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The Notley OakThe Hon. Secretary has ordered four new benches to replace the rotting hexagonal seating around the Notley Oak. This was made possible with numerous donations from OB members and with a contribution from the Old Bethanians' Society Appeal Fund. When installed and landscaped, the new seating will demonstrate the OBS' continued contribution to the Bethany environment. That's enough benches for now! We are now looking at providing funding for an all weather games area as the next project for the school. RJP |
Interest in the OBS Website remains strongThe OBS web site has now been online for 2 years and visitor levels have stayed pleasingly high: over the twelve months up to the end of October 2002, the average monthly number of visitors has risen to 775. The figure for the previous twelve months was 455. This has been very gratifying for the committee members involved with the development and maintenance of the site but all agree that there is room for improvement. We are looking for more content and the best source for more material must be the site's visitors! We would welcome articles and stories on any Bethany-related subject. Please send us your recollections about your life at school, anecdotes about friends or staff, pictures and other memorabilia. Another use for the site is to post details of reunions and social gatherings. We would also like to hear from people who have re-established contact through the web site. We are also in the process of extending the application of the web site and making use of email technology by introducing an E-MEMBERSHIP option. New members of the society are being given the option of taking the standard membership, which consists of periodic newsletters and the annual school magazine all delivered by post, or a new "E" option. This option will mean the members instead receiving email newsletters, saving the society administration time and postage costs. The magazine content will be available through the web site and this represents a further cost saving for the society. To reflect this saving, the E-MEMBERSHIP will last for 8 years for new leavers, as compared with 5 years for the traditional postal membership. Those seeking to join The Society who are not new leavers can have this E-MEMBERSHIP for an annual charge of £5, instead of the current subscription of £15 p.a.. Those who are already members but who think the "E" service would suit them better can also request this option. Another development on the web site is planned. We intend to make email addresses (where supplied to us) for current members of the society available on a more consistent basis to those members who take the "E" option. Obviously this feature will be most useful and more beneficial if all members who have email addresses let us know and give us permission the make them available to members. In order to facilitate this we enclosed with the magazine a summary of the details held in our membership database for each member. It is an opportunity to check that the details we hold are correct. However, the form also allows members to opt for the "E" option and provide us with their email address and permission to make it available to other members. Since the site exists to facilitate communication between the society and its members and encourage contact between the members, we urge all who use email to take up the offer and help make this feature a success. The development work required on the web site will take place in the next few weeks and it may result in the site being unavailable for short periods from time to time. Apologies in advance! Richard Robbins |
One of our cyclists is missing!Richard Robbins recalls an "educational" trip to France and perhaps early signs of the Skene Catling Trust... Recently I was regaling a friend with a story about one of my many (well, two) camping trips to France when something "pinged" in the back of my mind. Knowing that the OBS section of the school magazine was soon to be put together was the link I suppose, but I was reminded of something that Skene Catling had said and the resulting chain of events which included me colliding with a German camper on a scooter... In 1977 I entered the Lower Sixth and attacked my chosen A levels with vigour. I was studying English, French and Geology, the teachers being Skene Catling, Harry Salmon and Paul Holmes respectively. This tale does not involve any further mention of Geology but I may well re-visit that subject on another occasion. The other members of my French class were Justin Mundy and Greg Elliott. As we approached the end of the first A level year Harry Salmon suggested that we should try to spend some time in France during the summer to improve (or perhaps make a start on) our conversational skills. The discussions that followed are now lost in the mists of time but I do recall that we were very enthusiastic about the idea and before we knew it we had resolved to go cycling and camping in France for two or three weeks. Looking back it was a strange decision because, as I recall, Greg was the only one who actually possessed a bicycle! However, we did not let that minor detail stand in our way and we started planning with gusto!
