staying in touch with Old Giggleswickians

May 2008

No. 53

Visitors are most welcome. Please contact the school for further details on 01729 893000.

www.giggleswick.org.uk and www.ogclub.co.uk

This is where you are…The locations of all OGs for whom we have

a full address and especially an accurate

post code (or overseas equivalent) are

shown on this map, plus the maps of the

rest of the world on the back cover.

We have addresses for approx 2750 OGs, to

whom Gigg:news is mailed twice a year.

Please help us to stay in touch with you

by updating your address whenever you

move.

www.giggleswick.org.uk2 www.ogclub.co.uk

Message from OG

President

It's been an enjoyabletime for me as yourPresident over the lastfew months - and thepace is certainly notslackening as weapproach the summer!

OGs have been busywith regional dinners,informal weekends withfriends, not to mention afantastically successfulCentenary Scarrig,which I sadly missed butwhich was superblysupported by OGs, young and not so young! 25 Aprilbrought the ever-popular London Dinner at the House ofCommons, where we welcomed as our Chief Guest,former Kent and England cricketer Derek Underwood,MBE.

OG Day at School on Saturday 28 June promises tobe even more special than usual – if that’s possible! AllOGs and their families are welcome on OG Day. In addi-tion this year there will be a House Reunion for allformer members Shute, a gathering of those who wenton the first overseas Rugby Tour – to Bermuda in 1978,and there is even a whisper of a Carr House ‘Leavers of1997’ get-together!

I do hope you'll join in OG events if you can and taketime to discover how the School is progressing so well –and the important ways in which we as OGs can play ourpart in its future.

Finally, as an innovation this year, we are initiating aseries of informal gatherings which we hope will takeplace regularly in different parts of the country. The firstof these will be in London on Thursday 11 September –venue tbc – from 6.30 p.m. until whenever, for drinksand nibbles.

I do hope that we meet up in the coming months.Best wishes to you and yours,Nigel Shaw, OG President (CH/S 66-75)

DATES for YOUR DIARY24 May Speech Day

09.45 Commemoration Service in ChapelPreacher: The Ven David Garnett (OG)Archdeacon of Chesterfield

11.30 Speeches in the Sports HallChief Guest: Nigel Shaw (OG)President of the OG Club

6 June 19.30 Concert in Chapel featuring ‘Absolution’– a saxophone quartet from the RNCM,including Spencer Moran (OG)

28 June OG Day and Special Reunion for all formerpupils of Shute House

4 July Summer Term ends

7 September Michaelmas Term begins

11 September 18.30 OG Informal Get-together in LondonVenue to be confirmed

23 September 19.00 OG Committee Meeting

10 October OG Yorkshire Dinner at Oakdale Golf Club,HarrogateContact Chris Harwood on 0113 2457027, or onChris.harwood@cwharwood.co.uk

13 November OG Lancashire Dinner at Pleasington Golf Club,BlackburnContact Anthony Duckworth on 01254 202088,or on tony.duckworth@ntlworld.com

Lamberts Print & Design, 2 Station Road, Settle, North Yorkshire BD24 9AA • 01729 822177

1978 Bermuda Rugby Tour Reunion –

OG Day, 28 June 2008

It may be 30 years since Giggleswick first sent a major tour party overseas, but I can stillremember my first visit to Twickenham to watch England v Ireland on our way toHeathrow. I cannot remember a lot of the next 24 hours!! We arrived on this beautifulbut tiny island in the mid-Atlantic to be coached to Hamilton Rugby Club and dispersedto a number of unsuspecting families, Paul Garside and I going as far as was possible tothe south western tip. The next day we all picked up our mopeds (although I rememberGary was too young and had to ride pillion everywhere) and set off for the Elbow BeachHotel for our free burger, free soft drinks and all those young East Coast girls!!… Therest I cannot remember until watching one of the first ‘International Golden Oldies’ tourgames on our way back to the airport two weeks later.So it’s time to find out and recall what really happened in those two weeks…Who didn’t fall off their moped?Why was the Police club the best place to drink?What were the match results?Who ate the most cockroaches?Why were John Watkinson’s cine films so much in demand when we got back?etc…etc…Has anyone been back to the island since? Would Upper V1th be allowed on tour 6 weeks before A levels nowadays?Whilst there are one or two of our era who make it back to school (or a regional OGdinner) on a frequent basis, many of us do not. It’s a long time since I saw many of you.The Scarrig Centenary was my first visit for a while (I think I was the only one from myyear to run the race), but it was really good to see the school in such good shape and Ican confirm that the beer in the Black Horse is still as good (as we were told it was!) in‘78?!OG Day this year is the chance to remedy this and find out who’s where and doing what,if anyone is doing anything interesting that is!!… I’m trying to locate all the tour partyto see how many fancy meeting up on the Friday (27 June) before OG Day (28 June) fordinner and a few drinks (or vice-versa). Location is to be decided depending on numbers,but I suggest somewhere near school so we can all make it to school on the Saturday.For those who can get the whole day off, it would also be great to have a game of golfon the Friday afternoon.Whilst the Bermuda trip provides a focus for this re-union, I’m sure everyone wouldagree that those non-tourists from the mid – late 70’s are more than welcome to join usand hopefully we will swell the OG day numbers.To encourage (or discourage?) attendance, a quick round of e-mails before Christmasand at the Scarrig Centenary event promised attendance from Dave Nordon (inBrussels), Neil Robertson, Peter Hebden (who said he’d collar Phil Wilkinson), PaulCollinson (non-tourist, as he’d left by then), brother Gary Hartley, Clive and MickeyBarr (who will be installed on that day as OG President 2008-2009 – Oh yes, it’s true!).Steve Hartley (CH/Carr 70-78)

Have you thought of advertising or sponsoring a page in Gigg:news?

Twice a year Gigg:news is mailed to all contactable OGs, anumber which increases each year. They all have a common educational background to you. Might it help your business,your company, to advertise to them?This will help to defray some of the costs of publishingGigg:news.FOR DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT THE EDITOR AT:dpfox@giggleswick.org.uk or D P Fox at the School address.

The Old Giggleswickian ClubFounded 1897

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

President

Nigel A Shaw

President Elect

Michael J W Barr

Treasurer

Edward H M Sissling

Secretary

J Anthony L Briggs

Committee

Andrew Fraser (Chairman)Geoffrey P Boult (Headmaster)

Robert G DrakeDavid P Fox (OG Liaison Officer)

Robert J HargreavesChris W HarwoodNick W JefferiesAngela M MillsT Ian RobertsPeter H Thornton

Bermuda Tourists 1978

STAFF: Don & Dorothy Hutton, Allan Myles, Colin Green, Stef Evans. PLAYERS: Clive R W Barr (M), Andrew W Clough (M), Michael R Davis (P),

Michael J Dixon (M), Paul S Garside (P), Gary J Hartley (C), Steven M Hartley (C), R Peter Hebden (C), Martin T Jackson (N), Robert King (P),

R David Nordon (St), N R William Read (C), Guy H Richardson (P), Neil R Robertson (C), Tim J Shapcott (P), Brian F Stubbs (N), Norman J Walsh (S),

John L Watkinson (P), Andrew P Wilkinson (M), Philip J L Wilkinson (M), J Charles Wrightson (M).

Calling all Carr girls who

left in 1997 Plans are underway to get us all together again at

school on OG Day this summer – 28 June – and

everyone is invited.

Get in touch with Liz Hutton at huttonl@unitedbis-

cuits.com if you left in 1997 and you are curious to

find out more.

3

But where are all the other OGs?We do not have contact addresses for over 900 of the OGs on the database. This is

about a quarter of the total.

Please can you, who are reading this latest Gigg:news, contact any OG friends with

whom you are in touch and check whether they have registered their contact details

with the school. Please urge them to contact the OG Liaison Office –

01729 893000 (via School switchboard), 893123 (direct line), or

dpfox@giggleswick.org.uk

Find us on FacebookFacebook is the world’s largest social networking site, with over 8 million users in the

UK alone. It is not surprising then that over 625 OGs are already on the OG Club’s

Facebook group, set up by Oliver Denton. The School is now helping to maintain this

group, so we are rolling out news, content and events. If you have a Facebook profile

– come and join the Old Giggleswickians group.

Visit the new OG Database siteGo to www.ogclub.co.uk, follow the links to Gigg:online, log on and register with your

own database for worldwide contacts with other OGs.

Better still……

Visit the SchoolWhether it is one year or 50+ since you left Giggleswick, you will find many changes

taking place all the time. OGs and their families and friends are always welcome to

attend school events – just let us know you would like to come, so that we can make

proper arrangements to welcome you.

In the past six months OGs have enjoyed: the spectacular production of We Will Rock

You in the former Sports Hall (Covered Court for older OGs) last November; the Chapel

Choir’s beautiful singing of Choral Evensong in Blackburn Cathedral in February; and

the outstanding Spring Concert in March, incorporating a thrilling performance of

African Sanctus. In smaller numbers, OGs have been welcomed at Sunday Chapel

services from time to time.

COPY DEADLINEfor next issue of

Gigg : news15 September 2008

www.ogclub.co.uk 5

LettersFollowing the death of Humphrey Godwin,reported elsewhere in this edition, we receivedthe following letter from Bryan Cheetham(CH/P 39-45) at the end of January:

I am sure you will have heard by now thatHumphrey Godwin (OG) died about three weeksago. He lived in the same village as I do and,although I am now 80, I looked upon him as anold man – he was 93! Right up to the end of hislife I met him quite often in the village, walkingto the Post Office with a stick, a greatly lovedcharacter and quite remarkable for his age. Hewas a true gentleman in every sense of thatword. His wife followed him to a better worldjust one week after his death.

I am afraid I have not been back to Gigg asmuch as I would have liked, but have manyhappy memories. I went to Trevor Wilson’s 80thbirthday celebrations about six months ago –most of his time at Gigg was spent getting meinto trouble and successfully avoiding ithimself!! (JT Wilson, P41-45).

I batted, briefly, with Trevor against aColonel Clay’s XI in 1945. The visitors includedthe legendary Bill Bowes (who finished the daywith a bowling average of 15o, 9m, 9r, 8w).When Trevor came in to bat I was at the bowler’send. Trevor took his stance, closed his eyes, tookan almighty swipe, missed the ball completely,which went into the wicketkeeper’s gloves.Trevor shouted, ‘Come on! A quick one!’ I wasrun out, but at least I could boast about notbeing one of Bill Bowes’s wickets!. It took a longtime for me to forgive and forget – indeed I don’tthink I have yet. Whilst I am thinking about it,Trevor was my Best Man in 1959 and is aGodfather to my son.

6 January 08Dear Editor,

Many thanks for your letter… I have to admitthat I am delighted that on 23 Feb I expect to bein Sri Lanka.

Scarrig was never among my happiestmemories of Giggleswick. In my second partic-ipation – in 1945 – I underperformed, due in partto eating a large unsuitable lunch at the Red Lionwith my parents on the day of the race. At leastI managed to get a two minute qualification.

You have my friend HW Whiteley aswinning in 1941 and 1942. He certainly won in’41 – he was in the Navy in ’42 – and hecertainly won twice and claimed he would havewon three times if it hadn’t been cancelled in theyear between his successes.

Bill is quite possibly the oldest survivingwinner – he is now 85. I was first aware of himwhen I came to Giggleswick in January 1941; hewas Head of School and I made sure I did notattract his attention. I met him at Speech Day in

1946 when I had just completed my first year atOxford. We were introduced on the basis that hewas coming up to Balliol in October. I had aslight edge on him then and at Balliol we becamegood friends and have remained so ever since…

I hope the weather on 23 Feb is kind, that youhave a series of successful races and enjoyablecelebrations. Sincerely,

Trevor Wilson (P 41-45)

In response to congratulations toCindy Parker (CH/C 84-90) fromthe OG Liaison Office on the awardof her MBE, she writes as follows:

It was such a surprise to be toldI’d been put forward for an MBE.I've generally always tried to keep alow profile with regard toGigg:news, but on the basis that Iget a great deal of pleasure fromreading about how everyone else isdoing, I suppose I should reallybreak that rule on this occasion.

