1. SUMMER 2014: ISSUE 38
World War Ardinians remembered

2. 1
Our new website www.oldardinian.com designed
by OAs for OAs is romping ahead in popularity. In
six months it has enabled hundreds of friendships
to be renewed that had been lost but not forgotten.
It shows information, news and the events calendar
on the one hand and an OA Interactive Community
on the other, all designed to keep you in touch. You must have thought
at some point …‘Whatever happened to Whatshername’ or ‘wonder
what he’s doing now’. You don’t even need a name you can search
by house or year. www.oldardinian.com is an active photo-sharing
site, great pleasure and entertainment can be had looking at past and
current photos uploaded by OAs. We all have photos from our time at
Ardingly, yours maybe in a forgotten album at the back of a cupboard,
or filed deep in your laptop archive. What use are they there, dig them
out, and stick them up on the site, you are guaranteed to
bring pleasure to other OAs, young and old.
In May, I was delighted to be invited to lunch by the Ardinian Golf
Society at the prestigious West Sussex Golf Club, and watch a great
golf match vs the students from school. It was a pleasure to meet the
students and they were a strong and professional contingent.
Jack Floydd, playing off scratch, won the first prize from the
School players and has since been selected for the England Under
16 South-East Golf Team, whilst OA Roger Munyard, an extremely
young octogenarian won The Brian Holloway Cup!
At last we were blessed with dry weather for OA Day in June,
incorporating the reunion for the 2004 leavers. It was great to
see so many recent leavers return to school. The cricket match
was one of the best matches I’ve seen for a long time. The Old
Ardinian Cricket Club played the school 1st XI on OA Day with
wonderful support from many OAs and their families. The OAs won the
toss and had no hesitation in batting first, setting the school a target of
170 after some fine batting, however the school recovered well in their
batting reply, after losing several wickets to some excellent bowling
from Abi Sakande (08-13) and Nick Patterson (94-01), to defend
their final 3 wickets and secure a draw. Congratulations to all, but
particularly the recent leavers that performed so well. Good luck in
the next match, away to Old Worth on August 24th!
The Society is looking for OAs to volunteer to be Year Representatives,
as a key point of contact for year groups that attended Ardingly. Likewise
if you would like to share your experiences of professional life to benefit
the careers of other Old Ardinians by offering direction/work experience
or general advice please get in touch via ‘Contact Us’ on the website.
The Old Ardinian Society is a member of the Association of Representatives
of Old Pupils’ Societies (AROPS) www.arops.org.uk. Which provides a
forum for the exchange of views and the sharing of experiences and
concerns. The OA Society attend annual conferences and South East
regionals. If you have any suggestions on how we can be a better alumni
society for you, or complaints, we are always pleased to hear from you.
The Society welcomes the arrival of Ardingly’s new Headmaster Ben Figgis,
who is moving with his family to West Sussex from Oakham School in
Rutland, and we are very excited to work closely with him in the future.
Welcome 1
HM Welcome
OA President Welcome
Social Scene 2
Sports matches
Reunions
Development
Networking
Friends
World of Ardinians 12
Business
Sports
Ardinians Abroad
Ardingly Today 20
Development at Ardingly
Featured Article
The fall of Snow
Memory Lane 28
Letters
Snippets
The Archives 32
War Memories
Tributes
DEAR OLD ARDINIAN
Elizabeth Pocock (C 76-78).
Welcome
Having said all of that, I am always mindful of Cardinal Basil Hume, when
he was the Abbot of Ampleforth, saying to the brethren in the monastic
community: ‘Remember, fathers, when you die, someone will be pleased.’
This also reminded me of the story told by the late, and great,
Stephen Winkley, who did much to help form my approach to
headmastering. He recounts the story of finding one of the older
Old Boys shuffling around the restored chapel. He was haunted by
the memory of now silent voices, the tramp of the twenty-two men,
the opaque Victorian hymns loved by his contemporaries.
‘And who was Headmaster when you were here?’ I asked him. There
was a long pause.
‘Headmaster, yes,’ he said, ‘yes, I suppose we must have had one.’
I had my portrait painted recently – a very strange experience. I think
it’s probably a process similar to being embalmed, but those who will
come to see the portrait - I assume, hanging in the Under, unless the
new Headmaster has another idea for the stuffed peacocks who
have stopped pecking - you will spot a rug (no, not a hairpiece)
hanging behind me: a rug that has been in each of the homes the
Green family has lived in and is the first item to come out of the
removal van and be placed on the floor of the new house, meaning
home. There will always be part of Ardingly which is home to us.
My daughter will soon be an Old Ardinian - in a year’s time - so next
year will be an interesting experience, being a parent at Ardingly, and I
am looking forward to gossiping with other parents in the car park and
in the local hostelries.
Over the last seven years, there have been in the creation nearly a
thousand new Old Ardinians, who have left a school that is in wonderful
shape. When I first came to Ardingly, I was struck by the lack of activity
and engagement that the Old Ardinian community had with the College.
In addition to this, the distinct absence of any further link and engagement
between old parents and former staff - with the notable exception of
the Companions, a society created by James Flecker.
Through the Alumni & Development Office we are working hard to
make inroads and engaging the wider community, something that
can be seen by the huge numbers of OAs now visiting the school, the
number of OA social events, and continued engagement from parents
whose children have left in recent years. Long may this continue. The
College is taking the lead in providing what the Old Ardinians would
like to see put in place in the Kalendar and it is right and proper for the
resources to be provided by, and located in, the College. The whole
aim of setting up the Development process and the huge financial
investment is to ensure that there is a developing cradle-to-grave
relationship with our wider community; to make the Ardinian
community the envy of all and a true support for one another.
And so I look forward to returning and meeting some of the Old
Ardinians, and perhaps their parents, who I have been so fortunate
to have come to know over the past seven years.
I hope those OAs continue with that desire – to take risks - that
motivates and inspires us all and will enable them to become rounded
human beings in their quest for truth and the search for knowledge,
making new discoveries and reaching beyond their comfort zones.
As I said once before, at Ardingly we encourage pupils to take
a calculated risk, but we do not, and cannot, eliminate it. Risk
is a valuable part of growing up. Ending as I began, Cardinal
Basil Hume once said, ‘Ships are not built to remain in the
harbour’. The experience at Ardingly is preparing our
boys and girls to leave and move on to the next
stage with confidence and, as Onomo Okolo
– my first Head Girl – said in her Commemoration
Day speech: ‘A turtle has to move its head out
of the comfort and security of its shell so that it
can move forward.’ That is Ardingly: preparing
boys and girls to come out of their shells,
to launch themselves onto the high seas
and to change the world for the better.
Thank you for the memories.
Beati mundo corde.
I write this in my final term at Ardingly. It is with mixed
feelings, and over the course of this term I have already
started to speak on a number of occasions about our
departure. It is going to be an extremely difficult place for
the Greens to leave: it really is a wonderful school. We
have had seven brilliant years and I am very envious of
my successor, Ben Figgis, who will be taking over the
reins in September this year.
Peter R A Green MA Headmaster
The Alumni and Development Office works closely
with, and supporting the Old Ardinian Society, the
Friends of Ardingly, Companions, former staff and
everyone who shares an affinity for the College.
To maintain the link between all groups, the Development & Alumni
Office co-ordinates the many and varied activities including specific
alumni events. It is also the administrative centre for College fundraising
initiatives. Please visit our website www.ardinglynetwork.com to find
out about the extensive programme of events and activities.

3. 3
Social SceneSocial Scene
SPORT
Social Scene
OA DAY
Tim Payne (A 79-84)
With nearly 200 OAs attending,
Sunday 15th June saw another successful
day organized by the delightful Iona.
As ever, it was fun to catch up with friends from one’s own era, as well as exchange anecdotes with those from
different times and climes. It was most interesting to speak with Mr Peter Hufflett (E 41-46) who was at Ardingly
in the 40s and sent his three sons to the school. A ringing endorsement of Ardingly’s continued appeal and success.
The grounds looked magnificent as ever, so a special thanks to the Grounds Keepers. Thanks too, to the Catering Team, who served up
a delicious lunch and tea with charm and a smile. The salmon was excellent and the Victoria Sponge was beyond reproach.
OLD ARDINIAN CRICKET MATCH REPORT
Sunday June 15th, 2014
Courtney Austin, Captain, OACC
PREFECTS’ LUNCH
A Farewell to Peter Green
Leo Ko (08-13)
CLASS OF 2004
10 year reunion
Bea Gough, nee Cragg. (99-04)
The OACC played the College 1st XI on OA Day in a
good spirited match with excellent support from many
OAs and their families on Father’s Day.
The OAs won the toss and had
no hesitation in batting first on a
superbly prepared wicket, as the
OAs fielded a strong team
containing many recent leavers.
Harry Clark and Jason
Hong ensured the OAs laid
the foundation for our innings
with cautious, yet composed
batting, which helped remove
the shine from the ball, allowing
our stroke-makers of Andrew
Beer, Abi Sakande and Nick
Patterson the opportunity to
accelerate our innings with some
powerful drives, pushing the OA
total to over 120 by lunch. A fine
BBQ lunch with beverages was
enjoyed by the players, families
and all OAs on the “Upper”
before the match resumed at
2pm. This permitted the remaining
OA batsmen to accelerate their
total beyond 170 with a declaration
shortly before 3pm. A swift
turnaround between innings
resulted in Abi Sakande, Tom
Odgen and Nick Patterson
bowling tight spells of fast bowling
with several quick wickets falling
to open the school reply. However,
the College were able to re-group
and build a solid mid-innings
partnership until Harry Clark was
able to take a sharp catch at
gulley to allow the OAs an
opportunity to dismiss the
school tail-enders. The final
over of the match resulted in Abi
bowling to a remarkable field of
four slips, two gulleys, a leg slip,
a silly mid-on and silly mid-off,
as the OAs tried to force an
out-right victory by taking the
final 3 wickets before close of
play. However, in the face some
superb swing bowling, the school
batted with resolve to defend
their wickets and secure a very
honourable draw. In fact, the
penultimate ball actually
disappeared for a six once the
draw was secure! A warm speech
thanking all was delivered by the
school coach, Nick Tester, at the
end of the match, followed up by
Courtney, congratulating the
school on their performance with
“three cheers” from all the OAs.
