OFA newsletter

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As this is the first Newsletter of 2000 it would seem appropriate to start with two very important dates:-

O.F.A. Annual General Meeting

Friday March 31st at 8p.m. in the

Memorial Clubhouse.

Please make it your new Millennium resolution to attend this meeting. We should be able to fill the Clubhouse given the number of members on our mailing list.

If anyone is able to spare a small amount of time to serve on the Committee please let either Pat Jenkins or Alastair Law know. We do need some new recruits.

Old Freemen’s Day - Sunday June 25th

Put this date in your diary now and then contact all your friends, so that we have a really good crowd to start the new century. One or two of our overseas members hope to be with us, so if they can get to Ashtead those of you who live nearby should certainly put in an appearance.

Welcome to all our new members and welcome back to those who have re-joined. We hope to see the majority of you at Old Freemen’s Day. Families are very welcome.

To Robin Eve (1951) on his election as Chief Commoner. He will hold the post for a year and on occasions has to deputise for the Lord Mayor. The position entitles him to a flat at the Guildhall, a personal secretary and a chauffeur. It is a fitting culmination to twenty years as a Common Councillor. He is the first Old Freeman to be a Chief Commoner and we congratulate him whole heartedly.

To Chris Cobb (1959) on obtaining his Masters Degree Diploma in Project Management at Reading University. It took him four hours study a night for two years. The degree was presented by the President of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Only eleven people passed out of the forty two that started and the rest of the post graduate students were made up of people doing re-sits from the previous year and the year before that. So he has reason to feel proud of his achievement.

To Peter Barnes (1963) who is to take over as Company Secretary of West Ham Football Club following the resignation of the present secretary. He is currently at Tottenham.

This news was spotted by Bob Voyce (1945) on the 6 o’clock news the other night.

New Year’s Eve Party This was a most successful event and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. The fireworks were very effective and for half an hour or more the sky was a dazzle of coloured lights.

The idea of everybody bringing a designated item of food meant that no one was kept in the kitchen preparing or washing up afterwards, so the ladies too had a relaxing evening.

The “Topping Out” Ceremony On January 18^th this ceremony took place on the roof of the new centre which will provide 23 class-rooms, a library , careers centre, offices and information technology facilities. The Chairman of the Governors Mr Michael Bramwell laid the engraved tile, under the watchful eye of the Headmaster Mr David Haywood, the Head Boy and Girl and a boy and girl from the Junior School. A number of guests were invited to attend the ceremony.

Ben Lomax (1997) is at Nottingham University reading Surveying and his sister Joanna Lomax (1997) is at the same University reading French and Business Studies.

Camilla Cobb (1994) obtained a combined Honours degree in Art and Psychology and is now working as a therapist with the mentally handicapped in Northampton.

Justin and Jenny Gilbert (1989) arrived in Canada to find the first snow of winter was lying on the ground. They reckoned it would have been enough to cause chaos in Britain but “ more of a sneeze’s worth as far as Calgary was concerned.”

They have explored Calgary and visited the Rockies and were doing some serious job hunting. They were amazed to find that the gym they have joined has a 50 metre pool with 9 lanes, a diving and a teaching pool, as well as indoor courts. There are two gyms which are huge, an indoor running track, a climbing wall and full Sports Medicine facilities. As if this were not enough there are plans to expand next year.

Caroline Beeson (1996) wrote in December :- “I graduated from Southampton University in July 1999 with a 2:2 in Physiology with Nutrition (along with Philippa Jones). I spent two months over the summer travelling around South East Asia with a University friend. We visited Thailand , Malaysia, Singapore and Bali and had an amazing time elephant trekking, scuba diving and shopping!

When I got back I began doing secretarial temping and was offered a job at a Peugeot dealership where I worked. I am currently a Trainee Export Sales Executive/ Administrator which involves doing administration work for any car that I or my Department Manager sells. Basically I sell Peugeots to members of the Armed Forces based in the UK and abroad - so if any Old Freemen who are in the Forces want a new car….! I’ve only been there a month so I am not a hardened salesman yet.

I am still in touch with Emma Hurlstone , Kate Hobbs (both just finished a year out abroad), Suzanne Frye (4^th year Medic at Southampton), Trudie Ferrada (doing a Masters at York), Philippa Jones (working at Kingston Hospital), Anne Butterfield (just finished at Oxford Brookes), Alison Macdermott ( 3^rd year at York) and Suzanne Knight (3^rd year at Kent).”

