Old Princethorpians

As part of our Skills Bank Initiative Old Princethorpian Ciaran Murtagh (1988 - 1995)visited Princethorpe in January to give a series of workshops to Key Stage Three and Sixth Form English students. Ciaran, who is the celebrated children’s author of the Dinopants series and a successful screenwriter for CBBC, delighted his audiences with anecdotal tales about his experiences as both a writer and actor.

Equipped with online excerpts from his most recent television and film work, Mr Murtagh was able to reveal to students how a programme develops from an idea, to the page and finally to the screen. This process of writing for a specific audience was one that struck a chord with current AS and A2 English students.

"What you have to do in order to make things happen is get them down on paper," Ciaran iterated.

"It’s no good having ideas up there. If you don’t try to do something with them then it will never become that story, that book or that film and you will forever be wondering what if..."

With such passionate but experienced views on the world of television and book publishing Ciaran’s visit proved to be a real success on a number of levels for those both listening and taking part.

Ciaran has also been inspiring young writers at Princethorpe's junior school, Crackley Hall in Kenilworth. Following a creative writing workshop led by Ciaran, pupils have written their very own giant story book, ‘Tall Tales’ . The book comprises one hundred and twenty seven stories; one written by every single child from Reception through to Year 6.

Our sincere thanks go to Ciaran for sparing the time and giving so much energy to these events. Who knows he could have some serious competition soon!!

Following the launch of the OPs Skills Bank Initiative, more OPs are coming forward to offer their skills and experience to the College and current students.

If you feel you are able to support the Skills Bank Initiative in any form, small or large, please do get in touch.

It was a pleasure and delight to welcome back so many former students and members of staff at this year’s annual Prize Giving Ceremony at the Butterworth Hall, Warwick Arts Centre on Friday 5 November.

The Butterworth Hall provided, once again, a marvellous setting for this prestigious event in the College calendar. The Headmaster, Mr Ed Hester’s address reviewed a number of the College’s notable achievements of the past academic year. He placed these events firmly within the context of the Foundation, highlighting some of the most salient development plans. He was keen to reassure parents that Princethorpe would not be turning into an ‘exam hot house’. His commitment to unlocking the unique potential of each valued member of our community was iterated as he praised both the pastoral and academic teams who deliver the care and guidance necessary for the continued success of the College.

The guest speaker this year, was Old Princethorpian, Professor Rino Cerio, Clinical Academic Director of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Rino touched on his days as a young boy at Princethorpe forty years ago. He drew, in a light hearted fashion, on some of the statements written in reports and exercise books by  former teachers. Professor’s Cerio’s advice to young people was to make the most of every opportunity they have, to work well as part of a team and spread the word about any good work that they are doing.

A note of thanks was eloquently given by Head Boy, Jacob Mitchell and Head Girl, Alice Holden-Brown.

This was, as ever, a hugely enjoyable evening. The success of all Princethorpe students was touched upon and celebrated. The accompanying musical items played by the orchestra and sung by the Year 7 choir provided the perfect interlude. As a concluding point to the evening the announcement of the recipient of the prestigious Princethorpe Shield was made. Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Margaret Robinson built up the suspense as she revealed that Tom Cross had been awarded the prize. This popular choice brought many of the former Upper Sixth to their feet as the evening drew to a close.

Our thanks go to all those members of staff who were involved in the planning and organisation of Prize Giving.

With the help of Old Princethorpians, former Head of Mathematics, Colin Morgan (1982 - 2002) managed to meet up with some eighteen past pupils in Hong Kong at the end of a 'Highlights of China' tour with his wife, Michelle, last October.

OPs successfully tracked down Kevin So for Colin, who then, with the help of Facebook, made contact with former students to engineer a grand reunion dinner with Colin and Michelle at the Peking Garden Restaurant, Alexandra House where they were treated to a banquet experience of Chinese tradition and delights. A veritable feast of oriental tucker.

The attendees were, of course, treated to a brief rendition of a few old formulae from Morgan's Mathematical repertoire during his brief address to thank all present. 

Colin says, "Our trip to Hong Kong was fantastic.  It was marvellous to see so many of my old students on their home ground. They couldn't have made Michelle and I feel more welcome.  A very big thank you to Kevin So and to Ada Wong who pulled it all together and to all who came along".

Pictured in the bar before the reunion dinner, crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s, are Kevin So, Ada Wong, Michelle and Colin.

Pictured in the group photo from right to left are;

Back row: Jeffery Wong, Dominic Lee, Desmond Shew, Alan Lam, Kevin So, Ben Lee, Chu Kay Mak and Eddie Tse.

Middle row: Kenny Choy, Ada Wong, Claire Chow, Tracy Yeung and Jamie Ho.

Front row: Matthew Ho, Henry Poon, Michelle Morgan, Colin Morgan and Michael Lau.

Kai Wai Lee and Michael Mo and his girl friend joined us for drinks after dinner.