There were second thoughts when we later studied our route, having bought an extra map to cover the little diversion. However, both Justin and Greg were also studying History and the opportunity to experience such an interesting site seemed too good to pass by (they thought). I reconciled myself to the extra kilometres on the basis that we might well pass some interesting geological features (and £10 in those days bought a lot of wine, especially in France!). Fortunately, there is not the space or time to recount our adventures in full. The events which stick in my mind are: - My meeting with the German scooter which resulted from the "ride on the right" sticker having disappeared from my handlebars by the time we reached Versailles. I turned a corner onto the wrong (British) side of the road to the surprise and annoyance of the scooter rider. I thought at the time that he was over-reacting since he had remained on the road and it was I who visited the pavement and grass verge after ricocheting off his front wheel. - As a result of this incident I spent the remaining two thirds of our expedition with only 4th and 5th gears. I can not decide whether this made our overall progress quicker or slower! - Greg and I lost Justin somewhere between Versailles and Honfleur. This in turn was partly due to the fact that my surviving gearing resulted in me maintaining quite a high average speed, especially going downhill, which we tried to do whenever possible. Greg, who was the fittest on the group, and I suddenly came upon the right hand turning we were expecting. It was at the end of a long downhill stretch and on negotiating the corner we were faced with a worrying uphill section. To avoid losing the (not insignificant) momentum I had generated I changed down to my uphill gear (4th) and encouraged Greg to press on. Some time later Justin, who was probably the least fit of the group (I do not think he would object to that description) and who only had three gears at his disposal (one more than me, mind) negotiated the same corner by going straight on. I suppose with hindsight we should not have been too surprised since we had been some way ahead of him and he did not carry the maps since they slowed him down. When he did not reach the top of the slope which Greg and I had conquered there followed some futile riding around like headless chickens (a mixed metaphor for which Skene would certainly have shouted at me despairingly) and we decided we should press on towards the Normandy coast. Surely we would bump into him. How big could France be? Some days later, after much soul-searching, I (why me?) made one of the most difficult phone calls I have ever had to make - to Justin's mother. It went something like "Hello, it's Richard Robbins here, yes from France. Yes, we're having a lovely time. Is Justin there?". It transpired that he was not there (nor should I have expected him to be, even if he had been equipped with the full five gears!) but he had been in touch with her and was en route for Sussex having met up with some other English cycling students whose company he later admitted he found more interesting and enjoyable than Greg and I. Greg and I completed our journey and all three of us later agreed it was an extremely rewarding experience on all fronts. Our French improved (we all passed), a few lessons were learned in the area of road safety and I picked up a smattering (almost a splattering) of German. The days spent at Versailles were certainly the cultural and educational highlight of the trip. There is no doubt in my mind that were it not for Skene's encouragement (both persuasive and financial) I would have reached my current advanced age without seeing the palace and the surrounding area and I am grateful to him and of course to Harry Salmon for encouraging us to broaden our horizons and continue our education away from Bethany. With hindsight it was no surprise to me and to others who knew Skene Catling that following his death the Catling Trust was established from funds bequeathed to a trust fund. The Trust awards cash sums to pupils who undertake educational and cultural Summer Holiday or Gap Year projects, particularly those which are in sympathy with Skene's interests, which included art, architecture, France, drama, wine and youth work. I can remember the pleasure he derived from listening to us recount our adventures and there is no better way for him to be remembered than by the Trust continuing to contribute to the broader education of children at Bethany. |
My marathon hellYes, we've all heard what a marvellous celebration of the human spirit the marathon is, but what is it really like to run it? Not very nice actually, as Dan Rookwood explains. I spent the two weeks before the marathon sat with my feet up, doing nothing. Not because I felt I'd done all the training I needed to do, and was just winding down before the big day, but because on bank holiday Monday, while doing my final big run, I had crippled myself. I was desperately hoping that a fortnight's recuperation might be enough to get me through. Now that I have done it, I almost wish I hadn't bothered. I ran the whole thing in more agony than words can convey and can move nothing below my waist today. I need another two weeks with my feet up now. The worst part of the race for me was crossing the start line. There were 12 minutes of jog-walk before that point and up to then, everything felt fine. But at the very moment that I started my stop-watch, I felt a twinge in my knee and my heart sank. I knew then that I had exactly 26.2 miles of pain ahead of me. I even thought I might have to give up straight away, but once I got into a rhythm and began to drink in the sense of