Several cool drinks were enjoyed
by all after the game and we look
forward to our next match against
Old Worth on August 24th.
After pursuing a year
of higher education in
California, I was delighted
and emotional to revisit
Ardingly and to say farewell
to the Headmaster,
Peter Green.
The journey was definitely
worth it to fly in from America!
The Prefects’ Lunch, a luxurious
BBQ and over 50 of Peter’s past
Prefects, held at the Headmaster’s
garden on OA day, was
exceptionally meaningful and
exciting. It was amazing to meet
with my college friends and Prefects
before me who I perceived as role
models when I was in the younger
years and I still admire hugely today.
Looking at Ardingly’s development
since I joined the school six years
ago, one appreciates how
much Peter and his team have
contributed to make Ardingly
a better place for education.
It is my honour to serve as
Ardingly’s Head Boy during this
era and I am thrilled to stay in
contact with such a charming
and friendly character.
I sincerely wish Peter all the
best in his new position as the
Headmaster of Rugby School
and I am sure he will continue
making a strong impact in the
new environment.
The full OA team:
Harry Clarke (08-13)
Tom Odgen (10-15)
Jason Hong (05-10)
Andrew Beer (96-01)
Abi Sakande (08-13)
Geoffrey Lawrence (08-13)
Nick Patterson (94-01)
Henry Howard (10-15)
Max McGann (04-06)
Josh Higgins (09-11)
Tom Howard (08-13)
Courtney Austin (E 85-88)
Well 10 years had past since most
of us had left Ardingly in Upper Sixth
Form, so a few organised us all to
go back and join in the festivities of
the OA day on the 15th June.
Such a lovely day feeling right at
home after all these years, enjoying
friends company and re kindling
old friendships and meeting some
new additions to families.
The day was organised really well
with planned activities and plenty
of time to chat over good food.
It was great to walk around the
grounds and see the changes that
have been made to the school.
See you in another 10 years!
OA DAY
2
Leo Ko (08-13) saying his goodbyes
to Peter Green.
Class of 2004

4. 5
CHARITY BALL
Teenage Cancer Trust
Claire Long (04-07) and Sophie Martin (99-07)
NETBALL
Suzannah Bassett-Piggott (10-12)
ARDINIAN GOLF DAY
West Sussex Golf Club
Mr Jupp (Ardingly College Master)
The current College
pupils took part in a
wonderful match against
the Old Ardinian Golf Society
yesterday and all were
fortunate to experience and
play one of England’s finest
golf courses (West Sussex).
Each pupil challenged an Old
Ardinian (stableford) through
blustery conditions, fast greens
and club grabbing heather.
Nearest to the pin was won by
Jack Haydon and Charlie Harvey
had the most accurate longest
drive. Jack Floydd scored the
most with 32 points.
When it mattered, wise
committed decisions and solid
putting would be the difference
against high flying drives spin
back iron play.
Score: Ardingly College ½
Old Ardinians 7 ½
Congratulation and a special
Thank you to the Winners of the
Day! Old Ardinians!
On Sunday 5th January the OAs returned to Ardingly to play the current First netball team.
The forecast of rain and ominous
dark clouds did not deter us from
playing what turned out to be an
exhilarating and fortunately dry,
sunny match. We started slowly,
many of us taking time to wind
up after having been away from
the sport for a while. This gave
Ardingly the chance they needed
to take the early lead, but this by
no means meant that the OAs
were out of the game. By half time
the score was tight, with the school
team leading by only one goal.
The OAs came back fired up for
the second half and took the
lead in the third quarter, Carrie
Hobden was a key player scoring
many of the OAs much needed
goals, alongside Florence Bell
who showcased some impressive
and accurate shots. Casey Floyd
Green was excellent in centre
and worked exceptionally with
Esme Hall and Alice Stevens to
create opportunities for the
shooters, while Jennie Sloane
and Suzannah Bassett-Piggott
put up an extremely strong
defence, giving Ardingly few
opportunities to shoot. Danielle
Boyd also played a fantastic
match ensuring the OAs kept
up the pace in the midfield.
Despite our efforts
Ardingly remained
close on our heels,
the game resembling
a tug of war with
each team only
managing to edge
forward by one goal
before the other
caught up.
By the last quarter the match
was still very much a two horse
race with the school leading
17-16 in the final minute. The OAs
saw their golden opportunity to
equalise with Carrie Hobden
catching the ball under the post
in the final few seconds. However,
this chance did not materialise as
before Carrie managed to shoot
Mrs Lewis’ whistle swiftly signalled
the end of time.
17-16 was to be the final score and
although we were disappointed not
to equalise, we were still thrilled
with our achievement.
I’d like to thank all the OAs who
played in the match and on behalf
of the OAs would like to say thank
you to Ardingly for being such great
opposition and a big thank you
to the kitchen staff for providing
the food after the match.
I hope to see everyone again
next year!
On the 16th November 2013
over 100 Old Ardinians ranging
from the classes of 2002 to 2009
returned for what was a night to
remember. Guests were greeted
by an amazing performance by
Betty Lawrence (96-07) and her
band with the evening continuing
well into the night with dinner, a
raffle and plenty of dancing.
With more live music following
dinner, Jonny Lewis (03-08) got
everyone on their feet ready for
John Bull and the Bandits, also
comprised of Old Ardinians
Max Revell (03-08), Joe Downard
(04-09) & Jamie Smith (04-09)
and friends. By special request
from the band Mr Jamie Large,
who incidentally taught the
majority of guests at the ball,
was welcomed with cheers as
he made a cameo appearance
on the Saxophone.
The whole event from start to
finish was run by OAs. From
the performances to the
photographer, to the organization
and the donation of various items
which made the night fantastic.
All in all it was a hugely
successful night and we want
to thank all who made it happen,
particularly the school, those
who donated to the raffle and the
OAs who attended. In total we
raised over £2,000.00 for the
Teenage Cancer Trust. So
all that’s left to say is here’s
to the next one perhaps..?!
Social SceneSocial Scene
4
SPORT
AGS Points School Points
1st Roger Munyard 34 Jack Floydd 32 on back 9
2nd Harry Chandler 33 on back 9 Charlie Harvey 32
3rd Mark Russ 33 Patrick Jacob 28
Scores:
Morning foursomes over 9 holes Winners
Mark Russ and Harry Chandler 16 points on
count back
Match AGS v School
AGS won by 7 1/2 to 1/2
Afternoon singles over 18 holes
Players:
Suzannah Bassett-Piggott (10-12)
Florence Bell (06-11)
Danielle Boyd (06-11)
Casey Floyd Green (88-93)
Esme Hall (86-91)
Carrie Hobden (details unknown)
Jennie Sloane (07-12)
Alice Stevens (07-12)
The Under made a fantastic venue, taking guests back to memories of School Plays
John Bull and the Bandits
n excellent
attendance and a strong
contingent from the School
made for an wonderful
opening meeting of the 2014
season at West Sussex.Jack
Floydd, playing off scratch,
won the first prize from the
School players whilst Roger
Munyard from the OAs won
The Brian Holloway Cup.
Said Roger, “I was surprised
and thrilled to win the Cup -
not bad for an old’un!”
n excellent
attendance and a strong
aa
During a spontaneous trip to the OA day last summer two Old Ardinians Claire Long
(04-07) and Sophie Martin (99-07) toyed with the idea of holding a reunion ball at the
school with the view that it would reunite old friends all in the name of charity.
World of Ardinians
Please see page 12 for Claire
and Sophie’s expedition along the
Great Wall of China to raise money
for the Teenage Cancer Trust

5. 7
OVER 60’s REUNION
Thursday 5th June 2014
David Blunt (JH&G 53-62)
CLASS OF 1994
20 year reunion
Antony Warren (89-94)
The class of ’94 came back together for the first time in 20 years on
7th February at the Square Pig in Holborn. Many of us had stayed in touch
with different school friends during that time, but as a collective this was
the first time we had been in the same room since leaving Ardingly.
First to arrive, the Hubbard twins
showed that some things never
change as they turned up identically
dressed, quite by coincidence.
Bruce was forced into a quick
change, fearing that it would be
difficult enough after 20 years for
everyone to recognise each other
without looking identical
to his brother. His fears were
unfounded however, with most
of the female contingent having
already figured out that they (the
females) wouldn’t have changed
that much, and that the male
contingent would be easy to spot
(basically a little more portly, and
a little less hair)!
One by one the room filled up,
Fran, Natalie and Kevin had
flown in from Switzerland, Dubai
and Guernsey respectively to be
there, with others having come from
as far afield as Manchester and
Ipswich. A great effort made by all.
Not knowing what to expect
of each other, we pretty quickly
fell straight back into our natural
default setting, tucking into the
free drinks provided by the
Ardingly’s Headmaster (thank
you!). Shortly afterwards we were
all reminiscing about our time at
the college, updating each other
on what we’ve been doing since
then, and doing our best not to put
our collective feet in our mouths
when navigating questions about
marriage, divorce, kids, (un)
employment, and much more.
A great time was
had by all, and it
was good to see so
many faces from the
past, with the only
disappointment
being Del sitting
injured at home and
unable to attend
(having organised
the event himself!).
Fittingly, we refused to finish when
the bar closed and took the party
onto another pub… but we can’t
really remember that so won’t
report back on it!
Let’s not leave it another 20 years.
