MHS Society Newsletter 2011-2012 - Marlborough House School

(limited) time is being spent on helping them do battle
with the local planning authority who have allocated a
huge number of new houses to the town over the next
20 years. Apart from that I’ve recently become a
Public Governor of a local NHS Foundation Trust so
am coming to grips with all the changes and budget
cuts now taking place. My wife and I recently
celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary. Our elder
son has just got engaged. Both he and his younger
brother, who got married last year, are successfully
earning their own living. I made an attempt to contact
the Rogers family, a number of whom were at MHS in
the late ‘50s/early ‘60s, at Riverhill House just outside
Sevenoaks having seen them and the house on a
Channel 4 programme, but without success. I met
Robin KINAHAN (59-63) a number of years ago,
shortly after he had moved to a new post with Eldridge
Pope in Dorchester, but they closed down fairly soon
afterwards and I am not sure where he is now.’
Jonathan FERRIER (54-58) Jonathan still works
part-time doing dyslexia assessments and is involved in
producing new computer-based dyslexia tests. He and
Kate have four grandchildren and live in Oxfordshire
next door to their son, daughter-in-law and three of
them. Their elder daughter lives in Montenegro where
they have a house, and she has their fourth grandchild.
Jonathan has been contributing to the Newsletter for
some years now and last year he contacted me (James)
to say that his choir was coming to Winchester to sing
evensong in the cathedral, something many choirs are
invited to do at cathedrals around the country when
their own choirs are in recess. Emma and I went and
joined him afterwards for a cup of tea. We hadn’t met
for goodness knows how many years and it was a real
joy. Subsequently he and Kate invited us to a delicious
lunch at their lovely home. As has been demonstrated
many times, and indeed in this year’s Newsletter, this
publication does re-unite – even if only by email.
Hence its importance.
Michael GYE (34-40) Wonderful news from Michael
on Vancouver Island where he lives in the town of
Sidney in the extreme south: ‘This might amuse your
readers – at 85 I’ve just taken up gliding…it’s hard
finding sports that can take the place of skiing and
windsurfing when your body becomes as decrepit as
mine. But as probably one of the oldest student glider
pilots alive, I’m having a blast! I have 51 flights
logged and hope to solo sometime before I fall off my
perch.’ (Ed’s note: What an example to us all!)
David HABERSHON (58-63) David and his wife
Libby have lived in Emsworth in Hampshire on and off
since 1984. He’s been with Blind Veterans UK
(formerly St Dunstan's) for nearly eight years since
leaving the Navy, and is now seriously contemplating
retirement. He considers the activities of his three sons
much more exciting. ‘Our eldest, Edward (33), is
foreign editor for Channel 9 television in Sydney and
married with a year old son. James (31) is teaching
history at Hollyfield School in Surbiton, and Charlie
(26) has founded his own volunteer organisation, The
Collective, organising projects in Sierra Leone. It's two
years since the whole family has been together – thank
goodness for Skype. How GVM would have loved all
the modern communications gadgets.’ David says how
much he enjoyed meeting and reminiscing with Mike
and Christine Pardoe at their Hawkhurst home a couple
of years ago.
Paul HABERSHON (54-59) Paul is still pursuing his
three games: chess, duplicate bridge and golf. ‘Internet
chess is a brilliant way to waste time. My golf
handicap briefly came down to 19 but now it's back to
20, so those who understand these things will recognise
mediocrity there. Anyway we duffers enjoy it! I was
on an English Bridge Union committee which worked
to introduce a national grading system for bridge
players, to exist alongside the long-established Master
Point scheme which, however, is merely cumulative. I
was not the mathematical expert, but I do have
experience of the chess grading system. The bridge
rating system is now up and running, accessible online.
I remember playing chess at MHS with Hugo Nesfield
and Nigel(?) Lloyd. Do we ever hear from them?’ (from
James: I’m afraid not. Paul is sorry he could not make
the 2012 luncheon but says he’ll keep trying for future
years. Nor could I be there this year, but I understand
it was a happy yet modest affair. Any future plans are
published elsewhere in this Newsletter.)
Martin HARRISON (45-49) Last year Martin and
Richard TOMS (45-49) combined resources to
research the exact location of Marlborough House in
Hove before the school was bought by Arthur and
Muffet Harrison with Chris Bullick and brought to
Kent, and indeed if its name was the same before the
move. They discovered that it was and most kindly
Richard went in search of a commemorative plaque in
All Saints Church there. Martin says, ‘Apparently it is
an impressive item, about five foot wide and four foot
high engraved “Marlborough House, Hove… (then
some Latin) … and for the boys of the school who fell
in the Great War” Among several engraved names are
Egan – Jutland; Dunbar – France; Hawkings –
Zeebrugge.’ It’s well-established that a Mrs White
founded MHS in 1874, and from what Martin says it
appears that the school began in the large prestigious
Victorian house on the north eastern corner of the
church. However there is a ‘pretty grim’ 1970s block
of flats on the church’s south western corner called
Marlborough Court presumably in memory of the
school’s proximity.
John HEATH (Great Bidlake 43/4) John sends this
simple message: ‘Best wishes from Richmond, British
Columbia, Canada.’