HERE - Friends' School Lisburn

FRIENDS’ SCHOOL LISBURN
PAST & PRESENT 2012

CONTENTS & EDITORIAL
FRIENDS’ SCHOOL LISBURN
6 Magheralave Road, Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT28 3BH
Tel: 028 9266 2156 www.friendsschoollisburn.org.uk
CONTENTS
1. FSL Old Scholars’ Association Pages 2-25
2. School Record & Staff News Pages 26-43
3. The Preparatory Department Pages 44-59
4. School Life Pages 60-87
5. Friends’ Travels Pages 88-97
6. Friends’ Sports Pages 98-136
EDITORIAL
Welcome to the 2012 edition of Past & Present. Although the magazine follows a familiar pattern, each edition has a flavour ot
its own, defined by memorable moments, events and achievements. The purpose of Past & Present also remains the same; to
give a snap shot of school life over the past year, showcasing something of the spirit, ethos, energy, diversity and opportunity
that exists here at Friends’. Whether it be in sports, arts, music or trips, one thing that is consistent is the high level of talent,
commitment, effort and determination that lies within each pupil. The diverse range of activities available to pupils only
highlights the great opportunities that Friends’ offers to every pupil, regardless of interest and age.
Undertaking such a task as this would not be possible without the help of others. I am very grateful for the continued support
from both staff and pupils who have contributed their time and knowledge in providing reports, articles and pictures that help
make Past & Present what it is. I am thankful to the English and Art Departments for their literary and artistic contributions.
Notable thanks must go to Stephen Robinson for providing countless photographs and Shona Cregan for proofreading. Thanks
also to Joanne McGaffin for passing on numerous articles and Maxine Boyd for her help in the editing of the Old Scholars’
section.
I hope you enjoy reading Past & Present 2012.
Aaron Chestnutt
1
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
SECTION ONE...
Ruth Clarke Year 14
Ashley McIlroy Year 14 Jenny Gillis Year 12
Friends’ School Lisburn
2

...OLD SCHOLARS
FRIENDS’ SCHOOL OLD SCHOLARS’ ASSOCIATION
6 Magheralave Road, Lisburn, Co. Antrim BT28 3BH
Tel: 028 9266 2156 www.friendsschoollisburn.org.uk
ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Office Bearers and Committee 2011-2012
President Adrienne Bell 60a Glebe Road, Anahilt BT26 6NG
President Elect Colin Milliken 31 Blackskull Road, Dromore BT25 1JN
Past President John Stanage 4 Drumcill Road, Lisburn BT28 2TG
Principal Elizabeth Dickson Friends’ School Lisburn BT28 3BH
Hon. Secretary Joan Russell 6 Bredan Park, Magheralin BT67 0GS
Hon. Treasurer Brian Mairs 8a Old Church Lane, Aghalee BT67 0EB
Hon. Membership Kathleen Ferguson 1 Marnabrae Park, Lisburn BT28 3PD
Asst. Hon. Treasurer Pamela McKitterick 17 Ballyhannon Park, Portadown BT63 5SF
Committee Liz Palmer 5 Magheralave Court, Lisburn BT28 3BY
Maxine Boyd 5 Clonevin Park, Lisburn BT28 3BL
David Swain 26 Pinehill, Saintfield Road, Lisburn BT27 5PL
Noel Clarke 11 Clontara Park, Lisburn BT27 4LB
Jill Conn 10 Forthill, Lisburn BT28 3RB
Christopher Clarke 28 Lisnastrean Road, Lisburn BT27 5PB
3
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
It is hard to believe that another year has passed and I find myself sifting through information and articles kindly supplied by
my fellow Committee Members and Old Scholars themselves. I would like to thank all Members of the Committee for their
encouragement and help, especially Liz Palmer and Jill Conn.
Friends’ School Old Scholars continue to delight with their stories of adventures and hard work from all corners of the globe and
I hope you will find this year’s articles interesting and inspiring. Please also note some of the upcoming events, details of which
will also be on the school website.
Maxine Boyd
EDITORIAL
NEW LIFE MEMBERS
Claire McKeag
Claire Jordan
Mark Brooks
Suzanne Cush
Richard Bradfield
Sarah Faulkner
Amy Broddle
Raymond Gamble
Dr Stuart McAuley
Paula Poland
David Seeds
Andrew Irwin
Natalie Campbell
Chandra
Gillian Lewis
Jordan McCready
Anna Martin
Andrew Wallace
Mark Fair
Jennifer Coll
Hannah Greenfield
FRIENDS’ SCHOOL OLD SCHOLARS’ ASSOCIATION
APPLICATION FORM
NAME: (Block Capitals)__________________________________ (Née)_____________________________
ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________ POST CODE: _____________
TELEPHONE NO: ___________________________________ MOBILE: ____________________________
E-MAIL: ________________________________________________________________________________
I wish to join the above Association.
I was a Boarder/Day Scholar from __________ to __________
I have been/was a member of staff from _________ to _________
Please forward remittance to the Honorary Treasurer:
Membership Subscription: Life £50.00 or
£30.00 if taken out within six months of leaving School.
Friends’ School Lisburn
4

PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
Friends, Old Scholars, Guests, Head Boy and Head Girl, can
I welcome you to the Old Scholars’ Annual Dinner and thank
you for coming this evening. Can I apologise on behalf of
the Committee who failed to arrange the correct weather for
an early summer dinner, and to those who are missing the
Final of Britain’s Got Talent, another oversight I’m afraid.
You are of course particularly welcome back once again to
School. I hope those of you who haven’t been back for some
time come back with many good memories, including good
memories of the Dining Hall.
I would particularly like to welcome visitors from afar who
have joined us. I am also aware that some of our guests
tonight are not yet members of the Old Scholars’ Association.
I want them to know that I know who they are, and they will
be hunted down.
I wanted to start, and just in case I forget to do so later due to
my nervousness, by saying what an honour and a privilege it
is to be asked to be the President of the Old Scholars’
Association of Friends’ School. These are tough times for us
all, including Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland, but your
support for the Association, and more importantly for the
School, is invaluable. And what a School we have to
support!
You don’t have to take my word for this of course. The
Sunday Times, the nearly 400000 visitors to YouTube, the
BBC and the One Show can’t be wrong, and I think I perhaps
have the easiest job of all 125 Presidents of the Association
in saying, without a shadow of a doubt, that Friends’ is the
best school in the country.
I’d like to thank the last two Presidents, John Stanage and
Adrienne Bell, and the other members of the Committee for
making me feel welcome, and the many Past Presidents
whose speeches I have frantically researched in old school
magazines to give me help in knowing what to say. I do look
forward to being President, and promise to try not to let my
obvious youth and inexperience stand in my way in the next
year. I do think my hair was brown when I agreed to take on
the role though.
Believe it or not, a number of people (I won’t name them)
have asked me why I’ve agreed to be President, and, as a
Psychiatrist, I’ve considered this deeply and analysed this
problem very carefully. I’ll try to share some of my
conclusions with you. I have worried that all three of us
from the class of 1986 who left to study Medicine are now
Psychiatrists; Clarke Campbell and Annette Thampi are the
others. I definitely haven’t come up with any reasons why
we all ended up in that noble specialty, but I’ll maybe ask the
other Psychiatrist with us tonight, Michael Nicholson, to
examine my mental state later.
FSL Old Scholars’ Association Presidential Address
I was asked to become involved shortly after watching the
1st XV lose bravely and unfortunately in the Schools’ Cup
Quarter Final, to the eventual winners Ballymena Academy,
two years ago. Anyone that remembers the less successful
1st XV from 1984-86 will know I’m used to Friends’ losing
at rugby, but the recent Schools’ Cup defeat really was
unfortunate. I felt quite exhausted and upset afterwards.
Barney McGonigle would no doubt say more exhausted and
upset than I appeared when I was actually playing rugby
myself! I realised then how strong and important my
attachment to the School is and I believe this is why most of
us are here tonight of course.
I wrote much of this speech shortly after watching a real
man’s sport though. Unfortunately it was another brave and
unlucky defeat for the Boys’ Hockey 1st XI in the Final of
the Burney Cup. The best support at the Final came from
Friends’ of course, and particularly from a number of people
even older than me. Looking around at Lisnagarvey Hockey
Club that day I saw our Principal, Elizabeth Dickson, our
distinguished retired Principal, Mr Arthur Chapman, and a
range of recently retired staff, all of whom looked
miraculously younger than they did when they taught me. It
isn’t just pupils and past pupils that have this attachment and
it must mean we are attached to something special if teachers
and retired teachers feel the same way.
I was at Friends’ firstly in the old Prep School in Prospect
House between 1972 and 1979, and then, “the Big School”
between 1979 and 1986. Family connections with the school
date back into the mists of time. My sister, Karen, was Head
Girl and my brother, Alan, Deputy Head Boy. (I only rose to
the rank of House Captain of Collin House I’m afraid).
My dad was for a time on the Board of Governors, and my
mum still, 40 or so years on, meets with a group of friends
whose children were in my class at the Prep School. These
morning meetings are still called the, “School Coffee”.
Prep School memories are a pleasant mix of surprisingly
small classrooms and chairs even at that age, the mobile
classroom with Miss Watt out on the grass, and Sports Days
on the lawn in the sunshine. I was in P4 during the endless
hot Summer of 1976; the weather was always better then, or
is it just me I should mention being Captain of the famous
winning Sycamore team in 1979, not for me the noncompetitive
approach to sport.
I particularly remember enjoying P6, with Colin Gardiner,
recently retired, and P7 with the late and much missed John
Waring. Quite recently Colin gave me a copy of a poem I
had written in P6 about a visit to a graveyard, so gloomy that
my later interest in Psychiatry might have been predicted,
and welcomed, even then.
5
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
In P7 John Waring helped us proudly set up our own
company, Independent Crisp Sellers, or ICS, with its own
accounts and shares. I think this company would have been
strong enough to withstand the current economic downturn,
perhaps the only Lisburn business to confidently do so.
My memories of the Grammar School are similarly happy
ones. I don’t remember everything seeming as serious as our
current pupils are often told that they are. I do hope that our
current Head Boy and Head Girl are able to tell us in the
future that they and their friends were able to work hard and
play even harder.
I was at school both through the so-called ‘Troubles’, but
worse, through the height of the 1980s, a troubling decade.
Its music and hairstyles do bring back traumatic memories
and I had forgotten how startling my own hairdo and hair
colour were until recent Rugby and Prefect photos were
unearthed. I have both of these photos with me for anyone
who wishes to see the evidence. Since my mum is here, I
still maintain the startling blonde locks were naturally
bleached by the sun.
and Stephen Robinson who inspired and made the video, but
we should remember who is in charge, and on whose watch
this exciting development happened.
I do think the School is now on the crest of a wave, and that
Elizabeth deserves our thanks and our congratulations. I’m
sure you all agree that the School has an absolutely
outstanding Principal.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for the support you give
the Old Scholars’ Association, but most importantly for the
support you give to the School. I think that, while the Old
Scholars’ Association has a number of important roles, the
most important one is to support and celebrate our School.
Thank you again and please enjoy the rest of your evening.
Colin Milliken
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MAY 2012
It gives me particular pleasure to see Mr Arthur Chapman
joining us again this evening. Mr Chapman was Headmaster
throughout my inglorious stay at Friends’, and it is inspiring
to see how the commitment he showed so strongly to the
School then, remains undiminished today.
I clearly remember Mr Chapman regularly supporting School
rugby matches, as Elizabeth does now. I always felt it would
be wrong to lose in front of the Headmaster and particularly
to Wallace. I’m glad to report that I only experienced this
shame once in my seven years, a 7-3 defeat in 1980.
While I remember, I think the best bit about school then was
having a swimming pool. Everyone loved the pool, and I’m
sure that every really good school should have one!
So the School has given me the most important things in my
life, good friends, a good education and, of course my wife,
Julie. I’m a lucky man with much to be thankful for.
It is now that is the most important though. Our two boys,
James and Matthew, are finishing Year 10 and Year 8 and are
thriving and happy at Friends’. Both the boys enjoyed their
years at the Prep School, and while I don’t miss my close
relationship with the Bursar, I’m grateful for the very good
start that they got there. I know the School is better now than
when I was there, and that they are at the best school in the
country, we can’t do better for them than that.
I must mention the famous Lipdub video, recently making
the School a worldwide internet hit. We lived through this as
Lipdub parents, both boys are featured, and the sense of
excitement and pride in them and everyone involved in their
school was really inspiring. Congratulations to Matt Good
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Joan, the outgoing Secretary, quite rightly made clear that her
tenure in office over the five years had been rendered painless,
thanks to the assistance constantly available from Joanne.
Gratitude was expressed to Mrs Dickson for giving her approval
to the amount of time the Association monopolise one of her
staff. Thanks were also extended to Mrs Dickson, having
seldom missed a Committee Meeting and never missed an event
held by The Old Scholars’ Association. Both ladies were
deserving of a big thank you.
Various tasks were carried out during the year. The Constitution
of the Association was reviewed as regards the alternating of
male/female for the role of President. This had been the practice
but was not required by the Constitution so Aidan Pearson
would be eligible for nomination as President Elect.
Miss Woolman had bequeathed a citation to the Association. It
had been presented to her father when he was a member of staff
at Friends’ School. Her niece was sent a letter of thanks and
arrangements were made to have it framed, prior to putting it
into the Archive Room.
A letter of congratulations was sent to the School on having
been selected as the Sunday Times Northern Ireland School of
the Year 2011 and on the YouTube success.
Gwen McWilliams had written to thank the Association for the
90th birthday greetings she received.
Friends’ School Lisburn
6

