wales, and Catherine Shepherd. Sorry if I have missed out the name of any stick-wielding OW.

Woodbridge Rugby Club, of course, is the haven for all OW oval ball fanatics.

Spring 2004

1932. Many congratulations to Kenneth Wilding, awarded the M.B.E. in the New Year’s Honours’ list. Ken has served the Royal British Legion for 50 years and does other work for charities. A remarkable OW.

1935. Donald Brenchley writes to say that ‘it’s very nice to hear from the School I left seventy years ago.’ He remembers the attempts then to raise funds to extend the School Hall and put in a stage and he has a remarkable memory of the first plays staged too - especially ‘The Oak settle starring ‘Tydeman - a day-boy prefect.’ Keep the memories coming in DB.

1936. Geoffrey Mason was a welcome guest on Open Day and called in to the Jeff Leslie Room.

1938. It was wonderful to welcome Anthony Tuke to the September Dinner. We told him that the Italian government had just sent the bill for the Battle of Matapan where Tony attacked some of their capital ships but he didn’t blanch! Sarah Piper, pupil and naval cadet extraordinary, presented him with an OW tie and the whole hall spontaneously stood and cheered him. Lovely moment.

1945. Russell Ling, another Open Day visitor, discovered himself and many old chums in photos on the walls of the Jeff Leslie Room. Thanks for the Memories on Page 10 of the 2004 Magazine.

1948. Mark Oliver is a very faithful friend of the OWs and is always a welcome visitor, along with his wife Maureen. At the September dinner he met up with Brian Harrison with whom he was at school but did not really know but soon they found links that made it a very small world. He also chatted to John JEB Jones - see 1950. It appears that JEB was the proud possessor of the first ever biro at Woodbridge School, an event of some excitement, remembered 50 years on! Sid Meadows wrote to us. Remember, he’d visited last year. He wrote how he recalled on Boat Race day how G.B.Riddell and P.A.Curtois encouraged them to cheer for Cambridge and P.Haines and D.P-R to cheer for Oxford.

1949. Ian Lockhart writes from Norfolk. He’d just popped over to Papworth for a heart by-pass and is recovering well. We wish him all the best and hope that he will make that visit to School House this year.

1950. Here’s an OW who has made a big impact on us in the last year. John Jones has paid a few visits and has sent some fascinating memories which will be found on Page 11 in Spring 2004. His wife Jacqui is a dedicated gardener and they’ve picked up some tips from Michael Bunn (1961) at Seckford Hall. Congratulations to John Sayers who is Mayor of Sudbury this year with a huge programme of events and duties.

1951. Cecil Goodwin spent the latter part of the War here in Junior House with Capt. G. B. Riddell before moving onto Marryott House. He tried farming and the merchant navy and the army and finally landed in the Bournemouth area. He keeps in touch with ace airman Paul Aranha and he’d like to find an old chum, Derrick Peter Dennington.

1955. Anne Horrex is not an OW but I believe that I have the power to make her one and so I just have. She is the sister of Alan and Hugh Horrex and was brought up in the school environment. She learned to swim in the school pool and I have published her school memories in Spring 2004. She is also mum to OWs, Nick and Cal. Stockbridge, of whom more later. Many thanks for those tales from the past, Anne.

1957. Congratulations to Graham Hayward who, after 17 years running the Singapore nternational Chamber of Commerce, retired, and within a week, was in London to receive ‘The Freedom of the City of London.’ This is a great honour and we on the editorial board wonder how many other OWs hold this prestigious title. But things got better because the following week Graham moved over to Butley Priory for the wedding of Natasha, (OW 1989). Howard Binsted is living the life of ease in full retirement down in Sevenoaks. David Mackenzie worked for Longmans when he left school, moving from their Mayfair offices to distant Harlow and thence to Kenya and Zimbabwe where he has done almost every job up to MD. He moved back to the UK in 2001 and we have yet to see him at school. This year, please. Edward James has also seen a bit of the world, starting with the RAF and then emingrating to Oz, where he now works as an engineer. He wants to hear from Richard Aldred, George Scarles and other contemps.

1958 One of several proud granddads is Richard Bull, retired and living in deepest, darkest, Dorset. He’d like to contact old chums. Kenneth Thomas keeps in touch. He’s a Halesworth vet.

1959. Good to see Paul Whitlock at the September Dinner. He had travelled up from Farnham in Surrey. David Allan Mitchell, now a granddad, has always stayed close to home and lives in Stowmarket. Let’s see you at the next big dinner David!

1960. Bless that man, David Busby, resident of SW12, who was ‘impressed with the effectiveness of the organisation and management’ of the September dinner. He praises the team for a smooth-running event.