Social SceneSocial Scene
6
REUNION REUNION
Ardingly time warp
Written by Christopher
Cumberbatch (E 88-94)
Posted on February 8, 2014 by
poetofbokonon under Uncategorized
http://poetofbokonon.wordpress.com/
Let’s do the time warp again
faces and memories, paths to cross
old friends
faster than the speed of light or sound
a time machine, the clocks wound
round
whizz bang crackle, 20 years, pop!
to the under, house punnies, nine
acre, tuck shop
For those few hours, we spoke and
laughed and toasted
no weight of jobs or no jobs, kids or
no kids
marriages or no marriages, to-do lists
on the fridge
parents ill or lost, failures, triumphs,
costs
dead of night cold sweats, countless
cigarettes
blown away by the magic of time
travel
melted down like the snow at Sochi
when Putin and his gaydar’s gone
I thought I’d changed so much
yet in each others eyes, we were the
same
reminded what it was to be so young
again
to be ourselves, back in touch
Ardingly different for each of us
except where it mattered;
young hopes we wanted flattered
Didn’t you feel it in the room?
a renewal of sorts, a new broom
that swept away ill spirit,
hold on to that feeling, dear friends,
don’t fear it
for alongside beers and tears
it’s once in twenty years.
Being invited to any over 60’s “lunchtime Do”
in London, or anywhere, may not set everyone
alight with enthusiasm, but it was an Old
Ardinian reunion, I qualified, so I accepted
and went along.
The venue was the Antelope Pub in fashionable Eaton Terrace near Sloane Square.
On arrival, I was immediately introduced to Ronald Clarke (F 47-53), whom I had never
previously met, but whose younger brother Norman Clarke (F 52-60), sadly now passed
on, and parents, I knew well at Ardingly.
Looking around, the 60’s looked around 50, and the 70’s,
which included me, looked around 60. Maybe vanity, but
no old codgers present.
Some of the 20 + regrouped in their former school days groups, and I hardly
found the time to circulate, apart from on arrival. It was a great location, a good
lunch, a happy and interesting event, and once again, well organised by Iona.
Everyone indicated their support for a re-run.
REUNION

6. 9
CLASS OF 1984
30 year reunion
Tim Payne (A 79-83)
Social Scene Social Scene
There was a good head count for those who left in 1984 and attended the
latest in the series of OA jollies at the Houses of Parliament. The head count
was equally matched by some fine heads of hair whom the previous thirty
years had, apparently, treated kindly. Varying degrees of baldness and a
comb over were, also, represented and that was just the ladies spoken for.
Attendees come from far and wide including the
Far East (Colin Banfield), Middle East (David Gardner)
and East Kent (Charles Elford), and with the unusually
good House of Commons wine ensuring reminiscences
flowed unabashed. Indeed, some people came to
settle ‘accounts’ from yesteryear. It is hoped that
Chris Marshall secured the return of the one pound
loan he made to Colin Johnson in Shell.
Some attendees bravely brought their partners.
No fallout from inappropriate school day anecdotes
occurred and pairings remained for departure together.
Mark Bowers, seemingly expecting trouble, kindly
brought a Paramedic, Janice Kuntley, along. He
went on to lead a goodwill team to the House of
Lords Bar, where they were received, temporarily,
and returned with thanks.
The session, eventually, decamped to the
Terrace where the noise level increased and the
complexions started to match Neil Sartori’s trousers
and Abbie Cormack’’s skirt. Apparently, florid is the
new black, in Switzerland and Brighton.
Nevertheless, the attendees remembered that
one is still an ambassador for the school even
after leaving, and standards were maintained
for the duration.
The bursar kindly updated us with current
developments at the school and it was thought
that Beate Mundo Corde was muttered from the
lips of some.
Finally, a round of thanks. First of all to our ‘hostess’
Iona, who was on the top of her game in spite of
coming straight from another fabulous OA meeting
for the over 60s earlier that day.
Secondly, to the House of Parliament security for
allowing entrance to Hussain Shafiei, in spite of him
not presenting the required ticket. It just goes to
show that a baseball cap, unshaven face and a ‘6
foot 4’ build can get to anywhere in life. And thirdly,
the attendees for a great evening. Next event,
September 2014 London.
REUNION
The evening of May 20th saw Old Ardinians,
current parents, senior staff and governors gather
in central London for the launch of the College’s
development plan and the Ardingly Patrons’ Circle,
at the Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square.
One of London´s newest public attractions, the Foundling Museum
tells the story of child care through the ages, and particularly how
merchant seaman Captain Thomas Coram, founded the first home for
abandoned children in the United Kingdom in the mid 18th century.
Coram ingeniously garnered support for this noble venture from many
of the leading artists and musicians of his day and the likes of Hogarth,
Gainsborough and Handel contributed great works to the so-called
Foundling Hospital where the children lived.
The similarities between Coram and
Nathanial Woodard and his founding of
Ardingly, made this a perfect venue to
launch our new initiatives.
On the evening, guests enjoyed a private viewing and explanation
of the many works that are on display at the museum, together with
memorabilia and period costumes from that time. However, the focus
was on the College’s development plans and these were described by
Nick Walker, a governor and member of the Development Committee.
Chairman of Governors, Jim Sloane and Headmaster Peter Green
also spoke, giving their full endorsement for the plans. The Patrons’
Circle was subsequently launched, immediately attracting the support
from a number of families willing to help Ardingly towards these
exciting goals.
LAUNCH OF THE ARDINGLY PATRONS’ CIRCLE IN LONDON
8
To have spent time at either Oxford or Cambridge
is, in a way, to be at a disadvantage forever
thereafter.
The steeples, the cloisters, the gardens, the grotesques, the
quadrangles; Oxford and Cambridge are like rocks whose strata
reflect the thousand-year evolution of our civilisation. On going down,
the Oxbridge graduate is cursed always to be disappointed – for where
else compares to the lofty greatness of the cities of the Dreaming
Spires and Perspiring Dreams? Well, try the Oxford and Cambridge and
Club on Pall Mall for starters. The Club is opulent almost to the point
of gaudiness: inch-deep carpets; chandeliered ceilings; gilded
walls; embarrassingly attentive staff, and a chef who makes the
average College cook look like Ronald McDonald. Thus it was,
apparently as a gesture of sympathy to those invited, that Ardingly
held the 2014 Oxbridge Reunion there. Of the twenty-five or so alumni
present, three were current sixth formers sitting on offers; four were still
at Oxford; and the rest had already gone down – ranging from six
months ago to fifty years ago.
The evening was genial, with a drinks
reception and dinner followed by a few
words each from Jamie Large (standing in
for the Headmaster) and Robert Alston,
Former Chairman of Governors. As Mr Alston
said, everyone around the table was united by
the special fact of having shared not just one,
but two, formative educational experiences.
And judging by the warmth of everyone present’s memories of Ardingly
and of Oxbridge, they were all very glad of it too. Many thanks to Iona
Mackay Bulger for organising such an enjoyable event.
OXBRIDGE REUNION
Samuel William (04-09)

7. 10 11
NETWORKING EVENING
The Mayfair Exchange, London. Thursday 27th March 2014
Richard Carman ((JH&E 76-84))
Social Scene
NETWORKING FRIENDS
Social Scene
BURNS NIGHT REPORT
One of the highlights of the College’s social year
took place on the first Saturday of February when
parents and staff gathered to celebrate the immortal
memory of Robert Burns in true Scottish style.
With whisky flowing and the haggis duly paraded behind a piper,
Dr Tim Coker and Mrs Nic Calvey entertained us with wonderful toasts
to the lads and the lasses and the Headmaster, for the last time,
addressed the haggis with suitable relish, spilling its ‘gushing entrails
bright’. After dinner (and perhaps another whisky) the principle
entertainment of the evening began in the Under. With a good deal
of instruction from the band-leader the floor filled with swirling tartan and
the sound of an accordion as the dancing got underway. All in all it was
a splendid evening and looks set to remain a firm favourite of the
College calendar.
The date was confirmed, the venue booked and invitations extended to a
cross-section of Ardinians; not just OAs, but members of the wider community.
Brainchild of outgoing Headmaster, Peter Green,
the event aimed to bring together all members of the
wider Ardingly College community, including current
parents, pupils and staff as well as OAs and other
members of the Ardingly family.
The vision is to create a more
actively engaged community that
shares a common connection
and interest.
So, what better way to bring a community together
than with a social evening of networking over a few
glasses of wine and beer and some nibbles. It was
decided that Central London would be best for
attracting the widest possible cross-section of
members and that theory didn’t disappoint with
almost 50 attendees turning up on the evening.
A predominant mixture of OAs
and current parents established
new connections, whilst a few
older friendships were renewed.
Conversation flowed just as freely as the drinks
and the venue exceeded all expectations by laying
on a veritable feast of nibbles to put any plate of
canapés firmly in the shade.
Finally the bottles ran dry and the last train home
beckoned for many; pockets lined with a collection
of business cards from new acquaintances made,
the College’s first business networking evening drew
to a very successful close.
A special mention of thanks must go to Iona Mackay
Bulger, Alumni & Events Manager, for organising an
excellent evening, which we hope will be the first of
many to come.
SUMMER BALL
On a beautiful sunlit evening in May, a cacophony of
colourful, glamorous dresses and handsome white
shirts were to be seen promenading with style,
glasses of Prosecco in hand, across the sun
drenched terrace (south quad).
Reminiscent of an Italian hilltop
venue, bell chiming in the Sussex
tower and all were making for a
view over the Headmaster’s
rather lovely gardens below.
Serenaded by an accomplished
school string ensemble,
conducted by Martin Palmer,
which all added to the elegant,
charming atmosphere.
The school bell was hand rung
by an elegant lady, wearing a
citrus coloured ball gown, with
great joy and honour, to call and
gather the crowd into the cream
marquee. Beautifully decorated,
adorned with gorgeous multi
coloured paper lanterns, strung
from the ruching above. The
scene was set for a fabulous event.
Vibrant happy conversations were
to be heard all around the various
tables over a delicious dinner. After
dinner speeches ensued beginning
with a thank you to the Chair of the
Senior School Friends, Annette
Wood. This was followed by Mike
Batman Champain who gave a
swan song of great knowledge and
humour about and to Peter and
Brenda Green. Peter responded
with his usual wonderful clarity,
passion and wit which we shall all
miss hugely in the months to come.