Since returning from their trip Colin and his wife Michelle have taken over the management of Vicarage Farm Cattery, Church Lawford, Rugby. To find out more visit www.vfarm.co.uk.

At the invitation of OP Professor Rino Cerio on Wednesday 3 November an intrepid group of Princethorpe students accompanied by fellow OP and Assistant Head, Alex Darkes, braved the Underground strike and travelled down to London for a Pathology Open Day at Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Rino is the Clinical Academic Director of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery at Barts. He felt that the day which was subtitled, "Discovering the cause and effect of life threatening disease" would interest current students and unravel some of the mysteries surrounding pathology, the hidden science at the heart of modern medicine. Aimed at those considering medicine or a medical related career it was an opportunity not to be missed!

Here are some of the reactions of those who went on the trip. 

I wanted to go on the trip because I am looking at a career in medicine. I enjoyed speaking to all of the medical students …. they gave me invaluable advice about studying medicine at university. I would recommend this trip to people even if they do not want to have a career in Science because I do not believe anyone would not enjoy the experience – especially seeing the organs in jars! Jacob Stone C6SP

I went on the trip because I am interested in all the different forms of disease and how they can be treated. I learnt the difference between an iron disorder and anaemia. I also discovered that testicular cancer can be discovered as a lump on the testicles. I would definitely recommend the trip to anyone who has a strong stomach!
Luke Tillman 10JF

I liked the insight into the world of pathology – it is outside the education we learn at school. I learnt that there are new ways of testing for blood diseases, that there are five steps into investigating appendicitis and how easily bacteria can spread from hand to hand. It really opened my eyes to what I could do in the future.
Helen Fitchett 10JF

I enjoyed seeing how diabetes is diagnosed today compared with in the roman times. I found out about skin and testicular cancer and how you can put yourself at risk. Everything we saw was topical today and was really informative and useful.
Ben Pearson 10JF

I wasn’t sure of exactly what pathology was but I am interested in Science and so wanted to get a better understanding. I really enjoyed seeing the skeletal remains of the Elephant Man. I learnt what different organs look like, what cancer looks like and how it progresses, how blood samples are taken, how to reduce the effect of deep vein thrombosis and how epi pens work. I really enjoyed the trip and want to go again. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since – it was awesome!
Rosy Smith 11SE

I didn’t like the disgusting bones and ‘icky’ stomach (in a jar) in the museum.
Katherine Duncan 10SB

I want to study medicine at university so I thought this trip would be a good experience for me. I learnt all about pathology and the tests that are used to discover pregnancy, diabetes and their conditions and new technology that is being used to identify pathogens. It was an interesting and fun day.
Bethany Smith 11SW

Given the extremely positive feedback, we hope to make this an annual trip in future, if Rino will have us back!!

The new OP cufflinks and scarf have been well received by past pupils far and wide. Sales are going well with parcels being dispatched not only throughoout the UK, but also as far afield as France and the USA, there is even talk of them being seen on the streets of Hong Kong soon!

The university style OP scarf (in 100% wool with navy blue, red and gold stripes) is priced at £30 + postage and the OP T-bar cufflinks with a gold Tower design are £25 + postage.

The Old Princethorpian tie is still available. The classic 100% silk tie, produced by Smart Turnout of London, sports a repetitive gold Tower design and thin red diagonal stripes on a dark blue background.

The tie is priced at £17 + postage.

To download an scarf and cufflinks order form please click here.

To download a tie order form please click here.


    

Old Princethorpian Nigel Denton is offering OPs a 30% discount off rentals to Villa Calypso, a three bedroom villa in the popular town of Peyia just outside Paphos on the sunshine island of Cyprus.

The villa sleeps up to eight people and has its own pool. It is close to beaches, archeological sights and good restaurants.

Prices normally start from £530 a week.

If any OPs are interested please visit Nigel's website www.bestcyprusholiday.com, make sure you mention the OP e-newsletter.

From Edward MacFetridge, formerly Head of Modern Languages 1984-1989

This was my fourth Ashes trip but this one was different from the three previous trips in that I was not restricted to 17 days by term dates as I am no longer teaching. This meant  I spent nearly five weeks in Australia. The other difference was that in the earlier trips, I used to arrive in the country just before Christmas with England having already lost the Ashes.   Four years ago one colleague, knowing how badly the  England was playing, asked me if the air fares down under were now half price!

It was very exciting to be in Melbourne on the fourth morning of the match when England retained the Ashes.  The group I was travelling with were in a stand high up in the stadium but slightly to the right of the famous ‘Barmy Army’ who follow the England team to far flung countries. The 'Barmy Army' are renowned for their singing and this time I felt Mrs Francis would have been generally satisfied with their ability to keep in tune with their trumpeter, Billy Cooper. As many of you will know, they delight in singing songs which remind the native Australians they are descendants of convicts and they put great emphasis on the word ‘your’ when they sing their version of the national anthem.  They had a new song of just one line repeated many times to the tune of ‘Yellow Submarine’ which was ‘Your next Queen is Camilla Parker Bowles’!