occasion, the pain settled down. Well, it was that and four ibuprofen tablets. For the first hour, I was easily running nine-minute miles and seemed on course for hitting my sub-four-hour target. Throughout my training I had never known for sure what I was capable of. I had never run anything like this distance before so had no frame of reference. But I knew that fitness was not a problem. I have never been fitter in my life. The only thing that could stop me was my left knee. I didn't know whether I should run quickly while the painkillers were working or try and run within myself to limit the damage and pain I would feel when they wore off. Running with a mobile made spotting friends and relatives so much easier. I was delighted to see my parents very early on. And then just after I passed the Cutty Spark I spotted all my housemates with their banner: "Gebrselassie is slowing," read one: "You can still win it!" said another. Like everyone else I had a wad of loo paper in a sweat proof bag in my pocket just in case I had an attack of runner's trots. Intense physical exertion often messes up your digestive system and loosens the bowels which can empty themselves without warning down the back of your legs. I had taken some Imodium tablets to bung me up so that I wouldn't have cause to use the loo paper. I later saw one person who clearly hadn't got either. There was also the problem of drinking. I was never without a bottle of mineral water or Lucozade Sport and that meant I had to stop off for a loo break a couple of times, but I wasn't the only one with such a bright idea and the queues were vast. There were even queues for the bushes. After the second time I decided not to go again if I could possibly avoid it. My knee seized up in agreement. As well as people handing out water and sponges, there were St John's Ambulance volunteers with huge vats of Vaseline for runners to dab at in order to separate the sweat from the chafe. I saw several runners cupping their breasts in pain, with blood weeping from their nipples and staining their T-shirts. I remember feeling a huge sense of elation as I passed under the 13.1 mile banner at the half-way stage. The pain was always there but it was bearable, I felt that if it didn't get too much worse I should be able to make it. Looking around I could see grown men in tears, sitting crumpled by an Ambulance wrapped in Adidas-sponsored tin foil - the pain of non-completion looked worse than mine. But the longer I went on, the more lame I became. I really began to slow down around Canary Wharf at the 17-mile stage. My girlfriend phoned to ask whether they had missed me. She and my housemates had been waiting at the 20-mile mark for some time. I was fairly short with her but did ask if she could get me some more Nurofen. I had to start rationing the painkillers though. I was definitely taking too many. I saw all my supporters at the 20-mile mark but I could not return their initial smiles. All their faces dropped when they saw how much anguish mine was displaying. I also missed a call from my sister who had been following the race on television. I got her voice message a couple of miles later. She was phoning up to congratulate me, for by now I must surely have finished. True, I should have done. My watch said 4 hours and 10 minutes and I had been aiming to finish inside 4 hours. If truth be told I wanted to be nearer 3 1/2, though I hadn't told anyone that. However, when I got her message I was just hobbling over the cobbles at the Tower of London with about 6 miles still to go and my left leg was so lame that I was running solely on my right. Then the knee on that leg started to hurt as well and my right hamstring cramped up. I could see an ambulance ahead and at that stage I really thought about giving in. I could hardly walk let alone run. But I just knew I had to finish. And I knew that if I stopped, even for a moment's treatment, everything would seize up and I'd never start again. So I did what I vowed I'd never do and walked. For about two miles. I stretched into my stride as I did so, trying to squeeze every last drop of energy from my taut and aching muscles as I made my weary way up to the Embankment - the home stretch. I was forced to hobble slower than a walk. Old men were striding past me and looking back with pity. People running with army rucksacks and ridiculously heavy fancy dress costumes. They deserved their rapturous applause. I didn't think I did. I shut my eyes to the pain and grimaced. I could hear the occasional comment of "Owch. Look at him" and "You wonder why they do it." I was asking myself the same question. In the distance I could see the 25-mile mark and I looked down at my watch with disgust. This was going to be an embarrassing time. I had 20 minutes till I hit 5 hours and I was determined not to exceed that. So - even though I had never been in more pain in my life - I started to run. The last 1.2 miles seemed to last forever and I had my eyes tightly shut for most of them but I got an adrenaline kick which carried me on and I knew I was going to make it. I saw my supporters as I crossed the line and then felt a strange mix of emotions: relief and elation at just having got round despite my injuries on one side, and embarrassment and disappointment with my time on the other: 4 hours and 56 miserable minutes. But intense pain was the overriding sensation - and the lasting one too. |
OBITUARIES
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NEWS OF OLD BETHANIANSA request from the Webmaster: wouldn't it be great to have some photos against some of the names here? Can you help? Please email (or post - I'll scan and return and pictures) any suitable images. Contact details here.
