The Salopian no. 166 - Winter 2020-21

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THE SALOPIAN
Issue No. 166 - Winter 2020-21

From the Editor
A year has passed since the last edition of The Salopian was published in
January 2020. The winner of the Michael Schutzer-Weissmann letter writing
prize, writing from home in the ‘remote’ Summer Term of 2020 during the
first lockdown, was Oscar Rink (PH), now in the Fifth Form. The task was to
imagine oneself as the statue of Charles Darwin and write a letter to Sir Philip
Sidney, at the other end of Central. Let him be our guest editor.
Front Cover: The Barnes Theatre, December 2020
Inside Front Cover: Re-wilding the Site: The Biology Garden (see page 28)
15 May 2020
Dear Philip,
Such strange times! I cannot even begin to put into words the changes
inflicted upon our old School Site by this darned virus. A place once bustling
rendered silent by an unseen enemy, normally infused with the vivacity of
youth and enthusiasm within each and every pupil, now sapped, leaving
an empty shell, lifeless without its inhabitants. Where now the chatter and
clatter of everyday life? The School bell continues to toll, a beacon of hope to
those in despair at the loss of the community. Nature progresses, the seasons
bringing change in their wake as they drift across the globe and yet society
does not, holed up within homes. How can it be that the lamb and chick
spring into life unaware as Humanity cowers in the darkness?
The School is a veritable Marie Celeste with all the life drained from its
bows. The souls fleeing the unseen tide, uncertain of what is to come.
Quiet smothers the site, seeping its dismal atmosphere through corridors
and classrooms. Signs of hurry lie strewn about, future dates in discarded
planners sit slashed through, cups of tea on desks lie thick and frigid,
books and stationery misplaced in a whirlwind of confusion. Nature begins
to reclaim its territory; thick grass creeps upwards; vines snake tentatively
over buildings and furious thistles spew forth: a pestilence upon the earth.
Rain splatters its cold, remorseless drizzle down upon the soil reducing it to
sludge. Dust returns to every surface.
And yet not all is lost, as Newton exclaimed whilst shuttered during a
similar outbreak: ‘Each reaction must have an equal and opposite reaction’.
Wildflowers sprout their colours where they have not for many a year. The
sun continues to shift its gaze ever closer as the solstice approaches, melting
away the last remnants of winter. Buds burst open, revealing greenery
hidden away. Blossom graces the earth, its sweet serenade of scent gliding
dulcetly through the air.
Such great societal shift is not unheard of. Wartime brought death and
despair of massive scale to the nation, striking families with its cold, bony
fingers plucking life from the earth. This is a force of nature. It is through
pure science that the poor souls losing their lives are selected. I know you
disagree with my theories deeply my dear friend, but bear with me. One can
conclude from observation that it is the old, weak and sickly that are struck
down mercilessly. However on a philosophical level, is the wartime loss of
life more ethically correct, with the soldiers and nurses knowing full well
what to expect? Or is the loss of the elderly through the culling of the weak
by nature preferable? Alas, we wish for neither upon our earth, but human
nature and nature itself make it so.
As a humanist I would be inclined to support natural selection, as the
old have had their allotted time on earth and have experienced life as
opposed to the young who still have so much to live through. Many would
be outraged by this assertion and one might understand their discomfort;
however, such is the rhythum of Life.
I do fear that I delve too deeply into thought. I simply revel in reflection and
conclusion as a scientist by nature! What else does one do, petrified in place
with the sweet sensation of Cherry blossom on one’s lips and the soothing
embrace of April showers? I shall not keep you any longer.
Your ever faithful comrade,
Charles Darwin
CONTENTS
From the Headmaster 4
Leavers’ Address 6
Surviving and Thriving 8
Letter from a Housemaster 14
Remote Learning 15
Avete 16
Valete 17
Shrewsbury School International 21
School Prizewinners 2020 22
Scholarships Awarded for 2020 entry 23
Biology Photographic Competition 24
‘Discover Nature’ Theme Week 26
Sharing our Space with Nature 28
The Peace of Trees 30
The Barnes Theatre 32
Drama 2019-2020 33
A mosaic for Meole Brace Primary 37
Michaelmas Term 2020 Artwork 38
Serving the Wider Community 40
The Shewsy 42
Supporting the Ankawa Foundation 43
RSSBC 44
Rugby 48
RSSH 51
RSSH in East Africa 53
Lacrosse 54
Fives 54
Cricket 56
Football 58
From the Director 61
Dubai Annual Cricket Match & Supper 61
News of Old Salopians 62
One Hundred Years Ago 71
Footballs’ debt to Shrewsbury 72
Soulton Hall 76
VE and VJ Days 78
Shrewsbury Streetscapes 79
Old Salopian Fives Club 80
Old Salopian Football Club 81
Old Salopian Golfing Society 82
Old Salopian Hunt 85
Sabrina Club 87
Old Salopian Squash Club 88
Old Salopian Women’s Sport 89
Saracens 90
Salopian Drivers’ Club 92
Old Salopian Freemasons Lodge 93
Notes from the Archives & Taylor Library 94
Publications 97
Obituaries 99
Editor
Richard Hudson
rth@shrewsbury.org.uk
Assistant Editor
Annabel Warburg
Obituaries Editor
Dr David Gee
Salopian Club
Nick Jenkins (Director)
Salopian Club, The Schools,
Shrewsbury SY3 7BA
01743 280891 (Director)
01743 280892 (Administrator)
oldsalopian@shrewsbury.org.uk
Design: Tom Sullivan tom@tangosierra.co.uk
Print: www.lavenhampress.com

4
SCHOOL NEWS
From the Headmaster
One of my most illustrious forebears
as Headmaster of Shrewsbury
School was the legendary Cyril
Alington. He was Headmaster from
1908-1916, before moving on to take
charge of Eton College for 17 years. As
well as the day job, Alington managed
to write over 50 books, many of which
were penned and published while he
was in active service as a Head. He
wrote poetry, biography, history,
hymns and sermons – even detective
fiction. It’s hard to know how he
found the time to write so much.
Admittedly, Headmastering was a less
multi-layered role a century ago than
it is these days, but even so, it was a
remarkable output.
A brilliant cricketer and strikingly
handsome, Alington was rather
sickeningly gifted: quite an act to
follow, even at the relatively safe
distance of just over 100 years. Drawing
inspiration from the great man, I have
taken this year to letter-writing. At the
start of 2020, I began a series of open
letters, called Letters From Shrewsbury.
A very modest literary enterprise
compared with the extraordinary
productivity of Alington, but it has been
an enjoyable outlet and a few people
even seem to be reading them!
Letter-writing has something of a ‘retro’
feel in these times of email, text and
social media. The traditional format of
the letter has its limitations, but it has a
personal, almost confessional tone that
can be a lively and potent medium.
At the time of writing, I am up to my
nineteenth Letter From Shrewsbury.
These despatches cover a range of
themes, some of them directly on
education, others more obliquely on
topics to do with language, learning,
childhood and life.
The first letter was written when 2020
was just nine days old. It was addressed
‘Dear 2020’. Using the image of a newborn
baby, it channels the hopes that a
parent has in those tender early days:
‘Welcome to the world, new-born
thing. I hope you find your feet quickly.
And I have some other hopes for you
too. Your older sister, 2019, was a
fiery one. Capable of so much good,
but full of contradictions and often
quite disagreeable. That’s teenagers,
I suppose. Mind you, she was
nowhere near as confounding and
unpredictable as her older brother
2016. You never knew what was
coming next with him. I wonder how
he looks now, four years on.
Anyway, after 25 years of teaching,
and 16 years as a parent, I know not
to judge one sibling by another. Each
child is wonderfully, bracingly different;
unique individuals with promise and
potential; needs and demands; fears,
expectations and hopes.
The poet Philip Larkin wrote a poem to
the newly born daughter of his friend,
Kingsley Amis. He wishes her something
“none of the others would”. Instead of
wishing her beauty, talent and love, he
says: “May you be ordinary […] In fact,
may you be dull.”’
My hope – wishful as it swiftly
proved to be – was for the blessing of
ordinariness. Reflecting now on the
most extraordinary of years - surely one
of the most remarkable in the history of
Shrewsbury School - 2020 has been far
from dull.
We started with news of huge fires
in Australia; then came the floods
in England which saw Shrewsbury
become an island as our loop of
the River Severn burst its banks
and encircled us fully. And then the
coronavirus, COVID-19, gradually,
inexorably and pervasively asserted its
grip on the world. Its grim progress
was the defining narrative of 2020,
turning the word ‘unprecedented’ into a
commonplace.
How we have craved and savoured
snatches of ordinary life. Globally,
nationally and here in our corner
of Shropshire, we have navigated
a gruelling, anxious journey from a
national lockdown in March that saw
all schools close. We then spent a full
summer term as a remote learning
community – together apart. This term
demanded exceptional dedication and
invention from our teaching staff and

SCHOOL NEWS 5
leadership team. With many support
staff nobly on furlough, and the
remainder working hard to keep the
site and infrastructure running, it was
a magnificent team effort. A virtual
Shrewsbury education ran for the
nine-week summer term which ended
with a memorable virtual Speech Day.
Wonderful though this was, we felt
deeply for the Upper Sixth leavers in
particular, who ended their school days
apart and away from the School. And
indeed for those teaching colleagues
who bade farewell to Shrewsbury
distanced from one another.
The summer weeks were then
dominated first by the well-publicised
saga of the public examination results
and then by careful planning for
re-opening. It is fair to say that the
process of assessing and submitting
our grades to the examination boards
was painstaking and detailed. The
professionalism of the teaching staff,
Heads of Faculty and academic
leadership was truly exceptional. Our
pupils got the examination results
that they deserved; and the history
books will show a record haul of first
choice offers to a fantastic range of
destinations, including 16 Oxbridge
places. They will not show the hours
and hours of endeavour that staff put
in. Nor will they convey the surreal
experience that the pupil cohort
of 2020 had of receiving results for
examinations that they never sat. As far
as I know, it was the first time since
public examinations began in 1888 that
they had not taken place – even during
two World Wars.
With the attainment gap widening
between those who had access to
good remote learning, and those who,
through no fault of their own, did not,
there are questions about the delivery
of the public examination session in
2021. More fundamentally, there does
seem to be a window of opportunity
for us (by which I mean the world of
education) to re-think how we assess
the knowledge, skills and aptitudes of
young adults. Is a large hall with rows
of desks really the only format that
human ingenuity can come up with
for assessing learning? Do we need to
have the same methods at the age of
16 as we do at 18? Do we need such
a battery of public examinations at 16
at all?
The School’s examination results are
very strong at GCSE, and Salopians
benefit from a diverse educational
experience beyond the assessed
academic curriculum. This relatively
happy state-of-affairs might argue for
the status quo. However, as I wrote to
the Daily Telegraph in October 2020,
the old system is ready for review.
Admittedly, the world of education,
like everyone else, is having to invest
unparalleled energy simply keeping
schools running. A radical re-thinking
of assessment requires careful,
serious, collaborative thinking. How
do you measure the true quality of
an education? The answer is that it is
lifelong: the continuous assessment
of an individual as they travel the
years after school. Examinations are
passports; life’s tests provide a broader,
fuller examination of our journey.
Schools must prepare their pupils
for this as well as the more finite
challenges of the examination hall.
As well as processing the examination
results, the months of July and August
were heavily occupied with planning
for re-opening. Government guidance,
when it emerged, was detailed enough
to give direction, but open-ended
enough to give schools discretion
to apply it to their settings. Safety
was the priority, married to a drive
to allow pupils the fullest possible
educational experience under COVIDsafe
restrictions. When we finally had
our 818 Salopians joining us back at
the Schools in September, there was a
palpable feelgood factor. The site had
been quiet – used only by resident staff
and their families for daily exercise –
for six months.
We returned to full school life under
a ‘normal for now’ that involved a
re-designed timetable, year group and
house bubbles, separate dining, face
coverings, hand sanitisers and social
distancing in all activities. Blessed
with a run of late summer sunshine,
and staying pretty much exclusively
on-site, the collective appreciation of
the day-to-day ordinary of living and
learning together was overwhelming.
The new Barnes Theatre was open,
the playing fields in near-constant use.
We made our way through that first
half of term without COVID incident.
Dull it was not; joyous, enlivening,
uplifting it was. The new ordinary felt
luminous. The simple pleasure of being
a community, albeit under restrictions,
was transfiguring.
It has been, in many ways, an
annus horribilis. But, despite all the
suffering, worry, loss and disruption
that COVID-19 has caused – and
will continue to deliver into the
foreseeable future – it has also been
an annus mirabilis for Shrewsbury
School. February’s TES Independent
Schools Awards saw two nominations
for Shrewsbury School. We received
a unique ‘Highly Commended’ for
Boarding School of the Year alongside
the short-listing for a Creativity Award
for our work in the creative arts.
Later in the year, in the Independent
Schools of the Year Awards, we were
listed as Finalists in the Community
Engagement category. Not only did
the School win this, but we were
also named Independent School of
the Year. Such things did not exist in
Alington’s day, though a few decades
before his time the Clarendon
Commission had chosen Shrewsbury
as one of the nine leading and
exemplary ‘public schools’. Salopian
humility rightly forbids and baulks at
trumpet-blowing. We don’t do showy.
We carry ourselves lightly and tend to
shy away from the gongs and cymbalclashes.
However, in a year of gloom
and difficulty, this was a lovely award
to receive. And we are rather pleased!
What does the immediate future hold?
We know that the economic and social
impact of the pandemic will be felt
for many years to come. This brings
more uncertainty. However, the School
is in as strong a position as we could
want to be in meeting the challenges
ahead. The spirit of Darwin persists:
his sense of intellectual adventure
and his appreciation of adaptation.
Recent months have seen rapid
evolution. Virtual teaching and learning
have expedited major technological
upskilling; the academic and Futures
(careers) curriculum has gone through
an evolutionary step change with
the inception of new courses and
qualifications.
As the School continues its journey, we
want to widen access to a Shrewsbury
education with an ambitious bursary
fundraising programme to arrive at
the point where over 5% of the pupil
body is on full transformative bursaries.
Alongside this, we are engaged in a
careful and consultative project on
equality, diversity and inclusion at
Shrewsbury.
It is my strong belief that Salopian
culture is founded on a championing
of the individual, but that this is not
to the detriment of others: quite the
reverse. Salopians are open-hearted,
compassionate, collaborative, creative,
community-minded. This holistic and
humane approach to self-advancement
is a vital antidote in a world so often
powered by cold self-interest. We need
the young adults who leave Shrewsbury
to carry and develop virtues for life; to
pursue their ambitions with purpose
yet gentleness; and to champion the
survival of the kindest.
Floreat Salopia!

6
SCHOOL NEWS
Leavers’ Address
Retiring Churchill’s Hall Housemaster Richard Hudson gave the 2020 Leavers’ Address,
broadcast live from the Chapel as part of the virtual Speech day celebrations
held on Saturday 27th June 2020.
What an odd feeling to be addressing an empty Chapel!
But in my mind’s eye you are all sitting here, in
front of me, most of you five years after the New Entrants’
service in September 2015, your parents wondering where
those five years have gone, most of you both sad to be
leaving Shrewsbury, as I am, but also excited to explore the
opportunities offered by world beyond the Moss and Port Hill
gates, as I am.
A curious statistic links you as pupil leavers, mostly aged
18, and me as a staff leaver who will be 67 in three days’
time: you are literally as far away from your birth as I am
statistically as far away from my death.What also links us is
that you and I both stand on the threshold of a new life of
which we have as yet an imperfect understanding.
And, if you are being honest with yourselves, I imagine that
no matter how much you are looking forward to throwing off
the shackles of school and
entering into what you will
inevitably and understandably
perceive as the freedom of
full adulthood, you are a
little apprehensive too. More
so perhaps, and with more
reason to be, than I was when
I left Shrewsbury School in
1972, just turned 19, with a
receding head of black hair,
would you believe, flowing in
the 70s style.
But it is not my purpose
today to remind you of
the uncertain and unstable
world you will be entering
after the comparatively
protected bubble of Shrewsbury. The world of your adult
lives will continue to be as full of opportunity as it will be
of challenge, but very different challenges and opportunities
from those faced by my generation of school leavers, when
the world was in many ways a much simpler place, though
of course we didn’t think of it like that.
What I think I am far more qualified to do is distil from the
experience of my own life, in particular my life over the
past 20 years, most of which have been lived at Shrewsbury,
what I have learned about how to navigate the journey
of life usefully and happily. I was going to use the word
‘successfully’, but this has connotations of money, and it’s
a cliché that money by itself doesn’t buy you happiness.
Although as some mega-rich magnate guy was quoted in
the Wit & Wisdom section of The Week a couple of years
ago as saying, it “does at least enable you to park your
superyacht right alongside it”.
My own journey to Shrewsbury started, as some of you also
will know, with the death of our elder son Sebastian as a
passenger in a car accident in his gap year shortly after he
left Shrewsbury, where he had been a pupil, like his father
and grandfather, in Moser’s Hall. Some of you will already
have lost a close family member before their time. One
of you has, this very week.
And if you have, you will
know that life can never
again be the same. A limb
has been amputated. You are
conscious of its loss every
minute of every day, but you
can go on to live a happy
and fulfilled life, and it is
no betrayal of a loved one’s
memory to do so.
So what have I learned from
this experience in particular
that can be useful to you?
Four simple messages.
First, one of my all-time
favourite film quotes is
the advice given to Andy
Dufresne by Red in The Shawshank Redemption: “Get
busy livin’ or get busy dyin”. Life is a journey, a voyage
into the largely unknown. And here’s the thing – if it is
to be a fulfilled, happy and useful life, it needs to be into
the unknown. Well-trodden paths may keep you safe
and protect you from the bears, but they won’t teach you
bushcraft.

SCHOOL NEWS 7
But as well as successes, there will be many unexpected
and unwelcome setbacks, some of them mountains which
will seem too steep to climb, rivers too broad to cross. But
the only way is forward. My wife Ruth and I learned, in the
months following our own son’s death, the truth of Red’s
remark: if you fall down, you pick yourself up and dust
yourself off, or you curl up, wither and, in effect, die.
Secondly, setbacks, mistakes and suffering can all be
harnessed as engines for personal growth. One of the
first letters we received
after Seb’s death was from
one of my authors – I was
a publisher in those days.
He had lost his mother in
a car accident when he
was 19, the same age Seb
was when he died. He
wrote, in a letter I always
have with me, “You won’t
understand this now, but I
firmly believe that there is
no personal tragedy from
which you cannot extract
the material for growth”.
Obviously he was writing
about an extreme event,
but I firmly believe that the
truth holds good for any
kind of failure.
Thirdly, follow your dream. Happiness and fulfilment
do not grow in direct proportion to your bank balance.
Devotees, as I am, of the mesmeringly revolting series
Succession, which follows the fortunes of an American
media mogul and his perpetually warring family, will
understand this. Before I came to Shrewsbury, I worked
in the publishing industry, for the 15 years running up to
my career change as CEO of the company. I arrived here
17 years ago on a fraction of the salary I had previously
been earning, but not a day has gone by when I have
wanted to be back in my previous job. I am not saying
that you should all become teachers, but do not settle
for a job which your heart isn’t in. At this end of your
lives, the future stretches dazzlingly ahead, like a distant
view of a great mountain range, ridge after ridge, with
the gleam of the eternal snows on the horizon. Settling
for less than something that will interest and challenge
you, and, I would add, enable you contribute usefully to
a world desperately in need of your contribution, will,
before you know it, have you at the end of your lives
frustrated and disappointed that you didn’t do what you
really wanted to do.
Two of the best bits of life advice I was ever given were
given me by a director of the first publishing company I
ever worked for. They were, first, that when you feel you
have mastered a job completely and have nothing more to
learn, that is the time to be looking for a fresh challenge;
and following on from this,
that no job is really worth
going for and accepting
unless a small part of you
feels that it is a little beyond
your capabilities. And for
the record, I am retiring
not because I feel I have
mastered the job of being a
housemaster – I don’t think
you can ever master that –
but because it’s the right time
to hand over to a younger
man.
Finally, the experience of
losing a child has taught us
the value of friendship. No
experience sifts out your real
friends more effectively. Polonius, the pompous councillor
in Shakespeare’s Hamlet has the perfect words, “Those
friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,/Grapple them
unto thy soul with hoops of steel”. My two closest friends
are fellow Old Salopians, both godparents to our late son.
Better to have five really close friends, able to see your
faults as well as appreciate your qualities, than 500 or 1000
Facebook friends who will for sure not be there when you
need them, nor you for them.
And so here we are, ready to ‘go to our wide futures’, to
slightly misquote Praise song for my mother, an IGCSE
poem which many of you will have studied; futures outside
the protective walls of Shrewsbury School, a community
whose essential values, of tolerance, kindness and
compassion, seem to me unaltered since I attended it as a
boy; values which if you use them as your guiding lights
throughout the lives stretching ahead of you, will earn you
that contentment and peace of mind without which your
lives cannot truly be happy, and which lie at the heart our
greatest of school mottoes, Intus si recte ne labora.

8
SCHOOL NEWS
Surviving and Thriving (1)
Teaching ‘in remote’
Maurice Walters, Deputy Head (Academic) explains how the Shrewsbury teaching staff continued
to deliver the School curriculum throughout the Summer Term, facing the twin challenges of teaching
meaningful lessons remotely and keeping pupils engaged and motivated.
In the early November of 2019, I was
at a meeting of fellow Deputy Heads
Academic in an entirely characterless
hotel in the middle of Nottingham.
Rendered practically agoraphobic
by years of institutionalisation and
ill-equipped for small-talk on a grand
scale as a result of my particular role,
I gravitated, as has become habit,
toward a small group of erstwhile
acquaintances and we spent a merry
evening digesting world events and
solving global issues with the casual
arrogance of those who will seldom
be called upon in a crisis. Eventually,
perhaps regrettably, the conversation
turned to educational matters and
one of my respected peers observed,
swilling his cognac idly around the
glass in the manner of a character
from a Scott-Fitzgerald novel, that the
problem with this job was that there
was no challenge in it any more. “Once
you’ve been in the role for two or three
years,” he continued, not quite adding
the moniker ‘old sport’ but implying it
with the force of a bulldozer, “you’ve
seen just about every possible issue
that could arise.” I have never been a
superstitious sort of chap but, in that
instance, I found myself groping feebly
about me to touch anything that might
even pass for wood and praying quietly
that such an hubristic pronouncement
could pass without incident.
But Zeus, as we know, hates the boasts
of a proud tongue and it was as I
returned from a family trip to Rome in
late February that I began to suspect
that 2020 might not be going to be such
an auspicious year after all. We had
already quite literally weathered several
devastating storms and the weather
over the Exeat break, windy, damp and
dark, had certainly not been conducive
to good morale on return.
It is usually the preserve of the Deputy
Head Academic to sit in meetings of
the Senior Leadership Team and listen
attentively, but without real investment,
while greater and more socially capable
minds consider the complexities of
day-to-day life. The trivial tasks of
feeding over 800 pupils, keeping them
safe and healthy, mounting an infinitely
intricate co-curriculum programme
bother him not and he will seldom
break his silence except to mutter those
phrases calculated to stop a line of
inquiry dead in its tracks: “timetabling
issue”, “blocking makes it impossible”,
“examination malpractice” and “I’ve
got a spreadsheet for that”. You can
only imagine, therefore, the terror of
this particular Deputy Head Academic
when it became hair-raisingly apparent
that a plan for ‘remote learning’ was
required and, despite my having
uttered all these phrases in tones of
increasing desperation, all eyes were
still firmly turned in my direction.
There is surely an opportunity for
someone from the lofty halls of
academia who has time on their hands,
to undertake a study of the ability of
humanity to make jargon out of a crisis.
While Boris was busily washing his
hands and directing us to go and do
likewise, educational professionals the
world over were already champing at
the bit to deliver new and perplexing
terminology. The community fora of
which I am a member were suddenly
bombarded by an onslaught of
neologism – synchronous learning,
asynchronous learning, real-time
intervention, remote fatigue. I was
very fortunate indeed, at this point, to
have support from colleagues at our
international schools who had already
entered into a period of lockdown and
were able to provide clear advice and
guidance based on real experience
rather than showy pontification
which is often the last refuge of those
experiencing complete and abject
terror.
When the Government announced the
closure of schools from 20th March,
we had a plan. It was skeletal and
outline in form, but it was nonetheless
a clear one. Having listened carefully
to arguments from all around the
world by this point, it became
apparent that this was not the time
for the implementation of showy,
gimmicky technology. When Noah was
building the ark, his priority was the
waterproofing, not the installation of
the swimming pool on the poop deck.
We had, at that stage, a full week to go
before the Easter break and the clear
overriding objective was to establish
a system with which staff and pupils
were fully comfortable and which
could provide a stable maintenance
of high-quality education through
to the beginning of the holiday. It is
a testament to the resilience of the
Shrewsbury teaching body that, in
this first week of a new and alien
landscape, they landed this impeccably,
keeping the community together,
preserving the shape of the timetabled
day and delivering meaningful prerecorded
content for their lessons on
our existing school systems after a
term that had already been more than
usually exhausting.
By the 27th March, we had more or less
successfully managed to land the plane
for its stopover on Easter Island and
staff and pupils had the opportunity,
for a few weeks, just to pause and
replenish energy (albeit with lockdown
measures in place).
But, with the best will in the world,
what we had done in that first

SCHOOL NEWS 9
week was only an interim ‘survival’
measure. It was not something that
could be sustained through an entire
Summer Term. Shrewsbury has never
been a school to putter along on a
default setting of mediocrity. The
programme for the Summer Term had
to be dynamic, vibrant, effective and,
critically, wholly and demonstrably
meaningful.
Of course, with the news that schools
were closing, the Government had also
thrown in the exciting free gift of the
cancellation of public examinations,
initially with no sense of how pupil
grades were awarded. When I was a
child, I recall spending what limited
money I earned from the delivery of
the monthly parish magazine, on a
subscription to the Star Trek fact files.
This riveting publication was produced
loose-leaf fashion, so that those of the
persuasion could purchase binders and
store the various blueprints, mission
records, supply sheets etc. in a wellorganised
fashion. Little did I know
at the time that as I sat in my room,
very much alone, ensuring that there
was no cross-contamination between
Kirk and Janeway, I was actually being
prepared for the agonising process
of piecing together the astonishing
volume of guidance documents, update
documents, update on the update
documents and media news stories
which were to proliferate in my inbox
in this period. The spare room did, at
one stage, resemble the hovel-dwelling
of a demented serial killer – endless
documents pinned to boards and
connected by threads and pins
Designing a process for submitting
Centre Assessed Grades to exam
boards, although by no means
straightforward, proved to be far easier
than I had thought. The great strength
of Shrewsbury School has always been
the fact that teachers here really do
know the pupils very well, so I was
able to work confidently with Heads
of Faculty who had a wealth of data
at their disposal in this regard. What
was more complex, however, was
designing an academic programme
for the Summer Term for pupils from
beneath whose feet the rug had just
been unceremoniously pulled.
This was marginally easier in the case
of the Fifth Form who were able, of
course, to begin their transition into A
Level study. I was very keen, however,
that there should be a sense of
academic closure on the GCSE courses.
As a boy, I once stoically refused
a medal (I had recently watched
Cool Runnings, I think, and was
experiencing a delusional commitment
to nobility) because I had tripped and
fallen in the last hundred metres of a
cross-country race and thus not actually
finished it. I didn’t want the Fifth
Form to be in the same position – it
was essential that they finished those
courses so that in years to come, should
anyone moot the concept that they had
not ‘earned’ their GCSE results in the
fiery crucible of the examination hall,
they could respond not only that they
had absolutely merited those grades
through fully completing their courses,
but that they had done so in the most
difficult of circumstances.
For four weeks then, a committed
and determined cohort of Fifth Form
pupils astonished us all by engaging
with absolute enthusiasm and working
extraordinarily hard in their GCSE
subjects. Having scrambled with
the inimitable, indispensable and
indefatigable Dr Oakley to re-write
the timetable at short notice, we were
able to migrate them across to their A
Level subjects before Exeat and, along
with new entrants who were able to
drop in for taster sessions and for the
year-group-wide Sixth Form study skills
programme, they made a phenomenal
start and are now very evidently
reaping the benefits.
It was for the Upper Sixth, of course,
that we felt the most profound
sense of sadness. Being robbed of
the opportunity to sit one’s final
examinations is one thing, but to be
robbed of a final Summer Term at
Shrewsbury and all the excitements,
celebrations and enjoyment that would
have brought is quite another. I was
determined that whatever we laid on
for them was going to be so much
more than ‘something to keep them
occupied’. Early into the Easter Term I
met with Toby Percival (Head of UCAS
and Higher Education) and a group
of highly enthused and determined
staff and, within two weeks, he had
designed the outline of what was to
become Shrewsbury U. Fusing together
external input and advice from five
Russell Group universities with the
passions and expertise of Shrewsbury
teachers, this was a remarkable piece of
innovation that saw Salopians engaging
with the early phases of Higher
Education in a manner endorsed
and supported by those institutions.
Alongside this, Chris Wain (Head of
Futures) made contact with the Institute
of Leadership and Management and,
through remarkable energy, tenacity
and (frankly) sheer bloody-mindedness,
converted the School into an accredited
centre for the delivery of their Level
Two Qualification in Leadership almost
overnight. Ultimately, 95 Salopians
successfully achieved this award – an
astonishing achievement under any
circumstances and even more so under
COVID restrictions.
The spirit of innovation and the level
of energy of Shrewsbury teachers was
utterly humbling to behold. There were
simply too many projects to mention
a complete list here. From Theme
Weeks based on Identity and Natural
History through to the launch of the
HPQ for the Third Form, it became
apparent that every single member of
the teaching staff at Shrewsbury School

10
SCHOOL NEWS
was utterly determined to ensure that
every day of the remote learning period
brought something new and different
to the pupils and that we maintained a
powerful sense of forward momentum
through some exceptionally dark days.
It wasn’t perfect, of course; certainly
not. One of the traits that attracted
me to Shrewsbury in the first place
is its integrity and honesty. We have
always been willing to put our hands
up when we get things wrong and to
apologise. Throughout this period, we
continued to listen to pupil and parent
feedback and to do our best to adjust
accordingly. Such adjustments were,
of course, complicated by the fact that
we were not together as a staff on site.
Henry Exham, our Head of Digital
Learning, came into his own in this
period and I owe him (as so many
others) an enormous debt of gratitude
for his responsiveness, his capacity for
innovation and his patience.
It is only really now, after the frenetic
summer of administering the Centre
Assessed Grade process and navigating
through the various chicanes and
gullies of August, that I am able to
look back and properly reflect on
that period and ask myself what I feel
about it. The actual memories I have
are remarkably fleeting: long hours
spent in the spare room, hunched
over a screen desperately trying to
deliver Latin lessons over Zoom from
behind increasingly unruly locks of
hair; meetings of the Heads of Faculty
where one was constantly trying to
read the body language of over 30
individuals with varying levels of
internet connectivity. But the emotions
are profound and there are two that
predominate.
The first of these is a remarkable sense
of being humbled. Humbled by the
enthusiasm, support and determination
of the teaching staff, by the capacity for
creativity and innovation of colleagues
and by the patience, tenacity and
confidence of the pupils who rose
to every challenge with characteristic
aplomb.
The second is, peculiarly, a remarkable
and enduring sense of fun. Anybody
who knows me even remotely well will
know that I am fuelled by an awkward
brand of humour that is two parts
cynicism and one part absurd. On the
20th March, we were standing on the
brink of a terrifying chasm. It would
have been the easiest thing in the world
to have stared into it and descended
into a profound despair. In my case, I
was fortunate enough to have around
me the sort of friends who are not only
willing to laugh (albeit with a quasimaniacal
tone) in the face of adversity,
but to leave you in no doubt that they
are going to help you find the way out.
Surviving and Thriving (2)
The Co-Curriculum
Summer/
Michaelmas 2020
For the uninitiated, ‘Co-Curriculum’
is a relatively recent coinage which
basically means all school-organised
activities outside the classroom. Thus
the term embraces not only sports and
the performing arts, but in the context
of Shrewsbury School life, societies and
Thursday afternoon activities. Peter
Middleton, Deputy Head (Co-Curricular)
explains how a full co-curricular
programme was managed and enjoyed
during the ‘remote’ Summer Term, and
how it has continued in the first half
of the Michaelmas Term, adapted to
COVID-19 conditions.
It has often been said that a Salopian
is ‘good company at a dinner party
and excellent in a shipwreck’. There’s
no doubting the former; whether
or not the latter has been tested
out in reality remains largely – and
thankfully – unknown. Were a
Salopian ever to find themselves in
such a situation, however, such is
their resourcefulness and resilience
that you could put money on them
not just surviving, but thriving.
Such resourcefulness and resilience
has, of course, been required in no
small measure during the last nine
months both during the Summer Term
lockdown period and likewise as we
have returned to campus living and
learning in the Michaelmas Term. It has,
in many senses, been a testing time for
the co-curriculum, forced, as we have
been, to adapt to an entirely different
way of delivering our programme. Yet
it has likewise been an exciting and
invigorating time that has witnessed
incredible creativity, ingenuity and
energy both from pupils and from staff.
So what do you need to survive and
thrive? Well, the following survival kit
proved pretty useful in getting through
the Summer Term remote period:
1. Flotation Device
First up you need some way of staying
afloat. We were determined that the
co-curricular programme – key as it
is to a Salopian education – would
remain integral to the pupil experience
during lockdown. Tossed into the vast
unknown of previously unchartered
waters, we needed to pull together
an entirely new mechanism for
supporting and developing our pupils’
development in the co-curricular
spheres. Redesigned within a new
framework centred on four Salopian
strands (Active; Expressive; Intellective;
Reflective) a vast vessel of over 60
activities was offered to pupils, some
remodelled and reframed for virtual
delivery, others entirely new offerings

SCHOOL NEWS 11
available for the first time. Pupils
signed up in their droves and engaged
positively and meaningfully with the
programme, not just staying afloat but
positively buoyant.
2. Compass
Equally important is the need for a
navigational aid. A compass provides
a sense of direction, helps you find
your way when lost at sea, ensures you
don’t just drift aimlessly. Our compass
was set on a clear route as we looked
to get through the term in remote,
ensuring that we remained focused on
our destination. This was perhaps best
exemplified by the cast of the new
Shrewsbury School musical Gatsby, a
show that was due both to open the
new Barnes Theatre during Salopian
Week and then subsequently travel
to Edinburgh to be performed at the
Fringe. Neither, alas, proved possible,
but at no point did the cast and crew
give up. Instead, in true Salopian
style, they persevered in remote and
continued on their journey. Two of the
numbers were produced for inclusion
in the virtual Speech Day programme
and it is hoped that the show will get
its première in due course. The ship
may have docked for now, but it’s
ready to set sail again as soon as the
waters are calm enough!
3. Sustenance
Shrewsbury’s wide-ranging cocurriculum
seeks to nurture and
develop pupils’ interests and talents,
providing the inspiration for our pupils
to truly thrive. For many Salopians, it
is their participation in these pursuits
that makes their time at Shrewsbury so
special. We therefore wanted to ensure
that we continued to nourish those
interests, finding creative means of
supporting pupils working around the
challenges and parameters faced. Some
were easier than others to deliver:
the Model United Nations team were
quickly up and running, for instance,
with Zoom providing a relatively
efficient alternative to the debate and
discussion format. Others, particularly
sport, were more challenging, but with
a fair dose of imagination and a ‘can
do’ approach, these challenges proved
surmountable. Cricketers, for example,
were not only able to tap into online
skills sessions but were also treated
to Q&A sessions with professional
cricketers including former England star
James Taylor. The Boat Club likewise
supported the rowers through the
lockdown period with considerable
dedication, and many of the pupils
rose to the challenge of completing the
354km ‘Conquer the Severn Challenge’.
Wherever there were challenges, you
could bank on a team ready to take
them on!
4. Cord
Having a means of binding things
together also proves useful in a survival
scenario. There were many ‘connecting
threads’ through the remote period that
served to bind the Salopian community
together, whether it was the weekly
virtual Floreat celebrations of pupil
endeavour, enterprise and initiative, or
the virtual concerts, drama showcases
and weekly Grandstand-style Sports
Roundup. All were means by which we
could bring the Salopian community
back together and collectively share
and celebrate with each other wherever
we were in the world. The highlight,
perhaps, was the virtual Speech Day
at the end of the term which found
a creative means of marking the end
of the year with suitable style and
panache.
5. Means of lighting a fire
Most important of all, however, was
the ability to continue supporting our
pupils, providing the kindling to inspire
and ignite interest. That has always
been a core aim of the co-curriculum
and, in difficult circumstances, the
staff’s ingenuity ensured that these
fires of passion continued to burn,
and new ones were lit. A Dragon’s
Den-style activity provided opportunity
for budding entrepreneurs; the Great
Shrewsbury Bakeoff saw some
quite incredible culinary creations
(including the Main School Building in
cake form!), whilst the newly-created
Peel Society was a weekly highlight
for many as they explored an eclectic
range of musical genres and artists.
Future explorers had their appetite
whetted with the How to Become an
Adventurer sessions, pupils learned
new skills in the Calligraphy activity,
and the Magic Masterclass saw Sixth
Form maestro Rohan McCourt pass
on some of his considerable skills and
sleight of hand, igniting new passions
and developing skills in the next
generation of magicians.
The Summer Term may have been
about simple survival, but the return
to campus living and learning in the
Michaelmas Term saw us back to more
familiar territory and enjoying the rich
variety of Salopian life on site once
again. In the early part of term, we
benefited from some quite glorious
late summer weather, but more than
anything it was the radiance of a
campus revived with the sights and
sounds of pupils and staff coming back
together again that made for such a
vibrant first term back.
The campus has seen an absolute
feast of activity, with the first weekend
back a fine example. The Third Form
race – with three waves set off at
intervals – saw our new pupils don
their house vests for the first time,
whilst the football and hockey fields
were similarly awash with the vibrant
spectrum of house colours as fiercely
contested Inter-House matches filled
the first Saturday afternoon.
It got even better. The first Sunday
saw seven hours of Inter-House cricket
matches for the boys and an inaugural
girls’ House Football competition.
The former is something of a familiar

12
SCHOOL NEWS
sight on the School Site (albeit not
normally in September); the latter was
an historic first and the atmosphere on
those pitches and sidelines was really
something to behold. New Director
of Sport Andrew Pembleton and his
team deserve considerable praise for
the work they put in to getting sport
up and running and, whilst there have
been fewer fixtures than normal, the
sports fields have certainly been full
of activity this term and our pupils’
sporting development well supported.
Societies and Activities have been
as vibrant as ever with staff putting
together a dynamic and imaginative
programme. The Third Form BASE
programme has seen pupils coracle
building and wild cooking, the Institute
of Leadership and Management
mentoring programme has carried over
into this term to considerable success,
whilst Rovers and the CCF have
delivered wide-ranging activities on
campus that have been greatly enjoyed
by all. MUN is likewise in full swing
and plans are afoot for Shrewsbury to
host an historic first online conference
next term. Meanwhile the Senior House
Debating competition has seen a
high standard of debate with motions
including the ominous proposition that
‘This House would replace teachers
with computers’. Thankfully the motion
wasn’t passed.
The brand new Barnes Theatre has
been something of a talking point as
our pupils have returned, and our
dancers and actors were positively
buzzing to have such an amazing
facility to come back to. A sprung-floor
dance studio (with the most glorious
view down the tree-lined avenue of
Central) has seen hundreds of Salopians
already taking advantage of the facility,
with the number of pupils taking part
in dance – both girls and boys – higher
than ever. GCSE Drama and A Level
Theatre Studies groups performed to
small and socially-distanced audiences,
whilst the second half of term saw
House Plays from Severn Hill (The Real
Inspector Hound) and The Grove (Pride
and Prejudice). Shrewsbury’s proud
tradition of drama and the performing
arts looks forward to some very
exciting years ahead in its new home.
The Site has likewise been alive with
the sound of music and it has been
a real joy to see and hear our pupils
getting back to playing together
again. New Director of Music Stephen
Williams and his team have put
together a wide variety of ensembles
for our musicians to participate in,
and a first concert of the year – the
traditional New Entrants’ Concert –
took place in the Alington Hall to
an audience of Third Form pupils
sitting in their House bubbles. One
of the highlights of the term has
been the weekly ‘Thirty in the Foyer’
lunchtime concerts, a moment of
serenity amidst the busyness of school
life, whilst a reformatted version of
House Singing will conclude the
Michaelmas Term with a combination
of live performances of Part Song
arrangements and pre-recorded Unison
videos, all of which will be broadcast
to parents and pupils through a live
stream. It promises to be one of the
highlights of the term.
It has, of course, not quite been a case
of back to normal, but whilst there
are parameters to work around and
challenges remain, in many senses life
on campus is not so different from
what we’re used to. The place is abuzz
with activity, the campus alive with
melodies from the Maidment Building,
dialogue from the theatre and exertions
from the sports fields. With activity
largely based on site, the sense of
community has been more palpable
than ever, and the restrictions we’ve
faced haven’t dampened the Salopian
spirit. If anything, they have only
served to embolden it.
The analogy of the shipwreck is
perhaps not so apt after all. It turns
out that the good ship Shrewsbury has
weathered the storm and is very much
afloat. Full steam ahead!

SCHOOL NEWS 13
Surviving and Thriving (3)
Pastoral Care ‘in remote’
The role of the Housemaster/Housemistress is first and foremost a pastoral role. Standing, as he or she
does, in loco parentis, the wellbeing of pupils under his/her care is paramount. Deputy Head (Pastoral)
Anna Peak looks back on how the Housemaster/mistress body met this challenge
during the remote Summer Term.
The pastoral role of the
Housemaster/mistress is at the
very heart of our community. A
house ensemble requires its leader
to sensitively conduct the ebb and
flow of the energetic, fun-loving
and interesting personalities within.
It is a job which at its heart is the
joy of having a thousand different
conversations daily about a range of
topics, and of being frequently taught
new things by the pupils alongside
whom we live. Our pupils are the
heartbeat of the School, and for those
of us on and around site during the
Summer Term 2020, their absence,
and the silence that came with it,
was overwhelming.
Human beings are social animals.
We do not need Darwin to remind
us of this evolutionary characteristic.
Whether we like the company of
many, or a select few, the truth is we
have built modern society through
social interactions, although not
always positive. Every fragment of
communication we create builds or
weakens social bonds. As a species
we enjoy coming together to share
common values and beliefs. There
is no better environment than the
comforting arms of a community. It
is only at our most comfortable that
we are willing to risk failure, to try
something different, because we know
we will be caught when we fall. It was
with these thoughts in mind that we
designed our pastoral framework for
the remote period. We knew that we
needed to keep talking, to be there to
support the pupils as we all entered
into the unknown together, and most
importantly we knew that we must
create familiar and solid foundations
on which the uncertainty of this
‘new normal’ could be tested and
experienced.
It was never going to be easy to check
in with all pupils across multiple time
zones, single out those in need of
further support, set systems up, circle
back to make sure the support was
working and engage with families
if needed. Add to this the need
to keep a sense of house identity
during this time and keep year group
dynamics working, and you can start
to appreciate what the landscape of
remote pastoral care was beginning
to look like. How would those being
supported by social services fair as
services began to suffer with staff
shortages outside the School’s control,
and how could we ensure those who
needed to continue with more complex
counselling and mental health support
could achieve this whilst confined to
their own homes?
An early consideration we had
was whether you can effectively
Housemaster/mistress through Zoom.
As useful as it is, with its amusing
renaming options and mute function, it
is hardly socially satisfying. You don’t
get the humorous asides, the supportive
glances, the feel of a hand on the
shoulder. Yet despite the challenges,
the time constraints, and hours it
required of them in front of the screen,
our pastoral staff wrapped their virtual
arms around their Houses in remote
and kept a sense of normal, to make
sure what was needed was achieved.
But it of course felt very different from
our usual way of working. We worked
from a timetable of interactions that
each Housemaster/mistress followed,
on the face of it a very strange and
controlled way to interact, but essential
if we were to ensure no one was left
out. Despite the fact teachers are used
to working off timetables, this felt an
odd way to plan pastoral care. It’s not a
‘paint by numbers’ role, it’s something
that is felt, a need that is sensed and
then reacted to. We operated through
a year group session twice a week,
once with the Housemaster/mistress
and once with the tutor, a weekly
1:1 session for all pupils with their
Housemaster/mistress, then adding
whole house daily recorded community
messages and challenges into the mix
as well.
At this juncture I believe it is worth
pausing to acknowledge that pupils
in remote experienced the usual
pattern of good and bad days that
were really no different to when they
are physically with us. The common
issues faced across all year groups
related to an ‘all over the place’ feeling
of being unmoored; a very normal
reaction to the unfamiliar. Pupils were
reporting tiring easily, despite the more
sedentary lifestyle they were operating
under. Their brains were working
hard, juggling complex tasks whilst
dealing with the different routines.
Other common support centred around
reactions to the fact that for some,
future-based goals, projects and dreams
had disappeared overnight, and of
course for our exam year groups the
unknown really was unknown right
up to the last minute and beyond. We
encouraged the pupils not to worry
and reassured them that what they

14
SCHOOL NEWS
were feeling was a normal reaction,
encouraging them to concentrate on
the task at hand rather than worrying
about the future, to understand that
working to short-term goals was a far
safer way for them to cope.
The energy, creativity, adaptability and
tenacity the Housemasters/mistresses
demonstrated to shape the care
provided through this framework was
incredible, and as term wore on they
continued to reinvent to keep things
fresh and listened to feedback from
the pupils as to how this framework
felt from their point of view, allowing
them to adapt and flex to their needs
as and when it was suitable. They
produced activities to keep their
communities engaged and encouraged
group charity work. They continued to
go above and beyond by supporting
wider families members, always there
at the end of the phone to listen when
people needed someone outside their
immediate lockdown crew to talk
to, even if all that was needed was
agreement that the situation, to put it
politely, was ‘not ideal’. In the Summer
Term Housemasters/Mistresses made
more than 8000 phone calls, tutors
held 750+ Zoom tutor meetings across
the Third, Fourth and Fifth Form, and
another 4000+ phone calls were made
by tutors to members of the Sixth Form.
These statistics certainly underline BT’s
current advertising slogan ‘Beyond
Limits’.
Would I relish the idea of repeating
the experience? I dare not commit
those thoughts to paper. However,
should we be required to, we have an
excellent blueprint by which to operate.
I also know that those pupils who
experienced our care last term, and
returned a year older and wiser to us
this September, have been extremely
grateful for the support they received
during the very odd term that was
Summer 2020. It is their endorsement
which is the most important. It was
indeed a very strange term, but thrive
we did, thanks to the hard work and
dedication of the pastoral team, the
willingness of all to make the term
work and by putting the pupils at the
heart of everything we did.
Letter from a Housemaster
Part of the remote pastoral care plan put in place for the Summer term involved the emailing of a
weekly letter to parents and guardians with the overriding purpose of preserving a sense of a House
community continuing to function in remote. An example follows.
Sunday 3rd May 2020
Dear parents and guardians,
I am proud to report that at the end of Week 2 I feel
marginally less incompetent than I did at the end of Week
1, but the road ahead is still long and hard, as I often find
myself saying in your sons’ reports.
After the very positive flurry of academic activity from most
of the boys last week, I was worried that there would be a
reaction this week, but I am happy to report that the opposite
seems to have been the case. We all seem to have grown
used to new ways of working, and there have been fewer
absence notifications or negative pupil comments than there
were last week, and even more commendations – 50 to be
precise, covering nearly half the House. So thank you boys,
and thank you parents for all you are doing to remain on the
straight and narrow (boys, and perhaps parents), and help
your sons to do so. I have had many individual conversations
with the boys this week and all those I have spoken to
continue to insist that, much as they are enjoying home
comforts, they would prefer to be back at school, which is as
it should be.
We have tried to keep House routines as normal as possible
in these bizarre times: Fifth Form beer last night, a Head
of House meeting at 9pm tonight, and of course the Zoom
whole-House callovers. After a virtually full attendance
on Thursday, we were 12 or so short today, and I will
move away from this Sunday midday slot, which is clearly
inconvenient for some families.
I am happy to report large-scale involvement in the extracurricular
programme and am very grateful for all you
continue to do to encourage this. I myself participated in
the choir anthem broadcast in the virtual Chapel service
this morning, which, doubtless owing to the wonders of
technology, probably sounds a little better than it ought to.
Fifth and Upper Sixth parents should all have received an
email explaining the procedure for assessing exam grades.
As I think I mentioned before, I am not allowed to enter
into any kind of discussion about this either with the boys or
yourselves, and any queries should be addressed to Maurice
Walters at mhw@shrewsbury.org.uk. What I can say is that I
have been extremely impressed by the level of engagement
shown by most members of both year groups in the exam
preparation finishing school which has marked the first
section of the term.
Which of course finishes with Coach Weekend, starting next
Thursday at 1pm and ending on Sunday evening at 9pm.
A chance for us all to take a breather.
Partly owing to technological challenges, we were unable
to announce the winner of the video cooking challenge at
callover today, but should be able to do so tomorrow. I have
seen two superb examples, one of them immensely funny,
and I gather there are several more.
This week’s challenge will be a Cahoot quiz on the history of the
School and of Churchill’s, which in the latter case will test how
observant they are in their perambulations around the House.
I’ll close now – less is more and you may already think that
this is more rather than less. Please of course be in touch
with any query or concern you may have at any time, no
matter how trivial it may seem.
Very best wishes to you all, as ever
Response from one parent to ‘Transfer of Care’ request sent out to preserve an impression of normality:
[Molesworth] will be moving swiftly by foot from the dining table to the study sofa this afternoon. He will probably stay
there, on and off, until 9pm on Sunday. If we can persuade him to leave the premises, we will of course let you know.
But it seems so unlikely!

SCHOOL NEWS 15
Remote Learning – Under the Technological Bonnet
Henry Exham, Housemaster of Oldham’s Hall and Head of Digital Learning, gives a flavour of the
technological infrastructure which enabled the School to cope with the challenges of remote learning.
What technology do you actually need to run a successful
remote learning programme? Well, to start with you
need to make sure that teachers have suitable devices at home
to deliver the curriculum and pupils have what they need
to access it. Fortunately, we brought in a 1:1 device policy a
few years ago which means all pupils have a suitable laptop
and teaching staff are issued with a Microsoft Surface. In fact,
we now specifically recommend a Surface device for our
new pupils as well. With their flexible design they are ideal
for learning on, the stylus allowing pupils to hand write and
interact with their device in a more creative way.
Next, we needed a way for teachers to deliver lessons. We
developed a combination of methods to allow for this, with
some content each week being delivered live on Zoom, but
the majority pre-recorded material of the teacher delivering
the content. This was done on our secure media server called
Planet eStream which teachers had used before, although not
for this specific purpose. Pre-recorded material allowed pupils
to access the material anytime regardless of time zone which
was a real benefit. Both methods allowed the pupils to see and
feel connected to their teachers. Teachers could also share their
device screen to go through presentations, worked examples,
texts or upload videos of practical demonstrations.
Following this you need a platform to distribute learning
resources and set Top Schools on; a Virtual Learning
Environment (VLE). We had already been using Firefly for
the past five years for this purpose so there was a wealth of
resources available and a tried and tested system we knew the
pupils and teachers would be happy with. This allowed work
to be set by the teachers, completed digitally by the pupils,
marked by the teachers and then feedback provided. Over the
course of the Summer Term many teachers also started using
Microsoft OneNote for this workflow. OneNote allows for
digital inking on any piece of work and the ability to provide
audio feedback which is very powerful when in remote. As
usual excellent work was rewarded with commendations
and late or poor pieces of work were followed up by the
Housemaster in their weekly phone call with the pupil.
We were even able to deliver end of year assessments via
Microsoft Forms. Although near impossible to replicate an
exam experience using such a tool with pupils at home, it did
provide a way to simply check progress and understanding.
So, we had the nuts and bolts, but we also were keen to use
technology to try and make sure that pupils were not learning
in isolation. We needed them to also learn from each other and
feel part of a class. Zoom lessons helped here, as did the use
of discussion forums on Firefly, but the social learning platform
Flipgrid proved to be most effective. Flipgrid allows the teacher
to create a stimulus for discussion and the pupils post their
video responses on the secure page. They can watch each
other’s and respond. There were some incredibly imaginative
applications of this platform seen across the faculties.
The last piece of the puzzle was to build in some variety
because although we felt this programme would mean we
could deliver the curriculum, it would become very repetitive
having all your subjects delivered in this way for the whole
term. Therefore, every week I sent out fresh ideas and
applications for the teachers to try and implement. There was
plenty of live gamification using Kahoot and Quizlet. Seneca
learning provided a fun way to revise. Padlet walls created a
platform for sharing and collaboration. Microsoft Sway was
used as an alternative presentation tool for a Natural History
project (see page 26). One of the best examples of innovation
was the use of OneNote to make digital Escape Rooms
where pupils had to solve a puzzle to be able to unlock the
subsequent page: this continued until they reached the last
page and got the final clue to escape!
There is no doubt that the pandemic has caused significant
disruption, but in the sphere of technology this has been
positive allowing for rapid adoption and implementation that
would have taken years. I have been overwhelmed by the
ability of colleagues to pick up new digital skills and apply
them to their teaching methods. Likewise, our pupils have
developed new independent learning and digital skills that will
stand them in good stead for the next phase of their education
and life after school.