I attended matches in Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne.  Melbourne is not an attractive stadium but when it is filled with spectators cheering on the England team, the atmosphere is electric.  Adelaide is a beautiful ground with trees and St Peter’s cathedral visible from many seats.  The original scoreboard was built in 1911 and now even in the electronic age, the names of each player on both sides are listed clearly. There is no other scoreboard like it in the world.  The Perth ground known as the WACA (Western Australia Cricket Association) is less attractive but has a great atmosphere and I was particularly impressed by the friendly, courteous manner of the stewards and staff.  Perth is where the England team was outplayed with some brilliant bowling by Mitchell Johnson.

I have always found the Australians to be courteous and good fun even when their team is losing!  The film ‘The King’s Speech’  was on much earlier than in the UK  and one radio commentator having seen the film said  it did not surprise him that our monarch employed an Aussie to teach him how to speak!  I have been amazed how strong the Australians  in Queensland have been in the face of terrifying floods in recent weeks.  The Australians have a strong sense of community and I could not have found  more helpful people when I needed advice about places to see.  Nothing was too much trouble.

For some cricket fans though I  might not be considered a true supporter as I firmly believe that when you travel such a long distance you have to see the country and occasionally miss some cricket.  There are so many places I can recommend.  Perth and Adelaide are both beautiful cities with a lot to see.   In Perth I was on the 23rd floor of my hotel and  I had a wonderful view of the River Swan.  The short walk to the ground involved going through a park full of birds and a lovely landscape.  There are no test match grounds in England like Adelaide where if you wish you can sit outside the ground on large grassy areas in beautiful surroundings.

The itinerary between the test matches was ideal. I spent 2 days on Kangaroo Island seeing a lot of wild life including seals, kookaburras, koalas and some amazing pelicans.  Cairns in north east Queensland  was one of the highlights with a trip to the Great Barrier Reef and  Margaret River on the south west coast 80 miles south of Perth was spectacular. A visit to Fremantle just south of Perth was memorable for the visit to Fremantle Prison where many of the original ‘convicts’ arrived.

Winning the Ashes in Australia is a fantastic achievement and at Princethorpe we are so proud of  OP, Ian Bell's contribution.  Staff, parents and pupils alike have been gripped by late night and early morning sessions trying to catch all of the action.  With Ian batting for long periods of time it has been great for the pupils to see him in action.

We hope to have an Ian Bell testimonial event here this year where pupils will be able to meet him to find out what it is like to be part of such a successful period in English cricket.

Ian's already made a significant contribution in the two 20/20 matches, and we hope that he will be selected for the England World Cup Team.

Back at Princethorpe, we have already started training for cricket after school - Year 7 and 8 on Tuesdays, Year 9 and 10 on Thursdays. Following their exams, the Seniors will begin after half term – as we prepare for a busy cricket summer!

Neil McCollin, Director of Sport

After 28 years at Princethorpe, Sue Francis, Director of Music is to retire this summer at the end of the Trinity Term. To celebrate her fantastic contribution to College life a musical swansong is planned for Saturday 25 June.

Being Sue, she would prefer a fun, interactive musical farewell, rather than a formal concert, so plans are afoot for a ‘Music in a Day’ event which all present and past pupils, music scholars, parents and staff are invited to participate in. The day will comprise a choral workshop of some pieces for all abilities and would culminate in a performance in the Chapel in the afternoon.  Other musical contributions would be welcome additions to the programme.

OPs Pete Trewin (1992-1997)and Richard Sibbick (1987-1994) have already volunteered to lend their support to the event, along with the Music Department’s Felicity Coulson.

Exact timings for the day have yet to be confirmed, but to register your interest in participating or attending the concert, please email Melanie Butler.

Plans are afoot for the next OPs Festival Day, this year's event on Sunday 8 May will focus on Fr Fleming, rather than Fr Clarkson as in previous years.

All OPs, their partners and families are welcome, no matter when they attended the College.

The day will start with a mass in the Chapel, followed by a buffet lunch, tours of the College and sporting, fun activities for all the family.

If you would like to come please email Old Princethorpians so we can cater for you.

In the summer of 2011 Princethorpe College U17 rugby, hockey (girls and boys) and netball are touring South Africa once again.  We have had three fantastic experience in the past and hope to have the same high level of success on and off the pitch as Princethorpe pupils immerse themselves in the lifestyle, the culture and enhance their political understanding of this unique and varied country.

This time, as part of our charity work, we are supporting MSC projects set up by Father Frank Gallagher.  One supports a school and the other is aimed at keeping orphaned and abandoned boys off the street and giving them positive experiences through sport.

We are hosting a number of events, the next of which is the 'The Princethorpe Open'. We hope that some Old Princethorpians are able to join us for the tournament at The Windmill Village Hotel, Golf and Leisure Club on Friday 8 April 2011. 

The OP Committee are putting together a team of four, but more OPs would be most welcome!