Rick Cresswell, formally Simkins, enjoys his family life in Exeter, where he lives with his wife Sharon and two young daughters, Jasmin and Emily. He and his wife are working hard to build up their film production company focusing mainly on "product filming". Su Roper, ex staff, continues her teaching in Brunei, though she finds the "untamed fauna" roaming her classrooms something of a challenge, especially as she describes the teaching syllabus as a "Victorian classic". She is working hard on her own studies and hopes to return permanently to the UK in 2004. John Nolan, who was excited recently to come across the "von Werra" 2nd. World War fighter plane crash on Winchet Hill, continues to enjoy his work for BT. He spent a fortnight of his summer holidays in July driving with a friend to Monte Carlo, Turin, Basel and back, a distance of about 1800 miles. His Mother, who was until recently the Assistant Nurse at Bethany, has bought a cottage in Cranbrook. Kate Johnson, who left after GCSEs to be at home with her Mother in Dover when she returned from the Philippines, achieved A levels in English, Music, and Classics. She started at Warwickshire College in September, reading Equine Studies, helped by the recent purchase of a horse. Bill and Gwen Harvey were proud parents at the marriage of their elder daughter Judith to Colm in Cheltenham on 10th August. Following her parents, Judith is a teacher as is their younger son, David. Bill and Gwen have now moved into a more convenient flat almost in the centre of Cheltenham whilst spending significant amounts of time in their French farmhouse. Bill continues his work with the Woodard Corporation, which is due to finish in 2003 and is a churchwarden in Cheltenham whilst Gwen has finished her RSPCA school's work. He and Gwen were at Bethany in October for the opening of the new Library, named after him, in the recently restored South Wing. Richard Skudder completed his four year training in osteopathy in July with a first class BSc Honours as well as the college Technique Prize. He is currently working for two practices, in Haywards Heath and in Sittingbourne, where he can keep in touch with his mother after his father's sudden death in the summer. Christopher Day, second son of Mr Day, who teaches Maths at Bethany, is spending his Gap Year as a Health Care Assistant at the famous St. Thomas's Hospital in London. Here he works a twelve hour shift which, with commuting from Cranbrook, means a very early start. He hopes to begin his degree course training at Barts next September. Martin King, also a boarder in The Mount at one time, started his training for the Ministry in September at Oakhill Theological College and he and Sharon have moved up to London from Cheltenham, where they worshipped at the same church as Bill and Gwen Harvey. Martin discovered Tony Beauchamp's youngest son also beginning training at the college. Philip Sutton is currently studying for his Independent Financial Advisor exams. He is the Events Manager for a big catering firm in London and freelances as a butler for private functions, where he has met an amazing range of celebrities. He is able therefore to afford to live in a pleasant part of South West London. Another Londoner, Lynn Hua, whose younger brother is currently a Deputy Head of School at Bethany, has spent her Gap Year working very hard for her parents in the family restaurant business as well as enjoying some extensive travelling to France, Switzerland, Canaries and Quebec. She hopes that she will be able to settle down to study at Reading, where she started in September. Joanie Yeung, who also left Bethany eighteen months ago, is at university in Canada. As part of her course she has been spending some weeks teaching in Thailand, which she has found very hot with a rather slow pace of life as a result. She was surprised to find what a huge respect the Thais had for England to the extent of naming their children Beckham or Owen. Her school is in the country where the telephone is too expensive to be widely available and her school has one line, for emergencies only! Gavin Lloyd-Thomas, at school in the early 1980s, enjoyed six years in the army, Sandhurst, Bosnia, Northern Ireland and finished as a Captain. Seeing only a limited future here, he learned to fly privately and was accepted as a pilot by British Airways, on short haul European flights. He hopes to gain his captaincy within the next couple of years and is now renovating a cottage at Hands Cross. Robert Fenech also ran this year's London Marathon, (see Dan Rookwood's article above). He describes the race as "an extremely painful experience and something I have not yet forgotten!" but recovered sufficiently