We don’t get to see the citations,but I know I was put forward for thework I did in my dual role as HerMajesty’s Consul and Head ofAdministration at the BritishEmbassy in Kabul. I served there for17 months from August 05 to Dec 06.Afghanistan is definitely one of the most fasci-nating and captivating countries I have workedin. The security situation governed much of whatwe were able to do and where we could go, butit was without doubt a key experience in mycareer. All staff in Kabul were accommodated onone secure site, most in ‘pods’, which areconverted shipping containers, though actuallymuch more homely than they sound! Movementwithin Kabul was always by armoured vehicle,accompanied by armed bodyguards. Any tripsoutside of Kabul were generally by militaryaircraft or helicopter - a nice change from youraverage commute.

The Consul part of my job was very chal-lenging, providing consular assistance to bothBritish nationals and unrepresentedCommonwealth citizens. During my time there Idealt with a couple of kidnaps, a number ofimprisonments (complex to handle when thelegal process is sketchy at best), a number (verysadly) of repatriations of both seriously injuredand deceased, the concealment and rapid extrac-tion of a couple of people whose lives were indanger and a range of other more routine cases.I was asked by two sets of British couples toperform their marriage ceremonies in Kabul, butsadly we weren't able to get the necessary paper-work in time - that really would have been some-thing to remember.

On the administration side I did a lot of workon capacity building amongst our Afghan staff. Ialso helped to move the Embassy from crisismode to a more operational footing, enabling it

to handle the rapid expansion of staff needed tomeet HMG's political objectives within thecountry. The FCO currently has over 100 staffbased in Afghanistan, based in three locations.Keeping them safe, operationally effective,accommodated and healthy is quite a challenge.

However, if I thought Kabul was tough,Zimbabwe is proving my greatest challenge yet.

Keeping an Embassy running and managing abudget in the face of a collapsed economy andinflation running at something like 65,000% isquite a unique experience. It's a fantastic countrythough and so desperately sad that the govern-ment's policies are having such a terrible impacton the people it represents. 2008 promises to beanother interesting year

Update from Michael Offland (CH/S 96-03):I graduated from the Royal Scottish

Academy of Music & Drama in July last yearwith a BA in Technical & Production Arts. Aftergraduation I went straight back to college towork for the Academy and stage managed twonew musicals, which were produced in conjunc-tion with the Academy and their American writ-ers. These were performed by Masters ofMusical Theatre performers at the EdinburghFringe last year. Following on from that I tookthe same students away to London for their endof year showcase and whilst they tried to impressthe agents, I battled with the old but excellentlighting rig in the Criterion Theatre to makethem look wonderful!

I then secured a part-time job working forGlasgow Concert Halls in their three venuesacross Glasgow, and also stage managed a co-production between the Glasgow-based theatrecompany Vanishing Point and the RSAMD. Thiswas a new work devised by directors andperformers and involved actors crossingbetween two interlinked pieces playing at

Cindy with her brother Christopher (OG) (C 82-87)

www.giggleswick.org.uk 4

Old Giggleswickian

Club Yorkshire

Dinner

Held at Oakdale Golf Club, Harrogate 12 October 2007ATTENDING YEARS at

SCHOOLBaldwin BL 78-83Bean CH 59-63Booth TC 65-70Crossley DG 51-60Dent AR 63-70Ellacott JL 71-81Fraser P 72-75Farmery JP 48-57Fieldhouse R 56-64Gallimore DW 71-81George-Powell MT 55-59Hargeaves RJ 48-58Hartley GJ 71-80Hartley SM 70-78Harwood CW 64-71I’Anson CJ 75-78Jefferies NW 65-70Kirkpatrick J 60-65Lofthouse FM 64-69Moore SD 71-81Moody WNP 66-75Mordy WHJ 53-58Pickles GC 58-65Roberts TI 69-74Roberts JC 75-80Shaw NA 66-75Sissling EHM 74-83Sissling HC 49-56Stevens Trudi 79-81[née Sutcliffe]Stockdale DA 60-69Sutcliffe Angela 83-84Tetlow AC 63-67Thomson AJ 52-59Thornton PH 78-83Whitehead Belinda 76-81[née Matthews]Williams JI 75-78

HON OGs & GUESTS FROM SCHOOLGeoffrey Boult (Headmaster)Katie BoultDavid Fox (OG Liaison Officer)Margaret FoxGiles Bowring (Bursar)Emma-Jane Wharton (Housemistress ofCarr)Andrew Beales (Foundation Director)

Old Giggleswickian Club

Lancashire Dinner

Held at Pleasington Golf Club,Blackburn, 8 November 2007

ATTENDING YEARS atSCHOOL

Baldwin BL 78-83Ainsworth KJ 47 – 56Ainsworth MB 46 – 53Ainsworth PJ 74 – 83Baker CH 51 – 56Baskerville GE 55 – 61Bean CH 59 – 63Cunliffe BL 37 – 44Davies JH 51 – 55Davies PK 48 – 54Duckworth AR 69 – 77Edge ND 75 – 81Edge RW 48 – 52Garforth D 46 – 55Grant DCS 53 – 59Greenwood J 44 – 51Hargreaves RJ 48 – 58Hargreaves RA 53 – 60Harwood AB 57 – 61Hopkinson WN 53 – 57Howarth WS 55 – 63Oddie WH 51 – 60Pejcinovic Dina 82 – 84Sames AW 78 – 82Shaw NA 66 – 75Sissling EHM 74 – 83Smith PB 53 – 56Stockdale DA 60 – 69Walsh JW 44 – 50Ward FM 34 – 41Westhead NC 73 – 83Westhead EP 78 – 82Whittaker F 42 – 48Whittaker J 39 – 47

HON. OGs & GUESTS FROM SCHOOLGeoffrey Boult (Headmaster)Martin O’Connell (Chairman of Governors)Linda Campbell (Madam Vice-Chairman of Governors)David Fox (OG Liaison Officer)Andrew Beales (Foundation Director)James Bellis (Housemaster of Style)Michael Peek (former Housemaster of Nowell/Head of Science)Stephen Robertson 71-76 (Housemaster of Morrison)Phoebe Lebrecht (Praepostor, Head of Style)Keith Parmley (Praepostor, Head of Shute)

A total of 64 different OGs attendedthe Yorkshire and Lancashire Dinnersin 2007. Both were excellent, asusual, and noticeably different instyle, although both held in golfclubs. The Headmaster and ourPresident, Nigel Shaw, rose to bothoccasions with witty speeches whichdid not go on too long (!). Nigel wassomehow persuaded to promise acase of claret to the OG winner ofCentenary Scarrig (which was duly deliv-ered – Ed). Chris Harwood (Yorks) andTony Duckworth (Lancs) organizedboth events impeccably and haveagreed to continue doing so in 2008.It would help them enormously ifOGs could book their places early.Also, it would be really good to see asmany OGs as possible on both occa-sions.

This page is sponsored by a friend of Giggleswick School in support of the work of the

Annette Fox Leukaemia Research Trust at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

By the time you read this,OGs will have enjoyedanother successful LondonDinner in the House ofCommons. At the time of writing, over100 OGs and their guestsare expecting to be presentin the Members’ andStrangers’ Dining Room.The Chief Guest is DerekUnderwood MBE, formerKent and England cricketer.A full report will appear inthe next edition ofGigg:news.

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www.ogclub.co.uk 7www.giggleswick.org.uk 6

weddings, with two dresses, but with the sameman! We intend to head north of the borderagain in a year or so, to be closer to my family,who are now in the Highlands.

John Whittaker (CH/T/S 39-47) writes:In 1947 it was decided to build new toilets in theposition of two former squash courts and brickswere delivered to the school. Many boys formeda chain to pass the bricks one by one along thepassage to the rear courtyard (the back quad).Sometimes a brick was thrown one to another tospeed up delivery! – no such thing as ‘Healthand Safety’ in those days (no gloves, no boots).

The photograph shows me sitting on some ofthe bricks in July 1947.

Letter from an old OG:It is always interesting to read letters in

Gigg:news, but I wonder sometimes if I went tothe same school, so I thought I might correct thebalance a little.

It is exactly 60 years ago (letter received 23January 08), in 1947, that I walked through theschool gates with dread and apprehension. I wasplaced in Carr House and sent to Howson’sDorm by my housemaster, one NST Benson,who lived downstairs – we were some twelve‘new ticks’ upstairs.

Helliwell was Head of House and in thesummer term off we went to Eshton’s forcricket. New boys to cricket stood in a line whileB Pape lobbed the cricket ball to us to bat inturn. I missed. ‘Over there,’ he said – in thereject group. Not only was I not in the juniorcolts’ squad, but I would not play for the School,Yorkshire, or England… out first ball! Onemorning after prayers, I was asked to staybehind by Mr Smith: ‘Sing la, la, la,’ he

exactly the same time in two different perform-ance spaces at the Academy. This was perhapsnot a unique experience, but one which I wasperhaps very glad to be a part of. There is noth-ing like having a member of the cast arrive fromthe other venue with no time to pause beforegoing on stage!

Before Christmas I was approached by agentleman who runs his own broadcasting andproduction company based in Glasgow. For anumber of years he has produced a ‘roadshow-type’ event which tours several towns in SouthLanarkshire for the councils’ Christmas Lightsswitch-on events. It had become too much forhim to manage on his own. This was perhaps abig step up for me; although these were rela-tively small events, they still attracted sizeablecrowds, particularly on the three days theweather was good! I took on the responsibilitiesof liaising with community acts, performers,truck drivers, sound & AV operators and occa-sionally the council, although I tried to keep mycontact with the council to an absolute mini-mum! Whilst the bulk of my job was to ensurethat the three hour performance by our cast tookplace and kept to time in order to avoid delayingSanta’s parade, it was the preparation and nego-tiation that I perhaps learnt the most from andthis sort of event management is something Ihope to do more of in the future.

I left my job at the Concert Halls on January20th. The job involved a lot of chair pushing andshifting of tables, which is not really what Itrained to do. It was made very clear to me atinterview what the job entailed, but they alsoassured me that they would try to direct metowards my areas of expertise both in StageManagement and Lighting. However, it becameclear to me very soon after I started that it wasunlikely this would happen, as there were peoplewho had been doing the same job for coming upto 13 years! I decided to get out whilst I could -at least it got me through Christmas.

It was good to be back in Gigg for We WillRock You in November – another excellentproduction. I am pleased to see the schoolmoving in the right direction with the comple-tion of the new sports hall. I look forward tohearing what they have planned for the old oneand eventually seeing it come to fruition.

From Grahame Partridge (S 48-54):It was good to hear of John Meeks again, as I

remember him well. He even visited my parents’hotel, the King’s Arms in Chapel-en-le-Frith oneholiday. I also remember his cheerful little fair-haired brother. After Giggleswick, both the Navyand Oxford were heaven! Like John I got acommission and my most memorable spellswere on MTBs in the Baltic and on the carrierOcean in the Med just before Suez. I saw quite abit of Joe Trickey in the Navy and at Oxford andlater. Other OGs I sometimes met at Oxfordwere Gerald Moore, Peter Stewart and Roger

Hunt, all at Pembroke (I think the Christiannames are right). Having read English, I gotsome boring corporate jobs (ICI and GEC) andthen taught at Rossall for a few years to 1970,which was very interesting and enjoyable.