The Auction followed, led by first
timer Robert Wood, who was in
good voice and conducted the
varied and desirable items with
quite some gusto. All great fun
and testing for arm reflexes! A
certain Mr Nick Tester ‘won’ a
walk on part in a TV Comedy
Show - could be his chance to
change career completely! (As if
anyone can imagine that.) Thank
you for all donations of Auction
items, both live and silent. The
latter included past and present
students’ artwork with a chance
to own a piece by a future star
of the art world, get in early and
you never know! Overall, £5434
was raised on the auction plus
£560 on the raffle. The Music
Department are the beneficiaries
this year for the recital room project.
Finally, during what had become
a dreamy moonlit evening, the
rock Band the EP’s were allowed
to take centre stage with some
very recognisable numbers, of a
certain era, (remember, we are
parents!). Gradually everyone,
well almost, was drawn to the
dance floor, parents and teachers
alike, to display some interesting
and exuberant dance moves,
strutting their stuff like
flamboyant peacocks (pink jelly
heels help!) And the marquee
was alive with this passionate,
joyful behaviour called dancing.
A wonderful memory within
the Ardingly year of 2014 - the
fabulous Friends Summer Ball.
11
www.ardinglynetwork.com
FRIENDS OF ARDINGLY EVENTS
Current parents enjoying the Summer Ball
Social Scene

8. 13
World of ArdiniansWorld of Ardinians
World of Ardinians
12
BECOMING A PILOT
Harry Clark (08-13)
My experience so far has consisted of long, gruelling hours in the classroom, covering a large range of topics.
There are fourteen that need to be completed in the five and a bit months that we are given for ground school.
This part of the course is
separated into two modules,
each containing seven subjects.
The first module is very fact based
and requires a huge amount of
knowledge along with a large
amount of time spent answering
the questions on question bank
(very much like a driving theory
test only there’s about 1000
questions on each topic).
The subjects in module one are:
Aircraft General Knowledge,
Principles of Flight, Meteorology,
Instruments, VFR Comms, IFR
Comms and Air Law (Air Bore).
The subjects in module two
are: General Navigation, Radio
Navigation, Human Performance,
Performance, Operations, Flight
Planning and Mass & Balance
(much more practical).
As I write this I have
just received my
results for module
one and I am pleased
to say I passed all
seven with an
average of 90%!
To progress you need to pass
every exam, each with a pass
mark of 75%. All the papers are
multiple choice but that does
not mean they are easy by any
stretch of the imagination. To
put it in perspective I would
say about eight or nine of the
subjects are equivalent to a year’s
worth of an A-level, and we cover
each topic in roughly 6 days!
So those of you complaining
about the workload of GCSEs or
A-levels, come and have a taste
of my life at the moment and you
will never complain again. Those
doing IB I will let off….
My routine at the moment is
lessons in the classroom four
or five days a week from 9am
till 4pm. I then have to work
from 5pm till 9pm just to keep
up with the day’s work and then
over the weekend and revision
days I have to work from about
10 am till 7 pm just purely to
prevent falling behind. I have
had four days completely free
of work so far and will not have
another one until July 10th which
is when my final set of exams
finish. After that I get a lovely two
weeks off and then head out to
Hamilton, New Zealand to start
the fun stuff for eight months.
It’s then back for a bit more
flying in Bournemouth to do my
instrument rating before getting
into the Simulators for type
specific training. I cannot wait!
I have had the brief opportunity
to get in the simulator which was
a great experience and was just
a gentle reminder of why I’m
putting in all this hard work. It can
sometimes be quite easy to forget
but having the chance to get in a
cockpit is perfect motivation.
My course should be finished
around July/August 2015 and
I could be flying you on your
summer holidays at the grand
age of 20/21 so heads up!
If anyone is interested in
becoming a pilot then I am
happy to answer questions
(harryinnesclark@googlemail.
com) or have a read of my blog
which gives a fair and realistic
insight into what it takes along
with some handy tips. http://
harryclark141.blogspot.co.uk/
We wanted to do something for charity which
was out of our comfort zone and decided hiking
along the Great Wall of China would be a great
place to start. Once signed up for the challenge it
was full steam ahead fundraising for our chosen
charity. We chose to support the Teenage Cancer
Trust because we believed then, and continue to
do so now, that teenagers as a demographic of
society frequently get overlooked as having the
capacity to become ill, particularly to such a
potentially fatal degree.
So challenge accepted and
charity chosen now it was time
to get training. We had mixed
reactions from friends with some
surprised if not slightly amused
that we had chosen to go to China
and more to the point, curious as
to why training was necessary
for “a light stroll”!
Nothing could prepare us for how vast the wall
is, in total it spans over 13,000 miles, with steep,
uneven terrain across countryside and mountains,
winding in all directions. Due to either safety or
military bases along the wall, parts are blocked
off from visitors which meant making detours into
Lower Mongolia and through farmland. It simply
isn’t possible to walk the entire length of the wall
much to our dismay!
We were extremely fortunate with the weather
as we enjoyed sun all week which made a nice
escape from the rain back home! The highlight of
our trip was a moment of madness towards the
end of our longest day (nearly 9 hours hiking)
when we stopped in farmland for water.
During our short break we
spotted a badminton net and
while the remaining 34 members
of the group joked about how
ridiculous it would be to have a
game after 7 hours hiking in 28 C
heat with 2 more hours to go, we
on the other hand had a sudden
urge to play a game! Our group
were bemused to witness a bit
of the Ardingly spirit!
The year of fundraising for the charity and the
trip have really been an incredible experience, not
least because it made us realise our capabilities
lie beyond what we had previously imagined. Our
group were all there independently with their own
charities; the stories were so inspirational of why
they chose their respective charities and in turn
made us really appreciate our time we spent with
these new found friends. On a couple of occasions
other members of the group told us how heartening
it was to see our friendship and that it made them
reminiscent of relationships with friends they still
had from their school days.
We find ourselves now more
than ever grateful for the values
and friends we have gained from
our time at Ardingly – and for that
our trip was worth every ache
and blister!
Also to top it off we raised over £5,000 for the
Teenage Cancer Trust, not a bad result for two
unfit OAs!
TWO UNFIT OAs, THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, 25C+, 40 HOURS
HIKING IN 5 DAYS, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?!
Claire Long (04-07) and Sophie Martin (99-07)
Our names are Claire Long and Sophie Martin and we’re Ardingly alumni class of 2007. Although spending our
spare time exercising is not our pastime of choice, doing new things and challenging ourselves very much is.
OA CELEBRATES 10 YEARS SINCE SHOOTING TO TV FAME
Mike Christie (CD 94-99)
Mike Christie (CD 94-99) shot to fame in 2004 in the first series of ITV’s The X Factor in a PopOpera group called G4.
A decade on, G4 will celebrate
their 10th Anniversary by performing
a new show, “G4 – One Night
Only” in London’s Barbican Hall
on 17 November 2014.
Mike says “At Ardingly the Music
Department led by Robert
Hammersley gave me endless
opportunities to do what I loved
most – to perform music – on
stage, on the concert platform,
in the orchestra, in chapel, and
at numerous cathedrals. I grew
not only as a performer, but also
as a person. One particularly
memorable occasion was a staff-
pupil production of The Mikado
where I played Pish Tush with the
then-retiring headmaster James
Flecker (80-98) in the title role. It
was great fun!”
As runners up on The X Factor
in 2004, G4 were trendsetters,
successfully bringing classical
music to British reality TV
screens with their memorable
performance of Nessun Dorma.
But it was their cover of Queen’s
Bohemian Rhapsody that
became their signature tune,
storming the charts in 2005.
Their debut album went straight
to No.1, selling more than
245,000 copies in the first
week alone, making it the fastest-
selling album of the year. In 2007,
following 3 albums, over 2 million
album sales, and 5 sell-out tours
with performances in many of the
UK’s iconic venues – including
twelve performances at the
Royal Albert Hall – G4 decided
to disband to pursue their
individual interests.
Since G4, Mike has taught
singing and piano in schools,
performed in musicals and
pantomimes in London and
across the country, written songs
- releasing a solo pop album
and touring the UK five times –
most frequently with Jonathon
Hodgson (C&AB 95-03) at the
piano. He also composed and
produced an opera, “The Miller’s
Wife”, which premièred last year
in London at the award-winning
Grimeborn Festival of New Opera.
Mike says: “For G4, it’s great to
be going back to our roots and
performing at the Barbican –
right next to the Guildhall School
of Music and Drama where the
four of us met, studied and
formed “The Guildhall 4”. It’s
great that we’re reuniting and
I’m really looking forward to
harmonising again!”
“G4 – One Night Only” will
feature G4’s trademark sound,
as they perform an array of
popular classics including My
Way, Nessun Dorma, Circle of
Life, and Bohemian Rhapsody.
They will be joined by a choir of
one hundred voices.
Tickets are available now
from the Barbican box office
(020 7638 8891 or online at
www.barbican.org.uk).

9. 14 15
ENTEREPRENEURIAL ARDINIANS
THE DIGITAL ALCHEMIST
Richard Carman (JH&E 76-84)
Technology is all around us and has the power to
make our lives so much better, however for many,
struggling to keep up, it is a lead weight. But if you
embrace that seeming lead weight and learn how to
polish it, you will discover pure gold… and so my
new business as The Digital Alchemist was born
out of this simple vision.
How did it all start? Well, a few years after leaving
Ardingly, I started playing with computers as an
Army Officer in the Royal Engineers, when I realised
they could make my job a lot easier.
This inquisitiveness for technology continued into
my first civilian role as an account manager at Saville
Audio Visual where I quickly aligned myself with the
emerging market for LCD projectors, digital whiteboards,
video conferencing and presentation software.
But a bigger, more powerful
and exciting force was coming;
the early Internet caught my eye
in the late 90’s, which soon
evolved into a full-time passion
for web development and led to
the birth of my first business, a
digital agency called Gencon.
From humble beginnings, building websites,
intranets/extranets and creating digital marketing
strategies, it was an exciting roller-coaster ride.
Gencon started in a spare bedroom, included
a dot.com startup in 2000 and evolved into an
award-winning agency in a beautifully converted
barn in the Hampshire countryside.