quickly to enjoy his first pint by early Sunday evening. His training clearly paid off with a time of 3 hours 55 minutes and his sponsorship money raised for CLIC amounted to £2500. Although Robert doesn't expect to be running again he did find it a very humbling experience. The grand-daughter of F W Callow visited the school in May. There seemed to have been a goodly collection of the Callow family at Bethany about the turn of the century, Frederick William, Harold, born 1881, Herbert Victor, born 1882, Henry Andrew Cook, born 1876 and Frederick Henry, born 1906. They clearly had a very strong connection with Bethany, hence the Callow Cup. Rezal Rahim writes proudly from Malaysia to say that a baby daughter was born to him in April. He thinks this may be sufficient family now that his son has just started primary school. He has selected a private school because of its small campus and small teacher-student ratio, which reminds him of the benefits of his Bethany experience. Peter Garrett, an early A level Geology student of Paul Holmes, is currently the Resident Geologist of Kleinkopje Colliery in South Africa. He left the gold mines four years ago to work for Anglo Coal, a division of Anglo American, worked underground for four years before being transferred to open cast. He has two children Christine, age eight, and Steven, age six. Jacob Reading writes that he has moved to Sandhurst, Surrey where he is in the antique business whilst his elder brother, Jonathan, has moved with his family up to Halifax. He is training to become a Motorbike Paramedic, so his pay is at present pretty meagre, but he rejoices in the recent birth of his third child, a boy named Mitchell. Joseph Hinnawi, who left in 1984 after three happy years in The Mount where his contemporaries were Mark Noakes, James Williamson and Phralad Patel, is currently working as an engineer on a road project in the west of Ireland. He graduated as a civil engineer from Greenwich University in 1990, after which he has worked on projects in Africa and the Middle East. Graham Maisey was delighted back in March to become a grandfather for the second time with the birth of baby girl Molly at 8lb 12oz. Tony Rolt, Director of Sport at Bethany, before Phil Marriott, has enjoyed being in charge of sport at Trent College since leaving Bethany. He has now been appointed the Housemaster of the Sixth Form House at the college and he and his wife, Pat who is a Head of a big infant school in nearby Derby, have enjoyed their new extended family. Their three boys have now left school, the youngest has just started at Loughborough, but all take after their father in their passionate interest in sport. Tony Beauchamp, a previous Chaplain at Bethany, and his wife, Anne, moved back to their house in Eastbourne in July after a spell in Cumbria. Tony took early retirement on medical grounds in the Spring but in spite of these trials he and Anne were thrilled at the marriage of their youngest son Julian to Julia Woolatt at Bredon in September. Another former Chaplain, David McIntosh, is now thoroughly into computers and is busy persuading game companies to market a new game he has invented and patented! He and Valerie, who live in Warrington, enjoyed a summer holiday in Eastbourne revisiting old haunts. David Hoad, another former teacher who was the Housemaster back in the 1950s, revisited the school in November last year and was amazed at the changes that have taken place in the intervening years. He is now retired and living in Wiltshire. Kevin Nicholls, who taught Art at Bethany in the 1980s, teaches at Mowden Hall in Northumberland. As well as teaching Art, Kevin is busy with rugby, often refereeing at other schools, and cricket coaching. He and his wife, Gail, who were at Old Poplars when it was a junior boys house, are thrilled at the confidence of their growing daughter, Holly, who is in her second year of the pre-prep department. Christian and Juliet Lanzer, who were back at Bethany for the opening of the new Library in South Wing this October, continue to enjoy their seven grandchildren with a big summer party for them all at Crowborough. They manage to escape regularly to Austria for music and walking in the hills, last year to the Salzburg Festival's scandalous Fledermaus and a marvellous Everyman. Jim and Ruth Kendon, living in Macclesfield, celebrated the birth of their first grandchild last March, a beautiful little girl, and have their own children scattered between New Zealand, Philip and Ann whom they visited in January, another trekking and travelling in India and Nepal and the youngest at Durham. They themselves continue to enjoy much music as well as walking in Scotland and nearby Peak District.