Then I ran my own property developmentbusiness (quite a break) and until my retirementdid several developments in Britain, Australia(Perth 3 years) and France (Languedoc 7 years).I can recommend being an entrepreneur, despitethe inevitable ups and downs. My Scottish wifeand I have been together for 42 years, and likeJohn I have 2 girls and a boy (I sent him toClifton) and 3 grandchildren. We have lived inDevon for 22 years. The Giggleswick of theFifties was not a very congenial place I found;the teaching was very mixed and in Shute I hadno less than 4 housemasters; I did go back onceand found the setting beautiful and I owe toGiggleswick my lifelong love of hill-walking.

17 November 2007I have just received my copy of the excellentGigg:news and read with interest the article onScarrig 2008. As a proud winner of the event in1961 I could not help noting that the list wronglyrecorded me winning the following year. Not so;it was my brother who won in 1962, JJ Whaley.(Please note our name is spelt with one ‘l’, nottwo as per the list.)

It always struck me as odd that between 1952and 1962 all winners’ names began with a W.The cup was held by the Walton and Whaleybrothers, but I am not certain whether the twoWilsons were also brothers.

Wishing you every success with Scarrig2008.

Yours sincerely,JC Whaley (CH/N 52-61)

Lucy Stenbeck (née Moor, St 95-97) wrote inJanuary:

After Gigg I went to Stirling uni. and gradu-ated in marine biology. I stayed in Scotland for afew years afterwards, working initially for theScottish Environment Protection Agency andlater the RSPB, working with the rare and spec-tacular hen harrier. Here I rediscovered a passionfor the natural world and the importance ofpreserving it. In 2005 I followed the work southto Brighton where I have been working for twoyears, generating support for the RSPB’s workthrough membership, which as a charity wedepend on for all we do. Now I work as a traineracross the south of England, sharing my passionwith others and helping them to generate moresupport for our work. It’s challenging, but veryrewarding.

My husband David was born in NewZealand, grew up in Perth, Australia and came toEngland ‘for a couple of years’ with the inten-tion of going back once he had got some goodwork experience. But I came along and spoiledhis plan – not many brides get to have two

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commanded. I did. ‘Over there,’ he said –another failure! So I took up piano lessons withBilly Buncher. After three lessons and threeweeks’ practice in the Art School, a mile walkaway, he asked me to play Three Blind Micewith one finger, starting from middle C – obvi-ously a trick question. I did; he then suggestedthat, as I had no aptitude for the instrument, Ishould give it up – more failure.

My first term’s report suggested ‘Could dobetter.’ Well no, I could not; I was too busyavoiding blue papers, punishment drill, schoolbullies, homos and meetings with Mr Cane!‘Anyway, is not average half way up the class,’ Itold my father.

Next term was rugby. My career began ashooker in the scrum, no place for a 6st. weakling,so I asked one Laing for a move to the relativesafety of the wing – he agreed! If my side wonthe ball in the scrum, the fly-half would kick it,drop it, knock it on, or pass it to a three-quarterwho usually did the same. On one odd occasionit reached me and I scored a try! Success at last!I was in the Junior Colts’ team, occasionally inmy very favourite position as touch-judge, visit-ing other schools.

So far I had successfully avoided joining theCorps by joining the ‘Agi Squad’, until one coldafternoon we were sent to dig a field of carrotsnear the Chapel. Boys being boys, we success-fully destroyed the entire crop. ‘Ted’ was notamused and called us to his presence in BigSchool Hall, where we were first lectured on thestarving people in India and he then proceeded togive 40 of us ‘six of the best’, a total of 238strokes – well, he was a rowing blue! One boyonly got 4, as he had already been given 6 earlierin the day!! Next day we nearly all joined theCorps. I was issued with a 1918 Lee Enfield .303rifle; the only thing we had in common was thatwe weighed the same. My Platoon Sgt was GDWish, whose younger brother, TJ, became Headof School and later a School Governor. Not me,though I did get into the Guard of Honour (butnot the Band, for obvious reasons).

NST Benson left and we got RWB Fuller ashousemaster, who also taught me Latin – hefailed! School Cert came and went, but I missedthree days by being in San, due to an overdose ofstewed rhubarb. So my results, according to LPDutton, were inadequate, though I did enjoy mytime in the Remove with the rugby stars.

Before Christmas I was auditioned by theRevd P Curtis for the role of the leading lady inthe school play. I asked if I would get to wear thefrilly knickers, suspender belt, silk stockings andhigh-heeled shoes…negative…end of thespiancareer. At about this time Ted summoned thewhole school into the Dining Room, instead ofprep., to lecture us on the merits of the comingCommon Market; I was unconvinced then andhave not changed my mind since.

Finally, after staggering round the ThreePeaks, I joined the queue of boys on the

Headmaster’s Lawn to say goodbye to EHP.When it came to my turn, he added two morewords to those he had spoken to me on myarrival – ‘Hello boy,’ and ‘Goodbye boy.’ Did hereally not know my name? Had I successfullyremained below his radar?

I was now totally ready for life on theoutside. I had successfully learned to manipulateauthority, add up (thanks to Crip Holligan),cheat, lie and avoid punishment – no, I nevermade House Senior. But I was totally not readyfor meeting girls, even though I had carefullyselected biology in the 6th Form. Women wouldbe my downfall, but that’s another story…

Well, if you have been, thanks for reading.Thornton EM (Carr 47-50)

P.S. If you have the 1948 school photograph,I am on the right, second row from the back,with the drain pipe coming out of my left ear.

[Mr Thornton’s covering letter began, ‘I amenclosing my first letter to your magazine, whichI hope will be of interest and amusement.’ Healso sent a cheque for £50 to help defray the costof producing Gigg:news, adding: ‘I had stoppedreceiving the magazine, as requested, but missits news and would like to be reinstated if that ispossible.’]

Simon Peters (aka Peter M Simon, CH/P 46-54) has lived in Mallorca for over 20 years, fromwhere he writes as follows:

As usual, lovely to receive Gigg:news, butunfortunately there are always names I know inthe Deaths, but none in the Births and Marriages!Changed my name in 1970 when I became a DJon BBC Radio Leeds. The photograph was takenat that time – I’m afraid I’ve aged since and amvery grey.

You suggested I might write something forGigg:news. Well here we go!

After National Service in Germany at HQMoenchen Gladbach, my father prepared me toenter the family clothing business (BenjaminSimon & Sons Ltd) by sending me to college andthen to a cloth mill and into retail. I representedthe Company in Eastern England – i.e. fromDarlington to East Anglia. This entailed a lot ofdriving, listening to the radio and especially, inthe 60s, to pirate radio. Pirate radio caught myimagination and suddenly the thought of becom-ing a disc jockey was more appealing than work-ing in the family business. I decided to take achance, leave my well-paid employment andstart a mobile discotheque business. This was sonew in 1968 that people didn’t know what I wasoffering, but Beeline Mobile Discothèques grewvery quickly and at times we were employing upto 10 DJs in hotels and night clubs.

In September 1968 I achieved my dreamwhen I began working on the radio at RadioLeeds. OK, I did menial tasks to begin with, butthen presented the Top 20 Show and the biggestbreak came when I was asked to present SwopShop, one of the most popular programmes on

C W Harwood & Co solicitorsKimberley House11 Woodhouse SquareLeeds LS3 1ADtel: 0113 245 7027

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Radio Leeds. I also became very involved insport, especially football, and most of the LeedsUtd players guested on my football programme.In 1970 I was invited to be Match DayAnnouncer at Elland Road. This was a wonder-ful era, whenLeeds Utd wasone of Europe’stop teams. I leftRadio Leeds in1983.

In 1986 wedecided to joinour family inMallorca. Oncesettled in, I wasasked to workon the Englishlanguage radiostation, butwhen after two weeks I enquired about thewages, I was told to go out and get adverts! Ididn’t fancy doing that and shortly afterwardswas offered a job with Horizon Holidays. 21years later I’m still working in tourism, havingleft Thomson for Island Cruises, operated byFirst Choice.

Regards…P.S. Hope to make the Paley OG Day Reunion,whenever that will be.

In October 2007, Peter Farmery (CH/P 48-57)attended the OG Yorkshire Dinner in Harrogateand visited the School on the day afterwards.The following is an extract from a letter he wroteto the Headmaster:

‘I may have told you that since leavingschool in 1957, I had visited only once (in 1995)and then with much trepidation, as my schoolyears had not been the happiest years of my life,it is true to say. On that occasion I laid a numberof ghosts and on this occasion I felt much moreconfident in walking through the gates.

The school looked so familiar on the outside,but what a change on the inside! My escort wasa young Paley boy – Martin, who was a fineexample of modern youth. However, he wasamazed at the conditions we had to endureduring my years as a boarder, compared with theluxury they ‘suffer’ now. I was really impressedwith the students’ quarters, remembering howthree of us shared one study room and lived in‘horse box-type’ dormitories. He was amusedwhen I told him of the arrangements regardingtaking baths, and many other anecdotes weshared.

The school has prospered and movedforward, and I wish you and all the staff the bestfor the future – and for the 500th anniversary. Ishall keep in touch.

www.ogclub.co.uk 9www.giggleswick.org.uk 8

Potation DayUnder the headline‘School that gives afig for tradition’, anarticle appearedrecently in the CravenHerald, which began: After a lapse of nearly

150 years,Giggleswick Schoolhas revived part of itsancient tradition of“Potation Day”. Thiswas held annually onSt Gregory’s Day,

12th March, between1603 and the unfortu-nate “flying fig” inci-

dent of 1862.

Mrs Barbara Gent, the SchoolArchivist, writes:

‘In 1603 William Clapham, avicar in Norfolk, in his will,bequeathed to the School variousmoneys – £4 4s 4d, the £4 to beused yearly towards the mainte-nance of a poor scholar atCambridge University. This wasclearly a success, as by 1652 theschool had sent no less than 25 boysto Christ’s College Cambridge. Theremaining 4s 4d was dividedbetween a “potacionn” among thepoor “schollers” of the School on StGregory’s Day (12th March); theother portion to be distributedamong the poor of the parish ofGiggleswick, yearly on Easter Day.

Potations were common to manyschools and were gifts of food andbeer by the Master to the Scholars. Although our school now hasnearly 500 students, in 1600 there were only 35 (and in 1507 only 1!)and this was a generous bequest. In 1603 the population of Englandwas just 5 million and the currency was pounds, shillings and pence.In 1625, a penny could buy a quart of the best ale, three large loavesof bread or a bed for the night in an inn. Six pence bought a coupleof chickens or rabbits, or a quart of claret. One shilling bought a pigor a goose. Quite what form Giggleswick’s “potation” took in earlierdays is not certain, but in the Report of Charities 1825 it states that“a custom formerly prevailed of giving figs, bread and ale…”

By 1862, with a school population of about 100 boys, the cost ofthe figs and buns was £3 8s 10d, after which no more distributionswere made. In 1858, the then Head, Dr Butterton wrote to theGovernors: “During the scramble the figs are thrown about in all

DOES ANY OG HAVE A BETTER VIEW FROM THEIR HOME?

[See Gigg:news No.51 p17]

And the winner is?...

These view over Auckland Harbour in New Zealand are submitted by Carol Barton (St 86-88), who writes:

‘Thought these two views from my deck might qualify for your section in the OG News. Ironically, although I am not selling my house

on Auckland Harbour, Michael and I are moving to Melbourne so I may have new views, but I doubt they will top this one.’