16
SCHOOL NEWS
Avete
Henry Bennett joins
the Philosophy and
Theology Faculty
from St Edward’s
School Oxford, having
graduated from
Durham University.
He is a keen sportsman and at
St Edward’s coached rugby and
junior rowing crews and was Head
of Tennis. In his spare time he enjoys
golf, skiing and cycling.
Louisa Corcoran
JP joins the History
Faculty. Louisa
assists with the
Debating Society, is
assembling a new
Law Society and will
be responsible for the mock trial
competition. Alongside teaching,
Louisa is an H.M. Coroner and
magistrate. Outside of work, she
is a member of the UK and the
International Associations of Women
Judges, which is her commitment to
equal rights for women and to the
rule of law. Louisa is also an avid
reader, walker and likes to travel.
Chloe Fagan joins
the English Faculty
from The Perse
School where she was
also Middle School
Tutor, games coach
and Assistant Charities
Co-ordinator. Chloe has experience
of costume design for whole-school
productions and at The Perse ran a
weekly drama club among a range
of other co-curricular activities. Her
personal interests include running
and hiking, art history and theatre,
playing netball and tennis.
Hannah Gale joins
the Chemistry Faculty
from Ormiston Sir
Stanley Matthews
Academy where
she was Teacher of
Science and Head
of KS3 Science.
Hannah was also responsible for
mentoring trainee teachers and ran
the KS3 STEM Club and the Science
Club. Hannah has a keen interest in
the outdoors, particularly mountain
biking and walking, and is passionate
about performing arts and dance.
Kayleigh Maw
joins us as Assistant
Director of Sport. She
was previously Head
of Elite Performance
at Cheadle Hulme
School where she was
responsible for the Sports Scholarship
Scheme, taught academic PE and was
also Head of Hockey. Kayleigh is a
competitive hockey player; she was
selected for the Welsh Senior Hockey
team aged 19 and has continued
to compete at national level. She is
currently captain of a team competing
in the English Hockey Premier
League. Kayleigh has attended many
Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and
has a passion for mountain biking,
camping and walking.
Hannah Morrey joins the English
Faculty from Hanford School, where
she was Teacher of English and
on the Senior Leadership Team as
Head of Boarding. She also worked
in Admissions at a previous school.
Hannah enjoys running and is a keen
walker. Last year she completed three
100km ultra challenges, raising money
for charity.
Ana Pedraza
Rascado (known as
Ana Pedraza) joins us
as Head of Spanish
from Bromsgrove
School. Alongside
teaching Spanish,
Ana has been involved in PSHE work
around mental health, self-esteem
and wellbeing. She also worked as
Assistant Housemistress for three
years in a previous school. Ana’s
interests include theatre, dance and
costume making, and she is currently
involved in charity work helping
homeless young people.
Andrew Pembleton
joins us as Director of
Sport from Millfield
School where
he was Assistant
Director of Sport and
before that Head of
Physical Education
at Marlborough College. Andrew
is a world Rugby Level III coach
having coached at representative
level in New Zealand and a qualified
RFU referee and has been heavily
involved in rugby, hockey and tennis
at Millfield. Andrew enjoys cycling,
snow sports and travelling. He is an
avid reader and has written many
articles for the Millfield Independent
School Parent Magazine.
Nicola Perkins
joins the Design
and Technology
Department from
The Leys School,
where she was
Head of Design and
Technology and Co-ordinator of
STEM. Nicola has been extensively
involved in coaching cross-country
and represented Wales at crosscountry
at under-20 level.
Sue Skipper joins
us as Teacher
of Mathematics
(maternity cover).
She is an experienced
Mathematics teacher
and recently moved to the UK from
South Africa with her husband Mike
Skipper (Head of Academic Music).
Alongside teaching Mathematics,
Sue has also worked in Learning
Support. In her last role she was
Deputy Housemistress and part of
the pastoral team. She has also been
involved in community outreach
programmes, organised Readathons,
run a Speakers’ Society and provided
after-hours tutoring.
Amy Smiter joins us
as Head of Physics
from the Priory
School where she was
also Head of Physics.
She has been Head of
Department in three
previous schools. Amy has also run
STEM Clubs and in a previous role,
became the Institute of Physics Future
Physics Leader for the Telford region,
with the aim of raising standards of
Physics teaching in socially deprived
areas. Amy’s interests include
hiking and jogging, music, furniture
renovation, knitting and board games.
Amy is married to Adam Smiter.
Stephen Williams
has taken over
from John Moore as
Director of Music. He
was a professional
singer and conductor
for 20 years and
more recently has
extensive experience of running
music departments: he joins us from
Bryanston School where he was
Director of Music, having previously

SCHOOL NEWS 17
been Director of Music at Uppingham
School for 11 years. Stephen’s nonmusical
interests include running and
climbing, and he has experience of
high-altitude mountaineering. He also
enjoys reading contemporary fiction.
John Wright joins us as Housemaster
of Churchill’s Hall from Winchester
College, where he was Head of
Geography. He also spent three
years as an Assistant Housemaster
at Winchester College. John coaches
football, hockey and tennis and is
also experienced in running overseas
and residential educational trips.
He has previously been involved in
the CCF Royal Marines Section with
weekly training and camp adventure
training. He
has also been
a Chaplaincy
Tutor, giving
termly talks in
Chapel and to
the Christian
Union.
Valete
John Moore
Director of Music
1989-2020
Richard Hudson writes:
I have known John for most of his 31 years at Shrewsbury,
since 1996 when our late son Sebastian arrived as a music
scholar. The way John looked after and nurtured him, and
supported the whole Hudson family when he died in 2001
showed the true nature of friendship, subsequently extended
to our other three children all of whom were involved, along
with their father, as band members in successive Edinburgh
Fringe productions.
Over a socially distanced glass or two of wine the other
night, JFM and I reminisced about a handful of the more
memorable moments we have shared on various school
music tours, reminding me once again, as if I need any
reminding, of the formidable energy, charisma and wit of this
amazingly versatile musician. Countless stunning concerts
here in Shrewsbury, at venues in Paris, Austria, Germany,
Italy, France and the US, in St John’s Smith Square, the
Cadogan Hall, Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall
and most recently the University have been well documented,
as have at least ten trips to the Edinburgh Fringe with musicals,
the vast majority of which he composed himself, working
with other legendary names from the past: Peter Fanning,
Alex Went, Peter Hankin and in the present day with Helen
Brown, most recently on Gatsby which I still hope will see
the light of day, or at any rate the stage lights at Shrewsbury
or in Edinburgh, or maybe both.
How best to sing this man’s praises? I thought I’d dwell
briefly on four of John’s qualities which in my view have
made him such a superb Director of Music over so many
years. I have had the advantage of having sat through and
occasionally played in (you see we have a lot of bars rest to
count as trombonists!) countless rehearsals and performances
under his baton.
First is John’s ability to achieve absolute control through
the force of his personality, the unqualified respect for his
musicianship which is shown by young and old, and his
rare ability to see into the soul of the music he is asking you
to perform. I have never seen John issue a sanction; in fact
I suspect he has never given one. He hasn’t needed to. His
pupils will always do the best they can, and never want to let
him down.
Secondly, his prodigious knowledge and understanding of the
repertoire – a man equally at home with classical music, jazz
or rock, and perhaps just as importantly, a man who can relate
equally well to the practitioners of each. I have seen this at first
hand not only in the classical concert hall but in smoky jazz bars
in Prague.
Thirdly, of course, his amazing skill both as a piano soloist and
accompanist. You’d be hard-pushed to find a finer sight-reader
anywhere in the country. To hear him navigate his way through
the most technically brutal and unpianistic of saxophone

18 SCHOOL NEWS
accompaniments, usually with minimal time to rehearse, is an
experience in itself. But there again, John is the greatest and
most convincing of improvisers, perhaps not only in his playing.
And one more, less glamorous, quality. John is willing to get
his hands dirty. It’s never been his style to leave to minions
the tedious practical work of getting stands on and off stage,
sorting music or moving instruments. He is always the last to
leave the venue, ready to load that nearly forgotten side-drum
into the van.
I could on for ever. I guess the secret of John’s success,
beyond his raw technical ability, has been his astonishing
skill as a communicator, equally at home with the School
Symphony Orchestra, his Community Choir, parents or Old
Salopians, whom he has entertained at numerous functions
over so many years.
John’s period of tenure spanned four headmasters,
each very different in style and temperament, two of
them highly accomplished musicians in their own right.
Generations of Grove boys will remember him as an
inspiring tutor acting in a partnership made heaven with
Housemaster Peter Fanning to nurture a House which
pulsated with creative energy, an energy which long
survived the departure of Fanning and John’s move to
Churchill’s, in an open act of seduction by the writer (and
his co-leaver).
By accident as well as design, John and I are ending up
retiring at the same moment. I feel honoured to be retiring
in this truly great man’s shadow, delighted that we will
continue to be working together on a joint project in our
respective post-teaching lives.
Richard Hudson
Staff 2003-2020
Housemaster, Churchill’s Hall 2007-2020
Mike Tonks writes:
To think – it’s 17 years since a sprightly 50-year-old Richard
Hudson joined the Shrewsbury School Common Room, his
first teaching job after a career in publishing. During that
time, he has always ensured that no matter what other roles
he has taken on he has always been, first and foremost an
inspirational teacher of English. But we can add to this 13
years of Housemastering, editor of the The Salopian magazine,
stalwart of school music, director of house plays, participant
in numerous Edinburgh Fringe productions, Governor of a
number of prep schools, in recent years putting us all to shame
with his adventures as a running machine.
As Housemaster Richard has, in my view, been a beacon for
the timeless qualities of decency, civility, fair-mindedness and
integrity. But don’t let that lead you to believe that winning
doesn’t really matter in the house of Blue. Oh no, I can tell you
that beneath that mild-mannered exterior beats the heart of a
truly fierce competitor who always, and I mean always, wants
Churchill’s to win.
It became clear to me fairly early on in his time at the helm
of Churchill’s that while the finer pursuits of debating, music,
house singing, Bentley etc were important and came easily,
there was another area of life that he really wanted Churchill’s
to excel at and that was football. With the faithful labrador
Toby at his side, he was legendary among the boys for his
half-time team talks that were able to encapsulate the nuances
and intricacies of the beautiful game. Rather than extolling the
virtues of total football or overlapping wing backs, the Hudson
directive was clear: ‘Come on boys! It’s not complicated. You
just have to score more goals than they do!’
Being part of the musical life of the School has also been
fundamental to Richard’s time here. Big Band tours to Prague,
playing with the orchestra in numerous locations across the
country, Richard has been at the heart of all things musical.
If time permitted, I could regale you with stories of Richard
falling foul of the Cumbrian police on his way to Edinburgh
Festival while driving a van full of instruments, costumes
and antique rifles, being detained at the weighbridge with
his tailgate having happily bounced along much of the M6.
Even in such circumstances I am reliably informed that his
unswerving positivity found time for a hearty fry-up after
a night in the cab of the grounded van, followed by the
purchase of a CD from the services – the CD being entitled
‘Trucking Greats’.
Several colleagues have commented on Richard’s forgetfulness.
He is infamous for regularly forgetting or misplacing keys,
scarf, hat, bike, colleagues’ names and yes even his car. A
journey to Tally was cut short and tracks retraced as Richard
had forgotten Toby the dog. I am also led to believe there
was even an occasion where he attended the Leavers’ Ball
only realising part-way through the event that he had left his
daughter waiting for him in Churchill’s.
My own time with Richard has been terrific and we have been
through an interesting period in Shrewsbury’s history. We have
spent many hours over the years in open, frank and honest
conversation about the state of the Shrewsbury nation. We
didn’t always necessarily agree but such conversations were
always warm, humane, supportive and with the best interests
of Shrewsbury School at heart. At a time when many navigate
life with such apparent certainty, I have always found Richard’s
openness to self-doubt and reflection hugely impressive.
In summary Richard Hudson is quite simply the stuff of legend.
He possesses an irreverent wit and a fearlessness in the face of
authority. He is a colleague who when he asks ‘How are you?’
gives you a sense that it is a genuine enquiry and not merely
a nod to social niceties. A fierce campaigner for reasonable
degrees of Housemaster autonomy, Richard has run Churchill’s
with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye that suggests
to those of us who know him that he perhaps sees rules as
being for the obedience of fools but the guidance of wise
men. He has ensured that all who come into contact with him
are reminded of what it genuinely means to be a Salopian:
understated achievement, compassion, an innate respect for
all things scholarly and a genuine care for his fellow man.
Richard, you will be greatly missed.

SCHOOL NEWS
19
Nicola Bradburne
Staff 2008-2020
Arriving in 2008 from Idsall as Head of Girls’ Games before any girls had
joined Shrewsbury School, Nicola’s brief - to build up and establish girls’
games as Shrewsbury evolved to into a fully co-educational school - was
as large as it was successful. She took girls’ games from zero to where
it is today, with Shrewsbury enjoying a national reputation in Fives,
Hunt, Rowing, Cricket, Lacrosse and increasingly in netball and hockey.
Nicola’s pastoral strengths, in her dealings with both girls and boys,
were legendary, the latter much in evidence in Severn Hill, where she
tutored, briefly as Assistant to the Housemaster, throughout her 12 years
at Shrewsbury, during which time she also had to battle serious illness
while raising her family. Nicola has moved to become a Housemistress at
Ashville College, Harrogate, where husband Dom is Director of Sport.
Martin Kirk
Staff 2010-2020
Andy Briggs writes:
Martin joined Shrewsbury in 2010 as Head of Physics, having previously
taught at Thomas Telford School, his move coinciding with that of his
beloved football team ‘The Toon’ to the Premier League after winning the
Championship early in the year.
During the ten years he was at Shrewsbury he moved forward the success
and strength of the Physics Department. Cheerful, friendly, reliable,
hard-working, resourceful and patient, these were just some of his many
qualities that helped him lead his dynamic department.
He was a much valued tutor, first of all in Ingram’s under Mike Wright,
and for the past few years in Emma Darwin Hall. He was a central pillar
of the Rovers’ Thursday Afternoon activity where he could indulge his
great passion for hill walking.
The Shropshire hills and his garden now beckon. Martin is also looking
forward to spending more time with his second love – after Vicky of
course – the Lake District, hopefully also catching an occasional game at
St James’ Park.
Lesley Drew
Staff 2011-2020
Helen Brown writes:
My father once told me that every institution needs a
conscience: someone who has no interest in politics
or personal advancement and is prepared to hold the
institution that they work for to a higher standard. For
the last eight years, Shrewsbury’s conscience has been
Lesley Drew. As an inspirational English teacher, a caring
and deeply committed tutor and as teacher-in-charge of
Charities, Lesley’s integrity and kindness were at the heart
of the Shrewsbury common room.
She arrived at Shrewsbury after a distinguished teaching
career that had taken her from Shropshire to the plains of
Africa and back again. Lesley’s connection with Malawi
was one of her greatest legacies to Shrewsbury, forging a
link between the school and the charity, Medic Malawi,
that allowed many generations of Salopians to experience
life-changing visits to one of the world’s poorest countries.
She also acted as liaison between Shrewsbury and The
Shewsy, our youth club in Everton, regularly leading
residential trips for both Shrewsbury students and Shewsy
members. Under Lesley’s aegis, fundraising at Shrewsbury
reached impressive heights, with hundreds of thousands of
pounds making its way to a variety of worthy causes.
As a teacher, Lesley was endlessly patient; she loved
teaching bottom sets and was particularly devoted to the
SEN students in her care. Her dogged determination that
every student could – and would – enjoy literature was an
enormous gift to the many students who passed through
her classroom. I was personally enormously grateful for
her contributions to the Drama faculty, where she worked
for many years. Lesley has retired to Sussex, where she
looks forward to gardening, amateur dramatics and being a
grandmother.

20 SCHOOL NEWS
Andrew Murfin
Staff 2014-20
Will Hughes writes:
Even though I managed to get Andrew a period of extra time
in this piece to do justice to his achievements, it is now time
to show him the red card and order him off to Bryanston.
Red is certainly an appropriate colour when discussing ‘Murf’,
as he is the man who gave Kukri the red card, changing the
Shrewsbury staff kit from conservative navy blue to fiery red,
giving birth to the Red Army. Among Andrew’s other notable
achievements, surely one of the greatest must be being the
coach of an unbeaten U14B football team, which earned
him the tag of Jose Murfino and elevated him into the ranks
of other great Shrewsbury footballing evangelists, Matthew,
Myles, Mike and Murf.
Andrew has been a driving force in improving risk assessment
in sport and his work on head injuries and return to play
protocol has been crucial for pupil safety and staff protection
from litigation. He fought a long and hard battle, using his
ninja standard keyboard warrior skills, to get defibrillators in
place in School and then was the one who sprinted to get the
defib from KH which was crucial in saving the life of a pupil.
Luckily there were no pigeons near the defib as Andrew
has an irrational fear of birds which has caused plenty of
entertainment in the PE Faculty with stuffed birds to the fore.
With pupil safety again the top priority, Andrew then pushed
successfully for a more open door for CRY screening to be
made available for all pupils. Andrew has always had pupil
welfare uppermost in his thoughts.
Andrew has brought Yorkshire grit and a no-nonsense
approach to all he has done at Shrewsbury. He has become a
knowledgeable and formidable AQA PE moderator and made
several friends with
our local school
PE departments.
He is an excellent
practitioner in the
classroom, teaching
the physiology
component of the A
level and making it
accessible to all. He
can be a task master
too and demanded
high standards from
his pupils. One of our favourite Murf stories was an overheard
conversation where a pupil was asked by a classmate who,
if he had two bullets, he would shoot out of: Adolf Hitler,
Donald Trump or Andrew Murfin. He paused for thought and
then said, ‘I would shoot Murfin twice’.
Andrew has also overseen an impressive Dedicated Athlete
Programme whilst dedicating a bit of time to his own
athleticism. He could be found sprinting around the Saturday
morning Park Run in the quarry, returning in time for Period
2, following this with 100 lengths of the pool in the family
swim period later in the afternoon as his cool down.
Andrew has led the department well in his final and most
bizarre term and his weekly sports round up, including tuxedo
and comedy specs, have been brilliantly put together. He has
also become the leading tiktok-er in the department.
Andrew will be a hard act to follow here at Shrewsbury and
he can be proud of how well the Salopian sports flag has
flown on his watch. We wish him well at Bryanston and
congratulate him on a job well done.

SCHOOL NEWS
21
Shrewsbury School International
From Shropshire to Bangkok, Hong Kong, China and beyond…
Along with a select band of pioneers,
Shrewsbury School was one of
the first British Independent schools to
establish an international presence. Our
overseas journey began in 2003 with
the opening of Shrewsbury International
School Bangkok Riverside, a coeducational
day school educating
pupils aged 3 to 18 in a truly
inspirational setting on the banks of
the Chao Phraya River. Now a thriving
school of over 1700 pupils, in the heart
of the Thai capital, it is no exaggeration
to say that it is seen as one of the
benchmark educational establishments
in the country and the wider region.
Owing to ever-increasing demand,
in 2018 we opened Shrewsbury
International School Bangkok City
Campus and Shrewsbury International
School Hong Kong, both offering superb,
spacious, purpose-built facilities for girls
and boys aged 3 to 11 with specialist
primary teaching staff delivering a rich
educational experience.
The attraction to both local families and
expatriates is clear: our international
schools have become recognised for the
highest levels of academic achievement,
excellence in sport, creative and
performing arts, and a wide variety of
co-curricular opportunities with which
the Shrewsbury name is synonymous.
All this while preparing pupils for the
modern world in the comfort of their
local environment.
The benefits to Shrewsbury School
UK are also multiple: the international
schools have helped to underpin and
expand our bursarial, partnerships and
community initiatives, while creating
meaningful international links for
our pupils and staff. There has never
been a more critical time to develop
closer links and greater understanding
between nations, and where better to
start than with the young leadership
minds of the future?
The success of our international schools
can be attributed to a few key factors:
an exceptional partnership with our
investors, with whom we share a
long-term commitment to delivering
the Shrewsbury ethos and philosophy
in a local setting, including an
unwavering commitment to whole
person education; the identification
and ongoing nurturing of outstanding
talent at all levels; and the continuing
close association and interaction with
Shrewsbury School in the UK.
While many school groups continue
to focus on reputational risk as a
one-way street, our approach to our
international schools has been one
of close and deliberate collaboration
rather than imposition. In practical terms
this is achieved through UK Governor
attendance at Advisory Boards at the
international schools three times a year,
and year-round interactions between the
international Principals and their senior
teams with their peers at Shrewsbury
School in the UK. Operationally, teachers
share learning resources across the
world and are continuously exploring
ways to foster even greater collaboration
using the digital technologies that have
very much come into their own in the
last few months. These collaboration
opportunities are immense, whether
looking at academic programmes, alumni
networks, careers opportunities or staff
training and personal development, and
the pace of progress has been inspiring.
Looking to the future, we are well
underway with the next phase in
our international growth. We have
announced the opening of new schools
with our existing partner in the Shanghai
and Guangzhou regions in China over
the coming years. The Shrewsbury
International Schools in China promise
to be breath-taking in both scale and
ambition and will help to bring academic
excellence through a wide-ranging
curriculum that uncovers and encourages
a genuine love of learning, alongside
inspirational teaching that challenges each
pupil to strive for her or his personal best.
Beyond China, we are actively exploring
opportunities in focus countries with a
growing demand for the premium British
international education the Shrewsbury
name epitomises, including India, Japan,
Korea and Vietnam. Although it’s early
days we are genuinely excited by initial
discussions with prospective partners
keen to join us in the next chapter in our
international growth story.
As well as developing our own schools
around the globe, we are actively
growing wider global partnerships,
forming links with other schools,
institutes and organisations with a view to
developing a global mindset and sharing
educational perspectives across borders.
As a member of the G30 association of
prestigious secondary schools, we enjoy
links as far afield as Australia, India, South
Africa and the United States.
With so much going on, the next few
years promise to be busy and exciting in
equal measure as we continue to expand
and evolve the Shrewsbury presence
around the globe.
Dr Maghin Tamilarasan
As International Development Director at Shrewsbury School,
Maghin Tamilarasan is responsible for overseeing the interface with
Shrewsbury’s international sister schools in Thailand and Hong Kong,
identifying and executing new business development opportunities
and establishing wider global links.
Before joining Shrewsbury School, he held several senior roles in
industry covering global strategy, business development, operations
and technology, most recently with Rolls-Royce plc.
Maghin grew up in the UK, the Middle East and India. He is married
with two young daughters.

22 SCHOOL NEWS
SCHOOL PRIZEWINNERS 2020
The Sidney Gold Medal
The Harvard Book Prize
The Richard Hillary Essay Medal
The Darwin Science Prize J
The Noneley Exhibition
The Dukes Prize for French
The Lower Sixth French Prize
The Bentley Prize for German
The Bain Prize for Spanish
The Lower Sixth Spanish Prize
The Moss Prize for Classics
The Cross Prize for Classics
The Classical Civilisation Prize
The Philip Sidney Prize for English
The Kitson-Clark Prize for English
The Upper Sixth Theatre Studies Prize
The Lower Sixth Theatre Studies Prize
The Bright Prize for History
The Murray Senior Prize for History
The Dorothy David Prize for
Philosophy and Theology
The Lower Sixth Philosophy
and Theology Prize
The Robertson-Eustace Prize
for Geography
The Lower Sixth Geography Prize
The Arnold Hagger Prize
for Mathematics
The Lower Sixth Mathematics Prize
The Computing Prize
The Arnold Matthews Science
Prize for Biology
The Arnold Matthews Science
Prize for Chemistry
The Arnold Matthews Science
Prize for Physics
The Lower Sixth Biology Prize
The Lower Sixth Chemistry Prize
The Lower Sixth Physics Prize
The Upper Sixth Economics Prize
The Lower Sixth Economics Prize
The Ramsbotham Prize for Business
The Lower Sixth Business Prize
The James Meikle Prize for
Physical Education
The Lower Sixth Physical
Education Prize
The Hill Art Prize
The Lower Sixth Art Prize
The History of Art Prize
The Photography Prize
The A Level Music Prize
The Duffell Prize for Design
and Technology
The Lower Sixth Design
and Technology Prize
The Bentley Elocution Senior Prize
The Bentley Elocution Fourth
Form Prize
The Bentley Elocution
Third Form Prize
The McEachran Prize
V.M. Munday (O.S.)
E.J. Bayliss (Rt)
J.A. Dowd (Rb)
E. Huffer (Rb)
A.C. Cowan (MSH) and
C.E. Hancock (M)
T.C. Gray (Rb)
E.S. Edwards (EDH)
T.A. Bonthrone (SH)
A.M. Mason-Hornby (G)
T. Levin (Ch)
A.G.C. Sparkes (I)
R.G. Shepherd-Cross (O)
A.A.E. Cowan Taylor (MSH)
J.A. Dowd (Rb) and
L. Gabbitas (EDH)
A.K. Sillar (G) and
M. Tai (SH)
M.E. Matthews (EDH)
I.G. Morgan (G)
L. Gabbitas (EDH)
L. Xu (Ch)
J.H. Snell (Ch)
J.M.N Meisner (SH)
K.A. Ford (EDH)
B.L.J. Cook (M)
X. Ai (Rt)
H. Hsieh (R)
Y. Zhou (G)
J.E. Huffer (Rb)
O. Siu (I)
S. Yang (SH)
C.M.R. Russell (G)
T. Yamada (O)
E.A. Parr (Rb)
Y. Zou (MSH)
K Nishii (Ch)
L.G. Evans (PH)
D.C. Hague-Saunders (Rt)
L.G. Evans (PH)
G.G. Gowar (S)
H. Yu (SH)
E.H. Hughes (MSH) and
G.C.B. Insalata (EDH)
FM. Baynes (G)
G.P.E. Kannreuther (MSH)
and M.P. Nuijten (MSH)
A.H.B.M Razif (EDH)
A.K. Tonks (MSH)
N.E. Dee (G)
R.B.G. Hartley (Ch)
K.E.R. Woodman (M)
H.A.J. Clark (R)
J.H. Snell (Ch)
The Rolls Royce Science Cup
Fifth Form Academic Prizes
Fourth Form Examination Prizes
Third Form Examination Prizes
The Goulding Family Prize for Drama
The Junior Drama Prize
The Keighley Prize for
Stage Management
The Russell Prize for Music
The Woollam Family Prize for Music
The Guyer Prize for Music
The Gordon Riley Prize for Music
The Senior Debating Prize
The Sportsman of the Year
The Sportswoman of the Year
The Elle Gurden Trophy for
Outstanding Contribution to
Girls’ Sport
The David Spencer Memorial
Trophy for Outstanding Contribution
to Boys’ Sport
Tony Barker Award for All-Round
Sporting Excellence
The Charities Prize
The West Family Prize for
Community Service
The Guy Lovett Award
The Haynes Cup
The Cabral Family Prize
The Societies Leadership Award
The Salopian Award
The Praepostors’ Prize
The Headmaster’s Prize
J.H. Snell (Ch) and
Y. Zhou (G)
G.C. Collings (Rb),
G. Cooper (G),
J.A. Davis (PH),
Y. Feng (M),
J. Hansiriphan (O),
H.K.M. Hurst (EDH),
S. Li (M),
R.D.R. Prentis (Ch),
P.M. Stephens (MSH),
E.L. Ware (MSH)
S.J. Chudasama (G),
O.C.J. Edmondson (PH),
E.A. Hall (G),
T. Lam (G),
H.R. Marshall (Rb),
P. Poon (I),
J.C. Roberts (Rb),
A. Shukla (Rt),
W.A. Singleton (R),
Z. Zhang (Ch)
A.A. Brownsmith (Rb),
G.P.L. Holliday (I),
M.K. Levings (O),
J.H. Mackinnon (O),
J.C. O’Brien (MSH),
H.J. Rees-Pullman (Rb),
J. Shin (Ch),
N.F. Toms (EDH),
E. Veter (G),
L. Williams (SH)
E.S. Niblett (MSH)
K.E.R. Woodman (M)
A.A.J. Tulloch (Rt)
F.T. Coughlan (SH)
S.F. Milner (M)
A.S.T. Eyre (Rb)
N.A. Mielczarek (Rb) and
H. Yu (EDH)
J.H. Snell (Ch)
P.J.H. Clark (Rb)
I.E.C.M. Wong (G)
O.J.I. Moir (MSH)
L.G.J. Nares (I)
A.W. Garrett (Ch)
A. Biggs (PH)
F.J. Sansom (PH)
A.S.T. Eyre (Rb)
A.T. Wheatcraft (R)
J.E. Huffer (Rb) and
A.M. Mason-Hornby (G)
H. J. Bateson (R)
I.E.C.M. Wong (G)
L.J. Elliott (G)
O.J.I. Moir (MSH),
A.G. Powell (I),
S.G.B. Coulson (Rt),
S.F. Milner (M)

SCHOOL NEWS
23
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED FOR 2020 ENTRY
Third Form
Academic
Butler Scholars:
Miranda Read
Gabriel Hartland
Fergus Scholes-Pryce
Kennedy Scholars:
Holly Yang
Oliver Bing
Sarah Levings
Dickie Tyacke
Tom Bland
Mollie Pearce
Alington Scholars:
Frances Tschipan-Townley
Jiyu (John) Li
Felix Feeny
Clemmy Sowden
Music
James (Jim) Bach (Choral)
Aoife Brennan
Oliver Connell
Oscar Connor
Loic Dutton-Burrows
Limonée Fearn (Choral)
Libby Hunt (Choral)
Jiyu (John) Li
Lincoln Luk (HK)
Benjamin O’Sullivan
Meadow Perks (Choral)
Henry Riley-Smith (Choral)
Sport
Alice Beardsmore
Sophia Coulson
Charlotte Taylor
Taylor Barrow
Catty Collings
Joe Datnow
Jessica Fraser-Andrews
Olivia Kerley
Jack Kinrade
Harry Parker McLain
Sir Michael Palin All-Rounder
Alice Beardsmore
Oliver Bing
Oscar Connor
Loic Dutton-Burrows
Limonée Fearn
Isabella Hayward
Libby Hunt
Edward Key
Sarah Levings
Louis Malanaphy
Daniel Ogunleye
Meadow Perks
Isabella Plews
Miranda Read
Clemmy Sowden
Frances Tshipan-Townley
Grace Young
Art
Iona Biggs-Lovell
Lucia Cyples
Poppy Prideaux
Charlotte Taylor
Molly White
Lyla Williams
Drama
Clara Garavini
William Himmer
Meadow Perks
DT
Lucia Cyples
Peter Hickman
Lower Sixth Form
Academic
Harry Clarke
Carys Crowther
Flora Fraser
Roland (Lewis) Gray
Charlotte Holliday
Ugne (April) Jonikaite
Katherine (Kate) Rutherford
Martha Smith
Music
Patrick Tuft
Yin Sum (Bubbles) Wong
Sophie Voisey-Smith
Margaret Cassidy Scholar:
George Staden
RSSBC Rowing Scholar:
Julian Walsh
Sports Scholars:
Adam Marshall
Georgia Norman
Kate Richardson
Laurie Sheridan
Libby Thomas
Art
Kaitlyn Orme
Drama
Hamish Gray
Thea Haugan

24 SCHOOL NEWS
Biology Photographic Competition
The high standard of photos and tremendous variety of subject-matter made this year’s
Biology Photographic Competition very difficult for the judges.
Junior Category
(Third-Fifth Form)
Winner – Vanessa Wu (EDH 4)
Commended – Boris Petukhov (SH 4)
Runner-Up – Abigail Wong (M 4)
Commended – Nicholas Argyle (SH 5)

SCHOOL NEWS
25
Senior Category (Sixth Form)
Runner-Up – Bertie Shepherd-Cross (O L6)
Winner – Araminta Plumptre (MSH U6)
Commended – Oscar Hamilton-Russell (R L6)
Commended – Caspar Hamilton (I U6)
Staff Category
Runner-Up – Stewart Harrison
Winner – Colm Kealy
Commended – Nicole Matton
Commended –
Sara Luzny

26 SCHOOL NEWS
‘Discover Nature’ Theme Week
A ‘Discover Nature’ theme week during lockdown gave pupils in the Fourth Form and Lower Sixth a chance to step away
from their screens and connect with nature in their gardens and local parks. They were asked to share their observations
and experiences in words and photos using Microsoft Sway. The snippets featured here don’t do justice to the full glory of
the creativity, imagination and enthusiasm of pupils’ presentations. But we hope they give a sense of how pupils’ worlds
connected, from Russia to Uganda, Kenya, Manhattan, Hong Kong, China, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Cheshire, Switzerland…

SCHOOL NEWS
27
Our lives are made from the things
we pay attention to. Slowing down
and observing – these are radical
things to do in our accelerated age.
It is only by being in lockdown
that I have seen new treasures that
I’d previously have overlooked.

28 SCHOOL NEWS
Sharing our Space with Nature
“If you are looking for people who are passionate about the environment, our generation is probably
the best place to look.” – Jude Huffer (Rb 2015-20)
Launched in September 2019
by dedicated members of the
Shrewsbury School Natural History
Society Mimi Mason-Hornby (G 2015-
20) and Jude Huffer, the pupil-led
Eco Committee has quickly gathered
enthusiastic support from fellow pupils
and is developing an exciting vision for
the future.
“The environment and conservation
of nature have always been issues that
are close to my heart. Having been a
member of the School’s Natural History
Society for a year, I realised that I
wanted to help the School do their
bit to become more environmentally
friendly,” says Mimi.
She and Jude share the view that “the
main reason people do not do anything
to help in the fight for the environment
is because they don’t think they can
make a difference. So we wanted to
empower people of our age to help
make a difference and show them that
things can change.”
During the Michaelmas Term last year,
they successfully gathered a team of
dedicated ‘Eco-warriors’ behind them,
and numbers swelled quickly to almost
40. The group had just enough time to
finish planting up the Biology Wildlife
Garden, positioned next to the Art
Building, before Shrewsbury headed
into lockdown in March – along with
the rest of the world. Despite being
scattered far and wide during the
Summer Term, the Eco Committee
continued to meet online, even more
regularly than before. Grand plans
for the future were made to increase
biodiversity and ‘share our space with
nature’, alongside increasing recycling
and becoming more sustainable.
Over the last eighteen months there
has been an incredible energy and
positivity, especially amongst the
younger generation, which is coupled
with a determination to reverse
the damage caused to our natural
world and restore and upgrade the
ecosystems near to them. The driving
force behind the Eco Committee is the
genuine belief that our pupils can make
a difference, and that everything we all
do, no matter how small, will help.
With the start of the new academic
year in September and the return of the
Salopian community to the School Site
once more, Lara Lees-Jones (M) and
Cathy Lau (M) picked up the reins of
the Eco Committee leadership. In their
words, they aim “to make our brilliant
school even better by creating new
habitats for wildlife, spreading
awareness, and lessening the impact
we have on the planet”. Membership
of the Eco Committee continues to
rise, with more pupils joining all
the time. Numbers are at around 50
pupils at present.
They have formed themselves into
six working parties. The recycling
and sustainability groups have been
investigating “ways we can adjust and
find new strategies to become more
eco-friendly as a school as a whole”.
A group led by Poppy Stephens (MSH)
have been working hard planning

SCHOOL NEWS
29
the screening of Damon Gameau’s
optimistic and informative documentary
film 2040, exploring solutions to the
climate crisis, followed by a postscreening
discussion with external
guest speakers to raise awareness
amongst the school community. The
wilding group is making plans for
wildflower meadows and pollinator
gardens, as well as celebrating more
of our native species on site.
Their hopes and plans are part
of a wider vision, shared by
environmentalists of all ages around
the world, for “regenerative solutions
to improve our planet”, as the film
2040 describes it. As a nation, we are
arguably guilty of excessive tidiness. An
aspiration for neatness and uniformity
is the driving force behind the design
of the vast majority of Britain’s public
spaces. Yet the result of this uniformity
is invariability, uniform lifelessness,
sterility. Excessive tidiness entails a
massive loss of biodiversity. Since
1940 we have destroyed four million
acres of flower-rich meadow in the
UK. We could recover at least half that
amount if only our gardens, both civic
and private, were freed from chemical
interventions and turned back primarily
to native flowers and shrubs. Instead of
the work-intensive grass monoculture,
we could have virtually labour-free
pocket-sized meadows that require only
a single cut in later summer. Correctly
managed, these pockets could support
thousands of species of organism, in
an explosive mix of colour and texture,
across the whole spectrum of life.
Spending time outside in natural
environments has been proven to
reduce stress levels – as these last
few months have demonstrated more
than ever. We also know that it has
immeasurable effects, consciously or
unconsciously, on the mental wellbeing
of the whole School community. The
explosion of colour, scent and sound
through the natural rhythm of the
year and the turning of the seasons,
interrupts the business of life, the trains
of internal thoughts, and can encourage
our community to feel positive about
the future for wildlife.
The Eco Committee is proud of the
Biology Wildlife Garden and would
love the opportunity to continue to
welcome more wildlife to our school.
This November, with the expert
guidance of members of the Chelmarsh
Ringing Group, the Natural History
Society ringed 26 birds and eight
different species in one day. Probably
the last time bird-ringing took place
at the School was about 40 years ago.
So far 19 different bird species have
visited the garden.
The future at Shrewsbury is going to
be a greener one, although perhaps
the biggest hurdle to scale will be to
shift everyone’s ideas of beauty and
increase tolerance. Natural systems are
chaotic and complex, yet full of hidden
surprises; it will take some courage for
the Eco Committee to lead the way
in recognising this. All schools have a
major role to play in the education of
‘nature-based solutions’ and planning
for a future that includes and values the
natural world. With its links to Darwin
and celebration of the natural world,
Shrewsbury School needs to be at the
forefront – led by the pupils.
Jackie Matthews

30 SCHOOL NEWS
Salopian heirs to Sir Philp Sidney have celebrated the
natural glories of the School Site in a volume of poetry
inspired by its unique collection of trees. Six poets in the
Creative Writing Society collaborated with the Natural History
Society to produce The peace of trees that all night whisper
nothings, an anthology edited by Edward Bayliss (Rt) and
beautifully illustrated with photographs by Mr James Yule of
the Art Department.
The collection, which became even more important to its
contributors as the pandemic scattered them across the world
when Shrewsbury went ‘remote’, also includes works by Anna
Cowan (MSH 2015-20), Eustacia Feng (M), Giorgia Insalata
(EDH), Guy Macey (I) and Will Unsworth (S).
While the natural world has always inspired poetry, according to
The Peace of Trees
Sidney, poems can make our experience of nature even better.
In one of the first works of English literary criticism, Sidney
wrote in his 1589 apologia, or defence, of poetry that “Nature’s
world is brazen, the poets only deliver a golden”. Nature as we
find it is so-so, he suggests, but to get to the heart of it, to really
understand the idea of it, you need poetry.
This was the idea that underpins this collaborative project
where the numbered trees of each poem correspond with
the numbers on the Shrewsbury Tree Walk map so carefully
assembled and curated by Mrs Jackie Matthews and Dr David
Law, and the rest of the Natural History team. The link can
be found at https://www.shrewsbury.org.uk/news/
shrewsbury-tree-walk. Thanks to the wizardry of Euan
Parr (Rb), performances of most of these poems are to be
Twins
Deodar Cedar
I came to the cedar in the rainless dawn
When a rainbow of dewdrops specked the lawn,
And found tree alone, embracing a void
Isolated from the flood of noise.
But if you have eyes that can see beneath
The soil carpeted by monotonous green,
Your sight would be lost in a mazy way
That wound between roots in a strange array.
A tree in itself, each unruly knob,
Writhed and coiled like its brethren above,
Who, though reversed in shape,
Had the same dull greenness within its veins.
As the storm writhed and foamed
The cedar boughs silently moaned,
But surely beneath this muffled blur
The rioting of roots could be heard.
When darkness came and sponged the sky
Clear of bloodless clouds and ghostly light.
No one can tell apart in the dim
The churning shadows with tangled limbs.
Between them I stood, on the mirror like ground
And wondered if there was to be found
On the other side, a soul lost as I
Tallying the seconds before sunrise.
Eustacia Feng (M L6)
Deodar Cedar

SCHOOL NEWS
31
Weymouth Pine
Weymouth Pine
Her feminine wiles had got her this far –
Seated at the table of Kings, in their lands
Within her hall, courting a new kind of man.
A sapling, young and ripe, ready to bear fruit
And to make ready her faction, a heartening prospect.
And through maturity, she learned to brace the winters
Mailed and armoured in the rigid stale soil.
And then the rings appear, more and more, courtier after courtier
Until the partner is found, and gripped with fierce affection,
Small droplets fall and disperse, and new life is roused.
Labour approaches as the miners further their intervention
through the thick dark soil.
But, to no avail: a wider, more grotesque figure is born,
Born from life’s injustices.
Gluttony, a sin of gravity she creates more of what she hates,
She leeches off her neighbours.
And bursts.
Slowly
Withering
Away.
Edward Bayliss (Rt U6)
lifted from the pages of the collection and digitally
summoned into existence via a QR code on each
featured tree. So, with a mere waft of a mobile phone,
the trees themselves will pour forth poetry to enrich
any arborial amble through the 800-plus trees of our
beautiful campus.
The process of ‘composting’ imaginations began in
Lent Term last year. We responded to a wide range of
stimuli, from the oral and folk traditions of ‘The Green
Man’ and other local legends, from an article in The
Salopian by Andrew Allott, former head of Biology,
to Ovid’s Metamorphoses and modern poetic and
visual treatments of this monumental Latin work which
explores the idea of change so profoundly. But we had
no idea how drastically life would change, nor in what
ways the conditions of writing these pieces would alter
so dramatically with the onset of national lockdown in
March 2020. The title of the volume is taken from the
poem ‘Philemon and Baucis’ by Thom Gunn, from his
collection The Man with Night Sweats (1992), which
was written in part in elegiac response to the AIDS
pandemic of the time.
Written from afar, some of these poems therefore conjure
a spirit of the place recollected, if not in tranquillity, but
with intimate fondness, somehow capturing the dynamics
of mutability and an unforgettable chapter in The Schools’
five centuries of history. Yet they also express the urge
to seek reassurance and inspiration in the natural world’s
simultaneous ability to project strengths that – pace Larkin
– appear to console by seeming to transcend even the
idea of change itself. Everything changes, writes Ovid,
nothing perishes.
If you would like to receive a copy, please contact
James Fraser-Andrews at jrfa@shrewsbury.org.uk.
James Fraser-Andrews

32
SCHOOL NEWS
The Barnes Theatre
In September 2020 the new Barnes Theatre opened its doors. Incorporating the former
Ashton Theatre, the new performing arts building is a fantastic addition to the Site.
Opening, as it has done, in the middle of a pandemic, it is also a potent symbol
of optimism and even defiance. Helen Brown tells the story.
In September 2020, the Drama Faculty moved into its new
home, the Barnes Theatre. Thanks to the generosity of
Sir David Barnes and the Salopian community, pupils at
Shrewsbury now have access to a state-of-the-art Performing
Arts building. The intimate re-configured auditorium is served
by generous Front of House facilities, whilst backstage there
are workshops, dressing rooms and cutting-edge sound and
lighting facilities. The building also provides teaching space for
both practical and written work, with classrooms and studios
for drama and dance. Studio 1, with its mirrored wall, ballet
barre and sprung floor has transformed the provision for dance
within the School, and we are now able to offer weekly classes
in ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary.
Sadly, the COVID pandemic has limited the opportunities for
live performance, but we were delighted to host a screening
of the Royal Ballet’s ‘Back on Stage’ performance to a socially
distanced audience, and hope to offer more screenings of live
events throughout the winter. In October, the Fifth Form and
Upper Sixth Drama students took to the stage for the first time
with their assessed devised performances. This was a showcase
of the originality, imagination and talent of Salopians, with both
year groups producing engaging, entertaining and sometimes
heart-breaking work.
The Fifth Form
began with Rufus
Thornhill, Kate
Woodman and
Abby Wong, who
told the story of
Albert Einstein’s
first wife. Despite
her contribution to
the development of
Einstein’s groundbreaking
theory of relativity, Meleva Maric has been consigned
to the margins of history. Kate brought real pathos and
humanity to the role of a woman whose talents were thwarted.
Phoebe Carter, Eleanor Keulemans, Renee Wong and Camilla
Lawson were also inspired by a real-life story: the fraud of the
Cottingly Fairies. In 1917, a pair of teenage girls near Bradford
convinced the world that they had taken photographs of fairies
in the woods near their home. The hoax convinced a number
of high-profile experts, including the writer of Sherlock
Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The girls’ retelling of the story
was charming and spirited, demonstrating an imaginative use
of physical theatre techniques.
They were followed by Ed Pickersgill, Eva Garavini, Jack
Sheldon and Tom Bright, who had adapted Roald Dahl’s
chilling story of a landlady-turned-taxidermist who stuffs
and mounts her lodgers. Ed and Eva were compelling as
the landlady and her latest victim, whilst Jack and Tom
demonstrated great versatility and physical discipline in their
role as the chorus. The final piece was based on verbatim
material from the charity ‘Henpowered’. The charity brings
chickens into care homes in order to give elderly men a hobby
and a purpose. Laurie Morgan, Harry Webster, Alex Clarke and
Ryan Leong gave nuanced and touching performances that
captured both the humour and the poignancy of the residents’
experiences.
Two days later, it was the turn of the Upper Sixth, who
produced performances exploring two of the greatest poetic
love stories. Annie Stocker, Phoebe Stratton-Morris and Ed
Tarling were inspired by the work of hyper-realist director
Katie Mitchell to create a powerful retelling of the relationship
between Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. Using text drawn from
Plath’s posthumous collection, ‘Ariel’ and Hughes’ ‘Birthday
Letters’, they sought to illuminate the experience of Plath’s
daughter Frieda, as she seeks to make sense of her mother’s
life, marriage and suicide.
Orlando Williams,
Arthur Myrrdin-Evans,
Imogen Morgan and
Olivia Barnes delved
further into literary
history, choosing to tell
the story of Caroline
Lamb’s doomed
romance with Lord
Byron, the man she
famously dubbed ‘mad,
bad and dangerous to
know’. Immy gave a
visceral performance as
Caroline, showing her
descent from society
darling into scandal
and madness. Orlando
and Arthur, as Lord
Melbourne and Lord Byron, played the men who loved – and
ultimately destroyed – her, whilst Olivia made a delightfully
impish Queen Victoria.
Throughout the pandemic, the theatre community has
clung ever more closely together. We were delighted to
light the theatre in red on September 30th in support of our
beleaguered colleagues. In return, theatres have continued
to support schools and educational outreach programmes.
We were thrilled to be able to offer our drama scholars the
opportunity to work one-on-one with Sir Ian McKellen, who
volunteered his services as a director for students applying
for drama schools. Sir Ian offered support and guidance to
Phoebe Stratton-Morris and Orlando Williams, who worked
with him on character development and verse-speaking.

SCHOOL NEWS 33
Drama 2019-2020
Even pre-COVID, this was a year like no other. Director of Drama Dr Helen Brown explains …
The academic year 2019/20 was one of huge upheaval for the Drama Department, even pre-COVID. As the bulldozers moved
in to start work on the new Barnes Theatre, the School’s thespians became nomadic, performing in venues across the School
Site. The Moser Library, Alington Hall and the Chapel were all pressed into service, and the challenges of creating site-specific
theatre gave rise to some fantastically creative solutions.
Doctor Faustus (review by LJD)
What does heaven look like? Or hell? The Butler Room in
the Moser Library isn’t the first place that comes to mind, but
was a crazily successful setting for the Upper Sixth Theatre
Studies production of Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.
The students had chosen to adapt the original in the style of
Kneehigh, a theatre group who re-tell traditional plots using
comedy, puppetry, song and dance. Faustus sells his soul to
the devil, in return for living it up while he remains on earth.
In this show, ‘living it up’ involved dancing to Justin Bieber,
rapping a recitation of the Seven Deadly Sins, and Anya
Tonks elegantly doing the splits on the top of the library
study desks.
The high-energy cast were costumed as archetypal American
High School pupils, led by Freddie Lawson as a surprisingly
convincing sports ‘Jock’ and Grace Anderson as a rather
threatening cheerleader, with costume designer Ella Inglis-
Jones appearing as a devil when they least expected to
conjure one.
Book-loving Faustus, played by Mollie Matthews, had plenty
of gravitas, with her earnest sixteenth century verse lines,
delivered amidst the madness of a passiagiata to ‘Bat out
of Hell’, followed by a moment when everyone else in the
room was wearing Giles Bell full-face masks. Her depiction
of Faustus’ growing doubts was moving, and then hilarious,
when faced with Emily Hartland’s cutely squeaky Angel hand
puppet, and Freddie Lawson’s cheeky impersonation of
M. Portier, red devil puppet held aloft. Sound effects were
crucial to the success of the show, and Archie Tulloch, in his
first term, served the cast well from behind the desk.
There were so many laugh-out-loud transpositions from the
original, Ford Fiesta jokes and all, and, satisfyingly, it was just as
‘bonkers’ as Director of Drama Helen Brown had promised.
Peter Pan (review by LJD)
Peter Pan has been the subject of numerous adaptations for
stage and screen since its triumphant première in 1904. J.M.
Barrie’s story of pirates, mermaids and fairies has retained
its magic despite espousing social values which seem a little
uncomfortable to a contemporary audience: today’s little girls
would (thankfully) kick up a stink if required to darn socks
and wait to be rescued. This production, devised by members
of the Upper Sixth in the style of children’s theatre company
Polka, was an anarchic, gender-fluid romp that brought some
much-needed festive glitter to the Alington Hall.
The play begins in the Darling family nursery where, amid crisp
white bed linen and conventional moral certainties, Wendy,
Tom, John and Michael are growing up under the beady eye of
Nanna the dog (a masterful cameo by an unnamed member of
the Drama Faculty). Their world is turned upside down by the
death of Tom; Michael becomes a nervous stammerer, John is
“so angry he’s broken three trains” and Wendy desperately tries
to make everything better. One night, Peter explodes into their
lives, whisking them off to Neverland with the aid of a happy
thought and fairy dust provided by his trusty sidekick, Tinkerbell
(an unforgettable Ollie Shutts).
In this version, the real dramatic action lies not with Peter but
with Wendy. On the cusp of adolescence, she is pulled between
the freedom of childhood and the responsibilities of adulthood.
On the one hand, her naive sexual awakening as she flirts with
Peter; on the other, the dark uncertainties of womanhood –
creepily represented by the sequinned mini-dress she is given by
Captain Hook, gloriously played by Saffron Milner as an angry
Dolly Parton in six-inch heels and rhinestones.
This Wendy – played with warmth and charm by Ella
Niblett – is also processing grief. Her trip into Neverland
is not just a knockabout adventure, but a way to reconcile
her with the past and equip her for the future. Thus,
she wrestles with the limitations placed on her by her
womanhood – “But who cleans?” – makes friends and
embraces her independence. All this, while figuring out
where grief must end and happiness begin.
The production was full of delightful vignettes, including
the brilliant transformation from nursery to pirate ship (for
which credit must be given to the technical wizardry of
Adam Wall and Brad Fenton) and the burgeoning romance
between Tinkerbell and Martin the Cabin boy (an adorably
goofy Louis Street).
It was particularly lovely to welcome so many members of
the wider Shrewsbury community – all of whom, fortunately
for us, still believe in fairies.