1961. Richard Ambrose and I suffered the same computer virus attack as we were contacting each other about the September dinner. Anyway, he enjoyed the dinner! James Lloyd has been discovered in South Australia. Raymond Langford Jones lives in Bromley. He’s been a teacher and much else and is very keen on drama, ‘taking an active part in serious non-professional theatre.’

1963. Mike B. Chadwick has been spotted by committee member, Ian Sands. Mike now lives near Diss and has recently retired as a director of a local, well-known vehicle rental company. He now spends his time in organising promotional car racing events throughout the UK. He is also in touch with Brian Clancy, who now resides in France. Mike Harrison wrote enthusiastically, after the September dinner, which had been his first opportunity to attend an OW ‘do’ for 15 years. Roger Harper has now returned to live in Woodbridge after a long career in the Metropolitan Police followed by a short spell working for Cap Gemini. We hope to see him back at School.

1964. Stephen Wymark is the golf pro at Ipswich Golf Club, who won the 2003 Suffolk Golf Union’s Hambro Cup. Last won in 1973, apparently. Andrew Cadman made his first trip back to the school since leaving and attended the big dinner.

1965. Les Howard had a great evening with us in September, testified by the headache he complained about two days later. See what fun you people are missing! Martin Hamson is training electricians at Northampton College and happily sailing the Norfolk Broads. Derek Tabor worked for 30 years as a water engineer. He lives in Warrington and is a leader in the Boys Brigade there.

1966. Paul Douglas made a flying visit during the year with wife and daughter. He’s a BA pilot with Concorde experience so we must find out more.

1967. Christopher Aust is a welcome discovery, thanks to Friends Reunited. He left us for York University where he shone as a brilliant academic. He investigated interstellar shock waves as triggers for star formation for his post-doctoral research. Now he is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. All good things must come to an end and he is looking to a bijou pad in the South of France to spend some retirement time with his wife, Margaret. Stephen Fry left us to work with Eagle Star Insurance, transferring pretty quickly to South Africa. There he remained and remains and is now a gramps but still works as a systems analyst.

1968. John Booth has been located in nearby Grundisburgh. Paul Gregory, living in Berlin, visited the School in December and contributed to the Philosophy Department’s classes. Roger Jubb has been found in St. Ives Cambridge and the next thing is to find out what he is doing.

1969. Robert Downie is another Fr.Reunited find. He’s living in Oakham, Rutland.

1970. David and Laurence Young have been located. David has recently set up his own Corporate Finance operation called Shield. Laurence manages a chain of hotels in the Oban-Fort William area. They boast eight children between them! Adam Sutch remembers lessons with PR. He now works for the MoD in defence procurement and has served in Germany and the Gulf. Brother Simon Sutch (1971) of course is the ideal OW. He lives locally and has provided two sons for today’s school.

1972. Clive Wright sent his card from the Hudson River Inlay, American Marquetry Studio of Ossining, NY. He exhibits his craft across America. He writes very interesting letters too. He reminds me that his dad also attended Woodbridge School, a contemporary of Edward du Cann. Fred Wright lived at Hoo and on one occasion during the war, relates Clive, was cycling past Debach Airfield when a German plane strafed him. Fred flung himself into a ditch and always believed that it was ‘personal.’

1973. Roger Brunt has promised a royal visit. Michael Gibbs has been found in Cambridge. His dad, of course, was a famous teacher of English here. Mike reports that his first job after leaving school was working for the contractors ripping down old school buildings. An excellent therapy for any leaver, he suggests.

1974. Eric Hedling was a Swedish student who spent some time with us and impressed us with his enthusiasm and hard work. The showing of the film 'If' at film society gave him an interest in Lindsay Anderson, the great director, and Eric went on to write a book about him! This year Francesca Gibbons of the Development Office was at his University in Sweden and called in to say hello. Roger Secker lives down in Winchester and is in the pharmaceutical line. He’s recontacted the society and made a promise to arrange an official visit.

1975. Andrew Doble has just returned from an excellent cruise to the Antarctic. I quote. ‘We must have experienced the best weather ever, down there; even the rounding of Cape Horn was smoother than the Deben on a bad day.’ Angus McNeilage lives in East Sussex and works in the City - for a Swedish bank. He’s Head of Equities. He’s a quiet lad and spends his spare time playing guitar in a City Rock band. There’s a wife Angela and three youngsters too. James Burch keeps in touch from the wonderful world of academia in the NW. Robert Smith studied Applied Biology at Bradford then worked in all corners of the globe for a large American pharmaceutical company. He’s now in Taiwan and enjoys exotic holidays, falling off his bike and visiting the folks in Felixstowe. He’s in touch with Paul Wisdom who imports paper, Andrew Doble, excellent e-mailer and financial wiz of Bermuda, and Graham Usher, fighting to save the rainforests of Indonesia.