Peter Harris continues to enjoy the sunshine of Spain permanently but thinks he might shortly begin some work in Retail Estate Sales. He has recently become engaged to a Dutch girl, Carol, who is the tennis coach at a local club, Peter himself was quite a good tennis player at school and has clearly been continuing his game improvements. Adam Barnes gained his commercial pilot's licence in Florida last year since when he has been in Kenya flying for an estate at the foot of Mount Elgon where they grow roses and vegetables for export. He was back for a short visit to his parents who have moved to Water Lane, Hawkhurst and attended, rather noisily, the President's Dinner near Sevenoaks. Ian Jones, who keeps in touch with our Malaysian correspondent, Rezal Rahim, writes that he has been in the Entertainments Industry for the last four years and is currently working for 19 Management who produce "Pop Idol" on ITV on Saturday nights. They also represent acts such as S Club 7, Annie Lennox, Eurythmics and even the Spice Girls! He previously worked with the Walt Disney Company in their Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Sandy Gallie, who for some years was a regular Army Officer, is now the Bursar at King Edward's Whitley, Surrey and hopes to revisit Bethany. He meets the Bethany Bursar at various conferences from time to time. Brief news has been received of the following - Miles Clark, Graphic Design at Middlesex University, Adam Gerring, Estate Management at Oxford Brookes, Nick Vanderweide in Spain with his family, Steve Long a policeman in Wiltshire, Matthew Potter a policeman in Hove, Wael Afghani a dentist in London, Perry Jackson a clothing market salesman, Rachel Thurley, who graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2001, works as a theatre and wardrobe manager, Martyn Malone a bar manager in the City, Ruben Crouch managing Gap in Tunbridge Wells, Michael Malone Business and Marketing at Gloucestershire University, Matthew Roberts at the Football Academy in North London, Phillip Tapley Engineering Design at Sheffield Hallam, Richard Glazebrook Philosophy at Hertfordshire, Robert Moore Sports at Sheffield Hallam and playing for Rotherham's Rugby U21s, Tim Rose Foundation Art at Maidstone , though he could often be seen working behind the bar in the Star and Eagle before September, Michael Blundred a full time fireman in Docklands where "London's Burning" was filmed, Ollie Rogers Christchurch University, Canterbury, Andrew Wardley a professional photographer with the Kent Messenger which enables him to remain a "retained fireman" at Marden and Hawkhurst, Edwin Stretton-Smith Land Management at Reading University, Jake Helm Sports Studies at Roehampton, Matthew Thurley Personal Fitness Training which takes him all over the world, Jonathan Ayres Film and Production at Bromley College, Nic Simic a sales manager, lives in London, Jason Merricks after a Gap Year, at Plymouth, Peter Frearson learning the horticulture trade at Hawkhurst, Charles Barsley Computer Science at East Anglia and Ed Bourne Computing at Exeter. Peter BODY, who farms in the local area, plays bridge and recently discovered that one of his partners taught at Bethany in the 1970s - Harry Salmon (see the article "One of our cyclists is missing, above"!), who is now retired and living in Bethersden. Gordon Wade, now retired in Yorkshire, spent his career in banking in London. Farook Merali, at school in the early 1970s is currently living in Dallas, Texas and works for a company called Oracle. Charlie Bluett, who managed to get an invitation to this year's Twenty Club dinner, has spent seven months in Devon recently working with three colleagues to produce the first-ever outdoors "animatronic T-rex" which stands 16-20 feet high and 48 feet long. This project was contracted by Nimba Creations and images of this beast appear on Charlie's website (not for the faint-hearted). Dominic Jonas, who has been working in Docklands for the last few years, was also due to attend this year's Twenty Club. At the last moment he was asked to transfer to Singapore immediately by Credit Suisse First Boston to set up a purchasing function in Asia for them. James Proctor, who also works in London, has been studying very hard for the last six months to good effect as he has now passed his professional exams for membership of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. He has begun planning his next car rally, The Italian Job Rally, for which he is co-ordinating seven teams due to race next October. He has his eye on the next World Rally!