34
SCHOOL NEWS
Monsters (review by HRB)
The murder of Jamie Bulger remains one of the most
troubling events in recent memory. In 1993, the toddler
was abducted from a shopping centre by Robert Thompson
and Jon Venables, both aged ten. Thompson and Venables
tortured and murdered the little boy, whose body was found
on railway tracks two days later. The nation was appalled.
How could children do something so horrific? Could a child
be born evil? Who was to blame?
Niklas Radstrom’s play, based in large part on verbatim
material from the trial, attempts to answer some of those
questions. The audience, seated in-the-round in the
claustrophobic surroundings of classroom DS2, are cast as
the 38 adults who saw Jamie and his killers on the way to
his death, but who did nothing to intervene. It is challenging
– and at times distressing – to watch; it makes us question
our responsibilities as a society as well as the role of theatre
within that society. With its emotive name and subject matter,
Monsters might seem to be simply fuelling the tabloid hysteria
that surrounds cases such as Bulger’s death. How do you turn
a crime like that into art without being accused of feeding off
other people’s pain and misery?
Radstrom is insistent that the play is not trying to upset
people: ‘The intention is always to create a space for
dialogue. When the play was performed in Scandinavia,
audiences didn’t want to leave. They wanted to talk, because
the play had given them permission to think about what
happened, and why and what they might be able to do about
it. In the end, only one thing could have stopped Bulger’s
murder – a single adult saying to those boys, “Hey, what are
you doing?” Nobody did.
Tom Daly and Oscar Niblett delivered moving performances
as the two boys, sometimes sullen and defensive and
sometimes heartbreakingly naïve: amid a harrowing
description of the crime, Robert’s question, “Did they
take him to hospital to bring him back to life?” is a jarring
reminder of his youth.
The interrogation is led by two police inspectors, played
by theatrical veteran Orlando Williams and newcomer
Joe Meisner. As they slowly unpick the events leading
to Jamie’s death, their professional detachment starts to
crumble: how can one remain aloof from the horror of
‘children killing children’?
Lucy Lees, Annie Stocker and Phoebe Stratton-Morris played
the boys’ mothers, each struggling to come to terms with
the loss of a child. The mothers of the murderers and
the murdered echo each other’s pain: how can a mother
stop loving her own child, even when the child isn’t
there anymore? All three performances were astonishingly
powerful, demonstrating a maturity and sensitivity beyond
the actors’ years. Their refrain, “My love is there even when it
isn’t needed,” the ring of simple truth.
The audience’s complex emotions are articulated throughout
by the chorus of onlookers, made up of Imogen Jones,
Imogen Morgan, Olivia Barnes and Ed Tarling. Like the
chorus of a Greek tragedy, they occupy a liminal space
between the actors and the audience, challenging us to
question our role as spectators who do not intervene:
“I don’t know what you expect to experience, now that
you’ve come to the theatre to see two children killing a third.
So you want to upset yourself with an experience that is
frightening? Disturbing? Moving? Educational? Do you think
it is useful to watch the enactment of two children killing a
third? Do you think you can tell your friends, ‘Last week, I
went to the theatre and saw two children killing a third?’”
This is a play that asks questions, many of which are
unanswerable. It was a brave choice by first-time student
directors Ed Tarling and Phoebe Stratton-Morris, and has
provided the School with one of its most thought-provoking
nights at the theatre.
A View from the Bridge (review by HRB)
Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge is set in Red Hook:
in Miller’s day, a thriving commercial port, and now home
to troubled housing projects and artisanal coffee-shops. The
play tells the story of a decent, hardworking longshoreman,
Eddie Carbone (played by director Orlando Williams) who
lives in Red Hook with his wife Beatrice (Phoebe Stratton-
Morris) and niece Katherine (Kate Woodman). Trouble
arrives in the form of Beatrice’s cousins, two illegal Italian
immigrants entering the country ‘under the water’ to escape
the poverty and unemployment of post-war Sicily. Marco (Ed
Tarling) is a strong-but-silent type, so he and Eddie get on
fine. However, Eddie is instantly suspicious of the younger
brother, Rodolpho, whose flamboyant disregard for traditional
gender roles sets Eddie’s teeth on edge. Williams’ thrillingly
claustrophobic version, staged in the intimate surroundings of
Quod, translated the action to a monochrome square – a bit
like a boxing ring, a bit like a prison cell – with the audience
surrounding it on three sides.
The intimacy between actors and audience made us all
too complicit in the uncomfortable truth of Eddie’s desire
for Katherine; a desire that leads him to thwart her love
for Rodolpho and ultimately betray his own most deeplyheld
principles. This is a play about passion, honour, truth:
challenging ideas for a young cast and director to grapple
with. The fact that they did so with such maturity and
commitment is testament both to their talent and to the
genuinely collaborative working relationship they have built
up during their time at Shrewsbury.
Williams’ extraordinary and visceral performance showed
a man who has become a stranger to himself, a paragon
of manhood unmanned and set adrift both by his own
desires and by challenges to his masculine assumptions.
He was ably supported by fellow Lower Sixth Drama
Scholar Phoebe Stratton-Morris, who brought great warmth
and compassion to the role of Beatrice. Ed Pickersgill and
Kate Woodman – both still in the Fourth Form – delivered
extraordinarily confident and nuanced performances as
the star-crossed Katherine and Rodolpho, capturing the
poignancy of first love.

SCHOOL NEWS 35
The Greek chorus to this tragedy is the lawyer Alfieri, who
narrates the action from the safety of his office. Thoughtfully
played by Olivia Barnes, Alfieri provides a link between Red
Hook and the outer world, enabling us to escape the intensity
of Eddie’s obsession and see things with perspective. The
final moment of the production, where Barnes covered the
blood-spattered set with white dust sheets, was an inspired
piece of direction, paying homage to the cyclical nature of
the play.
The Extended Project Qualification has provided the
opportunity for a number of fantastic student-directed
performances over the last few years: this stands as one
of the finest, and huge congratulations are due to the cast
and crew.
Murder in the Cathedral (review by RTH)
Last year I wrote that Under Milk Wood had set a new
standard for junior school plays at Shrewsbury School. That
standard has been equalled or exceeded by Heather May’s
latest production, Murder in the Cathedral. It is perhaps
difficult to conceive of a more different setting – from the
distinctly unspiritual gossipy cosiness of Llareggyb, modelled
in miniature in the Ashton Theatre to the transcendent
vastness of Canterbury Cathedral, for which the School
Chapel did noble duty.
Eliot’s rarely performed verse play charts the events leading
up to the murder of Thomas à Becket in 1170 at the
instigation of Henry II. A reflection of Eliot’s own journey to
faith from the dissatisfied agnostic poet of The Waste Land,
written in the immediate aftermath of WW1, to his conversion
to Anglicanism in 1935 – to the dismay and ridicule of
his fashionably agnostic modernist friends – Murder in
the Cathedral is an intensely personal play about spiritual
courage in the face of worldly temptation.
Heather May chose to view the play through the lens of
its creator, interweaving haunting, nihilistic lines from The
Waste Land (“I will show you fear in a handful of dust”) with
Becket’s unflinching faith, a reflection perhaps of his later
self at the culmination of his spiritual journey. Laurie Morgan
created a compelling persona for the anguished and neurotic
post-WW1 Eliot, struggling to make sense of the devastation
of Europe and its values.
The action of the play proper is, on a superficial level at
any rate, relatively straightforward, as various groups –
priests of the cathedral, women of Canterbury, knights,
tempters and eventually the Death Bringers in turn – address
the Archbishop, played with clarity, presence and poise
throughout by Ryan Mupesa. The Priests and women of the
town worry for Becket’s safety; four tempters appear and
one by one attempt to persuade Becket of the folly of letting
himself be murdered; Becket delivers a sermon hinting at his
forthcoming death; four knights appear and threaten to kill
him; the knights leave, giving Becket one last chance to flee;
he does not, and is murdered.
In a throwback to the world of The Waste Land, both
Rufus Thornhill as a squaddie and Edward Pickersgill as a
general gave compelling performances as tempters, who
in various ways attempt to pull Becket away to a sensuous
and materialistic world. Notable amongst the Women of
Canterbury, commenting on events like the Chorus of a
Greek Tragedy, were Kate Woodman, whose glorious singing
of ‘I vow to thee my country’ was a leitmotif throughout, her
voice simultaneously expressing foreboding and fatalism.
In contrast, Third Form drama scholar Alice Lewis, in
another compelling performance, was often a voice of hope,
searching the skies for birdsong and the hope that Spring
will bring regeneration and avert danger. Another Third
Form drama scholar Hattie Atwood, who opened and closed
the show articulating the fear of the women of Canterbury,
speculating over why they can’t tear their eyes away from
witnessing the impending disaster, with the portentous
opening line ‘Are we drawn by danger?’, produced another of
many haunting performances.
Lighting and sound by our resident technicians Adam Wall
and Brad Fenton combined with original music composed
and played by Ivo Winkley to produce a constantly changing
series of often chilling and eerie tableaux hovering between
this world and the next, so that one often felt one was
looking at a series of gorgeously lit medieval paintings.
This was a haunting and challenging play demanding and
receiving total commitment from this young cast of 40, all of
whom clearly sensed they were part of something very special.

36
SCHOOL NEWS
And a might-have-been …
The Winslow Boy (Churchill’s Hall)
Two weeks away from performance, Terence Rattigan’s The
Winslow Boy fell prey to the Summer Term lockdown. This
Churchill’s Hall house play, directed by Richard Hudson and
Rider Hartley was to have brought together House stage
veteran Mungo McLaggan as Arthur Winslow, apprentice
Oscar Niblett as Ronnie Winslow with rising stars Alice Lewis
as Grace Winslow and Suzanna Pearce as Catherine Winslow.
Alas, fate determined otherwise.
National Youth Theatre
Kate Woodman (M 4) has won a place in the National Youth
Theatre. This is an extraordinary achievement; thousands
of young people audition every year and only the most
talented and committed are offered a place. Founded
in 1956, the NYT is the world’s foremost youth theatre,
producing exceptional work that tours to the West End and
the Edinburgh Festival. Alumni include Helen Mirren, Daniel
Craig and Daniel Day-Lewis. Kate attended the NYT Summer
course in July, and will then be able to audition for all NYT
productions until she is 25 - so we can look forward to the
next decade of Kate’s performances!
Kate has been a stalwart of Shrewsbury Drama since arriving
as a Drama Scholar in 2018. Her performances have included
Under Milk Wood, Jesus Christ Superstar, A Matter of Life and
Death and Murder in the Cathedral.
And now for something completely different …
A bust of V. I. Lenin now looks over Top Common from the Barnes Theatre
technician’s office, not as evidence of any political affiliation. In 1977, Gerald
Wilson (R 1967-72) found himself on a work placement in Kiev, then part of
the Soviet Union. He brought back this bust and presented it to his friend and
contemporary, the Editor, as a historical curiosity. The bust has lived variously in
the Hudson household on the record-player, where he was frequently mistaken
for a 19th century composer, and for the last 13 years in the Churchill’s Hall
dining room, from where he was annually removed to feature discreetly in every
single one of 12 Churchill’s House plays in the Ashton Theatre. On his departure
from Churchill’s, RTH has bequeathed the bust to Adam Wall, the theatre
technician, in grateful appreciation for his support over many years.

SCHOOL NEWS 37
A mosaic for Meole Brace Primary School
‘Community’, ‘Respect’, ‘Perseverance’.
Thanks to an exciting collaborative
project led by the Shrewsbury School’s
Creative Arts Group, this is the hopeful
and inspiring message that greets
everyone arriving at Meole Brace
Primary School. Following a very
successful joint project last year when
Shrewsbury School pupils created a
glorious mural for the school hall, the
Creative Arts Group were invited to
create a new piece of artwork that
encapsulated the school’s Christian
ethos and values.
Designed by Shrewsbury’s Head of
Art Lucy Caddel, the artwork takes
the form of a mosaic that Shrewsbury
School students and pupils from Meole
have worked on together. Drawing
inspiration from the words of the
school’s values and its motto ‘Let your
light shine’, but also from the Pre-
Raphaelite stained-glass windows in
nearby Trinity Church and from historic
traditions in mosaic patterns, the design
is both strikingly simple and subtly
complex. “An additional complexity
was that everything had to be drawn
back-to-front and then worked on
upside-down!” Lucy laughs.
“Our students have loved working on
the mosaic with the pupils at Meole
each Thursday afternoon during the
Easter Term,” says Lucy. “They’ve been
a real credit to Shrewsbury School
and have been brilliant at helping the
younger children and explaining what
to do.”
Hayley Lakin, Deputy Head at Meole
agrees: “Kim Robson, our Art Lead
ensured that children from across
the school took part, resulting in a
truly collaborative mosaic. This was a
fantastic opportunity for our children
to work with the older students at
Shrewsbury School to develop art and
design techniques as well as mosaic
skills.” The project inter-wove lots
of cross-curricular learning too, from
tessellation, numeracy and geometry to
ancient history: the techniques used in
creating the mosaic - even the recipe
for making the ‘pasta amido’ glue to
secure the tiles in place – date back to
Roman times.
“We were pleased that part of the
project included training staff at Meole
in mosaic-making, which meant that
they were able to continue working
on the mosaic during the lockdown
with children of key-workers,” Lucy
explains. “Now everyone is looking
forward to the final stage of flipping
the mosaic over into concrete and
grouting it, so that it can be displayed
on a plinth in the entrance garden for
generations to come.”

38 SCHOOL NEWS
A small selection of some recent work
by our Art students, including Lower
Sixth Form oil painting and copperplate
etching workshops led by Mr Gabbitas.
Michaelmas Term 2020 Artwork

SCHOOL NEWS
39
The Big Green Draw
During the final week of the first half of Michaelmas
Term, the Art Department encouraged the whole school
to unleash their inner artist and join in with the Big Draw
2020. This is a nationwide event designed to inspire
everyone, regardless of age or experience, to get drawing.
Dubbed ‘The Big Green Draw’ this year, the theme for
2020 was ‘A Climate of Change’.
In the Inter-House challenge, pupils and staff representing
each of the 13 Houses were set the task of drawing some of
the magnificent trees around the School Site, using acrylic
paint and broccoli and asparagus as ‘brushes’. All the trees are
part of the ‘Tree Walk’ created by the School’s Natural History
Society last year, and also celebrated in poetry recently by the
Creative Writing Society (see page 30).

40 SCHOOL NEWS
Serving the Wider Community
As well as winning the TES 2020 Independent School of the Year award, Shrewsbury is delighted and
honoured to have received the Community Outreach award. Stuart Cowper, Director of the School’s
outreach programmes, discusses this multi-faceted and constantly expanding area of School life.
Shrewsbury’s recent Independent
Schools of the Year 2020 award for
Community Outreach bears testament
to the culture of kindness that exists
at the School, underpinned by our
educational philosophy and ethos.
Whether cherishing and developing
long-standing projects or moving swiftly
to meet new and pressing challenges
of the day, it is very much within our
DNA to be actively contributing to the
world around us.
Pride of place in our partnerships,
not just because of its remarkable
longevity and history dating back to
its foundation in 1903, is of course our
relationship with Shrewsbury House
(the Shewsy). We work closely together
at leadership and management levels
throughout the year and are constantly
seeking ways to further strengthen
the bond from the perspective of
Shrewsbury students and the young
people who use the club. All year
groups are involved, with visits to and
from the Shewsy, shared residential
programmes planned at Tally for after
COVID-19, Gap year opportunities
now on offer, shared trips to Malawi
in support of the eye clinic there and
a good deal of our annual fundraising
firmly targeted at helping the Shewsy
deliver an ever-wider range of services
to its community. Next year will see
our next whole school sponsored walk
across the beautiful Shropshire hills in
aid of the Shewsy’s work – over fifty
years after the first such event.
All pupils are encouraged to be
involved in meaningful charity
fundraising, volunteering and service
during their school journey. Supported
closely by their teachers, the wider
school staff and Salopian community,
fundraising efforts may be done by
individuals either at House or whole
School level. In 2019, over £65,000
was raised for 25+ charities at home
and abroad. Volunteering and service
begin in the Third Year with Duke of
Edinburgh, the BASE Programme and
Outdoor Week. In subsequent years,
increasingly we are finding space
and opportunity in the co-curriculum
for Salopians to contribute to worthy
causes and to those in need of support
in contexts such as the local Food Bank
Plus, hospitals and care homes, charity
shops, local primary schools, refugee
integration and conservation projects.
Our Global Social Leaders have been
creative and dynamic in setting up
and delivering their own projects –
winning the international sustainability
competition in 2018 for their project
‘Refugee Help’.
We are also endeavouring to widen
access to the best of what we offer
at School to the wider community –
whether in the academic, pastoral or
co-curricular spheres. This involves a
blend of doing what we have always

SCHOOL NEWS
41
done, quietly so, and being in the
vanguard of new and exciting projects
in collaboration with new partners.
In the academic sphere many teachers
and departments offer support to local
state school students aiming for highly
competitive courses at top universities as
well as access to lectures, conferences
and societies. We are proud to be in small
select company nationally having secured
a Department for Education Grant
(match-funded by the School) to develop
the next phase of our partnership work
with the Marches Academy Trust in
support of Maths teaching and careers
advice. Working with Imperial College
London and Oundle School we have set
up a STEM Potential project in support
of bright young students across the
country aiming to raise performance and
aspiration. We are working to support
Model United Nations in partner schools.
We are working increasingly to support
trainee teachers, establishing links locally
and in Liverpool with PGCE and Schools
Direct Providers. Many staff have roles
as trustees or governors in local state
primaries and secondaries.
In the pastoral sphere we are sharing
ideas in support of those with SEND
(Special Educational needs and
Disability) needs and are exploring
ways of sharing training to promote
student welfare. During the first months
of the COVID lockdown we provided
and manufactured PPE for GP surgeries,
care homes and local hospitals. Many
staff and students volunteered to
support the NHS and its work, and the
School was available if needed to help
with accommodation for key workers.
In the co-curricular sphere music
remains strong in the community.
Dating back to the 1950s, the
Community Choir thrives today, and
the general public is able to enjoy a
wide range of concerts on site or in
local venues. In recent times ‘Symphonic
Sundays’ have brought together local
youngsters to play and to perform
together when otherwise opportunity
would be limited. Our ‘Thursday
Concert Party’ has brought music and
entertainment into the lives of local
school children and residents of care
homes – both live and, scaling things
up using technology, remotely, as the
pandemic closed off visits to protect
the vulnerable elderly. In art, as well as
working in local primaries throughout
term, the national ‘Big Draw’ event
is now offered to local state school
primaries bringing youngsters on site
to partake in a wonderful carousel of
creative activities on offer – including, last
year, alpacas and robots amongst other
things. In sport we look to widen access
to our wonderful indoor and outdoor
facilities with access to the cricket school,
astro turfs, squash courts and more. We
have extended our Dedicated Athletes
Programme to ambitious and talented
sportsmen and sportswomen from
local schools – all in support of their
development as athletes.
What is impressive beyond the range
and quality of what is already being
delivered and has been mentioned
above is the amount of goodwill
towards this area of our work. Within
the School, it’s a source of pride that
pupils, teachers and support staff are
all enthusiastic about and committed
to our partnership and community
outreach work – thinking about how
to make things happen for maximum
mutual benefit. Our many partners are
similarly positive and engaged, working
hard with us in strong collaboration.
Together a huge amount of great work
is taking place – and much more is in
the pipeline.

42
SCHOOL NEWS
Shrewsbury House (‘The Shewsy’)
Three Shewsy Junior Club members enjoying playing in the park just by the Shewsy, hanging on in there and socially distanced!
Positive, good relationships are at the heart of what the
Shewsy is about. And the Coronavirus pandemic of
2020 can’t take those away. So the Shewsy staff team has
had a WhatsApp group working all the way through these
last months, keeping each other in touch with what we can
do. And it’s a supportive, understanding, caring team led
by Youth Worker and Team Leader John Dumbell, assisted
by Nicola Coker and our team of sessional workers and
volunteers. There has been great unity, resilience, honesty
and humour, and those qualities are so vital to a successful
Shewsy staff team.
During the first lockdown, what was possible was some
excellent building refurbishment work and sorting out of
equipment (including new equipment such as the gift from
Toni Duggan, pictured below), alongside social media contact
with the young people, Instagram postings and quizzes,
Twitter advice and updates.
In the most recent lockdown, Youth and Community Centres
like the Shewsy have been happily able to work with small
vulnerable bubble groups: a possible helpful re-set during
the pandemic has been a growing realisation of the deep
importance of quality youth work. There has been a very
welcome Government promise of funding for the Youth
Service, including for capital and refurbishment work on
buildings and facilities.
The Shewsy flourishes as relationships between youth
workers and young people are strong, genuine, respectful,
engaging. And that is certainly the case at the moment, as
queues – socially distanced, of course – formed outside the
Club when we were able to re-open in the summer; that is a
lovely tribute to John, Nicola and the team.
Structures matter as well as relationships, and the Shewsy is
at the moment in the process of seeking to simplify helpfully
our structures, with good consultation with both Members
and our Board of Management. The partnership of local
Everton people, Shrewsbury School, St Peter’s Church and
the Diocese of Liverpool will remain importantly in place
in any new proposed structure, and it is interesting too that
partnership has become an increasingly appreciated word
and reality in the recent pressurised times. Our partnership
arrangement goes back to the founding of the Shewsy in
1903.
So for 2021, may both relationships and structures enable
the Shewsy to continue to serve the young people and the
community of Everton, Shrewsbury and beyond, and many
thanks to the Salopian Community for your interest and support.
Henry Corbett, Warden Shrewsbury House
Former club member and helper, Toni Duggan, England Women’s football
international and now playing for Atletico Madrid’s women’s football team, is
pictured in the Club after donating this Teqball table to the Shewsy this year.

SCHOOL NEWS 43
Supporting the Ankawa Foundation in Iraq
Dr Helen Brown describes how Shrewsbury School staff have worked voluntarily
with the Ankawa Foundation to support young Iraqi graduates to work in schools.
Former Head of Spanish Trish Henderson and I travelled
to Iraq, the summer of 2019, to deliver a teacher training
programme for a UK-based charity, the Ankawa Foundation.
The Ankawa Foundation (AF) works within communities
in Northern Iraq, providing funds and expertise to local
initiatives supporting refugees and Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) in this war-torn corner of the world.
The summer school project was intended to train young
Iraqi graduates to work in schools. Iraq has no teaching
qualification, and the education of millions has been severely
disrupted by the last three decades of conflict. At the same
time, many young people have been through horrific trauma
and are dealing with long-term mental health issues arising
from their experience of violence and instability.
We were able to offer bespoke mentoring to Iraqi
teachers in PE, English, Maths and Art & Design, as well
as providing lectures and seminars in pedagogy and
educational philosophy. The Iraqi teachers with whom we
worked were all eager to improve their teaching practice
and were hugely grateful to all those who helped them
plan lessons and develop strategies for safeguarding and
behaviour management.
Rasha – who fled from Baghdad during the insurgency –
told us that “We are so touched that teachers in England are
standing beside us. It helps us feel that we are not alone.”
We planned to return in 2020, continuing to mentor
the teachers we trained last summer and rolling out the
programme to more schools across Erbil. The global
pandemic made this impossible. However, undaunted, AF
decided that we would offer the same programme remotely.
In the spring, I appealed to the Shrewsbury School
Common Room for volunteers and was overwhelmed by
the generosity of the response. Seven Shrewsbury teachers
took part in the project, giving up two weeks of their
summer holiday to offer their expertise: Maurice Walters,
Toby Percival, Lauren Temple, Heather May, Revd Andy
Keulemans, Anita Wyatt and Naomi Pritchard.

44
SCHOOL NEWS
RSSBC
The 2020 rowing season broke all the wrong type of
records and while it is easy to let the frustration of
cancelled events, trips and a very flooded River Severn take
the headlines, it is important to celebrate the time we did get
to enjoy on and off the water with the Boat Club.
The annual Boat Club Dinner held in September 2019
provided the Club with a very different presentation. The
Boat Club was extremely privileged to be joined by Gerry
Lander, the son of former Captain of Boats, John Lander, who
left the School in 1926. Gerry spoke from the heart of his
experience growing up after his father died fighting in the
Hong Kong Defence Force Artillery prior to their surrender
to the Japanese in 1941. It was amazing to hear Gerry’s story
and about the significant achievements John had whilst at
the School (including winning the Ladies Challenge Plate in
1924) and at Cambridge University with a further four Henley
wins and a gold medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. The
Boat Club is honoured to have been presented with these
medals, along with the war medals awarded to John for his
service in the Second World War, which will be displayed for
the benefit of all those that pass through the school gates, to
appreciate what has gone before them and hopefully inspire
future generations of Salopians.
spirits of the crews. The results were secondary to building up race
experience, but it was fantastic to see one of the J15 boys’ fours
coming out 1st in a field of eleven crews. The J16 coxed fours came
in 4th out of eight crews in J18 4+ and 2nd out of six in J16 4+. The
J15 girls achieved in 3rd in the four and 6th in the quad, with the
J15 boys’ quad also coming 3rd.
Over the October half-term the Club travelled to Lac du Causse
near Brive la Gaillarde in France for a week-long small boats
training camp. With few distractions and plenty of quality time
on the water, all those who attended made significant progress.
The week ended with some racing and a chance for the rowers
to put their recent technical progression to the test.
Shortly after half-term, six Shrewsbury crews took to the
water at the annual Fours Head of the River on the Tideway
course in London. The event was reduced slightly in size
from the original 450 crews in the draw due to the expected
adverse weather conditions. Fortunately the weather held out
for a great afternoon of racing, with all six crews putting in
strong performances. The Senior boys’ crews came 3rd and
6th in the Junior Fours category, the Senior boys’ quad came
13th in a strong field, and the Senior girls came 9th, 12th and
15th out of 24.
Fours Head Girls Quad
Our guest speaker was no stranger to the Club, as Rebecca
Romero (current 2nd VIII Coach) provided unique insight into
what drove her and the challenges she faced in realising the
unique and phenomenal achievement of winning Olympic gold
and silver in two different endurance sports. Rebecca’s success
in winning silver in the Women’s Quad in Athens in 2004 and
gold in the Individual Pursuit in track cycling in Beijing in 2008 is
mind-blowing. Her drive and determination were clearly evident
as she spoke and shared some of the key traits she utilised in
high pressure situations.
The first head race of the season saw J15s and J16s travel to
Bedford to race at the Autumn Head. The event took place in
driving rain throughout the day that did little to dampen the
Fours Head coxed four
In November we hosted the Grange School in our first ever
fixture of the inaugural Girls’ School Cup, which should have
seen match racing between girls’ crews from around the
country to culminate in a final event in the summer. It was
great to be able to get out on the river after a challenging
few weeks and test whether all the land training had been
productive. Crews raced numerous times, with the Sixth
Form girls racing in two coxless quads, the J16s in two
coxed quads and the J15s in an octuple. The results saw

SCHOOL NEWS 45
Grange Match J15 Girls
Grange Match Senior Girls
Grange Match Senior Girls
Grange Match
Shrewsbury narrowly win 3:2 in what was a fun afternoon for
all involved.
The Boat Club took 50 J15 rowers to race in the Head of the
Float held in the Liverpool Docks at the end of November.
The weather was kind in comparison with Bedford and it
was great to get all the J15s out racing. Unfortunately, due
to shipping operations, the event didn’t run to time which
meant the crews didn’t compete in all the events planned but
J15 Boys
Head of the Float
had a good run in those they did race in. The boys won J17
Eights and the girls won J15 Octuples.
January and February saw training significantly hampered
by extreme river conditions, as the Severn rose to its highest
J15 Boys

46
SCHOOL NEWS
J16 VIII
mark in 20 years. In anticipation of flooding, some of the
boats had been loaded onto trailers which allowed the senior
boys and girls to travel to the River Dee to get some time
out on the water, kindly hosted by King’s Chester and Royal
Chester. The J15s continued to enjoy getting out on the water
in small boats at Bomere while the Severn rose to head
height at the bay doors.
The Boat Club only had one chance to race at the start of
2020, sending the J16s and Seniors to the Wycliffe Big Head.
It was great to see a provisional 1st VIII taking to the water
on the Gloucester Berkeley Canal and dominating the field,
winning the first division overall. They were the fastest crew
out of 17 J18 and Senior Men’s eights, including some strong
competition from schools such as Abingdon, Radley, St
Edward’s and Shiplake.
The Senior girls and J16s weren’t to be outdone and despite
the Senior girls racing in mixed boats, they won the Women’s
Coxless Quad event. J16 boys won their event with an
impressive row, ten seconds clear of their nearest competition
from Radley.
Sadly, for all involved, the racing season ended there, with
all further events cancelled due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
While the racing stopped, the training did not, with millions
of metres covered on bikes, ergos and on foot as the boys
and girls rose to the various challenges set over lockdown.
One of the challenges set to the athletes and coaches was
to ‘Conquer the Severn’ by completing 354km by running,
rowing or cycling the distance (cycled distance was halved).
Whilst the coaches took a more measured approach of
covering the distance over six weeks, there were some
phenomenal feats from five of the rowers (Dan Grinnall,
Sophia Urquhart, James Crews, Tim Manka and George
Bramwell) who completed the distance in under three weeks.
It is at this point in every ‘normal’ year where I would be
writing of the successes or disappointments that go hand
in hand with a Henley Royal Regatta campaign. Whilst it
would be foolish to try and predict an outcome, what I can
say with certainty is that our 1st VIII and 1st Quad would
have been hard to beat and have rightly earned their names
on the ceiling of the Boathouse among the generations that
have come before them. We celebrate our departing Upper
Sixth rowers and wish them every success for the future. The
Sabrina Club welcomes them with open arms to continue
their journey with the sport we love.
Athol Hundermark

RSSBC Training Camp at Lac du Causse, France
SCHOOL NEWS 47

48
SCHOOL NEWS
Rugby
1st XV:
Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference
15 9 0 6 357 374 -17
What I will remember most about
this season is the effort and
resolve that the boys demonstrated
throughout every training session and
fixture. It was always difficult living
in the shadow of the previous year,
but as the boys began to find their
own way of playing they were able to
put together a new style of play that
worked for them. A lot of the drive
came from the leadership team who
deserve credit for pulling the boys
together: skipper Jack Goodall, and
vice-captains Frank Mansell, Oli Shutts,
and Will Stanford-Davis.
The season got off to a positive start
in the sunshine of September as the
whole squad put on a tremendous
performance to defeat Oswestry 45-0.
With the ball spread wide, and Bilal
Khan showing off his pace and power,
it looked as though the season would
be rosy. The squad was brought swiftly
back to earth with a stuttering display
against Wrekin, with a try in the last
minute of the game handing victory to
our fiercest rivals. Worse was to come,
as a shoddy display in the national
cup against Bishop Heber saw the side
concede a number of soft tries on the
road to a dismal 52-17 loss. The team
were struggling, and at the end of the
first half of the next game against King
Edward VI Five Ways it looked as if
the side would once again capitulate to
another drubbing.
And then, suddenly the team started to
find some belief. Whether that came
from the tremendous go forwards
of Jamie Catto and George Daly, the
sniping runs of Henry Davies, or the
tackling prowess of Jonjo Wood, the
team started to show some grit and
determination. Having been 30 points
adrift at half time, the team had scored
24 in the second half, and from this
point the season changed. In training
the boys worked harder, jostling each
other to improve, and they began
to enjoy their sessions much more.
Skipper Goodall maintained a positive
outlook, but more leaders started

SCHOOL NEWS 49
to crawl out of the woodwork and
support him, with Nathan Mielczarek,
Henry Davies, Harry Sutherland and
Jamie Catto setting examples for the
squad.
The next four games were excellent
victories, most importantly in the return
fixture with Wrekin College (22-17).
Through the rest of the season there
may have been losses, but the boys
always played with their hearts on
their sleeves, showing the grit and
determination that one would expect
from a Salopian rugby player. The
highlight was probably the superb
game against local rivals Adams’
Grammar School (19-10), but the final
game away on the 3G pitch against
Warwick 2nd XV will live long in the
memory. The superb surface offered
us the speed of game that suited our
game style, and it was an incredibly
fast-paced match. Both sides enjoyed
throwing the ball wide, and with endto-end
action, Shrewsbury ran away the
winners at 28-22.
It was a pity that at the end of the
15-a-side season, the onset of COVID
cut short the sevens programme. The
boys had worked incredibly hard, and
it was ‘gutting’ that we did not have the
chance to take them down to Rosslyn
Park. Hopefully the boys will be able
to get together with the Old Salopian
Rugby Club in the future and make up
for lost opportunities.
At the end of a season like this, it is
always difficult to offer everyone the
credit in print that they deserve. This
is especially difficult nowadays, when
all the squad players routinely give so
much. Indeed, over 30 players have
represented the Shrewsbury 1st XV
this season, which shows not only the
strength of depth in the School, but
also the development strides that have
been made.
It is fitting that at the end of five years
at the School, I do say a few words
about the leavers.
• Jack Goodall has been a tremendous
asset to Shrewsbury rugby, and through
the year his leadership developed
impressively. With a strong pass from
breakdown he offered the fly-halves
time with the ball, and he will be sorely
missed next season.
• Frank Mansell was a joy to watch
at first receiver, for he took the ball to
the game-line, and passed the ball late;
a brave option, but one that opened
holes for his teammates.
• Jamie Catto certainly made up for
a missed season at Lower Sixth, using
his bulk to smash chunks out of the
opposition. Never one to step forwards,
his aggressive defence consistently won
us ball, and his ability to put us on the
front foot dragged us back into many
games.
• Harry Sutherland is one of those
players you always want – capable of
playing anywhere on the park, and
happy to do anything asked of him.
A second row playing in the centres,
Harry quickly learned about backline
positioning, and his centre defence and
ability to pass out of the tackle was
superb to watch.
• Henry Davies was a player who
played well above his weight division.
Perhaps the slightest hooker in U18
history, Henry’s grit and support
play were second to none. Probably
the team’s highest try-scorer across
the season as he was always on the
shoulders of any line break. A superb
season.
• The sight of Bilal Khan charging
down his wing was enough to scare
the daylights out of most of the wingers
that he came up against. The school
shirts appeared to be spray-painted
on to Bilal, such was the time that
he spent in the gym, but that did not
curtail his speed, and he scored many a
devastating try over the season.
• George Daly had such an engine
that he just kept on running throughout
games. Happy to get stuck into the
dirty work, George developed his game
to such an extent that he became one
of the first names on the team sheet.
• Nathan Mielczarek was a hardened
back row, who never backed down,
and put his heart and soul into his
rugby.
• On his day Oli Shutts was a hugely
destructive player, capable of blowing
holes through the opposition pack. It
was a pity that injury issues curtailed
his season.
• Will Madden moved up from the
river in the first term, and was quick
to pick up his rugby skills. By the end
of the season he had built a place in
the first team, with his hard graft and
excellent fitness a great asset to the
team.
• Harvey Rowlinson worked hard to
win a place in the team, and put in a
number of strong performances across
the season, providing power in the
engine room of the second row.
• Frankie McLaughlin returned from
a broken collar bone to show his skills
once again, and at would have no
doubt thrived during the sevens season
if he had been given the opportunity.
Throughout the season the boys
have benefitted from the work of
the Shrewsbury staff and several
external coaches who have given huge
amounts of their time to aid the boys’
development. My thanks go to Peter
Cook, Norman Stalker, Chris Wain,
Rhodri Evans and Steve Rintoul.
Chris Cook

50
SCHOOL NEWS
U15
v Birkenhead A lost 19 – 34
v Adams’ Grammar A won 5 – 0
v Oswestry School H won 32 – 24
v Lacon Childe H won 45 – 0 County Cup R1
v Abraham Derby A won 31 – 0 County Cup R2
v Meole Brace A draw 5 – 5
v Adams’ Grammar A cancelled County Cup SF
A tough start to the season with a trip
up to Birkenhead School. They were
well into their season and sped to
a 20-0 half time lead. Ryan Mupesa
made one searing break up the hill
but was caught short and a long way
from his support. The second half
saw Shrewsbury settle as a team. Two
lovely breaks from Tom Griffin saw him
collect a brace of tries and Jack Sheldon
broke from a maul following a line-out
to outstrip the cover defence for a
fine try. Nevertheless, a defeat meant
there was plenty of work to be done
on securing balls in the ruck before
the following week’s match at Adams’
Grammar School.
This became the battle of Newport as
Shrewsbury fought to take advantage of
the sloping pitch. John Williams stood
out for his weaving runs and he made
good ground, but there was no score
at half time. The team rose to the uphill
challenge in the second half. We started
well and Ed Dale sneaked over from
the base of a ruck to score after five
minutes. It required a massive defensive
effort to keep them out for the rest of
the match. The rucking was excellent,
and we won the ball countless times.
Caesar Supple and George Stanford-
Davis drove hard and made good
ground as we battled to escape from
our own 22. Tom Griffin stood out in
the backs and Orlando Bayliss had a
great game at full-back. Shrewsbury
returned home having held out proudly
for a 5-0 victory.
A mix and match game soon followed
as Oswestry School brought a
combined U15/14 side. Shrewsbury
dominated the first half leading 22-0
at half time. A great debut by Tim
Soontornpoj was the highlight as
he looked sharp every time he had
the ball. Switching players with the
U14s gave Oswestry hope but U15
reinforcements in the centres steadied
the ship before Shrewsbury scored the
final try to seal the match 32-24.
Lacon Childe School arrived in the
first round of the County Cup and
Shrewsbury once again showed their
dominance as Morgan Matthews, John
Anthony Leigh Livingstone, Albert
Moores and Will Corbett chipped in
with their first tries of the year. Freddie
Greenwell made some outstanding
runs and timed passes to perfection to
allow others to score. Ed Carryer also
demonstrated that he can create space
as Harry Harnaman was able to exploit
the space that Carryer created. A 45-0
score line underlined the dominance.
A wet February meant fixtures were
cancelled and it was nearly a month
before the team got to play again
as they travelled to Telford to take
on Abraham Derby School in the
next round of the Cup. Seb Powell,
Will Unsworth and Jack Sheldon (2)
contributed with tries that highlighted
that this game was won by the
forwards, Archie Barlow orchestrating
the play from No.10 as Shrewsbury
settled into their game and pods of
forwards smashed into the opposition.
The game finished early with a nasty
injury to a home player as Shrewsbury
marched on with a victory by 31 points.
Once again, inclement weather meant
the season was put on hold as fixtures
were cancelled and nobody was
allowed anywhere near the grass.
With the Cup semi-final approaching,
a quickly arranged match with our
friends at Meole Brace School was the
ideal preparation. Vladimir Polyntsov
was rewarded for some excellent
work on the astroturf following his
recovery from a broken thumb as he
stepped into the team. Will James and
Will Goodall continued to fight for the
starting place in the semi-final side as
they guided play from the breakdowns.
Johnny Fielden also looked to take his
opportunity with some nice runs, but it
took a lovely break from Ryan Mupesa
to achieve the only score in a 5–5 draw.
Preparation stepped up for the second
battle of Newport as Shrewsbury
were drawn to visit Adams’ again in
the County Cup semi-final. Then, the
whole world stopped for the COVID-19
lockdown, and the rest is history.
Mark Roberts
U14s
A disrupted season, but a lot of
progress was made and competition
for places was rife. We regularly
fielded two teams at U14 level and
saw the squad gel, recognising the
importance of teammates, whether
they were established and experienced
A team players or developing B team
ones. We started with a bang, clinging
onto a narrow and nail-biting win
against Birkenhead School, who had
been playing together the previous
term. The season ended early with a
good win over neighbours Oswestry.
The twins Hugo and Todd, playing
fundamentally different roles on the
pitch, one at prop and the other on
the wing, were useful ball carriers
and got us going forward often. You’ll
have to ask them who scored the most
tries! Theeka Niumpradit is one of
the best and fiercest tacklers we have
come across and he loved clattering
knees together all over the pitch. Tom
Paine and Tom Brown showed a lot of
experience, pace and power at scrumhalf
and in the centres and look like
very promising players for the future
indeed. We also have to say thank you
to coach Steve; the experience and
patience he shows in training and on
match day is unrivalled.
Morgan Bird

SCHOOL NEWS 51
Looking towards Caer Caradoc
With a wealth of talent in the Upper Sixth this year, the
season of 2019-20 was one we had earmarked as long as
three years ago as a potential high-point, with some excellent
support from younger years coming through. It was also a year
in which we were determined to offer another exciting trip to
East Africa, having had to scale back our ambitions in 2017 due
to some political turmoil in Kenya at the time. Now, with a very
strong team and a wonderful itinerary planned, we were sure
that this could provide the springboard to some very successful
performances in the Lent term.
The season started, as always, with the Third Form Race, with
some good potential on show in the form of Brad Keay (R)
who took the individual win for the boys, ahead of a hugely
successful pack of Port Hill runners who managed to take
five of the next ten places and secure first place in the team
event with only 39 points. It didn’t appear to be a vintage
year for the girls, who came through a little slower than in
the previous couple of years, but it was a good showing from
Emily Windsor Clive (EDH) to take the win, which helped
Emma Darwin Hall to maintain a very strong record in this
event, winning by a single point ahead of Moser’s.
The Tucks race was staged in considerably more favourable
conditions from the previous year, which was very nearly
postponed due to heavy winds. This time around there were
no such dramas and we were treated to some beautiful
autumnal sunshine at Attingham Park, only the second time
we had hosted the race at this new venue. Sam Western (S)
successfully defended his title from the previous year, but
probably the biggest story of the day was the silver medal
achieved by Will Singleton (R) in perhaps the finest-ever
performance by a Fourth Former in Tucks history. The
girls’ race was once again won by Chessy Harris (EDH),
making it four wins from four – an incredible achievement.
Rigg’s also managed to maintain a similar string of success,
defending the team title for the fourth year running. The
Grove managed to win the girls’ race, despite Emma Darwin
taking all three podium positions. The Grove managed
to claim every position from 5th to 12th in a phenomenal
display of team running. A new House trophy was awarded
to the House with the best average position across its top 50
finishers, and this went to Churchill’s Hall in the boys’ race,
and Emma Darwin Hall for the girls.
RSSH
In late November we once again hosted the Old Salopian
Hunt for our annual race, which saw a good turn-out,
including some recent leavers. Ed Mallet (OS, Severn Hill)
set an electric pace at the front that no one could match
for very long, and eventually won at a canter in a very
impressive display. Sam Western took the silver medal, ahead
of Harrison Cutler in third. Chessy chalked up another win,
claiming the Peter Middleton Trophy, a new addition this
year. It was another warm and friendly race between Hunt
runners past and present, and a great opportunity to catch up
with old friends.
Our U15 boys put in a good cup run in the ESAA Cross
Country Cup, reaching the national final via a dominant
display in the regional round. The final didn’t quite go to
plan, with Archie Collings (Rb) lost to an injury just before
the race, and Ben Weston (R) having to run through a painful
foot injury. Nevertheless, Will Singleton gained our first topten
spot for seven years, helping us to 14th position overall,
which given our injuries was a very satisfying result.
As term reached its climax in the final week before Christmas,
the Paperchases saw a great display of cross country running
and House spirit, held on a bright but cold Friday afternoon
in early December. Sam Western once again took the gold for
the boys, finishing a good 30 seconds ahead of his nearest
rival Harrison Cutler (R), who as a Fifth Former was showing
signs that he was coming into some serious form just in time
for the Knole and Coventry races in January and February.
Oscar Hamilton-Russell (R) took third, another 30 seconds
or so behind Harrison. The girls’ race was reliably won by
Chessy, around 90 seconds ahead of Livy Elliott (EDH), with
Anna Cowan (MSH) taking third not very far behind. The
Grove once again managed to pack in well and take the team
trophy, despite again failing to claim any of the individual
podium spots. The U15 House race was won confidently
by Brad Keay, ahead of Tim Strebel (I) and Hamish Griffiths
(PH) – all Third Formers of great promise for the future. In
the girls’ race, Eva Hall (G) took the gold, ahead of Eloise
Jones (MSH) and Irina Linger (G).
The Knole Run is one of the two biggest moments in our
season. Falling in mid-January and after our preparations
before Christmas, we were feeling confident of a good team
display. However, we had lost Oscar to an ankle injury on

52
SCHOOL NEWS
Sam Western in the Knole
the day before term started, and Sam Western had come down
with a severe cold the week before the race, so we knew it
would be difficult to challenge at the very top. Sam set off
gainfully at the head of the leading pack in the first lap, but
quickly realised that he hadn’t yet recovered from his illness
and slipped back out of contention in the second lap. Will
Singleton ran a masterful race however, passing Sam and
picking up several other places in a second half which saw
him climb from about 15th up to his final position of 7th –
quite incredible given his age. His efforts – alongside those
of Sam (18th), Max Green (28th), Harrison Cutler (35th), Will
Owen (39th) and Orlando Williams (40th) – were enough to
secure for us 3rd place. Chessy Harris ran terrifically well to
manage 5th place in the girls’ race, helping us to 9th place as a
team, which marks our best turn-out here for a while.
My wife having gone into labour that morning, I was unable
to attend the King Henry VIII Relays in early February (it was
a tough call), but this proved to be as exciting a race as ever.
With Oscar still injured, we knew our chances of a podium
finish were distant, but it was nevertheless a strong team which
made the trip. Harrison Cutler took on the opening leg, and
ran a very strong time of 12:12, keeping us well in contention
among the head of the field. Max Green (I) ran the second
leg in 12:39, marking a fantastic moment for him and keeping
us amongst the top ten or so. Tom Jackson (R) matched this
Pack
time in the third leg, before Paddy Barlow (R) did exactly what
he needed to do with a time of 12:50 (he had been hoping
to break 13 minutes), but we were around 9th place at this
point. Will Singleton then blistered through the field in 12:06,
passing three runners and teeing us up for an anchor leg by
Huntsman Sam Western, who posted the eighth-fastest time of
the day in an astonishing 11:41 and claiming 5th place overall.
Our B team also ran very strongly, taking 19th place with three
runners finishing inside 13 minutes. The girls also performed
admirably, taking 14th place with Chessy running the joint-
10th-fastest time of the day in 13:52.
Unfortunately, with COVID gathering momentum at the end
of the Lent Term, this proved to be our last significant outing
as a club. Nevertheless, during the Summer Term our runners
were keen to maintain their fitness and checked in regularly
via Zoom to chat about their progress. We were able to get
almost everyone together in one mass-meeting online in June
to say goodbye to our leavers, and in particular to thank our
Huntsman Sam Western, Huntswoman Francesca Harris, Senior
Whip Tom Jackson, Junior Whip Paddy Barlow, and Girls
Whip Anna Cowan. We very much hope to be able to invite
them back in person soon and thank them properly for the
excellent years of service they have given to the club.
Ian Haworth
Drenched U15s at ESAA regional rounds

SCHOOL NEWS 53
RSSH in East Africa
In the first week of the 2019 Christmas break we took 18
pupils out to Kenya and Ethiopia for a truly unforgettable trip,
which combined soaking up the wonderful culture of East
African running as well as providing the opportunity to get in
some serious training, enabling us to peak just in time for our
big January races. Arriving at Pembroke House Prep School
in Gilgil, we visited the Restart Centre, an orphanage which
is very close to the club’s heart, and were able to present a
cheque for over £2000 which had been raised by the runners
the previous month by ascending the Wrekin over and over
again, climbing a total of over ten vertical miles of altitude.
It was truly inspiring and humbling to see the impact that the
Restart Centre has on the children’s lives, and how the money
we raised can be spent to make such a massive difference.
From Gilgil we travelled to the Hartley’s farm in Laikipia,
where we were treated to some wonderful experiences, from
a sunrise run around the fringes of the estate, flanked by
zebra and ostrich, to a swim at some waterfalls surrounded
by gazelle, and an incredible campfire and barbecue under
the stars. Our next stop was Iten, the self-proclaimed ‘Home
of Champions’, where so many successful Kenyan runners
live and train. This provided a great chance to concentrate
on our own running, doing drills in the red earth and getting
up before sunrise to do our long runs in the forest, egged on
by local children who seemed both delighted and perplexed
to see our exhausted faces hove into view. After a week
in Kenya, we crossed the border into Ethiopia, and made
our way to Bekoji to visit our old friend Coach Sentayehu
Eshetu, a legend of Ethiopian running, who visited us here
at Shrewsbury back in 2012. He led us through some tough
workouts around his dusty track amid some fine local talent
who made it all look rather easy, as well as his famous ‘trees’
session in the eucalyptus forest on the edge of town. Our last
stop was Haile Gebrselassie’s training resort on the outskirts of
Addis Ababa, a luxurious complex in which we could enjoy
the first decent shower we’d had in a while and let the muscles
recover a little before a last sunset run through the village.
Ian Haworth

54
SCHOOL NEWS
Although the season was cut
short this year, the Shrewsbury
lacrosse teams had many notable
results and gained a seeded placing
in the National Schools’ draw for the
first time.
The U15s had an impressive set
of results throughout the season,
winning seven out of eight fixtures
in the Michaelmas Term. Some
highlights include beating Withington
Girls 8-5, with an outstanding
performance by all. Captained by
Liberty Clarke and Rachel Ellis, the
team went from strength to strength,
placing top in two tournaments in
the run up to the Nationals. New
Third Form entrants made a great
impact on the team and became
recurring members of the starting
lineup.
The 1st team had a successful
season, starting well by placing top
three at the Welsh Rally. Following
this they made an impressive
comeback in the North Schools
tournament at Queen Margaret’s
York, to beat Bolton in the last
plays of the game once again to
place top three. Captained by
Georgia Kannreuther and Mimi
Mason-Hornby, the team gelled
Lacrosse
throughout the season, producing
some impressive performances
against strong opposition, such as
Malvern St James, Queen’s Chester
and Birkenhead. They finished the
season 67 goals for, and 37 against.
A mention must go to our recordbreaking
goal-scorer, Georgia
Kannreuther, who took 42 goals
throughout the season.
The U18 2nd team travelled to
Cheltenham Ladies’ College to
compete for the first time as a squad.
They held their own admirably: for
several it was their first outing on a
lacrosse pitch!
Nationals 2020
The 1st and U15 teams headed to
Nationals in Aldershot, to compete in a
weekend of high-level matches against
the best schools in the country.
Due to bad weather, the 1st team
matches were postponed until the
Sunday, where they eventually had
some great results against St Bart’s,
Claremont Fan Court and St George’s
Harpenden. This enabled them to
progress into division 1 to compete
for the title. Unfortunately, it was not
meant to be, as they were knocked
out by Sherborne in the dying seconds
Fives
of the game. A great effort by all in
difficult conditions, and for some, a
tremendous last effort in Shrewsbury
colours.
The U15s got going on the Monday,
attending Nationals for the first time in
the School’s history. They had a tough
draw, with four previous winners in
their pool, but came out triumphant,
holding their own against prestigious
lacrosse schools, beating Wycombe
Abbey, Godolphin, Monmouth,
St Swithuns, and Westonbirt. This
resulted in them topping the group
and qualifying for the championship
division. Their quarter-final game was
against Benenden, ending 2-2 at full
time after an end-to-end, hard-fought
game by both sides. The championship
was then taken to goal difference from
the earlier stages, which resulted in
them not progressing any further in
the competition. It was a disappointing
way to go out, but the girls can be very
proud of all they achieved on their first
trip to Nationals as a squad.
Well done to those who have earned
National Academy places: from the
senior squad, Isobel Morris and Lucy
Lees; from the juniors, Isabella Harpin,
Eloise Jones, Jennifer O’Brien and
Genevieve Bright.
U15s at Harrow for the Hughes Cup
Like many, the Fives Club had the season pulled from
under us just a week before the Nationals Championships
were due to take place. On the positive side, while we
missed the highlight of the end result for some and the big
event, we had managed to fulfil many of our fixtures and
complete the House competitions (just!).
In those House competitions, Radbrook and Port Hill stood
out in the U14s, as they so often have in recent years:
Radbrook’s Jack Home & Will Jenkins ran out winners 12-6,
13-10, partly perhaps as Port Hill’s star player Seb Motala-
Evans was unavailable on the day. In the plate final Oldham’s
(Tom Pain & Ed Clarke) beat Churchill’s. Many thanks to
Revd Aldous for energetically driving this competition and
maintaining the highest standards of punctuality, appearance
and decorum.
The U16 and Senior finals were both played on the very day

SCHOOL NEWS 55
that lockdown closed the School, finishing essentially minutes
before the players went home for six months. The finals were
all the more competitive for being the last competitive sport
for the foreseeable future; the friendly match on in the next
court, for the same reason, had a ‘last hurrah’ party air to it.
U16 winners were Ingram’s, with Digby Taylor-West and
Fourth Former Guy Bradshaw proving too consistent for
Digby’s School partner Rory McDonald-O’Brien & Henry
McGowan: Ingram’s won 12-7, 12-6 to claim the Pepperpot
Trophy.
Digby continued into the Senior final, playing with Sixth
Form entrant Morgan Bevans against the School’s 2nd pair
Tom Castling & Marcus van Wyk who represented Radbrook.
Ingram’s were the underdogs in this match but clearly a
strong pair, Morgan being orthodox and consistent and Digby
a strong cutter. A description of the Radbrook pair’s play
would not include the adjectives orthodox and consistent:
rather they had played together for years and were capable of
impressive wins and stubborn displays of attacking flair. So it
was a contest of very different styles but Ingram’s, having got
the upper hand at the end of the first game and held on to
win the second, continually gained in confidence and closed
out the result in straight games: 12-8, 12-7, 12-5.
School matches up to March had continued as usual: that is,
with the usual battles against disruption, not least this year
from high winds. On our weekend away at Highgate and
Eton, Sunday morning was greeted by fences and wheelie
bins being blown about around the hotel. That said, the
South East was spared relative to Shropshire and we returned
to find the Site recovering from a minor apocalypse, with
trees scattered hither and thither, having broken from their
previously static disposition with carefree abandon. Even
Sunday Chapel had been cancelled, such was the fury of the
elements. This had all had little or no impact on the fives
players in their sheltered battlefields; we had enjoyed success
against Highgate, especially in the U16s (a notable event
in the senior 1st pair court, where Peter Clark and Arthur
Garrett met Highgate’s pair of southpaws, in a highly unusual
court comprising four left-handers; our pair conceded to me
afterwards that none of the players was really sure where to
hit the ball!). Eton provided tougher opposition, especially
to our juniors, but in the U16s we felt that, despite having
a way to go, we were not out of touch with the level. At
senior there were some good matches, the difference in
first pair being Eton’s Archie Backhouse, finalist in 2019 in
Shrewsbury. Again, we felt in six weeks we might close some
of the gap and there had been signs the Eton pair was not
invincible.
That weekend was particularly busy for our U15s, since
having played against Highgate (all four pairs lost albeit in
good games) they travelled on Sunday to Harrow for the
Hughes Cup, where they overturned their result against
Highgate to win 4-2 but ended in 3rd place having lost to
Harrow and Eton (but with third pair recording 1-1 draws
against both). Again, despite being behind at this early stage
in February, the feeling was the gap was not large and could
quite possibly be closed.
The girls’ team meanwhile had had a number of their usual
university and School fixtures and were looking strong.
Indeed they were undefeated, including against Oxford
University, despite captain Issy Wong’s absence. First pair Issy
and Harriet Shuker won the U21s Nationals on March 1st –
the first Shrewsbury Schoolgirls to achieve this – and were
going into the Schools Nationals as favourites.
The Northern Championships at Shrewsbury had provided
the usual experience across the age ranges, with lots of
U21 National Champions 2020
Fourth Form involvement as parents’ meetings on Sunday
meant they couldn’t travel to away fixtures.
Our preparations for the Nationals were as far advanced
as playing the now-traditional last preparatory fixture, the
Grant Williams invitational. As Grant reported, high water
was the challenge on this weekend: “We were wondering if
Shrewsbury School was going to be an island in the newly
named “Sea of Shrewsbury” but the floods had abated and
against all the odds for Shrewsbury in early March, the sun
came out and it was relatively warm.” Peter Clark and Arthur
Garrett had a good win at 1st pair; their preparation for the
Nationals seemed to be on course. Overall, after a policy of
spreading the Invitational side’s strength over the top six pairs,
the School came out winners 6-4.
Another great highlight of the fixture was a return to the fives
courts of OS Antony Peel, who had not played since a terrible
injury in his Upper Sixth year and been out of the country for
some years. Now returning to the UK, he dug out his gloves
and combined the closest of matches with the broadest of
smiles of the fixture.
It was to be the last competitive fixture of the season. While
there is talk of holding a postponed National Championships,
at the time of writing this looks unlikely. House competitions
were completed on 20th March, on the day the School Site
closed and two days before the Nationals had been due to
begin. We look ahead to another possibly disrupted season,
but are pleased that many of those who left without that
final event of the season will nonetheless stay in touch and
continue playing our noble sport.
The players in the Grant Williams invitational
Seb Cooley

56
SCHOOL NEWS
Cricket
Given the COVID-19 situation since February 2020, this is
the shortest cricket report I have ever written. Nevertheless,
I feel that in the circumstances we have offered much to
many. Many thanks to all the staff (full-time and part-time)
who, together with our very professional grounds staff, have
offered an excellent service in the prevailing conditions.
Michaelmas 2019 – Lent 2020
During Michaelmas Term 2019 and for a large part of the Lent
Term that followed, our extensive winter cricket programme
continued as usual: a focus on rest, recovery and rehab
during October, with yoga sessions, debriefing and planning,
and video analysis work; then in November and December a
return to a technical focus, with one-to-one sessions for the
Lower and Upper Sixth, lunchtime one-to-one sessions for
Lower School pupils, open sessions every Wednesday (four
coaches in four lanes), and squad sessions for the 1st XI and
Junior squads every Thursday.
In the Lent Term, the transfer of Cricket Professional Adam
Shantry from his Michaelmas Term 2nd XI football coaching
duties back to focusing on cricket added greatly to the
provision of coaching for our Higher Tier players. With so
many quality cricketers in school, across all the age groups,
the aim is to see all those designated as higher tier players
on a regular weekly basis. The time that Adam and Head
of Girls’ Cricket Gwenan Davies put into these players will
improve individual skills and thereby team performances in
due course.
Summer Term in Remote
When the Lent Term ended abruptly, we had to put in place
a comprehensive remote programme for all our young
cricketers, with a wide variety of content covering a range of
developmental areas. From April through to the end of the
Summer Term, pupils across all age groups and ability levels
accessed all resources via our weekly diary and interacted
regularly via video conferencing, phone calls and email.
Players were provided with themed technical skill sessions
each week, with several levels of progression built in. They
were able to test themselves while attempting batting,
bowling and fielding drills in their own environments. Online
interactive pages were also created, so that players could
participate in challenges and receive tailored, individual
feedback from our team of full-time coaching staff.
We were extremely fortunate to be able to host a live Q and
A session every week, each featuring an Old Salopian who
has progressed to the professional game. James Taylor joined
us for an exceptional 90-minute session, talking about the
highs and lows of his inspiring story. Other guests included
Joe Leach, Ed Barnard, George Garrett and Ruaidhri Smith,
each of whom gave priceless advice to our young players.
Budding captains tackled several hypothetical scenarios,
including leading the side through the last few overs of a T20
semi-final, and selecting a squad and outlining tactical plans
for an end of season tournament.
In addition to the School’s excellent strength and conditioning
provision, our partners at Lancashire CCC gave us access to
their ‘at home’ cricket conditioning programme. This covered
speed work, stamina building sessions, and upper and lower
body strength exercises that could all be completed without
access to a gym.
In addition to the key features above, pupils also enjoyed:
• Replays of Shrewsbury School matches from previous years
• Access to our online dashboard, containing indexed
Shrewsbury School player highlights from the past three
seasons
• Login details for Glamorgan CCC’s remote offering,
including drills, masterclasses and tips from their professional
coaching staff
• An online umpiring course from the ECB
• A guide to cricket groundsmanship and pitch preparation
• Tips on dealing with self-isolation
• A school-wide catching competition, judged by
Worcestershire CCC’s Ed Barnard.
For three weeks in June, we were pleased to be able to
run twice-weekly outdoor nets training (socially distanced
and following new ECB guidelines) for 20 boys and girls
identified as ‘elite’ players and living close enough to the
School to be able to take part.