However, as any entrepreneur will tell you, it’s never
an easy ride and following one curve ball too many
after 12 years at the forefront of the digital revolution
with Gencon, I decided it was time to refocus. I was
invited to lead a small digital agency out of obscurity
and help them make their mark as technology
innovators. That was Pure Innovation, an extremely
talented team of geeks creating highly innovative
and market-leading digital solutions; from the first
B2C Peer-to-Peer Lending Website in the UK to a
Social Media Visualiser for Nokia… pretty ‘geeky’
stuff, but I loved it, not just for the technology but
more how it was changing businesses for the better.
Apparently there’s a book in all of us, so recently
I took my first steps towards that goal when invited
to write a chapter on User Experience (UX) Design
in the Fresh Business Thinking book entitled: “Hit
Me! How to get your small business punching its
weight online”.
Over the last couple of decades, I’ve developed
a detailed understanding of how the digital
landscape can help businesses to become more
efficient, to evolve and ultimately gain competitive
advantage. My challenge is to quickly evaluate
emerging technologies and understand how they
can effectively add benefit to the digital mix. As The
Digital Alchemist, it’s that challenge that gets me out
of bed every morning and makes every day as
exciting as the last.
ART UNLOCKED
Henry Waddilove (03-08)
This year, Old Ardinian, Henry Waddilove, launched
an online art business, being aware of the increasing
interest in buying and investing in art.
After leaving Ardingly Henry began a career in sales
and marketing with the aim always in the back of
his head to start his own business after a solid few
years of working for others.
Henry was then facing the issue
of ‘what idea’, then the penny
dropped and using the confidence
and grounding Ardingly gave, he
left to found Art Unlocked.
Finding original, unique and affordable art to display
is a challenge Henry quickly noticed many face.
Realising that he couldn’t be the only person in this
situation, the enterprising 24-year-old set about
building an online business through which would-be
buyers can access stunning works by emerging UK
artists, without hefty price-tags, or intimidating
gallery visits. At the same time, Waddilove’s aim
has been to find, expose and promote the best
up-and-coming artists – or, as he puts it, ‘to
discover the discoverable and share them with
as many people as we can.’
The resulting website, www.Art-Unlocked.com,
was launched this year with prices ranging from
roughly £100 to £3000, which include UK postage
and packing for delivery within the UK as well as a
14-day no quibble returns policy. Henry has been
getting some great results and recently secured
further investment for the business to allow further
promotion and growth.
ARDINGLY COLLEGE CAREERS DEPARTMENT ANNUAL
REVIEW 2013-2014
Sam Bowen, Head of Careers
The Careers Department continues to offer students of Ardingly College the
opportunity to discover more of the options that await them post GCSEs or after
A Levels and IB.
The most popular and invaluable aspect of the
Careers Department’s activities continue to be the
annual programme of lunchtime or after school talks
and Speed Talk events.
There were two Speed Talk events this year;
STEM related careers in January and Careers
in Sports held in March. Groups of students sat
with one of four or five guest speakers from the
relevant career sector and asked them questions
about their roles and experience. After exactly 15
minutes a bell was rung to indicate the group must
move onto the next speaker and so on. It’s a great
way for students to get an insight into the different
roles within one career sector in under an hour and
provides an informal setting for both guests and
students with little or no preparation required of the
speakers. The only difficulty is getting the students
to leave at the end of the evening!
Our lunchtime and after school talks also continue
throughout the Michaelmas and Lent terms and this
year we were delighted to welcome back to Ardingly
College, Old Ardinians, Harry Clark (08-13), Oliver
Bidlake (11-13) and Dr. Sandy Willmott (82-87) to
share their experiences and expertise with today’s
students. Harry Clark is training to be a commercial
pilot (please see page 13) and so explained how
he gained work experience with Shoreham airport
prior to this and his experience of the selection
process for flight training. Oliver Bidlake is currently
on a school leavers programme with KPMG and
explained
the application process , giving an insight into
his current opportunities with the company. Sandy
Willmott got in touch with the College after receiving
the Ardinian Magazine and, being unable to attend
the Careers in Sports STEM in March, volunteered
to come in the following month to talk to Academic
PE and Biology students about his research into
biomechanics as Senior Lecturer at the University
of Lincoln. Sandy enjoyed a tour of the campus
commenting on the ‘vibrant atmosphere’ which was
no doubt helped by the removal of Snow building
the week beforehand! We had 12 lunchtime or
after-school talks in total this year and look forward
to welcoming more Old Ardinians as part of our
programme of guest speakers.
With the exciting range of professional, educational
and inspirational options available to school leavers
nowadays, we re- introduced a Careers Fair for
students in June. Exhibitors from universities, multi-
national companies, gap year organisations and
professional bodies. This included OAs Will Galley
(95-01), partner at Gardiner & Theobald and Nick
O’Hara (JH & Gibbs 64-74) who was representing
the ICAEW.
If you would like to share your advice or experience with
students on any careers related topic, or can recommend
a contact that might, please get in touch with Samantha
Bowen at careers@ardingly.com.
We’d love to hear from you!
World of ArdiniansWorld of Ardinians
BUSINESS BUSINESS

10. 16 17
THE OLD ARDINIAN CRICKET CLUB
Courtney Austin (E 85-88), Captain, OA Cricket
Rev F K Hilton introduced cricket soon after the school opened in 1858. The ‘St Saviour’s Cricket Club’
was formed in 1871, when the first Old Boys match against the School XI was played.
These matches were played intermittently until the formation of
the Old Ardinians Society in 1906, and later the formation of the OA
Cricket Club in 1927. Cricket on OA Day has always been a highlight
of the Ardingly summer calendar and I have been involved in either
playing against the OAs or playing for the OAs for 25 years. One of my
first memories, was how accommodating the OA Cricket team were to
the new generation coming through the school. As a pupil, I always
counted the OA match as the toughest in the calendar. Unfortunately
for the OAs, the school have enjoyed the rub of the green a little more
in recent years, however, the competitive nature of the matches still
remain. The activities of the cricket club have always been hugely
popular and in 1934 Cricket Week was established and this continued
until the 1980’s. I still remember a certain OA cricket legend Jonny
Bass, bowling at lightening pace in the 80’ as we stood a good wicket
length in the slips behind his next victim! Andrew Baiden (D 78-82) was
OA Captain when I joined the OAs in 1989 and I remember how all the
players were treated with a mutual respect for everyone’s age and
ability. The OA team ethos seemed to focus on playing to win, but
always in the right spirit of the game. One recent memory was Nick
Patterson (H 94-01) hitting a 6 over the school pavilion in the last
over to win the match for the OAs and both sides celebrating a
fine conclusion to the match with a cool beverage, which could have
gone either way. Last decade, we constructed a team containing
players from the infamous India tour of 1988 including Neal Mather
(E 82-89), Frank Strachan (F 86-89), Mike Newcombe (H 81-91),
Stuart Skeel (G 83-91), Chris Spencer (G 82-90), Pete Spencer (G
82-89), Jackson Jessop (G 82-89), Toby Peirce (E 81-91),Tim James
(86-90) and myself with both sides comparing hilarious adventures
both on and off the field, including stories from a South Africa tour,
where the OAs proudly sponsored some of the team kit. Recent years
have seen the emergence of a new wave of highly talented players
represent the OAs including Edward Phelps (99-07), Harry (03-08)
and Max (04-06) McGann, Charlie Austin (94-09) and James Howie
(03-08), to name just a few. In fact of late, OA cricket day has felt
almost like an annual pilgrimage resulting in the current team expressing
an interest for more matches from other old school teams - perhaps
allowing us to revive the regular fixture list from past years? Please
contact me if you would like to participate, it is truly a wonderful
opportunity to catch up with friends old and new.
Courtney Austin email: courtneydjaustin@hotmail.com
World of ArdiniansWorld of Ardinians
UPDATE FROM GOLF SOCIETY SAILING ALONG....
Rory Davis (07-12), Sailing Captain
Dear Member,
“Ardinian Golf Society”
The Old Ardinian Golf Society, as it is currently known, is an informal
group of extremely friendly golfers of all ages and abilities, which has been
in existence since 1955, playing on well-known and excellent courses.
In the past, meetings have been well attended by members, but as
with most golf societies numbers have declined since many find it difficult
to spare the time to take a day off. In order to address this problem, it
has been decided to change the format of the Society by introducing three
half-day meetings, thereby reducing the cost and in the hope that those
still having to earn a living will be able to attend.
Guests are welcome at all meetings.
In addition, it has been decided to open membership to all associated
with the school, whether they be current or former parents, all staff and
pupils and in recognition of these changes to alter our name to “Ardinian
Golf Society”.
If anyone reading this feels that he or she would like to join the Ardinian
Golf Society (the annual subscription is only £5.00) or would like to play in
one of the meetings to see if the Society is for them, please get in touch
with the Hon. Secretary, Chris Greenacre, secretary@ardiniangolf.co.uk
or on 01306 886832.
James Flecker, Former Captain
Next meeting:
Thursday 21st August
Effingham GC, Effingham
Afternoon: 18 holes singles
(Captain’s Prize & Salver)
Meals: Sandwiches & chips
after play
Cost: £47 (£23.50 for under 25s)
www.ardiniangolf.co.uk
SPORTS
After the success of the
Arrow trophy in September
last year, we entered the
Belvidere cup which took
place in February.
The format of the event is a match racing competition where you go
head to head against other ‘old boys’ from schools such as Radley
College and Sherborne.
We had a strong crew of 4 very experienced sailors and our hopes
were high for some silverware, but unfortunately over the weekend the
wind was gusting over 40 knots so sailing was cancelled. The event is
organised by The Royal Thames Yacht Club and a dinner is held in
Knightsbridge on the Saturday evening and as there was no sailing
planned for Sunday the crew were able to let their hair down and enjoy
the night networking with all the other crews. Once again it was
another great environment to meet fellow OAs and have a great time.
The Belvidere Cup has been reorganised for 8th-9th November which
the OAs are all excited for.
It would be rude not to enter in the Arrow trophy this year, so entry
has already been sorted and all we need to do is get a 12 man crew
together for the established and fun sailing event! Ending mid fleet last
year was seen as a huge success from a 23 strong fleet. Getting twelve
OAs aged 19 to 60 was a great feat in itself and an exciting platform to
exchange memories of what Ardingly was and is today.