1976. Ric Allison is still at Stratford Upon Avon. He occasionally meets John Allard who also lives there. John left in ‘74. Russell MacDonald called in for a royal visit and was given a tour, in the company of his wife. They are living locally and hopefully we will now see more of them. Miles Cowdry is Chief Executive of Data Systems and Solutions with Rolls Royce, living in Washington, USA. This year he clocks up 23 years of marriage to Melanie (Steele). Three children all doing well and one is graduating. This is a famous OW marriage, one of the first. Congratulations you two. John Barlow made it to Headmaster, over there at Trowbridge, then found that Ofsted was on its way. I know he will have done well. Congratulations on your elevation, incidentally John. Susan Bailey (now McGeever) was one of our first girls. She lives SE1. Keith Rogers sent a great e-mail with memories. He lives and works in Frankfurt and is married with two youngsters. He remembers the days of McMunns Elixir and Grope and the delights of Film Society!

1977. I spotted Simon Rowell on local tv being interviewed at Felixstowe Docks with his hands into a vat of chicken pieces from Thailand. He had just confiscated the lot in order to preserve us all from Avian flu’ and for this, Simon, who is a vet, incidentally, I give the heartiest thanks from all healthy OWs in the UK! I bet you’ve got some stories to tell from behind the scenes there. Julia Bolton e-mails from the Great San Joaquin Valley to the East of SA. She brings her son over to GB for a few weeks of the year and reports his love of history, patently a genetic condition! There are almonds and peaches in the valley and the biggest local employer is the E & J Gallo Winery. Sounds like a visit from the Registrar is called for.

1978. Geoffrey Ritcher was a visitor during the year. What fabulous and completely unprintable stories he told. Adventures between School and the Bell at Saxmundham! He was making a film with Nicholas Wood and Andy Cummings about the life of chum, Phil Regan. This was to be presented to the lad at a birthday celebration. I have a vague recollection of appearing in it too. David Harvey is in Colchester and pops over to Woodbridge occasionally to visit his folks. He worked in Barclays Bank for over 20 years and now, among other things, edits the Magazine for the Morris Minor Owners Club. Martin Meyers has sensibly settled in Wales, Cardiff to be precise. Nicholas Hughes may still be found in some of the toughest spots on earth. He’s the Emergencies Advisor for Save the Children and his next placement will be among the Kurdish peoples of Northern Iraq.

1979. Catriona McNeilage married in Gretna Green last year. Now that sounds racy. I may get more details as she now lives nearby, in Ufford. Lawrence Hicks continues his world travels and has been working in the Sudan but seems to have a bolt-hole in N.Yorks. He is a keen teacher of History. Michael Haste lives in SE13. He works for Pascall and Watson, the architects. Seriously lookalike brother Nicholas Haste may be found in Kesgrave. Robert Cocker cannot be tempted back from the delights of Kuala Lumpur. He tried Hong Kong, but said it was too close!! Adam Darling may be found in Great Yarmouth and is urgently looking for OW electronics engineers. John Spice turned up at school with a lad for the entrance exam. Hmm... John looks like a potential committee member. He now works for Bidwells; he’s Head of the Business Space Team. James McDonald is a photographer and a recent dad of Brighton in Sussex. It was a real treat to see Laura Ricks after so many years. The September dinner and a Sunday visit. She’s a real Dane now and lives there with her children and she makes and/or markets quality toys. Even as we speak she’s in Bolivia helping a factory make toys as part of a Danish aid programme. Next year it’s Laura and Saskia, Sarah and the gang of ‘79. Thanks for the gift!

1980. Clare Fairley, (now Hawes) is living in Walpole with her husband and two children. She has moved from the acting to the singing recently, appearing at Snape with the Britten Pears Choir. She is at present coaching the singers for a production of Grease at the Fisher Theatre, Bungay and is about to start rehearsals for the part of Elmire in Tartuffe in the New Arts Centre, Halesworth. Cal Stockbridge was another who attended the dinner and to whom I did not have enough time to talk. We are putting together a plan to torment Richard Beevers who was due to attend the dinner but flew off to Spain instead. Stuart Beattie - thanks for the generous donation and good to see you at the dinner. He’s at Billingshurst these days. Mark Honess is down in Worthing but what’s he doing there? Clare Turner, (now Evans) is in NW10. She’s still in touch with Paige Caldwell who lives in Detroit. Malcolm Glaister is located in SW6. Edward Lancaster is married with two cats and a garden! He is now Finance Director of Daveney Ltd., based in Norfolk - hotels, leisure clubs, venture capital projects etc.