This page is sponsored by a friend of Giggleswick School in support of the

Martin House Hospice, Wetherby, North Yorkshire.

directions with little scruple as to the persons whomay be hit by them; and it is only since I expressedmy displeasure a few years ago at the visitorsbeing aimed at, that even the ladies have not beenmade the object of attack”. However, Dr Buttertongoes on to say that one of the Assistant Mastershad been struck by some of the figs, and in histemper had inflicted on the boy, whom he believedto have thrown the figs, the outrageous task ofcopying out 140 pages. The boy appealed to theHead who thought the punishment excessive andsuspended it. An angry scene followed betweenthe Head and the master, the latter refusing to havethe boy in his class any more. Eventually themaster resigned, although not because of this inci-

dent. Seeing the use to which some pupils put the figs, one perhapsfeels it was about time to let this custom die out. However, there musthave been some pleasure from catching someone fair and square inthe face with a well-aimed fig!

Participation in the festivities of 12th March was not confined tothe pupils, however, as the Governors, Masters and a few invitedguests enjoyed dinner together. At first the amount of liquid refresh-ments was moderate, but as time went on the refreshment becamevery elaborate: the bill for 1797 reveals that Eating cost £1 3s 6d butthat Wine, Rum, Brandy, Ale, Porter and Beer amounted to over £4.Potation Day was a holiday and after speeches and recitations in themorning, continued in the afternoon with cock-fighting. This activitywas carried on in the school yard, and was a very popular form ofentertainment. One very enthusiastic spectator was William Paley,

son of the Headmaster. In the diary kept by oneWL Paley, a master at the Giggleswick NationalSchool, we learn: 12th March, 1825 “Though thecock-fights were over, the drinking, singing, etc.,were not till near midnight.”

In 2007 and again this year, the old traditionof Potation Day was given some life. With theconsumption of alcohol now against schoolrules, current pupils were treated to figs, cere-monially handed out at lunchtime by DeputyHeadmaster, Mr Neil Gemmell, and othersincluding Jack Davidson (N), Head of School.

In the evening, 20 members of staff revivedthe Potation Day tradition of a meal enjoyed atthe Hart’s Head, where they were joined later fordrinks by about a dozen others. A bill in theschool’s archives shows that in 1797 the meal for

staff and governors came to just over £5, with over£4 of that spent on Wine, Rum, Brandy, Ale, Porterand Beer. [We do not know what the relative propor-tions were this year!]

At Giggleswick, Potation Day was a wholeschool holiday and, after speeches and recitations inthe morning, cock-fighting was held in the after-noon while the staff and governors retired to theHart’s Head. Current Paley House students havemade a presentation to the Hart’s Head to thankthem for taking the staff away from the school forthe afternoon all those years ago.. Entitled “ThePaley Fighting Cocks”, the magnificent trophy hasbeen designed and made by John Flitcroft, PaleyHead of House, who lives in nearby Clapham.

The moving force behind the revival of PotationDay is Bill Bartlett, Housemaster of Paley: “Theboys in the house feel very strongly that some of theso-called old-fashioned traditions of the schoolshould be upheld and since one thing we do know

about William Paley is that he enjoyed his Potation Day cock-fight-ing at Giggleswick, before falling off his horse 12 times on his wayto Christ’s College Cambridge, we felt it was only right that the dayshould again be honoured. The school has an incredibly rich heritageand I remind students that they should know the three most impor-tant dates in the school’s history: the date they arrived at the school,the school’s foundation date 1512, and 1603 when William Claphamleft money in his will for a Potation Day holiday. Next year Paleyboys are hoping for a Red Book entry that reads ‘Whole school holi-day’ and a complimentary potation at the Hart’s Head when theyleave the school at 18.”

Who knows what might happen in 2012 when the school cele-brates its 500th year: cock-fighting in the yard?

www.giggleswick.org.uk

deemed to have taken place at £5,000 and therefore the gift does

not act as either a gain or a loss for Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

purposes.

For income tax purposes, Ben’s annual income will also be

reduced by £20,000 (the value of the shares). An effective tax rate

of 40% will reduce his liability for income tax for the year by

£8,000.

If Ben were instead to sell the shares he would be taxed on the

capital gain (the sale price less the purchase price – £15,000) at

40% (£6,000) assuming he had already used his capital gains

allowance, putting the net amount they would receive at £14,000.

The real cost of the gift to Ben is therefore only £6,000 (£14,000

minus £8,000)!

Making a Gift of Shares

Now everyone’s situation is different, and I would not advise

making any substantial gift to Giggleswick School, or indeed any

other registered charity, without consulting a professional advisor.

If, however, you would like to support the School and its pupils in

this way, making a gift of shares is really very easy.

If the shares are held by a stockbroker or investment manager

on a nominee account, the only thing you need to do is to send a

letter of instruction to the broker. They will take care of all the

paperwork for you. Alternatively, if you have the share certificate,

you should obtain a stock transfer form and simply transfer the

shares directly to Giggleswick School. It would be useful if you

could outline the details of your gift in a covering letter.

Even if you don’t have a large number of shares it may be

worth making them into a gift, if only to reduce your paperwork.

The School can take advantage of schemes like Share Gift

(http://www.sharegift.org/sharegift/), so even the smallest gift of

shares can be of value to the School.

So what is the catch?

There is no catch. Giving shares is the most tax effective way of

giving for an individual. All the important bits of information,

including an example stock transfer form and guidance as to how

to fill it in, are available from the Giggleswick School Foundation.

If you are in a position to make a gift of shares to the School,

to support Giggleswick and its pupils, please contact the

Foundation Director, Andrew Beales, either by e-mail

abeales@giggleswick.org.uk or call in confidence on 01729 893

008.

From the Foundation Office…

Share and Share alike

Since the last Gigg:News the stock markets have been on

something of a rollercoaster. Despite this, shares remain an

incredibly tax efficient way of making a gift to charities such

as Giggleswick School. Foundation Director, Andrew Beales,

takes a closer look.

For many of us our only encounter with the stock markets is

while watching breakfast television, or perhaps while flicking

through the paper on the way into work. I don’t pretend to be an

expert, and give credit for most of what I know to Declan Curry

on BBC Breakfast News. Every morning I watch him bound about

in front of near meaningless graphics, smiling as he talks about

the ups and downs of that morning’s early trading. Like many

people I assume shares are complicated, and I’m better off out of

it.

The reality is of course that shares are quite simple; in fact over

10 million of us invest in shares, and over £1 billion of shares are

traded every day in the UK. Clearly, if I took Declan more seriously

I might be able to take advantage of a good investment opportu-

nity or two. Disposing of shares also represents a simple and cost

effective way to give to charity.

I was recently approached by an OG who wanted to give a

number of shares to the School. His gift was very generous and

will be of great benefit to future pupils. I was also able to discuss

how his gift was of benefit to him.

I like to think of gifts of shares as performing a ‘Double

Whammy’ on a donor’s tax bill. In the first instance people who

give shares to a charity, such as Giggleswick School, can do so

and not attract any capital gains tax — Whammy One.

On top of this, since 2000, the donors of shares can also

reduce their taxable income by the full market value of the shares

that they give to the School — Whammy Two.

The result of this is that the net cost to a donor is only a frac-

tion of the gift that a School actually receives.

For Example:

Ben E. Factor has an annual income of £100,000, and gives

shares to the value of £20,000 to Giggleswick School. The shares

originally cost him £5,000.

From the Inland Revenue’s point of view, the disposal would be

Ready for the off! … or … Why on earth am I here??

Founded in 1968, The Old Giggleswickian Lodge welcomes to its fraternal ranks OGs and staff members of Giggleswick Schooland Catteral Hall. We also welcome masonic visitors to our meetings. For further information please contact:Master: A Charles Tetlow (P/M 63-67) 01507 527741Senior Warden: R Ian Johnson (CH/N 55-61)Junior Warden: Jim E Nicol (P 62-65)Secretary: Ian Shevill (Hon OG, 68-04) 01729 823764 – 51 King’s Mill Lane, Settle, BD24 9FDMeeting: 2nd Tuesday September, November, March and Maywww.l8263.oldgiggleswickian@wrprovince.co.uk (l as in Lodge at the front of the address)

10 11

A Giggleswick School tradition

So finally the wait was over.Could the day dawn and stay fine?All of Alastair Scholey’s months of planning and preparation were over.Runners signed up right to the last minute – some registered on the day! Ready……Steady……In a minute……Go!

CENTENARY

LESWICK SCHOOL SCARRIG CENTENARY 2008, GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL SCARRIG CENTENARY 2008, GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL SCARRIG CENTENARY 2008, GIGGLESWICK SCHOOL SCARR

www.ogclub.co.uk 15

medallion (presented by the OG Club). Ron Hill said how much he

had enjoyed the event and confirmed what older OGs have been

saying for years – ‘That was a very tough, testing course.’

The Dinner in the evening was a truly enjoyable end to the day.

130 diners ranged in age from 13 to over 80, including 65 OGs,

former and current members of staff, David Thornton and Roger

Ingham, OBE, as guests, numerous partners and spouses, and 10

current members of the school. The Headmaster spoke warmly

about the School in general and especially in tribute to the

extraordinary vision and organization of Alastair Scholey in

making the event such a resounding success…’ Many of you are

here today because of the regard you have for Alastair.’ Alastair

himself also made a brief – and, one sensed, relieved speech and

then presented more medals to the winners of the various Vet

categories, perhaps the most amazing being that to John Wilson

in the Over 70s class! The OG President’s gift of six bottles of

claret for the winners was shared between Harry Coates and

Charlotte Sanderson. Nick Jefferies thanked all concerned on

behalf of the OG Committee and people then drifted away grad-

ually, or in some cases sat on until the very small hours of Sunday

morning.

An unforgettable day! But don’t take my word for it – read

Jason Greenwood’s personal account below.

Scarrigged for LifeA lot of the Scar has been gnawed away

since I was at school. My own bones

have also been somewhat worn away,

which is why I’m wearing a rather sexy

surgical stocking over my right knee. Why

am I back up here, on top of this bloody

escarpment, after a quarter of a century?

Probably peer pressure. There is a gang

of my contemporaries running with me:

Atkins, Binns, Hutchinson, Proctor and

Sames. Don’t want to let the side down,

and all that.

Most runners huddle in the lee of

Schoolboys’ Tower, while a few swear

defiantly into the face of a bastard of a

wind. I do too, feeling a thrill at using a

naughty word in the company of teach-

ers. Pathetic!… I am a teacher, I remind

myself.

Scarrig: how appropriate a name. It

sounds like the hate-child of a union

between a German POW camp and the

vestiges of a nasty injury. Or the last in

one of those pointless word sequences you get in puzzle books:

Gulag, Stalag, Scarrig. There was a lot I enjoyed about Gig: the

adventures, the friendships, the glorious silliness, the cosy history

that embraced you in her ample bust like an ancient granny. There

was also a little I didn’t much care for: homesickness, enemies,

compulsory sports. And Scarrig!

It always took place on an Exeat, like one last bid to kill us off

before handing over the goods. It was a gauntlet of cold wet

exhaustion standing between the ploughed field of scholastic

servitude and the sunny uplands of home (with its sweet smells

and effortless spoils). For some it was D-Day, an opportunity to

convert dogged preparation into triumph. For others, like me, it

was Dunkirk – something to survive, and perhaps come out of the

other end with at least a shred of dignity intact.

I remove my tracksuit bottoms, after first checking I’ve remem-

bered to put on my shorts, then stuff them inside the bulging

rucksack that dwarfs the Gig girl strapped to it. She assures me

that my bottoms will be waiting for me at the end. At that moment

the wind rises, as if exhaling in disbelief at the pale scrawniness

of my legs. We take our marks. I glimpse Dominic Baldwin limber-

ing up. He was a sporting God in our day, one of the First Fifteen;

I was a sporting dog, somewhere in the Last Umpteen. A photo-

graph is taken. A few bits of banter bob around amongst the

fidgetting throng, and then we’re off.

Very quickly the blob of pasty flesh stretches into a spaghetti

strand. My blood feels as thick as Bolognaise sauce, my feet as

heavy as stale ciabattas and I’m coughing up pesto. That’s prob-

ably enough references to Italian cuisine. I concentrate on putting

one foot in front of the other without it looking like fast walking.