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
TREASURER’S REPORT
ELECTION OF OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Brian supplied all present with the Income and Expenditure
Account for the year ending 31 March 2012.
The Life Membership Fund continues to be the main source of
income.
Magazine donations have still not brought in enough money to
cover costs.
The President’s Evening just about breaks even.
Brian felt future fund raising should be going towards the
School.
LIFE MEMBERSHIP FUND
Gerald supplied all present with copies of his report for the year
ending 31 March 2012. It was thought best to leave investments
intact as they do provide good refund.
At this point the deficit with the magazine was discussed at
length. David provided relevant facts as regards numbers in
receipt of a copy each year who have volunteered to pay the £5
and those members who make no contribution whatever.
Further debate would follow under Any Other Business.
Alec McCullagh was to be thanked for again acting as our
Accountant and Auditor.
Brian Moller proposed that the Reports be adopted and Mary
Donnelly seconded.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Adrienne outlined the School events which she had attended on
behalf of the Association during her year in office.
Her planned Business Event would hopefully take place in
September/October.
The Poetry and Prose Evening was much enjoyed by all who
had attended it. A request had been made to hold a similar event
next year.
She thanked the Principal, Joanne and the Committee Members
for all the help and encouragement she had received. Also she
wished Colin well as he comes in to office as President.
ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS 2012-13
President
Past President
President Elect
Honorary Secretary
Hon. Membership Sec.
Honorary Treasurer
Asst. Hon. Treasurer
Colin Milliken
Adrienne Bell
Aidan Pearson
Maxine Boyd
Kathleen Ferguson
Brian Mairs
Pamela McKittrick
7
Elizabeth Dickson remains as Ex-Officio-Principal.
David Swain remains on Committee until 2013.
Three members have agreed to undertake another three year
period: 2012-15
Christopher Clarke
Jill Conn
Elizabeth Palmer
Three members have agreed to undertake a one year period as
co-opted members: 2012-13
Noel Clarke
Joan Russell
John Stanage
APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR
Alec McCullagh was prepared to remain as auditor. Gerald
Crawford agreed to continue managing the Life Membership
Fund.
PRINCIPAL’S REMARKS
Mrs Dickson provided Old Scholars’ with a wide ranging
picture of Friends’ Schools in the United States of America.
She had attended the American Quaker Heads Fall Gathering in
Philadelphia in October.
Excellent examination results had been achieved. This had been
publicly recognised when the School was selected as the Sunday
Times Northern Ireland Secondary School of the Year. Also the
video success story brought great response from the general
public from far off places as well as numerous Old Scholars
living abroad.
The decision to provide Pre-Prep facilities was proving to be a
great success.
All the various clubs and societies had continued to form an
important extra curricular part of School life. In particular three
boys hockey teams had enjoyed success with the 1st XI reaching
the Burney Cup Final, the 2nd XI winning the Dowdall Cup and
the U15XI reaching the Final of the Richardson Cup. It was
hoped to raise funds for an astro-turf pitch in the not too distant
future.
Mrs Dickson expressed pleasure in the fact that Friends’ School
Lisburn was a happy community where pupils felt a sense of
belonging. (There would have been no Old Scholars present
who wouldn’t have found the School to be similar in these
respects, when they were pupils).
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
ACCOUNTS
FRIENDS’ SCHOOL LISBURN, OLD SCHOLARS’ ASSOCIATION
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2012
2012 2011 2012 2011
£ £ £ £
INCOME:
EXPENDITURE:
Deposit account interest 1.82 2 Donations to school:
Interest - Life Memb. Fund 1,827.99 1,750 Library 250.00 250
Donations - 1980 reunion - 126 GCSE Awards 80.00 60
- for magazine costs 519.50 1,765 Magazine costs 2,505.12 2,689
President’s Evening 1,338.50 1,450
New Life Members 500.00 840 Fundraising costs:
Fundraising: Gardeners Corner - 307
Sports Star Evening 540.00 - Sports Star Evening 205.48 -
Coffee Morning 10.00 -
Other costs:
President’s Evening 1,698.85 2,025
Framing 30.00 -
Invested Life Membership
Fund 840.00 800
________ _______ ________ _____
4,737.81 5,933 5,202.40 5,805
Opening balances:
Closing balances:
Cash in hand 51.10 40 Cash in hand 31.10 51
First Trust – deposit 4,378.33 4,429 First Trust – deposit 3,426.15 4,378
First Trust – current 276.52 109 First Trust – current 784.11 277
________ _______ ________ ______
9,443.76 10,511 9,443.76 10,511
======= ====== ======= =====
Brian Mairs - (Honorary Treasurer)
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF FSLOSA
Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also
includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the management committee
concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and
consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set
out in the statement below.
Independent Examiner’s Statement
In the course of my examination of the above accounts for the year ended 31 March 2012, no matter has come to my attention which
gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements to keep accounting records and prepare accounts
which accord with those accounting records have not been met, or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable
a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Alec McCullagh - Accountant & Auditor 28 April 2012
Friends’ School Lisburn
8