This year we are aiming to better ourselves and if you would be interested
in taking part in the Arrow Trophy or the Belvidere Cup please don’t
hesitate to contact Rory Davis on his email: rory12davis@hotmail.com
The date of the Arrow Trophy is: 4th-5th of October.
The date of the Belvidere Cup is: 8th-9th November.
WANTED, NEW RECRUITS
FOR THE ARDINGLY LODGE!
Mike Byford Bates, former parent
Another year has passed and we have survived, although we still
have no new members. There is no doubt we will close if we fail to
recruit new members.
It seems a pity, having survived 91 years. We are discussing the future with Old Lancing
Lodge at present on the basis of a merger however; we would ultimately lose our identity.
On a brighter note, we still have two meetings in this year: October 22nd and December 9th
at Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen St.
To finish, would you believe the following was submitted for publication twenty years ago.
The Ardingly College Lodge
February 1994
You’re a rum lot, you masons, said the OA, with
your dark suits and your little leather cases.
What’s it all about?
It’s a good club to belong to and you meet a variety
of people. It has a strong moral message, too.
We could do with more of that nowadays! But
isn’t it a bit mysterious? That TV programme
made it look very strange to me!
Some things do seem a bit odd at first – it has
hardly changed in 300 years - but you soon get to
understand it. A bit quaint, perhaps, but we enjoy
it. A lot of our ritual is based on biblical events.
It isn’t Christian, though, is it?
Not exclusively, but then neither is my golf
club. Unlike the golf club, though, we all have
to believe in a Supreme Being. I’ve been to
meetings, here and abroad, where a number
of other faiths are represented.
You mean, like the Archbishop of Canterbury
meeting the Chief Rabbi?
Yes, but we don’t meet in church or have services.
Didn’t you have a dust-up with the Church Synod
a year or two ago?
Yes, a great pity, that. The Synod decided that we
believed all sorts of things most of us hadn’t even
heard of.
But didn’t they say you couldn’t be both Christians
and freemasons?
More or less. It upset some of the bishops no
end (and it can’t have improved their golf either!)
Some of our early members were clergymen; there
was the Bishop of Lewes and the headmaster,
Tommy Wilson, who were founders in 1922.
Wilson was still around to initiate George Snow
in 1947. Other notable characters were Canon
Lea and the then Archbishop of Western Canada,
both OAs. I can’t think they were all wrong! They
knew exactly what they believed but now the
Synod says otherwise.
Surely, this makes your dinner table
chat a bit argumentative?
Not at all – we can’t discuss religion
or politics
So it’s just business, then?
No, that doesn’t come into it either. You can’t
believe everything you read in the papers.
Is it just very old OAs who belong to your Lodge?
No, we’ve got a good cross section of most
generations of OAs and others with Ardingly
connections. And we meet people from other
Lodges, especially the Woodard Schools.
Men only?
‘Fraid so. But we do take our wives with us to the
annual public school lodges festival. We’re off to
Shrewsbury in June.
Would I know any of your members?
Why not come and see? We’re meeting up for
a pint in town in May and September and we’d
be glad to deal with those other questions you’re
itching to ask.
How do I find out about it?
We’re all in and around London. People like
John Peasgood (F 49-54) and David MacDonald
(E 63-71). Then there’s Chris Greenacre (F 53-62)
and Ken Woodford (F 46-53) in Surrey, David
Phythian and Jon Argent (D 71-81) in Sussex
and David Blunt (G 53-62) out in Essex. And
don’t forget the Secretary, Michael Browne;
his address should be in the Ardinian. We’ll
all be there and you’d be welcome to join us.
Thanks, said the OA. I’ll take you up on that.
I’m delighted to say our son
Edward John King-Spooner
was born on 16 June 2014. He
weighs 9 pounds. Edward has
settled in well to his new home.
Announcement
of new birth
Sarah King-Spooner
(nee Mills) (J 92-97)
To finish, would you believe the following was submitted for publication twenty years ago.
Surely, this makes your dinner table
Not at all – we can’t discuss religion
No, that doesn’t come into it either. You can’t
believe everything you read in the papers.
Is it just very old OAs who belong to your Lodge?
No, we’ve got a good cross section of most
generations of OAs and others with Ardingly

11. 19
World of Ardinians
18
World of Ardinians
The Support Us menu introduces the
Alumni & Development Team and Development
Committee, provides information on Bursaries,
the 1858 Society, recent Capital projects
undertaken at the college, all school charity
projects and also provides a list of merchandise
available to purchase. This section also details
the future plans and aspirations for Ardingly
College, alongside information on how you
can support the school.
Development Recent
School Charities
Merchandise
Make a difference
Contact us
SUPPORT US
The History section contains
the full history of Ardingly
College, alongside some very
interesting archived photos!
Ardingly History
Ardingly in WW1
Archival photos
HISTORY
YOUR ACCOUNT
The Your Account menu enables
you to manage your bio page online,
by updating your personal details,
uploading a photo and adding past
and current information about yourself.
Update your details
Update you bio
HOMEPAGE
The Homepage highlights the key
information on the new website
– detailing the latest news, events
calendar, facebook link and
information on how to grow
our network further.
OLD ARDINIANS
The Old Ardinians menu
features a varied and interesting
list of information on the OA community,
including notable individuals, a sports
society page, the facility to search for OAs
and finally an announcements page so
that you can keep up to date with new
arrivals, farewells, marriages and career
achievements within the community.
This menu also has a direct link to the
Old Ardinian Society webpage
for your convenience.
About Old Ardinians
Old Ardinian Society
Sports Society
Lost Members
Notable Old Ardinians
Search Directory
Announcements
FRIENDS
OF ARDINGLY
The Friends of Ardingly menu
features information on the current
Friends community and also a list
of House Reps.
About Friends of Ardingly College
House Rep contact details
NEWS UPDATE
The News Update provides up to the minute news articles from around the
school and specifically within the OA community, alongside copies of the
college publications and Ardinian magazine – which can be accessed and
read online. This menu is also where all event photos can be viewed!.
News
Photo boards
Publications
BUSINESS
The Business menu contains the
business directory – which enables
you to upload information about your
business online for the OA community
to access. This menu also features a
mentoring section – should you wish to
become a mentor, or if you are looking
for assistance yourself. Finally, there is
also a job board section – where you can
upload opportunities available in your
company for the OA community to view,
or alternatively if you are searching for
a job this is a great place to start!
Business Directory
Mentoring
Job Board
NEW WEBSITE The Events menu shows you the full year’s
calendar of events, and also enables you to
book your place online – ensuring that you
will never miss out on an event again!
Calendar
Reunions/Events
Your comments
EVENTS
www.ardinglynetwork.com
19
www.ardinglynetwork.com

12. 21
MEET OUR NEW HEADMASTER
Ben Figgis
Ardingly Today
The school’s task
is to find and nurture
the potential of children
and teachers; the
Headmaster’s task
is to make sure
that happens.
Ardingly College is delighted to announce the
appointment of Ben Figgis as the next Headmaster
from September 2014.
Ben is currently the Deputy Head of Oakham School, having joined in
2005 and was previously at Abingdon in Oxfordshire, where he taught
History and held the positions of Housemaster and Head of Boarding.
Ben was educated at Sherborne School and went on to obtain a BA in
History from Cambridge University and also holds an MEd in Educational
Leadership. Prior to his teaching career, Ben worked in media and
advertising and was a television news producer for Sky News. At Oakham
Ben currently teaches History, the IB and A Level sets, as well as
Theory of Knowledge.
Ben is married to Joanna, a part-time primary school teacher, and
together they have three children, George (13), Clemmie (12), and
Rosabel (7). Amongst many interests Ben enjoys the theatre, current
affairs, road cycling, tennis and fly fishing.
The Governors conducted an extensive recruiting process and
attracted an extremely high quality field of which Ben was the stand
out candidate. On his appointment Ben said: “Ardingly is a wonderful
school, with a national reputation for breadth and excellence. It will be
a great privilege to lead the school in the next chapter of its history, to
provide the best of independent education in the 21st century. Joanna
and I are greatly looking forward to joining the Ardingly community and
working towards its continued success.”
We decided to get to know Ben a little bit more!
Q&A
What attracted you to Ardingly?
Ardingly’s progressive and internationalist education founded on
a bedrock of Christian values was immediately appealing. On my
first visit, I was struck by both the openness and warmth of the
school, and the numinous of the chapel and crypt that lie at its
heart. As I have got to know the school better, I have been greatly
impressed by the aspirations of governors and staff to continue
improving the education and facilities that Ardingly offers, and be
pro-active in moving towards a 21st Century education. I am
fortunate in taking the reins at a time when Ardingly has strong
foundations for success and a very able team of governors and staff
to enhance its reputation as a force in independent education, and
even a world school. We are a school with a distinctive set of values,
a dedication to learning, and a mission to determine for ourselves
what is best for our children as they grow up in a very different world
to the one in which we went to school. Ardingly respects its traditions,
whilst also appreciating that education must evolve to remain relevant
and a powerful force for good.This combination is both powerful and
compelling, and is one of the reasons I am so looking forward to
leading the school.
What makes a good Head?
In many ways the requirements of a good Head are the same as
those of any leader: to provide a clear direction and sense of moral
purpose, and to put the best people you can find in the best possible
environment to achieve that purpose. This was former US Secretary
of State Colin Powell’s mantra, and I think it holds true for the task of
leading a school. One of the special features of a good school is that
it is a moral organisation. In other words, it exists to fulfil the moral
purpose of educating children to think, feel and act in ways that
contribute to the greater good of the societies in which they live,
as well as meet their own personal goals.
Ensuring the school makes the most of the pupils’ potential is also a
crucial part of a Head’s responsibility, so tangible success in academic
results, personal achievements and trophies are undeniably important.
However, children are more than mere units of production: no parent
sees their own child in this light, so why should a school, or an entire
education system, come to that?
If you were on a budget version of Desert Island discs and could
only have 1 book and 1 piece of music what would they be?