SCHOOL NEWS 57
Michaelmas Term 2020
For the first time since the 1980s, the School ran a short
cricket programme in September, which went some way
towards meeting the needs of both House and School
cricketers starved of cricket during the summer.
The wonderful weather in the first few weeks of term
allowed us to play on excellent dry pitches. Many thanks to
all the officials, cricket, teaching, grounds and house staff
who made the events possible.
School Fixtures: Shrewsbury School Boys’ 1st XI
Won 1 Lost 1
1st XI Boys v Malvern (40-over White Ball match)
Shrewsbury School 161 ao (Cooke 77, Walker 32
Malvern 162-6 (Parry 4-26)
Malvern win by 4 wickets
1st XI Boys v Warwickshire CC
Warwickshire 201-5 (Gallimore 2-24)
Shrewsbury 204-3 (Lees 61*, Cooke 53, Parry 34*)
Shrewsbury win by 7 wickets
House Competition
In the House Cricket Competition, Oldham’s did the double,
winning both the U15 and the U18 trophies. They beat
Ingram’s in the final of the U15 Competition and Severn Hill
in the final of the U18s.
Girls’ Competition
Team Kynaston 84-4 in 18 overs (Georgia Norman 35,
Ellie Leigh Livingstone 2-7)
Team Shuker 85-5 in 15 overs. (Sophie Thomas 20,
Alice Hughes 1-4, Scarlett Whittal 1-10)
New staff and new resources
We are delighted that Jack Shantry is now assisting our
coaching team, sharing his experiences gained during
ten years in the professional game with Worcestershire
CCC. He has recently been accepted onto the ECB Level 3
coaching course.
We are also pleased to retain Eve Jones, who has been a
massive part of the girls’ cricket development at the School,
going in to her third year of coaching at Shrewsbury. She will
be looking to pass on her experience as the current Captain
of the Central Sparks. With the loss of Paige Schofield,
returning home to the south, we have gained Lauren Rowles
who is an experienced Level 3 Coach and former Captain
of Worcestershire Women. Currently working with the
Warwickshire U17 county side, it will be great to have her
experience to further develop our girls across the board.
Finally, it is fantastic to have Lloyd Tennant (Level 4, Head
Coach of the Central Sparks, England Academy Fast Bowling
Consultant) as a coaching consultant, who will drop in and
out of the winter sessions this year, to work with our talented
seam bowlers, both girls and boys.
The cricket department has purchased a new mobile
4g streaming unit, which will enable us to live-stream our
games both home and away. We will also be using Pixio
Player Cam technology, enabling us to track a single player
and monitor their movements whilst fielding. We also now
have two automatic feeders for our bowling machines, and
two new ball feeders which deliver ‘drop feeds’, empowering
our players to carry out technical drills individually.
Notable Individual Achievements
• JJ Fielding is currently taking part in trials for the England
U19 squad, who are due to tour Australia in the early part
of 2021.
• George Hargrave (Rb 2012-16) scored his second Varsity
century for Oxford University in September.
• Ed Barnard (PH 2012-14) was appointed captain of
Worcestershire Rapids for their T20 campaign in August
and September.
• Gwenan Davies (Staff Coach) scored 169 runs at an
average of 28 in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
• OS Issy Wong (G 2015-20) was selected to be a part of
the England Training Bubble at Derby & Loughborough
University and signed her first professional contract with
Central Sparks.
• Harriet Shuker (L6) was elected Warwickshire U17 Captain.
• Eve Jones (Staff Coach) signed her first professional
contract with Central Sparks and was elected Captain.
• Issy Wong, Eve Jones and Gwenan Davies were all
selected to play for Central Sparks during the summer,
with contributions from all three throughout the Rachel
Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Andy Barnard

58 SCHOOL NEWS
Football
Playing records:
1st XI Playing record
Played Won Drawn Lost Goals
For
Goals
Against
26 11 5 10 65 49 16
Goals
Difference
Under 16A Playing record
Played Won Drawn Lost Goals
For
Goals
Against
16 6 1 9 34 36 -2
Goals
Difference
Under 15A Playing record
Played Won Drawn Lost Goals
For
Goals
Against
20 9 1 10 50 53 -3
Goals
Difference
Under 14A Playing record
Played Won Drawn Lost Goals
For
Goals
Against
14 9 2 3 75 41 34
Goals
Difference
Captain Finn Sansom in the Boodles semi-final v Queen Ethelburga’s
As we reflect on the 2019-20 season, we can look back
on so many unbelievable moments and a roller-coaster
of emotions that only football has the ability to stimulate.
Our development programme has continued to provide
opportunities for players of all abilities to improve their
technical and tactical understanding through quality coaching,
a comprehensive fixture list and having access to some of
the best grass pitches in the country. This year we had seven
teams play in the ESFA National Competitions and made
a noticeable mark in County Cup competitions. Our U14A
and U15A teams both reached their respective county finals.
Sadly, with the global COVID-19 pandemic taking a grip
worldwide in early March, these finals did not get played.
It was a disappointment for these two age groups not to
have the opportunity to contest a final after some excellent
performances in the earlier rounds. Nonetheless, it was
pleasing to see them do so well on the county stage.
Furthermore, the playing record of our Junior A teams against
fellow independent football schools Bradfield, Millfield and
Repton was also favourable, winning, as they did, five out of
the eight matches played. Our U14 age group, of whom we
had high expectations, settled into school football brilliantly
and their record of playing 14, winning nine and losing only
three games bodes very well for the future. A special mention
must go to Louis Crofts (PH) who scored 35 goals this season.
This age group is certainly worth keeping an eye on as it
develops and progresses through the School.
Ist XI
The 1st XI started with pre-season preparations taking place
at Blackburn Rovers Academy. Whilst not the glamorous
location of past years, it would prove to be a wonderful
week, delivered by Blackburn’s experienced and highly
qualified Academy staff. Technical, tactical and physical work
were embedded in preparation for the start of the season at a
fantastic Category 1 professional academy.
After an excellent season in the 1st XI as a Fifth Former in
2018-19, Finn Sansom (PH) was selected as the 1st XI captain.
Not since R.J. Lloyd in the 1975 and 1976 seasons has a

SCHOOL NEWS
59
Boodles quarter-final v Brentwood
Lower Sixth boy been given the honour of captaining the
1st XI over a two-year period. This selection is testament to
Finn’s all-round character and the impact he has made as a
1st XI footballer.
The curtain-raiser for the season is always the ISFA Sixes,
this year hosted at Winchester College. Despite not having
our captain with us through illness, the competition would
highlight the potential we had as a group. In a tough
qualifying group we emerged as winners, beating a strong
Bedes side (eventual Hudl League winners), as well as
future ISFA quarter final opponents Brentwood. We would
lose to Bradfield 2-1 in the quarter-finals, a game we largely
dominated.
The 2019-20 season will, however, always be remembered
for the drama that was the ISFA Boodles U18 National Cup.
Following on from our heart-breaking quarter-final defeat
to Millfield in a penalty shoot-out last year, we set out in
this year’s competition with a home draw v Leeds Grammar
School. As always, the season target is a last 16-spot as a
minimum, with the hope to go further. A comfortable 5-2 win
set up a mouth-watering tie in Round 3 against the ISFA Sixes
winners, City of London. We played the same opponents
in the last 16 in the 2016-2017 season, beating them 3-2
en route to the semi-final. In an equally tight game this
time round, a solitary Nathan Day goal in the second
half secured a famous victory. Fortune favoured us again
as the draw gave us another home tie, this time against
Kimbolton School. A comprehensive first-half display saw
us ease to a 5-0 win. A Harry Cooke hat trick was the main
headline of a team performance in which we dominated
possession and territory.
The Quarter-Final draw gave us an away tie at Brentwood
and the need to travel for the first time in the competition.
A large London day school with a footballing tradition
that boasts ex alumni such as Frank Lampard, as well as
the length of the journey, meant it would always be a
challenging prospect.
The gravity of the task was made even more evident on
the eve of the game. Key central midfielder Jack Parry (S)
rolled an ankle in a shape session the afternoon before the
game, an injury that was confirmed later that evening as a
broken ankle. It was a major blow but through adversity
we would witness the team rise to the challenge they were
faced with.
Joe Archer (I 5) was given the opportunity in the starting
XI. He produced a battling, tenacious midfield performance
beyond his years which dove-tailed fantastically with Captain
Finn Sansom.
Despite the scrappy, nervous play early in the game we soon
started to dominate with large spells of possession. A Guy
Gowar header gave us a first-half lead, bang on the half-time
whistle. This lead was doubled in the 53rd minute as Harry
Cooke tapped in after the goalkeeper had parried a Luke
Bourne Arton strike. Two ‘dubious’ free kicks in the last 15
minutes offered Brentwood the chance to get back into the
game, the equaliser coming with two minutes left on the
clock. However, despite the disappointment we dominated
possession in the first period of extra time.
Finn Sansom put us back into the lead before Luke Bourne
Arton added our fourth goal after a swift counter-attack was
confidently finished. Finn capped a wonderful captain’s
performance with a curled free kick from 25 yards to make
it 5-2. Brentwood scored a consolation third late on but the
plaudits and the semi-final place would be ours.
Wednesday 5th February was the date for our second semifinal
in four years, this time against Queen Ethelburga’s. It
was a huge occasion for the School with the game being
played in front of vocal home support on Senior. In a cagey
first half that saw few chances, one sensed the occasion
was having an impact on both sides. However, we arguably
had the better of the chances – captain Finn Sansom bought
a good save from 20 yards and another half chance from
Nathan Day flew over the bar. The QE winger was proving a
danger down the right side but a largely uneventful first half
drew to a close with the game finely-poised at 0-0. In the
second half QE started to dominate possession and it wasn’t
long before they took the lead – an in-swinging free-kick fell
to their dangerman who smashed it into the bottom corner
(1-0). Semi-finals are nervy occasions, and the first goal can
often prove vital, and so proved to be the case here. The
second goal came on 57 minutes from an uncharacteristic
Owen Jones error who, unfortunately, under-hit a back pass
which was intercepted by the QE centre-forward, arguably
the player of the match, rounding the onrushing Ben Lees
to double the lead (0-2). QE’s third followed, another terrific
strike from their winger curling into the bottom corner,
giving goalie Lees no chance. Despite the 0-3 score line, we
continued to push forward and, from the first genuine bit
of quality delivered into the box, Owen Jones powerfully
headed in at the back post. Despite another couple of half
chances, QE managed the final ten minutes to claim the
victory and a place in the ISFA final (against Millfield) at the
MK Dons’ Stadium. Despite the disappointment of the defeat,
we could reflect on a terrific cup run. Getting to the last four
of this highly competitive tournament is a wonderful platform
to build on for next year’s squad. The pitch-side and online
support from the Salopian community – staff, parents and
pupils (especially the ‘Salop Army’ led by Louis Street) – was
appreciated by both teams and highlighted the power of
sport to bring the community together.
Hudl League
The Hudl League continues to give us a ‘league’ focus
throughout the season, competing against nine of the
strongest sides on the Independent Circuit. Our performances
this season again show that we are able to compete against
the strongest sides in ISFA. Our points tally this year in
the league didn’t reflect how well we played, especially
against Bradfield and Repton. The win v Royal Russell, the
powerhouse of ISFA Football these past four years, was a
terrific performance and highlighted that on our day we can
beat the best teams on the circuit. The league also gave us
the opportunity to blood several Fifth Form/Lower Sixth lads,
especially during the last four games of the league season.
This taste of 1st team action was great experience for these
players and gave them an appreciation of the standard of

60 SCHOOL NEWS
Boodles semi-final. The goal
1st XI football. Against Repton we selected an Under-17 side
(Owen Jones the only U6 pupil), with five Fifth Form boys
playing that afternoon. Although we lost 2-0, it was testament
to our development programme and the work done at the
younger age groups, that these younger lads were able to
step up and perform at this highest level.
It is hugely satisfying for our football programme that four of
our 1st XI players were selected by ISFA in 2019 to represent
their National U17 & U18 representative sides.
At U17 level, Goalkeeper Alex Wilson Scholar Ben Lees (PH),
Captain Finn Sansom (PH) and winger Guy Gowar (S) were
all selected for the U17 Representative side. Finn would also
go on to play in the U18 International v Australia in January.
Owen Jones (R) was also selected for the U18s and played in
games against the English Colleges, in which he scored, the
Welsh Colleges and the game v Australia, both these games
hosted at Shrewsbury. It was also great to see Vice Captain
Punn Vajrabhaya commit to a Football Scholarship in America
with Merrimack College.
House Football
House football continues to be the bedrock of our football
provision. In a competition dating back to 1888, it is
wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the current Salopian
House communities uniting in their shared aim of winning
the coveted 1st House knockout trophy. Port Hill claimed the
2019 title (their fourth in the competition’s history) beating
Rigg’s in the final. They still have some way to go to emulate
Severn Hill and Rigg’s however, who lead the way with 20
wins apiece. School House claimed the 2nd House title and
Port Hill beat School House in extra time to win the U15
House competition.
The Future
This season highlights a huge number of positives. From
individual player development, to the continued number
of boys enthusiastically playing the game at all levels, there
continues to be lots to build on. Our record in the past
five years in the Boodles National Cup of one quarter-final
and two semi-finals would rank us in the top eight ISFA
Schools, a pleasing level of consistency. This ranking will
also mean we will enter the Boodles draw in Round 3 in
2020-21, alongside the other seven top ranked sides over
the past five years. We cannot rest on our laurels, however.
More and more Independent Schools are recognising the
positive impact that football can have, not only in the
number of pupils playing within individual schools, but
also from a recruitment perspective.
We must continue to position ourselves as a school that
promotes a programme of development for all, that is playercentred
and not results-focused, but has the ability to produce
players and teams that are able to compete at the highest
levels with genuine ‘home-grown’ players. The need to add
additional quality from external sources will, however, still be
a key focus in the coming years.
We wish all our 2019/20 leavers the very best with their
future footballing pursuits and we hope to see them back
at School as part of the Old Salopian squad in the coming
seasons.
Steve Wilderspin

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 61
In this strangest of years, the richness
of variety of news items supplied
for the News section suggests that Old
Salopians have, far from hibernating,
remained as dynamic as ever. Perhaps
one result of the pandemic has been
to reinforce the value we place on
social connections and, in the case of
the Salopian Club, the void forcibly
created in our activities has been
palpable. A number of our sporting
clubs – football, cricket, rowing, golf,
fives and netball – have valiantly
From the Director
carried on when circumstances have
allowed, but otherwise any meetings
we have needed to arrange have,
like so many other organisations,
relied on Zoom. At a time when so
many have been compelled to live in
less-than-glorious isolation, it may be
timely to remind Salopians about OS
Connect, our free platform whereby
Old Salopians of all ages can connect
direct with friends and contemporaries
as well as network, offer mentoring
and advertise jobs (www.shrewsbury.
org.uk/os-connect). It is also worth
emphasising that, at a time of great
challenge for the School, the practical
and moral support of the Old
Salopian body has played an often
unseen but nevertheless enormously
valuable role.
As we reach 2021, our hope must
be that we shall finally move on into
broader lands and better days.
Floreat Salopia.
Nick Jenkins
Director of the Salopian Club
Salopian Club Forthcoming Events
• More details can be found on the Salopian Club website: www.shrewsbury.org.uk/page/salopian-club
• Sporting fixtures at: www.shrewsbury.org.uk/page/os-sport (click on individual sport)
• For general enquiries please email: oldsalopian@shrewsbury.org.uk
As we go to press, detailed planning of Salopian Club events for the first part of 2021 remains impracticable.
The Club office will be in touch with all members about events once the future becomes clearer.
2020 Dubai Annual Cricket Match and Supper
It was during the 2019 Dubai Salopian
get together, whilst conversing with
fellow Old Salopian Charlie Barlow, that
he suggested how good it would be if
the following year we could arrange a
cricket match to be followed by prizegiving
and the usual supper. The seed
was planted and the challenge set.
In early December 2019, Martin Cropper
was able confirm the date for the event
as he would be visiting Dubai for the
annual Public Schools Exhibition, which
the School had usually attended in the
previous seven years. So, with a date
set for Friday 13th March I set about
the challenge of putting together two
cricket teams – one a pure Salopian
selection and the other a Rest of the
World XI.
With Jebil Ali Cricket Ground booked
for a 20/20 game, a feeler email to
the Middle East Salopian community
was sent out early – providing plenty
of notice! In due course a pure Old
Salopian team was confirmed and
I had managed to scrape together
a Rest of the World XI, with even a
couple of subs.
Fellow Old Salopian Anthony ‘The
fireworks man’ Samuel helped me
confirm the venue for the evening
prize-giving and supper, which was
located on the world-famous Palm
Jumeirah, boasting iconic views and
a renowned menu. The guest list was
up to 40+, including old boys, staff,
current/prospective parents, family and
friends of the School. We were all set.
What could go wrong?
7/2/2020 – Martin informed me that
he would no longer be travelling to
Dubai in March for the exhibition
due to the ever-growing worldwide
coronavirus situation.
26/2/2020 – The Chinese National
football team, which had come over
to Dubai for a week of winter training
were refusing to travel back due to the
coronavirus situation and needed our
cricket pitch for their daily training. I
put up a fight with the owners but alas,
it was an unequal fight as the Chinese
were spending circa $275,000 a week
at the hotel and I’d only put a deposit
down of £100.
In the following weeks, as the
pandemic worsened, public group
sporting events were all shut down and
cancelled in the UAE.
By the time Friday 13th March rolled
around, lockdown was just around
the corner – but not quite! The troops
rallied and a team of 12 made it onto
the field for the evening supper. The
night consisted of the usual Salopian
conversation we all know and love
with plenty of laughter and temporarily
suppressed thoughts on what was going
on elsewhere.
Once normal travel resumes and if you
happen to find yourself in Dubai on a
visit or a work placement, please do not
hesitate to get in touch –
rupert.connor@gmail.com.
Rupert James Connor (S 1992-97)

62
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
News of Old Salopians
1940-49
Bryan Birch FRS (Rt 1944-49) has
been awarded the Sylvester Medal for
“driving the theory of elliptic curves,
through the Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer
conjecture and the theory of Heegner
points”. The Sylvester Medal is awarded
by the Royal Society (London) for
the encouragement of mathematical
research. It was named in honour of
James Joseph Sylvester, the Savilian
Professor of Geometry at the University
of Oxford in the 1880s, and first
awarded in 1901.
1950-59
a wall coincidentally was a 1916-17
plaque, presumably of what I think
was then called Number 6 The Schools,
showing my father Leslie Atwell in Mod
Rem. It also showed he had won the
science prize (Lower Div). My father
told a story of being at a chemistry
class. The master said, “The atom
cannot be split”. My father, always
of an independent mind, said “Who
says?” For this, he was despatched,
presumably in some disgrace, to his
Housemaster. Fortunately the latter
(C. J. Baker) was sympathetic to
young Atwell. He later became Head
of House. For the last 100 years all
three generations of our family have
been very actively involved in the
manufacturing chocolate industry.
mixed reviews, but regrettably a more
fulsome expression of gratitude appears
elsewhere in a collection of essays (also
published through lulu.com) entitled
Lament for Democracy.
Robert Corbett (I 1953-58) No
exciting news from here as we have
been rather tightly locked in due to
my severe illness last year. I am much
better now and singing that well known
song by Queen! In case anyone might
be interested, a book on the Berlin Wall
and its collapse has just been published
by a historian called Iain McGregor
which features an embarrassing amount
of input about yours truly. It might
be a little journalistic for those as well
educated as all Salopians are but it
is History and it tells a good story of
what turned out to be probably the
most important turning point in the
later history of the Twentieth Century.
(It was top of the Amazon bestseller
list, for what that might be worth!).
The book is called Checkpoint Charlie,
published by Constable.
Robert Adams (S 1953-58) On 30
November 2019 I attended my first
ever Annual Meeting and Old Salopian
Dinner to which I was invited by
Peter Birch, as a former member
of the Salopian RSSH 2nd VIII. The
dinner was most enjoyable with 19
other members present (many former
Huntsmen, unlike me!). I became 80
years old on 29 January 2020 (having
been born in Shropshire, in Woore,
near Market Drayton, just after the
beginning of the WW2).
David Atwell (S 1952-57) On the
weekend of March 7/8, my son Giles,
(S 1987-92) and I came to Shrewsbury
to watch our beloved Oxford Utd FC
beat the Town. We visited a muchchanged
house layout nicely hosted
by the current Housemaster Adam
Duncan. To our amazement, up on
John Cooke (M 1948-53) After a full
and active life, enjoyment has finally
caught up with me. I celebrated my
85th birthday in hospital having a
leg amputated – a new experience
to add to my ‘life list’. Frustratingly
inconvenient, but far less traumatic
than I would have predicted. It has
not gone at all smoothly and staples
left in have encouraged a deep
infection that may have reached the
bone, which has delayed fitting a
prosthetic and is predicted to cause
at least another six weeks in hospital,
where total lack of interest in food has
resulted in a welcome loss of some 50
or more pounds – mostly muscle mass –
leaving me gaunt and weak as a kitten.
Obviously France has been cancelled
this year, but still dominates my thoughts
for the future – I miss my garden, my
chickens, good food and plenteous wine,
not to mention friends. The day before
going to hospital I got the first proof
of an autobiographical volume of 500
pages entitled Sublime Lunacy recording
people, places and pleasures from my
life. It can be had, grossly discounted,
through lulu.com (or grossly inflated
through Amazon). Shrewsbury gets
Martin Ferguson Smith (R 1953-58)
Professor Martin Ferguson Smith has
been elected a Corresponding Member
of the German Archaeological Institute
(Deutsches Archaeologisches Institut)
“to acknowledge and commend [his]
contribution to the field of Ancient
Studies”.
In April Martin wrote an article on
COVID-19 and Epicurean philosophy.
A link to it can be found at www.
martinfergusonsmith.com under
‘RECENT NEWS, APRIL 2020’.
The piece has now been republished
several times, with slight alterations,
most recently by former Shrewsbury
Classics master John Godwin in AD
FAMILIARES, a publication of Classics
for All.
Robert Raikes (I 1946-51) I am now
living just north of East Grinstead, at
The College of St Barnabas, Lingfield, a
residence for retired clergy and others
who have worked for the church in
the UK or abroad. My main ‘outside’
interest and occupation is the nearby
Bluebell Railway. In 1951 I went on a
two-week Railway Operating Course
with the Royal Engineers through the
School CCF; so now maintaining that
strange connection with steam trains
and the clergy. I would be delighted

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 63
to welcome any OS who are down
this way… meeting on the railway if
so inclined!
Christopher Gill (Rt 1950-54) Despite
the questionable advice of Headmaster
Jack Peterson that we should not
push ourselves forward in adult life,
but wait until we are called, my
conventional life has had a few modest
successes. Inspired by Rusty Wood
(WW2 RNZNVR) I was determined to
do my National Service in the RN and
within weeks of leaving The Schools in
December 1950 found myself as a new
recruit in Victoria Barracks, Portsmouth.
Subsequently, serving as a junior officer
in HMS Birmingham, flagship of the
Mediterranean fleet, I was asked by the
Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir Ralph
Edwardes, what I was going to do after
I left the Navy. I blurted out that I was
going to go into the family business to
make myself financially independent as
a prelude to going into national politics.
In youthful exuberance I might even
have added “to put the Great back in
Britain”! Whilst I was still at school Mr
Le Quesne had opined that I would go
to South America and start a revolution,
but I never doubted that the need for
such drastic action was much nearer
home. As Member of Parliament for the
Ludlow constituency (effectively the
Southern half of Shropshire) I read the
Maastricht Treaty from cover to cover
and became an implacable opponent
of European Economic & Monetary
Union, subsequently being the very
first Parliamentarian to publicly state in
successive interviews that we should
leave the European Union. Almost 20
years later that aspiration to leave the
EU has now been realised.
Antony Hickson (I 1948-53) It’s a
long time ago since I left The Schools,
but I do come back every year for
the OSH v RSSH run. I always finish
last but I enjoy the visit and meeting
everybody each time. I am a member
of three running clubs, TH&H first
claim, Stade Geneve (I used to live
in Geneva where I was employed in
computing for the medical sector for
14 years) and Avon Valley Runners, my
local club.
After retiring I started researching
not only my own family, but every
Hickson in the world. I visited every
Hickson family in England and Wales
(1,001) and many in other parts of the
world – Scotland, Ireland, Australia,
New Zealand, Canada and the USA
to mention the main ones. I only got
back to 1600 in my own family, but a
German branch (von Einem) achieved
success to the year 1000. My greatgreat-grandmother
was German. I have
created a very large website for all
Hicksons.
In between running and gardening, I
have become a Lego enthusiast and
enjoy travelling the world, visiting a
different country every year for about
two months at a time.
My two eldest children work in
education. Andy is a Professor at a
Malaysian University and Rosalind Head
of Drama at a private school. She also
puts on a Theatre Festival in the City of
Wells each year.
Robin Hodgson (R 1955-60) Lord
Hodgson has published a pamphlet
on UK overpopulation and its effects.
In his pamphlet Lord Hodgson points
out that the population of the United
Kingdom has grown fast in recent
years – an increase of 6.6 million
since 2001 with a further increase of
5.6 million expected by 2041. The UK
is a geographically small island, and
one which is relatively crowded by
comparison with France and Germany.
Issues of population growth tend
to have been seen only through an
economic prism, Lord Hodgson argues,
so that we have also been careless
about the non-economic consequences
of rapid population growth for our
environment, our ecology and our
society. To house the expected
increase in population we are likely
to have to build over an area the size
of Bedfordshire by 2041 which will
further increase the rate of species
loss and lead to further environmental
degradation. Shortages of water are
expected to occur within the next
twenty years.
To develop a national strategy to
address these challenges, Lord Hodgson
recommends the establishment of
an Office for Demographic Change
to provide independent authoritative
analyses. Full copies of the pamphlet
can be downloaded free of charge from
Civitas: https://www.civitas.org.uk/
publications/overcrowded-islands/
Anthony Nayler (SH 1955-59) I
have been retired for some while,
after an interesting work life, first of all
working for the family business (selling
equipment for the international oil
and gas industries around the world),
then starting a wine importing and
retail business, followed by opening
a finance brokerage, leasing all kinds
of equipment to major companies
and finally as a landscape gardener,
as I finally realised I much preferred
working in the open air. Last year, my
wonderful partner Vicky and I upped
sticks from Kent and purchased a
property in the picturesque village
of Daglan in the French region of
Dordogne.
Blake Simms (R 1953-57) has
donated to the School a trophy for team
effort in memory of his father “a very
distinguished Destroyer Captain, rescuing
nearly 1000 from the drink in the Atlantic
plus 44 Italians from a U-Boat that he
sank, [also steaming] the most miles,
over 250,000 during the war, before his
untimely death off Benghazi in December
1942.”
He has also given a rib to the RSSBC
renamed ‘Strike Hard’, the motto his
father chose for his brand-new Destroyer,
HMS Hurricane, christened by his
mother. His other famous ships were
HMS Lamerton and HMS Javelin (after
Mountbatten had shortened the latter by
155 ft two years beforehand). The rib had
previously been called Canitcumtoo.
Selby Whittingham (S 1955-59)
Looking through old theatre tickets
recently, I found two for The Doctor’s
Dilemma on Friday 15th June 1956,
seats GC17 and 18 (Shrewsbury
School Dramatic Society). These were
for myself and my mother, a keen
Shavian. Among the actors was our
Kensington neighbour, Willie Rushton
(in his last term), whom I remember
then as being more of a personality
than a natural actor. Meanwhile I, and
the Watteau Society, are girding up for
the 300th anniversary in 2021 of the
death of another fan of the theatre,
Antoine Watteau. In 1984, for the 300th
anniversary of his birth, I contributed a
paper on British collectors of his works
to a colloquium at Paris organised
by the Louvre. I have had help from
a number of Old Salopians with my
researches.
Anthony Wieler (Ch 1950-55)
continues to support the Gurkha
Welfare Trust and has sent us this
link about their invaluable work in
Nepal: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Ry88q9jJ2oA

64
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
1960-69
Patrick Balfour (SH 1955-60) informs
us that the planned row-over by the
1960 RSSBC crew to celebrate the
60th anniversary of their record win
at Henley did not happen because
of the cancellation of the Regatta.
But it featured in the second day of
the virtual regatta Henley at Home,
curated by Matthew Pinsent and
available on You Tube.
Guy (aka Nick) Faber (Ch 1958-63)
After leaving Shrewsbury I spent three
years at Bristol University, leaving
with a Third in Law having spent the
afternoons in a local bookmakers and
the evenings in the Union bar. I was
articled with a small firm in Paper
Buildings in the Temple, surrounded
by barristers’ chambers. I remember
Quintin Hogg QC (later Lord Hailsham)
was next door. He used to arrive on an
old bike with his trousers held up with
brief tape. After two years in London
I returned to my Northern roots and
started my own solicitors practice in
1971 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. I
acquired a few partners over the years
– fortunately I was good at selecting
solicitors who were far better lawyers
than I was – but after 30 years I had
had enough of the hassle and retired as
an equity partner.
A few years ago we moved our
main home to Oxford to be nearer
children and grandchildren. When The
Salopian arrives I start by checking the
obituaries in the hope that my name
is not included. If any of my Salopian
contemporaries are still alive and
would like a coffee or a cheap lunch
somewhere near Oxford or Harrogate,
do please get in touch.
guynfaber@hotmail.com
Peter Hargreaves (R 1964-69)
During lockdown at Grafton Cottage in
Barton under Needwood, Staffordshire,
Margaret and I were kept busy in our
garden which we have opened to
the public under the National Garden
Scheme for the past twenty-seven years.
When June came and we were advised
we could not open the garden as usual,
we were wondering what to do next,
but continued maintaining the garden,
having already had excess watering
in view of the extremely high May/
June temperatures. The end of June
arrived, our first opening was due and
we were advised that we could have
visitors in slots of 25. One Sunday after
BBC Gardeners’ World we received 100
guests in the four slots. At the end of
the season we were able to send £1,840
to the NGS and £1,325 to Alzheimer’s
Research, all very rewarding, but much
harder than a normal year.
Peter Hunter (S 1964-69) has been in
Ibiza in August to help Producer Sophia
Swire to premiere her film Art on Fire
about the legendary Burning Man Art
Festival, when 85,000 Burners gather
for eight days in the arid heat of the
Nevada Desert to view and celebrate
4000 works of art and then leave
without a trace remaining behind.
Peter’s brother Grahame (S 1967-72)
studied at Oxford, Berlin and Yale,
gaining a Masters in Architecture,
and is also alive and well, having
recently spent a few years helping Rory
Stewart’s Charity Turquoise Mountain in
Afghanistan.
Keith Miller (O 1959-64) Lockdown
provided an invaluable opportunity to
sort out the detritus of a lifetime.
Attached is a photograph which
resurfaced during my excavations.
Although personally not included
in the photograph, I would
estimate its date as pre-1936,
this being the year that British
Army abandoned puttees and
marching in 4s, both of which are
demonstrated in the photograph.
I was unable to find any reference
to the then Prince of Wales
visiting the School. Curiously I found
this photograph within the pages of a
Victorian Atlas which I bought from a
second-hand bookshop in Edinburgh
in 1980. Perhaps some current
OS might recognise a father or
grandfather in the detachment of
boys? (Robin Brooke-Smith writes,
“I have a feeling that it is 1932 and
that is the Prince of Wales in the
Boater.”)
To the left is a photo from Corps
camp at Towyn in the spring of
1963 with myself third from left,
front row. Can any of you identify
yourselves or others?

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 65
John Pilling (Ch 1958-62) As an
undistinguished Old Salopian and father
of two daughters who were too old to
have had the opportunity to become
Salopians and went to Uppingham
and Moreton Hall respectively, I am
proud to say that we can now boast
two granddaughters who are starting
at Shrewsbury this term. Both girls
are at The Grove. Molly White is
the daughter of our eldest, Serena,
and Lyla Williams of our youngest,
Vicky, who was at Moreton and has
many old Salopian friends, including
Rupert Hunt, whose daughter also
starts at Shrewsbury this term.
Andrew Wilson (SH 1958-62) I
recently achieved my first hole in one at
the age of 75 off a 16 handicap at The
Metropolitan Golf Club in Cape Town. I’m
actually a member at Royal Cape Golf Club,
so achieved it playing away.
1970-79
Charlie Bell
(Ch 1971-72) I
recently retired
from a long
career of teaching
at Mercersburg
and Hotchkiss,
Shrewsbury-like schools in the States,
and I’m spending all my time finding
ways to share the story of my longago
running trip – a 10,000-mile lap
of the US on foot – online, in print
and in person. The invisible viri
have postponed plans for talks and
storytelling sessions, but at last I have
launched a website that introduces
the full story, including a short video.
Like hundreds of other Salopians,
I am grateful to Willie Jones for his
love of literature and teaching, and
for his support of my early attempts
at creative writing nearly 50 years
ago. I’d love to reconnect with friends
from my English-Speaking Union
year; indeed, my wife and I were
planning a summer trip to England –
her first! – before COVID invaded. My
contact information is on the website:
https://longrun.us/
Timothy Burling (Rt 1972-76) After
studying PPE at Oxford, I worked
for Arthur Andersen in London
and Manchester, qualifying as a
Chartered Accountant. In 1991, we
emigrated to the USA and I worked
as a finance executive in a number
of different businesses, mainly
manufacturing. My longest career
move was 12 years with Flextronics,
an electronics manufacturing business
based in Silicon Valley. Since Flex,
I’ve worked on and off for several
other businesses but am now mainly
retired, dividing my time between
the Boston area and Cheshire. I was
married in 1983 and in due course
we were blessed with two children,
one of each. We divorced in 2000. In
2002 our son, Oliver, passed away
from a brain tumour aged 17. In 2018,
our daughter, Claire, was married
and she’s now expecting their first
child. Somewhere in the middle of
all of this, I learned to fly, got my
instrument rating and flew a small
plane around the US for a few years
which was great fun. As I got older, I
quit flying and started boating in New
England and Florida.
Since early 2019, I’ve been fighting
stage 4 melanoma. As well as my
fiancée, Penny, and my family in
Cheshire, there’s a great team in
Boston rooting for me. So far so good
– fingers crossed!
Robin Copestick (M 1976-79)
Robin’s career in the wine industry
has spanned 35 years and he is
now Managing Director of Freixenet
Copestick, based in Newbury.
Freixenet Copestick is the largest
importer of sparkling wine in the
UK and employs more than 60
people. The company’s key brands
are Freixenet, which is the number
one sparkling brand in the UK, and
‘i Heart’ wines which is the 10th
largest selling wine brand in the
UK. Still a keen golfer and squash
player, Robin spends his time between
London, Newbury and Padstow as
well as a large amount of International
travel. Robin has one son, Freddie,
who much to his disappointment has
become a much better golfer than him!
Peter Holden (M 1969-73) was
a member of the NHS Emergency
Preparedness Resilence and Response
Group, and involved in the UK’s
response to C-19 planning, part of it
from a cruise ship in quarantine in
the South Pacific. Peter is still senior
partner in a general medical practice
in Matlock, becoming one of the first
Consultants in PreHospital Emergency
Medicine in May 2020. He is
Chairman of the Intercollegiate Board
for Training in PreHospital Emergency
Medicine responsible for the training
of the doctors on the Air Ambulance
services throughout the UK, having
given up flying duties after 20+ years
in 2018. He is still busy with the BMA,
including representing the medical
profession in Europe.
Mark King (M 1972-76) took
early retirement from collecting air
miles in the civil service and was in
part-time work (or furlough) as an
examiner for an A level not done
at Shrewsbury, despite having no
teaching experience. He is still doing
mostly armchair consultancy (because
there’s little money in saying ‘no
return on investment here’) on his
specialist topic: public and private
sector misalignment in ‘identity
management’.

66
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Periods of being assistant gardener
at home are interspersed with
jaunts to wild areas: New Ireland in
New Guinea, and polar cruising in
Greenland and in Antarctica arranged
by the Friends of the Scott Polar.
Worthy rural tasks such as Royal
Institution maths masterclasses, school
governor, local councillor, scout
executive chair have now reduced to
church treasurer. He is an enthusiastic
member of the Wine Society and
of the local community choir, often
using scores from the School’s concert
choir, and – from the pencil marks
it seems – still making the same
mistakes as 45 years ago. Mark is now
writing the father-of-the-bride speech
for his elder daughter and watching
out for the Oxford Brookes Rowing
results to discuss with son Alex (M
2012-17), now in his final year there.
Tim Willasey-Wilsey (M 1967-71)
Tim has been appointed a Visiting
Professor at King’s College London
where he lectures on conflict in South
Asia in particular Afghanistan and
India/Pakistan with the associated
issues of Kashmir and the current
stand-off with China in northern
India. He also writes for academic
journals in the UK, US and India.
Since leaving the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office in 2008 Tim
has been International Advisor at
NatWest Bank. He is also on the
Council of Chatham House (the Royal
Institute of International Affairs).
Simon Entwistle (I 1977-81) My
nephew Harry Clarke achieved an
academic scholarship at Sixth Form
entry and joined Churchill’s Hall in
September from Monmouth School,
thus renewing the family connection
with Shrewsbury.
Simon Frew (PH 1982-87) At the end
of last year Simon was appointed a
Program Leader by the Toronto Centre
because of his extensive knowledge
and experience of prudential banking
supervision in the UK, Bermuda, Qatar
and Cayman Islands. This role was
aimed to enable him to continue to be
based in the City of London. However,
COVID-19 put plans for this role on
hold. Instead Simon has been working
on Middle Eastern banking issues
from his home in The Barbican, while
supporting his shielding parents in
Shropshire.
Simon can still be contacted via his
travelblog www.sifrew.com
Simon on the first day wearing his Turnbull &
Asser face mask with virus-killing filter
have settled in, I am also aiming to
keep going with my Business English
Language Training to Adults enterprise,
Straight Talking, both locally and online
- https://straighttalking.eu.
John Sharman (M 1983-88) I’ve just
come from dropping my daughter,
Sophie, off for her first day at Moser’s
Hall. I was in Mosers from ‘83 to ‘88. I
had been told by Martin Cropper that
she was the first daughter of an Old
Moserite to go to Moser’s but Matthew
Morris, who was in Mosers from 1985-
90, signed his daughter, Millie, up a few
weeks ago, so both Sophie and Millie
made a little bit of Salopian history
today.
1980-89
Adrian Boyle (I 1983-88) was elected
Vice President of the Royal College
of Emergency Medicine in 2020. He
runs the Emergency Department at
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge
which is one of the busiest Major
Trauma Centres in England.
Will Campion (M 1980-84) has
launched a highly successful free
podcast www.moneymazepodcast.
com/podcast. The show is free to listen
to and aims to entertain, give access
to influential and successful guests,
provide industry knowledge and
clear and concise advice for anyone
interested in pursuing a career in
finance. The show is now listened to in
over 75 countries worldwide and has
thousands of listeners.
Angus Mackenzie (M 1977-82)
My wife and I have bought, and are
moving to, a property (a ‘cortijo’)
in the countryside (on the ‘campo’)
close to a village called Riogordo in
the Axarquía region in the province
of Málaga in Andalucia in Spain. It
comprises a main house (called ‘Casa
Comares’) plus two self-catering letting
units (‘casitas’) with adjoining land
including a swimming pool. The google
map coordinates are https://goo.gl/
maps/aKoeNFrD5R9Wj1R77. You can
also zoom in on the satellite image
for an aerial view of the property and
surrounding area (a postal address is
somewhat more tricky on the campo).
The current owners have been running
a very successful letting business out
of it. Our plan is to take this over
and continue with it. We have always
wanted to run a guest accommodation
style livelihood together and now
we have the perfect opportunity to
fulfil our dream of doing so. Once we
Will Sillar (O 1977-81) We’re
thoroughly (though shamefacedly)
enjoying the Age of Zoom, which
allows me to work in the City without
ever leaving Shropshire. Adelaide starts
her Upper Sixth year in The Grove
while Karen continues to develop as an
artist and printer (www.karensillarart.
co.uk). I’m also Chair of Governors at
Terra Nova in Cheshire, which goes
from strength to strength. With a £3m
investment programme and many
other plans, it’s a busy school and
I’m looking out for one or two Old

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 67
TNs who might like to join the board.
You don’t need to be local – one of
our Governors is Head of Harrow
International in Bangkok! Links with
Shrewsbury remain strong – all four
OTNs in the Upper Sixth this year are
Postors and three are scholars.
1990-99
Murray Campbell (O 1992-97) I have
set up www.inandoutgardenhouses.co.uk
which is a business making and installing
all-year-round garden houses suitable for
home offices, gyms, bars, etc.
Mark Davies (R 1993-98) and his
wife Samantha are proud to introduce
Henrietta Rosemary Joanna, born 3rd
December 2019, a sister for Heath.
the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital
overlooking the Houses of Parliament,
with special guest and fellow OS Sir
Michael Palin.
Justin Jeffrey (SH 1985-90) has spent
the last three years exploring Brunei’s
rivers by kayak, working as a field
research assistant on a Universiti Brunei
Darussalam camera-trapping project in
the Upper Belait catchment area. This is
a biodiversity hotspot across the border
from Mulu, a World Heritage Site in
Sarawak. You can follow his continuing
adventures on Instagram
@rainforestkayaker
of my important contribution to the
safety of air navigation, especially for
general aviation”. Due to lockdown,
there was no presentation, so I
attach my photograph from the very
memorable presentation in 2014 with
the Duke of Edinburgh.
2000-09
Jonathan Beeston (Rb 1995-00) I
have been offered a place to study at
King’s College London for a Masters
Degree in Psychology and Neural
Science of Mental Health. Since my
father died in 2019, mental health
has become somewhat of a passion
for me and I am eager to learn more
about the subject. I am also Curator of
Artefacts at the Royal Thames Yacht
Club and a Conservative candidate
for Cheltenham Borough and County
Council. The elections were due to go
ahead on 12th May this year but for
obvious reasons were postponed until
next May.
James Galloway (Rt 1991-96) is
a senior lecturer and consultant
rheumatologist at King’s College
London, where he has been working
since 2012. He lives in South London
with his husband.
Artem Bocharov (SH 2000-06)
After graduating with an MBA from
the University of British Columbia’s
Sauder School of Business, Artem
found himself part of a team project
which noticed how inefficient the
winemaking process is. BarrelWise
was born, offering a bespoke solution
to a problem which every winemaker
faces. In Artem’s own words. “When
you open a bottle of wine, you’re
uncorking months, often years, of
hard work. Winemaking is a lengthy,
technical process. Harvesting, pressing,
and fermentation is just the start of it.
Once in the barrel, up to 20% of the
wine evaporates, and to avoid bacterial
growth in this excess space, it has to be
constantly checked and topped up.”
David Elliott (SH 1990-95) is CEO
of the charity Trees for Cities which
this year planted its millionth tree, in
Sebastian Pooley (Ch 1992-97) I was
honoured to be elected Fellow of the
Royal Aeronautical Society earlier this
year in addition to my Fellowship of
the Royal Institute of Navigation which
I received back in 2014 “in recognition
John Crook (Rb 2000-05) I have
recently been awarded a BAFTA
Scholarship to study an MA in Editing
at the NFTS, The National Film &
Television School. I have been awarded

68
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
£10,000 towards tuition fees, along with
being given a mentor for one year.
I will start the two-year MA course
in January 2020. See https://www.
shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/
shrewsbury/2019/09/20/bafta-awardfor-shrewsbury-editor/
David Fraser (PH 1999-2004) David
leads the global press office for Philip
Morris International, based in Lausanne,
Switzerland. The School Bank,
apparently, gave him valuable insights
into his future role, as the company
aims to switch smokers – who would
otherwise continue to smoke – to
better, smoke-free alternatives. Prior to
this appointment, he worked for Help
for Heroes as Head of Communications
& Public Affairs.
Patrick Higham (O 2003-08) News
with me is that Rachel gave birth to
our daughter Florence Catherine Rose
Higham on 28th July 2020.
Alistair Hudson (M 1997-02) is
delighted to announce his marriage to
Ruoci (‘Ros’) Lin, which took place in
Singapore on 17th December, attended
by his family on Zoom.
Chris Hughes (SH 2004-09) On
19th September in Pimlico, London, I
married Grace Mahony. Although the
day was very different from the one
we had been planning, we were very
pleased to be able to go ahead with it
and thankfully were able to have some
people there with us on the day.
Philipp Legner (O 2007-09) Mathigon,
an EdTech start-up founded by Philipp
Legner, has raised $500,000 through seed
funding to build the ‘textbook of the
future’ for mathematics. Using a unique
digital content format and a virtual
personal tutor, its goal is to make online
learning more interactive and engaging
than ever before. Every course is filled
with interesting stories, puzzles, and reallife
applications, to show students why
mathematics is both incredibly powerful
and surprisingly beautiful. Mathigon is
completely free, and has been used by
more than 1.5 million students all around
the world. It was called “a mathematical
wonderland” in The Guardian, and
is officially endorsed by the UK
Government for remote learning.
Richard Jenkins (M 2004-09)
We are delighted to announce the
engagement of Richard Jenkins, son
of Nick Jenkins (M 1974-78) to Lucy
Haworth (Charterhouse 2007-09), with
the wedding planned for July 2021.
Richard works in corporate finance
in London for Grant Thornton and
Lucy is a solicitor for Latham and
Watkins. The couple have recently
moved to Cholmondeley, Cheshire
and now divide their time between
there and London.
William Jones (Rt 2003-08). After
successfully defending his PhD on
malaria transmission in birds at Uppsala
University in Sweden, William has
accepted a research position at the
University of Debrecen in Hungary
where he is studying Madagascan
ornithology.
Dr Andrew Lyness (Rb 1996-02)
I live in Whitehorse, in the Yukon
Territory with Tracie and our twoyear-old
son Brecan. Having taught
at universities in the USA and British
Columbia, I am now Chair of the
Indigenous Governance Program
at Yukon University – Canada’s
first full degree program north of
the 60th parallel. The majority of
Yukon First Nations have signed
comprehensive modern-day selfgovernance
agreements, and so, with
17 governments and barely 40,000
people across an area 1.4 times the size
of Germany, our democratic landscape
is sparse but complex. Life in the
subarctic is peaceful and occasionally
very cold. In 2020 we have been
fortunate to have avoided much of the
world’s problems and feel incredibly
lucky to have been minimally impacted
by the pandemic thus far. Our family
spends a lot of time out in the
expansive wilderness surrounding our
small town, travelling by canoe, skis
and on foot. I am a keen backcountry
skier and in winter I teach avalanche
skills courses through the Canadian
Avalanche Association, as well as
serving on the board of directors for the
Yukon Avalanche Association. If any
Salopians find their way north – please
get in touch!
Justin Martin (SH 2002-04) Following
the passing of my wife, Ella, and with
the time and space that lockdown
brought, I have managed to take the
plunge and do something that I had
always held a light for since leaving
Shrewsbury. I have begun my PGCE
teacher training via the Schools Direct
programme teaching Geography at St
Mary’s Catholic College in Wallasey
on the Wirral. I am fortunately back
at home with my parents for this year
and my son, Teddy, continues to
change every day. He has most recently
embarked upon a fascination with
tractors and shoes.
Alastair Newman (I 1996-01) has
been ordained a deacon in the Church
of England.
Guy Prall (O 1997-02) I have been
living between sunny Kent (UK) and
Los Angeles, California, spending
pretty much all of my time writing
a new album which I am aiming to
have released by early 2021. Guitar is
my main instrument but I have been
playing piano, drums and violin too.
I also love to do music for film and
adverts and have had my work featured
in numerous online campaigns. I run
a fledgling property business called

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 69
Kayman Developments with Jonathan
Davie (SH 1997-02) which is going
from strength to strength! In my spare
time I enjoy the outdoors. Surfing,
snowboarding and roadtrips on my
motorbike are some of my favourite
activities.
Lara Gabbitas (EDH 2015-20) Due to
Coronavirus I decided to postpone my
History degree at Durham for a year to
travel and gain some work experience.
I’m currently working at Ardvreck
School in Scotland until Christmas. After
Christmas I’m looking to gain work
experience or an internship in law or
business.
Alex King (M 2012-17) has reached
the family cruising altitude of 6’3”
and follows his uncle John (M 1976-
81) and cousin to compete at Henley
Regatta. He looks forward to returning
his floordrobe to his student bubble at
Oxford Brookes after living at home
on a different time zone (minus 40
years and five hours) in an AONB with
excellent noise-cancelling headphones.
He has obtained a clean sweep of pots
from regional events for Gloucester
Rowing Club. His next task is to
convert a Computer Science Degree
into a salary.
David Sharpe (G 2004-09) has been
appointed CEO of Mansfield Town FC.
2010-20
Felicity Davies (MSH 2008-10) has
a new role as Head of Community at
Giant Ventures. Giant is a new venture
firm with a mission to back purposedriven
technology founders. See www.
giant.vc
Arthur Gell (Rt 2014-19) Arthur
and Jasper Mitchell (S 2014-19) have
recently walked the Pennine Way,
covering the 200 miles in seven days,
raising over £3000 for Macmillan Cancer
Support.
James Lambie (I 2006-11) moved to
New Zealand in 2011 and has written a
compelling article about the challenges
of living with Cystic Fibrosis. See
https://www.cfnz.org.nz/life-with-cf/
stories/james-from-waikato/
Laura Elliott (G 2015-20) The last
year of school is renowned for being
the quickest year in the schooling
process. In our cases this was too true,
finishing our final year at Easter. On the
14 August I flew to Thailand for a Gap
year. The first few weeks here have
been amazing; seeing sights without
queuing due to the obvious lack of
tourists, and having nights out we
couldn’t remember existed in England.
Despite gaining a place a Newcastle
university for Combined Honors (2021
entry) I am now in the process of
writing a new personal statement for
Midwifery, a more specific degree I can
use globally.
James Fearn (I 2015-17) has been
commissioned into The Royal Wessex
Yeomanry and will serve with them
until January 2022 when he will start at
Sandhurst for the regular commission.
James has started his final year at
Oxford Brookes, studying International
Relations and Politics.
Bruce Hay (Rb 2006-11) Dr Bruce
Hay, son of former Shrewsbury School
Governor Dr Fiona Hay, has been
featured in the Sydney Morning Herald
(20 June 2020) as one of the hospital
staff billed as ‘the quiet achievers in the
nation’s response to the coronavirus
pandemic’.
Felix Mason-Hornby (R 2013-18)
Now in my third and final year of
my Paramedic Science Degree, I am
looking at the prospect of being a fully
qualified paramedic in May of 2021.
This year has been busy, tough and
at times emotional as I have found
myself, mid-degree, gaining a job as a
healthcare assistant and phlebotomist
in the COVID intensive care units at St
George’s Hospital London. Twenty-five
weeks of COVID intensive care has

70
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
given me an eye-opening experience
and some of the heartbreaking stories
I’ve seen unfold whilst working in full
PPE and masks in 40+ degree heat
have shown me how fragile life can be.
Now online university has started back
up and things have become relatively
more normal, I find myself working
on the St George’s COVID testing unit
where I swab up to 200 patients per
day in order for operations to go ahead
in the hospital. Through all this I have
been lucky enough to work with some
of the country’s best and most talented
doctors and nurses and to feel a part of
the team has been a pleasure.
Hugo Morgan (R 2010-15) Having
graduated from Durham University in
July 2019, I put my job on hold and
left to go travelling. I spent the next
eight months exploring New Zealand
and the East Coast of Australia. I was
lucky that my trip was only cut short
by a few weeks as the world went into
lockdown. I moved to Liverpool at the
end of September to start a new job as
a Graduate Engineer in the Maritime &
Aviation team at Royal HaskoningDHV.
consultant and agent in the arts, based
in Edinburgh for the most part.
Having now graduated from Edinburgh,
I continue to work from the Scottish
capital but operate internationally.
Should anyone ever need guidance or
assistance with buying or selling art,
don’t hesitate to get in touch!
www.therafikigallery.com
Theo Simmons (Ch 2010-15) has
written and directed a film, produced
by Olivia Bradley (EDH 2013-15) with
cinematography by Ollie Lansdell
(PH 2011-16). They are currently
crowdfunding for post-production, via
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/
upper-air-short-film/x/24692561#/
Their website is: www.upper-air.co.uk
and their facebook page https://www.
facebook.com/upper.air.film
forward to being able to share the final
product with the Salopian community.
The links below are to a Youtube video
that briefly introduces the film and our
instagram page which will post updates
on a regular basis.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=z6T5b-iOZ3Y&t=35s
https://www.instagram.com/
voyageintothenight/
Daisy Raichura (EDH 2013-15) has
launched an online auction house,
specialising exclusively in jewellery and
watches. The company is called Church
Lane auctions. The first auction will
be on 7th November, with a second
on 21st November before a final
Christmas sale in December, all of them
concentrating on fine jewellery.
Leo Sartain (SH 2011-16) At the end
of the Upper Sixth, I was awarded the
History of Art prize and let slip that I
wanted to become an art dealer. What
followed was a four-year History of Art
Masters at Edinburgh University. In my
third year I founded an Art Dealership;
‘The Rafiki Gallery’. Since then I have
successfully produced exhibitions of
contemporary art and worked as a
Panwa Sutthinon (Rt 2014-19) Since
January 2020, I have been working
on a feature film titled Voyage into the
Night that I co-wrote, co-produced
and directed. We have just wrapped
filming with a cast and crew primarily
comprised of other Old Salopians in
my year. Freddy Williams (Rt), Jasper
Mitchell (S), Harvey Hancock (I),
Fingal Dickins (R), Elwood Rainey (Rt),
Arthur Gell (Rt), Pun Vatayanonta (S),
Elliot Crossley (Ch), Will Sissons (Rt)
and Koby Ferdinand-Okpala (SH) are
among the many who have played a
part in bringing this film to life with
significant roles ranging from actors,
co-producers to composer. The film
should be completed by the end of
September and we intend to submit it
to compete in film festivals all around
the world. It is a drama/mystery/thriller
with shooting locations including
London, Wales, Scotland and Bangkok
with the latter being made possible as
we shot scenes during Fingal, Elliot and
Harvey’s time working at Shrewsbury
International Bangkok shortly before
the pandemic sent them home. We are
all very proud of our work and look
Anya Tonks (MSH 2015-20) I
am working as a Gap Student in
Shrewsbury International, Bangkok,
currently in the PE department with
mainly the younger age groups ranging
from EY1 (age 3) to Year 9. I am also
dropping in and out of the A level DT
lessons assisting them with the final
projects. Finally, I am working with
all age groups teaching dance after
school and even running a staff dance
class starting next week. I am only a
few weeks into my gap year and I am
already having the time of my life.