Runners are starting to overtake me in number, so I try to be

clever with a few crafty short cuts: over a rocky knoll, or climbing

a wall instead of joining the polite but sweaty queue for the stile.

But it always works out at least as strenuous or time-consuming

as keeping to the original route. Why do I never learn?

An elderly man with the build of Foghorn Leghorn scampers

past, as foot-sure as a mountain goat on amphetamines. I feel

ashamed. All the cigarettes I have ever smoked seem to be revis-

iting me simultaneously, clogging up the natural flow of my energy

like a log jam. Then I glimpse a familiar face amid the now steady

stream of passing traffic. The grin is unmistakable. It’s Mr

Wigfield, who used to teach me metalwork and haul me out of pot

holes. It’s all very surreal. I wonder who will be next to overtake

me from my childhood? Jimmy Saville? Margaret Thatcher? Little

and Large?

We slowly descend, crossing the road

above Buckhaw Brow (called something else

in my day) then dropping down into The

Gulley. ‘Though I run through the shadow of

the Valley of Death’…well, not quite, but

there is a slough of mud at the bottom which

I can feel spattering against the backs of my

legs. Well, at least I’ll look like a fell runner.

Then a bugger of a hill. I dig in, feeling as

if I’m treading air and getting nowhere. Any

slower and I’ll be going backwards, yet I’m

overtaking Atkins, Binns and Proctor –

sounds like a whole firm of chartered

accountants in one fell swoop. Mercifully the

hill bends, and now we’re traversing a

windswept plateau. Ahead I glimpse familiar

pastures, a land of milk and honey, with the

dome of the Chapel like a giant sun-kissed

mammary gland. It is a vital fillip. A prince of

fillips, even. Or princess.

Twenty-five years seems to have evapo-

rated. I’m back at school, still struggling to

finish that last race, and everything that has

happened in between is just an artificial

construct of my tortured mind. I’m being

overtaken by a stream of students; perhaps

they’re even lapping me, laughing at me inside. One of them is

even wearing one of those confounded i-pods, as if he’s just out

on a training jog.

Along the back road, then through the shooting field where Mr

Batty’s private army used to show clay pigeons the meaning of

shock and awe. Now I can hear the crowds. This is what it must

be like entering the Olympic stadium at the end of the Marathon.

Perhaps. Rounding the chapel’s stocky flank, Top Pitch comes

into view, and the spectators huddled in its far corner. It is my

instinct to make a bee-line for them – the shortest line between

the two points of my complete agony and the ecstasy of comple-

tion - but decide it would be bad form to cheat so obviously. I

must circumnavigate the hallowed cricket ground, a final circuit

before landing. There is a boy ahead of me. If I were the heroic

type I would stretch my stride, throw back my head and give him

a jolly good run for his money. But I’m not. Besides, I don’t think

he’s carrying any cash.

Into the final straight now. I can feel the pull of the crowd like

a magnet, hear their cheers in my freezing ears (or are they jeers?

My legs, remember…). Just as I enter the Funnel of Final

www.giggleswick.org.uk 14

A grand day outBy common consent the Scarrig Centenary was an excep-

tional day all round, one of the best combined School/OG

occasions that many could remember. The weather was

reasonably kind to us, almost 70 OGs ran in the race, in

addition of course to all the races taking place simultane-

ously for current members of the school… a day for them to

remember as well. There were lots of other OGs, even some

OG parents, to welcome everyone home. At least one OG

father and OG son competed.

We tried to get a photograph of as many OG competitors

as possible, so if there isn’t one of you we can but apolo-

gize. The Dining Room was packed to the rafters for the

after-race presentations, with hot chocolate and Mars bars

for the runners, and then the prizes being presented by Ron

Hill, MBE. All competitors received a Centenary Scarrig

CENTENARY SCARRIG OG ResultsMen’s Race1 Harry Coates (S 04-06)2 Chris P Waters (M 96-01)3 Tom M Canaway (S 96-01)Ladies’ Race1 Charlotte E Sanderson (C 92-97)2 Rebecca L Taylor (St 93-98)3 Rebecca Jefferies (CH/C 94-00)1st Over 40 John J Brewster (CH/N 74-83)1st Over 50 Jonathan HD Whitehead (CH/N 67-74)1st Over 60 Anthony R Haygarth (CH/N 59-65)1st Over 70 John A Wilson (CH/St 46-55)

School ResultsMinor Boys (all Catteral House)1 William JK Ludlum2 Joseph E Starr3 Samuel W WoodJunior Boys1 Christopher P Gemmell (M)2 Samuel A Sharp (S)3 Laurence AE Kitchen (S)Senior Boys1 Robert M Corner (P)2 Peter A Walsh (P)3 Samuel AN Bartlett (M)Minor Girls (all Catteral House)1 Georgia AW Birley 2 Emily A Bolger3 Rebecca L KeighleyJunior Girls1 Roberta EA Jenkinson (C)2 Katherine K Sharp (St)3 Jessica A Lowe (C)Senior Girls1 Claire G Lilley (St) 2 Sarah A Marsh (St)3 Rebecca J Davis (C)

Winning TeamsJunior Boys ShuteSenior Boys PaleyJunior Girls CarrSenior Girls Style

Guests in the Hobson Room before the Centenary Dinner. (Apologies that one or two present have been obliterated bythe necessity to stitch together three separate pictures.)

Ron Hill, MBE

www.ogclub.co.uk 17www.giggleswick.org.uk 16

Famous OG SeriesWe can make our lives sublime,And, departing, leave behind usFootprints in the sands of time.HW Longfellow

Bertram Lambert was born in Settle in 1881, the third son of the printer JW Lambert and his wife Mary. In 1894, whilst a pupil at Settle

National School, he won a West Riding Technical Exhibition scholarship to Giggleswick School. In 1900, whilst at Giggleswick, he won

an Exhibition to Merton College, Oxford, where he gained first class honours in Natural Sciences. For many years he was in charge of

the Chemistry Department at Oxford. His skill was in designing and constructing apparatus and he was believed to be the best amateur

glass blower in England.

Bertram Lambert invented the box respirator – the first effective gas mask used by the troops in the First World War.

Gas was first used by the Germans at the Second Battle of Ypres on 22nd April 1915. Predictably, the British government decided

to develop its own chemical weapons and wrote to the universities asking for chemists, which is presumably how Bertram came to be

commissioned into the Royal Engineers, graded Staff Captain. He was promoted to Major in 1916 and became Chemical Adviser to HQ

Inspector-General of Communications, France. However, it seems likely that some of his work was carried out at the anti-gas laborato-

ries at the Royal Army Medical College, Millbank, where between April 1915 and November 1916 the gas hood and then first the large,

and then the small box respirator were developed as protection against chemical weapons.

The first protection against gas attacks was the gas hood or smoke helmet; a grey flannel bag soaked

with chemicals which was uncomfortable to wear. It had two eyepieces, which steamed up, and a rubber

mouth valve. It could only be used once, so it was always necessary to carry two.

The large box respirator was developed in late summer and autumn of 1915, and was first issued early

in 1916. It consisted of a tin cylinder filled with chemicals, with an air inlet valve at the bottom. The cylinder

was connected to an impervious face mask by a rubber tube, in which was a rubber outlet valve. The face

mask had 2 elastic bands attached which slipped over the head and held the mask in position. The whole

thing was issued in a waterproof satchel. Fresh air was drawn in through the cylinder, where the mixture of

charcoal, permanganate and soda lime, in layers separated by gauze, was designed to filter gas from the

air to make it breathable. This was Bertram Lambert’s invention – the permanganate-soda-lime granules that

filtered the lethal chemical cocktail, making it safe to breathe. The box respirator was a lifesaver.

This British invention was so successful that the Italians were supplied with several million and the

Americans took large numbers before copying its design for manufacture in the USA. Men hated wearing it

because it hampered movement and was uncomfortably sweaty when worn over long periods or in warm

weather. Nevertheless it significantly reduced the efficacy of gas as a weapon of mass destruction. In his

book ‘Tommy’ historian Richard Holmes concludes that, after the box respirator became standard issue gas was ‘a waste of time’, caus-

ing fewer casualties than shells and mortar bombs, machine guns and rifles. Only 3-4% of those caught in gas attacks died compared

with 25% for other weapons. However, the psychological effect is harder to quantify. Gas attacks inspired ‘a fear that was out of all

proportion to the damage that was done’, and it was the memory of gas casualties in particular that remained with those who had

witnessed so many terrible things, for years after.

Bertram was twice mentioned in dispatches and awarded the OBE. After the war ended he was awarded £12,500 by the Royal

Commission on Awards and Inventions, one of only a handful of chemists to be so rewarded for their war work. In 1920 Merton College

elected him to a fellowship as tutor in chemistry. In 1947 he was made a Senior Research Fellow. On his retirement in 1951 he became

Emeritus Fellow of his College. He married Sylvia and had two children: James and Peggy. He died in Oxford on 1st July 1963.

Jeanne Carr, Settle, February 2008

BERTRAM LAMBERT OBE MA (1881–1963)(Town 1894-1900, 1st XI cricket)

Bertram played in the 1st XI and was, according to the cricket report of the time in

The Chronicle ‘…a steady bat, watching the ball carefully. A good fielder.’ Following

his 1st Class Hons degree at Oxford, his main interest was in research, especially the

preparation and study of gases of a high state of purity. In addition to the positions

and honours mentioned below, he was also a Fellow of both the English and German

Chemical Societies, the Aldrichian Demonstrator in Chemistry at Oxford, and Curator

of the University Chest, where his acute mind and sound judgement were of great

help in dealing with the difficult finances of the university during World War 2.

Bertram was the great great uncle of Jeanne Carr (sister of Stephen Mitchell, S 69-

74), who has written the tribute to him below.

Bertram Lambert and the Box RespiratorA Settle man’s part in The Great War

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Barbara Gent, Giggleswick School Archivist for providing details of Bertram’s academic and military careers, and to the following

sources for providing the historical context: Holmes, R (2004), Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914- 1918, Harper Collins

www.rsc.org/delivery/_ArticleLinking/DisplayArticleForFree.cfm?doi=CT9191500562&JournalCode=CT –

Thank you to Settle Primary School for giving me access to the school record books and also to Chris Foster, Craven Community Projects Group,

www.cpgw .org.uk for supplying the following sources of information: http://www.open.ac.uk/ou5/Arts/chemists/person.cfm?SearchID=8540

http://books.google.com/books?id=T18BxFyvo7gC&pg=PA308&lpg=PA308&dq=bertram+lambert+great+war&source=web&ots=X9v7hQrztB&sig=vW

zwHENyIbRbALNUdYk_jv3Jy4

Deliverance, I see a guide post in my path and with the last

precious joules of energy scraped up from the bottom of my

barrel of reserves, I leap. My undercarriage only just clears the

pole by a matter of atoms. I am sickened that, for a moment of

glory, I was willing to gamble a whole Dawkins of potential

future generations.

Now I am within the bosom of the multitude, surrounded by

more friendly claps than a night in Amsterdam. An ice lolly stick

is handed to me. I look around for the ice lolly on the ground.

Then the stick is taken off me and a ribbon placed over my

head. Dangling from it is that dear old familiar badge, bearing

the motto : Sigilu Preben daru de bulidon: ‘A ciggy in the loo

before Prep is a dare in a billion.’ …or something like that. It is

the first sporting trophy I have ever won. I am euphoric with

gratitude and relief, smiling dolphinically, on account of the

endorphins coursing through my inner seas. I don’t know

where I’ve come in the overall race (apparently it was written on

the lolly stick) but I am third out of our group of six. And it’s all

over. I’ll never have to run this confounded race again, because

I’ll be dead for the Bicentenary. Unless they make my clone do

it…

Now, where are my bottoms…?

