OPA Newsletter June 1976
New Series No. 30
June 1976
THE OLD PHAROSIANS’
NEWS LETTER
President:
M. G. SAYERS, Esq.
Secretary:
B. A. Harrison, Esq., 50 Valley Road, River, Dover. (Kearsney 3066).
Treasurer:
Rev. W. F. Kemp, The Rectory, Denton, Canterbury.
Editor:
E. H. Baker, Esq., 24 Downs Road, Maidstone.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 1976
The A.G.M. will be held at the Dover Stage Hotel, on Saturday, 18th September, 1976, at 7.30 p.m.
AGENDA
- To read the notice convening the meeting.
- To receive apologies.
- To read the minutes of the previous A.G.M.
- To consider matters arising.
- To receive the Treasurer’s report.
- To receive the Secretary’s report.
- To elect Officers and Committee for 1976-77.
- Any other business.
The programme for the evening is as follows:
6.45 p.m. BAR opens.
7.30 p.m. Annual General Meeting in the Ballroom.
8.30 p.m. (approximately). BAR re-opens.
Association members (including past and present members of the School Staff) who cannot attend the meeting will be most welcome at the Bar, as of course are wives.
Dinner (à la carte) can be arranged for those who want to make a night of it, but I shall need to know numbers in advance.
Bernard Harrison (Hon. Secretary).
HALLOWEEN BALL
It has always been the President’s prerogative to indicate to your Committee the type of function he would like to hold in the autumn and whatever the format, this has always followed the A.G.M.
This year sees a break with tradition insofar as the two functions have been separated. The A.G.M. is being held on 18th September and full details are given above.
For the Social function, it has been decided to repeat the highly successful May Ball formula and hold a Halloween Ball on Saturday, 30th October, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the School. Dancing will be to the Martin Brown Band, drinks are on American Supper lines, dress is optional. Mrs. Parfitt and her staff will again be providing a Super Supper, and all this for only £2.00 per ticket.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the routine, it is customary to reserve a table at the dance which automatically gives you a reciprocal supper table in the dining-room.
It is anticipated that this dance will be considerably over-subscribed as friends and parents are also being invited. Since tickets are being strictly limited to 200 and sold on a first come, first served basis, the need to return your reservation slip by the suggested date cannot be over emphasised.
Bernard Harrison.
MICHAEL CARVER
The many Old Boys who knew Michael on the playing-field and in the classroom will regret to learn of his tragic death on the 19th April, 1976. He came straight from Oxford to teach Geography at the School in 1964.
He was vigorous in and out of the classroom and could not be persuaded to come up from the playing-fields at the right time. Nor could he resist buying books about his subject or undertaking expeditions with such titles as “arduous training”.
He left us in 1967 to become Head of the Geography Department at the Mathematical School, Rochester. This Easter he was spending part of his holiday with boys on the Isle of Skye when he fell two hundred feet to his death.
The School was represented at his funeral. We shall remember him with much affection.
K.H.R.
GLEANINGS
A reminder that subscriptions are due on the 1st August, and it would greatly assist the Treasurer if these could be paid promptly. “Cash flow” is the “in” expression these days so get yours flowing now.
Miss Rookwood is now in St. Bertha’s Ward, Hill House Hospital, Minster. She appreciates the efforts made by Old Boys to visit her even if recognition is slow due to failing eyesight.
The School Soccer XI were champions in Division II of the East Kent Wednesday League, a good performance as they compete against Service and civilian teams.
We regret to report the resignation of Graham Tutthill (1960-65) from our Committee. His loss is the greater because he was one of the most active “young” members of the Association.
Guest Evening will be held at the School on Friday, 12th November.
The Association tie may now be obtained from George Lock, Biggin Street, Dover, price £2.20 each.
Any O.P. wishing to play in the Soccer Match against the School on 18th September, at 2.30 p.m., should contact Ken Ruffell.
Heard from “Doc” Hinton that he enjoys reading the Newsletter and he has written to “The Rook”. He was Guest Speaker at the Girls’ Grammar School Speech Day last November.