Hamlet and Brahms’ German Requiem. In different forms both
these works are meditations on life, love and death, and there would
be plenty of time on the desert island to contemplate such substantial
human concerns. Hamlet is of course a heroic questioner of man’s
purpose, and a challenge to the Enlightenment’s assumption of
man’s mastery of his world. Whilst Hamlet traces the complexities
of a son’s relationship with his father and mother, Brahms’ Requiem
merely pours out the composer’s love for his mother: powerfully,
beautifully and unambiguously.
Which historical figure do you most admire?
John Lilburne, the Leveller leader of the mid 17th century, was
certainly a man who demands admiration. His advocacy of the
freeborn rights of every Englishmen were astonishingly bold, imaginative
and prescient, emerging as they did more than a century before similar
convictions took hold in revolutionary France. Freeborn John was an
inspirationally polemical writer, a radical puritan, a grave threat to
social order, and a man for whom the prison cell was no deterrent to
his activism. He inspired other men to act, and was the true voice
of the English revolution that Oliver Cromwell betrayed. A man of
conviction both in ideas and action, and one for whom a film is
surely overdue.
What’s the secret of a work-life balance?
I’m not sure that I am the right person to ask, having lived the life
of a 7 day-week boarding school for the past 17 years. However,
the school holidays are infamously long, and provide plenty of time
for relaxation. I am not someone who has much sympathy with
pleadings for a work-life balance; most teachers work exceptionally
hard for the pupils during term-time and have time in the holidays
to pursue their other interests. The analogy of teaching with working
on an oil rig is not quite exact, but nearly. As much as time, a good
work-life balance requires an ability to put work pressures into
perspective, to laugh at oneself, and to pursue interests outside
school. Ask me again in a year’s time, and I’ll let you know how
successful I’ve been with these.
Do you have high
resolution of this pic?
We have discovered the existence of the oldest Ardinian
at an approximate 140 million years old. Last term an
amazing discovery was made in the rocks that
came from under the new Godwin Building.
DINOSAURS AT ARDINGLY COLLEGE UPDATE
Jane Blythe and Brian Craik-Smith, members of the Ardingly Science Department
Ardingly TodayArdingly Today
20
Continue on page 26

13. 22
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF SNOW
1974 – 2014
Andrea King, College Archivist
Forty years ago a new building with bedroom/study accommodation for 6th formers
was opened at Ardingly. The record in the Annals for 1974 makes it clear that this
was an exciting new development for the College.
“ The transformations on the old Parade Ground
finally fell into shape on May 26th when the Right
Rev. Bishop George Snow opened the new Sixth
Form building named after him. It provides individual
bed-sitters for thirty-seven Sixth Formers, a flat for the
Warden, Mr. R. N. A. Lord, and a Sixth Form Common
Room where a bar is due to be installed in September.
The Chairman of the School Council, Mr. R. A.
Parsons, and the President of the Old Ardinian
Society were present at a pleasant ceremony
watched by the school, held outside Snow House
when the Headmaster welcomed his predecessor
recalling that Bishop Snow had brought Ardingly
into the second half of the twentieth century and
made it famous. Countless people owed him a
vast debt of gratitude.
In thanking the Headmaster for giving him and
Mrs. Snow the enormous privilege of naming the
new House, Bishop Snow recalled how the Sixth
Form had increased during his time at the school.
Now, the growing demands of scholarship and
culture meant that Sixth Formers needed a measure
of separation from the ordinary run of school life,
a chance for privacy and quiet in preparing for
examinations. Snow House represented an
exciting and challenging step forward in the life of the
school. After a blessing, Bishop Snow formally opened
Snow House and was shown round by Mr. Lord.”
Snow House was named after George Snow, the
Headmaster of the College from 1946 – 1961 and
later Bishop of Whitby. It proved to be very popular
with the pupils. So much so that it was soon
decided to refurbish the old Sanatorium as another
bedroom/study building, known as Wilson after
another earlier Headmaster, to match the Snow
Sixth Form accommodation on the South
School side.
With the advent of the new sixth form Woodard
House in 1987 the function of Snow as a boarding
house declined and in recent years it has been used
solely for some teaching rooms and studies for staff.
Sadly, the building has not lasted the test of time
and recently the decision was taken to demolish it.
Initially the cleared area will become a much needed
car park but in the future who knows? There are
plans for it to become a beautiful quadrangle to
lead the way into the Chapel and main school area.
Ardingly’s second ArtsFest got off to a truly rousing start with a Gala evening on
Sunday 22nd June hosted by Sir John Tomlinson, the celebrated Covent Garden bass.
After a Reception and entertaining pre-show talk,
Sir John and his guests, musicians and singers from
the opera house, treated the audience to a dazzling
array of virtuoso numbers. From Wagner to Mozart
and Bizet’s Habanera to a spectacular closing
Nessun Dorma – certainly no one slept! Nor was
much sleeping done in the next few days when
audiences and pupils were treated to an eclectic
mix of arts and entertainments. Highlights included
An Audience with Bradley Walsh, music and comedy
from Radio 4’s The Horne Section, the Dave
Newton Jazz Trio, the Reduced Shakespeare
Company and tribute band Absolute Bowie.
Students from schools and colleges across
Sussex were also invited to attend many workshops
and events alongside Ardingly pupils as part of the
College’s Enrichment Programme. Hundreds of
young people enjoyed a range of workshops,
including a day with the London cast of STOMP
and singing the songs of Africa in Zimbe! 60 gifted
young musicians also spent Sunday rehearsing with
the Covent Garden musicians and performed three
times during the Gala evening, meeting the
challenges of playing Verdi and Wagner with
world-class musicians.
We look forward to ArtsFest 2015. Please go to
www.ardinglyartsfest.com to find out the dates and
lineup which will be announced later in the year.
It’s a beautifully planned
festival with a lovely atmosphere
and it feels as if it has been
running for years.
Poet and Festival Patron John Agard
ARDINGLY
ARTSFEST
23
Ardingly Today

14. 25
The Ardingly Agenda, the development plan for the College, was launched in June at The Foundling Museum,
one of London’s newest public attractions. The Museum was chosen as the venue partly due to the many
similarities between Thomas Coram, Founder of the Foundling Museum, and Nathaniel Woodard.
Both men were born of modest
means, neither had any children
and yet both made contributions
of enormous importance to the
interests of children in their time
and in the centuries thereafter.
Ardingly is a member of the
Woodard Schools group, which
is now the 18th largest charity in
the UK and the second largest
educational charity.
Hosted by current parent and
governor, Nick Walker, the
event was attended by parents,
governors and senior staff and
it provided the opportunity
to announce the School’s
development plans. These
include an improved theatre
space, a re-development of the
Science facilities and a second
new astro-turf.
The establishment of The
Patrons´ Circle launches
Ardingly’s initiative to encourage
support for our development
programme. It was launched
at the event by Nick Walker
and we were delighted that his
announcement was immediately
followed by a number of families
joining him as inaugural patrons.
As a self-funding, self-reliant
charity, Ardingly like many
independent schools, continues
to depend on the generosity
of leading members of its
community to support capital
developments. Any parent or
Old Ardinian willing to become
a Patron or a Life Patron will
be invited to make a minimum
contribution of £800 each year
for three years (worth £1,000 a
year to the school with Gift Aid)
and may choose to support the
School’s capital building works
or its means-tested bursary
programme. Becoming a Patron
provides an opportunity to
have a real involvement in the
future of Ardingly, contribute
ideas and views on the School’s
development programme and
discuss these important issues
with senior staff and governors.
For more information, please call
Ian McLean on 01444 893267 or
email at ian.mclean@ardingly.com.
In my early years at Ardingly Charles Godwin was an idol and role model on the football pitch. Decades on
he is a role model again as the College’s most generous donor.
It is a pleasure to support him in encouraging fellow Ardinians and
their families to consider membership of the 1858 Society which he
chairs, and the inclusion of Ardingly as a beneficiary in their wills. This
is an excellent way of helping to support the College on its striking
upward path.
As a past Chairman of the Governing Body
I am very aware how difficult it is to generate
a decent surplus to allow plans for growth and
development to proceed without overburdening
current parents with ever higher fees.
Every effort is made to make best use of the magnificent Ardingly
estate to generate extra revenue. But that will not be enough to fulfil
all our ambitions for the future. It is to those who have built their lives
on the Ardingly experience in the past, OAs – of all ages – and past
parents, that the College turns to put the question ‘if the Ardingly
experience was positive for you and your family, can you help in the
search for ways to ensure that it continues to be so
for future generations?’
For those who have to make decisions soon about exciting plans
for the immediate future cash giving, either as a lump sum or through
a regular giving programme, clearly offers the greatest certainty. But
they know how difficult such giving can be amidst all the pressures
and costs of family life, not to mention all the other claims for support
which come to us on a daily basis. Promises of future giving can also
be of real value, even when the precise timing of the gift is unclear.
This is where bequests have a major part to play.
The 1858 Society has been set up specifically both to encourage OAs
and others to think about making a bequest to the College in their wills
and to provide a vehicle by which those who do so can be kept in touch
with the College’s ambitions and their execution. Bequests do not have
to be big to be valuable. In this age of crowd-funding we can see much
more clearly the value of many people doing small things together.
Charles Godwin and I would like to encourage all OAs to consider
a bequest to Ardingly when they are making or amending a will.
This is not just a thought for our Veterans’ generation. Many wills are
first made at or around the time of marriage and can be a way of
making a gesture of thanks for the Ardingly experience fairly early in life.
Older people with fewer family commitments may be in a position to
consider a practical way of singling out an experience which has been
significant to them. A bequest may also be a way for past parents who
are not themselves OAs to offer a token of thanks to Ardingly for the
education it provided for their children.
Details of the 1858 Society and what it will offer to those who make a
bequest and join can be requested by emailing development@ardingly.com.
I encourage each members of the Ardingly community to think whether a
bequest and membership of the Society are appropriate for you.
ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
Ian McLean, Iona Mackay Bulger and Tamasine Nevison
Welcome to the Alumni and
Development Office - we work closely
with, and support the Old Ardinian
Society, the Friends of Ardingly,
Companions, former staff and everyone
who shares an affinity for the College.