The event is open to players of all abilities, school teams, works teams and individuals.  There will be food and refreshments on arrival, a round of golf and dinner afterwards with prizes and awards. 

All proceeds will go to the South Africa Sports Tour 2011 Fund Raising Committee which supports the pupils in their fund raising and an MSC project in South Africa.

If you would like further details or would be interested in sponsoring a hole at the event please contact Neil McCollin on neilmccollin@princethorpe.co.uk.

Click below for an entry form.

We are still looking for some sponsors for this event and the tour.  If you feel that you are able to help out please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The SA Touring Staff

PC_Golf_Day[1].doc

The next Leamington Pub Meet takes place on Friday 4 March at The Star and Garter, Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 5LL (near the Fire Station) from 6.30pm.

Comments, OP Chairman, Peter Rollason, "We know a lot of OPs still live locally and would love to see more of you at this very sociable event. We always have a good time and it really is a case of the more, the merrier!"

All are welcome to come along and reminisce!

Crackley Hall, Princethorpe's junior school and nursery in Kenilworth, is opening its doors for two Spring open events on Friday 18 February from 10.00am to 3.00pm and on Saturday 26 March from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

All are welcome to look round the school, and to meet staff and pupils. No need to book.

For more information call 01926 514444 or visit www.crackleyhall.co.uk.

All OPs, past parents and staff are welcome to participate in any or all of the events which range from pub meets, to picnics and the popular annual OPs Festival Day for all the family.

New for this year is a open meeting over supper in the Sixth Form Dining Room in June.

Click here to download the calendar or visit the Past Pupils section at www.princethorpe.co.uk
for more information. 

Age:
58

When were you at Princethorpe?
1967 to 1970 as a pupil and in the early 1980s for two years as a Chemistry teacher.

What are you doing now?
Working with the MSCs in Ireland, having just finished a three and a half year secondment as priest to a community in the South Pacific.

What was Princethorpe like in your day?
I feel privileged to have belonged to the first group of about 90 students (including about 20 boarders) that came from St. Bedes  to Princethorpe in September 1966.  

We had just finished an exciting summer of World Cup football and England were the champions and September was upon us, now  boringly it was  back to school. Not for us! going back to school had a special significance. We were moving from the confined residential suburbs of Leamington Spa (Binswood Ave) to the open undulating countryside of Princethorpe, where its  imposing, beautiful  Benedictine monastery was to become our new place of learning!

Fr. John Kevin Fleming MSC, BA H.Dip., our Headmaster, would tell parents of the boys and visitors to the school, "As far as the eye can see all the land and houses belong to us" and all this was to be newly named as ‘Princethorpe College’.

It was an impressive place with its many acreage, including farmland on the other side of the Leamington Road, as well as a significant number of cottages and houses along both the Leamington and Coventry Roads.  As a kid I found the first year at Princethorpe College simply an exciting place to be. Everything was so new. Fr. Fleming would solemnly read out the list of rules (where we could and could not go) for the day at the morning school assembly, and as kids while we would seriously listen  to what he had said, we would still go about the business of exploring this vast new building and its grounds.  

We would often race against each other down the long corridors where the different statues became our spectators. The many times we ran up and down the 100 or so steps of the Princethorpe  tower as a way of keeping ourselves fit and active. With only half of the building being used as classrooms for school purposes we also found ourselves exploring every corner and hidden area(particularly the cellars) wondering what treasures we might find. There were many attics in the roof to be explored. One in particular above the second floor nun’s bedroom quarters had a tank containing over 500 gallons of water. A few of us were up there at one time when a pipe broke causing the water to seep down through three storeys to the kitchen itself. Fr. Fleming our headmaster was not amused but he was compassionate and forgiving of us. We also discovered tunnels under the school buildings which needed to be explored as well. Along with that all the grounds and wooded area (around Switzerland) became our place of play. We also enjoyed walking and cycling to Princethorpe and other surrounding villages. We tried going to local pubs but were too young to get served.

Coming from the confines of inner city Birmingham the beauty and freedom of the open countryside of Princethorpe made a lasting lifetime impression upon me. During those early years with obvious limited resources we worked hard academically and did well with a high number of us getting places at university.  On the sporting field the most serious competitive games were between the different houses, we didn’t play that many games against other schools yet.  By the time I left Princethorpe College after doing A levels in June 1970 the number of students had doubled.  The science labs (Biology, Physics and Chemistry) were well equipped and different Heads of Department were in place.  With Fr. Bill Clarkson now as Headmaster, the school was becoming more established and building up its reputation in local area.  On reflection I would describe my years at school in St. Bedes and Princethorpe as being a very happy time in my life.

What did you do after leaving Princethorpe?
After being ordained a priest in 1980 I did come back for two years to teach Chemistry but never found the same happiness there as during my student days. I then spent the next 25 years working as a MSC priest in Ireland and then in April 2008 I chose to go and work for three years in the Pacific. Once again the beauty of the area deeply touched me. The island beaches and sun which you see in films like ‘Castaway’ and the ‘Blue Lagoon” gives   one as a tourist the feeling that you have found paradise. But I didn’t go there as a tourist but to live and work with the local people.  To learn their language customs and culture and join them in living a simple lifestyle.   