The Headmaster has been elected President of the Dover & Deal Branch of the National Association of Head Teachers.
In addition to the Old Boys’ Cadet Prize, the Committee have decided to make an Award for Outdoor Education.
The President spoke to School Leavers on 21st May and we look forward to many joining the Association when they leave School at the end of term.
See that “Ruffell” still plays for the Cosmos. Surely the veteran of local cricket.
NEWS OF OLD BOYS
John DARBY (1920-29), a former President of the Association, has been seriously ill for some months, but we are glad to learn that, by existing on a very low protein diet, the effects of the kidney deficiency are now under control. He now lives in a ground floor flat at Regent Court, 216 Garstang Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancs.
Rt. Rev. E. A. J. MERCER (1929-36), Bishop of Exeter, gave away his only daughter, Bridget, at her marriage in Exeter Cathedral, on the 10th April. Royal Marine Officers formed a Guard of Honour.
W. Sangster BORTHWICK, G.M. (1927-33) is employed by A.W.R.E. Aldermaston, but seconded to the Science Research Council for whom he fires research rockets. They are launched mainly from South Uist, Outer Hebrides, but he has also launched from Anderes (Norway), Kiruna (Sweden) and Sondrestromfjord (Greenland). The payloads carried by the rockets to the ionosphere are supplied generally by Universities. “Who knows, some Old Boy has built one?”.
J. R. E. (Dick) WHITE (1927-35) has gone to Hong Kong for three years. He hopes Rick RALPH (1928-34) will be able to visit him from Melbourne where Rick is Merchant Navy Captain of the Port. Dick’s brother, Michael (W. M. E.) (1924-31), lives at Lands Down, Petworth Road, Haslemere, still plays cricket and is captain of the local side.
Dennis LOVERIDGE (1934-40) called at the School in May and remembers Miss Rookwood for the excellent grounding she gave. He is now the R.A.C. representative in Weston-super-Mare, and has a son and daughter at Dr. Hinton’s school.
Brian RIGDEN (1934-43), 22 Cubbington Road, Leamington Spa, after ten years as Head of Modern Languages, Coventry College of Education, has now joined the Coventry Advisory Service. It was with sadness that we learnt of the death of his mother-in-law, the widow of “Billy” Baxter.
Brian A. ROBB (1943-48), 50 Hartsdown Road, Margate, is with the Electricity Board and frequently passes through Dover on his visits to the Folkestone Office.
John HOPKINS (1964-71) obtained his Geology Degree at Swansea, and has worked in Norway and the East Indies. He is going to North Borneo where he is employed by an American company.
George A. STOURTON (1927-34), 21 Lennox Road, Gravesend. He is Wood and Metalwork Master at Gravesend School for Boys, and looking forward to retirement in 1977. Recently visited “The Rook”.
J. K. THOMPSON, C.M.G. (1922-31), is Director of Staff at the Commonwealth Institute, Kensington. He was in Dover in May and spent a morning at the School.
Gordon EVANS (1943-50) came to the School this summer when his son was playing cricket for Simon Langton. Gordon is employed in Canterbury for the Water Company.
Philip JANAWAY (1943-52) is to be congratulated on his promotion to Deputy Head of Astor School. He has taught there for many years with K. E. ALCOCK (1935-41) and G. RUCK (1946-53).
Barry CLARK (1956-60) after working as a technician at Buckland and two London hospitals, he obtained an honours degree in biochemistry at Birmingham University. He is now at King Faisal Memorial Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
John HOPPER (1945-50) is the Minister of Andover Baptist Church and the new President of the Southern Baptist Association.
Kieron JONES (1962-68), 52 Chalky Bank, Gravesend, is in the C.I.D., Kent Police and has joined the Association.
E. John BINFIELD (1923-26), 35 The Gateway, Dover, has retired as Senior North Sea Pilot with Hammonds after 25 accident-free years with the Company. During the war he served with the Malta convoys and received the D.S.C.