In order for us to maintain a strong link between
the groups, the Development and Alumni team
co-ordinates the many and varied activities including
specific alumni events. It is also the administrative
centre for College fundraising initiatives.
The Alumni and Development team are:
Ian Mclean
Development Director
Iona Mackay Bulger
Alumni and Events Manager
Tamasine Nevison
Alumni and Development Officer
The Development Committee has
been established to support the College
and in particular, the Alumni & Development
Office, in its endeavours to create a more
supportive and engaged school community.
This will ultimately enhance the overall quality
of education through improved facilities for
learning, teaching and living, as well as providing
opportunities for students who may otherwise not
have the benefit of an Ardingly education.
Having been founded on sound Christian and
philanthropic principles, the College encourages the
financial support of its current and former families to
carry on this tradition.
The current members of the Development
Committee are:
Ben Figgis
Headmaster
Ian Mclean
Development Director
Paddy Jackman
Director of Operations
Jim Sloane
Chair of Governors and donor
Graham Turner
Governor
Nick Walker
Governor, parent & donor to Kariandusi
Heather Lawrence
Parent & donor to Mark Lawrence bursary
We believe we are building
something valuable at Ardingly. In
a recent publication, called Permission
to Believe, we listened to what some
of our pupils had to say about their
experiences at the College.
We also told you what the ISI Report had
highlighted as noteworthy achievements (there were
quite a few). We added to that a long list of results,
outcomes, events from academics, sport, music,
art and from general life at Ardingly. What did all this
prove? The honest answer is that it proves nothing,
but it suggests, very strongly, that Ardingly is a
school on the move. A school that is dynamic, and
with a sense of purpose, a sense of consequence.
You will not be surprised to hear that we are not
content to sit still at Ardingly. Restlessness is one
of our most-prized qualities, and that restlessness
brings with it ambition. We are doing well, but we
want to do better. Our pupils, our staff and our
parents lie at the heart of this ambition.
A wise parent commented to
me once: ‘Good facilities are
great. Good teachers beat
good facilities every time’.
Indeed. But what if we have great teachers and
great facilities. I think we all agree that Godwin Hall
will transform the experience of the Upper Sixth.
What else is on our agenda? What else do we
plan, in order to put us at the very forefront of UK
Education? What, if you like, is our manifesto for
our pupils? There are several key capital projects
we believe will change lives. Before I tell you what
they are, let me say this: Ardingly is a school of
obligation, not privilege. Whatever facilities we build
now, over the coming years, in whatever arena –
sports, academics, and arts – will be built in order
to help our children become what they should be.
That is about effort, rigour, and resilience. This is not
privilege. This is about giving each and every child
the chance to become their best.
THE ARDINGLY AGENDA AND PATRONS’ CIRCLE LAUNCHED!
Ian McLean, Development Director
THE 1858 SOCIETY, SUPPORTING ARDINGLY THROUGH
YOUR WILL
Robert Alston, Former Chairman of Governors and OA (A 49-56)
Ardingly Today
24
Ardingly Today
DEVELOPMENT AT ARDINGLY DEVELOPMENT AT ARDINGLY
THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
THE ARDINGLY AGENDA

15. 26 2727
www.ardinglynetwork.com
This all began due to a local ‘GeoTrail’ that was organised by our Chemistry Technician, Brian Craik-Smith for
the 2013 ‘ArtsFest’ investigating the pile of rocks dug out from the foundations of Godwin Hall, the new Sixth
Form Boarding House.
We have been working towards the identification of a National
Collection of Wealden Fossils. Organisation of dinosaur digs for the
local community and school students, and follow up by study of pieces of
interest, is being carried out by Ardingly College students, Mr Craik-Smith,
Dr. Jane Blythe (Head of Biology), with Dr . Susie Maidment (Junior
Research Fellow at Imperial College, London) and other expert locals,
including Peter Austen and Mike Webster, helping to build a picture of
the incredible environment on the site from 140 million years ago. We
had a regional grant from the Society of Biology. Dr. Maidment has an
Imperial College MSci student starting this Summer, working on
stratigraphy to place our fossils in the relevant fossiliferous horizon.
So far discoveries include at least 50 different species. Including
dwarf crocodile teeth (One species was identified by a research fellow
at Imperial who chanced to see our collection when it was on display
at an IC fringe ‘species’ event), Theriosuchus pusillus would have
crunched its way through snails, which we have also found fossilised.
Other finds of interest include, turtle bone next to a tooth from a
small meat-eating dinosaur, invertebrate species including various
species of bivalve molluscs and snails (including Vivaporous spp.),
plants: including cones and seed heads (multiple pinnules from the
Wealden fern Weichselia reticulata have been named) and dinosaur
bone (nicknamed ‘Chunkiosaurus!’ still requires identification).
Most recently, we have had our Pterosaur tooth find validated by an
expert at the Natural History Museum, as possibly from the species
Coloborhynchus capito, one of the earliest ancestors of our birds
today, this flying fish-eater had a wingspan in the region of 7 metres!
We have already had substantial press coverage by BBC SouthEast
Today and Children’s Newsround, in addition to local and national
press, and Ardingly College students made their own news report
which was broadcast on the BBC’s red button back at the end of
March on School Report Day.
Our third and most recent dig involved little visitors to the pre-prep
and much fun was had by all digging and getting generally very muddy
indeed. OAs visiting recently will have had the whole story from Dr Jane
Blythe and those interested in more can see here for more:
http://prezi.com/tbluch2ihxzg/dino-dig-citizen-science-at-ardingly/
The dino team were at Lindfield’s Village Day on Saturday 31st May
doing children’s activities and offering a chance for locals to sign up
for future dino digs. Most importantly, all finds are kept with their
finder’s name to ensure their names are referenced to any new species
or otherwise important finds. There will be a continuous ‘dino dig’
during this years ArtsFest, and more planned for Saturdays in the
Michaelmas term.
GRAHAM DAWTREY
John Witherington, Former Member of Staff
DINOSAURS AT ARDINGLY COLLEGE UPDATE
The career of Graham Dawtrey is surely unique to British schoolmastering. I might identify someone who has
served over thirteen years as a President of Common Room or thirteen as Director of Sport or twelve running
the most successful school football club in the country. This would be a rare find indeed.
To find all of these combined is unprecedented. And if you still need
convincing, here is the clincher: over twenty years also as Business
Development Manager.
It is from this post that Graham leaves Ardingly College after nearly 35
years. Due to the success of this role, from 1999 Graham was allowed
to recruit holiday assistants. These he selected from the best of OA
and village students, creating for them their first work experience. They
will say that it has been the making of them and many have returned
over the years to be built into a dedicated and closely-knit team.
His former Heads of House bear witness to this his great motivational
powers. Jackson Jessop (G 82-90), holding in Assembly the coveted
Thwaites Bowl – then the cup of cups to indicate House supremacy-
recalls his joy shared by his Housemaster:
Graham Dawtrey entrusted me with a
responsibility which, at the time, quite simply
made me as a young man. I will never forget the
influence he had on my life.
“Graham was a great role model and nurturer” write Jason and Bruce
Hubbard (85-94),”who deftly managed the art of being firm and fair as
well as being a lot of fun.” Joost van Es (G 86-93) expertly captures
Graham’s essence:
He insisted on excellence from day one and
had the ability to see strengths in people they
themselves were not aware of. He had a massive
part to play in making me the person I am today.
Warren/Crosse became the House of choice. Boys and parents were
so eager to belong to such a successful House that it became over-
subscribed and provided many of the College’s sports captains, Heads
of School and Oxbridge achievers.
Graham’s impact on Ardingly’s football was equally ground-breaking.
He himself, having turned down young professional contracts to
focus on his Sixth Form studies, had played for several professional
clubs and for Brighton and Hove Albion Reserves. He also captained
Loughborough University and played for English and British Universities
teams, as well as fulfilling a professional playing contract in Canada in
his first summer at Ardingly. He led an Ardingly squad on a 4-week tour
to the United States in 1981 and was appointed to Master-in-Charge
of Football in 1988.
Links were formed with professional clubs and between 1993 and
2000, Graham’s 1st XIs in the Boodle and Dunthorne Cup recorded
the most victories, scored the most goals and made Graham the most
successful coach at the time in the history of that competition.
His 1998 team were described -again by The
Times- as “the best school team ever.” Five of his
players continued into the professional game and
numerous boys represented the Southern ISFA
and national ISFA team.
After coming so close so often, his 1999 XI became the first Sussex
and independent school to win ESFA’s premier U19s competition, the
English Schools Trophy.
Football was not Graham’s only sport. He was a gifted cricketer,
coaching U.14 and U.15 teams and accompanying the 1988 cricket tour
to India. He also coached rugby and, as one of the PE staff, was adept at
a wide range of sports; his contribution to the Sixth Form General Course
–an 8-week unit on ‘Violence in Sport’- was one of its most sought-after
modules.
So much is history. As I write this, I think back to
the moment I was introduced to Graham in the
South Quad in 1979. The firm handshake certainly
reinforced the physical presence of the young PE
teacher who would also offer some Geography.
In the end it was Maths that occupied his academic timetable and
I recall his classes were the model of good order and quiet focus.
And so, as the last of Christopher Bulteel’s appointments leaves
Ardingly, we may wonder by what mysterious alchemy Graham was
able to achieve gold so consistently for so long. But the search for
base metal would be fruitless.
Self-sacrifice to a prodigious workload is one
of his hallmarks and his efficiency, organization
and time management are as legendary as his
little black book in which everything to do was
meticulously listed and eventually crossed off: we
knew that his promise to act would be carried out.
At the heart of all that Graham has ever done at Ardingly has been his
unwavering belief in the potential of young people. Those once in his
care now live out his legacy; those of us who were his colleagues are
in awe of his professionalism. Always ready to accept new challenges
and re-invent himself, Graham has left the UK for a new life in the USA.
With deep gratitude, we wish him and Alexandra every blessing.
Ardingly Today
Three Upper 6th students reporting on the Ardingly dinosaurs
Ardingly Today