ACCOUNTS
Life Membership Fund
Invested in the Northern Ireland Central Investment Fund for Charities
Report for the Year Ended 31st March 2012
2010-2011 2011-2012
£16,860.56 1. Total Capital Investments 31st March £17,700.56
4542 2. Number of shares held at 31st March 4627
£800.00 3. Amount invested during the year £840.00
92 4. Shares purchased during the year 85
982.36p 5. Share value at 31st March in pence per share 961.23 p
£44,618.79 6. Total value of the Fund at 31st March £44,476.11
39.00p 7. Distribution per share during the year in pence 40-00p
£1,750.45 8. Income from the fund handed to the FSLOSA Treasurer £1,827.99
£800.00 9. Life Membership subscriptions received during the year £840.00
W. Gerald Crawford
Honorary Treasurer
Life Membership Fund.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
To the trustees of FSLOSA – Life Membership Fund
Basis of independent examiner’s report
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by a charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with
those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the
trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit
and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those
matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In the course of my examination of the above accounts for the year ended 31 March 2012, no matter has come to my attention
which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements to keep accounting records and prepare
accounts which accord with those accounting records have not been met, or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in
order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Alec McCullagh
Accountant & Auditor
3 May 2012
9
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
OBITUARIES
Ken bore his long illness with customary quiet resolve and even in
his last weeks and days was eager to hear news of family and
friends’ triumphs and trials. He passed away peacefully at home
surrounded by his family. We not only share the loss felt most
keenly by Hazel, Susan, Lynn and Zoe and the wider family circle,
but also draw strength from his great example of “a life well-lived”,
to which we all should aspire.
David Swain
Alan J Finlay
1957 - 2012
Ken (Kenneth Robert) Boomer
1943 - 2012
Ken Boomer was born in 1943 to Robert and Georgie Boomer, the
second of four children. Georgie was a Quaker and, although raised
in the Church of Ireland tradition, Ken never forgot this side of his
heritage.
He attended Friends’ School between 1948 and 1959 and excelled
at sport, competing in rugby, hockey and athletics at a high level.
His musical talents included playing violin, guitar and harmonica
and song writing. His greatest achievement at school, however,
was meeting his future wife, Hazel (at school 1948 -1961), whom
he married in 1966. His links with the school strengthened with
two of his daughters attending and he served for many years on the
Old Scholar’s Association Committee with a term as President in
2006-07.
After leaving school, he attended Strabane Agricultural College
before acquiring Ivy Hill House in 1962 and settling down to farm.
He continued his hockey career with Lisnagarvey before joining
Friends’ School Old Boys, winning an Ulster Senior Cup medal in
1968 and leading the team to victory in the Anderson Cup Final the
following year.
He later set up Boomer Industries with his father and two brothers.
His marketing work involved frequent trips to America and the
Middle East and both his work and leisure brought him into contact
with many people of differing backgrounds across several
continents.
Ken was, above all, a “people-person”. He possessed an uncanny
ability to put people at ease and always saw the best in anyone he
met.
Although related, I really came to know Ken in 1985. We shared a
love of fishing which he had inherited from his father-in-law and
this took us around Ireland, to Scotland and England and on a
memorable trip to Norway in 2008. I have many memories of
fishing trips delayed by Ken getting into discussion with farmers
about livestock and other issues as he loved the farming life. Ken
delighted in the so-called “simple” things in life: his love for Hazel,
children and grandchildren; the family home and farm at Ivy Hill,
the house in Donegal and his multitude of friends.
Friends’ School Lisburn
Alan J Finlay, age 77, of Dallas, died Friday 27 January 2012 at
Mercy Center, Wilkes-Barre. Educated as a boarder at Friends’
School Lisburn. Alan left Belfast on a cargo boat and emigrated to
Edmonton, Canada in 1957 where he entered the insurance
industry, joining The Royal Insurance Brokerage Firm. Alan and
his wife, the former Evelyn Chancellor, their three children,
Maureen, Wendy and Robert, relocated to the Wyoming Valley in
1972.
His first business venture was completing the development of and
operating the Provincial Complex in Center City Wilkes-Barre. A
noted businessman, Alan was the founder of Humford Equities, a
development and management company of commercial and
residential properties throughout northern Pennsylvania.
Although retired, Alan remained active, along with his son Robert,
who is the current president. He was an associate of the Insurance
Institute of Canada, served as director of the United Penn Bank
Board, the Bank Regional Board and the Committee for Economic
Growth. He gave his time to the boards of the Wilkes-Barre
Chamber of Commerce and Westmoreland Club, and was a
founding board member of the Center for the Performing Arts. In
recognition of his continued support of Arts in the region, Alan,
together with his son Robert, was given the ‘Friends of the Arts
Theatre Award’ by the Fine Arts Fiesta in 2009.
Alan proudly served as a Trustee of Misericordia University.
During his tenure he arranged for John Hume’s wife, Pat and
Unionist leader David Trimble to speak at the commencement in
2000 and 2002 respectively. Hume and Trimble had been awarded
the Noble Peace Prize for their efforts in crafting the Belfast (Good
Friday) Agreement, pursuing a peaceful solution to the conflict in
Northern Ireland. In 2009, Alan and his wife Evelyn, were awarded
the Misericordia Trustee Associates Award and honoured at a dinner
on campus. He was a member of the Wyoming Valley Club,
Huntsville Golf Club and a member of Masonic Lodge #655.
Preceding him in death were brother, Garry Finlay and sister,
Shirley Ainger. Surviving are his wife of 53 years, Evelyn Finlay;
daughter Maureen Matia and her husband Matt, of Edmonton,
Canada; Wendy Casey and her husband Terry, of Robert Finlay and
his wife Stephanie, of Dallas; grandchildren, Heather and Andrew
Matia, Julie and Michael Casey, Lauren and Ryan Finlay.
A lifelong friendship with Alan came through Friends’ School
Lisburn boarding when we both started out in the Cottage.
Boarding was a key element in School life then, and those who
shared in that experience will remember with great warmth, our
10

OBITUARIES
‘home from home’
on Prospect Hill.
Firm bonds of
friendship
established as we
progressed through
School have lasted
a lifetime.
Much of our
freetime was spent
in sporting
activities as we
made good use of
the playing fields
and supported
every sport in
season. Alan’s
special interest was
rugby so what a thrill when he was elected School Rugby Captain.
Our inter-school matches at that time took place in a small circle.
As we all wanted to expand our world, we supported Alan’s oft
expressed personal wish – to be drawn AWAY against FOYLE
COLLEGE in the Schools’ Cup. Alas it never happened – we had
to make do with Larne!
We kept in close touch through the years and Alan returned ‘home’
every year because of his love for this place and its people. His
arrival was the signal to gather in the Usual Suspects of WILLIE
JOHN FLACK, DAVID BOYD, GLYNN DOUGLAS, WILL
CORRY, GEORGE BAXTER, JOHN KENNEDY and FRANK
PETTICREW when we reminisced over a lengthy meal.
Alan’s generosity, his great capacity for friendship and his service
to the community are right up there with his outstanding success in
business.
What a privilege to have had a BEST PAL in Alan.
Brown Shaw
Alan J Finlay
John E. Kennedy (Frics)
1944 - 2012
John attended Friends’ School from 1944 to 1951, along with his
sister Leonora. A keen sportsman, he gained honours in rugby,
hockey and cricket. The highlight of his school sporting career was
winning the Burney Cup under the coaching regime of Arnold
Benington, alongside such other old scholars as Brown Shaw and
Stanley Howard.
After school he had a very successful career as a chartered
surveyor. After a spell working in Nigeria in 1957-59 buying land
on behalf of the government for the development of the Nigerian
Railway, he ultimately became a partner for 25 years in McKibben
& Co, Belfast. Having retired from the partnership in 1992, he was
then retained as a consultant by several large property companies
and continued to work up to November 2011.
However, it was his love of sport gained while at Friends’, that
became a major part of his life. Having played with distinction for
many years for Lisnagarvey Hockey Club, gaining both Irish Senior
Cup and Irish Junior Cup Medals, he then became the famous
club’s first chairman in 1971. Subsequently, he served as a trustee
and committee member for over 20 years. He was president of the
Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Union in 1986-87.
In addition, a former player at Lisburn Cricket Club, for many years
he could be found on a Saturday afternoon watching cricket at
Wallace Park.
In later years, he turned his sporting powers to bowling, becoming a
successful cup winning player at Malone Bowling Club and Hilden
Bowling Club.
A lifelong Old Scholar, amongst his proudest moments were when
his three sons Alan, Roger, and Stephen, all attended the Prep.
School and Grammar School, with all three achieving various
honours including Head Boy, Deputy Head Boy, House Captain and
Prefect.
Sadly, after a brief illness, John passed away on 28 January 2012.
He is survived by his wife Pat, his three sons and six grandchildren.
Roger Kennedy
BIRTHS
Thomas William Boomer was born on 8 January 2012 to Chris and
Christine (née McAuley) Boomer.
DEATHS
SANDY TINTO, a former pupil, on 27 July 2012.
MARY CALWELL (WISDON) known as Nancy on 11 November
2011.
JOHN KENNEDY on 28 January 2012.
KENNETH BOOMER on 20 September 2012.
A former president of the Old Scholars.
JAYNE MATHEWSON on 20 December 2012.
SHAUN GILLESPIE on 24 November 2011.
MARRIAGES
Caroline Green OS to Robin Harris on 4 April 2012 aboard the
Allure of the Seas.
Siobhan Haire OS to Hugh Williams on 23 June 2012 at South
Belfast Friends’ Meeting House.
Julie Dillon OS to Neal Freeburn in April 2012 at Seymour Street
Methodist Church.
Katrina Christy OS to Captain Jamie Fraser on 14 July 2012.
Elizabeth Wallace OS to Jonathan Coulter on 1 September 2012
Susanna Louise Bell OS to Scott Iain Williams on 30 March 2012
11
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
In his long career as a golfer JOHN
BOYD has won many individual
tournaments and represented various
teams. He is a past captain of Lisburn
and Ballycastle Golf Clubs and enjoys
his holiday golf in Belmullet in Co
Mayo. This summer he played his part
in the success of the Belmullet team
which won the Connacht Seniors
Inter-club Championships.
ALISTER McREYNOLDS, the former
Principal of Lisburn Institute, has made a
name for himself in the field of Ulster
Scots studies. He has lectured
extensively in the United States and has
worked with the Maine Ulster Scots
Project and the University of Southern
Maine. He is well known locally as the
author of “Legacy – The Scots-Irish in
America” and is currently an Honorary
Research Fellow at the University of
Ulster, where he collaborated this year
with Frank Ferguson, a lecturer in
English and History, to edit a volume of
Robert Dinsmoor’s Scots Irish poems.
The Eastwood family has long had close
ties with Friends’ School. DESMOND
EASTWOOD Jr. has kept up the
family’s sporting tradition, being a keen
rugby player at school, where he also
won an Irish Schools’ badminton medal.
This year he broke new ground to tread
the boards at the Lyric Theatre in a
student production of Sophocles’
“Oedipus the King”. After his first year
in Law at Queen’s he enjoyed working
with other young actors in the Lyric
Summer School.
Before SANDRA BOOMER went out to
Chad again to work for a second year in
the Wellspring Academy Mission
School, she was given a good send-off
by her local school. Forthill Integrated
Primary presented her with a cheque for
£1150.00 for the purchase of materials,
resources and equipment to help her in
her work in Africa.
It was good to see JONATHAN ROSS
back home to make an impact on the
local bowling scene. He boosted the
strength of his old club Lisnagarvey in
the Bangor Open Tournament. Jonathan,
now resident in Scotland, is a former
international bowler.
NEWS ITEMS
Congratulations to RICHARD
CREIGHTON who this year graduated
with a PhD from the London School of
Theology.
Swapping his rugby shirt for a cycling
jersey, STEPHEN FERRIS lent his
support to launch the CLIC Sargent’s
Malin to Mizen Cycle Challenge 2013.
The seven day event will take place from
May 18-25 and Stephen is appealing to
local people to go the extra 415 miles for
children and young people with cancer.
In his retirement, DAVID THOMPSON
is kept busy in the local music scene. He
is in demand as a conductor and pianist
and in February his Dromore and District
Male Voice Choir joined other artists in
the Age NI Gala Concert in the Ulster
Hall.
Lisburn artist CLINTON
KIRKPATRICK has had the honour of
being invited to display his work at the
Waterfront Hall. After finishing his
degree in England, Clinton moved back
to Northern Ireland and almost two years
ago set up his studio in Market Square.
He has displayed his work in a number of
galleries but felt that the exhibition at the
Waterfront Hall would be the biggest to
date, featuring brand new work based on
his time spent in Kenya.
After the enormous success of acting as
Alex Higgins in his one-man show
“Hurricane”, RICHARD DORMER has
been in great demand as actor and writer
in film and television. He has had further
success playing Terri Hooley in the new
movie “Good Vibrations”, about the life
and times of the Belfast man who was the
godfather of Northern Ireland punk and a
well-known local raconteur. Not one to
rest on his laurels, Richard has branched
out into opera, writing a work which is
based on the final moments of the life of
Ulster man Blair Mayne, one of the
original members of the SAS regiment in
World War II.
Queen’s University lecturer and
enterprise expert DAVID GIBSON
received an OBE for services to
education in the Queen’s New Year
Honours List. David has taught at
Queen’s for eight years and he said he
felt privileged to receive the honour,
which is only one of many accolades
gained by the Ballinderry man.
RICHARD WILLIAMS, the Chief
Executive of Northern Ireland Screen,
has been very enthusiastic about local
successes this year in the movie business.
He was particularly thrilled by the
achievement of Terri and Oorlagh George
in winning an Oscar for their film “The
Shore”, shot in Killough in County Down
and the highly successful “Game of
Thrones”, probably the largest television
drama in Europe, has also been produced
in Northern Ireland.
In April, JULIE JORDAN was appointed
as a national trustee with the Riding for
the Disabled Association. Julie has spent
28 years volunteering with the group and
has held the post of Regional
Chairperson for three years. With 500
RDA groups and over 30,000 participants
throughout the UK, Julie’s undertaking is
no small commitment. We wish her
every success with her new venture.
In 2012, commemoration of the
centenary of the sinking of the Titanic
inspired a number of theatrical
productions. These included Owen
McCafferty’s “Titanic – Scenes from the
British Wreck Commission’s Inquiry”.
In it IAN McELHINNEY, who starred in
HBO’s “Game of Thrones”, plays the
court clerk, the only fictional character in
a production which is based word for
word on accounts passengers and crew
gave to one of the official investigations
into the 1912 disaster.
Hymn writer KEITH GETTY and his
wife Kristyn, who are well known across
America working out of Nashville as a
singing duo, were back in Belfast in June
to give three sell-out concerts at the
Waterfront Hall. Keith’s hymn “In Christ
Alone” is one of the most sung praises in
churches all over the world and last
Christmas he dedicated a new CD to his
first-born with the title “Joy – an Irish
Christmas”.
In June the Belfast Telegraph featured an
article on KAY ROGER’S work with
Oxfam. Asked about her reasons for
supporting Oxfam over so many years,
Friends’ School Lisburn
12