David LANGLEY (1958-63), 7 Francis Chichester Road, South Ascot, has been awarded a Master of Science Degree in applied immunology at Brunel University. After seven years as technician at Buckland he worked in numerous hospitals and research establishments and in 1975 was awarded a three year research fellowship for the detection of heart diseases at St. Bart’s, London. He is visiting lecturer in clinical chemistry at Paddington College. He and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Muge), have three daughters.
Richard G. SPEAR (1941-46), Beachwood House, Lady Margaret Road, Sunningdale, is the Managing Director of Cheeseborough-Ponds in the U.K.
R. HAWKES (1965-72) has completed his training at St. John’s College, York, and is to be assistant teacher of music at Enscote Lawn School, Warwick, in September.
G. L. A. SMITH (1955-63) has been in the Medical Laboratory at Buckland Hospital since leaving School. His brother, P. R. SMITH (1960-66) is a Building Inspector with Shepway Council.
John MEADOWS (1961-68) tried courses in Business Studies and Geography, but eventually his interest in faraway places took him twice to India by overland journeys. He has now settled to a job with Lazer International Transport, Dover.
Johnathan AYLEN (1962-69) followed courses of study in Economics and Social Science at Sussex and Oxford. He is lecturer at Salford University.
Michael AYLEN (1957-64) is Headmaster at St. Margaret’s-at-Cliffe Primary School.
Charles CLEMENTS (1955-62) has left Dover Health Centre to set up in private practice in Derbyshire as a dental surgeon.
Paul WOOD (1961-68) has gained the Inst. of Mech. Engineers prize for the most outstanding award in his higher national diploma studies at Southampton College of Technology. Employed by B.P. he hopes to go to sea as a junior engineer.
Philip SCRIVENER (1966-73) is a reporter with the Dover Express.
VALETE
Mr. J. Marriott, Mr. R. W. Murphy and Mr. N. Woollett, all Housemasters, are retiring in July. Mr. Marriott and Mr. Murphy came in 1946 and soon took charge of the Departments of Modern Languages and English respectively. Mr. Woollett came in 1954 and has taught in the Modern Languages Department. Between them, in addition to being Housemasters, they have edited the Pharos, looked after teams, arranged foreign travel, taken responsibility for the Library and carried out other duties too numerous to mention here.
Old Boys will remember them with affection and wish them well in their retirement.
K.H.R.
PHAROS LODGE
If you missed the Annual Re-union or May Ball you can still meet old friends and brothers if you come along to the Old Boys’ Masonic Lodge-Pharos Lodge 6967. We meet on the third Saturdays in October, November, January, February, March and April. Enquiries to join the Lodge are welcomed. SecretaryAlex Lyons, Sandymount, 55 Crabble Hill, Dover (Kearsney 2744). This year’s Master is Colin Brice and the Wardens are Jack Pascall and John Beer. We look forward to your enquiries.
R.W.W.
MAY BALL
School, Parents and Old Boys join forces every year to mount this successful social function. This year the Head sent a letter to Parents saying that only 200 tickets would be printed and application should be made at once. The tickets were sold in two days. To accommodate Old Boys and others who wished to come, the numbers were stretched to 220 and the Band was despatched to the Minstrels’ Gallery.
The President spoke to the assembled company before supper, and the Vice-President took one look at the occasion and asked for a repeat performance on 30th October.
K.H.R.
YOUNGER OLD BOYS’ SOCIAL
This year, the recent School-leavers’ social evening has been switched from the Eagle Hotel to the Cricket Pavilion on Crabble Athletic Ground.
It will be held at 8 p.m., on Friday, 17th December and the organisers hope that by choosing a later date, more University and College members will be able to attend, as well giving themselves a chance to recover on Saturday morning.
Reminders/acceptance slips will be sent to those Old Boys who leave School in July of this year. Other members should let me know if they are coming so that I can order the correct amount of food.
Bernard Harrison.
CRICKET. 20th August, 1977. Kent v. Somerset at Dover.