One Hundred Years Ago...
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 71

72
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Football’s debt to Shrewsbury
How Old Salopians helped to form the first FA Rules In 1863.
An 1875 print of the old school with the road to Coton Hill football field just visible on the right hand side
Association Football is the world’s
most popular sport, regularly
played by an estimated 245 million
people. The last World Cup was
watched by 3.5 billion. As an organised
game, it began in this country with
public schools each playing their
own version of football, including
Shrewsbury with its Douling rules. By
the mid-19th century, old boys’ sides
in the London area and at Oxford and
Cambridge Universities were playing
each other. Matches were often a game
of two halves under each school’s rules,
sometimes a compromise, that resulted
in disagreement between players and
confusion for spectators. Cambridge
University undergraduates were the first
to find a solution that eventually led to
the Football Association’s original code
of football rules in 1863. What may not
be known is the role played by Old
Salopians in bringing this about.
The Cambridge Link
In 1552 Shrewsbury School was
founded when Edward VI granted a
Royal Charter to the town’s burgesses
and bailiffs. After a few false starts,
Thomas Ashton was appointed
headmaster in 1562 and did not
disappoint. He was educated at St
John’s College, Cambridge, elected
a fellow, and was their senior bursar
in the 1530s. In that role he came
to understand the financial, political
and educational aspects of running
a college and used his experience at
Shrewsbury.
To prevent the town’s authorities from
having sole influence in selecting
masters and from raiding the School’s
reserves, Ashton cleverly persuaded
St John’s College to have primary
responsibility for the appointment
of all masters and authorisation of
any expenditure over £10. To keep
the burgesses onside, a number of
scholarships and fellowships were
available for their sons at St John’s
each year. This close relationship with
Cambridge was to be of immense
importance during the 19th century.
The start of football
In 1798, 24-year-old Samuel Butler
became headmaster. He openly hated
football, which he denounced as “only
fit for butcher boys” and “more fit
for farm boys and labourers than for
young gentlemen”. Unsurprisingly, it
was banned. He was supported by the
Revd Arthur Willis, his assistant master,
who would ride around on his pony
and trap to stop pupils from playing
the game. In his later years Butler
eventually allowed boys to play football
on the cricket field. This may have
had more to do with the annoyance of
having irate farmers on his doorstep,
protesting about the boys trespassing
in their fields, than a conversion to the
merits of the game.
Despite school life being marked by
few comforts and hard discipline,
his rigorous classical teaching saw
university numbers increase. Between
1825 and 1835, it was claimed Salopians
won more scholarships and honours at
Cambridge than any other two schools
in the country.
He was followed in 1836 by Dr
Benjamin Kennedy who had been
educated at Shrewsbury and St John’s
College, Cambridge. He earned a
reputation as the country’s finest
classics teacher during his 30-year term,
enabling a consistent flow of Salopians
to the universities, especially St John’s,
Cambridge.
In contrast to Butler, Kennedy was a
reformer and he thought it was a moral
advantage for boys to have exercise
in their leisure hours. One of his first
acts as headmaster was to hire a field
for football at Coton Hill, about half
a mile from the School, previously
part of Butler’s dairy farm. Football
soon became the most important sport

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 73
The 1870 Shrewsbury School 1st XI in their white shirts and knickerbockers with dark blue socks and dark blue velvet cap with silver braid and tassel.
and was based partly on the game
played at Harrow, where Kennedy
had previously been a master. The
organisation of games and the creation
of rules were left to the boys since
few, if any, of the masters had any
experience of outdoor sport or were at
all interested.
Douling football
The Douling rules were first printed in
1855. Strangely, the goalposts were 40
feet apart and the reason is unknown.
A goal was scored when the ball was
kicked between the two posts, without
a crossbar, at any height. The length of
a match was determined by the side
that “first achieved the best of three
goals”. In 1868 it took seven games
before the decisive goal was scored in
the annual match between Aquatics
and Landlubbers.
The ground measured 150 x 120 yards
compared to today’s maximum of 130
x 100 yards. Of all the public schools’
offside rules Shrewsbury (along with
Harrow) had the strictest, allowing
“no one to stand wilfully between the
ball and his opponents’ goal” and not
touch or kick the ball when off-side.
This meant no goal-hanging, as one of
the main purposes of ‘Douling’ was to
keep everyone active not stationary.
Passing forward was impossible
leading to the tactic of ‘dribbling’
the ball, with forwards close behind
‘backing up’. When the move broke
down, another player took possession
and kept play progressing up the pitch.
The second set of rules in 1870
introduced a ‘scrimmage’ whenever
the ball went into touch. Later called a
‘squash’, the forward players on either
side formed two lines before the ball
was thrown in, as in rugby today. The
captain wrote in the 1876 Football
Book that “squashes teach fellows not
to be afraid of meeting shoulder to
shoulder, and fighting it out by sheer
hard work”.
While hacking, handling and running
with the ball were not allowed,
catching the ball was an integral part
of the game at all the major public
schools with the exception of Eton.
At Shrewsbury, a ball could be
caught from a kick by another team
player only if the catcher was onside.
A ball caught on the volley from an
opponent’s kick entitled a ’Fair Kick’,
which was drop-kicked or punted
from hand with the opposition five
yards away.
Rugby School’s rules were just another
version until 1823 when Webb Ellis
ran with the ball and touched the
ball down for ‘a try at goal’. The boys
decided the way to deal with this
was to hack a player down. These
principles, running with the ball and
Dr Kennedy and his staff in 1860. Masters left the boys to organise their own games.

74
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
The map of the old school in the town shows the school’s site had no room for a sports field. Instead, cricket and football were played at Coton Hill, about half a
mile’s walk along the Chester road.
hacking, became the central feature
of ‘rugby’ in contrast to ‘foot-ball’
playing schools like Shrewsbury, who
did not allow handling and hacking
nor pushing, striking or holding an
opponent.
The public schools were reluctant to
ditch their own rules when the FA
introduced its first universal code in
1863. At Shrewsbury, these rules were
unpopular as they required ‘waiting for
the ball’ while ‘Douling’ was a game
of constant action. It was not until the
emergence of the FA Cup competition
Among five Salopians who left Shrewsbury in 1854 for Cambridge University were Herbert Luckock (top
left) and Edward Horne (top right) who were signatories to the 1856 CUFC rules.
in 1871, requiring all competing teams
to play under the Association rules,
that change became widely accepted.
The School played under Association
rules in their first inter-school match
against Uppingham in 1876. As more
out-matches took place against clubs
and other schools, interest in Douling
rules declined, finally ending in 1903.
Old Salopians at Cambridge
University and the first FA rules
By the end of Butler’s reign in 1836,
half of the Salopians who had won
places at Cambridge were at St John’s
and Trinity Colleges. Under Kennedy
this rose to nearly three-quarters.
They had enjoyed their Douling Rules
football at Shrewsbury and wanted to
continue playing. The problem was
agreeing whose rules would apply.
Among the first to step up was Edward
Montagu when an initial attempt was
made in 1838 to form a Cambridge
University Football Club. He wrote in
later life that with other Old Salopians
he “was one of seven who drew up
the rules for football when we made
the first football club”. Thereafter,
every few years a different set of
undergraduates would review and
revise the rules. Trinity College, which

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 75
This 19th century photo shows Coton Hill playing field which had a pronounced slope at one end. It is now covered in houses.
was at the centre of this activity and
hosted many of the meetings, was
adjacent to St John’s, so there was
always a strong Salopian numerical
presence and involvement.
In 1846, Charles Thring (brother of
the future Uppingham headmaster
Edward) and Henry de Winton,
“persuaded some Etonians to join them
in forming a University Football Club”.
Two years later a meeting of two
representatives each from Shrewsbury,
Eton, Harrow, Winchester and
Rugby thrashed out the first printed
Cambridge Rules. The procedure was
repeated in 1856 involving two Old
Salopians, Edward Horne and Herbert
Luckock.
The pace quickened in 1862 when
Thring (now an assistant master
at Uppingham) revised the ten
Cambridge Rules and published his
own Rules of the Simplest Game
which he claimed was an antidote
to rugby football. His letter to The
Daily Telegraph in September 1863
encouraged a ‘parliament’ to be
formed to “issue a new code of laws
for football”. A month later, Ebenezer
Morley convened in London the first
of a number of meetings. Although
the footballing public schools chose
not to participate, a key meeting did
take place in Cambridge in October to
amend the existing Cambridge Rules.
It was chaired by an Old Salopian, the
Revd Robert Burn, a fellow and tutor
of Trinity College with delegates from
Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Marlborough
and Westminster.
Critically, their 14 rules, which
included no running with the ball
in hand and no hacking, had been
published in The Times in the week
before the ‘parliament’s’ fourth
meeting. The discussion from the
start seemed to be going the way of
the rugby lobby who wanted both
handling and hacking. Deadlock was
apparent until Morley introduced the
new Cambridge Rules, saying they
“seemed to embrace every requisite
of the game with great simplicity”.
This timely intervention ultimately led
to the rugby faction finding itself in
the minority. It allowed the newlyformed
Football Association at the
sixth meeting to finalise its first code of
rules – without running with the ball in
hand and without hacking.
Thomas Ashton establishing links
with St John’s Cambridge was key.
Building on that, the excellent
classical teaching of Samuel Butler
and Benjamin Kennedy, as well as the
latter’s encouragement of football, saw
St John’s and Trinity Colleges admit
the majority of Shrewsbury-educated
undergraduates. They were keen
to continue playing football and be
involved in each new set of Cambridge
University football rules. In the final
act it was thanks to Robert Burn’s
wise chairmanship that the revised
Cambridge rules solved the FA’s
conundrum in 1863.
So, whenever you watch or play
football, remember with pride that
Old Salopians were at the heart of the
first rules of Association Football – the
world’s most enjoyed game.
Jonathan Russell (O 1959-64)
This is the author’s short amended
version of a chapter on Shrewsbury
School in a recently published book
about early public school football
codes, entitled Puddings, Bullies and
Squashes, edited by Malcolm Tozer.

76
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Soulton Hall
“Tradition and the individual talent” - T. S. Eliot’s great phrase,
which he applied to the literary and artistic tradition. It does
equally well for education, where the individual meets the
tradition of learning and its body of knowledge. The impact
will greatly add to the individual, and may - with luck - add
a little to the tradition. But sometimes the individual can add
a great deal to the tradition – as in the case of Tim Ashton (S
2000-05).
The Ashton tradition dates from Tudor times when Sir
Rowland Hill – ancestor of Viscount Hill, who tops the
famous Column outside the Shire Hall in Shrewsbury - built
Soulton Hall, near Wem, where the Ashton family – a cadet
branch of the Hills – still live.
The Daily Telegraph of December 8th 2019 describes,
rather crudely - so typical of the paper – but none the less
accurately (less typical) the Hall as a “40ft cube”. Simplyshaped
as it is, and built of locally fired clay bricks and
adorned with 17 th century chimneys, it reminds me instead
of the beginning of Ben Jonson’s great poem, to Penshurst
Place;
Thou art not, Penshurst, built to envious show,
Of touch or marble; nor canst boast a row
Of polished pillars, or a roof of gold;
Thou hast no lantern, whereof tales are told,
Or stair or courts: but stand’st an ancient pile,
And, these grudged at, art reverenced the while.
I am sure Soulton, like Penshurst, can tell many a tale,
but it is – again like Penshurst – a modest pile, not flashy
or ostentatious. Penshurst Place is, of course, the seat of
the Sidney family, who so wisely sent their son Philip to
Shrewsbury School in 1564, the Headmaster of which at the
time was Sir Thomas Ashton, who is famous for his Whitsun
Tide play of 1568, and no doubt several others, performed
in the town of Shrewsbury; later, of course, he had a
distinguished career at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.
As in the poem about the Tudor Sidneys at Penshurst, so the
current Ashtons at Soulton are good stewards of the estate,
farming commercially with methods sympathetic to soil and
landscape, and well respected in the local community.
Tim’s parents, John and Ann, have developed the estate for
first class accommodation and dining, and a fine venue for
gatherings (‘functions’ is in current usage, but it is dreadful
word in this context), especially weddings. The Ashtons’
hospitality, I have no doubt, would rival that of the Sidneys
... whose liberal board doth flow
With all that hospitality doth know;
Where comes no guest but is allowed to eat
Without his fear, and of thy lord’s own meat.
But Tim himself has made two notable impacts upon the
estate and its environment – hence the nexus between the
individual and the tradition. In 2014, he began collaboration
with historians and stonemasons to create a late Neolithic
Long Barrow in the 21 st century Shropshire landscape. As
for our Stone Age and Bronze Age ancestors, so the Soulton
Hall Long Barrow is a resting place of the dead – or more
personally, the urn-encompassed ashes of our deceased
loved-ones.
Although Tim has designed and built the Barrow so that
sunlight at the Winter and Spring Solstices falls among the
urns in radiant shafts, he eschews mystical and Druidical
connections, pointing out that ancient barrows and henges
were major aspects of their cultures, requiring sound project
management, administration and mass employment! Instead,
he focuses on a natural resting place in the ancient landscape
and over-arched by the wheeling constellations – a resting
place for those of all faiths or none. And thus it is with those
who already rest there.
About 400 metres away is Tim’s other architectural project –
an open-air theatre called The Sanctuary.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 77
of Severn Hill is a distant relative of Sir Thomas Ashton, first
Headmaster of Shrewsbury, and renowned actor.
So Soulton Hall survives and renews itself because of the
intelligent impact of individual talent upon the swelling
tradition. And as with Penshurst, so with Soulton:
... those that will proportion thee
With other edifices, when they see
Those proud ambitious heaps, and nothing else,
May say their lords have built, but thy lord dwells.
Hurrah for the Sidneys; hurrah for the Ashtons!
Responding to the parlous state of large and small theatre
companies and actors during the current COVID-19
pandemic, Tim put the diggers to work to build a grassy
space that would be suitable for outdoor performance, and
provide much-needed employment and income for live
theatre. Two raised ovals, open at both ends for entrances
and exits, with simple tiers where an audience can recline
and watch, face each other in sympathetic and symmetrical
harmony.
The first show in the Soulton Hall season – Shakespeare’s
Two Gentleman of Verona – took place at the end of August,
and the season continued with A Midsummer Night’s Dream
and a variety of other shows throughout September, not in
the new theatre, but in the lovely walled garden to the West
side of the Hall itself. The National Youth Theatre brought
a specially devised site-specific piece of promenade theatre
entitled The Last Harvest in October. We witnessed the last
harvest in 2121 in The Sanctuary Theatre, and progressed
back in time as we returned to the walled garden in the
present – October 2020 – where the glib political speeches
and the inability of the government to look after the country
– let alone the world environment – in COVID times had
clearly led to the last harvest, near-starvation and the collapse
of community a hundred years later. A powerful message
from the young to those entrusted with our future.
Plans for the new space when fully grassed – and a tad drier
– are now well in place for the Spring. Hardly surprising Tim
Robin Case
PS For those who wish to find out more about hospitality,
the columbarium (a resting place for cinerary urns) or the
theatre at Soulton Hall, you can of course find a website
or call the Sslopian Club for Tim’s email – which will keep
the Director on his toes!

78
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
VE and VJ DAYS
An Old Salopian Gurkha remembers.
was 19 years old when commissioned from being a
I Gentleman Cadet at the Indian Military Academy at Dehra
Dun into the Somerset Light Infantry and seconded to 1
Gurkha Rifles, having been in India for six months. This was
entirely against the advice of Captain Griffiths, my Company
2ic in the Dogra Regiment, and my better judgement in
that, so bad was I at languages, I was told I would never
learn any language other than Urdu, and even then the men
would probably only follow me through being inquisitive,
so mangled would my use of it have been. Even so, I was
told to put my name down for an Urdu-speaking regiment
of the Indian Army and not for British service as “being
posted to the Indian Army will be something that will always
stand you in good stead”, he said on hearing I had failed my
Elementary Roman Exam.
In the Regimental Centre at Dharmsala I had to start linguistic
life from ‘a pace behind’ but did pass my Elementary Roman
Urdu exam so was allowed to learn Khaskura (not Nepali,
which was the ‘court’ language) by a brilliant linguist, son of
the first CO of 2/1 GR in 1885. I offended protocol by going
for a long walk instead of attending a wedding so jumped
to the head of the queue of 12 officers awaiting posting and
went to the training battalion, 14 GR, south of Dehra Dun,
still 19 years old. We had no sight of newspapers or sound of
news and so busy were we in our training that we gave little
thought to what information of the war in Europe filtered
through to us and we only learnt about it in retrospect.
In The Call of Nepal I wrote: I enjoyed talking to the soldiers
and was stupidly pleased when they understood me. I looked
forward to being posted to an active battalion before the war
ended. While still under training ‘Victory in Europe Day’,
known to the Western world as VE Day, came and went: I
arrived.
Celebrations for VE day included a feast in every company.
I was given a drink. I was very thirsty and the light was dim.
The metal tumbler I was offered seemed to contain water and
I swigged a large mouthful before realising that it was raksi,
colourless country spirit. I was taken completely by surprise
and the sheer violence of the stuff choked me. I asked for
some water and, when more colourless liquid was poured
into another glass, did a repeat performance. Here was a
new sahib being tested. For the first time in my life I became
gloriously drunk and found, to my delight, that I could
converse fluently with the men, understanding them and
being understood by them. A regimental nautch was a replica
of Hill culture where women did not dance. Young men
took their place. Costumes were stylised to reflect male and
female performers. Each unit had its own nautch clothing
and make-up. It was very much later, when I was the only
British officer left, that I was inveigled to dress up as one of
the dancers. I soon mastered the rhythm of the movements
and found myself singing a song, the refrain of which was
repetitive and pointless. The key word was ‘relimaiñ’ and that
became my nickname for many years. I had been accepted: I
now belonged.
Now that there was emphasis only on the war against the
Japanese, I was delighted to get a posting to 1/1 GR, who
were about 120 miles north of Rangoon by then. I was now
20. We were in 100 Brigade with 4/10 GR and 3/14 Punjab
Regiment, in 20 Indian Division.
Compared with 1/7 GR, 1/1 GR’s war was modest, the
battalion only arriving in the theatre in the preceding
January having served in Iraq, Persia and North Africa after
six months’ leave. The Japanese were on the run but still
dangerous. I cannot now recall why I did not include the
arrival of VJ Day in The Call of Nepal, so memory of that
time, 75 years later, must take its place.
I was attached to D Company and to B Company for an
extended patrol but the only enemy I personally met were
wounded and dying, one of the former trying to shoot me
as I was interrogating him but who was restrained by my
protecting Gurkha. I became the Intelligence Officer and
was sent to Rangoon on a Photo Interpretation course during
which time we heard about the first atomic bomb dropped
over Japan. The Officers’ Mess was a Burmese house on stilts
and having our evening meal the Adjutant, Captain Gordon
Keen, was called to the phone. We heard a series of staccato
exclamations growing in intensity and excitement. He came
back, grinning. “The war’s over. The Japs have surrendered,”
he said.
The Mess Havildar was ordered to bring whatever booze
there was and it was all drunk: all except A Company (which
was on detachment in Henzada on the River Irrawaddy)
came out of their billets and marched around the village
square, firing off their reserve ammunition. I felt deflated in
that my input to winning the war was nothing.
Next morning only I had no hangover at breakfast when the
phone clanked again. Gordon, badly hung over, staggered
off to take the call. This time we heard nothing staccato, only
low-toned “oh no, no, oh no”. He came back into the dining
room and said, “The war is not over, last night’s call was
wrong. Brigade has told me we have to send” – details given
– “out on operations once more.”
A week later the war did end but it was an anti-climax, albeit
a relief.
Another party was held in a Burmese house. I forget what
we drank, if anything, but all present had to sing a song.
A south Indian catholic beautifully sang ‘Ave Maria’, the
CO sang ‘Salko patta, Relimaiñ’ and the only song I could
remember was ‘Home James and don’t spare the horses…
the night has been ruined for me’ which, after all these years,
seems quite the wrong sort of song to have sung.
John Cross (Rt 1939-43)

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 79
Shrewsbury Streetscapes
In April 2019 local architect and artist James St Clair Wade (DB 1976-81) began work on a project
to record the historic streetscape of Shrewsbury in a series of unique architectural views allowing the
whole length of each street to be seen simultaneously.
Something which started as a gap
filler between architectural jobs
took on a new focus during the 2020
lockdown and from first drawing the
Tanner’s building on the bottom of
Wyle Cop, James has now drawn both
sides of Wyle Cop, High St, Mardol and
St John’s Hill. He is currently drawing
Shoplatch and will gradually work his
way up Pride Hill in a project that aims
to draw most of the streets within the
loop of the River Severn.
With the future of Britain’s high streets
increasingly uncertain following the
rise of internet shopping and COVID,
capturing Shrewsbury over this time is
like a historical snapshot. Many of the
shops originally drawn now no longer
exist. It’s a souvenir of Shrewsbury at
a very particular moment in time - a
record of how buildings change as
people live in them.
Working from photos, James uses an
Ordinance Survey to get the scale right
and the rest is by eye. Using his 25
year old Caran D’Ache box of coloured
pencils and a Pentel P 205 pencil, each
A3 section takes around 20 hours.
Once a whole street is completed, each
section is digitally joined together to
make a panorama – the longest – Wyle
Cop North being over 2m long.
James estimates that it is likely to take
at least three more years to finish the
project at a rate of 150 hours per street.
Sharing the images and progress videos
on a Community Facebook Page, the
project has now over 1,300 followers,
many of whom are keen historians of
Shrewsbury’s past and love to share
their memories.
With Darwin’s birthplace, The Mount
recently ceasing to be a Government
Office, James was asked to draw the
building, a process which was recorded
by Andrew Spicer (M 2009-14) in a
short ten minute film The Mount in
Miniature. Andrew has his own film
company – Fairholme Films.
The project has not been without a
bit of controversy as James chose not to
spend 25 hours drawing Princess House,
the utilitarian 1970s block which currently
dominates the Market Square. Instead
he designed a simple classical building
that reflects County Goldsmiths – the
one imaginative element in an otherwise
historically accurate portrait of the county
town.
Asked whether he has a favourite, James
comments that it’s the combination of
Shrewsbury’s buildings that create the
character of the town. It is the variety and
quality of the ordinary buildings that he
finds such a delight to draw.
“There may be other towns in the UK
that are better known but you would
have to go a long way to find anywhere
that has quite the variety and intricacy of
Shrewsbury’s streetscape.”
Limited Edition Prints available.
Website: streetscapeproject.com
Instagram and FaceBook – Shrewsbury
Streetscape Project
YouTube: Shrewsbury Streetscape
Project

80
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Old Salopian Fives Club
While our 2019/20 season, like
many other sports, was cut
short, it was one of the most successful
seasons in our history: defending both
the Division 1 and the Division 2 titles
and winning the EFA Club Competition.
Many in the Club have equalled or
bettered their competition bests, and
while we are not quite there in winning
individual competitions, we have more
players consistently getting further in
tournaments.
Having never before defended either
the Division 1 or the Division 2 titles,
in true Salopian fashion we decided to
do them both in one go; a feat that is a
first in Eton Fives history. The cherry on
top was winning the EFA Competition,
having fallen short in the final for a
number of years. For us this shows
that we have a vibrant Club with lots
of active playing members who have
demonstrated consistently their ability
on the court; something we are very
proud of.
This season also marks the end of
an era. Richard Barber has stepped
down as President of the Club. He has
a long history in Eton Fives and has
held senior positions in our Club for
literally decades, navigating us through
many ups and downs. It is time that he
merely enjoys the game of fives and
allows someone else to take over the
stewardship of the Club.
We had a celebratory dinner in his
honour and, while nothing we could
have organised would have reflected
all he has done for our Club, it was a
great evening with many generations of
Salopian Fives players present.
That evening was also the occasion
to welcome our new President, Mike
Hughes, another stalwart of the
Salopian Fives Club and we wish him
luck in his presidency. The picture
above shows the incoming President
presenting our departing President with
a token of our gratitude.
We have been working hard to
maintain contact with recent leavers
from school and university, and we are
very pleased to see a number of recent
leavers play for the Salopians both in
Richard Barber and Mike Hughes
the league and in the victorious EFA
trophy team. We are delighted that we
have been able to get them playing for
us. The future is looking very bright.
On to much less important news: this
season marks the end of my tenure
as Club Secretary and Sam Welti is
taking over. I wish him the very best
in breathing fresh enthusiasm into the
Club and building on the successes of
this season.
Chris Hughes
Club Secretary
EFA Winning Team
Mike Hughes, Grant Williams, Henry Blofield, Guy Williams (c), Sam Mcloughlin, Will Sissons

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 81
Old Salopian Football Club
Following the lockdown, the Old Salopian Football Club got
back into full swing, having ended last season with relegation
in the Arthurian League for both the 1st XI and 2nd XI teams.
The 1st XI are now in Division 1 (which is the second
division of six) and are off to a fantastic start with four points
from six. Meanwhile the 2nd XI (now in division five) have
three points from six.
The Club has gone through a transitional period and our
focus is to keep promoting younger players, with a view that
football becomes secondary to the social aspects that come
with joining the Club.
Old Salopians 2 – 2 Old Berkhamstedians
Old Rugbeians 1 – 3 Old Salopians
Old Berkhamstedians 2s 2 – 3 Old Salopian 2s
Old Salopian 2s 0 – 4 Old Ardinians
Anyone wanting to get involved should please email
oldsalopianfc@gmail.com
Arthur Dunn Cup
Old Salopians 4-0 Old Shirburnians
The first round of the Arthur Dunn Cup, played a Senior on
17th October 2020, saw a very convincing 4-0 win for the Old
Salopians. We started the game strongly putting together a
very nice flowing move for the first goal. Tom Kelly was laid
in behind the back line and squared it to Dan Humes who
put it away with a very relaxed finish. From here on in it was
all us, and for the second goal, all Max Pragnell. Carrying the
ball from just inside the opposition’s half, he dribbled his way
through a number of players only to slot it into the bottom
left corner, 2-0 Old Salopians.
The second half saw much of the same, Tom Kelly getting on
the end of a Charlie Pilkington header making it 3-0. A shout
out must go to Tom Shaw who made an outstanding penalty
save to keep it at 3-0 before Adam Parker went down the
other end, rounding the keeper to make it 4.
A great result for the Old Salopians. On to the 2nd round!
With thanks to Andy Nunn Photography.

82
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Old Salopian Golfing Society
The OSGS had a busy end to 2019, as can be seen by the match and meeting reports below. However, despite a full 2020 Fasti
being planned, COVID-19 caused us to cancel or postpone almost all our events in 2020. But as soon as Clubhouses are allowed to
re-open, we will once again be back in full swing. See our website www.oldsalopiangolf.co.uk for full details and the latest news.
OSGS vs The Schools, Hawkstone Park, Shropshire,
Sunday 13th October 2019
Twelve Old Salopian golfers arrived on a wet and overcast
morning to take on a team from The Schools. Canadian
Foursomes was played, where everyone drives, you play
your partner’s ball for the second shot and then choose
which ball to play for the third shot.
Gerald Smith, local Hawkstone member, led off the Old
Salopians, playing with the Hon. Sec. against Will Austen
off 7 and Dr Paul Pattenden. This was a very closely fought
match that finally ended with the last putt on the 18th Green
where The Schools were victorious.
Dan Legge, former Captain of School Golf in 2014, now
working as a surveyor in London, partnered Peter Stewart
and they had a tremendous victory in the country against The
Schools pair of Egor Simarov and Archie Eyre.
The third OS pair of Chris Conway and John Upton also had
another good win in the country over Shelden Yuen and Nick
Argyle.
Our fourth pair of the President, Anthony Smith and David
Moorhouse, who had made the trip all the way from Fulham
in London, lost 4 & 3 to the Captain of School Golf, Sam
Austen and Dr Tim Foulger.
Our fifth pair of Dan Evans and James Onions lost 1 down
to Mark Schofield, Master i/c of Golf playing with his son
Daniel, who I’m told hit his drives a country mile off 26!
Our sixth pair of Ainsley Reid and Rod Spiby had a
serious loss out in the country to Hugo Hulse and Simeon
Wainwright.
After golf we sat down for supper in the Hawkstone Hotel
and all those who had won their respective matches won a
sleeve of balls as a prize. The overall result of the Match was
the same as last year with a draw.
OSGS vs Malvern, Blackwell Golf Club,
Sunday 13th October 2019
The teams assembled at Blackwell Golf Club for bacon rolls,
with heavy rain making for hazardous driving conditions on the
roads. The conditions for driving off the 1st tee were no better,
as puddles of water appeared on the 9th and 18th greens. After
consulting numerous weather apps, the prospects for any golf
looked bleak. The alternative was to spend the morning in the
bar watching the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
As the rain eased, common sense prevailed after an ingenious
solution to our predicament was proposed by Harry Lewis.
The format for the day’s golf was amended as the Captains
agreed to play fourball eightsome matches in the wet over 9
holes, to be followed by foursomes matches in the afternoon.
Malvern adapted better to the fourball eightsomes format and
went into lunch with a one-point lead.
The Malvernian Golfing Society has experienced a
remarkable season. In addition to winning the Halford Hewitt
and the Darwin, Malvern were losing finalists in the Grafton
Morrish. To cap it all, Clive Edginton (an Old Malvernian)
was elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of
St Andrews.
Shrewsbury graciously acknowledged these achievements
over lunch but after a little too much chirping from Malvern,
the Salopians were determined to play well in the afternoon
foursomes.
Before play commenced, the inappropriately dressed Harry
Lewis was requested to undertake the Kümmel run. (Note to
Hon. Sec.: opportunity for a sale of another OSGS tie!)
Playing top, James Skelton and David Blofield performed
brilliantly to beat Malvern’s strong 1st pair on the 18th and
wipe out the morning’s deficit, with Skelly holing an 8-foot
putt to clinch victory. Our 2nd pair of Angus Pollock and his
nephew James demolished the opposition and registered a
win out in the country. Harry Lewis and Chris Bullock had
a great tussle against two wily bandits and held their nerve,
coming down the stretch to register another win. Shrewsbury
victorious in all of the first three matches and the Tony Duerr
Tankard retained.
Rob Ainscow, on debut, and his experienced partner
Jonathon Mawdsley were giving too many shots to the final
Malvern pairing and lost a close encounter. This was the final
match out on the course after a good lunch and the players
returned to the Clubhouse in near darkness after the trophy
had been presented to the Shrewsbury Captain and all other
golfers had left the bar!
A wonderful day of competitive golf played over a
magnificent course that drained superbly after the deluge
of rain. Malvern may have
won the Hewitt and the
Darwin but the prestigious
Tony Duerr Tankard remains
with Shrewsbury winning the
Match 3-2!
Thanks to Angus Pollock,
Match Manager, for this report
and his leadership of the
OSGS at this Fixture.
Angus Pollock being congratulated
by the Malvern Captain, Craig Sharp,
as Shrewsbury retain the Duerr
Tankard.
Campion Trophy Final 2019
– ‘The Clash of The Titans’,
Royal Birkdale Golf Club, 21st October 2019
This year’s Campion Trophy Final was played between two
titans of the game: President of the OSGS, Anthony Smith,
playing off a handicap of 5, who has been a former Captain
of our Halford Hewitt Team and has played in over 100
Halford Hewitt Matches; and Will Campion, playing off a

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 83
handicap of 4, another former Captain of our Halford Hewitt
Team and the eldest son of Ian Campion, our late OSGS
President, who donated this Trophy in 2009.
Anthony brought in his wife, Pauline, to be his Caddy and
Will brought in his youngest son, Ben. The Match Referee
was the Hon. Sec., who thankfully didn’t have to refer to his
Rule Book. The final was played in a great spirit, with some
superb golf from both Salopians.
The 1st hole at Royal Birkdale is a Par 4 and is reckoned to
be one of the toughest starts to any Open Championship
course. It was halved, as were holes 2 and 3. Anthony went 1
up with a par 3 at the first short hole on the 4th. The 5th was
halved in par.
The 6th hole at Royal Birkdale is a par 5, stroke index 1,
where Anthony was getting his only shot off Will. Anthony
played a magnificent approach shot and held his putt for a
birdie 4 net 3, winning the hole to go 2 up.
The 7th is a par 3, where Will left his approach putt short
but managed to hole a long put to match Anthony’s par and
avoid going 3 down. Will won the 8th hole with a par and
they both halved the 9th in 4, so Anthony was 1 up at the
turn. Par is 35 and Anthony was out in 38.
Will won the 10th with a single putt after Anthony put his
drive in the rough. The match was now all-square. Will got
his par 4 at the 11th to go 1 up. The 12th, 13th and 14th holes
were all halved.
The 15th hole is a par 5, stroke index 2, of 499 yards in
length. Both players played a driver and Will put his ball
into the rough on the right and played a provisional ball.
Anthony drove down the fairway. Sadly, we could not find
Will’s first drive and with Anthony’s second shot further down
the fairway, Will played his provisional ball from the lefthand
rough and hit a superb shot onto the green in 4 shots.
Anthony played a short iron up to the green. Will missed his
putt for a par 5 and Anthony made par – so we were back to
all-square with three holes to play.
On the par 4 16th, Will holed a single putt to birdie and win
the hole, going 1 up with two holes left to play. The 17th is a
par 5, 508-yard hole which was playing into the wind. Both
players played three shots to get onto the green. Once again
Will holed his putt down the green from about 10 feet and
won the match 2 & 1.
Anthony warmly congratulated Will on his victory and we
later worked out that Will played round the whole course in 2
over par. Will put his win down to his single putts at the 7th,
10th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th holes. This said, both players
played some excellent golf and this was a fantastic match!
Floreat Salopia!
Thanks also to David Umpleby for organising the Draw and
to Royal Birkdale for hosting the match.
Charles Hill - Hon Sec, Will Campion - The Campion Champion 2019, Antony
Smith - The OSGS President
Our new OSGS Logo Balls
Anthony Smith & Will Campion after the latter’s victory on the 17th Green
OSGS Meeting at Ashridge Golf Club, Hertfordshire,
Friday 25th October 2019
The annual visit to Ashridge is a special occasion as we can
invite a guest to come and play with us. The meeting was
played in Four Ball Teams – playing a Stableford competition
from the Medal Tees.
The Four Fourballs were as follows:
Team A
Simon Shepherd OSGS (6) & Lachlan French (11)
John Bolton OSGS (19) & Mike Shen (26)

84
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Team B
Charles Hill OSGS (11) & John Galbraith (13)
Mark Summers OSGS (18) & Robin Moser (15)
Team C
John Parker OSGS (18) & Geoffrey Lane (21)
Stephen Shaw OSGS (12) & Andrew Shaw (17)
Team D
Michael Cox OSGS (24) & Tim Cox (20) (signed up as a New
Member of OSGS on the day. Welcome to the Club, Tim!)
Andy Pollock OSGS (4) & John Rowlinson OSGS (22)
The course was in good condition and the greens were
running fast. The heavy rain forecast to arrive with us at
midday did not materialise until we were in the clubhouse
eating the Ashridge Lunch washed down with the Club
Malbec. Everyone had a great day out and the following
prizes were awarded:
Longest Drive on 1st Hole - Simon Shepherd
Nearest the Pin on 3rd Hole - David Bonnett
Nearest the Pin in 2 on 9th Hole -
Charles Hill
Nearest the Pin on 11th Hole - John Bolton
Team A won the overall competition with 84 points and each
player received a sleeve of the new Crested OSGS Pro VIs!
Teams B, C and D all had 79 points and as a result each of
the 12 players all received a single Crested OSGS Pro VI ball.
Hindmarsh and guest James Brady on 36 points.
Our Hewitt Captain Andy Pollock and seasoned partner
Simon Cullingworth were runners-up on 37 points. And two
clear, taking the Trophy for 2019 came Frank Higham and
Peter Thwaites with a very creditable 39 points.
Much fun was had by all, the weather cleared after 5 holes
and, although we were not joined by the Old Bailey Judges
at lunch this year, the Society members and guests enjoyed a
sumptuous New Zealand lunch, before heading home after a
thoroughly enjoyable day’s golf. Our thanks to the members
of NZGC for allowing us, once again, to use their splendid
course on a Saturday morning.
Thanks to Simon Shepherd for this report and his leadership
of the OSGS at this fixture.
If anyone who is reading this OSGS report is inspired to join
the OSGS, please feel free to email charlesgchill@hotmail.
com and I will sign you up and give you full access to our
website.
Charles Hill, Honorary Secretary OSGS
OSGS Meeting at New Zealand Golf Club, Surrey,
Saturday 2nd November 2019
The final fixture of the OSGS Fasti for 2019 took place at
New Zealand Golf Club in Surrey, on a very wet and windy
Saturday morning. Coinciding with the Rugby World Cup
Final in Yokohama, the prevailing feeling was that we might
have preferred to play our vanquished opponents from the
semi-final again, the eponymous All Blacks, but sadly this
was not to be.
Undaunted by the weather conditions and with Club
Members watching the match and resolutely not venturing
forth, 8 Salopian pairs including one guest and the very
welcome Dan Legge, recent Captain of Golf at Shrewsbury
School, took out cards in a better-ball Stableford competition
against the bogey card. Whilst bogey might flatter scores
on certain days, the weather conditions certainly merited a
helping hand – and scoring as a result was very respectable
indeed: playing for the magnificent Robert Walker Foursomes
Cup, in third place but sharing both the nearest the pins
and both the longest drives between them, came Stefan

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 85
With recent movement restrictions, it may be that some
have made a home gym, using whatever is to hand,
or have mobilised the old bike, with the help of some
lubrication, to go around local cycle tracks. But there is, of
course, always the simplest form of exercise: running. And
all those days of Hunt Runs prepared us well for spending
an hour or so getting out into the countryside, which in turn
clears the mind of all stress. Yes, this really does work!
Looking back before the February floods, the Coronavirus
Pandemic and the sunny spring, there was traditional activity,
in which members of our Club involved themselves.
On Saturday 30th November 2019, OSH Day began with the
gathering of eager Hounds of the RSSH, beside OSH runners
and many supporters, at 2pm on The Drum. There were two
Huntswomen and six Huntsmen lined up for the first photo
of the day (below), with Lillian Wilcox (EDH), Alex Mott (Rb
2003-08), Oli Mott (Rb 1998-03), Ed Mallett (S 2008-13), Liv
Papaioannou (EDH 2014-16), Sam Western (S), Will Painter
(R 1967-71) and Peter Birch (DB 1966-71).
Old Salopian Hunt
diversion up a steep bank behind the Cricket School. Former
Huntsman Ed, being on good form, ran a superb run, killing
just 32 seconds ahead of current Huntsman Sam. Then a flurry
of present-day Riggites made good positions, before Matty
Thevathasan (PH 2014-19) and Tom Hughes (Ch 2013-18) could
get into the finish funnel. Ex-Huntswoman Liv was our first lady
home, and it was excellent to have Suzy Watts (MSH 2014-16)
and Passy Goddard (G 2014-16) come “home” to run once
again.
Soon after the run, we all packed into the Hunt Gym in the
Stott Pavilion to devour the tea, sarnies and cakes, before Ian
Haworth, the Master-in-Charge of the Hunt, announced the
results of the athletes’ efforts. Chessie Harris took the Peter
Middleton Cup for the first girl home and Ed Mallett picked
up the Will Ramsbotham Cup for the fastest time (20 mins 14
secs). This year, the OSH conceded victory to the RSSH and
the Huntsman, Sam, held up the David Loake Trophy for the
winning team.
Also, six winners of The Tucks Run stood smiling for the
photographers (see below), being James Franklin (PH
2002-07), Francesca Harris (EDH), (Chessie has won an
amazing four times), OSH Captain Oli Mott, Ed Mallett, Liv
Papaioannou. and Huntsman Sam Western, who has won the
race twice.
In fairly good weather conditions, at 2.30pm the OSH team
of 15 lined up with 27 boys and girls of the RSSH and two
members of staff for the Throw-Off from beside the School
Wall. Despite recent severe flooding around Shrewsbury,
the 5.9k (or 3.7 mile) course, which is similar to modern
Paperchases, was reasonably good going and the water was
not too deep in the Rad Brook crossing. The Ridgemount
Drive part of the route was reinstated, with a surprise testing
As ever, we are grateful to the Groundsmen for their help
getting the course marked out and to Ian and all staff
who always make the day back at School work so well.
Fourteen OSH Committee Members then sat down at
4.30pm in the Hardy Room of Kingsland House to proceed
through the Agenda of the AGM & Committee Meeting,
where we were pleased to elect Liv as our new Honorary
Secretary. A little later, 20 diners arrived for the Annual
Dinner in the Peterson Room. This year our guests, the
Huntswoman and Huntsman, were accompanied by all the
Whips, Anna Cowan (MSH), Tom Jackson (R) and Paddy
Barlow (R). The full report and the link to the results page
can be found on the OSH website pages.
Two weeks later, on Saturday 14th December 2019, there
was the trek down to London for the 67th Alumni Race,
which is run over a challenging 5-mile cross-country course
at the Roehampton end of Wimbledon Common. Thames
Hare & Hounds, which organises this event, has now
improved this great run by introducing chip timing for the
300 or so entrants, as well as starting it from a new area of
the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, to negate the
congestion of so many runners in the early stages.
The very impressive OSH Team of ten was headed by
Huntswoman Liv and three Huntsmen, Cal Winwood (I 06-
11), Ed Mallett and Oscar Dickins (R 11-16). The course had
some soggy areas to negotiate, but this was no problem for

86
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
our Hunt-trained athletes, especially Ed, who impressed us
supporters with his 8th place quick finish and then Oscar
achieving a superb 17th place, followed by our regular
attendee, Ben Hebblethwaite (R 1986-91) at 21st place. Our
important fourth counter was Cal at 24th, together with
Charles Tongue (G 2000-05) at 25th. Tom Hughes has been
training, which showed, as he came in at 66th and then Liv
finished at 90th, which equated to 4th place in the Ladies’
category. Olly Russell (Master-in-Charge of the Girls’ Hunt
and our team guest runner) was 96th. James Humpish (SH
2008-13) was 151st and newcomer, Tom Fea (I 1986-91) was
198th. There were some very big teams this year, with strong
competitive runners, making it a tough race, but we still
achieved 4th place out of 34 Schools’ Alumni Teams present.
Do see the full report on the OSH website pages.
There have been opportunities to ‘follow The Hunt’,
including ‘blue-ribbon’ events such as the Knole Run, back
in January 2020, in Sevenoaks, Kent, which is excellent
for spectators. In February, the Shropshire Schools
Championships at Oswestry is always well attended, followed
five days later by the King Henry VIII School Relays in
Coventry, where supporters can watch the action and
excitement of this important national schools’ event. Then
on March 14th, a select number of Hunt runners joined
the Shropshire team competing in the All England Schools
County Championships, held at Sefton Park, Liverpool, where
thousands of competitors and supporters were present for
this last big event before the ‘lockdown’ for the pandemic.
On Sunday morning, 15th March, it was a pleasure to see
so many members of the Hunt and the OSH running the
Shrewsbury 10k, taking a course that traversed the School
Site. Jamie Lambie, a personal trainer at the School, won the
race and Peter Middleton (Deputy Head Co-Curricular) was
4th. Liv was winner of the Women’s race and it appeared that
everyone had achieved personal best times. The report on
the School website says that there were 40 staff and pupils
taking part!
Back on the School Site on the following Wednesday, it
was the spectacle that is the RSSH Steeplechases, showing
all the colours of House teams chasing around Top and
Lower Commons in this annual relay event. Even though the
Huntsman, Sam, had the fastest lap, Rigg’s won, yet again, in
this very last sports event at the School, before it closed down
two days later and the big blue Moss Gates were shut. Now
solitary running is keeping fitness going and virtual events are
being invented. In this vein, David Jenkins of Thames Hare
& Hounds Running Club has started the Lockdown Alumni
Race, where schools’ alumni are invited to submit timings of
5k runs, which leads to weekly listings showing teams and
individual places and times.
The 68th Alumni Race, in Roehampton, has also been
cancelled. However, TH&H did organise a Virtual Alumni
Race, where entrants could run a 5 mile Cross-Country
course of their own choice, on either Saturday 12th or
Sunday 13th December, 2020, and then upload their times
to the website. This prompted 19 OSH runners to make up
“Team Shrewsbury” for the race. The great thing about the
Annual Alumni Race is that it accommodates all ages and
abilities, with this race showing how a larger OSH Team
can pick up several trophies. In the Open Race category,
our Team took 1st Place, which is the first time it has won
since the competition started in 1953. Brothers Ed and
George Mallett, Seb Blake and Will Hayward were the
“point counters” with very strong running. There were three
Ladies, Liv Papaioannou, Ali Ardissino, and Flic Hayward,
who were just pipped to 2nd Place by 2 points, but no less
impressive for that. Then the 60+ category Team of David
Thomas, Tim Bedell and Michael Johnson took 1st Place with
Richard Hudson and Michael Johnson coming 2nd in the
65+ category. Out of 33 teams, there were 353 competitors
entered, of whom 295 finished, making Shrewsbury’s success
even more outstanding.
As 2021 arrives, we remain optimistic that The OSH will be
able to compete in not only the usual annual events, but also
some new ones.
As ever, it would be great to hear from you, so do contact
me, either by email on info@crbirch.com or by the OSH
Twitter and Facebook pages. Visit the OSH website pages
(within the School website) on www.shrewsbury.org.uk/
page/os-hunt where you can see information about the
OSH Running Vest, Silk Tie and Scarf and also details about
obtaining the Records of The Hunt since 1831. Other contact
details are on the OSH website, including for our Hon.
Sec. Liv Papaioannou, who would be pleased to hear from
anyone interested in getting involved with new events.
Peter Birch
DB 1966-71, Huntsman 1970-71, OSH Chairman
George Mallett (S 2007-12), James Humpish (SH 2008-13) and Ed Mallett (S 2008-13) before the 68th Alumni Race in December 2020