Benita Fifield nee Mayers (1952) sent a newsy letter at Christmas in which she described her new home. “I have a duplex (semi-detached ) two bedroom bungalow. I have a few less square feet on the main floor and no basement. However I managed to find a place for most of the furniture and treasures that I had in Edmonton. My home is in a Strata Complex. There are 48 houses, same style but several different sizes and we pay a monthly fee for the outside maintenance and painting and the care of the gardens (except for the small back gardens for which the owners are responsible).

I chose Qualicum Beach because it is a small village, about 7000, and I chose the location of my house because I can walk the 1Km to the town centre or 2Km to the waterfront.

There is a very active Newcomers Association here to which you can belong for two years and at the moment there are 300 members. I have joined the weekly walking group, a book club, the ladies lunch group and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” - every other month we are divided into groups of eight, told which course of the meal to take with us and the address to go to. Theoretically nobody knows who will be there but I’m told they cheat! Anyway, it’s a great way to meet people and I’m looking forward to taking the appetizer course to my first one next week.”

Keith Archer (1946) rang me just after he received the last Newsletter wanting to get in touch with John Dale who went all the way through School with him. John is not a member but was host to Pauline Taylor (ex-staff 1975) on her recent journey, so I could only suggest he contacted Pauline to get the address. I gather they are now in contact again.

Tim Cox (Geography Master) wrote thanking me for sending him the last Newsletter and said: -

“It is always very interesting to read about former pupils especially those that I have taught.” He then went on to give more information about “Joe Strummer” which Gordon Vowles (ex-staff 199?) had sent to him. “I remember John Mellor. He was already boarding at the School when I arrived in 1963. Small and lively he tended to look after his brother, David, who, although two years his senior, was very withdrawn and introverted. They had a lot of travelling abroad to visit their parents. Father was a Vice- Consul in the Middle East. We heard that John was in a Pop group - Joe Strummer must be well known to some but I have not come across the name - not my type of music!”

Tim had also spotted an article in the “Times” about the artist Gavin Turk and added that he and Gordon remember him as a boarder too.

Tim has a query:- Can anyone tell him who was the House-master before John Lansdown? I think it was Bob Taylor.

Mark Coote (Careers Master and Editor of the “Ashteadian”) recently received a letter from a lady in the Hastings and Bexhill area who was a Head Girl around 1927. The reason for her letter is that Mark is the prospective Conservative (MP) Candidate for that Constituency. Tim has promised to pass on a copy of that letter.

His next comment was on the mention in the last newsletter of Phil Thomas as a former Geography Master at CLFS. He recalls that the name “Taffy” occurred in several places on the bedroom floor of the Bothy where Tim spent his first year at Freemen’s in 1977/8.

Hugh Butterworth (II) (1947) has been in contact with Bob Voyce (1945) and

told him that he had a heart by- pass last March then had a set back in May with Cellulitus but that he has now made a complete recovery and is walking 7 miles a day around Devon.

Martin Hearne ( Head of Sixth Form Studies) has passed on the information that Julia Lowe (197?) is taking part in the BBC Programme “Castaways”. He has also lent Tim Cox (Geography Dept.) a book by Stephen Smith (1978) called “the Cocaine Train”. Stephen is a Channel 4 News reporter.

Russell Warren Howe (1942) has sent confirmation that B.E.S.Knowles did in fact live next door to D.H. Lawrence’s cottage in Dorset and that the articles that he wrote about him for “Ashteadian” Number 14 were his actual observations of the famous man. Sadly, B.E.S. Knowles was a rear gunner and he was shot down in an RAF bomber over Narvik in 1940.

Russell Schurmer (1960) says his last Newsletter took 58 days to reach him in Spain. Is this a record I wonder?

Jane Paginton (1990) having obtained her B.A. Hons in Illustration, is now a freelance graphic designer with her own company. She has a flat in Chelsea.

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE OLD FREEMEN’S ASSOCIATION ARE DUE ON - APRIL 1^ST - STANDING ORDERS ARE AVAILABLE - Contact Pat Jenkins at the address on letterhead.