There are hundreds of different languages and cultures among the island people of the Pacific.  I spent most of my time living on the main island of an archipelago of over 80 islands of the Republic of Fiji looking after a small, urban parish of about 300 families on the outskirts of the main town of Suva. Learning the language and culture of these island people meant a letting go of a modern Western mindset, values and  lifestyle that we have taken for granted all our lives. The people of Fiji basically live within a clan/tribe system.  Everything is centered on the local community or village. Each village having its own chief and set of elders (all are men) who have great power and authority in the eyes of the people.  

As a priest I became a ‘white’ chief for the people of the parish which meant I had to follow certain protocols and customs of the people. I had to sit at a special place at all social functions, receive  my garland, be the first to drink Kava from the ‘Tanoa’ and eat the food that was specially cooked for me. The people would sing and perform special dances (like the Maori Haka we see the All Blacks perform before the important international  rugby matches) and I would show my appreciation  by rubbing the faces and heads of each performer with baby powder! 

How did Princethorpe prepare you for life?
I am not sure how my school days in  Princethorpe prepared me for  this. Yes we go to school to get educated but I must admit I  got another great education about life from living with these people. Different in many ways we all maybe but after three years I learnt we share a lot in common through our shared Christian values and common humanity. These people live close to the earth and they trust that the land and sea will give them all the food they need. They are a poor but very spiritual people, with a great sense of community. Even though they have very little in terms of money or possessions they have the generosity to share what they have. This they did with me welcoming me into their homes and treating me as they would one of their chiefs.  It is through such sharing of each other’s cultures and customs with one another that we can learn so much from each other and become enriched because of it.

I have now left these people and have come back to join the MSCs in Ireland again.   I have experienced a part of the world that I never knew existed. I wonder how much it would enhance the education of the students of Princethorpe College if they learnt more about the customs and culture of the people in places like the Pacific,  We never did in our day but now all things are possible.

Is there anyone from Princethorpe that you would like to track down?

I would like to get in contact with anyone from  the A level class of June 1970 or the O level class (‘Upper Five’) of June  1967.  I also  would like to know where Liam  Harvey is now.

Imogen Carole Lakin-Hubball (or Immy as she is now called) arrived safely at 9.10 am on Thursday 9 December 2010 at University Hospital Coventry. She weighed in at 6 lbs 6oz and in just a few weeks is now nearly 11lbs. 

Very proud dad, Paul (1985 to 1991) Head of Art at the College, and his wife Julie are, inspite of being tired, finding family life very rewarding and loving every minute of it!

Paul comments that Immy's claim to fame is as the first child to be born of an Old Princethorpian whilst on the staff at Princethorpe!

"We've broken the curse!", he jokes.

Welcome Immy!!

A winter wonderland greeted guests when Rebecca Dyke (1995 -2002) married John Andrews in a civil ceremony on Sunday 19 December 2010 at Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, just outside Bristol. A beautiful country house built in the 1930’s for the Wills tobacco family. 
The day was picture perfect as the whole country was covered in a blanket of snow. The ceremony began at 2pm and after canapés by the Christmas tree and braving the snow for some pictures, a candlelit dinner was served followed by dancing to a live band.

The wedding was peppered with old Princethorpians James Griffin, Christopher Griffin, Michael Curtis and the bride’s sister Ruth Dyke (who was also a bridesmaid) along with teachers Peter and Liz Griffin, Alex Darkes, Loretta Curtis and of course, mother of the bride, Lynne Dyke from Princethorpe College front of house admin staff.

After the big day the happy couple enjoyed a fantastic two week honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico!

Rebecca and John currently live in Hatfield, Herts and both work in central London, Rebecca as a ladieswear fashion designer and John as a project manager for an insurance company. 

Congratulations to the happy couple!!

Felicity King-Evans (1997 - 2001), married Kevin Hannah on Saturday 30 October 2010 at Brandon Hall, near Coventry.

Unfortunately, good friend and OP Rosie Davey couldn't make it from New Zealand, but her mother Anne Davey, Bursar at the College, stepped in to represent her!

Fliss and Kevin now live in Cheshire. Fliss is a financial journalist and currently deputy editor at moneysupermarket.com and Kevin is a nuclear engineer.

The couple expect their first baby in April.

Many congratulations all round!

Sean Webb (1977 - 1984) and his wife Michelle (nee Conway) are delighted to announce the birth of their third son, Declan Christopher Webb, born on 7 January 2011 in Cagnes sur Mer, France.

After leaving Princethorpe, Sean completed a Masters in Modern History and French at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, inspired by his old history teacher, Paul Norris. 

Sean and Michelle (née Conway), also of Rugby, were married at Princethorpe in September 1994.