Old Bethanians who have visited the school recently include - Konrad Powell-Jones, left 1979, now living in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Philip Coleman, left 1994, living at Hoo, Neville Kaby, left 1953, living at Great Barford, Bedford, Euan Boyle, left 1950, living in Glasgow, Alex Miller, left 1993, living in Wharfedale, Yorkshire, Dominic Bolza, left 1989, living in Beaufort Street, London, K S Beal, left 1945, living at Eastchurch, Kent, Michael Wilding , left 1943, living in Hollingworth, Maidstone, and George Flefel, left 1981, has lived in the States since 1982. Peter Woodward also visited the school recently, and after doubts about naval training at Dartmouth entered the teaching profession. He trained to teach Biology, which he has done for some years at Monckton Coombe School in Somerset, before moving recently to a school on the outskirts of London. Ian Thompson also visited recently, on a visit from the States, which he does fairly regularly, with his wife whom he met at a joint school event whilst a pupil at Bethany. Andy Pollock, left 1986, who lives in Twickenham, works as an engineer in the City for a Singapore company. He plans to get married in 2003. Bitu Williams, left 1996,whose younger brother David is currently in the Upper Sixth at Bethany, is in the RAF, serving in the deserts of Oman. Here he is surviving the temperatures of 35-40, much sand, free DVDs and the Yanks. He seemed very pleased with his recent purchase of a new Renault Megane Fidji. Deon Steyn, left 1985, lives in London where he works for Cluttons and so far enjoys life being single. David Davies, left 1976, has lived in Melbourne for the last eleven years, married to Catherine with their two children, Florence and Hugh. Robert Readman, left 1957, was a contemporary of Donald and Richard Dykes, and has spent most of his working life in the merchant navy in Australia and California. He now lives in Poole and works in the travel industry. Paul Carew, left 1977, studied Electronics and Communications at the North London Poly. He emigrated to the States as a software engineer with Case Communications working in Maryland, Arizona, Florida, and currently in Austin, Texas. He learnt to fly in Arizona, where he has a commercial single engine land Pilot's licence and married last year Mary Barry from Ireland. John Grayson, left 1968, lives in Toronto with his twenty year old daughter and ten year old son. He has written several books on Astronomy. Eugene Gardner, left 1973, has a degree in Computer Science and travelled widely in Africa, the Far East and now the US, where he is a Computer Systems Manager. He married Karen in May. Andy Archer, left 1981, worked for a Jet-Ski company and was in the Royal Marines before taking a degree in Sport Sciences at Gloucestershire University. He has just completed his PGCE and begins primary school teaching. He is married to Emma and they live with their three children near Cirencester. Nigel Anderson, left 1978, travelled extensively before settling down recently in Devon, has qualified in TEFL and was married in August. Tony White, left 1975, was the European Sales Director of a large company for nineteen years and so has decided recently that it is time for a change. Ron Sweetman, 1939-1949 is an authority on Jazz music, living in Canada and has his own radio show "In a mellow tone" on Ottowa's CKCU 93.1FM. PSH |
How
does one put together a magazine that is meant to record the annual
activities of our Society when only a handful of contributors put pen to
paper each year? 