Kay paid tribute to her old school: “I was
educated by Quakers at Friends’ School
in Lisburn, which developed my social
conscience.” She was even more
committed to the work of Oxfam when
she witnessed the problems in Africa
during a visit to Tanzania.
RONNIE BROOKS has proved a popular
president of Lisburn Golf Club. During
his term of office he was kept very busy
and among his many efforts on behalf of
the club was a charity event which raised
over £4000.00 for the Bridgewater Suite
of Belfast’s City Hospital.
In the Belfast Telegraph’s series “My
Greatest Memory”, ALAN SNODDY
recalled the thrill of refereeing at the
World Cup in Italy in 1990. He
especially remembers refereeing the
match between West Germany and
Colombia, when he was faced with the
problem of coping with a play-acting
Carlos Valderrama claiming a foul!
In March RICHARD MAZE and his wife
Thelma of 7th Lisburn Boys’ Brigade
were presented with Long Service badges
and Certificates acknowledging their
extensive service as officers of the Boys’
Brigade. Together Richard and Thelma
have given a total of 60 years service to
the Boys’ Brigade in Northern Ireland.
It was a proud moment for MEGAN
TRIMBLE when Prince Philip awarded
her the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award
at St James’ Palace. Megan left Friends’
in 2010 and is now studying Education
with English at Homerton College
Cambridge.
Our past President, ADRIENNE BELL of
Success 4U keeps up her good work of
teaching swimming to those who have a
fear of water. Adrienne guarantees adults
that they will swim on their first lesson!
Earlier in the year, Dr PAUL COULTER
took part in Lambeg Baptist Church
Christianity Explored, an event which
took place in the Old Meeting House in
Railway Street Lisburn. Paul is married
to a Chinese Malaysian woman and they
have two children. He studied Medical
Genetics and Medicine at Queen’s
University and worked for three years as
NEWS ITEMS
a junior doctor before moving into
full-time Christian work. Studying for a
PhD in Theology from Aberdeen
University, Paul has been lecturing part
time in Belfast Bible College and
preaching in various churches.
PHILIP ORR is a former member of staff
who made a great contribution to the
School’s drama productions. Well known
for his works of local historical interest,
Philip has also retained his taste for
theatre. This year he received very
favourable reviews for the drama: “1912
– One Hundred Years on”, a moving play
that examines the impact of the year at
the time and also its relevance to the
present day.
As a pupil at Friends’, STEPHEN
ROBINSON always had the dream of
becoming a professional footballer, but
at the age of 15 he was told by medical
experts in London’s Harley Street that he
would never play football again.
However, Stephen did not want to give
up on his dream and over the next 20
years he would have three back
operations that enabled him to have an
international career that spanned a decade
and played almost 500 club games all
over England. In March his commitment
and experience were rewarded when he
was named the new Northern Ireland
under-21 Coach. Stephen sees that as a
great opportunity and he is also looking
forward to working with Northern
Ireland’s senior manager, Michael
O’Neill.
It was lovely to see NORMAN
PRIESTLY and his wife Norma back
home in Ireland on a visit from Australia.
They still have a huge circle of friends
here and had a very busy time catching
up with folks they know all over the
province.
For centuries the Scots were experts in
crossing the North Channel by boat
between Scotland and County Antrim,
but what about other means of bridging
that gap In March 2012, AL MENNIE
achieved this remarkable feat by
surfboard to raise funds for Northern
Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke! Setting
off from the Giant’s Causeway, this epic
voyage took nine battling hours. Well
done that man.
Congratulations to South Antrim Hockey
Club on celebrating their centenary in
2012. Well done GARY STEWART,
GEORGE GLASS, IAIN GETTY,
STEWART BARNES and the brothers
REDPATH – WILLIAM GEORGE and
CHARLES in helping them get this far.
And now to carry the club forward, the
stars of tomorrow in IAN GLASS,
WARD PHILIPS, ADAM GLASS,
CHRIS REDPATH, JOHN SEMPLE,
JACK REDPATH, ADAM
MARSHALL, CHRIS MOULDEN,
MARK GRAY and JONNY
PATTERSON.
Summer 2012, with London Olympics
and Paralympics, gave us all something
to cheer about. JIM KIRKWOOD, our
1988 gold medallist, was thrilled to be
invited to the Opening Ceremony and to
sample the many happenings in the
Olympic Park. Naturally the hockey
tournament featured strongly. “It brought
back tremendous memories, feelings and
emotions”
Another successful season for
Lisnagarvey Hockey Club under the
captaincy of JONATHAN BELL. The
senior squad played through to the final
stages of every competition, winning the
Kirk Cup and qualifying for European
Cup Championship with success in the
Irish Hockey League. Friends’ School
Lisburn and Club were delighted with
Jonathan’s selection for Ireland. A richly
deserved honour.
It is always nice to meet up with old
school pals and recall all those youthful
escapades. A local venue will usually
suffice, but hold a moment, to learn about
a group of young men who chose a
French ski resort! This dedicated group
consisted of IAIN GETTY, ROBERT
WILLIAMS, UEL McKIBBEN, IAN
GOURLEY, STEPHEN QUINN and
RICHARD WILLIAMS. Les Gers was
the venue in January so they had to do a
little skiing as well!
Congratulations to HELEN
KIRKPATRICK on the award of the
MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Helen is a Chartered Accountant and has
been involved in Public and Private
Sector enterprises, including Invest
13
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
Northern Ireland, Kingspan plc, and the International Fund for
Ireland. She is currently interim Chairman of UTV Media plc.
Also awarded the MBE was JOANNE ANDREW-STEER (Née
SPRAGUE). This honour was in recognition of of her long
service to the Royal British Legion (Women's Section). She is
currently President of the Northern Ireland District, having
previously served for many years as Chairman.
ZOE BOOMER is making her mark in the fashion world in
London since graduation from the London College of Fashion.
Her spring collection was on show at the Belfast Fashion week
last March. Look out for her label - Zoe Boomer Fashions.
HARRY SHIER is home from Central America with his wife
and daughter to study for a couple of years for a Ph.D at Queen's
University. We hope to see them at OS functions during their
stay.
NATALIE LE SEELLEUR (née PENROSE) has been living in
Dubai for a number of years where her husband is a college
lecturer. She has returned to Northern Ireland and is living in
Lisburn with five children all of whom are at FSL.
On the popular music scene KYLE JOHN SUCKLING has been
making a name for himself as a singer-songwriter. His career
has taken him all over the world and he has an impressive
catalogue of recordings.
The talent of Old Scholar architects is apparent in new public
buildings in Belfast. The Titanic Centre was designed by Todd
Architects, of which PAUL CROWE is Managing Director, and
the MAC, the new Arts Centre in the Cathedral Quarter, by IAN
McKNIGHT's firm of Hall McKnight.
Wise words on the current political and social scene in Northern
Ireland are often heard on the media from ARTHUR AUGHEY,
Professor of Politics at the University of Ulster and PETE
SHIRLOW, Director of Education in the Law Faculty at Queen's
University.
JAMES SINTON is Finance Director of the Beannchor Group
which includes the Merchant Hotel, Belfast. Useful to have
friends in high places!
JAMES DORRIAN was producer of a BBC documentary
programme on the 70th anniversary of a daring Commando raid
on St. Nazaire during World War II.
DAVID GIBSON, Senior Lecturer in Enterprise Education at
Queen's University, was named the Most Innovative Teacher of
the Year in The Times Higher Education awards and received
the accolade as 'the world's number one enterprise educator' at a
ceremony in Georgia, USA. These citations were followed up
by the award of the OBE in the New Year's Honours list.
TIMOTHY SMITH has paid a wonderful tribute to his mother
in compiling and publishing a book which illustrates the range
of her beautiful artwork. BARBARA LOVE SMITH was the
head of the art department from 1970 to 1992. Her reputation as
NEWS ITEMS
an artist and art teacher extends well beyond Lisburn and Ulster and
her works are the envied possession of many fortunate collectors.
The book, priced at £10.00 and entitled “Barbara Love Smith:
Sculpture, Paintings and Drawings” is available through Amazon or
from Timothy whose e-mail address is timsmith20@btinternet.com.
Barbara’s former pupils, many of whom have also carved out
successful careers for themselves in the world of art, will especially
take great pleasure in viewing this beautiful tribute to their much
admired teacher.
RICHARD CUNNINGHAM is currently teaching in Bermuda and
got in touch recently to express his admiration for the FSL lipdub.
So impressed was he that he encouraged his students to make one
of their own. http://www.youtube.com/watchv=VqBG1nsU_MI
A Friends’ School Lisburn sprinkling is to be found in most local
sporting organisations. President of Lisburn Golf Club is RONNIE
BROOKS and who should win the President’s Prize in 2012 IAN
THOMPSON.
Stuart McAuley and wife Alisa woith daughter Iona returned from
Australia in June and are currently living in Aberdeen.
ADVENTURES ON LEAVING FSL
GAME OF THRONES
In mid-September, Jack Boyd and I were fortunate enough to
take part in the universal smash hit TV series ‘Game of
Thrones’, created by David Benioff and D B Weiss. The
American medieval fantasy, shot in Belfast amongst other
locations including Malta and Iceland, has been one of HBO’s
most successful productions.
We each received four days work in total, split by two day
filming. Each day consisted of a 5.30am-6.00pm schedule for
the extras. In the early hours of the morning we arrived at ‘Unit
Base’, situated across the road from the Belfast Painthall,
Titanic Quarter. Greeted by friendly extra-coordinators, we
entered an extremely large tent and received payment
documents which are to be filled out after each day of filming.
This was followed by an ‘all you can eat’ buffet for the extras
which was warmly welcomed by all. Breakfast was important
as ‘standing on your feet’ for sustained periods of time with
heavy outfits slowly took its toll on the body. Breakfast was
followed by changing into our outfits. All outfits were
pre-assigned during ‘outfit fitting’ days, weeks in advance of
filming. Jack and I were both ‘noblemen’, an outfit consisting
of large, beautifully designed gowns, along with brown boots,
darkly coloured trousers and a belt. Both Jack and I, delighted
with our outfits, yet wishing for the infamous Kings Guard
outfit.
We then walked to the Painthall and found ourselves in the
‘Great Hall’, a familiar sight to beloved watchers around the
world. During the filming vast arrays of stars were present,
including Peter Dinklage, winner of a Golden Globe for his
portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, Lena Headey and Ballycastle born
Conleth Hill.
Friends’ School Lisburn
14