They moved permanently to France in October 1994 and Sean is now Director of Private Banking at Banque Martin Maurel Sella in Monaco. Michelle is Senior Project Manager at Texas Instruments at Villeneuve Loubet, France.

Declan's big brothers are Kieran, aged 6 and Liam, aged 3 both pictured with Declan and Sean.

Many congratulations to all! 

Alex Wallis (Princethorpe 2003-2010) was tragically killed in a road traffic accident on 31 January 2010 at about 2.05pm. He was on his own, returning home from a session in the gym and was looking forward to the New Year.

Headmaster, Ed Hester pays tribute to him.

I remember the first time I saw Alex Wallis; it was on the Rugby pitch in the Year 7 inter-house tournament in the winter of 2003. He was playing for Fisher House, alongside Rohit Judge, Felix Heath, Will Clothier, Felix Van Spall, Henry Green and James Hester. He was known then simply as “Wallis”; the name stuck – it suited him.

Fisher went on to win comfortably that day and indeed across the school Fisher have always been strong in recent years. It was fitting that Wallis went on to be House Captain of the House he served so well for seven years.

Alex Wallis was a very fine young man and a delight to know. He had many, many friends at Princethorpe where he spent seven very happy years, before leaving us after Upper Sixth in July 2010. Alex was heavily involved in all aspects of school life and always gave his best. As a natural sportsman, Rugby was his real passion; his express pace and fearless tackling made him a quality winger – indeed he scored two tries when the Old Princethorpians narrowly defeated our 1st XV in September - but it was his dedication and enthusiasm which really singled him out. It was typical of him that when he twice broke his collar-bone in the Sixth Form, Alex would act as touch-judge for the 1st XV, remaining cheerful in adversity. He was a superb College prefect and as House Captain he was an inspiration to the younger pupils; coaching them, encouraging them and inspiring them to participate. In undertaking charitable events such as the Coventry Way 40–mile sponsored walk for Mary’s Meals or looking after our elderly visitors to the College Christmas lunch he showed great tenacity, patience and humour.

Alex was also the perfect gentleman; he valued friendship and was conspicuous in his loyalty to others but he also had a great sense of fun. He was a true Princethorpian.

Alex’s tragic death has been a huge shock for us all. He will be sadly missed by the staff and students. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Alex's funeral took place in the Princethorpe College Chapel on Friday 21 January. Over 600 people attended; as well as his family, there were a large number of Old Princethorpians, current students and friends from Kenilworth Rugby Club and Stoneleigh Golf Club.

The service was a really beautiful occasion which celebrated Alex’s wonderful life. Although very upsetting, it was also tremendously uplifting to see the extended Princethorpe community coming together at this desperately sad time. Fr Alan Whelan and Fr Teddy O’Brien led the service which included prayers, hymns, music, readings and poems read by Princethorpe students and tributes from Alex’s family, his friends and the Headmaster. There was also a very moving slideshow with photographs of “Wallis” through the years. In his tribute, the Headmaster quoted from Fr Jules Chevalier, the founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, who founded Princethorpe College and commented on how Alex Wallis embodied its ethos:

Ours is a spirit of family
A spirit of brotherhood
Formed by kindness and understanding
By gentleness, humility and simplicity,
By hospitality and a sense of humour.

After the service, the entire Sixth Form lined the drive of the College as a mark of respect to a true Princethorpian whose loss has been felt so deeply by so many.

After the service David and Christine, Alex’s parents, sent the following:

David, Christine and Ellie would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole Princethorpe "family" for their loving care and help in making the saddest day of our lives into the proudest day we have ever known and a tribute to "Wallis" that will remain with us forever. Alex will have been watching, we are sure of that, and would have loved every minute.

Our heartfelt thanks to you all,

The Wallis family. 

Alex Wallis will never be forgotten at Princethorpe. Our fitness suite which is currently being refurbished will be dedicated to his memory. This has been supported with donations from our Parents’ Association and the Old Princethorpians. Further donations would be welcomed. We shall also be planting a tree in his memory within the College grounds.

E D Hester

A new project to systematically archive Princethorpe documents, photographs and other memoribilia is now underway, instigated by Foundation Bursar and OP Eddie Tolcher.

Celia Scott, the College librarian and local resident and past parent John Dyke, are in the process of sorting and cataloguing all the material prior to storage in a new purpose equipped, temperature and humidity controlled archive room within the College.

Comments, Eddie Tolcher, "In the process of gathering all the material together we have come across some items that are a complete mystery to us. We would love OPs to come forward and shed some light on the matter."

Attached are three photographs to challenge the memory.To see them in a bigger format click the links.

Strictly Come Princethorpe - featuring we think a very young Ann Widdecombe.

The Princethorpe Globetrotters - the basketball team ready for action

Princethorpe On Parade - Attention!

Do you know what these events were, what year and who is pictured? If so we'd love to know more! Simply email Old Princethorpians. 