More recently, however, there has been a great transformation to both
the facade and the innards of this fine old building. The changes are
very pleasant: the stairs have been removed up to the dormitory and the
attractive facade has been re-pointed. Now, where the original oak tree
once stood, three metres of soil have been removed and the entire area
has been re-tarmac'ed. Memories of the steamy shower rooms, smelly games
kits and muddy rugby boots still linger as you go through the old
changing room door to what is now the new school library and Learning
Resource Centre. Amanda Startin, the school Librarian, has been involved
in the planning and design from the start of the project and should be
proud of the resulting facility. It's an excellent environment for
learning and research. There's a mezzanine floor for more books, and
where the fifth form used to be (and subsequently the laundry room) it
has been knocked through for more desk and computer space. In an opening
ceremony on the evening of 3rd October, Charles Dickens' great grandson,
Gerald Dickens (who lives in Goudhurst) declared it open with an
audience of Old Bethanians, Governors, past and present Bursars, past
Headmasters and some past and present staff. Headmaster, Nick Dorey,
welcomed us all and storied us through the years of South Wing's
history, mentioning King Lewanika's visit from Barotseland to open the
original building. There were references to lions and elephants and a
triumphal march through the village (not that you should believe what
you read in the papers!). Old Bethanians were thanked for their
continued support fof the library. Gerald Dickens pulled the curtain
cord to open the newly named 'William Harvey Library'. Bill Harvey,
accompanied by his wife, Gwen, then told how flattered he was to be
remembered in this way. Guests were then treated to a monologue on
Charles Dickens' life by Gerald in the Assembly Hall followed by food
and wine back in the Learning Resource Centre. Books are very expensive
and the school has shown its appreciation of the OBS' continued support
in this area through a suitably painted sign. One particularly large
donation by a recent leaver made it all the more possible to provide
some good book stock this year. In summary, a truly wonderful resource
for the school - though I couldn't help having memory flashbacks to the
unforgettable aroma of smelly, damp socks!
Justin
and Greg were also members of my English group and we mentioned our plans
in one of our lessons in Skene's study. I remember he was very
enthusiastic and keen to give us advice. Not being overly familiar with
the geography of France we were willing listeners as we knew that he had
travelled extensively all over France. We had discussed the trip in some
detail with Harry Salmon and our route was loosely agreed: over to Calais,
south west along the coast and down to Normandy where we would explore the
northern coastline. When the route was discussed in our next English
lesson Skene again became animated and said that he had a proposal for us.
Mmm... He explained that he felt that our experience would be greatly
enhanced by a slight detour. Since we would be so close(!), had we thought
of incorporating a visit to the Palais de Versailles? So certain was he
that we would benefit from the historical and architectural experience he
offered us £10 each to include it in our itinerary. This we did, without
hesitation.
Keith Kendon, who died on July 6th this year, was
one of the three surviving grandchildren of the Founder, J. J.
Kendon. As the youngest son of Samuel Kendon, Keith was born at
Curtisden Green on September 14th, 1907 and went to school at
Bethany in 1912 and remained until 1924. He was particularly
close to Frank and his younger sister, Mavis, and enjoyed
swimming, coming second in the diving part of the Swimming
Sports of 1924, as well as playing back in the First X1
football. After school he joined the family firm of Ellis
brothers, who were Old Bethanians, in Rye where he was
apprenticed as a joiner and was particularly friendly with
Archie. Unfortunately an accident with his hand meant that two
of his fingers were so badly cut that he had to have them set
firmly and it became impossible to continue his apprenticeship. 
Instead he joined the electrical industry, like his brother Don
before him, and moved to Southsea, where he had lodgings. It was
here that he met Winifred Barham and in 1935 they were married
in the Chapel at Bethany. They set up their first home in
Cirencester, where Keith continued in the electrical supply
industry and where their two daughters, Judith and Sarah were
born. Here they enjoyed a happy and close family life, though
Sarah eventually went away to school, to the Ladies College at
Doddington. During the War Keith was unable to enlist because of
the damage to his fingers but he took some pride in joining the
local Home Guard even though the local unit was about as far
away from the likely threat of invasion as it was possible to
get! In 1949 he joined the Midlands Electricity Board moving
first to Evesham and in 1954 to Worcester where the family lived
until his retirement. 
Then he and Winnie moved to a new house in
the picturesque village of Naunton Beauchamp near Pershore
taking pride in creating a garden together and taking up golf.
Keith became his local club's Captain in due course. They had
enjoyed a long and happy retirement together before Winnie died
in 1995 and Keith later moved into a nursing home. Here he lived
for the last four years of his life, before dying of a chest
infection. He was a member of the Old Bethanians' Society from
the time he left school and was made an Honorary Life Member in
1999. He gave valuable help to the OBS Archive through items
loaned and donated and also brought his acute memory to bear on
many of the group photographs. 