ADVENTURES ON LEAVING FSL
The director during our involvement was Michelle MacLaren, a
Canadian television director who has directed episodes of
American TV series ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The Walking Dead’.
During the film, extras were able to engage with one another
which helped pass the time. When actually involved, it was
amazing to watch the actors perform, especially with the manner
of ease in which they carried out their job.
The sets were extremely impressive aided by some of the best
lighting and technical support in Europe. Each day was at times
long, but being in the company of your friends and other extras
was extremely enjoyable and informative, as many extras spoke
of their previous experiences with Extras NI. As extras, we both
had very enjoyable experiences and would most definitely take
part again. We both now eagerly await the release of season 3,
coming to screens April 2013, in an attempt to see ourselves on
one of the biggest shows in the world!
Dezi Eastwood
CAMP LAURELWOOD
It is often said that the years spent at school are amongst the
most formative in a person’s life. Just a year on from leaving
Friends’, and after some remarkable opportunities which I hope
to give a brief insight to, I have come to realise that whilst this
holds true to a point, there is still much to change in who we are.
I have spent my last two summers, 2011 and 2012, working at
Camp Laurelwood, a Jewish sleep away summer camp in
Connecticut, USA. Having had some time for reflection on my
time spent at Laurelwood, I am fortunate to come away with
some remarkable memories and skills that will stay with me
forever.
Growing up with older siblings, the prospect of working with
kids aged between 7 and 14, was somewhat daunting! What
would these kids be able to do What would they know When
did I stop playing with action men I really had no idea what to
expect from the kids at Laurelwood, moreover, I had no idea
what to expect of myself in how I would work with kids. As it
turned out, this was a situation in which the only option was to
learn on the job; establishing how different children responded
very differently to certain situations and scenarios made the job
extremely challenging from the outset. For the first time I was
truly able to place myself in my old teachers’ shoes!
Trying to explain camp culture to those of us in the UK and
Ireland is very difficult, it simply wasn’t part of growing up for
us. Indeed, few British parents (after the initial excitement at
the prospect) could fathom sending their children off for 7
weeks to be looked after by university age young men and
women, with the only contact being old fashioned snail mail!
However, to give something of an idea of what a US summer
camp involves, a schedule looks something like this: flag
raising, breakfast, bunk clean up, lacrosse, instructional swim,
basketball, arts and crafts. And that’s all before lunch!
The days were long, often extremely tiring and maintaining
‘American’ levels of enthusiasm was by no means a
straightforward task! However, motivation had to come from
somewhere, and for me, it came from the everyday rewards only
found when working with kids. On reflection, much of what
was required of my role can be aptly described as ‘dad practice’!
Talking 8 year olds through arguments with one another, helping
them understand the importance of respect, both for others and
themselves, had the effect of providing some insight into how I
live my life, it held the mirror up if you will.
With evening activities, we as counsellors were given slightly
more leeway to leave our personal imprint on the kids’ summer.
Creating activities and games, sometimes literally out of thin air,
whether it be a camp wide scavenger hunt or an Alice in
Wonderland themed murder mystery really brought out the
counsellors’ creative sides. Within this scope for creativity, I
quickly found myself passionate about teaching the kids about
things I had learnt throughout my childhood, that many of them
simply would not get the chance to; spending an hour a day with
12 and 13 year old boys who simply wanted to ‘shoot hoops’ or
head to the ropes course, to teach them about Shakespeare,
making his works accessible and fun, provided one of the most
rewarding episodes of my life so far.
My time at Laurelwood was marked, perhaps most interestingly,
by the insight into the Jewish culture in New England.
Celebrating Shabbat each week, incorporating a service on both
Friday night and Saturday morning and finishing with Havdallah
every Saturday evening, allowed me to witness the importance
of the Sabbath in a modern reformist Jewish environment.
Whether it was through recognising Tish B’Av or holding
specially themed ‘Israeli Days’ in which we moved from making
flat breads and houmous to participating in an Israeli army
styled Boot Camp, the kids were allowed to feel comfortable
celebrating their inherited culture and in turn proved highly
educational for us as non-Jewish staff.
Whatever my political views regarding Israel’s current political
15
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
ADVENTURES ON LEAVING FSL
significance in the modern world, I could not dismiss the truly
special celebration of culture at Laurelwood. It goes without
saying that working up to 16 hour days with the same people
over a two month period, the opportunity for building lifelong
friendships was there to be jumped at. Indeed, the worlds of
Facebook and Twitter have made it easy to keep in touch with
the people that essentially made the last two summers of my life
unforgettable.
Rory McIvor
A HOSPITAL IN AN
AFRICAN VILLAGE
I have spent the past year (August 2010 - August 2011) living in
the small village of Zithulele in the Eastern Cape of South
Africa on the Wild Coast, right in the heart of the former
Transkei. This was a ʻhome landʼ in the apartheid era which has
been historically deprived in many ways and is still struggling to
overcome itʼs difficult past.
A charity, based in the Hebridean Islands, ʻProject Trustʼ, linked
me to a charity in South Africa called the ʻJabulani Rural Health
Foundationʼ. It is a tiny charity established by a group of truly
inspirational doctors struggling against all the odds in an
extremely rural and deprived hospital. HIV is the modern day
tragedy which has hit the intensely impoverished community
and is currently causing widespread suffering and distress.
ARVs (HIV medication) are a beacon of hope which are
providing life again for many. They cannot cure HIV but they
allow a person to live a relatively healthy life as long as they are
taken very precisely. Unfortunately, if doses are missed, as
often happens when people cannot afford to travel the distance
to their nearest hospital to collect their medication, the virus can
become resistant and the patient will get sick again.
Along with one other girl, my job was to establish, run and
expand the ARV program, from the hospital to the peripheral
clinics in different villages of the area allowing our patients to
collect their medication, access counselling and attend peer
support meetings where they lived. Our furthest clinic was in a
village that, if unable to attend, our sick patients would have to
spend nearly a quarter of their monthly income on transport or
walk for 6 hours each way to travel to the hospital.
Throughout the year we expanded to 10 clinics, managing
nearly 2000 patientsʼ treatment. It was not at all easy, but
fortunately we had the help and support of an amazing and
dedicated core team back at the hospital, and we have now
handed over to trustworthy successors.
I learnt how to drive a 4 x4 over hectic dirt roads, to have a
conversation in Xhosa, that mud huts make really good homes
and that no matter how difficult a situation may get, just make a
new plan, follow it through and it will all work out in the end.
Zithulele is a place of incredible hope, of incredible faith and of
incredible perseverance in the face of nothing. I have moved on
and have begun my studies at Queens’ but I know I will never
forget my year of adventures in rural Africa. A wholehearted
thank you to anyone who helped me fundraise.
Katy Fair
CHARITY HITCHHIKE
TO MOROCCO
When signing up for the Hitch Society at the University of
Liverpool freshers fair, never did I anticipate that I would
actually hitchhike to Morocco. However, when a new friend
dragged me to a meeting about the trip, I left with a different
attitude. With a few months to prepare, I set up a giving page on
the internet for donations and set about organising my journey.
Having booked a flight to London and a flight home from
Agadir, all that was left was to raise the money for a charity
called LINK, which does work with kids in poorer areas of
Africa. People were generous in donating because the hitch was
for a great cause, so all I had to worry about was making it to
Agadir on time to catch my flight home.
When Easter came, I got my flight to London with just a carry
on bag and met my friend from university, Ellen. She and her
mother picked me up from the airport and we were then dropped
off at a petrol station, which was where our research had told us
was the best place to get a lift. Within the first 10 minutes, we
got our first hitch down to Portsmouth where we stayed the
night with Ellen’s friend. The swiftness of the first lift was a
massive boost and I made the mistake of thinking the whole trip
would be as trouble free.
The next couple of days were not as much fun as the first. The
first ferry of the day, over to Caen, France at 0930, and after
getting lost on the way to the ferry port, we missed this ferry and
had to wait until 1600 for the next one. We got this ferry which
left us in Caen at midnight. This meant pitching a tent in a field
Friends’ School Lisburn
16