1981. Nigel Robson and Claire Whiteman, as was, have come in from the cold and contacted the Registrar. Welcome back you two. They inhabit the draughty wastes of Theberton. Richard McGhee works in Gothenburg and actually flew over to attend the September dinner. He’s a logistics/supply chain planner/purchaser - and all in Swedish. Debbie Foskett (now Green) abides in or near Scarborough. William Ricks and Katharine Brennand are married. More of them next time.

1982. Andrew ‘Fletch’ Fletcher has a pleasing address which includes the words, Hollywood, CA., USA. Try his website at www.fletchaudio.com . Robert Plummer may be found in Edinburgh. Let’s start a Scottish branch!

1983. It’s always great to see big Edward Griffiths in Woodbridge. He’s now a great scientist and when spotted was on his way to do cancer research in Milan. Torquil McNeilage lives in Devon with a wife and tots. He and his better half run a conservation business. Torquil, did you ever hear of how I looked for you on the top of Masada? Helen Ward, now Knightbridge, writes from NZ. She’s working on a PhD. and keeps in touch with Lynn Pearce, Adrian Seagers, Phil Cox and that gang. Julia Foskett (now Bruce) is a farmer of Jedburgh, Scotland. Jane Miles, (now Hurrell) is a mum of two in Hampshire, wife of a naval officer and also works in the keen world of head-hunting. I mean big heads!

1984. Simon Evans was a very welcome visitor during the year and we showed him around together with his wife and two daughters. They were amazed to discover that he had been so quiet and well-behaved at school! Tim Hepworth sent an e-mail from Nigeria. His dad had purchased and sent the last sweatshirt in stock and it had arrived. Tim had spent 13 years in the Army and is now working for Control Risks in Nigeria, looking after ex-pats and company officials. He remembers life in the port-a-cabins and spoke highly about Jeff Leslie. Andrew Parkinson is working in Den Haag, The Netherlands. More next time. Matthew Doran is a physiotherapist living near Shresbury, married, two children. His converted barn home boasts chickens and bees and they all crowd round of an evening when the Dorans get their guitars out for a bit of blues playing. Nice.

1985. Stuart Leask and Sarah Edwards (now Leask!) are not tempted back to our shores apparently. Their address is sunny Huixquilucan in Mexico.

1986. Robin Weaver may have been spotted in a six-part series with Dawn French on the Beeb. The Wild West. She lives by the sea in Whitstable tho' is filming in Leeds at the moment. Rebecca Welland was a welcome visitor to School and was given a full tour. So full in fact that she found herself addressing Year 10 on the topic of Life in Modern Burma. Her visit had even greater ramifications, told earlier in this journal. Bryon Lancaster lives in NW3. This is his first magazine so .... let us know what you are up to, Bryon! Julia Greenfield, married, works in IT, former great hockey player but now into golf. (See you on Aug 7th then ?) She’s a chum of Mel Brooks, a financial wizard married and living in Fulham. Mel’s always happy to come home to dear old Parham and keeps in touch with Greta Wallace.

1987. Kathy McCreery, (now Hirst) just missed the September dinner. She was wondering if any of her old chums are still around. She’s living full-time in Switzerland. Karen Taylor has got in touch. Great. She’s a ‘houseperson extraordinaire’ of London, having recently returned from Germany and we’ll get more info soon. Seckford ride for you, Karen. Rob Bolton lives at Olney, Bucks and is in contacts with the usual crowd of villains - Nick Henchie; Martin Goddard; Andy Garrard; Hugo Burton; Laddie Somorin and Abdu Simba. Laddie is a brilliant e-maile- with family pics!

1988. James Griffiths is enjoying the high life in Hong Kong where he is a financial journalist. Great to meet up in Woodbridge again, James. Helene Sheridan (now Shaw) is a mum living within a stone’s throw of the school. Rachael Bickerton has been located recently. She has a nicely-placed apartment in New York. Anna Hughes (now Goodsall) left us for a degree in leisure Management at Plymouth and Exeter. She worked for Save the Children and PHAB and now lives in Bedford with husband and three children. Want a property in the Alps or a skiing or a golf holiday in Chamonix Mont Blanc? Well of course you do. Contact Matthew Leguen de Lacroix in Argentiere, France. Tina Waring (now Powick) lives a little closer and can hear the school bell ringing at the end of break from her home in Castle Street. Rebecca Austen-Brown has agreed to perform in a concert at the School, possibly with other OWs to raise funds for the Performing Arts Centre. Keep your eyes open on the website for the date. Simon Paterson worked for HM Customs in Felixstowe for over a decade and had a spell at Sizewell A. Now he’s in Scotland and looking towards a career in teaching.