More and more OPs are adding their profiles to the website, simply register or logon at the Past Pupils page to access the database or add your own details.

The latest OPs to add their information include:

• Stjohn White (1977 - 1982)
• Simon Wilkins (1992 - 1994)
• Dennis Prendergast (1974 - 1979)
• James Thorn (1997 - 2000)
• James Bennett (1967)
• Michael Edwards (1989 - 1995)
• Joanna Waters (2001 - 2006)

Why not click here to access the website and get back in touch with them!

Tony Mogboh (1981 - 1988), who now lives in Vancouver, is interested in any information on old pals Chris Sarno, Dionne Sambrook or Deidre Fowler.

Email Old Princethorpians if you have any info to share with Tony.

Reacquainting myself with Princethorpe over the past months has reawakened many happy memories.

I left in 1982 and moved to London to study Physics at Imperial College. I worked really hard for a few weeks, but then realised that there were more attractions at University than studying, and so spent much of the next three years climbing mountains.

When it came towards the end of the final year, exams were looming and I had the competing needs of job hunting, and studying to make up for what I hadn't done along the way. So when IBM offered me a place on their graduate training scheme I took it so that I could focus on getting through my exams. Twenty six happy years later I am still there.

One of many reasons I stayed with IBM through the early years was that I was allowed plenty of time off for  mountaineering expeditions. My first real taste of the mountains was while I was at Princethorpe. When I was about thirteen Mr Cooper organised a joint trip with Lawrence Sherriff school to camp for a weekend in Snowdonia. He took us round the Snowdon Horseshoe. I felt a strange mix of elation and abject terror while crawling on my hands and knees across the narrow part of the ridge on Crib Gogh. I decided there and then that I was not going to let a fear of heights stop me. The fear gradually evolved into something I would describe as a well developed sense of self preservation which is usually a great asset in the mountains. I also remember the Primus stove we borrowed for that trip which Mr Cooper (quite rightly) made me take home and polish twice before it was clean enough.

My first exotic trip was at the end of my first year at Imperial College. A group of eight of us went to Greenland for a six week trip. We had a scientific objective (collecting spiders) which we successfully accomplished and we actually found a species that had not been observed in Greenland before. (Had anyone actually looked??). The trip was a great learning experience in many ways, not least in terms of human interaction. Small groups in close proximity for long periods of time tend to magnify issues and communicate badly - perhaps I should have come up with the concept for Big Brother in 1983 and made my fortune!

Through my twenties and thirtiies I managed to fit in trips to Alaska, Himalayas, Greenland, Karakoram, Spitzbergen and regularly climbed in the Alps. During the winter a small group of us from the Alpine Club used to regularly head off  after work on a Thursday evening and drive through the night to Chamonix. We would arrive at about 6am, head up into the mountains on skis to stay in a mountain hut and climb Saturday and Sunday. We would then drive back during Monday to be fresh (!) for work on Tuesday morning.

By 1996 I found that work was taking me out of London most weeks, and I was sick of fighting with the traffic in and out of London, so I moved back to the Midlands, not far from Princethorpe. I met Janet not long after, and soon we were married with two fantastic little boys, James, now 10 and Jack, 8. James is soon to move to secondary school so we visited Princethorpe with him last summer. I was struck by the amount of change since my time there - substantially improved sports facilities,  building renovation, no boarders, and girls. On the other hand it was great to see some familiar faces amongst the staff. As I walked as a prospective parent into the Chemistry lab I remembered a day when I was in Sixth Form. We were in a Chemistry lesson and I had spilled some chemical on my shirt. My good friend Simon Jones who was a boarder offered to let me borrow one of his. His room was down at the Convent on the Coventry Road. Fr Clarkson and some prospective parents walked into the Lab just as I was shirtlessly exiting through the window to walk down to the Convent. I didn't look back!

It was during this visit last summer that it was suggested I might write something for the next issue of  this newsletter. The best delaying excuse I could come up with on the spot was that I was planning a mountaineering expedition to Antarctica at the end of the year and that it would be better to write it when I had something fresh to write about. A group of seven of us from The Alpine Club chartered a 60ft yacht  to sail down to the Antarctic Peninsula. The four day, 650 mile voyage down from the bottom of South America across The Drake Passage in a small boat was quite an experience in its own right.  By local standards the weather was kind to us, with strongest wind about 65 knots, and 4 - 5m seas. It was miserable being seasick for the first two days, but then I got my sea legs and began to enjoy the sailing. The trip was very successful - we managed six first-ascents and a couple of repeat ascents. In part we were reasonably lucky with the weather. Also we adopted a different logistical approach than most previous expeditions down there - hauling food and fuel to camp high on the glaciers for longer periods rather than using the boat as the base, which meant we were well placed to use good weather when it arrived. Meanwhile back in the UK the weather had been similar to what we were experiencing in Antarctica. Strong winds around Cape Horn had delayed us getting back to Ushuiaia in Argentina. We had planned in a couple of days of contingency before our flights and actually used it all. Airport chaos due to snow threatened at this end. We were very relieved to get back on time on Christmas Eve.