Jason Greenwood (CH/C 79-86)

CONGRATULATIONS to Dr PHL Tate (N 59-63) on beingawarded the MBE.

‘I do scan the OG:news fromtime to time and have oftenintended to attend a function,but have never quite done so.The London Dinner soundsinteresting. Are partnersinvited? Please let me havedetails.

As for me, other than 2 yearsas a ship's surgeon my life hasbeen fairly conventional: afamily GP in Abingdon onThames for 30 years, I becamevery involved in trainingdoctors, took a sabbatical atOxford in 79-80 and studiedcommunication theory. This ledto a series of books, someshared authorship and a couple

on my own. In 1981 I became an examiner for the Royal Collegeof GPs and retired as Convenor of the Panel (Chief Examiner)two years ago. I think it was the books and the Examining that ledto the award. I do have a very amateur website www.tatee-books.com.’

Canadian Rugby & Hockey Tour35 players, together with accompanying staff, will be touringCanada from 15 to 29 August this year. The rugby and hockeymatches will be played in and around Calgary and Vancouver. Adetailed itinerary will be sent to all OGs living in Canada and thenorth west of the USA as soon as it is available. You would bemade most welcome at any of the matches, indeed the tour partywould be delighted to see you.The itinerary will also be posted on Gigg:online.

Richard Fall (CH/P 80-87) is the coordinator for OG Rugby.Any OG wanting to play rugby should contact him at

richard.fall@bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk or at ogrugby@btinternet.com

Alex Macdonald (M 99-04) is the coordinator for OG Cricket.

Any OG wanting to play cricket should contact him at

mac_alexmacdonald@hotmail.com

Liz Smith (C 95-00) is the coordinator for OG Ladies’ Hockey.Those ladies wanting to play should contact her at

elizabeth.smith@bbc.co.uk

www.ogclub.co.uk 19www.giggleswick.org.uk 18

yet who knows where it will take me… I’vealways refused to worry about these things.’Ahmed Nawaz (M 96-01) graduated fromLancaster University in 2004, took some timeout to travel and work in Toronto and Montrealand then returned to Lancaster, where hecompleted his Masters degree in September2005. He now works in London as a manage-ment consultant with Accenture, concentratingprimarily on business, advisory and strategicprojects. Currently he is working with theHome Office, HMRC, security agencies andimmigration departments on designing the newborder control and immigration system to be inplace before the 2012 Olympic Games, whichAccenture is helping to manage and run.Jonathan D Blundy (M74-77) has beenProfessor of Petrology at the University ofBristol since 2002, following a glitteringacademic career to date. He wrote in February:‘Since leaving Gigg in 1977, I studied for A-levels at Leeds Grammar School, readGeology at University College, Oxford andthen did a PhD in Earth Sciences at TrinityHall, Cambridge. I spent two years at MIT asa Kennedy Scholar in the mid-80s. After Ifinished my PhD in 1989, I came to BristolUniversity where I have been pretty much eversince, apart from a brief spell as JuniorResearch Fellow at Hertford College, Oxford.I am due to become head of department atBristol later this year. I research into volca-noes, especially explosive ones! I have projectsrunning in the USA and Mexico and am justback from a rather exciting trip to the Afarregion of Ethiopia. Information on the kind ofthing I do can be found on my Bristol website.

I am married, with two children aged 13and 10.’

What Jonathanomits is his OpenS c h o l a r s h i p(Natural Sciences)to Oxford, his 1stClass Honoursdegree and numer-ous academicprizes andFellowships there-after, includingthe Bigsby Medal

of the Royal Geological Society in 2005.Chris W Wren (P 90-95) left the Army inNovember 2007 and now works as an invest-ment banker with Seymour Pierce Ltd inLondon.Stefan Allesch-Taylor (CH/N 80-87) is chiefexecutive of Fairfax, one of Britain’s fastest-growing investment banks. He was the subjectof a major business feature article in TheIndependent on 13 November last year, enti-tled A Day In The Life Of: Building a businessis not a 9-to-5 job; I’m dealing with people’shopes and dreams. Stefan lives in Fulham withhis wife and daughter and has his offices inMayfair. Described in the article as ‘a serialentrepreneur’, Stefan is clearly an extremelysuccessful one as well.

John Rochford (N 72-76) lives in Cheshirewith his wife and one son. ‘After vowing Iwould never work in an office, I have done justthat and have been a Director for a group ofcompanies for the past 15 years. Hoping toretire early (50) and disappear to the depths ofthe French countryside where I have owned aproperty for the last 16 years. I spend all myfree time walking and taking photographs. Iam an Associate of the Royal PhotographicSociety (ARPS) – www.johnrochford.co.uk.However, I have sold more paintings thanphotographs.’ Colin Broadbent (CH/S 45-49) has joined theranks of OG authors with the publication of hisbook The Last Sunset, which has been wellreviewed. After Giggleswick, Colin trained tobecome a doctor, working initially in hospitalsbefore becoming a GP. He lives in Darlingtonwith his wife June and they have grown-uptwin boys.Colin Parry (CH/S 78-87) is currently livingin the USA and still works for UBS, as he hasfor the past 14 years.

Hat-trick of Shute Cricketers.Richard West, Stephen Mitchell (both S1969-1974) and Nigel Shaw (S 1970-75)recently met up with their wives, Susan, Ruthand Wanda, at Stephen’s home in Hampshirefor a dinner party. As they are still regular clubor County over-50 cricketers – Stephen havingplayed for Yorkshire and England Schoolboys– the conversation invariably led back to theirexploits at Gigg in the 1970s. All three arescheduled to play for the O.G. XI against theSchool at this summer’s O.G. Day.

Seen here are, left to right: StephenMitchell, Nigel Shaw and Richard West, withthe 1974 team board from the School pavilion.Charlie Weaving (P 96-99) is forging a dualcareer for himself as a male model and as anight club entrepreneur. On 24 October lastyear there was a major feature about him in theLife&Style section of the Yorkshire Post, enti-tled ‘Charlie, the model entrepreneur’. Hisparents have owned the Rendezvous Hotel isSkipton since 2004 and Charlie has gone intothe business with them, opening and running anight club called Rooder. His modelling beganat age 17 when he was spotted by modellingscouts while working on the door of a Londonnight club. Taken on by a top agency – Storm– he travelled to shoots in various parts of

Europe and the Far East, and later became oneof the models for Jean Paul Gaultier. Now thathis night club is established, he hopes to returnto modelling as well. Running in the recentCentenary Scarrig was one of his ways ofgetting fit to do this!The picture below, taken at Giggleswickduring the total eclipse of 1927, has recentlybeen added to the new ROG galleries at theNational Maritime Museum in Greenwich. It isone of the picture clues in the café area, with acaption designed to encourage visitors to gointo the main galleries to find out more.

The film LIKE MINDS was shot partly atGiggleswick in February 2005, as readers willrecall from the stunning picture of the Chapelon the front cover of Gigg:news No. 47 (May2005).

The film was released on DVD in the UKon January 7th – available to buy for £12.00.

What follows is a response to someone onthe Internet Movie Data Base who commentedon their website that ‘Apparently some of itwas filmed at my school.’

Some of it was filmed at my school too. Myschool being Giggleswick School, Settle, North

Yorkshire. I don’t know where your schoolwas but probably Woodhouse Grove (lotsof the external scenes of the grand schoolin the snow) or Bradford GrammarSchool (some internal scenes)?

Giggleswick School was used for itslandmark Chapel overlooking theYorkshire Dales and ‘the play’ is filmedinside and Alex is seen outside it paintingthe scenery and then inside the chapelvestry making a cinema date with thedoomed young actress... later too in theretalking to Nigel’s (also doomed) parents.

One brief scene outside our chapel is seenwith parents and visitors walking up steps to itfor the play (which goes on despite the leadingactress being murdered). I watched this beingfilmed and it was a typically wild and windyYorkshire night and they did well to film itwithout the beacons being blown out.

whole of 2007 reading for a full-time MBA atAshridge Business School, Berkhamsted(ranked No1 in the UK by the Financial Timesfor tailored executive business education). ‘Itwas a tough year away from my beloved wifeRoberta, and becoming a student again was abit of a shock to the system, but I succeeded. Iam now due to enter the family business toapply all my learning and create value, thoughfirst I intend to take a long holiday.’Mark A Rushworth (CH/M 74-83) and hiswife Christina now live in Cambridge, NewZealand. ‘I seem to have managed to get by,having got my degree and post-grad Diplomain Town Planning at Birmingham Poly. Sincethen I’ve worked mostly for local governmentas a strategic/policy planner, gradually head-ing south from Halifax, via Devon to NewZealand. As yet I haven’t bumped into any OGsover here, although I still keep in touch withNick Harding and David Ellis.’Alastair Thompson (CH/St 52-59) has beenappointed an Honorary Canon of RiponCathedral, one of six. (Lay people could not

become Canons until the statutes were revisedin 1999.)Marcus JJ Potter (P 93-98) has been withScott Dunn Travel for over a year, helping tobroaden their India & Middle East product –‘…and make it a bit more adventurous.’ Hewas previously with Cox & Kings, working ontheir India desk.Greg Mickelborough (N 92-95) wrote inDecember last year: ‘A few bits of newsregarding the Mickelborough clan: Fran(Francis Mickelborough N 89-94) has spentthe last two years in New Zealand, trainingand then working as a camera man at a sky-diving drop zone. Following a somewhatmisjudged landing in September, however, inwhich he broke his left femur, resulting in itbeing pinned, he’s going to be heading back tothe UK in March. It’ll be a year before he’sallowed to jump again, but I have no doubtthat he will. He’s going to get back runningfirst and he and I have pencilled in a mountainmarathon (2-man, 2-day mountain orienteer-ing competition) for this summer.

I’m now living in Brighton as I’m studyingfor an MA in Opera and Music Theatre at theUniversity of Sussex, though I’m still teachingpart-time at Esher. Am loving Brighton andespecially being back in academia, though as

Roderick Bagshaw (CH/M 88-98), marriedwith two sons, is a law don at MagdaleneCollege, Oxford. One of his sisters, Fiona(St 88-90), married with two children, iscurrently on maternity leave from her job asHR consultant for Chevron Texaco in CanaryWharf; his younger sister, Nichola (St 90-92)is a physiotherapist at Headley CourtDefence Medical Services RehabilitationCentre near Epsom.Kirsti Nicholson (St 95-00) joined the RAFin 2005 and is currently working as an airtraffic controller; she is due to be posted toIraq at the end of May this year.

Her sister Alexa Nicholson (St 93-96)works in London as an HR Manager.Malcolm Wilson (St 64-68) retired in 2006after 34 years in farming and has moved toRedmile in Nottinghamshire. He writes: Iwas intending to run Scarrig, but all thehassle of moving prevented me from doingmy normal running. Could OGs do it everyyear?Johanna Stör (St 95-98) has completed herundergraduate medical studies in Germanyand has applied to hospitals in Munich andBerlin. Interested also in possibly working inLondon, she met up recently with DrLaurence Dodd (S 89-94) to find out aboutthe NHS. Johanna has also met up again, forthe first time in 11 years, with LucyStenbeck (née Moor, St 95-97 – who nowworks for the RSPB and is based in Brighton)and Laura Gordon (St 95-97)– see below ona windy day in Brighton. She has remainedgood friends with Richard Drake (P 93-98)and his German wife Gesche.