CLASS OF ‘92 REUNION
CLASS OF ‘92 REUNION
20 years....where does the time go In our case, like a flash!
With the Class of 1992 coming to terms with the fact that they
were now in 2012 (without the assistance of time travel or
teleportation), the darkened, relaxed venue of The Cardan
seemed like an apt place to hold our reunion.
While planning for the event started back in September 2011,
we had no way of knowing that Saturday 19 May 2012 would
be the date that Ulster would play Leinster in the Magner's Cup
Final; or that this would also be the date of the UEFA
Champions League Final. A determined bunch, we stuck to our
guns, and with invites issued from a Facebook site, we waited,
pensively, to see if anyone would turn up.
before being directed by French Police to a campsite. The next
day was spent trying to figure out road signs and looking at
endless maps, and most of all trying to get on the right road out
of Caen.
The rest of the journey down through France was relatively easy
and we were able to catch up on time lost during the first three
days. From Caen, we travelled south to Niort and then onto
Toulouse and then San Sebastian in northern Spain.
Spain proved to be a more difficult task than France, and the
weather at the time did not help. Over the next few days we
barely covered half the ground we had covered in France per
day, and it got to the point when I thought we weren’t going to
make it to Morocco on time. I was starting to dislike the
Spanish for leaving us stranded at the side of the road with the
rain pouring overhead. But, one morning after a sleepless night
in Salamanca, a small town in central Spain, we were saved by a
man who could barely speak a word of English. He kindly took
us all the way to Seville, which is almost a five hour journey.
From then on it was plain sailing and sunshine in southern
Spain.
By 8pm, over 60 alumni had arrived from the four corners of
the globe (special thanks to Jeremy Murdoch who had made
the trip from the US!). The years literally rolled back, partly
due to the myriad of photos capturing our seven years at FSL
(school trips, sports teams, formals, the Sixth Form Centre -
replete with dodgy hair-dos and "cutting edge" fashion). And
thankfully, we didn't really need to use our name badges as we
were able to quickly establish that we still recognised our
school friends!
Mrs Dickson made a guest appearance, and following an
impromptu awards ceremony, it was the wee small hours of the
morning before we realised what had happened. A great night
was had by all, and we all owe a massive thank you to the
organising committee - Alison Coyle, Sharyn Cameron, Nicola
Munroe, Emma Pollock and Richard Watson.
Roll on 2022!
Lynne Rainey
On the 8th day of travelling, we boarded the thirty-five minute
ferry from Tarifa to Tangier, Morocco. On arrival in Tangier, it
was clear to see that it was a completely different culture, and
getting a taxi to the train station was as scary an experience as
any. General “rules of the road” were not being adhered to.
From Tangier we got an overnight train to Marrakech. On
arrival in Marrakech we were greeted by a bustling city with
beautiful buildings and an amazing culture. Setting up in a
hostel with two new Australian friends, we all set out to explore
the famous markets of Marrakech. The colour and energy
within the small streets was incredible and it is somewhere I
would love to explore again in the future.
Although the trip was for charity, I had a fantastic time in
Morocco and although at times the hitchhiking was difficult, it is
definitely something I would advise future uni-goers to do.
I had a great time and it was for a great cause.
Jack Boyd
17 Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
The Class of ‘92
PAST & PRESENT - THEN & NOW
As a pupil I enjoyed the school magazine. The articles devoted
to those still at FSL I devoured; then to university graduates,
looking for familiar names. Finally to items from Old Scholars,
with memories of events from long before my time. Now I’ve
reached a stage where I read every contribution and do much
wondering – is the cricket hero a grandson of my classmate who
was such a consistent bat Is a teacher related to one of my
tormentors
I look at today’s buildings, sporting and academic facilities and
at the list of staff – and I marvel. So much change, so many
improvements, so many innovations. When we old-timers
congregate of course we reminisce. We disagree about who was
best in sport or studies, but the factor we have in common is our
love of Friends’. Such discussions I have missed since
settling in Australia. All the schools in which I have taught have
reunions, but the “tyranny of distance” makes their
arranging difficult. As an example my wife and I live almost
halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, our daughter in the
former and our son in Newcastle. When we refer to visiting
them, we refer to the journey in terms of 3 or 5 hours of travel
rather than distance away.
Talking of memories and old friends, when we are in Australia
we refer to Ulster as home, when here, the opposite. We are
fortunate in having been able to come back so often, the
previous time being seven years ago. As ever it has been an
absolute joy to catch up, even if briefly, with so many friends
from school and college, cricket, hockey and football,
ex-neighbours, the list goes on. This visit has been a mixture of
delight and sadness, sadness because this is our final visit.
Impressions we’ll take home are that drivers in general exceed
the speed limit, that they are very considerate to other drivers
joining or crossing traffic. There are many more BMWs,
Mercedes and Audis than with us, such cars are much more
expensive to buy at “home”. However so many more vehicles
apparently come without indicators fitted – surprising!
What came as no surprise was the kindness and courtesy we
have experienced. EVERYONE we encountered went the extra
mile to help us.
A gathering held only in my imagination for many years,
brought me face-to-face with former teachers during my spell at
Friends’. My Physics and Chemistry teachers would not be in
the least bit amazed that their subjects remain closed to me. My
love of Maths would raise eyebrows. Despite six years of
inglorious efforts in Latin, through it I developed a passion for
word roots, this would astound. I hope that those who devoted
time to teaching me cricket and hockey might contain their
disbelief and rejoice that I have had a lifelong enthusiasm in
these sports. My teachers of English would utterly disbelieve
that it is not only my passion, but that I’m good at it.
My biggest barrier at school was self inflicted. It involved all
subjects and all staff. I was paralysed by shyness. Every day,
just about every lesson, this cloud enveloped me. I would never
offer any answer, however obvious. I refused to ask any
questions, I sat silent. If the spotlight shone on me, I blushed,
sweated and froze – not an easy thing to do!
Friends’ School Lisburn
18