So Mr Cooper's trip to Snowdonia has much to answer for, and I will always be grateful. I am also very grateful for the encouragement, inspiration and friendship I have received from many staff and fellow pupils. One of the kindest acts that I ever experienced was from Fr Kennedy. I joined in second year (now called Year 8) and was doing my best not to show that I was having a tough time settling in. He came over to me one day in the playground and talked to me. I don't remember in any detail what he said, but from then on I knew I had a friend that I could reach out to. That made a huge difference to me, and remembering the positive impact one can have on others is something I try to remember in my professional life as well as my personal life.  I strongly value my friendship with Simon Jones. We sat next to each other in 3rd year (Year 9) and have been best friends ever since. He always copied my Maths homework, did it neatly, and therefore always got better marks than me. Any debt has been repaid a million fold since then.

As I live near Princethorpe I have the privilege of seeing some of the current student population growing up in the community. Though much has changed since my time it seems Princethorpe is doing well, and long may it continue.

After Princethorpe (1974 - 1976), I qualified as a Chartered Accountant with E&Y London and moved with E&Y to Sydney in 1986. Since then I have worked in Chief Financial Officer roles for companies including THORN EMI, Parmalat Dairy and various entrepreneurial Australian companies.

For the last 7+ years I have been self-employed as a finance consultant and am currently consulting to a French company involved with the manufacture of 4WD heavy lift equipment. I got married to Josephine in 1990 and we have an 11-year old daughter, Rachel. We live in the northern Sydney suburb of Belrose, about 10 km from Dee Why Beach.

My fond memories of Princethorpe include the 'Movies Night' in the study hall, lining up for beetroot crumble pie on Sundays, having mumps in the sick bay and Saturdays at Leamington Spa, Rugby or Coventry City.

I was particularly fond of the pottery/art classes with Mr Skiffington and religion with Sister Lynda O’Dea. Sadly Sister Lynda passed away in 1987. Father O’Connor was also a good Maths teacher.

To date, the only “Old Princethorpian” I have kept intermittent contact with is Michael Binney who was last in HK I believe. I would love to hear from/receive news of any member in my classes of 1974 to 1976 (Form 4 and Form 5).

Since leaving Princethorpe in 1994, I went to University in Bristol and studied to become an accountant. I did that for a number of years before getting married to my wife Mary and moving to an island just off Auckland, New Zealand.

Now I have had a complete career change and am work for the Ministry of Social Development here helping review national legislation, translate it into policy and help oversee its subsequent implementation.

My memories of Princethorpe are around the teaching staff mainly, the people who created sparks in me, Mr Darkes and Mr White are two who always come to mind. Unfortunately I am not in direct touch with people but through Facebook keep up with a fair few from my year.

I have been in Hamilton, New Zealand for almost 7 years and am now dual-nationality British and Kiwi. 

Since leaving Princethorpe in 1992, I studied Chemistry at Oxford (thanks to Windy Miller for sending me off on that path!) but I no longer work in a chemistry-related area.  I now have a really interesting job as a Business Analyst for the farm improvement company that's responsible for, among other things, the artificial insemination of around three-quarters of New Zealand's 4-million dairy cows.  Where else could you talk about semen regularly at work?! 

When I'm not working, I'm busy looking after my two young boys; Alex, 4, and Adam, 1.  I'm still in touch with a few ex-Princethorpians, and have been very good friends with Leigh Hunt since we both left Princethorpe in 1992.  It was through Leigh that I met my husband, Scott.  Leigh and I still see each other regularly - he and his family live in New Zealand now too!

Since leaving Princethorpe in 1984 I was offered a scholarship to study mining engineering at the Camborne School of Mines (now Uni of Exeter) and emigrated to South Africa in 1992. The geography teachers at Priggers (Mr Kitterick et al) part inspired me to do this subject.

I met my wife (from Sunderland!) at a remote diamond mine town there and worked in various locations until 1998 when we decided to move to Australia. We initially worked in outback nowhere, WA then made our way across to the eastern seaboard where we based ourselves and then spent some time in Papau New Guinea and Indonesia mining the shiny yellow metal and some coal.

We now enjoy life in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Queensland - the house survived the recent flooding, but we had seven days without power which made life interesting in the middle of a hot and humid summer, just as well we camp a bit.

I’ve met up with a few likely lads from my Priggers era during visits to the UK and enjoyed having a beer with them recalling the capers we got up to as boarders.

It would be good to know of other OPs living in this part of the world – I’ve been trying to locate a certain “CV” from Malaysia who was at Princethorpe during 1982/3 to 198? – any leads? He and Eddy Enwonwu were consummate entrepreneurs and may have done a bit of studying in-between their various schemes, then again, probably not!

On a sad note, my older brother Mark Pesch passed away in 2004, he was at Princethorpe too so some guys may remember him. My younger brother, Warren (another OP) now lives in London.