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 87
Sabrina Club
A note from Charles Wright, President, Sabrina Club:
It was very sad that we could not meet to support the School in the Schools’ Head and that Henley was yet another victim
of the current state of affairs. I would particularly have liked to thank those on the Committee who had already done all
the planning for those events and whose efforts have always produced such excellent results, as well as those who run the
publicity and organise the crew and its events. We were also looking forward to supporting the Sabrina crew and hope that we
shall be able to do so again in the future.
Sabrina Members’ News
room. Unfortunately, this year the dreams of many athletes
were shattered. Despite this, Yale’s Heavyweight Crew’s
brotherhood is so strong that this will just be fuel to the fire.
Lucas Rowley (O 2017-19)
I have been been rowing at Imperial since the start of
September and was asked if I wanted to take part in GB trials
this year. I gave it a thought and decided I would. I was in
a pair with a guy from Windsor Boys’ School named Tom,
who was the second best lightweight U23 rower last year and
narrowly missed out on going to U23 World Championships.
Dom Sullivan (I 2017-19)
On 23rd August 2019, I arrived at Yale University, my home
for the next four years. My life was changed at that moment.
The past year has been chaotic, filled with so many ups
and downs. Due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak,
my freshman year was, to my dismay, cut short; my online
classes have since not compared to my time spent under the
sweeping ceilings of Yale’s grandiose lecture halls.
The Heavyweight Crew Team was a definite reason that
Yale became my home. Like many Salopians, we trained
twice a day, six days a week, a feat which now seems
purposeless given the lack of our season. However, during
the countless hours spent on the Housatonic River, many
relationships were born. Though it sometimes feels that our
lives revolve only around rowing, that isn’t true. It’s tough
to see everything we’ve trained for taken away from us,
leaving us feeling flustered and helpless. Nevertheless, these
are unprecedented times where every person is affected,
reaching far beyond the realm of rowing.
On the Yale Crew Team alone, we have athletes from New
Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland,
to name just a few. In the past few months, I have learnt
so much about so many cultures and how each culture
reacts to a given situation. Yet despite our differing cultures
and backgrounds, every person on the team had the same
mentality when they found out the news that the season
had been cancelled: heartbreak and utter disappointment.
Nonetheless, we also have the same mindset for the coming
year: nobody will come close to us next season; we will be
ruthless and relentless in our attitude.
Yale’s work ethic is about training to the best of your ability
in every single stroke, but always having fun with it. The
loudest room on campus is our erg room, where non-stop
encouragement is given by coaches, coxes and oarsmen.
There is nothing like it. Every test day, the overwhelming
feeling of camaraderie and the one collective mindset that if
we give it all, we will be National Champions for the fourth
year running, gives me goosebumps when I step into the
Going into the Sunday 5K time trial, we didn’t have much
pressure to do well or anything to lose. We had had a few
on and off sessions in our training before we went but we
seemed to be rowing well in our warm-up. In the time trials
we were set off behind an Oxford pair that included a St
Paul’s rower from the Henley winning crew and a guy who
rowed in the Junior World Championships coxless four a few
years ago. We brought everything together in the row and it
felt quick. We knew we had done well when we overtook
the Oxford pair. Our performance placed us 8th in U23 Pairs,
4th in full U23 Pairs and 26th in Open Men’s, including those
trialling for the Olympics.
Pat Lapage (R 2003-08)
I have been in the US for 12 years now, between getting my

88
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
degree at Harvard and spending eight years coaching there.
It has been a great experience so far, and I have definitely
grown to call Boston my home city!
I am currently the recruiting coordinator for the heavyweight
men’s team at Harvard. We have a team of about 50 rowers,
and I work with two other coaches: our Head Coach, Charley
Butt; and the other assistant coach, Jesse Foglia. It’s a great
set-up. I’m lucky to work with two outstanding coaches, and
I feel as if I learn something new every day.
The recruiting side of things is an interesting challenge. In
the US, a sports team can ‘support’ an application through
the admissions process. It gives that applicant a bit of a boost
when they apply and can increase their chances of being
admitted. It’s my job to spearhead the recruiting process to
identify the best-suited rowing candidates and help them
through the application, as well as deciding which ones to
support. There’s definitely a bit of pressure associated with
this process, as all US universities are doing it. But that makes
it all the more fun!
As well as the recruiting, I coach the 2V (2nd VIII) in our
racing season. We start racing on the first weekend of April
and race for five consecutive weekends. In mid-May we have
Eastern Sprints. If we win Eastern Sprints we will generally
come over to the UK for Henley. Last year we did this and
won the Prince Albert Challenge Cup for student coxed fours.
We had a great semi-final where we beat Oxford Brookes by
just a few feet in a come-from-behind win – a great feeling!
At the end of May we have the IRA National Championships,
and our season finishes with the Harvard Yale Race – our
version of the Boat Race!
There are a few things I’ve picked up along the way that I’ve
found useful as a coach. Firstly, it’s important to know what
you don’t know! If you need to ask someone for advice or
get a second opinion on something, that’s generally very
helpful. It will either give you a new perspective or confirm
what you originally thought. Secondly, coaching is often
about anything except the sport itself! The oarsmen perform
better when they’re doing well in the classroom and in their
personal lives, so it’s important to have a good relationship
and understand the pressures they’re facing. And finally,
it’s much easier to teach skills to people with the right
personality, than it is to teach personality to people with the
right skills. That’s where the recruiting piece comes in to play.
Coaching is most enjoyable when all those things slot into
place!
I am very fortunate to have the job I’ve always wanted to
do and a great home set-up (my wife is also a coach, and
my dog loves the launch!). Rowing at Shrewsbury was the
launchpad for me, and it helped me get to where I currently
am with my sport. If you’re on the fence about considering
whether to do a sport at the university level, I would
definitely recommend putting yourself in a position where
you can consider it. It can be a great way to meet people,
stay in shape, and maybe even get you your ideal job!
Sabrina in training
September 2020 saw a historic Sunday morning, with Sabrina oarsmen and oarswomen in training together on the Severn.
Incremental changes in the personnel, fixture list and social
events of the Old Salopian Squash Club have seen it grow
from a minnow to a respectably sized trout since its release in
London waters five years ago. Indeed, the healthy diet of onand
off-court activities spread out across the impending year
for the team at the season’s offset hinted at a future in which
the Club’s progression towards maturity seemed inevitable.
The expanded field of possibilities that such a trajectory
seemed to entail had an intoxicating effect on our Captain
Ben Stirk, who began the season with a set of visualisation
exercises that included picturing i) the team trebling its
current budget & ii) seeing his own bust replace that of
Charles Darwin at the kernel of the School (ambitions
apparently achievable within eight years).
The level-headed and no-doubt prescient aspirations of
Old Salopian Squash Club

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 89
our Captain did not account for the arrival of that strangest
of guests on our shores, however. Indeed, the appearance
of COVID-19 has prompted some minor adjustments to
the timeframe in which the Club’s enhanced cashflow and
effigies can be expected to manifest. Nonetheless, it did not
deprive us of a sterling half-season – one smattered with
successes and setbacks of a more modest nature – on which
it is my duty to report.
Facing our old rivals, the Tonbridgians, the season began
with a bang. This fixture is one we’ve come to relish, as
the healthy dislike both teams have of one another tends
to amplify the competitive spirit and necessitates a fairly
merciless attitude on court. As usual it delivered, and at the
turn of nine o’clock we found ourselves in a tight spot at two
games apiece, before James Kidson swatted us to victory with
some characteristically tricksy squash.
This triumph was short-lived unfortunately, as the Old
Etonians and the RAC under-35s brought us down to earth
with two 4-1 losses, in spite of a good couple of wins from
our first-string Jonny Williams. The team then made the
annual pilgrimage up to The Schools to clash against the
current boys’ squad, led by the indefatigable Myles Harding.
As ever, this was a fun fixture played in good spirit; one
that never fails to stoke the ambitions of the current crop of
boys through their exposure to a crack group of prominent
alumni. Surprisingly, this was won by the OS 5-0, with Myles
dropping his first ever match in straight games, a result that
he certainly won’t wish to be published. This upset aside,
the undeniable hero of this bout was our VC Rupert Parry,
who put on a startling display of stamina and grit to hold the
barbarians at the gates over two consecutive games.
Next up was the Londonderry Cup: a challenging and
typically short-lived affair that sees the best Old Boys’
teams from around the country pitted against one another.
The OS inevitably drew Millfield, the no.1 seeds, in the
first round and promptly crashed out (5-0) before having
a similarly desolate time against a strong Cranleighan side
(4-1). Max Baccanello’s efforts in the latter encounter deserve
mentioning, as he overcame a highly experienced opponent
in three games.
We then faced a series of tricky fixtures with a nail-biting win
over Roehampton (3-2), a comfortable win over Repton (5-0)
and a last one against a more informal travelling side but one
always enjoyed, the MBBs (captained by Rory Best’s brother)
(4-1). This purple patch was solidified by three consecutive
victories by a much-improved Nick Davies and a series of
good performances from our skipper Ben Stirk. Unfortunately
this run of good fortune was not to last indefinitely, as our
return fixture against the Tonbridgians coincided with several
injuries, and our depleted team’s rugged determination could
not prevent us from being comprehensively flattened (0-5).
Alas this was to be our last match of the season, owing to
the arrival of COVID; and so we ended what had been a
promising and hugely fun season on a slightly dour note.
Since sport seems likely to regain its legality in the coming
months, the Club will be open to any new recruits who are
looking to play as part of a team in London. Any skill level
can be accommodated; and playing/eating regularly at Lord’s
is worth signing up for in and of itself. Please contact Ben
Stirk at Ben.Stirk@cbre.com if interested.
Floreat Salopia!
Jonny Williams (R 2005-09)
Old Salopian Women’s Sport
Netball
This season has been a period of change for the netball
team. Not only have we changed league, but we have also
had a number of younger players joining. They have been
a fantastic addition to the team and we have started to see
some great results. Out of the three games we were able to
play this season, we won one, drew one and lost one game.
Although the coronavirus pandemic has put a stop to our
games, we are very much looking forward to getting back
on the court.
Alice Long and Elen Murphy have now taken over the reins
of the OS Women’s Netball team. The team was previously
managed by Elle Gurden, who has been an integral part of
paving the way for women’s netball. Without Elle, the team
would not be where it is today, and it is because of all her
hard work and support that we are able to play together.
Thank you, Elle, for everything you have done.
We are always looking for new players, so if you’re
interested in playing recreational netball on a Monday night
in Pimlico (London), please do get in touch with us.
Rowing
The Sabrina Club are looking to get a women’s crew
together, hopefully with the potential to do some summer
regattas. Once the lockdown period is over, Sabrina rowing
will take place in both London and Shrewsbury, so if you’re
interested in taking part please do get in touch with us.
Equally, if you’re just looking to exercise then there will be
Sabrina club gym sessions (circuits, watt bikes, weights etc)
happening at the School Boat Club fairly regularly.
Fives
To kick off OS Women’s Fives in London, we are looking
to submit a team into Division Three for next year. There
are eight fixtures (home and away) in the season and we
want to get a minimum of four players who are keen to
play. More information on this will follow, as we’re still
working out a couple of details, but if you are interested in
getting involved please reach out to either of us or Sam Welti
(Secretary of Fives).
Alice Long (MSH 2010-12)
Elen Murphy (MSH 2011-13)

90
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
The 2020 Saracens Cricket tour
brought with it a refreshing taste of
normality in what has been a disjointed
summer due to the Coronavirus
Pandemic. Following the Cricketer
Cup’s cancellation, some questioned
whether the Devon tour would go
ahead this year but, undeterred, 24
Saracens made the annual trip down
to Instow.
There was a wonderful atmosphere at
the Wayfarer Inn on Sunday evening,
passed largely without incident - it was
just fantastic to feel unshackled from a
year of lockdowns and quarantines.
Day 1 - Monday 10th August: (rain
affected) Saracens (169 for 6 off
25.0 overs) beat NDCC (128 all out
off 23.4 overs) by 41 runs.
A Pollock 48* D Humes 29 P Clarke 27*
D Humes (3-31) P Clarke (2-32)
The majority of the squad arrived at the
picturesque North Devon Cricket club
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Lulled
into a false sense of security by the
previous week’s record-temperatures,
the squad had not foreseen the
tumultuous rainstorm that greeted them
that morning – the ground was quite
literally under water. The barmen in the
clubhouse were licking their lips…
An unscheduled session in the bar on
Day One could prove lethal later in
the week. With many of the younger
touring party champing at the bit and
still in their peak ‘University’ conditions,
re-enforcements were required in the
form of the “Senior Pros”, Ben & Tom
Chapman and Nick Graham.
Luckily for the management, each was
on-hand to deliver a stark warning and
re-focus attentions on any cricket that
may be played later that day. Rumours
have it that this was very much a “do
as I say, not as I do” message, as they
themselves slotted into the Instow Arms
for a long lunch.
The sand-based drainage system meant
cricket was very likely to happen
once the rain had stopped and, with
Saracens umpire Mark Williams holding
fort, a 4pm start was agreed with 25
overs per side.
Jabba (Richard McKay) and Will Mason
opened the batting as they have done
for years. Mackay, still in bother from
the night before, floundered around for
a few balls before having his middle
stump removed. Mason’s less than
Saracens
Devon Tour 2020
elegant “dil-scoop” third ball meant he
quickly followed his partner, who had
already informed the middle order that
“this pitch is unplayable”.
Dan Humes (29), returning to Devon
for a second year, and Peter Clarke
(27), on his first tour, set about rebuilding
the foundations and did so
with grit and skill. But it was tour
veteran, Alasdair Pollock, who stole the
show with a swashbuckling 48*. The
Saracens finished 169-6 from 25 overs.
NDCC felt to us as if they were in the
driving seat and all the talk at tea that
the Saracens’ total was 50 runs under
par proved to be mistaken. A snarling
Pollock, who has proudly never lost a
game in Devon, removed both openers
promptly and with minimal fuss. Dan
Humes bowled quickly and bagged a
couple himself too. The cauldron was
bubbling and the Saracens smelled
blood.
Henry Lewis, who has recently taken
on Cricketer Cup captaincy, was quick
to inform anyone who would listen that
he had one eye on his 2021 campaign
when he eventually turned to Peter
Clarke and Arthur Garrett – the spin
twins. Contracted to Worcestershire
and Warwickshire respectively, they
set about dealing with NDCC’s lowermiddle
order with their unorthodox
left arm bowling. NDCC’s innings
never really got going and the Saracens
completed a 41-run victory.
It was a clinical fielding performance
and after the rousing post-match
speech from Ron Barnard, everyone
donned their formals and got ready for
a roast in the clubhouse.
Day 2 - Tuesday 11th August (timed)
Saracens (245 all out off 48.4 overs)
lost to NDCC (284-6 dec off 57.5
overs) by 39 runs.
G Hargrave 91 H Lewis 35* A Garrett 35
T Spencer-Pickup (4-67) W Street (2-32)
Stripes are earned on the Tuesday
of tour - the Lundy breeze seems
harsher and the opposition a little
more daunting, sensing a hangover or
two, eager to bat and punish lethargic
bowling. Year after year, it has proved a
tricky stint in the field for the Saracens.
Despite the dip in energy, there was a
monumental shift in the tensions within
the changing room. The infamous first
dropped catch (it hadn’t happened yet)
and a large match day squad meant
negotiations between those volunteers
to “sit off for ten” were ferocious.
Despite all the background noise, Toby
Spencer Pickup and Will Street were
simply outstanding with the new ball.
In a herculean effort both ended up
bowling all the way through to lunch
with approximately 14 overs each.
NDCC were looking precarious at
110-5.
If the morning session was better than
expected, then the afternoon was true
to form. NDCC had batsmen tucked
away down the order and it was they
who put the Saracens to the sword,
finally declaring on 284-6. George
Thomason dropped the first catch and,
after denying it so aggressively to the
point of nearly driving off, eventually
completed the lap, catching a few
funny looks from an U11 training
session whilst doing so.
The Tuesday run chase has had so
many heroes over the years; centuries
galore from Tom Cox, Tom Chapman’s
enormous six into the wind, and more
generally senior pros in the engine
room stepping up when it counts.
Charlie Byrne has been a key figure in
recent years too, but unfortunately he
hadn’t been seen since failing to listen
to the Senior Pros’ Monday warning
(“do as I say, not as I do”). The
Saracens were in search of a new hero.
George Hargrave batted beautifully
and for a long time looked to be the
match winner. The previous year he
had scored a blistering century against
the Brasenose Strollers, and with the
scoreboard reading 180-4, the script
looked set.
Unfortunately, Hargrave fell for 91
and in doing so sparked a subsequent
collapse, with Humes and Atkin soon
following behind. Lewis and Pollock
wrestled back momentum but still 70
runs out, Pollock top edged to deep
mid-wicket, leaving Lewis to bat with
a shaky tale of Street, Jacob, and
Spencer-Pickup.
The Saracens were eventually bowled
out for 245. A disappointing result in
the end, light relief only to be found in
Pollock’s first loss in Devon.
Day 3 - Wednesday 12th August
(timed) Saracens (215 all out off
51.1 overs) lost to Brasenose College
Strollers (216 for 9 off 47.1)
by 1 wicket.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 91
G Thomason 58 A Pollock 31
P Clarke 4-68 A Pollock 4-78
TM called an early meeting on
Wednesday morning - there were some
notable absentees, mainly in the form
of Tom Chapman who was seemingly
still celebrating his team’s ‘Clubhouse
Olympics’ success from the night
before.
In an attempt to lure Tom back into
the touring party TM roused the troops
with a breakfast treat, courtesy of the
government’s ‘Eat out to Help out’
scheme. If a double black pudding
fry-up wasn’t enough to tempt Tom
Chapman, then nothing would be.
In the week’s flagship fixture vs
Brasenose College Strollers, Lewis
won the toss and elected to bat. An
eager crowd watched as the Saracens
top order, many of whom had
dominated schoolboy cricket over
the last five years, were swept aside.
Humes, Hargrave, G Lewis, Clarke,
Garrett, all went in quick succession.
And so, yet again the engine room
were summoned, and thankfully
responded. H Lewis (30), Pollock (31),
and Thomason – having cheered up
post run – with an excellent 58. The
Saracens reached a competitive total of
215 all out.
Having avoided a potential
embarrassment, it was now all about
putting in a Monday-like fielding
performance if we were to have any
chance of getting a result. Without
bowling restrictions, Lewis was able
to keep his options tight – essentially
Pollock bowling alongside the spin
twins. Not that he had much choice
in the matter: Pollock bowled all
day. Literally, all day. Finishing after
29 overs (4-78), this was one of the
most courageous and skilful spells of
bowling you’ll see.
Sadly, even that was not quite enough
to complete a landmark victory. In a
nail-biting finale the Strollers won by
one wicket in the final over of the day’s
play. Credit must go to the opposition
for what was a perfectly executed
chase.
Day 4 - Thursday 13th August (T20)
Saracens (150 all out off 20.0 overs)
beat Bideford CC (131 all out off
19.5 overs) by 19 runs.
G Thomason 65* G Hargrave 30
P Jacob 3-11 W Mason 2-17
With the Somerset Stragglers cancelling
their season due to COVID, a new
fixture was required for 2020.
Fortunately, Bideford CC stepped up
and agreed to play a T20.
Two of the touring party received their
A-Level results on the morning of the
13th but there was no bad luck in sight
as one win and two university spaces
were delivered. A complete lack of
internet and reception in Instow did
make for an uneasy hour or two at
the beginning of the day – who needs
UCAS points when you can get double
egg and bacon for £2.75 (thanks Rishi!)?
The remainder of the Saracens
dragged themselves out of bed for a
short drive to Bideford CC and, once
again winning the toss, batted first.
George Thomason found fuel reserves
others couldn’t and batted superbly,
dispatching Bideford’s young attack to
all parts. He finished with 65* and was
ably supported by Hargrave (30). The
Saracens scored 150 off 20 overs.
Pat Jacob left it late to announce his
presence on tour (cricketwise anyway),
but thankfully bowled beautifully and
ripped through Bideford’s top order
with minimal fuss, showing that he
is still a class act. Bideford in reply
finished 19 runs short in a chase that
ended up being closer than it should
have been thanks to some truly awful
bowling.
Not wanting to finish on that, it is
worth mentioning that Stephen Barnard
added another milestone to the Barnard
family’s imperial record of School
cricket contributions by becoming Tour
Manager (TM) this year. Unfortunately,
injured and unable to terrorise batsmen
with his hostile fast bowling, he more
than made up for it through flawless
planning and COVID-secure operations
to host what was another memorable
trip to North Devon.
Tour Dates 2021: Sunday 8th August –
Thursday 12th August
Contact:
07910737803 | Stephen Barnard
07792120375 | Henry Lewis
07884314567 | Ben Chapman

92
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
SALOPIAN DRIVERS’ CLUB
Two years on from the founding meeting on Central, the Salopian Drivers’ Club continues to grow, despite 2020’s challenges.
Driving On Difficult Roads
So much has happened in twelve months, let alone the two
years since the Salopian Drivers’ Club burst onto Central at
its first unforgettable meet. Subsequently, last year witnessed
rapid growth in SDC social gatherings, some of which piggybacked
onto national events; but more tailored and intimate
driving-based socials have been tried out since and declared
a success.
Remember the days?
The 2019 NEC Classic Motor Show hosted our last Midlands
gathering, a relaxed affair at which several new members
were present. To avoid the inevitable queues, the group
enjoyed a leisurely 10.00am breakfast, prior to going their
separate ways after venturing through the Exhibition Centre’s
vast halls.
As car shows became more spasmodic from the autumn,
the SDC took the plunge and hosted its first formal evening
soirée away from Kingsland House. Twenty-five members
attended dinner at the eminent Turf Club in London on
24th January, with decidedly positive feedback received
subsequently. We welcomed Richard Tait-Harris (the father
of Charles (S 2012-17) as the main guest speaker, alongside
the British Touring Car driver, Tom Chiltern. Although the
sit-down meal commenced at 7.30pm, the last SDC member
departed soon after midnight, which tends to be indicative
of a good time having been had! Costing £80 per head, the
dinner was also noted for its outstanding value, resulting in
the committee making a provisional booking to repeat the
exercise on the evening of 5th February 2021.
Buoyed, somewhat justifiably, by the growing number of Old
Salopians joining the Club, the committee focused on firming
up more ambitious events for 2020’s calendar, including the
potential for an ice-driving experience in Eastern Europe.
Then COVID-19 struck.
Miles Preston’s black and cream 20/25 (pictured right in the foreground) was
one of fifteen pre-war Rolls-Royces to participate in the formal photography for
the 2020 Ghost.
The lost year
The ensuing lock down and subsequent political and
economic consequences have touched us all, making it
inevitable that severe restrictions on gatherings would affect
social groups, including ours. Yet, the SDC was far from
paralysed. While regular email communication between the
committee and members continued unaffected, bi-monthly
Zoom video conferencing replaced previous formal School
Boathouse meetings. In line with the changing situations

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 93
over the spring and summer months, and to adhere with
government advice, the committee cancelled all individual
SDC events, while remaining hopeful that get-togethers at
national events would still be possible. Sadly, all of them fell
by the wayside, including the 2020 NEC Classic Motor Show.
As always, our 80-strong members were kept informed with
regular email updates and we are grateful for everyone’s
understanding.
While the SDC could not meet as a group, individuals still
managed to get out and about. Perhaps the most significant
contribution to the motoring scene goes to Miles Preston,
who joined the Rolls Royce assembly plant at Goodwood
with fifteen other pre-war Ghost owners, on 4th September
2020. The purpose was not only to celebrate perhaps the
most distinguished motor marque, but also to welcome
the latest Ghost model, which was launched three days
previously.
Pending the obvious situation beyond our control, the
SDC continues to plan its 2021 calendar. Due to the OS
Weekend cancellation, the club held its AGM online during
mid-October, the minutes of which have been emailed to
members. If you would like to join us, further information
about free membership is available from Miles Preston,
miles.preston@milespreston.co.uk. Additionally, the SDC
remains extremely thankful to Colonel Nick Jenkins and the
Salopian Club Office for their continuing support.
Rob Marshall
While lockdown meant that SDC social activities had to be curtailed, some
members took advantage of the extra time. Robert Marshall (R 1994-99)
resprayed and rebuilt this dilapidated Triumph, which he reports will be
completed by summer 2021.
Old Salopian Freemasons Lodge
COVID-19 has reduced, but not eliminated, the activities
of the Lodge this year. Although our planned gathering
at The Schools in May 2020 did not take place, we
have had our regular London meetings, in March and
September, at the Civil Service Club. The law limiting
us to six attendees reduced, but did not eliminate,
our September gathering, which was followed by an
excellent dinner at the Naval & Military Club/the ‘In
& Out’.
OS Lodge has for some 95 years been an interesting and
alternative way of keeping in touch with Old Salopians,
and supporting The Schools at the same time. Charity,
as well as Fraternity, is a fundamental tenet of what
we are about, the principles of which are illustrated in
the various ceremonies, which have changed very little
in over 200 years. As part of our charitable activities,
we operate a Lodge Bursary Fund, which is held as
part of the Salopian Foundation. Through this, we are
supporting one of the Rowing Scholarships.
We have adapted to act as a London-based resource
for Old Salopians, with dinners in March and
September which are open to all. We are to the best
of my knowledge the only Salopian group which has
dinners in London on a regular basis.
Something new for the new normal?
For further information on what we do, and any
membership enquiries, please see
www.oldsalopianmasons.com – or else contact the
Secretary, Chris Williams (R 1978-83) on 07956 964937
or at chrisjhwilliams@yahoo.co.uk.
Also, please see details of our governing body, United
Grand Lodge of England, at www.ugle.org.uk or
www.londonmasons.org.uk
Information about the Order of Women Freemasons can
be found at www.owf.org.uk
Chris Williams (R 1978-83)

94
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Notes from the Archives and Taylor Library
Left: Arthur Bramwell (R) and Ed Bayliss (Rt), Sixth Form volunteers. Right: Mrs Naomi Nicholas
As the pandemic swept in last March, our Upper Sixth
Archives Volunteer, Anna Cowan, cheered us up by
observing with Salopian cool that we shouldn’t worry
because the Taylor Library had survived the Plague, the Civil
War, the Spanish Flu, and two World Wars. Anna made a
great contribution to the work of the Library, helping with
a range of cataloguing work and assisting with exhibitions
and visits. After the lockdown, the work of the Library has
continued largely unabated and there is much to report
as we enter the new academic year and a ‘new normal’.
These notes aim to provide a flavour of our activities over
the last year.
The new school year has brought some changes to our
team. In addition to Mrs Naomi Nicholas, our invaluable and
dedicated Assistant Taylor Librarian and Archivist, we had two
new volunteers, Ed Bayliss (Rt U6) and Arthur Bramwell (R
L6), who became the core of our volunteer team. In addition,
Isobel Goodman joined us as a new specialist volunteer.
She is a graduate in History and French from Oxford, an MA
in Special Book Collections from Edinburgh, and a former
Librarian trainee from Queens’ College Cambridge.
The only casualties of the pandemic were some events and
visits that had to be cancelled or postponed. Sadly, our
usual Speech Day and Old Salopian Day Open House were
cancelled. These are the highlights of the year and it is always
great to see so many visitors in the library on these days. We
hope to see you back soon. Some other public visits have
been postponed until spring and summer 2021.
As well as various class study visits, we hosted students from
Shrewsbury University Centre.
Fourth Formers study rare Bibles
Students from Shrewsbury University Centre
Events
The Shrewsbury
Darwin Festival
A highlight of the year
was a public open day for
the annual Shrewsbury
Darwin Festival in
February. We provided
a special Exhibition of
Darwin’s letters and
memorabilia in the Moser
Gallery and a series of
public lecture tours of the
exhibition and the Taylor
Library.
Fourth Formers explore the world of rare books with Mr Bell
We had hoped to begin a series of study tours of the Taylor
Library for all Third Formers beginning in September, but due
to the virus have had to postpone this until the new year.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 95
A series of requests for information on other Medieval and Ancient manuscripts. L to R: Oxyrincus MS (c 1st century AD) for Prof. Klaas of Ghent Univ; MS 31
Julianus Toletanus, 12th century. A Miscellany of Theological Texts, for Prof. Pierre Humbert, of Douai, France; MS 3 Prick of Conscience, Vatican funded project, for
Prof. Johnston of Purdue Univ. USA.
Taylor Library Enquiries
We have a steady stream of scholarly enquiries about items
in the Taylor Library. Most of the rare items in the Library are
listed in on-line international catalogues such as the English
Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) and the Incunabula Short Title
Catalogue (ISTC). These are available to scholars worldwide.
Some examples of recent enquiries are:
Paulo Sachet of Milan University requested images and
information on Incunabula 42 Thesaurus Cornucopiae.
Andrea Pistoia, PhD student at the École Pratique des
Hautes Études in Paris requested information on our MS 32
Summa de penitentia etc.
Shrewsbury
School MS 1, Liber
Sapientiae. We have
been working with
Dr Sarah Gilbert, a
Paleographer and
Manuscript Historian
at Durham University,
on images relating
to marginal notes by
Robert Grosseteste,
Bishop of Lincoln in
1235-64.
Dr Gilbert belongs to a
project group consisting
of historians, scientists,
and everything in
between, working
on producing editions, translations and commentaries of
the scientific works of Robert Grosseteste. Most of the team
are based at the universities of Durham, Oxford and York,
with partners in Rome, Milan, Beirut and Washington DC.
Dr Gilbert’s task is to reassess the corpus of manuscripts
containing Grosseteste’s handwriting, of which ours is
thought to be one of the most significant.
John Cherry enquired about the bronze matrix of the
Shrewsbury Town Great Seal 1426. This ancient seal
is affixed to a resolution of thanks by the Shrewsbury
Corporation to the School’s Governing Body for the gift
of the High Cross (at the top of Pride Hill) in our fourth
centenary year of 1952 in token of the long-standing link
between the School and the town. The School re-erected the
High Cross of the town at the top of Pride Hill from where
it had been removed in 1686. This illuminated document
records the thanks of the town and their best wishes for the
future of the foundation. It is signed by the Mayor, James
West (Housemaster of Ingram’s). It is sealed by the ancient
seal of the Burgesses of the town, which has been in use
since 1426.
Conservation Heating
In January 2020, specialist Preventive Conservation
Environmental Heating, Monitoring and Control systems
were installed in the Taylor Library. The new system ensures
constant monitoring and control of relative humidity and
temperature throughout the library. This replaces a very out
of date dehumidifying machine.
Digitisation
A new high-quality digital camera, professional scanning
software and tailor-made rig for digitising images of rare
books and manuscripts has been purchased. We are now
awaiting a day’s training on the use of the rig.
Visitors
We have had a rich variety of visitors to the Library. The
highlights have included:

96
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Prof Wilson of Imperial College came to speak to the
Science Faculty. His reward was an evening in the Taylor
Library and especially a close look at the Darwin collection.
A visit by students and staff of Shrewsbury University
Centre to see the Darwin Collection.
BBC Shropshire visited to make a broadcast programme on
our Darwin Exhibition for the Shrewsbury Darwin Festival.
Richard Hoyle, Chairman of the Victoria County History of
Shropshire, spent a day working on the ‘Town Chronicle’, a
handwritten chronicle of life in Shrewsbury from 1372 – 1602.
He also worked on the Salop Corporation Books donated by
Leonard Hotchkiss, former headmaster (1735-54).
Prof Hanna (Keble College, Oxford) spent a day researching
the remarkable Richard Bostock donation in 1606 of 12
medieval manuscripts. His focus is on the Bostock family
from Cheshire.
Mark Bland visited, and under the guidance of Naomi
Nicholas, studied Demosthenes Logoi Duo 1591, Parchment
scrolls of the Library Catalogue of 1606-33, Ortelius’s atlas,
and Ben Jonson’s Workes, 1606.
The Archives
The Archives has handled a large and fascinating array of
enquiries great and small. The following are some of the
more memorable:
Michael Palin (R 1957-61) requested information about
some of his forebears at the School. He was surprised to
learn a number of things he didn’t know before including, in
his own words, “the startling news that my father was caught
by a Maharajah!” The details are: “E.M. Palin (left school in
1919) was caught for 4 by the Maharajah of Palitana in a
house cricket match in 1919.”
The National Geographic requested the loan of Andrew
Irvine’s famous Ice Axe, recovered from Everest, for a major
Exhibition on the History of Mount Everest in Washington DC.
We provided biographical details of the life of Hugh Brooke
at Shrewsbury – one of the great characters of the 20th
century and housemaster of Rigg’s Hall.
We provided a brief bibliography on Shrewsbury School for
the 150th anniversary of the Headmasters’ Conference.
Details of a chess match between the School Chess Club and
Brighton College in 1849.
William Price spent a day researching papers relating to the
Commission of Enquiry (c.1890 - 1920) into the formation of
a new Diocese of Shrewsbury. Basil Oldham was secretary to
the Commission. The proposal was passed by a large majority
in the House of Commons but was defeated by one vote in
the House of Lords.
We collaborated in the making of a video on the History of
Shrewsbury School football.
We contributed to special exhibitions on the history of
football and the RSSH for Prep School football and crosscountry
events.
We provided details of a Salter and Bage Survey of the village
of Berrington in the 1770s.
We contributed to a chapter on the early Rules of Football at
Shrewsbury in a new History of Football (see page 72 of this
issue).
We helped research the notorious 1st XI football tour of Nazi
Germany in April 1937.
Simon Baynes MP (I 1973-78) requested information on
MPs from Shrewsbury School. Our researches unearthed 55
OS MPs since 1798.
In response to a request for information on Old Salopians
at the Battle of Waterloo for a lecture at Eton, we came up
with two: Hill, Thomas Noel. Assistant Adjutant General in
Waterloo Campaign (Medal); and Windsor, Edward Charles.
Captain 1st Royal Dragoons. Killed at Waterloo, 18 June,
1815. Aged 25.
The Shewsy – We provided details of the life of Revd Digby
Kittermaster, founder of Shrewsbury House.
Donation of Old Books
In July I was invited, along with Naomi Nicholas, by
Peter Moore Dutton (SH 1963-68) to visit his home at
Tushingham Hall in Cheshire for lunch and to look at his
ancestral collection of rare books. He expressed his wish to
donate some choice items to Shrewsbury School. We had
a memorable visit to his lovely home. Peter’s wife Val laid
on a delicious lunch and we came away with a fine gift of
18 books for the Library, which included a Geneva Bible of
1581, a Bishop’s Bible of 1574, a Cranmer Bible of 1560 and a
rare Geneva ‘Breeches’ Bible of 1601. This is a most generous
benefaction for which we are most grateful. Also present was
John Richards (M 1957-62) who kindly donated two very fine
old Family Bibles.
Dr Robin Brooke-Smith
Taylor Librarian and Archivist
From left: Robin Brooke-Smith, Naomi Nicholas, John Richards, Peter Moore Dutton

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 97
PUBLICATIONS
inflaming passions and generating fierce
argument. This book tells it all!
had diverged significantly. Bluntly,
most people don’t know how to use
technology securely and this contributes
to the stress of modern life. People worry
that their data isn’t secure but don’t feel
empowered to do anything about it.’
Mike Dickson (R 1977-82)
Bob Willis: A Cricketer and A Gentleman
Hodder and Stoughton
ISBN: 978-1-52934134-8
The book comprises a biography and a
section of personal tributes and records,
edited by Bob’s brother David. It charts
the life of a fascinating and complex
man, who had a 14-year career with
England before becoming cricket’s most
trenchant analyst. Most unusually for a
sports book, it reached number three in
the Sunday Times Bestseller list, a tribute
to his popularity. This is the author’s
second collaboration on a biography with
a former England cricket captain, having
also written Michael Vaughan’s Time to
Declare in 2010.
Tim Cawkwell (1961-65)
Cricket on the Edge 2019
Sforzinda Books
ISBN: 978-1-66154904-6
England won the cricket World Cup
on 14 July. They followed that with a
pulsating Ashes Test Series over 25 days,
marginally shaded by Australia. The Third
Test produced one of the great innings
in the history of Test cricket: Ben Stokes’s
135 not out. In the background, the wellestablished
one-day competition took
place, the newly established T20 Blast
ended in a cliff-hanger on Finals Day, the
long-established County Championship
provided days of absorbing cricket.
For the two contenders for the title,
Essex and Somerset, it came down to
the last session of the last game of the
long season. Raging through it all was
the debate on the merits of the ECB’s
re-boot of Blast cricket as The Hundred,
Selby Whittingham (S 1955-59)
Selby Whittingham looks back on a life
in the Arts, from the New Elizabethans to
Generation Z. See https://brazen-head.
org/2020/10/18/english-impressions/
Paul Vlissidis (Rt 1974-79)
How to Survive the Internet:
Protect your Family from Hackers and
Cyber Stalkers
The author writes, “While shooting
the first celebrity series of Channel 4’s
Hunted I began to realise that our digital
lives had reached a tipping point where
the complexity of the technology and
our knowledge of how to use it securely
Rory Fraser (Ch 2010-14))
Follies: An Architectural Journey
Zuleika
ISBN: 978-1-91619778-7
An illustrated travel account of Rory
Fraser’s journey painting England’s follies
the summer after leaving university. From
towering monastic ruins to the modern
‘man cave’, Fraser introduces us to an
architectural cabinet of curios including
treasonous renaissance symbols, lavish
banqueting houses, temples to lost loves,
Chinese pagodas, nuclear bunkers and
the ‘Taj Mahal of Gloucestershire’. The
characters behind these buildings jostle
across the pages: medieval visionaries,
gunpowder plotters, The Rolling
Stones and The Hellfire Club, as well
as designers Wren, Vanbrugh, Kent,
‘Capability’ Brown and Repton – and their
often zany patrons. Fraser’s philosophy
is that follies, though often marginalised,
serve as focal points for architecture,
landscape and literature. As such, they
create a series of portals through which
to understand the periods in which they
were built, providing an alternative lens
through which to track and celebrate
the English character, culture and love of
individualism. Fraser’s exquisite sketches,
both visual and verbal, seek not only
to record these hidden wonders, but
treasure them, bringing them to life.

98
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
is keyed to important words in the
translation and aims to be accessible to
readers with little or no Latin) seeks to
explain both the factual background to
the poems and also the literary qualities
which make this poetry exciting and
moving to a modern audience.
Victor Temple QC (I 1954-58)
The Mission of Vincent Nilworth
The funny and action-packed tale of
a small town, incorrigible hoodlum
eponymously named Vincent Nilworth.
Self-described as ‘strictly tongue in cheek,
fun to read and totally lacking in culture’
this is a wonderfully entertaining and fastpaced
read introducing, amongst other
matters, the Lucifer Memorial Prize, the
Hammersmith Bridge Flower Box Society
and the doctrine of Affinity of Souls.
Given the unusual, otherwise unworldly
backdrop to this novel, it is certainly
no contemporary legal drama, but the
hallmarks of a distinguished advocate are
unmistakable, not least by reason of the
clarity and richness of the text.
The book can be ordered by e-mailing
Victor on Victortemple.8@gmail.
com, together with your nominated
UK address. Your obligation is then
two fold— to enjoy the book and
more importantly to confirm that you
have donated £10.00 to the Barristers
Benevolent Association, which has an
easy to use Gift procedure on its website.
John Godwin (Head of Classics, 1984-2014)
Juvenal: Satires Book V
Liverpool University Press
ISBN: 978-1-78962217-1
Juvenal’s fifth and final book of Satires
consists of three complete poems
and one fragment and continues and
completes his satirical assessment of the
Rome of the early second century AD.
The poems treat us to a scandalised
exposure of folly and vice and also the
voice of sweet reason as the poet advises
us how to live our lives – all delivered
in the hugely entertaining tones of a
great master of the Latin language. The
text is accompanied by a literal English
translation, and the commentary (which
Malcolm Hamer (DB 1954-58)
Drawn to Death
A Chris Ludlow Golf Mystery
ISBN: 978-1-83975036-6
Following the success of his five previous
volumes, sports agent and writer Malcolm
Hamer returns with Drawn to Death,
the sixth in his ‘Chris Ludlow’ golf
mystery series. Hamer’s latest release sees
Ludlow’s own book spark a potentially
deadly backlash from the art fakers it
threatens to expose. Coupled with his
risky efforts to help a journalist friend
write a piece about drug use in golf,
Ludlow has plenty of problems to dodge
once again.
John Stuttard (SH 1958-63)
The 20-Ghost Club - The Oldest Rolls-
Royce Club in the World
1949-2019
John Stuttard writes: “My latest book is
currently coming to the boil and will
be published in early January. This one
will be 360 pages of A4 with 650 photos
about pre-War Rolls-Royces and how they
were saved from extinction/scrapping after
WWII by the 20-Ghost Club, the oldest
Rolls-Royce Club in the world, which
celebrates its 70th birthday this year. I was
its Chairman for nine years.”
Dr Peter King (O 1964-69)
A Gazetteer of the British Iron Industry,
1490-1815
Volumes I and II
Bar Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-407315-12-6
A new process of making iron, using a
blast furnace and a forge, both powered
by water, was introduced into the Weald
in the 1490s, and spread to other parts
of England and Wales from the 1550s.
This book provides a history of every
ironworks of the charcoal blast furnace
period, except the Weald. It also covers
early coke ironworks (built before 1815)
and water-powered bloomeries (of the
previous technology). After introductory
material on the industry generally,
each chapter deals with the ironworks
of one district, including also other
water-powered mills processing iron,
steel furnaces,
early ironworks
powered by steam
engines, and a few
other works. The
period covered
is an era in the
technology of an
important industry
in Great Britain.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 99
OBITUARIES
WJ Adams S 1945-50
WEK Anderson Staff 1975-80
JV Armitage Staff 1958-59
JDF Barnes R 1949-54
FJD Boot S 1949-54
JR Bridgeland Staff 1977-82
GA Brook Staff 1979-84
RB Brooks R 1970-74
DE Brown Staff 1946-79
FB Burns O 1948-52
CC Cherry R 1955-60
DFA Chillcott R 1966-70
AA Conn Staff 1966-73
RH Cope Ch 1952-57
DJ Crompton Staff 1985-96
T Crooks M 1963-68
JCL Crown M 1978-82
DG Davidson Rt 1934-39
PT Davies Rt 1941-45
DWM Davis S 1947-51
JW de la Motte I 1957-61
AL Dyke O 1941-46
CIGS Edwards R 1955-60
PD Fairclough Rt 1950-54
R Farnell Ch 1948-52
PH Gammon S 1952-58
G Garrett Staff 1964-73
MW Gatti I 1954-57
JF Hall-Craggs Rt 1945-50
DM Hallworth SH 1944-49
DJ Hammett Ch 1967-72
N Hari PH 2013-18
CJM Hartley SH 1955-60
GD Hayter R 1944-49
WF Hobson O 1939-43
JR Holt R 1946-51
J Hope Simpson Ch 1942-47
DEP Hughes Staff 1956-79
JBE Hutton Rt 1945-50
ESO Jacson O 1952-56
PJ Lear DB 1949-52
PV Le Neve Foster R 1945-50
J Lingford-Hughes Ch 1940-45
Jean Massey Matron M 1992-2000
FM Merifield SH 1947-52
H McKeag Rt 1954-56
BN McKibbin SH 1943-48
JR Muir O 1954-58
BS Nicholson DB 1947-50
DF Ormrod DB 1942-46
DJ Owen Hughes I 1945-50
CR Paterson SH 1950-55
JG Pearson SH 1952-56
PJ Phillips DB 1951-56
RWA Price M 1973-78
DJ Pullin R 1946-50
GC Rowe DB 1938-42
DM Rowlinson S 1969-74
JW Scarratt G 1996-2000
DWG Smith SH 1945-49
KA Spiby Staff 1957-94
IH Stott I 1947-52
FJB Sykes SH 1955-60
CE Talbot O 1945-49
MF Turner O 1945-50
AJ Waterworth I 1975-79
DJ Weaver SH 1944-48
RO Weaver SH 1942-45
JN Webb SH 1948-53
MJ White RB 1992-95
RV Wildblood Ch 1941-45
JRW Worrall SH 1938-42
JC Yeoward I 1946-50
Sir Eric Anderson, K.T.,
Headmaster 1975-80
Widely regarded as the
greatest Independent
School Headmaster of his
generation, Anderson,
with typical modesty,
always insisted that that
title properly belonged to
Dennis Silk of Radley; but
that Anderson’s influence,
wide experience and
extensive connections
in the Independent
sector were unrivalled, is
incontrovertible. Several of
the assistant masters who served under him were inspired by
his example to become headmasters of leading Independent
Schools themselves and took him as their model. His name
is always associated with Eton, and rightly so, for twentythree
years of his academic career were spent there, fourteen
of them as Headmaster and (after a six-year interlude as
Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford), a further nine as Provost,
the resident Chairman of Governors. Earlier in his career,
however, he had served as an English master, first at Fettes
and then at Gordonstoun, subsequently returning to Fettes as
a Housemaster, before successively becoming Headmaster of
Abingdon (1970-75) and of Shrewsbury (1975-80).
During his distinguished career Anderson encountered
many pupils who were later to become prominent figures in
national life, four of them exceptionally so. At Gordonstoun
he nurtured the Prince of Wales’ love of Shakespeare and
cast him in the title role of Macbeth, in the school play: at
Fettes he was Tony Blair’s Housemaster, and at Eton the
Headmaster of both David Cameron and Boris Johnson.
This unique connection with the heir to the throne and three
Prime Ministers made Anderson’s name familiar in much
wider circles than the strictly educational.
He was born into a ‘solidly middle class’ family in Edinburgh
on 27th May 1936, the eldest of the three children of William
Anderson, who ran a long-established and well-respected
firm of kilt-makers and outfitters, and of his wife Margaret
(née Harper). He was educated at George Watson’s College,
Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews, where he took
a First in English and met his future wife Elizabeth Mason
(always known as ‘Poppy’), who also took a First in the same
subject. He subsequently took a higher degree in Literature at
Balliol College, Oxford. He and Poppy married in 1960 and
they celebrated their Diamond Anniversary, quietly at home
in Oxfordshire, less than two full days before he died.
Although Eric’s headmastership at Shrewsbury was brief
(the change from the use of Eric’s surname to his first
name marks the movement of this tribute from the public
to our domestic Salopian sphere), the character, assets and
qualities which were later, at Eton, to enable observers to

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describe his headmastership as a ‘Golden Age’, were all in
evidence here. From both Abingdon and Shrewsbury, Eric
was, in effect, recruited as the result of invitation rather than
of application on his own initiative; and at each of these
schools, in turn, he felt an initial reluctance to move on
further. While at Abingdon, he was approached by Dr Walter
Hamilton, who then exercised the same influential role in
Independent Education which Eric was later to achieve, with
the words, “Young man, I think you ought to be the next
Headmaster of Shrewsbury”. (Hamilton happened at the time
to be Chairman of our Governors.) Eric and Poppy paid an
incognito visit to look at the School and they recorded that it
was their first impression of the natural and friendly manner
in which boys and masters greeted each other on ‘The Drum’,
in front of the School Building, which caused a dramatic
change of mind. The next five years strongly reinforced those
very favourable impressions. Similarly, in 1980, Eric and
Poppy had serious doubts about accepting the invitation to
move on to Eton. They were happy where they were and
Eric was deeply concerned that his tenure at Shrewsbury had
been ungraciously brief. It took the concerted encouragement
of governors and senior colleagues, who knew that he was
the man for the challenge and ought to accept it, to persuade
him to proceed.
When asked what he considered to be his greatest asset, Eric
instantly replied, “My wife”. Theirs was a true partnership,
not only in personal, but also in professional life. They
were determined to be – and thoroughly enjoyed being –
totally immersed in the life of the School. One of them (and
usually both) would appear at every school occasion – plays,
concerts, lectures and matches. They gave a high priority to
establishing personal relationships with colleagues and pupils
alike. Eric was always eager to escape from his study and,
accompanied by his dog, Dusty, he took every opportunity
to talk to the boys he encountered on the Site. Poppy,
meanwhile, chatted to them in the School Bookshop, over
which she presided, or in the intervals of her popular Scottish
Dancing classes. Their colleagues, with their wives, were
frequently entertained at home; all new boys were invited to
tea during their first term; their extensive knowledge of who
everyone was and what they were doing could at times be
almost disconcerting
This extensive personal knowledge and interaction proved
invaluable in the crises and disciplinary incidents which
schools like Shrewsbury and Eton experience from time to
time. Eric’s calmness, realism and innate good sense stood
him in good stead on such occasions, enabling him to take
problems in his stride. His adherence to his own personal
standards of rectitude, probity and loyalty supported him in
matters of discipline. His authority was natural; he did not
need to rely on his position. A kindly and friendly person by
preference and disposition, he could be steadfastly firm when
the situation required it. In general his sanctions were both
imposed with humanity (and occasionally with humour) and
also equably accepted, because their recipients were already
well aware of their headmaster’s ability and integrity. Eric
succeeded in the difficult task of being both well respected
and well liked: colleagues and pupils recognised that he was
the master of his brief.
After the whirlwind developments of Donald Wright’s regime,
Eric realised that he had to focus on the less glamorous task
of the consolidation of the social changes of the previous
decade and on the rationalisation and reorganisation of the
existing facilities of the School. The result was a period of
‘All Change’ in which a wide range of school properties were
remodelled, adapted and reassigned, in order to put them to
their most effective use. With characteristic self-deprecation,
Eric liked to say that the successor of ‘Wright the Builder’ had
only been able to contribute some squash courts! He restored
stability to School House, realising that its ethos was a vital
component in the morale of the whole school, by quickly
and decisively reversing the temporary internal division of the
House, which had been in place between 1974 and 1976 and
which had failed, partly on account of financial exigency. Eric
was also particularly keen not only to develop the facilities
but also to enhance the current standards in drama, the Fine
Arts and in music. While at Abingdon he had developed an
enthusiasm for rowing; he maintained this enthusiasm at
Shrewsbury, strongly supporting the Boat Club and realising
that its performance played a significant part in establishing
the School’s reputation. Again, it was characteristic of him that
he had noted that this sport, at schoolboy level, required the
highest degree of excellence, for Salopian crews at Henley had
to compete with opponents drawn from all over the world.
There was one major principle to which Eric was adamantly
attached: that education must be judged by its quality, by
the excellence of its standards and attainment and that
selection was an integral factor in achieving this. Second
only to that, it was imperative to extend its availability. Eric
devoted himself to finding, recruiting and developing talent,
wherever he could find it. His first impression was that the
masters at Shrewsbury were abler than the boys: his opinion
was that the ability of the boys should challenge and stretch
the masters. Accordingly he initiated a scheme of Sixth Form
Scholarships to attract able recruits to the School. He spent
a great deal of time and care interviewing their parents,
in visiting preparatory schools and in addressing Rotary
Societies and corporate bodies such as the Master Cutlers of
Sheffield, in pursuit of this objective. After seeing him and
hearing him speak, many in these audiences entered their
sons for Shrewsbury. Aware that the School’s distance from
the metropolitan areas might deprive it of the stimulus of
comparison with the highest intellectual standards and lure
it into complacency, he took care regularly to invite eminent
speakers to address the School. He initiated the Harvard
Fellowship Scheme, in which able and talented young men
(and in recent years, young women, too) came over to join
the Common Room for their first post-graduate year. They
have brought great enrichment to Shrewsbury during the last
four decades. Eric considered that his single, most significant
decision was to double the number of Day Boys entering
the School. This, too, was part of his drive to raise academic
standards: Shrewsbury had become the administrative,
legal and medical centre of an extensive (mainly Welsh)
hinterland. Professional families were flooding into the town
and, ever since, their sons have made a major contribution
in all aspects of school life, and pre-eminently in academic
attainment. Donald Wright had advised the Governors that
his successor should be someone able to raise the academic
standards of the School: by 1980 that aspiration had been
triumphantly achieved.
The general feeling that their move to Eton was entirely
appropriate was tinged with regret, which perhaps Eric and
Poppy shared at the time, that they had been plucked too
early from their comparative seclusion at Shrewsbury to
face the full glare of metropolitan and world-wide scrutiny.
Certainly they both retained a deep affection for the School
and at his last Salopian Speech Day Eric admitted: “I love
the atmosphere of Shrewsbury – the faintly concealed
enthusiasms, the friendliness of boys and masters, the
devastating individual and corporate sense of humour” and
he spoke of how he would miss the beauty of the Site and
of the Shropshire countryside. Much later he said that of all
the schools he worked in he would most have enjoyed being