TO GO OR NOT TO GO
Liberation came years later when I joined a world wide
organization called Toastmasters, dedicated to promote
self-confidence through speaking in public. In this atmosphere I
flourished, to the extent that I won the NSW title three times,
each of which qualified me to represent my state in the World
Finals in the USA. With NSW having 280 clubs, coming first is
quite an achievement.
In my ‘dream’ reunion, I can just see my ex-instructors lying all
over the floor, having fainted after such a severe shock brought
on by this revelation.
TO GO OR NOT TO GO
Premise
We all, to a greater or lesser extent, yearn for adventure. Some of
us suppress the urge; others fuel it with books, holidays and movies.
Yet few really indulge it with some kind of heart-thumping, brainwhizzing,
sense-tingling activity. And fewer still embark on a true
adventure, an intrepid odyssey of discovery into the unknown. We
assume that such an experience is open only to those possessed of
inordinate wealth, expertise or daring; not to ordinary people. This
article has been written to dispel that misconception.
Just in case any reader is suffering from acute shyness, and
thinking, as I did, that such an affliction stays until the grave, I
hope very much that you will chose a path which deals with
your fear.
Norman Priestley
PS If former friends, or debtors, wish to contact me please do:
normanpriestley@iprimus.com.au
The next time the impulse for adventure stirs in your breast and
begs the question: “To go or not to go” how will you answer
Based on my own experience, I believe that your response should
be a wholehearted “Go!”
Preliminaries
Take for example the idea of driving from Dromara to Togo, West
Africa. You might assume that such an expedition could only
happen for a very good reason and would require elaborate
planning, specialised equipment and highly skilled personnel. I can
attest that this is not the case.
My own overland journey to Togo had its origins in the daydreams
of two imaginative schoolboys in Friends’ School Lisburn. It really
took shape six years later when one of these two volunteered to join
the “Africa Mercy” medical ship in Togo. Considering his travel
options, Joel sent me a text message and the adventure began from
there (“I’m thinking of driving to Togo in the Caravelle – care to
join me”). His brother Gregg required more persuasion, but the
addition of his practical skills made the plan much more feasible.
Our expedition equipment was equally improbable. We did not
own a Land Rover or a safari truck and did not have the funds to
buy one. What we did have was the aforementioned Caravelle: a
grey-blue Volkswagen combi of uncertain vintage, held in great
affection by Joel’s family whom it had served as a faithful runabout
for over two decades. Now in the twilight of its career, a one-way
trip to Togo would be its final glorious hurrah.
The Caravelle was reconfigured as a camper van by replacing the
rear seating with a discarded bed and fitting the windows with
wendy-house curtains crafted by Joel’s mum. Following a policy of
minimal expense (so that in a crisis virtually everything could be
considered expendable) we loaded it with a few canisters for spare
petrol and water, a box of assorted minor vehicle spares and
bedding plundered from an old sofa. Victuals cost a total of £70
from the Tesco value aisle. In-car entertainment consisted of the
Caravelle’s decrepit tape deck and a tub of miscellaneous cassettes.
The only specialist items purchased were a Haynes manual, a
European roads update for the satnav and a Michelin No. 741 road
map (Africa – North and West).
It is possible that ours was the cheapest expedition of this kind ever
mounted. It made for rather rudimentary living conditions, but
whoever heard of a comfortable adventure
Norma & Norman Priestly
Predictions
Reader take note: if an optometrist, a public policy researcher and a
dairy farmer can drive to Togo in a veteran Volkswagen, then
19
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
TO GO OR NOT TO GO
ladder. Togo also boasts a belt of dense tropical rainforest complete
with precisely timed daily thunderstorms - a dramatic change for
travellers accustomed to skeletal baobab trees clawing at an empty
dust-blanched sky.
anybody can. Many readers will in fact be far likelier candidates
than the three of us were, so perhaps the feasibility of such a trip is
not your prime consideration. Perhaps you require proof that an
adventure of this sort is worth having. If you were to drive a
camper van from Dromara to Togo, what could you expect to
encounter along the way
Precipitation
For starters, weather might not be as predictable as you think,
especially if you travel in winter as we did. Bitter cold in France
was disconcerting; severe blizzards in Spain were really quite
alarming. After battling torrential rain on the ironically named
Costa del Sol and flooded roads in Morocco, I was forced to
reconsider my hasty dismissal of motherly advice (“Have you
packed an anorak” “Don’t be daft Ma, I’m going to the Sahara”).
Phenomena
Such meteorological impediments are nothing new to Northern
Irish natives. For the Togo-bound traveller the real adventure, the
experiences which captivate the senses and rouse the imagination,
come after exiting Europe and penetrating Africa proper. The route
may be straightforward - it follows a single highway - but it is
punctuated with unforgettable spectacles.
Consider for example the brooding medieval citadels of Morocco,
their encompassing battlements spiked with minarets. Or the Atlas
mountains, sweeping down to the sea in a manner very different to
the Mournes. Imagine crossing the Tropic of Cancer, the precise
position of that invisible latitude marked by a dilapidated signpost,
with nothing but dead straight road or dead flat desert visible in any
direction.
Where the roadside scenery is featureless, geographical monotony
is relieved by anthropological curiosity. Fascinating, infuriating,
inspiring, perplexing and amusing, the people of West Africa make
an indelible impression. Occupations are diverse, from pensive
Moroccan goatherds watching their flock graze among the branches
of a nearby tree, to raucous fishmongers proffering their wares at
Nouakchott’s sunset fishmarket. Transport is eccentric, ranging
from improbably overloaded minibuses to antiquated river ferries.
Architecture is eclectic, whether that be the dilapidated colonial
splendour of St Louis or the martian appearance of mud-built
Djenne and its celebrated mosque. Hospitality is often humbling –
we dined with locals in a chapel compound in Senegal, and watched
TV with villagers in a garage forecourt in Mali; we ate homemade
scones with American missionaries and drank Coke with British aid
workers.
Fellow travellers are even more colourful than local residents, if
that were possible. They are after all those who have yielded to
their inner impulses and embraced the adventurous ideal. These
people include, in our experience at least, an intrepid Dublin
businessman traversing the Sahara in a catering van, and zany
German pensioners doing it on a motorcycle and sidecar. Retired
Italian sunchasers congregate in motorhome encampments in the
heart of the desert, and cheery Irish cyclists pedal the highway for
charitable purposes. This company made our presence in deepest
Africa seem perfectly reasonable and should provide conclusive
inspiration for any readers still unsure of their own candidacy for
adventures of this kind.
Predicaments
Minor mishaps are hard to avoid in Africa; if you choose to follow
the Jess-Somerville model of overland travel they are inevitable.
As long as they are only minor this is no hardship, for an adventure
where nothing goes wrong is no adventure at all.
Grinding to an unscheduled halt on the most remote stretch of the
trans-Saharan highway counts as a minor mishap, provided you
have a knowledgeable mechanic on board. Not that we had, but we
did have a dairy farmer with sufficient technical know-how to
As you traverse the interminable Sahara and its near-cousin the
interminable Sahel, the route is not ‘scenic’ in the usual sense. But
where exceptional terrain does exist, it tends to be truly
extraordinary. Mali’s Bandiagara Escarpment is a rugged plateau of
sandstone cliffs soaring out of the surrounding wilderness.
Exploring this fantastical landscape and the indigenous culture of
its isolated inhabitants feels like a visit to an entirely different
planet. Although closer to the beaten track, Togo’s Nano caves are
scarcely more accessible – our casual visit required personal
authorization from the local chief, guidance from a posse of
villagers and a heart stopping descent down a cliff on a rickety steel
Friends’ School Lisburn
20

TO GO OR NOT TO GO
diagnose the cause of engine overheating and bodge a repair with a
sliver of rubber and a hose clamp.
The magnitude of the mishap may be determined by circumstances.
Total brake failure is never good, particularly while trying to cross
an international frontier and negotiate a busy city in the dark. But
judicial use of the handbrake should suffice temporarily, and at least
in the city there are plenty of local repairmen to hand. A flat tyre is
usually far less serious, unless you happen to be in the absolute
middle-of-nowhere with the Bandiagara Escarpment on one side
(following a hair-raising hairpin descent), forty miles of desert all
around and no road whatsoever (its sudden termination in a ditch
having caused the prang). It is even more serious if the only
spanner in your inventory is short, wrung and, in hindsight,
manifestly unfit for purpose. In our case this ordeal ended after two
very fraught days: one culminated in a wheel change with the
assistance of an aggressive local mechanic, the next was spent
ploughing through sand dunes behind a hired guide on a moped.
It was a very chastening episode.
Diplomatic mishap can also occur if travellers disregard the
vagaries of African bureaucracy. Imagine negotiating an unmarked
minefield to reach a border checkpoint staffed by stern Mauritanian
policemen sporting handlebar moustaches and sidearms. Then
imagine showing up, as Gregg and I did for convoluted reasons,
with a Moroccan exit stamp in a British passport and a Mauritanian
visa in an Irish one. The Chef de Police was unimpressed by this
irregular documentation and unwilling to let us enter the country
until it was sorted out. Since it was already late and the Moroccan
gate was closed until morning, our options appeared to be a night in
Mauritanian cells or camping in the minefield.
One of those colourful fellow-travellers - a shifty-looking
Dutchman in native robes - suggested offering a moderate bribe to
grease the cogs of officialdom, but we were inexperienced in such
matters. How does one bribe an officer of the law After an hour
of watching us stand gormlessly and mutter “Should we ask him
now” every time he walked past, the Chef cut his losses and
processed our passports. Not that we left him empty-handed – our
obsequious gratitude yielded a bag of glacier mints and a pot of jam
for the guardroom larder.
We had another altercation with Mauritania’s finest while trying to
leave the country. This time the problem was a policeman with a
blatant conflict of interests (“you cannot cross the border until you
have purchased insurance from my associates”). We eventually
ascertained that the insurance was genuine and paid a reasonable
price for it, but only after several hours of deliberately failing to
comprehend his demands in French or English (“Regardez notre
passports, monsieur - nous sommes Irlandais et parlons Irlandais
seulement”). By the time we were done the man was glad to be rid
of us - I’m afraid we left the Mauritanian constabulary with a very
low opinion of the Irish intellect.
Pratfalls
Provided your sense of humour survives the predicaments
unscathed, an African road trip provides plenty of amusement. The
facial expression of the passport official at the Cherbourg ferry
terminal: “Ou venez-vous, messieurs” “En Afrique.” The sight of
Gregg explaining his occupation to a Moroccan policeman (who, as
it transpired, actually spoke English): “Fer-meer! Moo! Mooooo!”
The bashful giggles of a rotund lady hitchhiker. The guffaws of
villagers as an assertive mother compelled me to babysit her infant
daughter. The difficulty of convincing an enthusiastic trader that
the shirt he is trying to sell me is actually three sizes too small.
These are simple, naive pleasures, yet they resonate long in the
memory.
Payoff
The Dromara-Togo expedition is merely one example of an
adventure which is quite feasible and deeply rewarding.
Undertaking an odyssey of this kind fulfils the adventurous impulse
and resolves those nagging “what-if” and “could-I” questions. It
also leaves a personal legacy of confidence and contentment; of
pride in achieving a feat which others balk at, and satisfaction at a
considerable challenge accomplished.
To go or not to go – the answer should be obvious. So what are
you waiting for Perhaps the next adventure story in these pages
will be yours...
Mercy Ships bring hope and healing to thousands of people who
could never have believed it possible. Learn more about their
invaluable work at www.mercyships.org.uk
Matthew Jess
21 Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
CLASS OF ‘72 REUNION
Pupils and teachers who attended and worked in FSL from
1958-1972 attended a grand reunion on 1 September 2012.
Ann McCullagh, Robert McCullagh and Bronwen Haire traced
over 100 pupils and staff and invited them to the reunion. It
seemed a daunting task to start. However, the many lovely
conversations and renewed friendships made it very worthwhile.
Teachers who might have seemed terrifying when we were 14
years old, turned out to be charming now that we are nearing
retirement!
The day started with coffee and locally sourced Brown Bean
scones which went down a treat. Friends’ never stands still and
on this occasion we met in the current staff room where, in our
day, RE and Maths lessons were taught by Sydney Stewart and
Paddy Shier.
The atmosphere was relaxed and informal but the excitement
began to build as each person arrived. Some people, who had
not been able to attend the last reunion in 2002, had not met for
more than 40 years. Some were instantly recognizable, others
were more difficult to identify. However, the astonishment on
people’s faces when they realized who they were talking to was
priceless!
Elizabeth Dickson gave generously of her time and led us round
some of the newer buildings, finishing up in the Archive Room.
Arthur Chapman, our former headmaster, had unearthed lots of
photos and information on the years when we were in school.
He achieved this despite the whole archive collection having
moved location in the previous week.
It was hard to tear people away after two and a half hours.
Arthur invited everyone to return to the FSL Archive Room on
any Thursday afternoon to peruse the archives at their leisure.
The school looks amazing, both inside and out – a place to be
proud of. Certainly it is a school to which we would want to
send our grandchildren, if they lived in the area.
In the evening we gathered again at Dunmurry Golf Club, where
more former pupils and teachers joined us for drinks and dinner.
The room buzzed with conversations and laughter. After an
excellent dinner it was time for the more formal introductions –
each person was given just a minute to update everyone on their
last 40 years, or to remind us of some funny anecdotes from our
school days.
Although unfortunately, some were unable to attend, many
pupils and teachers had made great efforts to come from distant
places including Nicaragua, Illinois, Toronto, London, Devon,
Oxford, Sussex, Glasgow, Manchester, Orkney, as well as from
counties Antrim, Down, Armagh and Londonderry.
Perhaps we won’t wait another 10 years before meeting again
Bronwen Haire
Friends’ School Lisburn
22