1990. We’ve had a card from Durwyn Liley who has been spending a year travelling and working abroad - something of a break from his RSPB duties. He’d been spotted by our feathered friends in the Himalayas but was writing from the Fox Glacier in NZ. Now he’s off to Chile and Bolivia and he sent special thanks to Dr. Broaderwick whose geography lessons helped him to understand where he was, at any moment. Hannah Steventon, (now Steventon-Barnes), is a married mum living in Stowmarket. She’s also a contaminant hydrogeologist - that’s where her PhD comes in useful - and is working at Newmarket. She’s poised to attend the next dinner. Louise Bagnall of South Lambeth is the in-house lawyer for Warner Brothers. Danny Hayward was last heard of in Hamilton NZ, working as an osteopath. He may even be home by the time you read this. Glen Owen has served as education corrspondent for The Times this year. Writing an article on our absurd obsession with the teaching of Hitler in schools he phoned his old history teacher here at school and quoted him in the great journal. This was then taken up by the leading quality papers of Europe giving the old gent a wider audience at last! Fame for 15 minutes.

1991. Huw Turbervill made the Registrar a deeply happy man when he, the Registrar, opened his Sunday Telegraph to read a brilliant report from the Vetch Field, Swansea, of the Swans’ triumph in the FA Cup against Preston. Beautifully researched Huw and thanks for the text message from the ground to avid Swans’ supporter, Bryony Weaver who, the TV production company. Polly has just become a mother.  Polly Stephenson was a welcome visitor to MAW’s home at Xmas. She is a lawyer in Bury and will marry in August. Our cameras will be there. Sarah Craggs, (now Clarke) also called in. She is a qualified nurse specialising in trauma and broken bones but is waiting to treat her first OW. Third in this group of visitors is Lucy Duffield, a doctor working at University College Hospital, London. Not bad for a Cambridge History graduate, eh? She has delivered some celeb babies but confidentiality forbade her from telling us who they were. Kirsty Shelley (now Brett) is married and living in Barnstable, Devon with two tinies. Husb. is a teacher - assistant head. Emma Jones, former Head Girl, of course, and now Emma Booth, left our shores for Australia, where she is the Project Officer for the Clinical Innovation Agency at the Office of the Chief Clinical Advisor. I will contact her to ask what all that means. Gemma Wall (now Parker) lives in Woolverstone with husband and tots. As they grow older, the pressure to return to the OW Committee will be applied!

1992. I emailed Joe Fairs to ask for info and this is the reply I received. Joe wins the prize for the Editor’s star informant of 2004. Here’s what he wrote:

I have loosely kept in touch with my Woodbridge pals. Simon Babraff, (returned from a period in Japan with a Japanese girlfriend, now wife, and lives next to the Millennium dome). Nick Waller, who has studied website design and now fixes peoples' www problems! Jaik Campbell, who continues to amaze and amuse us all following his chosen career as a stand-up comedian! David Green, who works for Majestic Wines and is a very helpful friend when it comes to organising a party! Chris Marshall is a doctor in Brighton where he lives with his wife and children - He is still in touch with fellow doctor, Kevin Boyd who, as far as I know, was living nearby. Tim Waring (import/export business) Joe Stephenson (Practising vet in London) and Josh Brown are in regular contact, living in North London. A surprising, yet welcome call arrived from Alex "Chesney Hawkes" Kross, (from Germany, who spent the lower sixth form with us in School house) is spending the year working for HSBC in Canary Wharf. He has clear memories of how scary Mr Saunders used to be! Gin To-lee is another familiar face with the above group although his chosen career escapes my memory. Tanya Croydon, (now Tanya Von-Moll) who was at The Abbey/ Woodbridge until 16, was my house-mate for several years and remains a close friend. She has moved, with her Husband from London to New York to London and now recently Dedham, Suffolk. She was the Jewellery buyer for Ralph Lauren until she chose to spend more time with her baby daughter Lilly. Her sister Sophie Croydon progresses well in her chosen career; last heard of as Marketing director of Hamptons Int., the property company. I haven't spoken to him for a year or so but Sacha Miller is married with children and working as a press photographer in Wales - in fact I just found his website on Google! Kate Digby was flat-sharing with Lucy Hepton for a period and still lives and works in London for K-Line shipping. I have had several e-mails from Marcus Stapleton over the years who is married and a father, living in Washington USA. (I think!) Brother Sam is farming in Suffolk and is in regular contact with ex-woodies Crispin Clay and James Digby. My sisters Lucy and Hannah are both married. Lucy has married a local businessman and lives near to the family farm with her two children. and Hannah lives in Norfolk with her New Zealand husband. Thanks for that JF. Incidentally Joe has been a hard working photographer in London for a decade but has recently moved back to Suffolk now that he’s a dad. Incidentally, Mr. Saunders is a big mate of mine and is not the least scary.... except on the
golf course.