Thanks to donations from a number of people there are now a number of new items in the Archives and I have received promises of more material. So don’t forget to look at the display on Old Freemen’s Day. It would be ungrateful not to mention that Tim Cox has once again provided some fascinating material and that Russell Howe sent a much longer item about his School days, a resume of which is included below, the whole feature has been filed under “School Memories.” It is encouraging when there is such a positive response to my requests for information, so thank you to every one who sent in their memoirs.

I have had no engagements, marriages or births sent to me since the last Newsletter, but sadly we have heard of a number of deaths.

This information was passed to Bob Voyce( 1945) by John’s brother Hugh Butterworth (II) (1947).

John “Chas” Chalmers (1920) died on September 12^th 1999. His wife Margaret kindly passed on this information.

Mary Smith nee Henman ( 2^nd Form mistress in the 1950’s). She died of cancer last October leaving a husband, children and grandchildren.

Pat Beer who was briefly on the staff in the English department in the 1950’s.

She died of cancer in August. As a poet of some distinction her death caused obituaries in both the Times and the Telegraph. She leaves a husband.

“Johnny” Leslie - for many years in the Science Department. Her death appeared in the Pensioners Newsletter for December 1999.

We are grateful to Pauline Taylor for the above three entries. She added that Johnny’s daughter Sandra Leslie was an Old Freeman. Also that she saw Johnny on Jersey a few years ago and that she was still very handicapped from that bad traffic accident.

John Little (1939) died on Tuesday January 13^th 2000 aged 77. He was at home in St Agnes Cornwall. Our informant was his brother Brian.

Pauline Taylor nee Dart (ex-staff 1975) has kindly sent this souvenir “when I got to Freemen’s in January 1948 as a new resident member of staff, I was appalled by the spartan conditions in the bedrooms and dormitories. I quickly bought myself a comfortable divan! But the transformation of the Girl’s dormitories which followed was memorable. In place of one iron bedstead, one chair, one basket and no floor covering, new mattresses and blankets arrived, as did small chests of drawers and bedside rugs. Not the Hilton but a vast improvement!”

Perhaps, now would be a good time to offer my apologies to Pauline for wrongly recording the date at which she retired from the School. I am sorry and have now altered my records so it shouldn’t happen again.

Ron Everest (1928) has very kindly sent me copies of the two commemorative “Ashteadians” which belonged to his sister Hilda. He has also promised to contribute something about the Old Brixton Orphan School which he has been working on for some months. As soon as possible please Ron. I could type it for you if that would help.

Malcolm Fruin (194?) - “My most vivid recollection of life in Ashtead was waking up at 5a.m. on my twelfth birthday with glass all over my bed in 23 Dorm, where I was sleeping between the windows. The V2 which fell beyond the cricket pitch had blown in all the windows in the building and the remarkable thing was nobody was even cut. The lone exception being the porter’s dog. It was quite a bang. The date was Feb.15^th 1945.”

Russell Warren Howe (1942) recalls that a new junior would have a very rough time, unless he became the ‘fag’ of a senior. No homosexuality was implied; it was like being the batman of an officer in the armed services. B.E.S.Knowles was my “protector,” he adds.

“ I came to CFS ( we never used the L in those days) in1935, only ten years after the remove from the Orphanage at Brixton; and left in 1942 to go to Cambridge and then to the RAF a year later as a Spitfire pilot.

Only the Headmaster, W.W.Parkinson, the headmistress, Miss Hutton ( it would have been frivolous and unseemly to ask what her Christian name was ), and the Housemaster, Edward R. “Bob” Roberts, remained of the Brixton Staff, but the Brixton regime was still very much in place. Most notably, we were not allowed out of the grounds except on Sundays, and then only under the control of a master or mistress - or, in my time, a monitor or prefect (second year monitor). We couldn’t go down to the village to buy “tuck”; but there was an obvious ambiguity in that there were now, for the first time, day-boys - and eventually, of course, day-girls - to whom we gave cash to buy our “tuck” and doughnuts for us.

On the Sunday walks, we illicitly frequented Harbottle’s Confectionery Shop, since Harbottle’s son was a day-boy and anxious to have our approval.