REFLECTIONS
Reflections on Friends’ School, Lisburn (FSL) &
beyond
My cousin Christopher Clarke, himself an old scholar from FSL,
asked me if I’d write some thoughts and recollections from my
years at FSL1957-1964 and beyond. This has not been a
particularly easy task since it’s a very long time ago, the
memory fades & quite honestly I’ve done little over the years to
keep the memories alive or to stay in touch. I don’t ‘do’
Facebook! Here goes, I promise I’ll keep it brief.
It wasn’t easy for me starting off at FSL in the 2nd Form in a
Lisburn school where I knew no one, having come from a small
rural primary school where I knew everyone and was the
proverbial big fish in a little pond. I made friends however and
as the years passed I felt I was an integral part of FSL. Some
memorable teachers along the way helped enormously, inspiring
me to open my mind and horizons by instilling a love of foreign
languages and other lands. Those who spring to mind are my
first French teacher Miss Olive Tate who always entered her
classroom muttering these words: avez-vous vos devoirs
aujourd’hui, my second French teacher Miss Joan Gault who
somehow brought glamor and excitement to the French
language, Mr Noel Clarke, my German teacher who encouraged
me to spend a term in a German high school living with a
German family and Mr Hugh Gillespie my Geography teacher
who inspired me to be curious about the big world beyond the
borders of the UK.
After Friends’ I attended Queen’s University graduating in
French and German. Not long after graduation I married a
Ghanaian doctor & lived in Ghana, West Africa for 3 years. My
son Damian was born there. Eventually I ended up in California
where my daughter Sonya was born. I subsequently married my
second husband Daniel and have lived in Los Angeles since the
early 1980s, longer than I lived in Northern Ireland. I’m happily
retired now from my job in corporate America working on the
fringes of the entertainment industry in Hollywood providing
film/video/digital content to TV shows, movies, documentaries
etc. Retirement is particularly satisfying since it allows me time
to practice and teach yoga at my daughter’s yoga center, as well
as to spend time with my new grand daughter Jasmine.
I still have close family in Northern Ireland whom I visit once a
year or so, along with some dear friends in France. California
has been home for a long time and I wouldn’t trade it for
anywhere else. However, I still seem to have retained a degree
of an Ulster accent, because many Americans still hear it and
comment on “how cute” it sounds! It’s a proud reminder to me
of my Ulster roots.
Joan Sargent (née Kirkpatrick)
The Archive
Room
During the summer holidays the Archives moved to a new
location - a fine, bright room on the former 'Blue Corridor'
which has easy access for all visitors. Despite apprehension
about the move the exercise was carried out superbly by the
maintenance staff and nothing was damaged or lost during the
transfer. Settling in to a new abode often takes some time but
prompt and efficient help was given by Maxine Boyd and Jill
Conn and at a later stage by Brown Shaw.
Gifts of memorabilia are always welcome and it was good to
receive from Frank Pettigrew a fine collection of photographs of
school life in the 1950s - sports teams, drama productions,
overseas trips, etc. - and also an old Old Scholars blazer.
(Donations of School uniform would be welcome, as there is
now more space for exhibits)
Gwen McWilliams donated an Old Scholars Treasurer's book
from the days when she and Gerald occupied that position and
lists of members made interesting reading.
The son of the late Dorothy Anderson (née Tyler) presented a
series of group photographs from 1931 until 1936 and also a
couple of albums in which she and her school friends feature.
Visitors on Thursday afternoons are sparse but it was good to
welcome one day the Rankin family, Hilary, David and Joyce.
Hilary was specially interested to see the Trans-World Schools
Quiz trophy, as she was a member of the FSL team who shared
it with a school in Australia.
During their reunion tour of the School on 1 September
members of the Class of 1972 spent much time poring over
magazines, scrapbooks and photographs of their school years
and recalling among other things pranks and escapades.
Elizabeth Swindle (née Frame), who now lives in
Northumberland, enquired about memoirs of school life in the
1800s which her grandfather, Joseph Hobson, had written for
Neville Newhouse to aid him in his compilation of the History
of Friends' School. She was intrigued when she received a
photocopy of the document, in her own handwriting, which she
had done as a child to assist her aged grandfather.
A special afternoon for Old Scholars is planned for 30
November to have a look at some of the treasures in the
collection. It is too late to advertise this event, but don't forget
Thursday afternoons during term time or arrange a visit at
another suitable time.
Arthur Chapman
23
Past & Present 2012

Past & Present 2012
RECENT GRADUATES
THE QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
Barbra Fleming BSc (S) Accounting
Christina McDonald BSc (S) Accounting
Mark Williams BSc (S) Agricultural Tech
Sarah Bell BSc (S) Land Use and Env Man
Corinna Hoey BSc (S) Land Use and Env Man
Elizabeth Magowan BSc (S) Biological Sciences
Amy Traynor BSc (S) Biological Sciences
Jonathan Maxwell BSc (S) Biomedical Science
Ruth Farrell PGCE (T) Science
Jonathan Agnew BA (S) English
Rose Bradford BA (S) English
Nikki Durrant BA (S) English
Conor Auld BSc (S) Environmental Planning
Hannah Jess BA (JD) French
Claire Woods BA (JD) French
James McCullough BA (MM) History
Katherine Buchanan LLB (MM) Common & Civil Law
Emma Cochrane LLB (S) Law
Sarah Wilson LLB (S) Law
Gerard Killough BEng (S) Product Design & Dev
Louise Greer BSc (S) Business Management
Caroline McArdle BSc (S) Business Management
Andrew Carlisle MSci (UM) Applied Maths
Richard Bailie BSc (S) Music Technology
Samuel Colville BSc (O) Ordinary Degree
Luke Eastwood Dip (PD) Prof Legal Std - Bar
Stephanie Annett MPharm (UM) Pharmacy
Alan McKee MPharm (UM) Pharmacy
Judith Maze BSc (S) Psychology
Lily Price BSc (S) Psychology
Nichola Beggs BSW (S) Social Work
Jonathan Davidson BTh (MM) Theology
Christopher Weir BTh (S) Theology
John Wilson BSc (S) Marine Biology
Andrew Frazer PhD Biological Sciences
Sarah Ann Macartney PGCE (T) English
Amy Brackenridge PGCE (T) Modern Lang
Shelley Edgar PGCE (T) Science
Hazel Phillips PGCE (T) Science
Louise Miskelly MB (S) Medicine
Richard Morrison MB (S) Medicine
Amy Wethers MB (S) Medicine
Caroline McGuigan Dip (PD) Mental Health
Deborah Smith Dip (PD) Mental Health
Holly Lyons Dip (PD) Prof Legal Std – Sol
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
Graeme Alister BSc Hons Business with Marketing FT
Ian Carlisle BA Hons International Politics FT
Nathan Conn BSc Hons Marketing FT
Cheryl Conway BSc Hons Human Nutrition FT
Ian Harbinson BSc Hons Prop Invest & Dv DIS FT
Louise Henry BSc Hons Business with Marketing FT
Kathryn Holland MSci Prop Invest & Develop FT
Friends’ School Lisburn
24

RECENT GRADUATES
Siobhan Hughes BA Hons English with Media Std FT
Suzanne Jackson BSc Hons Busn with Spanish FT
Louie Johnston BSc Hons Business FT
Danielle McCullough BSc Hons Marketing FT
Stuart McQueen MEng Civil Engineering FT
Ian Murphy BA Hons Med Stds & Product FT
Sarah Skelton BSc Hons Psychology FT
Rachel Sloan BSc Hons Geography FT
Philip Tran BSc Hons Comp Game Dev FT
UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
Ashleigh Walker MA Language and Linguistics
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY
Roisin Duffy BSc Hons Speech and Language Sciences
Alistair Kennedy BA Hons Marketing and Management
Nicola McGarel MMath Hons Mathematics and Statistics
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Adam Tinson BSc Hons Politics and Economics
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Victoria Jordan BSc Veterinary Science
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
Rebecca Martin BSc Veterinary science
HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY
Peter Beatty BSc Real Estate Management
Sarah Bingham BSc Actuarial Science
Josh Cregan BSc Structural Engineering with
Architectural Design
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY
Rosalind Haire BSc Medicine
UNIVERSITY PRIZEWINNERS
Adam Tinson YouGov Prize Best Dissertation
Victoria Jordan Pugh Memorial Prize Best Combined Performance
Well done all our Graduates!
25
Past & Present 2012