1992. Naomi Howard was such a quiet lass at school. But there she was in the papers briefing some top brass chaps in the Gulf, surveying certain ports for mines and enabling relief vessels to get into Iraq safely. She was last heard of sailing up the Tigris. We will try to secure some fuller details for the next magazine but she has our congratulations on a fine mission. Victoria Shelley is a business partner in the Spice Bar, Woodbridge. Amanda Bunn is now Mrs. Houghton-Brown. Thanks for the wedding photo which included such faces as those of Joanne Roberts, Suzanne Coy and Anna Cooke. Amanda is now down in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham and teaches at a school near Cirenchester. Hannah Elmer (now Lawrence) is in Beckenham, Kent. She’s a senior consultant at Quest Search and selection. Natalie Lawrence (now Newing) is found in Abingdon and is Senior Product Manager in the Prescription Medicine Division of Boehringer Ingelheim.

1993. Miss Suzanne Theasby, Head of Classics, attended the wedding of Hannah Wilson just as the last Spring Mag was coming out, so this news is just a little old! Brother Richard was there was well as Hannah’s chums, Charlotte Ridout and Helen Ward. Hannah and new husb, Rory, met in the OTC at Edinburgh University. Claire Babraff and Gayle Blackburn were welcome diners at the big 2003 dinner. Gayle manages a team of fraud investigators for Egg. Anna Crawford wins a prize for keeping in touch. Many thanks for the letter from the Gulf. ‘Well, Iraq is very hot, dry and windy. There’s a marvellous variety of creatures that bite and only available in XXL apparently.’ So commences her epistle. She’s a Regimental Medical Officer, incidentally. Fiona Mullins is down the road at Thaxted, Essex.

1994. I have here, a business card of Robert Grant. He is the Senior Project Manager of Medicare in India and I promise more information when I can get it. Chris Parsons may be found in Winchester but doing what I know not. Naomi Faulkner, archaeologist and archer supreme, is now taking another degree. Up north. Rachel Carter is a solicitor of West Bridgeford in Nottingham. John Guest is still in Oz and remarkably can be found in Woolloomooloo, Sydney!

1995. Jo Cooper gives her address as in Stirling, Scotland and her place of work as UCL. This is quite a commute and I’ll have to investigate further. Ed Groenhart, man of Kent, trained as a chiropractor. Now he’s off to Oz, NZ and Fiji. Jenny Drury got married in The Shire Hall, Woodbridge, the first OW to do so, I believe. After studying Biology at Soton, she’s now a Chartered Accountant, living in Ufford. Charlotte Bowden is living it up in Sheffield, where she runs the international department of a trade association representing medical companies. Anthony Land works in London for a Japanese company in public relations. He’s a bit of a golfer and we hope to see him at the OWs Golf Day in August. Victoria Longhurst-Pierce is another of those OW attracted by the sunshine and opportunity of Oz. Have you really been gone for ten years Katherine Pope and only e-mailed me twice? Unbelievable! She’s in Clapham, SW4 and specialises in media, film and music law. Chris Wright lives near Victoria in London and here I quote, ‘My job consists of doing maths and playing computers for a small hedge-fund.’ He’s a keen cyclist, runner and rower so gets around a bit. He ran the London marathon in ’ 03.

1996. Gordon Mole works as a regeneration project manager in central London. He develops unused space into restaurants, bars and offices. We were grateful to Graham Simmons (1979) for giving Tim Percival a most valuable period of work experience - that’s OW networking for OWs. Ruth Mann, thanks to the inspiration of Mr. Vick, has become a History teacher. James Cleland-Smith works for Logica in the PR Department and does this from Notting Hill. Susie Jenkins hadn’t changed a jot, I swear, when I saw her at the September dinner. She is now the Training and Events Officer at the Institute for Health Sector Development. Chris Ward left us for Bristol where he gained a First in Engineering, followed by a Masters. Now Flying Officer Ward, he graduated from No. 200 Initial Training Course. He’s now at Cranwell. Benita Shelley, aka Bumble, gained her Masters degree in Forensic Psychology and worked with the Sussex police for a while. But now she’s on the move and was last heard of in NZ, waitressing, while her partner is removing parts of the Frans Joseph glacier. Edward Hoppitt was the UK Extreme Champion of Robot Wars in 2002 and this year he’s aiming for the UK and World titles. I obviously cannot say how he has done but I do ask you to watch the final and see if Woodbridge School can produce a World Champ! Ed McGough was last reported living in Western Australia. He said it’s a small world as he met up with an old Farlingaye pupil in Perth the other day. Well there’s enough OWs to meet in Oz, I can tell you. Philip Sutton has been in Santiago de Chile for three years. Thomas Hicks psychology graduate of Oxford Brookes was touring the world and e-mailed from Francis Light’s stamping grounds in Penang. Francis left us mid 18thC.