The teaching staff were all required to be celibate. In return , they were lodged and fed three hearty meals a day, with unlimited second helpings. The bedrooms of the Ralli Mansion had become dormitories; the boudoirs on the first floor had become the masters’ bedrooms and those on the second, bedrooms for the mistresses. In return for being allowed to regard their salaries as pocket money, the staff were required to do duties which would probably not be accepted by teachers’ unions today. “Froggy” Taylor coached cricket and trundled the machine which painted the white lines on the athletics tracks. He also took boys to Paris. “Kong” Rowland - and when Kong was conscripted, “Jammy” Davies - coached rugby and life-guarding and ran summer camps in Dorset or the Isle of Wight. Sometimes as many as five masters took advantage of this modestly paid holiday.

“Bob” Roberts taught first form religion and art to the Junior forms, using materials which would seem funny today. He also ran the weekly tuck shop, deducting the payment from his “bank,” to which we contributed the pocket money (well, part of it) that our parents gave us. He also handled our mail, and allowed the seniors to listen to “educational” programmes on the BBC, piped in from the Masters’ Common Room. I remember that when the Brains Trust started to debate a listener’s question as to whether co-educational schools weren’t a bit risques, our transmission was abruptly cut off.

The Headmaster appeared to limit his non-adminstrative duties to the brief religious moment at the beginning of the day, the School Service at St Giles on Sunday (he was a Lay Reader), and to running the Debating Society, where I came to know him best.

The key event in the lives of my age-group was World War Two. Like the children in John Boorman’s film, “Hope and Glory”, our life was entirely changed by “Adolf”. Food rationing was introduced, and “Bob” Roberts took over the task of head gardener of the pupils’ new ‘vegetable garden’ When he ran into my father and mother at an MGM “Premiere at the Empire Leicester Square, he explained that we boys called him “Bob” and that he saw himself as “Mr Chips.” I told my parents that he was pushing things a bit; but I could see how his activities like the vegetable garden and teaching art and religion to the youngest pupils reflected his lifelong bachelor’s desire to have a sort of family. He certainly had a limber hand with the cane when he felt called upon to correct dormitory high jinks.

Other masters also had nick-names like Nemo King, Binge Le Marchant and Stinky Barker who always had a pipe-smoker’s breath.

The principal event of 1940 was the arrival, in the autumn of the City Of London Girl’s School. They were ‘evacuees,’ because of the bombing of London. We were too small a school to accommodate all of CLS, so the girls were to be billeted in the Village and came to school only in the afternoons. Later, they were moved out of the Home Counties area; but for a term our four hour morning became a five hour one and we had the afternoons off.

We were ordered not to steal into the quadrangle in the afternoon to see who was sitting at our desks, but of course we did so, because virtually all of us had received “love “ letters in those desks. I found my correspondent rather off-putting, so I left a reply explaining, untruthfully, that having lived with my ‘missionary parents’ in the Belgian Congo (where I never expected to go, but where I later won my first journalism award) I had contracted leprosy. Eventually, I explained my fingers, toes, lips and nose would drop off. I would not want to expose her to this contagion. The next day I learned that she admired my missionary family(?), honesty(?) and welcomed the opportunity of being a good Christian by being my companion for life. Exasperated by her devotion, I explained to her where the desk of the boy I most disliked was placed, and urged that he deserved her generous fervours more than I.

But by far the most revolutionary development of the war was our year of life in the basement, when the Battle of Britain began. On the first night that we were moved downstairs because of a bombing raid, I made the supreme mistake of persuading a group of friends to take refuge with me in the basement bathroom. Conclusion. Never try to sleep in a bath that does not contain warm water. The following night we joined the others on the floor.

Before the War, if a boy had so much as touched the arm of a girl he would have been in real trouble. Now, with the gramophone playing, and the Luftwaffe droning overhead, we were being encouraged to dance to the slow fox trot!

The War brought changes to CFS, and to the U.K. as a whole. Mr. King broke the mould by getting married and living outside the redoubt. He even used his extra-territoriality to buy a car. The headmaster and his wife did not know how to drive, nor had they ever learned to ride a bicycle, as he once told me. More curiously, none of the teaching staff rode bicycles, but walked to and from the Leg of Mutton and Cauliflower for their evenings out. This is not as bizarre as it sounds, as neither of my parents, who were the Head’s generation, could ride a bike and only my mother learned to become a not-very-good driver, rarely moving beyond thirty miles per hour. It was a different world.”