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 101
an Assistant Master at Shrewsbury, which he remembered as
a Common Room of individuals, many of them highly able,
all of them dedicated to the job, a few of them eccentric
in ways that great schoolmasters can be. He observed that
on the surface nothing was taken too seriously, but that
beneath the humour and fun there was serious intent; and no
school, he thought, had a better team of housemasters than
Shrewsbury in the seventies. He and Poppy bought a holiday
home in Shropshire and took care to maintain their links with
the School, the town and the county. In 1991 Eric accepted
an invitation to be President of the Shropshire Horticultural
Society and after the Flower Show he, in turn, invited its
committee members to Eton and gave them a conducted
tour. He served on the Governing Body of the School
between 1994 and 2000 and he returned in 2002 to attend the
celebration of its 450th Anniversary. He was elected President
of the Salopian Society in 2004-05 and has subsequently paid
a number of private visits.
Beyond school walls Anderson had established himself as an
authority on Sir Walter Scott, whose journals he had edited
and published in 1972 and of whose residence, Abbotsford,
he was a trustee. He greatly enjoyed his role as chairman
of the National Heritage Lottery Fund between 1998 and
2001. Anderson was entrusted with the responsibility of
recording the memoirs of Queen Elizabeth The Queen
Mother, which were later to be made available for the use
of her biographer; this was a notable tribute to Anderson’s
acknowledged discretion. ‘A Scot to his eyebrows’, he
was appointed Knight of The Thistle, the highest Scottish
Order of Chivalry, in 2002. Golf and Angling were his
private recreations; he was enthusiastic about both and he
wrote recently to an Old Salopian, currently the Ryder Cup
Director of the European Tour, who had been his pupil
when Headmaster, that if he had not had the opportunity
of being the Headmaster of Shrewsbury and Eton, then,
outside the sphere of education, his was the job that he
would most have coveted.
Sir Eric Anderson died in his sleep, at his home in
Oxfordshire, on 22nd April 2020, aged 83 years. He is
survived by his wife Poppy and by their son David, Lord
Anderson of Ipswich Q.C., former Independent Reviewer
of Terrorism Legislation in the United Kingdom, by their
daughter Kate, also a teacher, who is married to Will
Gompertz, the BBC Arts Editor, and by their grandchildren.
David Gee
Sir James David
Francis Barnes C.B.E.
(R 1949-54)
David Barnes was born
on 4th March 1936 in
Blantyre, Nyasaland
(now Malawi), the son
of Eric Barnes, a colonial
official, and his wife
Jean. After preparatory
school at Earnseat on the
Lancashire-Cumberland
border, David came to
Shrewsbury and to Rigg’s
in 1949, where his son
Jonathan was to follow him in 1980. It was at Shrewsbury
that David developed his deep interest in animal behaviour,
spending a long time in the school biology laboratories;
he also commanded the Shrewsbury C.C.F. He went on
to Liverpool University to study Veterinary Science, where
he also became much involved in debating, but he found
some aspects of his course rather uncongenial and decided
to leave the university. To fill in the time before doing his
National Service, he worked as a laboratory assistant in ICI’s
pharmaceutical division at Alderley Park, Cheshire. He then
joined the Royal Artillery, where he served as a Second
Lieutenant and Battery Commander in Eagle Troop. He
returned to ICI on a permanent basis in 1960, where he met
Fiona Riddell. They married in 1963.
Rejoining as a commercial assistant, he was to remain in ICI
and its successor companies for the remainder of his career.
He established himself quickly and within four years he
was head of European sales. He was appointed Overseas
Director in 1971, Deputy Chairman in 1977, Chairman of
the Paints Division in 1983 and he was promoted to the
ICI Board in 1986. David was the only commercial director
who had grown up in the business, and he clearly saw that
the opportunities for expansion lay in ICI’s pharmaceutical
division, where the company had developed its own worldbeating
heart and cancer drugs, rather than in the older,
capital-intensive heavy chemical branches of the company.
He argued that the time had come “to hang on to the
jewels and to discard the tarnished tinsel”. The result was
the creation of Zeneca in 1993, of which David became
Chief Executive. The choice of name was controversial, and
David took great care to ensure that it had no unfortunate
connotations, asserting that it would be vindicated by the
company’s performance.
Subsequently there were regular requests for mergers, but
here again David was discriminating and initially sceptical,
describing one rival alliance as “two drunks holding each
other up” but, when persuaded, he was open to a wellconsidered
proposal, and that transpired when the Swedish
company Astra came along. The formation of AstraZeneca,
which was to achieve a world-wide reputation, was
complete, and David was deputy chairman of the company

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SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
from 1999 until his retirement in 2001. In the later part of his
career David was content to play a supporting, rather than an
executive role, though he remained deputy chair of Syngenta,
the spin-off of AstraZeneca’s and Novartis’ agrochemical
interests, until 2004, but he emerged from retirement in 2014,
to prevent a take-over by the US group Pfizer, declaring, in
another vivid phrase, that “they will act like a praying mantis
and suck the lifeblood out of their prey”: the take-over bid
duly failed.
David was a champion of research into genetic modification,
which he saw as an essential component in the effort to feed
developing countries. He was appointed CBE in 1987, he was
knighted in 1996 and he received the Centenary Medal
of the Society of the Chemical Industry in 2000. He was
on the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce, of
Redland plc, and Thorn-EMI, and was Deputy Chairman of
Business in the Community. He was also a non-executive
Director of Prudential.
David’s outstanding success as a businessman resulted from
a powerful but unusual combination of qualities, which
enabled him to raise his companies to international status.
Personally unassuming and self-effacing , approachable
and entirely devoid of pomposity, he was able to build
harmonious personal relationships both with his colleagues
and his rivals but he also had the clear-sightedness to detect
both opportunities and consequences, together with the
determination and decisiveness to act at the critical moment.
David’s charitable and pro bono interests and commitments
were generous and extensive. He was involved in many
medical and scientific charities. He was a Trustee of the
British Red Cross and a strong supporter of Imperial Cancer
Research Technology and of Voluntary Service Overseas. He
was a Governor of Ashridge Business School in Herefordshire
and he also served on the Governing Body of Liverpool
University. However, it was family life which was David’s
highest priority and it was there that he found his greatest
fulfilment. A countryman at heart, he enjoyed modest
shooting, “but not where there are hundreds of birds going
over”, and he and Fiona greatly enjoyed travels on their
narrow boat called ‘Great Expectations’.
Salopians have particular cause to be grateful for David’s
membership of the School Governing Body between 1997
and 2006, during which he was very much in favour of the
decision to admit girls to the Sixth Form. They are grateful,
too, for his devoted service as a Trustee of the Shrewsbury
School Foundation over many years and most recently for his
most generous benefaction to the new School Theatre, which
bears his name. David was also involved in funding several
boys during their time at the School. He enjoyed receiving
regular updates on the boys’ progress and was still in close
contact with at least one of them at the time of his death.
This was one of the many generous initiatives that he took
to assist others, revealing both his characteristically charitable
disposition and his devotion to the School.
David died on his 84th birthday, 4th March 2020, and he is
survived by Fiona and by their children, Jonathan and Alison,
by five grandchildren and by one great-grandchild.
With grateful acknowledgement to both The Guardian and
The Telegraph.
Jeremy Bridgeland
(Master 1977-82)
Jerry Bridgeland joined
the Chemistry department
at Shrewsbury in 1977
after five years teaching
at Gordonstoun. He came
to Shrewsbury following
a recommendation from
his former college tutor
to the Headmaster, Eric
Anderson. Jerry was
born in Hastings in 1948,
second son of Harold
and Eve, and younger
brother to Michael. He
attended Merchant Taylor’s School, Northwood, before
reading Chemistry and taking a PGCE from University
College, Oxford.
While at Oxford, Jerry was notable for his many and varied
sporting endeavours, winning two full Blues and seven Half
Blues. He captained the swimming team and represented the
University in Water Polo and Modern Pentathlon. His efforts
in 1971, particularly in the shoot and swim, helped Oxford
to its first Varsity triumph in the Modern Pentathlon for a
decade. While at Oxford, Jerry met his future wife, Yvonne
Goodwin. Their two sons, Charlie and Edward, were both
born during their time in Shrewsbury.
While at Shrewsbury, Jerry was active in many aspects of
school life, especially anything involving water or outdoor
pursuits. He played for the staff rugby team, coached
swimming and water polo, and ran a popular canoeing
club. He was an energetic and enthusiastic House Tutor
as the new Port Hill was being formed in Day Boys under
David Gee. Jerry was very involved in the CCF and in 1980
travelled to Canada to represent the UK in the NATO Reserve
Officers’ Military Competition. In 1982, Jerry left Shrewsbury
to return to Gordonstoun and to take over as Housemaster
of Duffus House. His second spell at Gordonstoun included
the alarming and extraordinary experience of a night-time fire
within the boarding house: that it should be attended to by
a team of pupils from the school’s own fire department was
surely unprecedented; and thankfully boarders, family and
firefighters were all unharmed. Jerry led groups of pupils up
numerous ‘Munros’ and founded the school’s surf life-saving
service, which patrolled local beaches. Jerry’s warmth and
influence are demonstrated by the fact that, until recently,
both the head of Gordonstoun and the housemaster of
Duffus House were old boys from his time in the house.
In 1990, Jerry was appointed Headmaster of Ardvreck, a prep
school in Perthshire. Throughout their time in Scotland, Jerry
and Yvonne retained strong connections to Shrewsbury, with
both boys joining Severn Hill during the 1990s.The family’s
return south was completed when Jerry became Headmaster
of Prestfelde School in 1995. It was thanks to this role that
Jerry will be warmly remembered by a younger generation of
Old Salopians, given the high number of Prestfeldians who
moved on to Shrewsbury during his headship.
Jerry’s twelve-year tenure at Prestfelde was a highly successful
period for the school, notable for a significant growth in pupil
numbers, the introduction of girls, and the completion of new
music and pre-school buildings. It was also characterised by
his efforts to modernise the school and prepare it to thrive
in the new century. Jerry led by example, with a typically
energetic and hands-on approach. One of his first objectives
at Prestfelde was (unsurprisingly) to upgrade the school

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 103
swimming pool and he also enjoyed applying his scientific
background to help deliver a spectacular annual school
fireworks event. As a true all-rounder, he was spotted driving
minibuses on the morning school run, if one of the regular
drivers fell ill, while one Prestfelde parent was particularly
surprised to find Jerry manning the parking booth at the
Prince Rupert Hotel, on a day when his son was unable to
fulfil his summer job obligations!
Following retirement from Prestfelde in 2007, Jerry and
Yvonne moved to Harley, just outside Much Wenlock.
Jerry’s many subsequent activities included time as a
Governor of Ellesmere College, Moreton Hall and Abbots
Bromley School and a spell as an Ofsted inspector. He was
a generous contributor of his time to many local charities
and organisations, including the Rotary Club, Shrewsbury
Darwin, Shropshire Historic Churches Trust, Confide
Counselling, and Shrewsbury Children’s Bookfest. He
continued to love life outdoors and led local walking groups
on hikes in the Shropshire Hills. In the last decade of his life,
Jerry also enjoyed exploring Australia and New Zealand, as
he and Yvonne made regular trips to visit their younger son
Edward and his family in Sydney.
Jerry died, after a short illness, on 14th May 2020, aged 71
years. He is survived by his wife Yvonne, their sons Charlie
and Edward, and six grandchildren. He is greatly missed by
his family and by many friends. Despite the COVID-related
restrictions on direct attendance, Jerry’s funeral in Harley
was a memorable and moving event, as well over a hundred
friends and neighbours lined the roadside outside the church.
It is hoped that in due course there will be a memorial
service to mark Jerry’s life and his significant contributions
to Shrewsbury School, Prestfelde and the wider local
community.
Geoffrey Brook (Master 1979-84)
Geoffrey Brook came to Shrewsbury in Michaelmas Term
1979. After graduating from Durham University as a Bachelor
of Arts, he had subsequently received a Bachelor of Science
degree from Birkbeck College, London and had taught at
Halliford School, Shepperton and at St George’s College,
Weybridge. During his five years at Shrewsbury he made
a major contribution as Head of Geography, as a rowing
coach, as an officer in the C.C.F. and in the Audio-Visual
Department, as well as being a very active House Tutor. He
also directed the musical Oh, what a lovely war. He gained
a further academic qualification as a Master of Education
from Birmingham University in 1982. He was an innovative
teacher and he provided the encouragement which led
Gordon Woods to set up an academic residential field course
in the Durham area. Geoffrey was also was greatly involved
in the wider administration both of Geography and of
rowing. In the former sphere he was Chairman of the Ellis
Geography Panel and also of the Geographical Association
Independent Schools’ Working Group: in the latter sphere he
was Secretary General (and later President) of the Coupe de
la Jeunesse. In 2013 he received the British Rowing Medal of
Honour. In December 1984 he left Shrewsbury to be Head
of Geography and Master in charge of rowing at Winchester,
where he remained a member of the Common Room until
2002. He was an active freemason and secretary of the Old
Wykehamist Lodge. He died on 9th February 2020.
David Brown
(Master 1946-79)
David Brown was educated at
Sedbergh School and St John’s
College, Cambridge, where
he read Part I of the Classical
Tripos, before changing over
to the Geography Tripos. He
was awarded a war-time Blue
for hockey in 1943 and 1944
and he also represented his
college at cricket. He came to Shrewsbury in 1946, to teach
Geography. Perhaps his most lasting work will be seen to
be in the long uphill struggle of putting that subject on the
map. At the time of his arrival Geography enjoyed neither
the status nor the popularity which it was later to achieve
and the subject was simply an adjunct of the History Side.
David’s cause was greatly assisted by the adoption of the
‘block system’ for A levels in the 1960s, which enabled more
pupils to choose the subject and which led, in turn, to the
appointment of a second geography master.
The prominence which Geography has subsequently gained
in the curriculum and the large number of Sixth Formers
now specialising in the subject is a gratifying vindication
of David’s pioneering work. His Geography department
became visible when the Lyle Building (now converted and
expanded as the Chatri Centre) was opened in 1965. One
floor of the building was allocated to the teaching of the
subject – a vast improvement on its previous location in an
unwieldy form room in the Main School Building: for the first
time there was adequate space and equipment, thanks to
David’s steady insistence and Donald Wright’s enthusiasm. In
2015 a further expansion and improvement occurred when
Geography teaching was transferred to occupy the whole of
the ground floor of Hodgson Hall. Recently there have been
six colleagues teaching in the Geography Faculty, all pupils
study Geography in the Third Form, about 90 opt to study
the subject for GCSE and about 75 take the A level course.
For some years David also taught the Third Form and
showed those qualities of patience and sympathy for the less
gifted, which were among his strongest characteristics. In
those days he was an active House Tutor to David Bevan in
Ridgemount and took a large part in running the cricket, as
coach of the School’s Under 16 XI; he also helped to devise

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the Athletic Standards competition. He played cricket for
the Kingsland Ramblers, which he inaugurated to provide
enjoyment and recreation for those who were not members
of the established school teams. In his spare time David
played hockey for the local club and for Shropshire.
In the late 1950s David made another major contribution
in first finding and then developing and administering
Talargerwyn, the then abandoned hill farmhouse near
Penmachno, which has subsequently been used by
generations of Salopians. David’s vision found ample
fulfilment, if not always in the ways which he originally
intended. It has been used variously for hill-walking
expeditions, for geographical and environmental study, for
academic weekends, for the bonding of house groups and
especially as a relaxed environment in which to enable
new pupils to get to know each other in their first term.
Talargerwyn was in its heyday, as a welcome change of
environment, in the years in which Salopians were still much
more rigorously confined to the Site than nowadays and
before access to television and other forms of entertainment
in the media became widely available. David loved the
countryside, taking great delight in the beauty of trees.
On the domestic scene, David hosted ‘The Little Brown Jug’,
an informal gathering which took place once a week, usually
after an evening ‘Third Lesson’, at which masters could meet,
relax and have a drink. It provided a valuable opportunity for
the exchange of ideas and – equally valuable and important –
it did much to strengthen the sense of community.
Another contribution to the School was the London Artists’
Exhibition that David established. As a great appreciator
of visual arts, David had an eye for a talented painter. He
travelled and met with artists who then went on to exhibit at
this exhibition, which was held each summer to include the
Annual Speech Day.
David had married Jacquie in 1953 and in 1969 they moved
out to Nesscliffe, where they had bought the Old School,
and there the Brown family inaugurated the Nesscliffe Art
Gallery, which brought in a steady stream of visitors and
where exhibitions, both by London Artists and by other
exhibitors, painters, potters and craftsmen, both established
and previously unknown, were regularly held, as well as
musical occasions.
In January 1977 David had a sabbatical, during which he
spent time in India. The Salopian Newsletter recorded:
“Mr. D.E. Brown and family vanished into the mystic East for
a period of six months. They are at present resident at an
ashram in Poona, exploring a different mode of life. David
was subsequently given further leave of absence and will
probably be in the East for much of 1977-1978. Latest reports
from the ashram in Poona suggest that his stay is proving
stimulating.” In the event David returned to Shrewsbury after
five terms: on his return he worked part-time for a while
but retired from the staff in December 1979. David and
Jacquie had separated in 1977 and David made his home in
Gloucester, still keeping in contact with the ashram in Poona.
During a visit to the ashram in 1989 David met his future
partner-to-be, Inge Breuss, and in 1992 he went to live
with her in her homeland of Austria, first in the Alps and
then in Vienna, where they enjoyed a healthy and active
life together until he decided, at the age of 98, to move
back to England, to spend his last days closer to his family
and in the country of his birth. His family, Caroline, Tony
and Surahbhi (formerly Jenny) live in Scotland, Northern
England and Germany, respectively.
The tribute paid recently to him by his pupil Sir Michael
Palin (R 1957-61) and the latter’s appointment as a Fellow
of the Royal Geographical Society will no doubt have given
David immense pleasure. Michael wrote: “Between the ages
of 14 and 18, I boarded at Shrewsbury School. There I met
David Brown, who taught me geography for A level. He was
wonderfully eccentric. He had a shock of dark, curly hair
and would scratch his head and gesticulate wildly. All the
maps in the geography room were German because he said
German cartographers were better than English ones. This
wasn’t long after the war and it was brave of him to order
those. It was David who suggested I study geography A level,
in one year, rather than two. I thought the pressure would
be too much, but he was right. I did it and got myself a year
ahead. He could see that I had the ability and he pushed me.
I responded to his enthusiasm and he taught me to think for
myself. He was left-wing and his views were different from
what you might expect at an English Public School.”
Later, on hearing of David’s death, Michael wrote to Caroline
as follows: “I was so sorry to hear of your father’s death.
To enjoy life into one’s 100th year is quite something. I
remember him for his independence of mind, his ability to
motivate his pupils and for setting me up for what turned
out to be a second career in geography. Indeed ‘Services
to Geography’ appeared on the citation for my knighthood
earlier this year. I’m sure David wouldn’t have approved of
knighthoods but I’m equally sure he would have been quite
proud. And I shall always be thankful to him.”
David died on 25th October 2019.
Barry Burns (O 1948-52)
Barry Burns was born on 24th December 1934 in
Blundellsands near Liverpool and he attended Terra Nova
School before entering Oldham’s in 1948. He followed his
elder brother Tony and preceded his younger brother John
into the House.
Barry would often say that he particularly valued the social
skills he learned at Shrewsbury. He made lifelong friends
there, which was a consistent feature throughout his life. On
leaving school he completed his military service in Hamburg,
Germany, and then joined the family firm, Robert Cox Watson
Todd, which imported Quebec yellow pine and was based in
Bootle, Merseyside. Given his naturally friendly nature, Barry
became the chief salesman at the firm and was responsible
for client accounts and relationships all over the UK.
A very keen sportsman, Barry matured as an athlete after
leaving Shrewsbury, where he had featured as a house team
member, rather than representing the School. Such was his
enthusiasm that he was willing to try out almost every sport
(with the possible exception of golf, where his 5 iron over
extra cover off the tee often frustrated him and his partners).
He became a fine amateur tennis player: his uncanny knack
of keeping the ball in play made him famous in the Southport
and District Leagues, where he was a stalwart at the Birkdale
Tennis Club. Not content with playing to a reasonably high
level, he gave something back by training and qualifying as
a grade one umpire. He achieved his ambition of officiating
at Wimbledon where he foot-faulted a young Italian
professional five times in his first match.
His dedication to a cause was also apparent in football. Many
Old Salopians continue to enjoy the amateur game after their
education at the Liverpool Ramblers at Moor Lane, Crosby,
and Barry was no exception. He was a fantastic organiser,

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 105
whether as fourth team captain, selector for the Burns
Bashers at the Easter Festival, as President, or as the person
the club often turned to in a crisis. His enthusiasm and fitness
allowed him to play until well into his 60s and his mantra
of ‘ball to feet’ still serves well today. Many an opponent
or team-mate would marvel how simple the game was
with Barry hugging the right touchline and playing short,
effective passes.
Many Salopians will know of Barry from his words of
encouragement from the touchline, as he was a regular at
home and away matches from the 1970s onwards and he
accompanied the First XI on a number of pre-season tours
to Europe and the USA. Tennis players might have played
against the Barry Burns VI, as the match against the school
was usually the season’s ‘curtain-raiser’.
He was immensely proud of his link between the Ramblers
and the Public Schools. The Ramblers continue to fulfil
fixtures with a number of schools where the virtues of
amateur sport and sportsmanship are highly valued. In 1978,
Barry joined the committee of the Independent Schools
Football Association, the only non-teacher ever to have been
invited to do so, and he remained until his death, 42 years
later. He became so admired and appreciated that he was
eventually made President and through that association, yet
again, he made countless friends for life.
Barry married Patricia (Trish) Ford in 1956. Together they had
three children, Jimmy, Caroline and Andrew. Andrew died at
the age of 19 from a congenital heart condition but no one
could have received better loving care and attention from
his parents. Barry died on 22nd August 2020, aged 85 years,
having lived a full life. In one of his last communications with
his family he said “keep batting”, typifying his enthusiasm
and spirit.
Jimmy Burns (O 1973-77)
Revd Alistair Conn (Chaplain 1966-73)
Alistair was born in Twickenham in 1937. He attended the
Mall School and then St Paul’s, where he was captain of both
the Boxing Club and the 2nd cricket XI. He was posted to
Wuppertal for his National Service and was commissioned
in The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). He was appointed
Education Officer, where his role was to help sergeants to
get through their basic exams. It was during his National
Service that Alistair developed his lifetime love of reading. He
read history at Downing College, Cambridge between 1957
and 1960, specialising in the medieval period of English and
European History and also in historiography. He obtained his
boxing Blue as a featherweight. He then studied at Lincoln
Theological College and was ordained in Durham Cathedral,
as a deacon in 1962 and as a priest in 1963. He was a curate
at St Paul’s in West Hartlepool in the Durham Diocese from
1962 to 1965. Alistair then spent a year at Busoga College
in Uganda as School Chaplain and Assistant Housemaster,
where he taught English, History and R.E. In the holidays he
toured Uganda and Kenya.
Alistair had secured his job at Shrewsbury School before he
went to Uganda: he had had a meeting with Donald Wright
on the pier at South Shields, before Donald caught a ferry to
Norway with his family! Donald attached great importance
to the Chaplain’s role in the School and Alistair had to
endure the ordeal of being instituted and inducted by the
Bishop in the presence of the whole school, swearing the
necessary oaths of allegiance to the Queen and canonical
obedience to the Bishop. The late 1960s and early 1970s
were very difficult years for all School Chaplains, for they
were exactly those years in which the obligatory attendance
at Chapel and obligatory membership of the C.C.F. were
the twin targets of teenage malcontents: they coincided,
too, with the first general introduction of alternative
services, breaking the pattern established as far back as
1662 (modified subsequently but not substantially altered in
1928). Alistair responded with great steadfastness and with
a flair for interpreting old truths in language and imagery
which enabled him to communicate them successfully to his
schoolboy congregation. His ministry was greatly assisted
by his willingness to take part in a wide range of school
activities. In his seven years at Shrewsbury Alistair taught
English and R.E. and helped Robin Trimby to coach the
Under-14 football and cricket teams. He met his future wife,
Bella, at Shrewsbury. They used to go to Shrewsbury Town
matches together; Alistair remained an avid Town fan and he
continued to go to football matches until his health declined.
He was an enthusiastic member of the Masters’ football XI:
his aggressive tackles prompted his colleague Mark Mortimer,
noted for his gentle, satirical wit, to observe, “When I survey
the Reverend Conn, it’s best to have my shin pads on!”
Alistair and Bella were married in the School Chapel in 1968
and in the following years their first two daughters were
born. When reflecting on his life, Alistair recalled his time at
Shrewsbury with great fondness.

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Alistair and his family then moved to Scotland, where he was
the rector at St Anne’s, Coupar Angus (in the diocese of St
Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane). He was also the Assistant
Editor of the Scottish Episcopal Church’s newspaper. Alistair
and Bella’s third daughter was born in Scotland. Despite
having three young children, Alistair still found time to watch
the local football team and to play cricket! In 1978 he became
vicar of St Peter’s, Ravenshead, in the Southwell Diocese
and served as Rural Dean of Newstead from 1990 to 1993.
He then became rector at All Saints, Collingham and St
John the Baptist, Collingham (along with three other local
churches in the Southwell Diocese) and served as Rural
Dean of Newark from 1995 to 2002. Alistair retired in 2002,
serving with permission to officiate until 2017. He had an
active retirement; he was a literacy volunteer at a local
school, he undertook several courses and he spent many
happy hours at Trent Bridge.
Alistair had lots of interests. He was an avid reader and
had thousands of books, covering a broad range of topics.
He loved listening to jazz and he had an encyclopaedic
knowledge of it; he would make corrections to sleeve notes,
concert programmes and book chapters where the author
had got something wrong! He enjoyed watching films and
was a regular cinemagoer. He loved playing and watching
sport throughout his life. He enjoyed walking with family
and friends and he completed many of the National Trails.
He loved learning
and helping others to
grow and learn.
He was described
as being ‘stimulating
company’, ‘a man of
very great integrity’,
‘a great support’
and it was said that
‘his judgements
were always sound,
humane and brave’.
As one parishioner
said, “While many
of his sermons
were beyond my intellect, I was aware of his many acts of
kindness around the village for so many people that were
unknown to most of those in his congregation”.
Alistair’s health deteriorated rapidly after Bella died in
2014. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2016. He died
peacefully on 26th March 2020, aged 82 years. He will be
remembered for his kindness, his caring and gentle nature,
his dry sense of humour and his strong sense of fairness
and social justice. He lived a deep and full life, but also
lived a life in the service of others.
Lucy Conn (daughter)
Air Commodore Derek John Crompton
(Bursar 1985-96)
Derek Crompton was born in Hereford on 28th November
1932, but his family moved to Doncaster while he was very
young and he grew up there. He was educated at Doncaster
Grammar School and Durham University, as one of that
generation who took advantage of post-war educational and
social reforms. His experience gave him a healthy respect for
the power of education and of scholars more generally. He
loved his subject, history, and continued to read widely all his
life. It was at Durham that he met Eunice, his future wife.
After graduating, he joined the RAF on National Service. He
enjoyed it so much that he ended up making a career of it,
serving for over 30 years, before retiring to become Bursar of
Shrewsbury School. There he enjoyed the twin challenges
of leading the support and maintenance staff, while
simultaneously corralling the academic staff. In spite of his
respect for academics, his family were sometimes treated
to lectures on how civilian teachers might have benefited
from a period of National Service! When he considered an
objective was important, he could be extremely singleminded
in pursuit of it. At one stage in his courtship of
Eunice, she told him that she did not want to see him
any more; undeterred, Derek turned up on the doorstep
the following Saturday. “I haven’t come to see you,” he
explained, “I’ve come to see your Dad!” Derek and Eunice
were happily married for 61 years.
Derek was a wonderful father, who took great pride and
interest in the activities and achievements of his children. He
had a great sense of fun and he was a great raconteur. He
loved company and had that rare ability to be able to talk
to anybody, whatever their background. He considered that
human relationships were the most important thing in life.
He had his passions: his garden was one, golf was another.
He played off a handicap of somewhere between 6 and
14 for some 50 years, at courses as varied as Wentworth,
Tewkesbury, Church Stretton and Ludlow. There were
countless occasions when he would go out of his way to
help people, friends, colleagues, and young people starting
out, either studying or trying to start a business. In the last
stage of his life, he greatly enjoyed the role of Grandfather.
Kids loved him because he was just like them – permanently
youthful. He greatly enjoyed a party. For him, life was
something to be lived to the full. He had a healthy respect for

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 107
institutions. Shrewsbury School was one of them. He always
believed in the great importance of taking the time to talk to
colleagues and management by walking about.
Neil Crompton (son)
Neil’s last point was certainly true of Derek’s time at
Shrewsbury. He also paid careful attention to the individual
concerns of the members of staff for whom he was
responsible. On one occasion a member of the grounds staff
had asked to talk to him about his pension. Derek’s secretary
questioned whether he had time to do that that week. “Make
time,” was his polite but firm reply.
On his retirement from the School, the following tribute was
paid to him in the School’s magazine. “It says much for his
capable management that the School was able to build a new
boarding house, The Grove, during that period, to finance
the magnificent extension to the Science Building and the
provision of superb facilities for Information Technology,
and also to pursue a policy of refurbishment of the boys’
residential accommodation in the boarding houses. Derek
had to assimilate and implement the veritable avalanche of
government and local regulations concerning employment,
health, safety and welfare which piled remorselessly on
his desk; he received with fortitude and responded with
firm discrimination to the daily demands of his academic
colleagues, each of whom was convinced that his own
particular expensive project should be accorded top priority
and required immediate execution. Derek’s military training
enabled him skilfully to survive, and when necessary,
effectively to return all this financial and administrative fire!
A visitor to Shrewsbury might walk round its immaculate
school grounds, inspect its new buildings, observe its teeming
population, appraise its varied activities and sample its many
facilities: and to do so would be to apply the acid test to any
Bursar’s administration: si monumentum requiris circumspice.
It is a test which it could both truly and appropriately be
said that Derek Crompton passed with flying colours! He is
remembered at Shrewsbury with respect and affection.”
David Gee
Derek wrote a humorous article entitled ‘How to get your
wicked way with the Bursar’ in which he offered helpful
advice, from which the following points are extracted:
“I would wear your Blues or Palatinate tie, if I were you,
failing that your Guards tie or even your RAF Regiment tie
(if you don’t possess one, borrow one)...... Do not present
the only two arguments that he ever hears, namely that
your proposal will be good for public relations or that it will
impress the parents....do not take your dog with you... don’t
say ‘I hope you managed to get away this year’. Only ask
for one thing at a time......and don’t tell him that you have
agreed it with the Headmaster. The real key to succeeding
is planning: your chances of success are in direct proportion
to the length of notice you give of your requirement. It is a
good idea, as you leave, to ask about his mother-in-law and
his cat: if you have failed in your current mission it shows
him what a reasonable chap you are and next time he will
look at you with new eyes. Oh, and finally, do not forget to
take a bottle of Scotch with you!”
Derek Crompton died on 7 November 2019, aged 86
years and is survived by his wife Eunice and children Neil
and Zoe.
Terence Crooks (M 1963-68)
Shrewsbury introduced Terry to two of his lifelong passions
– the French horn and the outdoors. Born in Birmingham
on 12th March 1950, Terry moved first to London, with his
parents, Jim and Rosamunde, before settling in the Yorkshire
village of Bramhope. He remained a proud Yorkshireman,
despite spending most of his life living outside the county.
He enjoyed his time at Shrewsbury and he always
remembered it fondly. He was already a good pianist when
he came to the School, but it was his introduction to the
French horn that would set him on a new musical journey.
When he moved on to King’s College, Cambridge, to study
Natural Sciences, he played the horn in the Second University
Orchestra. Following that, from the beginning of his career
in chemistry to the end of his life, Terry played second horn
in the Slough Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a popular and
valued member of the orchestra for over forty years, and had
a wide knowledge and love of classical music.
Another formative experience while he was at Shrewsbury
was a cadet training exercise in the Brecon Beacons. Terry
found that he was able to cope with and enjoy mountain
walking, and he pursued this new hobby with relish. Walking
trips followed across the British Isles and abroad. It was on
one such trip to the French Alps in 1976 that Terry met his
future wife, Sue. Terry and Sue enjoyed many memorable
holidays around the world and their mountain ventures
included climbing Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mount
Kinabalu in Borneo. At home he was an active member of
the Middle Thames Ramblers, and his other interests included
photography, astronomy, gardening and playing tennis.
Job opportunities being greater in the south of England
than the north, where he would like to have lived, Terry
found employment in the Research Department of Wyeth
Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company on the outskirts of
Slough. He was pleasantly surprised to find that there was
more countryside around Slough than he had imagined.
Subsequent employment was at G.D. Searle in High
Wycombe and at Roche in Welwyn Garden City, though both
ended in redundancy when their research and development
sections were closed. His last job was at Lonza Biologics,
back again in Slough, with a change of direction to quality
assurance and auditing of supply companies. Being involved
in the development of compounds that led to the successful
treatment of AIDS provided what was, perhaps, the greatest
satisfaction in his working career.
In 2018 Terry was able to attend the fiftieth anniversary
reunions both of leaving Shrewsbury School and of starting
at King’s College, Cambridge, and he enjoyed the chance
to meet up with old friends. The last few months of his life
saw a rapid decline in his health, caused by a rare form of
pulmonary fibrosis, which deprived him of his enjoyment of
walking and his ability to play the French horn. He died on
24th March 2019, aged 69 years, and he is survived by Sue,
their daughter Eleanor, son Ed and grandson Jack.

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Donald (Dick) Davidson
(Rt 1934-39)
Donald (‘Dick’) Davidson
was born in Worcester
in 1921. His father was a
Scottish General Practitioner
and his mother a French
nurse. Donald was the eldest
of four siblings; he had one
brother and two sisters.
He came to Shrewsbury, and
to Ridgemount, in 1934 and
went on to St John’s College
Cambridge, in 1939, to read medicine. This was followed
by three years at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. As a medical
student he was not permitted to serve in the Second World
War. However, immediately after completing his training he
joined the RAF in 1946. He worked in India and elsewhere
before returning to civilian life in 1948 to take up various
hospital posts around the country, including assignments in
Portsmouth and Wales.
He moved to St Peter’s Hospital as a medical registrar in
1950 and then became a GP in Dr Eric Ward’s practice in
London St, Chertsey, in 1951. The practice moved to the
‘new’ health centre in 1970 and Donald remained there
until retiring from the NHS in 1988.
While working at St Peter’s he met Rachel, who was a
physiotherapist at the hospital, and in 1952 they married.
They had three children, William, Sarah and Jane, and three
grandchildren. In 1957 Donald and Rachel bought a newbuild
house in Chertsey, and that has remained the family
home ever since.
Donald was always interested in learning and was a very
knowledgeable and intellectual gentleman. He was also
a good sportsman, boxing for his school and gaining a
football blue at Cambridge University. He was also a keen
golfer; first at Laleham and then, as a founder member, at
Foxhills in 1975.
Donald had many other interests. In the early 1960s he joined
the local Scottish Society and he was a proficient Scottish
dancer. He served in St John’s Ambulance for about 15 years
and was a strong supporter of everything they do. He also
loved to sing and he joined the Weybridge Male Voice Choir
in 1996.
He died peacefully in his sleep at home in Chertsey on 29th
August 2019, aged 98 and a half. His beloved wife, Rachel,
was by his side. Donald was an active Christian and regularly
attended Christ Church, Ottershaw, where a thanksgiving
service was held for him on 30th September 2019.
Bill Davidson
David William Mansell Davis (S 1947-51)
David Davis was born on 24th August 1933 in Whitby,
Cheshire, the only child of Elcie and Cecil Davis. He spent his
childhood in Yardley and then in Stratford-upon-Avon, where
he went to the King Edward VI Grammar School. He later
attended Prestfelde, where he was Head of School in his final
year. At Shrewsbury he became a dedicated oarsman, rowing
for Severn Hill and successively in the 3rd, 2nd and 1st VIIIs.
He was awarded his 2nd VIII colours and a trial star. He
always remembered Shrewsbury with great affection.
In January 1952 he joined the army to do his National
Service and went from the Royal Signals in Catterick to the
Intelligence Corps and finally to the RAF’s 646 Signals Unit at
Obernkirchen. With this training, an aptitude for crosswords
and statistics and a love of the English language, he was
ideally suited to work at GCHQ in Cheltenham, which he
joined in January 1955. He worked in variety of roles in
different divisions within GCHQ and had a very interesting
and fulfilling career there until his retirement in 1993.
After leaving the army, he joined the Stratford-upon-Avon
Boat Club where he was an active member for about eight
years and Captain in 1958 and 1959. He spent a lot of time
travelling between Cheltenham and Stratford for training and
to compete in regattas, winning his maidens, juniors and
seniors in various rowing and sculling events.
David met his future wife Patricia Spencer in March
1960 and they were married in July 1961. He gave up
his beloved rowing when he took on the responsibilities
of looking after a young family, but always maintained
a keen interest in the achievements of the Shrewsbury,
Stratford and National crews.
He was interested in ancient history, genealogy, and
fiendishly difficult crosswords, which he often managed to
complete. He always kept fit, despite not rowing anymore,
playing squash for many years, but he gave this up when
Pat developed rheumatoid arthritis and needed his constant
support. Despite Pat’s illness, they enjoyed many holidays
around the UK and managed trips to Europe, North America
and New Zealand. Her sudden and unexpected death in
July 1999 at the age of 59 was a terrible blow, from which
David never fully recovered. He took up squash again and
discovered the rowing machines at his local gym, always
beating his friend and training partner to 2,000 metres.
David was a kind and generous man with a keen sense
of justice. He died peacefully in Cheltenham on 13th May
2020 aged 86 years. He is survived by his daughter Susan
and son Andrew.
Andrew Davis

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 109
John de la Motte (I 1957-61)
John de la Motte was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on
18th May 1944 and died in Alsace, France on 24th March
2020, one of the early COVID-19 fatalities. He had been a
passionate internationalist all his life. Encouraged by an uncle
living nearby, John came to Shrewsbury and to Ingram’s in
Michaelmas Term 1957. His interests and activities were wideranging
and he ended up on the History Side, eventually in
the Upper VIth under Michael Hart and Laurence Le Quesne
– probably the best academic experience then available at
Shrewsbury.
John was very active in the Debating Society, eventually
becoming its Vice-President and gaining some enthusiastic
reviews for his participation in debates, speaking
knowledgeably and with vigour in support of a Conservative
government – “a rabid reactionary conservatism that kept
the House enthralled”. He also put much effort into the
Dramatic Society, taking the part of the Colonial Secretary
in The Applecart, as Rumour in Henry IV Part II and notably
in Emlyn Williams’ The Late Christopher Bean, as Rosen, a
dealer in dodgy Old Masters, which Alec Binney hailed as
“a most elegant performance”, in a role which will have
prepared John well for becoming an apprentice stockbroker
with Thomas Clarke and Co., in the City of London, which he
did on leaving school.
John stayed in stockbroking for five years, much enjoying
London life, fringing on the political world, in which his
mother was very active (she stood as a Conservative in West
Ham, unsuccessfully, of course) and he made regular visits
to Switzerland as a member of the St Moritz Tobogganing
Club (i.e. the Cresta Run), until a nasty smash at Shuttlecock
Corner resulted in a stay in St Mary’s Hospital Paddington
to get patched up. Then, in a big change, he joined IBM,
working initially in London and then transferring, after two
years, to IBM Europe, based in Paris, where he stayed until
his retirement in 2001.
France proved a happy place for John and, in what must
be the best advertisement for the then popular Club Med
holidays, he met Françoise. Their marriage in 1975 began a
long and fruitful partnership. When Françoise retired in 2005
they moved down to her home base in Alsace, which, like
Paris, was a good location in which to indulge their love of
good food and good wine.
John was a man possessed of great humour, which he would
share widely, even when health matters eventually got in the
way. This first occurred when Françoise had to have a kidney
transplant. Her recovery from that allowed them to travel
again and in 2017 John was able to fulfil a long-held ambition
to take them both to Russia. This was a return visit for John,
for he, like all the Salopians involved, had been greatly
influenced by going to Leningrad and Moscow in April and
May 1961 under the leadership of Michael Hart and David
Gee. Particularly memorable on that first occasion was the
singing of The Carmen while marching at the rear of the May
Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square.
However, this second time John returned with pneumonia,
which left him with severe breathing problems and then,
in 2018, he had a mild stroke. He recovered well from that,
regaining most of his speech, but he was a prime target
for the dreadful virus, from which he died on 24th March
2020, aged 75 years. Tragically, within a week, Françoise
became another victim. They leave two daughters, each
with successful careers. Isabelle is an Events organiser for
Disney in Paris and Caroline is a producer of radio news
programmes in Montreal, Canada.
Richard Salter (S 1957-61)
Richard Farnell
(Ch 1948-52)
Richard was born in Shipley,
Yorkshire on 27th November
1934. At the beginning of the
war, when Richard was six years
old, he and his twin brother John
went with their mother to New
Zealand for over three years. After
surviving a dangerous crossing (in
fact that very ship was tragically
torpedoed and sunk on its return
voyage to England), both boys fell into their new way of life
with gusto. Richard loved to recount how he went to school
barefoot across the sands in Takapuna. Back in the UK and
reunited with their father, there was a further addition to
the family, a brother David, who now lives in California. It
was then time for the twins to be shipped off to prep school
in Yorkshire and subsequently on to Shrewsbury and to
Churchill’s, where both brothers excelled at cricket.
National Service followed, when Richard and a close friend
both passed the War Office Selection Board. The friend went
to Mons and Richard to Eaton Hall. The joke was that whilst
Mons turned out officers, Eaton Hall turned out gentlemen,
and Richard certainly remained a gentleman until the day
he died. He won and kept the Sword of Honour and was
posted to the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, where he
was promoted to the acting rank of Captain at the end of his
second year and served alongside his friend, Lieut-General Sir
Michael Gray. In later years he retained an avid interest in all
things military and was a big fundraiser for SAAFA.
After leaving the Regiment, he joined the family business,
Farnell Electronics. He married Olivia on 8th April 1959.
Richard was made a Freeman of The City of London
and admitted into the Worshipful Company of Scientific
Instrument Makers but sadly never achieved his ambition to
drive a flock of sheep over London Bridge!
He loved to read the National Geographic Magazine; he

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was always craving adventure. Richard travelled extensively
through Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, where he had many
interesting experiences. One particular trip was very rough
and ready, when he spent most of his time in the back of
lorries and on the top of local buses!
He travelled widely to exotic places, even before David
Attenborough got there! On one three-month trip together,
Richard and his wife Olivia lived with different tribes. At
one stage they lived with the headhunting Iban tribe in
Borneo, sleeping on straw mats on the floor along with
150 Dyaks whilst lying underneath shrunken human heads.
Goats and pigs snuffled below them and they joined the
tribe to hunt with blowpipes for indescribable items for their
supper. Richard loved every moment: Olivia was able to
cope, provided that they could spend the occasional night
in an hotel! Moving from the ridiculous to the sublime,
at the end of this trip Richard managed to engineer
an introduction to the Maharajah of Jaipur and they
ended their travels in luxury, being passed on from one
Maharajah’s palace to another.
Seven years ago Richard suffered an aortic aneurism and he
became paraplegic. His proud Yorkshire spirit sustained him
through his life. He was a true hero. He is survived by his
wife Olivia and two sons and two daughters.
Olivia Farnell
Philip Hugh Gammon (S 1952-58)
Philip Gammon made a spectacular start to his sporting
career at Shrewsbury, winning the New Boys’ Race on
Top Common, by a substantial margin. From that excellent
beginning he proceeded to other achievements, of which the
best remembered was his being School Captain of Football in
1958, having also been in the 1st XI in the previous year. A
connoisseur of Salopian football remembers his forming what
is now called a “strike partnership” with the previous captain,
Brian Gourley. Philip also flourished on the cricket field as
house captain and in athletics, in the long jump, low hurdles
and sprint events. He was Head of House in Severn Hill and
a Praepostor.
From Shrewsbury he went on to St John’s College,
Cambridge, where he was Captain of Football – a
considerable achievement in a college noted for good
sportsmen – as well as gaining a degree in Natural Sciences.
Thereafter he pursued a career in industrial management,
where he was noted for his sensitivity to the human factor.
On one occasion he had to tell the works council, when he
was working in London, that he would be leaving them to
take up a new appointment in Wales. When the trade union
convenor, who was at the meeting, heard the news, he said;
“But Mr Philip, how will we manage without you?”
Philip married Mary. With their children, Rachel and Jonathan,
they moved to South Wales, where they lived happily, Philip
taking an active role in village life. Grandchildren followed
and latterly a great-grandson, Reuben, who was a special joy
to Philip. The family enjoyed life in their homes in Wales and
their French home in Fanjeaux, in south-west France.
John Gammon (S 1948-53)
Graham Garrett (Master
1964-73)
Graham Garrett was born in
Streatham in 1933, the second of
the three sons of Percy and Gladys
Garrett, and he was educated at
Alleyn’s School, where he became
Head of School, was School
organist and played an active
part in school sports. He won an
Open Scholarship to Caius College,
Cambridge to study Mathematics and subsequently taught
the subject at Manadon Naval College, Plymouth. He worked
briefly for Shell on computing oil movements, but his true
vocation was teaching and this conviction was reinforced
when he moved to Radley College to teach mathematics.
He came to Shrewsbury in 1964 to be Head of Mathematics
and to introduce the new School Mathematics Project, of
which he was a pioneer, and in the school holidays he visited
different parts of the world with the same purpose. He was
appointed Housemaster of School House in 1967 and he
laboured unceasingly to discharge this great responsibility.
Not many could sustain the hours of work which formed part
of Graham’s normal routine and not many have deployed
his remarkable administrative ability. He was admirably
supported in the domestic management of the House by
his wife, Jill. Despite the magnitude of his many tasks he
always showed remarkable resilience and cheerfulness,
ready always for football and cricket, ready always to play
the organ in Chapel.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 111
He left Shrewsbury in 1973 to become Headmaster of
Wellingborough School, a position which he occupied for
twenty years and where his personality shone. He considered
that his role as Headmaster was to create ‘a thriving and
cared-for community’. He knew all the boys and made time
for everyone, pupils, teachers, parents and former members
of the school; and he continued to teach Mathematics. He
regularly played the organ and umpired football and cricket.
He had a great love of music and he ensured that different
types of music flourished at the school. Academic standards
rose. During his headmastership, several new teaching
blocks and halls were constructed, including facilities for art
and modern languages, a new sports hall and a design and
technology centre; new playing fields were acquired and a
new Pre-School was established. Perhaps the most significant
of these developments was the admission of girls and the
development of a fully co-educational school. Graham
led school parties to India, Kashmir, Bhutan and Thailand.
The school flourished under his leadership and it has been
described by one of his housemasters as a ‘Golden Age’;
many perceived that Graham “had a commitment to the job
that put him in a class of his own”.
Graham was a committed Christian. He was a Lay Member
of the Church of England Ordination Selection Panel, Chair
of the Governors of Quainton Hall School and a member of
the Admiralty Interview Board. After retiring to Cambridge,
his activities included working with the National Youth
Orchestra, membership of the Fairhaven Singers and playing
golf. He was Chairman of the local Bird Club and of the
Neighbourhood Watch. He trained as a Cambridge Guide
and he maintained his connection with young people by
conducting careers interviews around the country.
His son, John, came to Shrewsbury and to Ridgemount in
1976, and he paid warm tribute to his father’s love of truth,
to his honesty, kindness and humour. Graham’s marriage
to Jill in 1959 inaugurated a partnership of love and family
affection which was to be the foundation of Graham’s life
and which endured for nearly sixty years. It was a tribute to
Graham’s transparent honesty and consummate negotiating
skills that a Hatton
Garden’s jeweller
allowed him to take six
different engagement
rings to Yorkshire,
for Jill to choose one!
Jill cared lovingly for
Graham throughout his
seven-year battle with
Alzheimer’s. He died on
15th September 2019
aged 85. He is survived
by his wife, Jill, his
three children, Caroline,
John and Alison, and
his eight grandchildren.
John Hall-Craggs
(Rt 1945-50)
John may have been
a quiet man but he
certainly got things
done: he was a lifelong
oarsman, practical
engineer, steam
enthusiast, visionary
entrepreneur and
tireless supporter of
his local community.
From his Shrewsbury
days onwards, notes
were made in small
pocket books; a diligent
correspondent, he kept
hundreds of copies of letters and built up a vast network of
contacts, through which he found connections and common
ground.
He came to Shrewsbury from a rowing family. His father,
R.B.T. Craggs (Dick) was a founding member of Ridgemount
and was coached by Kitchin; he went Head of the Cam, as
did John, and they both won the Boat Race for Cambridge.
Three generations of the Bretherton family coincided with
Dick, John and Wade; Raymond Owen coached John and his
son coached Wade.
John wrote, “I had most satisfaction from my time at
Shrewsbury in entering whole-heartedly into the rowing
world, and aged 16 stroked the second VIII. I lost most of
the next year due to a bad ankle sprain but I had a good
final year, and at Henley we were the second fastest school
crew. Of this Shrewsbury crew, Ian Welsh, K.A. Masser
(Bill) and John later rowed in the Boat Race crew of 1956.
All three had also been members of C.W. (Cuddy) Mitford’s
Lower Maths set. Shortly before the Boat Race he sent a
message: “Just a line to say Good Luck, or what is more to
the point Good Performance. You three just can’t let the
old Maths set down, so please remember all we said about
Power, application of Force, conservation of Energy and all
the rest of it. Have at them and show no mercy.”
The winters were cold in the late 1940s; John would talk of
the lawn being flooded at Ridgemount to provide a skating
rink, and a notice from the Headmaster read “this madness
must stop forthwith” when boys were sliding down the
frozen school bank.
“I went straight into National Service – a fairly shattering
experience but the Royal Engineers regiment was good, I
got on well with my troop and luckily I was fitter than most
people. Being with the Plant Squadron on the Medway
allowed me to row for the sappers for two years. The second
year we were close to winning the Wyfolds at Henley.” In
the sappers he learnt what was termed Man Management
‘pick up a shovel on the job with your men!’ These skills
were used at the Schools’ Regatta when a four-lane course
was needed; at home where he dug the cess pit for the
condemned cottages he had bought; and again when
constructing his own railway where tons of earth were
moved by wheelbarrow. “In the lull between the army and
Cambridge, I had to pass Littlego (a Latin exam required by
the university). I stayed with a cousin at Maidenhead and
joined the rowing club, winning through to the quarterfinals
of the Thames Cup.” This despite John sleeping on
the balcony of the boat club following ejection from his
cousin’s house.
When he joined Lady Margaret Boat Club at St John’s
College, Cambridge they were on a winning streak and he
rowed with enthusiasm. He was a lifelong supporter of the
club and welcomed the advent of women’s rowing in
the college.