1997. Edward Longhurst-Pierce is ‘living the dream’ - his own words - studying and enjoying life in Mexico. He’s a translator/art analyst. He has seen a lot of France and Peru in the long trek to Aztecland. Hennie Mayne is in her final year at Newcastle studying History of Art and Religion with Philosophy. This will lead her to do events management in London with every possibility, she affirms, of announcing her engagement to Orlando Bloom or Prince William in the near future. You will find her in Reigate. Sarah Cleland-Smith now lives at Notting Hill. After school she went on a trip to Oz with Chris Ward and Martin Johnston. She’s done a degree in Sports Rehab. at St. Mary’s College and here I quote, ‘Now I practice early to late stage musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation and teach one-one-one Pilates.’ No, I don’t understand it either but I bet she does a good job. Joanne Drury graduated well in Psychology from Leicester, lives in Uttoxeter, is working with old folk and hoping to specialise in psychiatric care. Lee Hibbert graduated in Veterinary Pathology at Guildhall, London. Last heard of at an international cattle veterinary conference in Amsterdam. Clare Garrard did a degree in Acoustic Engineering at Soton, worked for Mencap and Leonard Cheshire and is now in Dorset, running a project promoting effective communication for people with learning difficulties. She’s a bit of a fiddler in a group and tours America with a folk band. Kim Digby was after more academic qualifications when last I met her.

1998. Catherine Norton has surfaced after college and is to be found working for Aldeburgh Productions, in the press office. Clare Laughlin of Stoke Newington has also emerged. She’s a senior account manager with BT, looking after Blockbuster, Paramount Pictures - that kind of company. She talks of sales order targets of £70m! She’s working opposite St.Pauls. Still a BIG Ipswich fan. Dave Henderson was looking for work when we met him at the KH lunch. He’s had a great year travelling and this sensibly included the Cricket World Cup in SA and then the Rugby World Cup in Aussie. He did a bit of work for a scuba diving school amid all this. Daniel Day, ace historian, is teaching English in France and looking to a doctorate in History after that. Doctor Day - sounds good. Gavin Hudson got a First in French and Italian, with oral distinctions, at Durham. He is now at Sandhurst for a commissioning year as officer/cadet. Look out the sword of honour - you may be coming back to Woodbridge! Laura Hoppitt is in her final year of a doctorate, studying the effect of negative biases in anxiety and depression. She’s the Cognitive and Brain Unit at Cambridge. Oh, and she does Kung Fu for kids for relaxation. Sheetal Soni has graduated and is now teaching in Japan for a year.

1999. Oliver Dutton works for a record label and is also a freelance PR Consultant. He lives in London E1. Dulcie Cramp took a Fine Art Printing Degree at Norwich School of Art and Design. Find her at Fram. Richard Hardcastle is working for a Lloyds Insurance Syndicate in London. Toby Francis-Bromley works and lives in central London having studied International Relations. He works in the Cabinet Office in Whitehall, drawing up legislation, it seems. Elizabeth Ritchie is a graphic designer, working at Aldeburgh. Nice to see her at the Xmas KH meeting. Annie Holland sent a greeting from Accrington in Lancs. And just when I thought 1999 was getting a bit thin I met Symona Pascoe and Natalie Osborne in the KH. Symona graduated last year from UWE Bristol 2:1. Well done! She’s temping with AXA at the mo., prior to finding a top graduate post - possibly working abroad. Natalie lives in Gran Canaria and is a scuba diver instructor. She’s been there for 18 months. Nice. Ruth Saunders is a qualified physio working in a London hospital.

2000. Gemma Croskell is at UEA studying Biomedicine. She’s in the Squash Team and plans to travel round Aussie before undertaking PGCE primary school teaching. Rupert Marlowe is Manager of Kingpin in Martlesham. Alexandra Brierley writes to say that she is embarking on a career in arts management. She is missing Oxford already. Anna Wallis graduated UCL with a First Class degree in Neuro Science with Medical Sciences. Rachel Carr is at Reading, final year of French and English.