Russell Schurmer(1960) recalls his time at school during the mid-fifties. “Each morning having to collect all the books and materials I would need for lessons that day and checking my Prep. Book to find out which rooms we would be using. Unfortunately one item I nearly always seemed to forget was the bottle of ink to refill my fountain pen.

Another thing that I recall in those halcyon days, was that each November we visited London to take tea with the Lord Mayor in the Guildhall. Does that still take place?

One year my class went to Bishopsgate Police Station where I got locked into a “Black Maria.” We went on to St Bartholomew’s Church for a service and as we were assembling there a chap came in and shouted out. “I’m Norman the Butcher. Get yer meat from me.” He was escorted out by a clergyman carrying a mace.

I was very interested to read of Pauline Taylor nee Dart’s travels and remember her well. She was our History teacher and probably the only lady teacher who commanded instant respect on coming into the class-room. I was not very good at History so it was not one of my favourite subjects. I am sure that Pauline recalls what a “clock watcher” I was. I think that the term “clock watcher” actually featured in one of my reports, which didn’t go down well with my parents. I am still a clock watcher, having one in every room and they all show different times.”

I wonder what Freud would make of that ! The annual City visit does still take place.

Jean Baumann(1956) wrote from snowy Wales sending a couple of photos which unfortunately will not reproduce for this Newsletter, but if she can get the clearer copies she offered they can go into the “Ashteadian;” and also the CLF stories she promised.

There is a Guild of Scholars of the City Of London, which was formed in 1998 to encourage former pupils from the three ‘City Schools’ to maintain a foothold , and to develop an active interest in the history, the present, and the future aspirations of The City of London.

Membership is open to all former pupils, Staff, and retired Staff. They must have obtained their ‘Freedom of the City of London’ but there is no subscription.

In addition any pupil aged 14-17, who is still at school may apply to become an Apprentice to a Freeman of the City at little cost and minimal commitment. He or she will then be entitled, at the age of 21, to apply for the Freedom of the City and membership of the Guild of Scholars. This Apprenticeship will be of particular interest to those boys and girls who may wish to pursue a career in the City.

Annual events are organised to promote fellowship among the members, including an annual dinner and visits to places of interest.

The Annual General Meeting was held on 11^th January 2000 when the following were elected.

Committee Members: - Mark Hammond, Stuart Underwood, Chris Tate, Bob Davies, Matt Anderson, Steve Aldred, Geoff West, and Steve Winslet.

Indoor Nets. Contact Tom Innes on 0208 5654459 . These will continue until Easter.

First Fixture 29^th April -2 p.m. New members are always welcome. Contact David Richardson on 01737 833237.

At the moment we have some vacancies - so if you would like to participate, and stand the chance of winning £50 or a £100 each month and £2,000 in the April draw then contact :-

Theo van Dort Jnr, Yew Trees, 41, Langley Avenue, Surbiton. Surrey. KT6 6QP or email tvandort@lineone.net

He will send you a standing order form for £5 a month which you fill in and pass to your bank. It couldn’t be simpler and it could be a winner.

The committee would like to take this opportunity of thanking all our Life-savers, who not only give up their time to supervise swimming sessions but have to undergo refresher courses and examinations to stay qualified. THANKS. Thanks too to Tracy Pearson who runs the courses for the Life-savers. If you are interested in qualifying please contact her on 01372 278663.

There are still vacancies at the School Sports Hall on a Tuesday night for anyone interested in Badminton, Squash or Aerobics. It only costs £3 a session and it works out even cheaper if you pay termly - so why not turn up and see if you like it. We are sure you will!!

Malcolm Fruin (194?) thinks that the Old Freemen’s Association needs a web-page. His idea is that ultimately an e-mail would go out saying that the Newsletter is now posted on the site and members could dial up and read it.

His suggested first step is to enquire how many are on line and whether our members would favour a web site for retrieving information. So information please to Pat Jenkins, together with any e- mail addresses.

We are aware that this might not suit all our members and postage would have to continue for a number of years. Cost too may be a deciding factor- but it is worth enquiring. To Pat Jenkins,please.

Any time really as there is always another publication in the pipeline. Photographs always help to illustrate an article, and I do send them back. So please keep the material coming. It would be lovely to get more information on the leavers of the last 10 years. You must have done something, so tell us about it- please.

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