John D Nickson (CH/N 57-65), Director,Tate Foundation, was the guest on the Radio3 music programme Private Passions on 2December 2007.Lance Clark (N 73-76), is living in hisnative South Africa and currently works forBandag, Southern Africa – a global pre-cureretread manufacturer. Lance looks after salesin Natal, Zimbabwe, Mozambique,Swaziland & Mauritius. Currently engagedto Linda-Marie, a Mauritian lady. Hobbiesare: scuba diving, outdoors, cooking, fictionwriting, rock music. Lance would love tohear from any fellow OGs, especially if visit-ing South Africa! Will gladly assist in anyadvice, for anyone holidaying here, etc.email addresses: lclark2@absamail.co.za or:lclark@bandag.co.za

Rebecca Jefferies (CH/C 94-00) wrote inJanuary:I am a trainee solicitor with international lawfirm Watson, Farley & Williams. I am based inLondon but am currently on a four month

placement in ourBangkok office, work-ing in the InternationalArbitration department.I also spent one monthearlier in 2007 workingin our Athens office inthe Ship Financedepartment.

Since leavingGiggleswick I readEnglish Literature at

Newcastle University, followed by the lawconversion course and Legal Practice Courseat Nottingham Law School. I have travelledextensively over the last few years, includingNorthern, Eastern and Southern Africa, theMiddle East, Canada and Eastern Europe. Ialso spent six months after university workingas a chalet girl in Val D'Isère, France. Whilstworking here in Thailand I have also taken theopportunity to travel all over South East Asia,including Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma.Whilst travelling in East Africa I spent sometime working for a small charity in Uganda,and I when I am working in London I under-take pro bono work in East London as often aspossible.

Aside from my career, I am still a keensportswoman; I particularly enjoy skiing,tennis and squash. I also ran the LondonMarathon for charity last year and plan to takepart in the Blenheim Palace Triathlon laterthis year.Jonathan D Harris (N 77-79) has been apilot with BA for 18 years and was promotedto Captain on the Boeing 747 three yearsago. Based at Heathrow but living inManchester, he is married to Katherine, withthree sons. He got in touch as a result ofspeaking to an OG friend, Simon Watts

(CH/S 73-79). He wrote in January:‘It certainly brings home to me the passage oftime when I hear that Angela Hoyle has chil-dren of her own as pupils at the school. I alsoremember Stuart Gledhill well and have overthe years passed by Dorothy Ward’s and calledin to say hello… I am writing this from thedeparture lounge in Terminal 1, waiting tocatch a flight home after arriving in off aWashington earlier today (a little too excitingan arrival for my taste what with the howlinggales we are currently experiencing!).’Sheryl Slater (CH/C 98-04) has graduatedwith a 2:1 hons degree in nursing and hopes totravel and nurse in Australia for a year. Herelder sister, Nicole (C 98-01) now teaches artat Giggleswick.Kevin J Fenech (CH/S 84-91) spent the

NEWS…NEWS…NEWS…

Long Lartin atEvesham, Wandsworthin London, Albany onthe Isle of Wight, and anumber of others. Thiswas followed by a spellin the Home Office,before he took up hisfinal role as Governorof Oxford Prison untilits closure in 1995.After leaving HM Prison Service, John held anon-academic post for a number of years inOxford University’s Museum of the History ofScience.

John was a real gentleman in every sense ofthe word. He was a kind and sensitive man,always ready to lend a hand and generous withhis help to his friends. He leaves behind aloving partner, Penny, who brought a greatdeal of pleasure to John’s life.Brian O Rothera (S 43-48) died on 22 Nov2007, aged 77. His brother, David O Rothera(S 45-49), writes: Brian won a Scholarship toGiggleswick from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in1943 and was a successful sportsman, playingfor the 1st XV and 1st XI and being runner-upfor the Athletics Gold Medal in 1948. Havingspent most of his life in the merchant navy as aChief Engineer, he retired to California wherehe was successful in real estate for a number ofyears. In 2006 he moved with his Americanwife, Anita, to Great Falls, Montana, but heunfortunately fell ill soon afterwards.Peter M Wallace (CH/P 45-53) died on 17December 2007. His widow, Jill, sent this obit-uary:

The funeral of Peter Wallace – husband,father, grandpa, friend, teacher, writer, poet,actor, singer, cricketer, town and district coun-cillor, Hon Citizen of Market Drayton andArlon, Belgium, founder Chair of PezenasMarket Drayton Twinning Association,Chevalier de la Confrérie des Petits Pates,Chevalier de la Confrérie du Maitrank, Santastand-in – took place on 4th January. Peterhad been Town Crier of Market Drayton since1973. He died after relieving the local book-maker of a considerable sum, and meeting and

greeting half thetown. This addedto the stunnedreaction to hisdeath. Manymarks of respectwere paid byfamily andfriends, withmusic, poetryand tributesfrom near andfar.

Jill also sent this photograph of Peter asTown Crier.J Humphrey Godwin (P 28-32) died on 7January 2008, aged 93. OG Julius Manduell(CH/St 73-83) writes: Humphrey was an OGand I know he still enjoyed reading Gigg:news.

www.ogclub.co.uk 21www.giggleswick.org.uk 20

local parishes, he drove for the PembrokeshireVoluntary Driving Scheme and did a great dealof work for Age Concern. His last two yearswere spent ministering to three parishesduring their interregnum and he was able tohand over to the new incumbent a thriving,growing church with hopes for an excitingjoint ministry. Sadly, this was not to be and hervery first task was to officiate at Christopher’sfuneral service in Begelly, Pembrokeshire; hisashes were then interred at the family grave inBatcombe.

His interests over the years includedgardening, genealogy, fossil collecting, thedesign and sewing of wool tapestries, andalways of course walking the great outdoors.Renowned for his ability to organise, to getthings done quickly and efficiently and toachieve the seemingly impossible, Christopherleft a lasting legacy in all areas of his life.Happiest when living simply and greatly lovedby those who knew him, he was a gentle man;mourned by his second wife, daughter, twosons, stepdaughter, five grandchildren andmany whose lives he touched. To God be theGlory.

Samantha Coney.Extracts from Trevor Watson’s letter regardinghis late father: A brief round-up of dad’s lifegoes as follows:

Medicine at Glasgow University – pathol-ogy in Boston (1962-3) – A&E at Glasgow RI– met and married a nurse, Moyra Ottewill, in1965 – John Trevor Watson (me) born 1966[imagination clearly doesn’t play a big part inour family, as I’m the 5th John and 2nd JohnTrevor in a row] – George Reginald Watsonborn 1967 – moved to Killearn to fill resident’spost, then back to Glasgow to work at GlasgowVictoria Infirmary and Philipshill – thenbecame consultant orthopaedic surgeon atHairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride, where heset up an orthopaedics and A&E unit.

Dad’s interests included sports (playedtennis, squash and golf, coached youngsters atsquash and tennis, was team doctor of AirdrieFC in 1980s and ’90s); amateur dramatics(appeared in many performances locally, aswell as writing and directing several workswith Busby Drama Group); and the Church(became an Elder in the Church of Scotland atBusby).

He made friends easily, was always acheerful raconteur and enjoyed wordplay. Hecommitted some of his hopes and observationsto paper in the form of poetry – I am told thata couple of people want to publish his poemsprivately, but have no idea of who, where orwhen.

I think dad was a bit bemused by the wholepublic school boarding experience. It was nota time he spoke about much (I’d never heard ofStyle House until your letter) but he did thinkMichael Palin’s Ripping Yarn ‘Tomkinson’sSchooldays’ was very funny. He revisitedGiggleswick for the first time a few years ago;I think he enjoyed seeing the cricket pitchagain and was very taken with the Chapel, butdidn’t take pictures of much else.

He was a lovely man and the description ofhim at his funeral as ‘…an old-fashionedEnglish gentleman so rarely seen today’, wasabsolutely right. His early career was inter-rupted by World War 2. He was commissionedinto the Royal Artillery in 1939 and rose to therank of Captain; he served throughout the war,participating in the entire North Africacampaign before fighting through Sicily andItaly. He left the army in 1946.

Returning to civilian life, Humphrey set uphis own textile business and went on to becomethe ‘doyen of the Macclesfield textile trade’. In1964 he was elected County Councillor forCheshire where he soon became Chairman ofthe Countryside Commission; on his retire-ment from the council he was made Hon.Alderman. His great passions were the preser-vation of the countryside and the conservationof wildlife. A dedicated naturalist, he wasresponsible for the creation and preservationof footpaths in Cheshire.

He shared his love of the countryside withhis wife, Mary, with whom he also spent manyhappy days fly fishing – a great sharedpassion. Sadly, Mary passed away eight daysafter him and they were buried together.

Humphrey’s solicitors have informed theSchool that he has left Giggleswick a legacy of£2,000. In Gigg:news No. 52 (Nov 2007) we recordedthe deaths of Revd Christopher T Coney (St46-51) and John T Watson (CH/St 47-55).We have received subsequently the followingletters:

Born in Batcombe, Somerset, Christopherfollowed his father in being educated atGiggleswick – as a 10-year old he was put ona train in Frome, with a packed lunch and alist of station changes, to make his own waythere. Being unfazed by this was a sign ofthings to come: after Chapel on a Sunday, hewould frequently take advantage of the limitednumber of packed lunches made up by cook,and walk the Three Peaks. Later, the OverseasExplorer’s Society approached the School,looking for 18-year old volunteers (of suitablyintrepid and reliable nature) to help map partsof unknown Canada; although only 17,Christopher’s name was put forward and off hewent for three months.

After reading English and theology atMagdalene College, Cambridge, Christopherworked as a teacher, firstly in the UK and thenat a missionary secondary school in PapuaNew Guinea. He was ordained shortly afterreturning to this country and, after a shortenedcuracy, spent 15 years as Chaplain atPangbourne College. Hundreds of trees intheir grounds are testimony to one aspect ofthe Estate Work project he set up as an alter-native for boys who found the various sportsless than interesting. A period as Rector of fivecountry parishes followed, then work as aResidential Care Officer in a home for adultswith learning disabilities, where the symbolic‘washing of the feet’ became very real.

In retirement, Christopher moved toPembrokeshire, where, as well as helping in

If you are into location trivia you’ll befascinated to know that the scene with thedetective finding the dead girl in the green-house is filmed just behind GiggleswickChapel in a maintenance yard, next to it iswhere in 1927 the astronomer royal observedthe total eclipse of the sun!

The location of the train I assume is inAustralia, as were some of the studio internalscenes.

If you want to fast forward to theGiggleswick School Chapel scenes (one alovely shot of coming into the chapel and look-ing up into the dome) the timings are asfollows:

39 mins 12 secs 52 mins 45 seconds 57 mins 57 seconds1 hour 16 mins 15 secsCredits 1 hour 44 mins 1 sec.

David F Bond (N 71-74). After Giggleswick,David went for the 6th Form to Keswick GSand then took an honours degree in mechanicalengineering at Leeds University. His distin-guished engineering career, especially in theoil industry, has taken him to many parts of theworld, including in particular deepwater andremote operations.

He now lives in Perth, Australia, with hiswife and three ‘nearly grown up’ children. Heis General Manager, Drilling, for OphirEnergy, responsible for their deepwaterdrilling capability (including ultra-deep wateroff the coast of Africa); also General Manager(Drilling) for Reliance Industries in India,responsible for all their drilling operationsaround the world; also MD of Technical LimitPerformance Pty Ltd (David developed theTechnical Limit Management System). NS Roebuck (CH/C 56-64), after 30+ years asGrand Prix Correspondent of AutosportMagazine, has recently been appointedFeatures Editor of the monthly, Motor Sport.In the recent Rugby Fives Varsity Match,Edward Wilman (CH/N 95-03) played forthe Oxford team which beat Cambridge, andhis younger brother Henry Wilman (CH/N96-06) played for the Oxford Beavers (2ndteam) who also beat the Cambridge Sparrows.Has there been a previous occasion when therewere two OGs on the same side in the VarsityFives match?Having lived and worked in Madrid for manyyears, Alison Myles (CH/St 84-91) hasmoved to live in China, where she isoften the centre of attention with her fairhair, ‘white’ skin and blue eyes: ‘Everyday is an adventure here. There is some-thing new round every corner – whetherit be the vibrant colours of a streetmarket, dumplings being cooked, liveprawns escaping from the basket, a groupof women doing Tai Chi, or people askingto have their photo taken with me(!).Whereas in Europe it’s considered rude topoint and stare, it’s the actual parentshere who nudge their little ones to have agood look at me!! Anyway, I’m used to it

now, but itmakes me laugh.

