Old Princethorpians

Princethorpe will be starring on the airwaves this Sunday (18 October) after BBC Coventry & Warwickshire spent a morning on site at the College last week.

Keith Wedgebury, presenter of Wedge's Warwickshire interviewed Assistant Head, Alex Darkes and Head Boy and Girl, James and Megan Godden for the show.

Wedge's Warwickshire is a show dedicated to rural life. Each week Keith Wedgebury goes out and about around the county discovering what goes on.

Comments Alex Darkes, "Keith wanted an insight into Princethorpe's history, its links with the local community and recent developments and he seemed to enjoy his walk round the school greatly."

The hour long show will air this Sunday (18 October) at 3.00pm and will be repeated on Wednesday (21 October) at 8.00pm. Tune in to BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, 94.8FM and 103.7FM. If you miss the show you can replay it on BBC iplayer.

Old Princethorpians 17 – 0 Princethorpe College 1st XV

On Wednesday 2 September for the first time in the college history the Old Boys took on the school in what was to be the new John Shinkwin Trophy in acknowledgement of our previous Headmaster.

The Old Boys captained by Michael Mitchell were really ‘pumped-up’ for the game throwing all of their experience and strength into the match. With horrendous conditions the game was a real spectacle for the 100 strong crowd, for many of which it was the first time on the side lines for a good number of years. The game was always going to be a forward battle with the ball very difficult to handle but two pieces of brilliance from the majestic Angus Rose saw the Old Boys take the spoils and lift the trophy.

OP Chairman Peter Rollason, who was a touch judge at the game, commented, "It was a credit to both sides that such skilful rugby was played in such awful conditions and it was a very encouraging debut to what everyone hopes will be a regular fixture."

After the game, food and refreshments saw memories relived and many positive words said of the prospects for the season.

Thanks must go to all the catering staff, Eddie Tolcher, the families and the boys for making the evening such a delight.

Jon Fitt, Master of Rugby

Eddie was at Princethorpe from 1972 to 1978.

He started working here in 2008, but previously he had a close involvement with the College as a Governor for 6 years.

His memories of his schooldays range from walking around the mile walk and down to the Convent (now the Retreat Centre) and playing cricket on warm summer evenings to braving the outdoor unheated swimming pool.

He says he developed a love of history at the College and discovered economics in the Sixth Form, which he then chose to pursue at University. He also has valued the friendships he made and the development of his faith.

Eddie says he has never really escaped from Princethorpe! "My wife, Ann, & I were married in the chapel in 1993, then I became a governor and now my eldest son Christopher is carrying on the Princethorpe tradition and enjoying life in Year 8!"  

He continues, "I have kept in contact with John Mallorie and Chris Higham and I was thrilled recently to get in contact with Chris O'Neill having lost touch some years ago. I met loads of other contemporaries at the Memorial Service for Fr Clarkson back in April."

Eddie is keen to track down anyone who left the Sixth Form in 1977, 78 & 79.

Sarah, aka Sybil, was at Princethorpe from 1982 to 1984.

She started working as a part-time Art Teacher at the College in 2007.

Her memories are rich and varied:

Bluebells, Switzerland, the Art portacabin, Keats with the Weirs, Choir rehearsals in the Chapel, a global community including friends from Mauritius, Europe, Africa and Asia, the architecture and the study hall fresco, nuns and priests."

She continues, "I once I saw Father Mac dressed in black cassocks, skid down the freshly polished corridor leading to his office."

Sarah lives with her family locally, "From my home I have a bucolic view of the tower and woods on the horizon, beckoning me! I love the atmosphere, the light in the studios, the great facilities in Art department.

Sarah is still in touch with members of 'Epicurean Society' and would love to hear from Benoit Eynaud.

Vikki was at Princethorpe in the Sixth Form from 1995 to 1997.

After her A-levels she went off to Cardiff University to read English and a couple of years later she did a PGCE. She then taught for three years at a Catholic comprehensive school in Port Talbot.

But Princethorpe beckoned and in 2007 a decade after leaving the school, she was back teaching English at the College.

Vikki says, " I kept in touch with Chris Kerrigan over the years, he knew how much I wanted to teach English at Princethorpe, and the minute the opportunity came up, I leapt at it."

Vikki is enjoying working in the English Dept, recently taking gifted and talented pupils on residential creative writing courses and setting up a new Creative Writing Group.

Paul was at Princethorpe from 1985 to 1991.

He worked at Princethorpe part time from 1996-7, then full time from 2000. 