112
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
He had told the Cambridge Appointments Board he wanted
to work for an engineering company near a river, so he was
employed by Plenty & Son, Newbury and continued to row.
In 1957 he rowed in a Leander IV ‘against the Russians’ at
Henley, and in an ‘Old Man’s IV’ at Henley in 1961. This
provided the Regatta organisers with a timetable challenge,
as three of the crew were also coaching school or college
boats. In 1959 he was invited to coach at Pangbourne
College, then known as the Nautical College Pangbourne,
which he did for 11 years. Thrillingly one of his crews came
through to win the Princess Elizabeth Cup in 1963. John
commented, “The boys were very responsive and though
rough, they always rowed very hard. Each year there would
be a boy of whom the College despaired, whose success in
the boat helped his school work.”
John would follow his Henley crews on a bicycle. On
a particularly crowded path, having virtually rammed a
stubborn bystander who refused to move, John dismounted
and ran on after his crew. The boys reported the bike was
hurled into the river. John’s Alsatian would accompany him
on the towpath, sometimes judiciously nipping the ankles of
other cyclists.
In the early 1960s John belonged to the Kitchin Society, a
dining club for schools’ 1st VIII coaches. Amongst them
was Ronnie Howard, coach of Radley. The Society was
dismayed at the dwindling state of rowing at Leander. Being
on the Committee, John was in a position to invite Harold
Rickett, the Leander President, to a Kitchin Society meeting.
Thus was formed the Leander Cadet Scheme, for whose
creation John had worked tirelessly. The Kitchin Society
was also heavily involved with the Schools’ Regatta on the
Pangbourne reach. At first they boated from the College
hard and later moved to the Childe Beale Trust. In 1964 the
now National Schools became 4-lane, and John’s work on
the course was acknowledged. “My lasting impression is of
a happy, friendly occasion. The site was delightful although
the original facilities were very basic, there was a great
feeling of goodwill,” he said.
“John’s brain fizzed with rowing history and he often held
court in the rowing section of Way’s Bookshop in Henley,”
according to Diana Cook of the bookshop. He co-wrote
volumes ll, lll, and lV of the History of Lady Margaret Boat
Club, and wrote a pamphlet on ‘Lady Margaret and the
Origins of the First Boat Race’. He collected shelves of
rowing books, maintained records and kept memorabilia of
family rowing achievements.
Much of his working life was spent in Newbury. Plenty’s was
a private engineering company with a team of Cambridge
engineers, and John joined them at an exciting time. He was
charged with setting up the apprentice scheme, which suited
his gift for supporting young people. At the Christmas party
the lads competed for how many times they could get John
to take his notebook out during the evening. John says, “The
job was very creative and it was left to me to make my own
role, taking Plenty’s out of the steam age. We developed
new product lines of filters, mixers and plant, expanding
their exports. Brazil was their first overseas base, then South
Africa, Spain, the Middle East, Singapore, Germany, Australia
and India. These operational bases proved crucial to the
winning of contracts. Plenty’s pumps went to the North Sea,
with separators on the early gas platforms. From nothing
Plenty’s created a new market for its products.”
New pipeline filtration was launched for the Gas Boards
in 1957, and for ten years Plenty’s held a highly profitable
monopoly position. They had learnt to concentrate on
one field and become world experts rather than general
engineers. At the time of the three-day week in 1974, the
foundry of Plenty’s needed power continuously. John
volunteered his 36” Dennis mower as a substitute. He had
bought two Dennis mowers at the house sale of Stargroves.
The secluded mansion was bought by Mick Jagger and used
as a recording studio by the Rolling Stones and also by Rod
Stewart.
John left Plenty’s in 1980. He went on to found Oakland
Capital Management, Abacus Development Capital and set
up Wind Harvest with Zond U.S. He was Chairman of the
southern region of Understanding British Industry, Chairman
of Newbury College and a member of the CBI. He served as
a JP and in his local village he was a proactive Chairman of
the Parish Council, leading the fight to keep open the village
school, which now has over 100 pupils, and stewarding two
low-cost housing developments.
John was very interested in railways, with a 9½” gauge
light railway he built in the garden. He ran the railway in a
generous manner, welcoming the different talents of visitors
from track laying, signalling or driving his steam engines. It
was all fun, and for 30 years with a loyal team he ran the
railway for the village fête, latterly giving as many as 2,000
rides during the afternoon. He had installed an “0” gauge
track in the roof at Brightwalton and amassed an extensive
collection of books, papers and magazines on the history of
miniature railways.
He died at home on 30th March 2020, in a room he had
helped to build, and leaves his widow Olivia and children
Wade, Rosey and Clare and five grandchildren.
Olivia Hall-Craggs
Christopher James Munro
Hartley (SH 1955-60)
Christopher, the son of Ronald
and Suzanne Hartley, was born
on 14th July 1942 and spent
his early years in Oxford. He
came to Shrewsbury from the
Dragon School. After leaving
school he was commissioned
into the 13th/18th Hussars.
When reporting for his initial
interview with the Colonel
of the Regiment (designed to
check his suitability for the
Officers’ Mess), Christopher arrived with three Salopian
friends who helped him put paid to the Colonel’s
decanter of single malt! The test duly passed, Christopher
served for five years. He subsequently began a career in
stockbroking in the City, working for a number of firms
(including Carr Sebag and BZW). Before finally retiring,
after some eventful years in broking, Christopher divided
his time between London and Bodmin in Cornwall, where
he and his second wife Catherine had acquired a small
estate (which features in the Domesday Book). The barn
and four cottages there became the basis of a successful
holiday rental business which Catherine ran, leaving
Christopher free to pursue his love of gardening and other
functions of a country squire.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 113
Christopher was always a self-assured man, with an
enthusiastic and flamboyant approach to life. He was
a snappy dresser. He had strong opinions, which were
vigorously expressed, and he possessed a single-minded
sense of humour. Unsurprisingly, he was a slight thorn in
the side of the establishment, while he was at school. He
rowed for Doctor’s under the watchful eye of P.H. Blyth,
often up against the auld enemy Headroom, which were
coached by the legendary Hope-Simpson (“Juggins”).
Rowing for the School, he progressed to the First VIII
under Peter Gladstone who, while regarding him as a bit
of a loose cannon, recognised his considerable ability. He
rowed bow in the First VIII in 1959, and again in 1960,
when it won the Princess Elizabeth Cup in record time.
Christopher was very good at sculling, which, like
cross-country running, requires considerable guts and
dedication, and he was one of the few allowed to use
one of the two new sculling boats, built by the boatman
Gerry Sturges. He won the Victoria Sculls in 1959 and
came second in the Chester Head of the River Sculling
Competition in the same year. Sadly he abandoned sculling
when he left school.
Christopher died on 24th May 2018, aged 75. He was
dogged by ill-health over recent years and fought a long
and brave battle with prostate cancer, to which he finally
succumbed. He is survived by his wife Catherine, by their
two daughters, Melissa and Victoria, and by Lucinda, his
daughter from his marriage to his first wife, Lisa.
Patrick Balfour (SH 1955-60)
George Dominic (‘Nick’) Hayter (R 1944-49)
Nick Hayter was born on 30th December 1930. He lived
a fortunate life, though, like any other, it had its ups and
downs. His father died of TB when he was young, so
he was raised by his mother Gaye and by his step-father
Tommy Twidell. During the war, Tommy was appointed
Headmaster of Highgate School, where they resided with
around 50 other boys, whose families were essential to
the war effort and were unable to be moved to the safety
of the countryside. Nick tells two memorable stories from
this time. During the Blitz, he would climb to the top of
the tallest building and watch the German bombers and
the searchlights and anti-aircraft defences over London,
which was obviously a very vivid spectacle and aided
by Highgate’s elevation. Once, when all the boys and
staff were on the playing fields, a V1 ‘buzz bomb’ was
heard overhead and then the engine cut out. Everyone
lay on the grass and hoped for the best. The bomb
landed right in the middle of the cricket pitch but did
not explode. If it had, Nick’s life-story would have
ended right then and there!
From Highgate, Nick came on to Shrewsbury and to Rigg’s.
As a young boy he remembered having to break the ice
of the bath that had been filled the evening before. The
water was cold but clean. The same water was used by
progressively older boys until the most senior boy was last.
He got the warmest water but also the dirtiest! One winter
the boys used tea trays from the dining hall as toboggans
to slide down the banks of the River Severn. One boy was
given a proper toboggan sleigh and he flew down the
bank much faster and further. Sadly he travelled right onto
the ice, which broke and the story goes that he was never
seen again! Nick’s most endearing memory of Shrewsbury
was that of his beloved Housemaster, Jimmy Street. He
took Nick under his wing in lieu of his late father and Nick
adored him. He certainly received more love from Jimmy
Street than from his own family and he recounted this to
us throughout his life.
After leaving Shrewsbury, Nick commenced medical
training at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. It took him
nearly nine years to graduate, as he regularly travelled to
the Continent each winter to indulge his passion for snow
skiing, which meant missing exams!
Nick was a highly competent all-round sportsman. As a
cricketer, he scored a century against the MCC at Lord’s; as
a golfer, he played off a handicap of 4. He also played a
few games of football for Queens Park Rangers second XI,
until a serious knee injury put an end to his running.
Nick met the love of his life, Jane, in 1955 and they
were married in 1957. Jane was a talented golfer, who
represented England at the age of just 16. They remained
happily married until Jane’s death in 2004. Soon after
their marriage, four children arrived in quick succession
– David, Joanna, Philip and Mark. In 1966, the family
decided to emigrate to Perth, Western Australia. This
initiative was a great success, and Nick and Jane never
regretted their decision.
Nick began work in General Practice upon his arrival
and he subsequently spent three years working for the
Commonwealth Medical Service. He then made the bold
decision to commence practice in the CBD (Central
Business District) of Perth. At the time, he was the first to
do so. Now there are more than 30 doctors there, but he
was the first.
Nick was a member of Royal Perth Golf Club for 50 years
and was a Life Member of the South Perth Bridge Club;
he spent much of his time engaged in these two passions.
Other passions included classical music and, later in life,
cruising. He was an accomplished cook and he adored
his food, particularly French cuisine. He and Jane hosted
many grand dinner parties, where they produced meals
worthy of any Michelin starred restaurant.
Nick always kept Shrewsbury close to his heart and he
remained a proud ‘Old Salopian’ throughout his life. He
died on 22nd July 2019, aged 88 years.
David Hayter (eldest son)

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SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
William Francis Hobson (O 1939-43)
Bill Hobson was born on 21st July 1925 and bred in
Cumberland and proud of it. He was the only son of Francis
Mary and William Anthony Hobson. His father died when
Bill was two and he lived with his mother and his paternal
grandfather at Wood Hall, Cockermouth until 1939. At the age
of seven he went to Lime House School in Wetheral, Carlisle,
before completing his education at Shrewsbury, where he
loved the cricket, rowing and shooting, during his time there
in the war years.
Bill served his Army years as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal
Artillery, with whom he went to India. After returning to
Cockermouth in 1948, Bill settled at Hillside, Lamplugh Road,
and secured a job in the Civil Service at Sellafield (then
Windscales) until 1985.
Through the 1970s and early 80s Bill was first treasurer and
then chairman of the Cockermouth Anglers’ Association,
responsible for numerous purchases of fishing rights along
stretches of the Derwent and Cocker, in order to provide
quality fishing for local people, as well as establishing Cogra
Moss as a rainbow trout fishery, in 1975. Voluntary work
on various committees for the River Authority and North
West Water resulted in an invitation to a Buckingham Palace
Garden party. In 1976 Bill had a short spell as a media
pundit, with an appearance on Look North, to comment on
the severe drought that had afflicted the country.
Having moved to Papcastle in retirement, Bill joined the
parish council and spent many happy hours walking
through his beloved fells with his dog by his side. He was an
archetypal ‘Old School’ Englishman, typical of his generation.
Truly a local man, the River Derwent had coursed through
his veins since childhood and he had never lived in a home
without a view of Skiddaw or Grasmoor.
Bill died on 16th March 2019, aged 93, and he is survived by
Lore, his wife of 65 years, together with their children, Nadine
and Miles, and grandchildren, Ben, Lauren, Raffe and Joss.
The warmth and friendship shown to him by local people
should never be underestimated nor forgotten.
James Hope Simpson (Ch 1942-47)
Jim was born in 1928, in St Alban’s, Hertfordshire, the son of
a GP and the eldest of three brothers. With the outbreak of
war, the boys were evacuated and Jim spent some time at a
school in Herefordshire before coming to Shrewsbury where
his uncle Russell was a master. He became a Praepostor and
he rowed in the 1st VIII of 1947. During National Service he
became a Warrant Officer in the R.A.E.C. He went on to read
Classics at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he combined
his academic studies with rowing. He rowed for his college in
the Ladies’ Plate at Henley in three successive years, 1950-52
and he also rowed in the Wyfold Challenge Cup in 1952.
On leaving Queens’ he embarked on a long teaching career.
After three years at King’s School Canterbury, he taught at
Bedford School, where he also continued to coach rowing.
Former pupils, who worked with him when he was editor of
the school magazine, remember him as an unconventional
teacher, one of the few who encouraged them to look
outside their narrow school environment and think about
wider issues.
From 1970 until his early retirement in 1989, he taught at a
large comprehensive school in Essex, where he became a
deputy head teacher, with senior pastoral responsibilities. At
this time he also sang regularly with the London Symphony
Chorus. In his retirement he settled in Prestbury, near
Cheltenham, and continued to sing with a local choir for
many years. He remained strong and active until the last few
weeks of his life, taming his garden, reading widely, and
following the twists and turns of politics with keen interest.
He was a passionate supporter of the NHS, and he also
campaigned successfully to save the local bus service from
closure.
For his nephews and nieces he was the cornerstone of the
family, and he followed their lives and careers with great
interest, always looking forward to their visits. They, like
all those who knew him, recall his kindness, his inherent
decency and, above all, his thoroughly mischievous sense
of humour. He died on 28th July 2019, aged 90, after a
short illness.
David Evan Peter Hughes (Master 1956-79)
Popular phrases such as ‘living life to the full’ or ‘making the
most of life’ may be clichés but they also sum up the life of
Peter Hughes who recently died just after his 88th birthday.
He was also an accomplished chemistry teacher, who had
a very full and successful career, holding both Head of
Science and Headmaster positions in some of England’s top
private schools. The tributes from his friends and colleagues
show that he was also entertaining and well-liked; and his
published chemistry school text books, his work for The
Cambridge Examination Board and his scientific journal
articles, co-authored with his pupils, all attest to his intellect
and ability to communicate science.
Peter was born in 1932, in London, to a teetotal father, who
also had an illustrious career, but in the Civil Service, and
Peter accompanied his father to Buckingham Palace when
he was honoured with an OBE. Peter won a scholarship to
St Paul’s Boys’ School, London and from there was awarded
a scholarship to study chemistry at St John’s College, Oxford.
It was there that he met his future wife, Iris Jenkins, and
according to one friend proposed to her at a May Ball he had
jointly organised at Trinity College for that very purpose.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 115
As well as studying chemistry, he was a serious and
committed Anglican. At university and throughout his
career he was keen to reconcile science and religion and
he later gave many talks and speeches to both academics
and congregations on this topic. He emphasised the beauty
and precision of factual science, but added that the moral
and spiritual guidance of Christianity is also essential to any
philosophy of knowledge.
After graduating from Oxford, National Service and marriage
to Iris, he took up a teaching post at Shrewsbury, where he
remained for 23 years and had a family of three children:
Gwyneth, Rosamund and Edmund. He was well-loved by
colleagues and his drinks parties were legendary, lively and
fun, but never lacking in decorum. He and Iris would offer
Sunday lunch to anyone who did not have a meal organised.
One colleague said of him: “Your father was a good man, a
clever man, a funny man, a big-hearted man and ever kind
and humane”.
As Head of Science at Shrewsbury, and then Second
Master, he designed and built new laboratories, which were
much admired. This was an activity he was to repeat with
enthusiasm. He also appreciated music and the arts at the
School and helped with sporting activities, bridge club and
hill walking and there were few new opportunities and
interests that he did not embrace. He even found time to
become an expert gardener which he applied well in his
retirement in Shrewsbury.
The valedictory article in The Salopian paid him the
following tribute: “It is mainly due to Peter Hughes that
Science at Shrewsbury has expanded and flourished in such
a remarkable way in these last fifteen years. A meticulous
and articulate teacher, he has also showed his qualities as
an organiser and has that creative imagination which has
translated the modern theories of science teaching into the
practical channels of the form room and laboratory. Certainly
we owe it largely to Peter that amongst the many projects
which Donald Wright activated and propelled to successful
conclusion, the largest has been the creation of a Science
Building which few schools in the country can parallel.
But it would be wrong to think of Peter as being limited to
science, for few scientists have so broad a view of life and
few members of staff have been better informed or have
covered so wide a ground in their reading. And none have
entered more fully into school life. He has been a regular
member of the Concert Choir (as befits a Welshman), he
took an important part in the old style CCF, he has been seen
to disport himself in true Kingsland Rambler style on the
cricket field; and above all, his Christian witness has been
clear to see, both in Chapel and St Chad’s, of which latter
congregation also he and Iris have been regular members.
Since 1972 Peter has been Second Master, with responsibility
for the curriculum and timetable and indeed for much of
the school administration. Here again his flexible mind has
been of great service in the never-ending consideration of the
patterns of teaching and the varying demands of the various
Faculty Heads, of which some sort of synthesis has to be
made every school year.” It is worth mentioning, too, that
Peter was asked to accompany Eric Anderson on a visit to
Iran, to advise on the provision of an independent boarding
school in that country, a project which was abandoned when
the Shah was overthrown in a coup some months later.
Peter was an ambitious man too, and second in command
was not quite enough, and so he took up a post as Head of
St Peter’s School, York, where he organised the building of
another science block, this time opened by Prince Charles.
But a long-term position at the helm was not for him,
and he moved back to the chemistry teaching he loved at
Westminster School. Once more he applied his talents to
overseeing the development of new science laboratories,
this time opened by Her Majesty the Queen. It was this later
career move that gave him the most enjoyment. The people
he and Iris met, and other teachers he mentored, became
very close friends and some of them were Bridge partners
who travelled abroad together. He continued playing Bridge
as long as his health allowed him to travel, even after retiring
back to Shrewsbury aged 79. He was determined to squeeze
every drop out of life and his hobbies.
His wife Iris was a lover of history and interested in classical
civilization and Peter shared her passion in the many
holidays they enjoyed abroad; and they visited countries
and historic sites which are now inaccessible, such as in
Yemen and Libya. Peter’s spirit of adventure extended to
some tough mountain and hill climbing in both Wales and
Scotland. Being somewhat reckless and overconfident in his
enthusiasm to explore new terrain, he would stride out on
his own. Sometimes mountain conditions were dangerous
and his friends waited with some concern for him, (for he
was usually the oldest member of the party), to find his
way down the mountain to the rendezvous. He always got
there unaided with no concerns and he kept on walking for
pleasure into his eighties even as his health deteriorated.
Iris and Peter held double celebrations for both Golden and
Diamond Wedding Anniversaries – one in Shrewsbury and
one in London – to cater for all relatives, colleagues and
friends. These were joyous occasions and he gave his guests
personal and entertaining speeches in which everyone got a
mention. His friends and family remember the occasions with
fondness and another Royal endorsement – a letter from Her
Majesty the Queen congratulating them on their Diamond
Anniversary – is a tribute to their long and happy marriage.
Peter cared for Iris as long as he could when she developed
dementia and she felt secure and happy in his presence.
Sadly their daughter Rosamund is no longer with us, but
he is survived by his wife Iris, daughter Gwyneth and son
Edmund. As a father, husband and friend he is much missed.
Gwyneth and Edmund Hughes

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SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
John Lear (DB
1949-52)
Peter John Lear,
known to all as John,
was born on 6th
August 1935. He grew
up in Shrewsbury
and arrived at
The Schools from
Kingsland Grange in
1949. Although only
a prelude to what
was to become an
extraordinary life,
Shrewsbury School
was a defining period
for the young boy,
instilling in him true Salopian values that served him well
throughout his life. John was a natural sportsman, who won
prizes and represented the School in boxing, football, cricket
and gymnastics. The love of physical activity and competition,
nurtured by the School, was to become something that would
determine his professional life and lead to one of the most
celebrated Olympic careers in British history. Blessed with
an almost photographic memory, John delighted in recalling
his time at the School, enthralling all with tales of wicked
praepostors, canings and chasing after High School girls.
John was lucky enough to be taught by several legendary
Shrewsbury teachers, including Frank McEachran, whose
‘Spells’ are still current in Salopian life today. John left
Shrewsbury with a love of architecture, mystical stories and
jazz, the last of these enthusiasms developing after liberating
a WW2 long wave radio from the CCF and tuning into the
banned American Jazz radio stations via an aerial atop one of
the boarding houses.
After school and National Service, John studied Physical
Education at Cardiff. His continued passion for gymnastics
led him to the weights room, where he discovered a natural
aptitude for strength sports and Olympic Weightlifting. After
becoming British Champion in the sport and representing
England at several international competitions, John began
coaching junior lifters. His considerable coaching talent did
not go unnoticed and a number of international coaching
positions quickly ensued, including National Coach to both
Iran and South Korea. In 1972 John accepted the position of
National Coach of Olympic Weightlifting for Great Britain.
In an unprecedented career spanning five decades, John
represented Great Britain as National Coach in nine Olympic
Games and ten Commonwealth Games, a feat unmatched by
any coach in any sport.
John coached innumerable Olympic, World and
Commonwealth champions during his career and was a
key member of the British Olympic Committee for over
twenty years. He was instrumental in the development of
Great Britain’s Olympic success in multiple disciplines and
contributed hugely to the development of our Olympic
campaigns and strategies. His exceptional strength coaching
skills remained in demand across countless sports to the
very end of his career, assisting everyone from the English
rugby team to the National Ballet! He developed strong
links with British Rowing and was personally responsible
for the strength development of the Pinsent and Redgrave
Fours, which went on to huge Olympic success, as well
as numerous Gold Medal winning women’s crews. Due to
his long-time support of national rowing, John was invited
to become a full member of Leander Club and Stewards,
an honour which he enjoyed immensely, always spending
the entirety of Henley Regatta in either full Olympic or
Salopian regalia.
His ideas and concepts still influence opinion: Lord Seb Coe
was recently quoted in The Times, referencing ‘Lear’s Law’,
with regard to sports investment. A prolific writer on the
subject of strength development, John was the author of
over 20 books, many of which are still in use today. In
the outpouring of international tributes since his passing,
he was described as one of the greatest unsung heroes of
British sport.
John visited every corner of the world during his life and he
always had a tale of far-flung adventure to tell. Yet, despite
his travels, he always thought of Shrewsbury as home
and was often seen driving around in one of his beautiful
Cadillacs or other American cars, naturally with jazz on the
stereo.
John was a fascinating character, raconteur and true polymath
who would captivate a room wherever he went. He was a
wonderful friend, father and grandfather and a truly dedicated
Old Salopian, never missing a reunion, Speech Day or Carol
Concert. He was a generous donor to the School and its great
champion wherever he went. He passed away on 22nd June
2020, aged 84 years, and was buried in his home county of
Shropshire, wearing his Old Salopian tie and matching socks.
Michael Rickard (Rb 1997-2002)
John Lingford-Hughes (Ch 1940-45)
John Lingford-Hughes, or John L Hughes as he was known at
school, was born in Leeds in 1927. John came to Shrewsbury,
and to Churchill’s, having been at Brockhurst in Church
Stretton, following his elder brother David. Many of John’s
activities and achievements at Shrewsbury are described
in a letter in 1946 from J.F. Wolfenden, Headmaster, to the
President of Trinity College, supporting John’s application to
Oxford. It said that he was a promising violinist, a talented
musician and leader of the School Orchestra, that he had
been awarded the Senior Orchestra Instrument Prize in 1945,
and that he had “read a lengthy and learned paper on ‘The
Music of Ancient Greece’, which those who were capable
of understanding it rated very highly”. John also coxed the
2nd VIII and won his School shooting colours. John was
responsible for the Farming activities of his House – it was
during the war after all – though he did not remember having
to do too much. He used to tell his daughters about the time
he saw a German plane out of a window during a class in
School House. He was also editor of The Wollopian in 1945.
After John left school, and before he went up to Oxford, he
completed two years’ National Service in the RAF. In early
1946, he was chosen to join an inter-services course to learn
Russian, which he did at Cambridge. whilst billeted at Stowcum-Quy.
As John was ‘authorised to wear civilian clothes’
in the RAF, he was amused that he had to borrow someone’s
uniform before he was allowed formally to ‘de-mob’ .Whilst
he did not talk much about what he did during those years,
other than ‘decoding’, some of his contemporaries went on to
become senior individuals at GCHQ.
Following his National Service, John read English Language
and Literature at Trinity College, Oxford. After Oxford he

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 117
studied law in Guildford, following in his father’s footsteps
(J.I. Hughes, Professor of Law at Leeds University). John
completed his articles in Aberystwyth and qualified as a
solicitor in 1955.
John was keen to live on the Welsh borders, so that he could
engage in country pursuits, particularly fishing, shooting and
beagling. He came to Shrewsbury as a solicitor and brought
‘Lingford’ into his surname. He met Sylvia Garside while
playing tennis at the Shrewsbury club on Town Walls and
they were married in 1959. They lived off Town Walls and
had two daughters, Anne and Helen. John became Secretary
of the Shropshire Beagles. Fishing was important to John and
he fished in many countries with his wife, including New
Zealand, Costa Rica and Zimbabwe and he regularly visited
Eire and Scotland. John was a meticulous fisherman, often
seeing what his catch (typically trout from rivers and lakes
on the Shropshire-Welsh border) had eaten before tying the
same flies for his next fishing trip. He had a couple of articles
published in The Field, including one about ‘Vegetarian
Trout’. After his retirement, John and Sylvia travelled widely,
allowing him to indulge his love of photography. Many of his
pictures were turned into Christmas cards or framed on the
walls of their home.
John never lost his interest in ancient history. Whilst in his
last year at school he wrote a paper about ‘Ancient Ships’ in
the Aegean, including the trireme. In the 1980s he became a
supporter of the Trireme Trust, whose Chair, John Morrison,
was at the same Cambridge college as his elder daughter,
Anne. Much to his delight, John and his wife flew out to
witness the successful sea trials at Poros in 1990.
Shrewsbury School remained an important part of John’s
and his family’s life. Many masters and their families became
close friends. The family lived
on Canonbury for several years
and hosted Sixth Formers sitting
Oxbridge exams. In 1970 the
family moved to Yeaton House,
just north of Shrewsbury, where
they hosted many celebrations,
tennis matches and parties.
Yeaton House provided John
with the country life he wanted
for him and his family and a
break from ‘the office’. John and
Sylvia only recently moved back
into Shrewsbury, to Stiperstones
Court, in Abbey Foregate, very
close to where they started their
married life off Town Walls.
John was immensely proud of
his daughters. In 1979 Anne
joined Shrewsbury School for
‘seventh term’ and succeeded
in gaining a place at Oxford. John commented that he had
never expected his daughter to follow in his footsteps to a
boys’ school! He also taught Anne to row on the Severn in
a boat borrowed from Gerry Sturges, so that she could be
the third generation to row at Oxford. John himself was
Secretary of Sabrina Club for many years. Helen acquired
his skills in sport, languages and music – they often played
the violin together. Many of John’s accomplishments are
to be found in his grandchildren, Georgina being gifted in
languages and Finn and Lily in sport. John died on 13th
June 2020, aged 93 years.
Sylvia, Anne and Helen Lingford-Hughes
Mrs Jean Massey
(Matron, Moser’s Hall
1992-2000)
Jean did an excellent job
in looking after the boys’
needs, both physically and
emotionally. It was a great
tribute to her that quite a
few of her charges stayed
in touch with her after they
had left the School. Jean was
born in Boston, Lincolnshire,
in 1939 and married John
Massey in 1959. She was a Services wife, following John
round the country to his various postings in the RAF for 26
years and finally moving to Shrewsbury, where John joined
the Support Staff at the School. As their two children, Andy
and Kathy, grew up, Jean also became involved in school life,
acting as stand-in for matrons in other houses. She became
a full-time Matron in Moser’s under Robin and Irene Field in
1992, spending eight happy years in the House. In retirement
she particularly enjoyed looking after her large extended
family of five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Her funeral service took place at Shrewsbury Crematorium on
1st August 2019.
Robin Field, Housemaster (M 1991-2002)
Michael Merifield (SH 1947-52)
Michael Merifield, with his identical twin brother Anthony,
entered School House in the Michaelmas Term of 1947, with
Derbyshire County Council bursaries. At the time their
father was Head of a pioneering Special School in
Chesterfield. Their first Shrewsbury Headmaster was
John Wolfenden, who, some 30 years later, recalled the
circumstances of their arrival, when he was greeted by Anthony
Merifield at a Dulwich College Speech Day, where Michael’s son
Mark was boarding while his parents were in Ottawa.
In his fifth year at Shrewsbury, Michael became Head of
House, having to deal sensitively when the Housemaster,
Tom Taylor, died unexpectedly in the Lent Term, leaving
Mary Taylor to keep the domestic side of the House running.
In 1951-52 he also captained Doctor’s at cricket and became
Huntsman. After two years’ National Service, latterly with
the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment in Munster, he went up to
Trinity College Oxford for three years to read history, before
moving to Magdalene College Cambridge for a year’s Colonial
Office Course. The Colonial Office posted him to Northern
Rhodesia, where Michael served as a District Officer in two

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SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Districts in Barotseland, a Protectorate in Northern Rhodesia
on the Zambezi, and then as District Commissioner at Feira
on the Mozambique border. After Feira, he became Private
Secretary to Northern Rhodesia’s last Governor and, after
Independence, Comptroller in State House to Kenneth
Kaunda, the first President of Zambia.
On return to England in late 1965, he joined the Ministry of
Defence and his work included postings to Lagos, Belfast and
Ottawa. Having married Sue in 1968, he was accompanied
on the overseas postings by his wife and young children (a
son and two daughters). Since his retirement in 1994, Michael
has contributed actively and consistently to several local
activities, being Church Warden at St Barnabas, the Parish
Church of Dulwich, a long-standing convenor of the Dulwich
Scottish Reeling Society, and an active worker for Dulwich
Helpline (now LinkAge Southwark.) He was also a leader of
a church house group, following a practice to which he was
introduced by Michael Tupper.
He enjoyed visits overseas and with his wife Sue travelled
with friends the length of
the Silk Route from China to
Iran, to Machu Picchu and
Mali (including Timbuktu)
and more recently on several
European river cruises.
He was sailing on one of
these cruises, from Odessa to
Kiev, with his wife, and with
Anthony and Pam Merifield,
when he had a serious
stroke, with complications
from which he died in Kiev
in October 2019 aged 85. At
his Memorial Service in Dulwich many tributes were paid
to Michael as a true gentleman, and his warmth, active
compassion and commitment at both work and play. He
is survived by his wife Sue, his children Mark, Ruth and
Alison, and his twin, Anthony.
Brian Steven Nicholson
(DB 1947-50)
Brian Nicholson, the younger son
of Frank and Edith Nicholson,
was born in Shrewsbury on
23rd September 1933. After
attending Prestfelde School he
joined his brother Percy Kenneth
Nicholson in Day Boys. On
leaving Shrewsbury he followed
his brother Ken as an apprentice
Post Office Engineer. Brian spent his National Service in the
Royal Corps of Signals, was posted to Egypt and returned to
the area during the Suez Crisis. On his return to the UK he
continued to work for the GPO but decided on a change of
career and trained as a lecturer in telecommunications. This
was followed by a move to Nottingham and subsequently
by a further move to Birmingham as a Senior Lecturer.
He finally became the Chief Examiner in the principles of
telecommunications for the City and Guilds.
Brian married Margaret Stone on 26th September 1959 and
they had two daughters, Jane and Catherine. In his leisure
time Brian enjoyed travelling, which included several visits
to North America. He had a lifelong interest in cricket, still
playing for his local team in his fifties. Brian and Margaret
retired to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where Brian continued to
follow cricket and enjoyed his garden. He also took up golf,
marine navigation and bowling. Among many other interests,
Brian had a passion for reading wartime memoirs, bird
watching and computing.
Brian died, after a short illness, on 15th October 2019, aged
86 years, but he had had the happiness of celebrating 60
years of marriage a month earlier. He is survived by his wife,
their two daughters and by their grandchildren Steven, David,
Andrew, Sarah and Benjamin.
Jane Lyde (daughter)
Jonathan George
Pearson
(SH 1952-56)
Jonathan Pearson was
born on 19th May
1938. His family have
a long association
with the School – his
father, two uncles
and his brother all
being educated at
Shrewsbury. Jonathan
coxed the 1st VIII
in 1954 and 1955
and in the latter year
the crew won the Princess Elizabeth Cup at the Henley
Royal Regatta. After Shrewsbury, Jonathan studied at the
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester and later qualified
as a Land Agent. He spent the rest of his working life in
Land and Estate Management, firstly as sub-agent to the
Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle and Haddon Hall. In
1968, at the age of 30, he was appointed Agent to the
Marquess of Northampton at Castle Ashby, for whom he
worked until his retirement. He continued to live on the
estate until his death.
Jonathan had a great love of trees and in the late 1960s he
set off to the Sahara with two friends in an Austin Gipsy,
with the idea of planting trees to halt the spread of the
desert. He never went back, so it is not known whether
any of the trees survived!
In 2002/2003 Jonathan served as High Sheriff of
Northamptonshire. He was a great supporter of several
local charities.
Jonathan died on 10th December 2019 and he is survived
by his wife Anne, two daughters, two stepsons and four
grandchildren.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 119
George Colin Rowe
(DB 1938-42)
Colin Rowe was born
on 24th November 1924,
the son of Charles Eric
and Dorothy Rowe. His
family lived near Muswell
Hill in London and Colin
first attended Northfield
School in Watford and then
joined Kingsland Grange
Preparatory School when
they moved to Shrewsbury
in 1933 and his father
became Private Secretary to
Major H.H. Hardy, the Headmaster. Colin joined the School,
as a Day Boy, in the Michaelmas Term of 1938 and joined
the Officer Training Corps, being a member of the group that
won the Platoon Competition in summer 1942. He enlisted
in 1943, joining the Royal Artillery, where he attained the
rank of Captain. He served in the Far East – in India, Malaya,
Hong Kong and Singapore. After the war, Colin became a
Chartered Accountant and worked in industry, successively
for Ind Coope and Allsop Ltd, (now Allied Breweries plc),
Harvey and Sons Ltd, (Barrow Hepburn and Gale Holdings
Ltd), British Tanners Ltd, (all tanneries/shoe components)
and Hollis Bros. & ESA Ltd, (timber importers). In 1983 the
last of these was taken over by Robert Maxwell. Although
Colin was unhappy about this latest development, he was
given a grace and favour flat adjoining that given to Lord and
Lady Wilson (the former Prime Minister and his wife). Colin
used to complain that his Daily Telegraph often smelled of
pipe tobacco, Harold having borrowed it from their letter
box whilst having his morning smoke outside the building!
On 3rd April 1954 Colin had married Jill Finnemore, forming
a happy partnership which lasted for sixty-five years. Colin
remained active until late in his life, giving up tennis aged
85 and golf two years later. He died ‘of old age’ on 19th
September 2019, aged 94 years, and is survived by his wife
Jill and son James.
James Scarratt (G 1996-2000)
James had an extraordinarily kind and generous character
and, despite his quiet demeanour, this made him an
extremely popular member of The Grove. He often told
his parents that his years at Shrewsbury were among the
happiest times of his life. He enjoyed the friendship and
camaraderie of the community life in a boarding school.
The encouragement he received in all the various aspects of
school life helped to shape his future. In particular, the Arts
department fostered his lifelong interest in all things artistic,
and he was himself an accomplished artist. Music was also
another great love and he enjoyed the musicals that Peter
Fanning and others so ably organised; he took part in the
Edinburgh Fringe and he was also a member of a barber
shop quartet. Being an unassuming type of person, he was
never happier than when kicking a ball around at The Grove
with his chums, but he was conscientious enough to attend
to his studies as well.
He was accepted to study History of Art at Edinburgh
University, receiving an M.A. at the end of his course, and
he subsequently went on to Oxford Brookes, where he was
awarded a BSc in Estate Management. He soon achieved
membership of RICS and spent the remainder of his time
working in London as a Chartered Surveyor. He lived in
Clapham at the time of his death, having enjoyed both his
professional career and his social life in London. He was a
much loved uncle to his nephew and nieces, and he sadly
died of a heart attack at the age of 38.
Ken Spiby (Head
Groundsman 1957-94)
If it is true that the reputation
of a headmaster rests on
the quality of his staff
appointments, Jack Peterson
must rate very highly solely
on the recruitment of Ken
Spiby as head groundsman
in November 1957. Not
only did Ken, supported to
the hilt by Vera, completely
transform the School Site,
he became more of a dyed-in-the-wool Salopian than most
of us. He came from a long line of Midlands country folk,
groundsmen, park keepers, nurserymen – the soil ran in
Ken’s bones – but it was still a surprise when at the age of
twenty-eight he was appointed as head groundsman. He
was badly needed; the square was in a poor state, no boy
had scored a century for many years, and the Site looked
far from its best. But when he first appeared, we were all
impressed by his cheerful competence, his enthusiasm, his
thoughtfulness and his determination to make the playing
fields and the Site the best in the country.
There were many difficulties to overcome. Not only were
the playing surfaces poor but the Common itself retained far
too much moisture and did not drain satisfactorily. The 1st
XI football pitch was renowned for its mud – a factor which
placed Salopian teams at a considerable disadvantage when
they encountered much lighter conditions when playing
away. And the condition of ‘Senior’ was immortalised by
the despairing cry of a supporter of a visiting team: “Get it
down the deep end, Repton!” Determined to investigate and
solve the problem, Ken hitched a lift in a helicopter from a

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SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
visiting General and detected hitherto unsuspected drains.
What should have been one of the loveliest cricket grounds
in the country had a twenty-yard bank topped with ancient
trees jutting straight into the playing area, diminishing its size
and proportion and completely blocking the view from the
pavilion: the old ‘Pier’.
During his first winter Ken paced out and traced every drain
on the Common. Within a year they had all been replaced.
But the Pier was another matter. Salopians had sat beneath
its sheltering trees since time immemorial and Ken knew that
no Site meeting would grant him permission to remove it. So
staff and boys returning one Michaelmas Term had a shock
to find that the Pier had gone – or rather it had been resited;
it looked exactly the same shape but it was some
fifty yards further towards Ingram’s and carried the shape
of the boundary slope onward in a natural curve. Within
a few years the new Pier had blended in quite beautifully,
but it took great courage to make the alteration in those
days, when staff and boys at Shrewsbury were not notably
progressive. It was only after the operation had been
completed that Ken let it be known that the trees had been
riddled with Dutch Elm disease!
And all the while, under Ken’s supervision, the Site
blossomed and bloomed. He was a perfectionist, but his
people loved working for him. He was always the same
to everybody, from the headmaster to the most junior of
us boys, but few sights were more fearful that that of Ken
approaching on the warpath, striding across the Common
in defence of his beloved grounds. Visiting schools and Old
Boys’ sides were astonished at the standards he had set – and
not a weed in all those acres, the beautifully kept garden
next to the Chapel; he made us all very proud indeed of
our lovely school. But Ken never ceased in his efforts, there
were always some improvements to be made, some other
project to get his teeth into. Despite the long hours and
hard physical work, Ken remained the same calm, unruffled
custodian of the Site. Naturally his reputation spread and
Ken was not unambitious. Eton, Lord’s, they all came fishing,
but by this time Salopia had got under his skin and both he
and Vera were very much part of the community. Indeed
they could always be seen at any concert, or supporting
various Salopian activities whilst both Rod, who became a
distinguished Salopian oarsman, and Martin remember the
family involvement with affection. When the time came for
Ken to retire, he even posed as a visiting grandfather, in order
to inspect the grounds at the school of his likely successor,
just to make sure he was up to the job!
Most of us returning Old Salopians sought out Ken and
Vera as soon as we could. They were loyal and enthusiastic
followers of all Salopian sport but particularly of Saracens
cricket. The pair of them hardly missed a Cricketer Cup
game, home and away in fifty-odd years, and we all shared in
the nail-biting disasters and occasional triumphs. How fitting
it was that we were able to organise a retirement dinner at
Lord’s where the great Dennis Compton toasted his health.
Ken was a great and lovely man for Shrewsbury, respected and
held in great affection by all; and Salopians recognise how lucky
we are to have enjoyed the friendship of a true gentleman.
Nicko Williams (SH 1954-58)
Michael Townsend (I 1947-51)
An addendum to the obituary for Michael Townsend that was
published in the last edition of The Salopian:
By way of clarification, Michael Townsend’s Ireland and
Hertford Scholarships were won while he was up at Oxford
as an Open Scholar of Balliol: he also, uniquely, won, at the
first attempt, all four of the University Prizes for Greek and
Latin Prose and Verse, having already been awarded the
Sidney Gold Medal at Shrewsbury. His second in Greats in
1955 came as a considerable disappointment and effectively
led him away from the academic career at Oxford which had
beckoned until then.
Michael Fisher Turner
(O 1945-50)
Michael Turner was born
on 27th October 1931, the
son of Dr Arthur Turner
and of Winifred Fisher.
Michael was the youngest
of three brothers; Philip
and Geoffrey were
considerably older than
he and all came to
Oldham’s. The family had spent many years in India but by
the time that Michael was born, Dr Turner had become Head
of the Spinning Department at Shirley Institute in Manchester
and the family had moved to Wilmslow. They subsequently
moved again, this time to Northern Ireland, where Dr
Turner had become Director of the Linen Industry Research
Association in Lambeg. Northern Ireland would have a strong
influence on Michael in later years. At Shrewsbury, Michael
specialised in History, developed an interest in Economics
and was an oarsman. After leaving school, he returned to
Northern Ireland to read Economics at Queen’s University,
Belfast. In the Easter Vacation of his final year, he met Wyn
Farrell and soon afterwards they were married.
His Economics degree helped Michael to secure a position
with Lloyds Bank, initially in the West Midlands. He spent
the next six years there but freely admitted they were not
happy ones; the hoped-for career advancement failed to
materialise and the couple set sail on an assisted passage
to New Zealand in 1961, where Wyn’s sister was already
living. Michael decided that his future there lay in teaching
and he joined the staff of the Wanganui Collegiate School.
He was soon also put in charge of the Waiting House, a sort
of overflow for new boys and a few seniors, where Wyn
cheerfully acted as Matron. Their daughter Anne was born
and all seemed set fair, until Michael suffered serious sight
loss, following a detached retina.
Now registered blind, Michael moved to Auckland and
became Deputy Chairman of the Royal New Zealand
Foundation for the Blind, teaching Braille by correspondence,
to which he later added tutoring for two Auckland colleges,
St Peter’s and St Cuthbert’s. He also served as secretary to a
firm of Chartered Accountants and as a financial planning
consultant. Seeking a new challenge, the family moved again,
this time to rural King Country, where he became fascinated
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SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 121
that had begun connecting customers to an electric power
supply as early as 1911. He was so fascinated by this venture
that he helped to interview surviving participants for the
subsequent book published by the Trust. When the railway
closed and travel became even more difficult, Michael and
Wyn moved back to Wanganui in 2007 and to a retirement
village, where Wyn died in 2018.
Despite his sight loss, Michael returned to the UK several
times, usually arranging it to coincide with a function of the
Weavers’ Company, membership of which was instituted
by his father and carried on by succeeding generations.
His most recent visit was in 2019, aged 88, during which,
as well as attending two Weavers’ functions, he included a
week-long tour of Ireland and indulged his love of trains
by travelling on both of our remaining sleeper services. He
was enthusiastically planning a similarly courageous and
ambitious visit to old haunts in 2020, which the Pandemic
obliged him to postpone and which an unexpected hospital
visit with heart problems thwarted altogether – no doubt
despite his protestations to a Higher Authority that he was
perfectly fit. He died on 30th September, aged 88, and is
survived by his daughter Anne and granddaughter Baylee.
Tony Turner (O 1964-68)
Andrew James Waterworth (I 1975-79)
Andrew Waterworth, who has died aged 59, was an
exceptional sportsman, keen musician and lover of the
great outdoors, who had a successful career in financial
PR after leaving the Army. Brought up in Cheshire, he
attended Mostyn House Preparatory School before arriving at
Ingram’s Hall in 1975, then under the care of Michael Eagar.
Following in the footsteps of his elder brother Richard and
preceding his younger brother Nigel, he was the second of
many Waterworths to have been educated at the School over
the past five decades. He was a natural ball player: three
years of 1st XI football, capped off with selection for the
representative Public Schools team (now called the ISFA XI)
in 1978 and three years of 1st XI cricket were testament to
this. Indeed his sporting accomplishments continued during
his time in the Army, where he represented the Service in
cricket, as well as playing Combined Services football – a feat
that few others will match.
Andrew’s time at the School was not all plain sailing
however. A covert cigarette in the boiler room while Mike
Eagar was safely out at a dinner in Kingsland Hall resulted
in the fire brigade being called to Ingram’s and a stern call
home from the housemaster. Incredibly, this was not his first
experiment in pyrotechnics. On one particularly cold day
as a much younger lad, he had been found by his mother
emulating his childhood heroes the Native American Indians
by starting a fire on the floor of the playroom at home.
After leaving Shrewsbury, Andrew started his military career
at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Commissioned into
1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards in December 1980, he
was posted to Berlin and later deployed on operations in
South Armagh, interspersed with the precision and exacting
standards of Public Duties, which were a source of great
pride and entertaining stories for him. Andrew left the Army
in 1986 and forged a successful career in financial PR in
the City, first with the agency Hill Murray (which became
Ludgate) and then Financial Dynamics (which became FTI
Consulting). In 2012 he established the London office of USheadquartered
Prosek Partners and led it until 2018 when he
became interim MD of Carinish Consulting, a private service
consulting business.
A long-standing friend has described him as follows: “A
natural grafter and always incredibly conscientious about
all the people he ever commanded or worked with,
Andrew carried these caring qualities through a very
successful career in financial PR, which spanned over 30
years. He was a man with style, charm and savoir faire,
and would have been a success at anything he turned his
hand to, but blessed with too much natural humility, he
never appreciated how good he was at so many things or
indeed how highly he was regarded.”
Andrew’s interests were wide-ranging. He had a great
love for the outdoors, be it fishing, walking or battling the
elements in the wild and rugged landscapes of North Uist.
He had a passion for music of many and varied genres. He
was a talented musician and despite no formal training, he
composed songs, sang beautifully, and happily entertained
people in private houses and public houses whenever the
opportunity arose.
Above all, Andrew was a family man. He married Nicky
in 1987 and they have three children: Josh, Tilly and Kitty.
They were the real centre of Andrew’s life and his spirit
lives on in them.
Andrew had been responding well to treatment for leukaemia
at Guy’s Hospital, London, when he contracted COVID-19.
Despite the excellent care he received on the haematology
ward and later for two months on the Intensive Care Unit, he
died on 16th June 2020. He faced both illnesses with great
stoicism and bravery, often signing off his messages with a
thumbs up and a Guardsman emoji – ‘keep soldiering on’
being the rough translation. COVID restrictions necessitated
a small family funeral which came to a close with a song
written and recorded by Andrew; an unusual though fitting
tribute to a man whose rendition of The Grenadiers and
Scipio on electric guitar to a packed Hippodrome and
improvised piano performances at family gatherings will live
long in the memory.
The family intends to celebrate his life with friends and
colleagues when government restrictions allow.
Patrick Duncan (SH 2000-05)

122
SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS
Joseph Raymond Waistell Worrall (SH 1938-42)
Joseph Raymond Waistell Worrall was born in Roundhay, Leeds
on 15th July 1924 and came to School House in Lent Term 1938.
After leaving Shrewsbury in December 1942 he immediately
volunteered for and joined the RAF.
Ray was the last survivor of Operation Sherwood, the audacious
World War II escape plan, devised by the future MP and Shadow
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Lt Colonel Airey Neave.
The operation, which ran between May and August 1944, entailed
hiding downed Allied airmen in the Forest of Fréteval, situated deep
in Nazi-occupied France, and close to one of the German Army’s
largest ammunition bases. By the time the camp was liberated by
Neave himself, there were 152 airmen living in the forest.
In November 1943, Ray completed his training as a flight
engineer, and was posted to Bomber Command at RAF
Scampton. In January 1944, he was marked for a Lancaster
squadron and posted to RAF Winthorpe, where he met and
joined his crew. At the beginning of March, the crew was posted
to RAF Syerton, a Lancaster finishing school, after which they
joined 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron.
Ray began operations in a Lancaster, named by the crew “E” for
Easy, in April 1944. This marked the beginning of what he was
later to describe as “the luckiest period of my life”, a reference to
his survival during the subsequent months, when history records
the death rate for aircrew with Bomber Command was 44.4%.
On 25th July 1944, shortly after his 20th birthday, fortified by a
supper of egg and chips, Ray and his crew set off on their 26th
mission. Their target was Stuttgart, the home to the Daimler and
Porsche factories, several military bases and a railway hub. They
never reached their target. Whilst flying over Normandy, they
encountered enemy fire. The Lancaster was struck and immediately
went into a steep dive. Ray never knew if the aircraft was hit by
enemy fire or an aircraft above them which had got into difficulties
and jettisoned its bombs. Ray and his crew baled out at 10,000 feet,
an experience he likened to Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole.
Moments before he jumped, he thought to himself, “Oh God, what
a waste my education has been. I should never have volunteered.
My parents will be heartbroken.”
Immediately after Ray landed, which was the first time he had
ever set foot on foreign soil, he buried his parachute and ran as
fast as he could, until he could run no more. For the next few
days, depressed, frightened and lonely, he lived on his wits and
off the land. On the third day, moments after he had walked
past a German staff car filled with soldiers, he was spotted by a
boy on a bicycle, who was member of the Resistance. The boy
recognised him as an Allied airman because he was chewing
gum, which was not available in France. If the occupants of the
staff car had been as observant, Ray’s life story might have been
very different.
The Resistance took Ray to a remote farmhouse, where he was
reunited with his radio operator. The next day he was taken to
the Fôret de Fréteval, deep in Northern France, where he and
151 downed Allied airmen lived under the nose of the Nazis, until
late August.
Following his return to Britain, Ray was posted to 45 Group
(Atlantic Transport Command) in Canada, from which he spent
the remainder of the war delivering Lancasters, Halifaxes and
Liberators to India, Africa and the Middle East. Once the
war ended, before he was demobbed in 1947, Ray was an
Instructor at RAF Dishforth, and then assistant Adjutant at
Group HQ Heslerton.
Ray was unable to talk about his experiences until the 1960s,
because it was forbidden to publicise stories about escape in
which the evader had been helped by a secret underground
organisation. Once that prohibition was lifted, until shortly
before his death, Ray helped raise donations for the RAF
Escaping Society (RAFES), by delivering in excess of 150 talks
about his wartime experiences to organisations such as The
Round Table, The Rotary Club, and The Women’s Institute. In
2004 Ray published Escape From France, now in its second
edition, which details his experiences during WW2.
After leaving the RAF, Ray read Business Studies at Leeds
University, graduating in 1950 with a B.Com. He worked in
the family business until 1959, when he decided to read law.
In 1963 Ray joined Gray’s Inn and was called to the Bar. After
successfully completing pupillage with Gilbert Grey, who
went on to become one of the country’s leading criminal
QCs, he accepted a tenancy at 37 Park Square in Leeds.
Other members of the Chambers included Harry Ognall,
who later became a High Court Judge, Brian Walsh before
he took silk, and John Munkman, the author of several
leading legal text books.
In the 1970 General Election, Ray stood as the parliamentary
candidate for the Liberal Party.
Ray was in practice at the Bar in Leeds, specialising in family
law, until 1982, when he accepted an appointment as Chairman
of The Industrial Tribunal, a post he held until just before his
72nd birthday in 1996. Ray used to quip that by retiring whilst
still 71 years old, when he was entitled to carry on for a further
12 months, he had taken early retirement.
Ray was an active member of the Northern Bar Lodge and of
the Zetland Lodge in the Province of Yorkshire West Riding and
also a valued member of the Old Salopian Lodge. He was a Past
Provincial Officer in Yorkshire West Riding and the recipient of a
certificate for 50 years’ service in Freemasonry.
In retirement, until his health prevented it, Ray travelled
frequently to France, and he was an active member of the
Escape Lines Memorial Society, RAFES, and the Bomber Barons
Club at Sherburn Aero Club.
In September 2015, the President of France appointed Ray
to the rank of Chevalier in the Ordre National de la Légion
d’Honneur, which he accepted on behalf of those members
of the Resistance who risked their lives and suffered torture to
protect and save him and his fellow downed airmen. On the
occasion that was held to celebrate receiving this honour, Ray
mentioned in particular Virginia d’Albert-Lake, whom he had
met on one of his trips to France. Virginia was one of those who
had been responsible for guiding downed airmen to the camp at
Fréteval. Although she was arrested by the Gestapo and endured
horrific torture before being incarcerated in Ravensbruck
concentration camp, she said nothing about the forest and its
secret inhabitants.
In 1952 Ray married Frederica (Rica) to whom he was devoted.
Rica died in 2012. Ray died peacefully on 29th April 2020,
aged 95. He is survived by their children, Lynne and John, and
grandsons Freddie, Alexander and Henry.

SALOPIAN CLUB NEWS 123
John Cyril Yeoward
(I 1946-50)
John Yeoward was born on 9th August 1932 in Hooton on
the Wirral, the younger of the two sons of Cyril and Catherine,
and was brought up on the family farm. He remembered
that, during his early boyhood, the bombing of Liverpool and
Ellesmere Port was a daily occurrence. His family moved to
Herefordshire after the war. After Preparatory School in Hemel
Hempstead, he came to Shrewsbury and to Ingram’s in 1946.
He enjoyed all forms of ball games and he was awarded his
House colours for cricket, football and cross-country running.
On leaving school, John reported to the Light Infantry
Brigade Training Centre at Bordon, to begin his National
Service. He passed the War Office Selection Board, having
given a very helpful and knowledgeable talk on ferrets to the
presiding officer, whose farm happened to be overrun with
rabbits! He volunteered for service in Korea and having been
commissioned, he served some time with the 1st Battalion
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and joined his unit in Korea
in January 1952. Being sent out to rescue a patrol which had
become trapped in a minefield, he had the horrific experience
of having a friend, who was following immediately behind
him, being blown up by a mine. Subsequently, John was sent
with ‘B’ Company 1st Battalion KSLI to guard an extremely
overcrowded camp of many thousands of Prisoners of War on
Koje do, an island 25 miles south of Korea. It was a turbulent
situation, in which there was a continual threat of disturbance
and outbreaks. This assignment was followed by a further
couple of months in the front line. On return to the UK, John
served in the Hereford Light Infantry, a territorial regiment, for
four years.
While still in Korea, John had learned, to his great
disappointment, that his father had sold the family farm. Much
of his subsequent life was centred around Field Sports. Having
made no alternative plans, John accepted the position of
2nd Whip in the North Herefordshire Hunt Kennels. During
his second season he was appointed Master of the United
Pack in Shropshire. A very helpful association with Sir Alfred
Goodson and his College Valley Hounds in Northumberland
followed, and during this period John bought a farm of his
own, Newcastle Court, and turned his attention from hunting
to farming, adding Moor Farm to his business, concentrating
first on a beef herd and subsequently on Beulah sheep.
In 1962 John married Gillian Shaw Ball: their son; Peter, was
born in 1963 and their daughter, Joanna, in 1964. John became
heavily involved in local activities. He was a founder member
of the Parish Council in Newcastle, near Craven Arms, taking
his turn as Chairman. He chaired a steering committee to
build the new Village Hall and create the Millennium Green
and he also chaired a Trust to raise funds for the village youth
groups, coaching their young cricketers. For many years he
was a member of the Agricultural Land Tribunal, he was
President of the Clun and District Royal British Legion and
he regularly attended St John’s Church, Newcastle. In 1982
he was appointed High Sheriff of Shropshire. He died on 3rd
August 2019, aged 86 years, and is survived by his wife Gillian
and their children, Peter and Joanna.
A GOSPEL
In the beginning there was Energy, Creation uncreated, pure subjectivity
Can you not feel it pushing through your veins?
For you are That, and I am That, the subject and the One.
How could we come to see ourselves as objects? Confrontations?
Unthing yourself – be free – Creation has no limits.
The scientist with his telescope kills all he sees – looking outwards
His expanding universe is a story of ever-widening limitations –
Looking inwards the barriers are all down, and you’re alone,
All One – the Creator new-created – THAT IS THAT –
Nothing more to say – no words to say it – we are free.
Now open to the flowers, the birdsong and the hills –
Look up and feel your heart responding to the No-thing that is there –
That’s wonder, where we briefly touch the hem and feel the mystery OF THAT.
David Brown (Staff 1946-79)

Independent School of the Year 2020
TES Boarding School
of the Year Award 2020
‘Highly Commended’
Community Outreach
Award 2020 ‘Winner’
TES Creativity Award 2020
‘Shortlisted’
www.shrewsbury.org.uk