My mainreason for beinghere is obviouslya linguistic one,but it’s so drain-ing. I find itfrustrating notbeing able tounderstand atthe moment, butmy spokenChinese iscoming along

fast. I guess I’ve always been like that withlanguages – I speak before I can understand.I’ve been told I have a good accent, which is aboost to my confidence.

I’ve just returned from a 3-day cruise alongthe Yangtze River and it was stunning. I felt soprivileged to be there as the scenery wasincredible. I met up with Matthew Bould(CH/M 82-90), which was strange, as I hadn’tseen him for a good 12 years.’

BirthsTo Nicola Briffett (née Walker CH/C 85-90)and Michael, a daughter, Darcie Henrietta,born 14 February 2007, a sister for Roan.To Laurence E Dodd (S 90-94) and Emma, adaughter, Annabelle Jane, born 16 September2007.To Hilary Bloomer (née Shevill, CH/St 85-90) and James, a son, Crispin James Irvine,born 19 February 2008, a brother for Ameliaand Freddie.To Nick JA Hird (CH/P 76-86) and Karine, ason, Anthony James Raymonde, born 25March 2008, a brother for Michaela.

MarriagesElizabeth AJ Wrigley (St 90-95) marriedBruce Anderson on 14 July 2007. Jay RHeaton (St 91-96) was her bridesmaid.James W Foster (N 91-95) married ElizabethEmeny on 5 August 2007 at Weston Park,Shropshire.Lucy E Moor (St 95-97) married DavidStenbeck on 22 September 2007 at UrquhartCastle by Loch Ness, followed by a second

celebration inDavid’s home townof Perth, Australia.So Lucy gets to showtwo photographs…

Amy Cramphorn (C 94–96) marriedJonathan Hooper (S 91-96) in the SchoolChapel on 3 November 2007.Darroch Bagshaw (M 90-95) married phar-macist Lynsey Brown in Brig o’ Doon,Alloway on 19 January 2008.

Darroch’s siblings Roderick (CH/M 78-88) and his two sons, Fiona (St 88-90) and herdaughter and son and Nichola (St 90-92) allattended. From the photograph you will alsosee a good attendance of other OGs. Darrochand Lynsey are living in Sutton Coldfield,although Darroch is often to be found inDarlington – when they are playing at home!James F Wright (N 89-94) married ElizabethLothian in the New Forest on 12 April 2008.

DeathsSeaton Barlow (N 41-44) died on 25 March2007.Dr F B Ellis, JP (CH/St 39-49) died on 6September 2007.R John Talbot (C 62-67) died on 2 November2007.

John was born on 20 March 1949, the sonof the Vicar of Knaresborough. AfterGiggleswick, he studied at Leeds University.John became a TA Officer, serving with theRoyal Corps of Transport at the LongmoorMilitary Railway.

John’s fascination with railways waskindled by visits to the local station with hisfather: indeed, it was on one such an occasion,to arrange a marriage ceremony for one of thesignalmen, that John first visited a signal box,and so began a lifelong interest in railwaysignalling. When the Railway SignallingRecord Society (SRS) was formed some 40years ago, John became an enthusiasticmember, contributing many interesting articlesto their Journal, and was a great help to othersundertaking serious research. In 1999, he wasCo-ordinating Editor of the important history‘London Transport Railway Signalling – theLife & Work of Robert Dell’, to which hecontributed a significant part of the text. For

almost 20 years, John was the SRSCorresponding Member for LondonTransport Signalling.

As a career, however, Johnjoined Her Majesty’s Prison Servicein 1971 and, having trained atWakefield in Yorkshire, he moved onto serve at Winchester, The Maze(‘Long Kesh’) in Northern Ireland,

Apologies from the Editor to M Potter (CH/P 53-58), who wrote:‘I have just been reading the latest OG magazine and noticed that in Picture Conundrum 5 you have named me as the boy behind John Breaks.I can assure you that at that time I was in Paley House in class IVB. I think the boy in question was John Potter, but I am not certain – thoughI do recognize the others in the photograph.’Apologies are also due therefore to J Potter (CH/P 56-63).

www.giggleswick.org.uk 22 www.ogclub.co.uk 23

Picture Conundrum 9This has been submitted by Peter C Goldsmith (P 56-60), whothinks this was taken at a meeting of the Bulidon Club in 1958:‘Front L is Revd Pugh, who filled in as Paley Housemaster(when Doc Smith decided, to everyone’s surprise, to get marriedand start a family) prior to ‘Scruff’ Taylor taking over. I remem-ber Richard Howarth, David Crossley and myself. Perhaps aPicture Conundrum could solve the rest of the mystery?’[Can anyone help? – replies, please to DP Fox ondpfox@giggleswick.org.uk or by post to the OG Liaison Officeat school.]

6

7

Picture Conundrums

Several OGs wrote in response to Picture Conundrums 6 and 7, recog-nizing themselves and/or others. The most detailed came from JohnKirkpatrick (S 60-65):Here I go again…!Fortunately, I have a programme! Sad b******!L to R picture 7John Nickson (CH/N 57-65) 632 Pte Whitaker S(Extreme left and therefore out of this shot!)John Kirkpatrick (Shute) 594 L/Cpl MacLeish AJNigelRoebuck (CH/C 56-64) Japanese PrisonerJohn Whiteley (CC/C 57-65) 839 Cpl Johnstone EJohn Burns (CH/S 58-65) 611 Pte Smith PJulian Grant Robinson (S 59-64) 465 Sgt Michem RDavid Oddie (CH/St 54-64) 877 Sgt BamforthDavid Ward (N 59-64) 777 Pte Evans TEThe performances were on 13, 14 and 15 December, 1964. The followingyear, Easter holidays I think, we played in two schools in London… onewas in Wandsworth, I recall, but the other escapes me…Other interesting notes:Set designed and executed BO Wheel Esq and

KW Wood EsqPaint – Backgrounds by C Harrington EsqBack-stage Assistants DCP Lewin (S 61-65)

R Hoare (S/M 61-67)JW Hargreaves (CH/St 58-64)

Production Assistants JPH Coggan EsqAM Wade (N 60-64)

Front of House DC Taylor EsqM Coates (S 59-64)

Make-up Mrs DB HyslopPrompt SM Wescott (St 62-66)Music FA Jackson Esq

WH Stalker EsqMembers of the Military Band

Thanks also went to Major L Wardle for his generosity and helpfulness inmany ways and JDT Lincoln Esq for background information.The audience was asked to ‘refrain from smoking in any part of the

School other than the Covered Playground’.Hope this helps. I will be interested to learn if anyone elseresponds and how vivid their memories remain!Therefore, L to R on Picture Conundrum 6 we have: David Ward,John Kirkpatrick, John Burns, John Nickson, Julian GrantRobinson.

[If any of his contemporaries are still in touch with David Ward(now Anthony Daniels) we would be grateful if they could askhim to get in touch with the OG Liaison Office – it is about theforthcoming theatre project now being planned. Ed.]

More Memorabilia…In response to the Picture Conundrums opposite, John

Middleton (S 60- 65) also sent a copy of the programme

for The Long & the Short & the Tall, as well as that for a

later production – The Winslow Boy – more details of

which will follow in a later edition of Gigg:news. His letter

goes on:

‘As a supplement to Picture Conundrum 5, supplied

by Denis Nutter, shortly before his sad death, I enclose a

later shot of a group of Shute reprobates, including a

wind-swept and camera shy Denis, taking a stidger stop

on top of one of the Three Peaks during an Ascension

Day walk.

You will note that Bob ‘Woof’ Barker and John

Kirkpatrick are notably less modest and self-effacing in

their response to the camera! I remember someone writ-

ing in The Chronicle that they did not realize that the true

meaning of Ascension Day was to ascend the nearest

high mountain. The compensation was that the day

concluded with a meal out, usually of ham and eggs,

served in The Hart’s Head, Black Horse, or Hill Inn, fare

so alien to our daily diet of stidger, stodge and stew that

we wondered if altitude sickness had clouded our

perception of reality.

My final enclosure is a copy of a feature in Yorkshire

Life magazine of November 1964.

I challenge the present residents of Shute to attempt

a modern version of the finely-honed pantheon of Greek

Gods descending, Adonis-like, from Mount Olympus, in

synchronized precision reminiscent of a Rolex. Or possi-

bly they could stage a parody featuring tinnies, cigars,

shambolic shufflings and dishevelled désabillé attire, as

a satirical view of ‘How times have changed.’ What is

definitely out of the question is a ’43-years-on-now-and-

then’ re-enactment, which would require a camera with

a very wide-angle lens, and would cost a fortune in

stand-by paramedics! Please pass on my frivolous chal-

lenge to the present-day Shute residents, stressing: 1.

No rehearsals – one take only, and 2. No computer-

enhanced images (though I strongly suspect that John

Kirkp’s biceps have definitely been digitally enhanced!).

Very best wishes to all at Gigg, past and present…’

Message from the Headmaster

This edition of Gigg:news delights the

heart of a Headmaster with a Durham

Geography degree, because it has maps

on the front and back covers. The

Mercator world map projection shows

the UK at the heart of the Universe, with

Giggleswick at the centre. It is also

wonderful to have such vivid proof that

while we believe that the values instilled

at school give all OGs a root in the

Yorkshire Dales, it also inspires them to

spread their wings and fly off in all direc-

tions. Best of all this has allowed me in

the last few months, and others of the

senior management, to meet OGs in Blackburn, Harrogate, London,

Hamburg, Moscow, Dubai, Hong Kong and China. I am hoping the

Governors will approve my next trips to the USA and Australia!

Wherever you are I hope the news that you hear and read about the

school is positive. We are in very good heart, with the new Junior and

Senior School structure benefiting the pupils and staff and being widely

praised by parents. Edward de Bono said, “There is no point in being bril-

liant at the wrong things”. We think we are good and trying to be brilliant

at offering a well rounded boarding education to all our pupils. Record

exam results and improving sports results statistically prove this, but the

quality of recent music and drama performances shows our continuing

commitment to the Arts. We need the new theatre for much more than

just plays, but as an assembly hall, lecture theatre and general perform-

ance space. We value OG support for all we do and are delighted by the

blossoming relationship between the school and all our former pupils.

I look forward to seeing many of you at OG Day on Saturday 28 June, and

having the opportunity to illustrate more of our exciting plans for the

future.

The Theatre ProjectIn recent years Giggleswick has excelled in many things. Theatre and

music have grown from small beginnings to become a passion that

excites the entire School community. More than half our pupils took to

the stage in last November’s production of We Will Rock You and well

over 500 people squeezed into the new sports hall to hear the Spring

Concert.

Against this backdrop, the School wishes to build a dedicated perform-

ance space for future generations of pupils. The Governors have agreed

to build a theatre in the old covered playground. They have agreed

furthermore that the campaign for this theatre should be launched on OG

Day, 28 June.

To support this, a number of professional performers from the ranks of

OGs are offering to stage a cabaret-style performance, to replace the

traditional end-of-day drinks reception.

The Chairman of Governors invites OGs and their families to attend this

special performance. Refreshments will be provided.

The detailed plans for this exciting redevelopment will be on display and

those present will have an opportunity to ask senior figures questions

about the project.

We very much hope you will be part of the realization of this important

step in the School’s history.

Giggleswick School is a Registered Charity – No. 1109826