Paul has lots of memories of his time as a pupil, here are just a few of them:

• Larger than life teachers – Lou Skiffington, Barry Weenan, who I aspired to as art and technical drawing ‘Gods’. 
• The first summer at the end of Year 8, a teacher didn’t turn up for a French lesson cover (VI form also used to do cover), so a small group of us just decided to go up to little Swiss and play on the rope swing.  
• The threat of being slippered if you forgot your books.  
• Being locked outside in the cold winter – you couldn’t stay inside at break.  As Year 11 (fifth form) you took up the much coveted position at the warm air vent outside the laundry – now my department. 
• White shag pile carpet in F13 - Fr Alan’s classroom. 
• The crappy old portacabin for VI Form Art – it was a hole!!  But always the strength of the art work on the walls and striving to get your work there one day.

Paul says of getting a job at Princethorpe, "I always kept in close contact with Lou Skiffington through Uni and when I graduated he called me back to teach four periods a week, not much, but it was a much wanted foot back in the door. I then went off to get my PGCE and waited in the wings teaching at fairly local comprehensive schools – the rest is history!!"

"I feel proud to be carrying on and building upon the strong art tradition, but putting our (Sue Harris' and my) stamp/personal touch on it."

Paul  has lost touch with many of the friends he had at VI form, apart from Paul Rynot. He would be keen to hear from anyone from his year.

Steve was a pupil at Princethorpe from 1970-1977.

He started working here in Sept 1982.

He remembers as a schoolboy "having to remove our shoes when entering the school from the playground and putting on our sandals for indoor wear!"

He says that as a year group, the leavers of '77 are in regular touch but he would like to get in touch with Nick Culley again.

Alex was a pupil at Princethorpe  from 1968 to 1975

He has been teaching here since 1979.

Alex recalls, "I first walked through the doors at Princethorpe on 4 June 1967 – I remember it well because it was my brother’s 7th birthday! It was then that I met the inspirational Fr Bill Clarkson who would offer me a job on the staff some twenty–two years later and I have been here ever since!"

"Bill Clarkson was not Headmaster until 1969, but as Dean he had a significant role in the day-to-day running of the school and had a strong influence on my formative years"

"I have happy memories of my time here as a pupil; the unique ethos had been firmly imbued by the MSCs and I am still in touch with many of those priests who were central to establishing the school at Princethorpe. It seems amusing these days to be teaching the children of pupils who were my own school pals."

"Charlie Lawton and I chatted most days on the bus coming in from Leamington and we find ourselves forty or so years on as members of the OPs committee and the conversations just carry on where they left off more than thirty years ago on an ex-London Transport double decker struggling up the hill at Wappenbury! Remember the day we had to get out and push it up the hill?! And Sean Philpott and I started at Princethorpe on the same day in 1968 standing at the same bus stop in Lillington, seeing Sid Spanner drive past in the comfort of his warm car – a little blue DAF!"

"I feel delighted to see a resurgence in enthusiasm for OPs and excited that we now have a regular programme of social events and the opportunity to invite former pupils back to the school."

Sean was a pupil at PC from 1968 – 1972. 

He started working here in 1978. 

His memories of his school days are rather blurred, but her recalls it being rather austere and cold.  

When asked what drew him back to the College, he says, "it was the community that drew me back and I wanted to teach in a local Catholic school."

Overall, he has not regretted joining, as he enters his 32nd year of working at the College!

Bernie is an honorary OP as he was a pupil at St Bedes from 1961 to 1962, he says:

"I was at St. Bedes (Fr. Fleming was Headmaster and Fr Clarkson a young chemistry teacher) for a couple of years, and then went to Ullathorne Grammar School in Coventry.

I came here in September 1973 after doing one year's teaching in Feltham Comprehensive in London. The PE guy at Princethorpe took my job at Feltham and I took his (as a temporary job until I went to the USA) at Princethorpe! What a coincidence! Can't remember whether his name was Neale or Jones.

Fr Clarkson , once teacher, then as Headmaster and my employer, married Kate and myself in the college chapel in 1977.  We were the 13th couple to be married here!!"

After posing for our OPs staff group photograph the other day, Bernie commented, "Looking around I realised that I had taught all of the other staff except for Sean P. How old does that make me feel!!"

Some Old Princethorpians have loved the College so much that they have returned as members of staff and in some cases they have spent decades within the College's walls and grounds.

Currently there are no less than eight members of staff who are OPs, many of whom will be very familiar and well-loved faces to you. Together they have racked up nearly 175 years studying and working at the College!

In order of longevity working at the College we have the following:

• Bernie Moroney (36 years)
• Sean Philpott (31 years)
• Alex Darkes (30 years)
• Steve White (27 years)
• Paul Hubball (10 years)
• Vikki Ball (2 years)
• Sarah Roberson (2 years)
  and last but by no means least
• Eddie Tolcher (1 year)