2001. Rebecca Alexander spent the year in Perugia, Italy, as part of her language course and will be next heard of in China, which she plans to explore this Easter. Before that she will study History of Art. Oh and another claim to fame is that she ran part of the Florence Marathon..... 200 metres! James Bush is a student of mechatronics at UMIST in Manchester. He’s president of the Live Action Role Play Society. Olivia Neal is in her second year at Canterbury, rather madly studying to be a teacher. In January she went to France to try out her training so far on the hapless French. It was there that she innocently attended an ice hockey match only to be battered by a flying puck. She had to return to England for treatment. William Hardcastle is in his final year at Leeds with a job lined up at KPMG next year. Nick Wellings is at Kent studying Anthropology and is hoping to continue his studies with an M.A. Emma Norton is working in Aldeburgh, doing Literature and Philosophy at UEA. Phil McGough popped over to Oz for Xmas, visiting brother Ed. in Perth. Phil’s at college and doing a lot of acting and trampolining. Came 5th in the Advanced Men’s section of the Manchester Open. Ian KTKK Kitson is a student of Loughborough but an ace golfer too and won the Seckford Trophy and the Matchplay hampionship. A career in golf looks likely. Paddy Steen came and worked in the development Office for a while He discovered many a lost OW and we do thank him for his efforts, some of which are tucked away in these pages.... actually a lot of which. Many thanks Paddy. Ellie Hawkes is reading History at Newnham College, Cambridge.

2002. Jessica Clark can be found at Reading University, second year of sociology. Georgina Joss is reading Anthropology at UCL. She’s involved with the Big Jazz band and vocal group, and has been spotted on stage at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Anthony Marlowe is at Gonville and Caius reading Theology and Religious Studies. Bro Oliver Marlowe is a Chef de Partie at the Windows Restaurant in the Park Lane Hilton. Tom Markland has been awarded a Brackenbury scholarship, in the gift of Balliol College, Oxford. Well done!

2003. Jonathan Hammler is playing in rock bands at Guildford, with a bit of part-time work, and goes to Surrey Uni next October. Tom O’Neill came along to the KH lunch, enjoying the freedom of a gap-year before seeking a Uni place for next year. Alistair Wiggins is a Chemistry student of York Uni. Graeme Page is nearer to home, working at Queen’s House for his gap year before setting out on the long but rewarding road to Veterinary Medicine. Stuart Wade is studying for a degree in management and Tourism at Surrey. He’s a keen scuba diver. Ben Head is also at Surrey, reading Business Management. He’s playing rugby for the college and went with Stuart and Frances Manning to welcome the English rugby lads back from Down Under, where I believe they had won a trophy. Alice Newton is working at Wells Cathedral School during her gap year while all the big colleges line up to persuade her to study music with them. It seems that St. Catherine’s College, Oxford have won. Molly Grier is off to the Caribbean to do voluntary work in a school before taking up a place at Kings College to master the arts of war Studies and Philosophy. Nice combo. ‘Tis there that she will find Sarah Piper, a student in the War Studies Department and a keen member of the University Royal Naval Unit - an officer cadet. It does not surprise to learn that Sarah hopes to join the RN proper in 2006. Katie Wyke is at Hereford Cathedral School doing an Alice Newton. (See above!) She’ll be off to study Theology after that. ‘Ren’ Wybrow is able to smile again after the Freshers ball at Canterbury. Juliette Hodges is doing a foundation course in Art and Design at Suffolk College and hopes to study Theatre Design at St. Martin’s in London. Bro Sam Hodges, she reports, is just completing his studies in English at Cambridge and has started his own theatre company. Emily Clarke is at Northampton learning Spanish and studying some Law. She also reports on a brother, Lewis Clarke, 1997, working in college admin at Bristol. James McNally is a student of Loughborough, studying politics and playing quite a few games. James Ayris plays rugby for Woodbridge RUFC and hopes to go a-travelling this spring. Rupert Myers is a law student of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, rows for the college, debates avidly, met Clare Short, stood for President of the College and played Ratty in Toad of Toad Hall, not necessarily in that order. Charles Markland is a Chemist of Christ Church College, Oxford and a member of the elite Oxford general Knowledge Squad. Talking of squads, Philippa Whittingham is in the England U19 Rugby squad and hopes to gain international honours this year. She’s looking forward to putting one over on the Welsh! We’ll keep you informed of developments.

It was great to see Sophie Payne back here in February. She had left us in Year 10 a few years ago to move to Australia, taking her chess talents. She’s now the Western Australian Women’s champion. She hopes to go to Curtin University in Perth to study Pharmacy.

OWs on the staff.

James Hillman. 1983

Lou van Zwanenberg. 1983

Alison Tyndale-Biscoe. (now Hillman.) 1984

Adam Lubbock. 1989

Wendy Smith. (now McInally) 1989

Jonathan Percival. 1992

Jo Midleditch.

Send me news of yourself for inclusion here.

Long live the Old Woodbridgians. MAW