News - March 2010

Peter Lambell (RGS 1977-1983)
Will be standing in the next general election as a Lib Dem in Croydon Central. Do get in touch if you are standing - for any party - and we will add it to our news here.

Simon Lucas (RGS 1989-1997)
Simon is engaged to Claire McHale, a Northern Irish doctor based in Belfast. Their wedding will be on 13 August 2010. Simon is currently working as Head of History at Worth School in Sussex. Click on the small photo to see a larger version.

News - February 2010

Wing Commander Bob Doe
Some of you may have noticed an obituary in the Daily Telegraph (link to article here) for Bob Doe who died on February 21 aged 89. He was the joint-third most successful fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain, credited with 14 victories and two shared. Although he did not attend RGS, he lived in Broadfield Cottage which was demolished to make way for the Peter Masefield (Dining) Hall at school. The School arranged for a blue plaque which commemorates his birth to be put up on the house next to Cornwallis. Bob came to its unveiling in 2000. 

News - January 2010

Richard Cantrill (RGS 1984-1992)
Richard came back to school on 21 January to present Duke of Edinburgh Awards to pupils. Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

Peter Manfield (RGS 1986-1994)
Peter has been deployed by UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) as part of the initial team coordinating relief in Haiti. He has been seconded from his job as Humanitarian Affairs Officer in their South African regional office, and will be in Haiti for between three and eight weeks.  Photo shows Peter and his son Theo at the Thanksgiving for Theo’s birth, held recently in Redhill.

Phil Siegle (RGS 1995-2003) and Jon Bailey (RGS 1996-2003)
Phil and Jon will be running the Paris Half Marathon on 7 March 2010, hoping to raise over a thousand pounds for the Help for Heroes charity. Phil says: "H4H does not seek to criticise or be political, they simply want to help and to do so by asking everyone to do their bit to raise money. Once that money is raised, they go to the experts in the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for guidance as to how best to spend it. It is their intention to spend all they raise on the practical, direct support of those wounded in the service of our country since 9/11.

The training has been going very well despite the recent snow! But we still really need your support for this great charity. So please could you sponsor us at - www.justgiving.com/Philip-Siegle"

News - December 2009

Andrew Dauncey (RGS 1978-1984)
After leaving RGS, I held a number of jobs until falling into HM Customs & Excise in 1988, where I remained until joining the UK Border Agency this December. I work in Criminal Investigation and have done for the last 5 years. I am a Firearms Make Safe Officer and obtained an NVQ level 3 in Investigation. I have recently started travelling, visiting places such as Denmark, Istanbul and China two years ago where I spent my fortieth birthday standing on the Great Wall. France is a favourite destination as my parents live in the Loire valley. My main hobby is hunting with air rifles and I really enjoy the outdoors, I recently acquired a longbow and am trying to find the time to take up archery. I have four children, two of whom are still in secondary education. I live in Redhill and have done for a number of years

Alex Hawkes (RGS 1992-2000)
Alex is working as a software developer for the Japanese investment bank, Nomura. His scouting skills which developed at RGS come in extremly useful as he likes to spend his spare time hiking in various parts of the UK. Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

News - November 2009

Bevis Hillier (RGS 1951-1959)
Bevis has received an Honorary Doctorate of Letter from the University of Winchester. His nomination reflects his "international distinction as an art historian, author and journalist and his local connection to the university and the City of Winchester as a Brother at the Hospital of St Cross."

OR Netball Club
The newly formed OR Netball Club had their first match on Saturday - a narrow loss to Reigate Netball Club 23-22. Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

Tom Saunders (RGS 1990-1998)
Tom Saunders has recently been selected to represent the Royal Air Force as the 2010 Hawk Display pilot and will be performing at airshows throughout the summer. Tom completed his Private Pilot's Licence aged 17 while still at RGS and went on to become a civilian flying instructor two years later. Between 1999 and 2004, Tom spent 3500 hours flying in a variety of aircraft including business jets and turbo props in Europe and the Carribean. He chose to pursue a military flying career and began Initial Officer Training at Royal Air Force Cranwell in 2004. Following Elementary Flying Training he was selected for fast jet training on the Tucano and Hawk aircraft. In between flying courses, Tom spent 10 months with the RAF Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows, working in the Public Relations department whilst flying in the back seats during display practices wherever possible! Tom currently works as an instructor, teaching RAF and Royal Navy student pilots to fly the Hawk. After the 2010 display season, Tom will commence Tactical weapons training and hopes to fly the Typhoon on his next tour.

Tom lives in Anglesey with his wife Josephine. He enjoys a variety of sports including squash, wakeboarding and skiing and is also a keen amateur dramatist!

Richard Cantrill (RGS 1984-1992)
Richard is a Major in the Royal Marines who has just returned from Afghanistan having commanded Lima Company of 42 Commando Royal Marines during Operation HERRICK 9, which lasted seven and a half months. While in Afganistan he ended up working alongside Mark Hickman - a fellow RGS alumnus from the same year - who was a Company Commander with the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment.

Richard was awarded the Military Cross in July for his role in a Commando assault on the town of Kasnishin, where he "orchestrated an exemplary scheme of manoeuvre that took the initiative away from the enemy. He then led Lima Company in an assault on a known Taliban stronghold, after three days of continual and robust contact, during which the Company fought a tenacious and intelligent battle, the foe were neutered." He will receive the award from the Queen at a ceremony at Windsor Castle in December.

Commenting on his award, Richard said: "I had a real mix of emotion when the award was announced, following as it did just days after the inquest for one of my brave Commandos who was killed on Christmas Eve last year.  I was in equal measure surprised, delighted, guilty, amazed, and proud."

Peter Lambell (RGS 1977-1983)
Peter, who came to visit the school recently, became a Surrey County Councillor in June.

Gerry Barnard (RGS 1945-1950)
Gerry reports that he is "alive and well". He is living in retirement in Coventry with running and golf still important in his life. Last month he completed the Coventry Half Marathon in 2 hours and 21 minutes. He hopes to meet up with old school friends at the next reunion, or maybe he will make it to the annual dinner sometime.

Oliver Crawshaw (RGS 2000-2008)
Oliver was chosen to represent King's University in the 2009 University Challenge competition. Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

Mike Powell (RGS 1977-1984)
Mike is setting off to South East Asia in November to take part in a 450km bike ride from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. He will be raising money for REGAIN which supports British men and women who have become tetraplegic as a result of sports injury. To-date he has raised £5000.

News - October 2009

Travel Bursaries
The Old Reigatian Association has awarded £250 travel bursaries to four students who left RGS this summer.

Ailsa Mann (RGS 2003-2009)
Ailsa is going to Costa Rica and Nicaragua later this month with Raleigh International for 10 weeks. She’ll be working on community and environmental projects and will also have the opportunity to trek through the rainforest.

Niall Newport (RGS 2004-2009)
Niall is going to Amakhala Game Reserve in the Easter Cape of South Africa next spring to work as a volunteer in a conservation programme.

Ellen Nicholson (RGS 2001-2009)
Ellen is going to Cape Town in January to work as a volunteer in the Nazareth House Children’s Home where she’ll be helping to care for babies and children that have been abandoned, orphaned or abused.

Laura Tavener (RGS 2002-2009)
Laura is going to Ghana in February with Changing Worlds to teach English to underprivileged children; she expects to be teaching classes of up to 80 children.

Kip Kelland (RGS 1968-1975)
After leaving RGS Kip read History and Archaeology at Exeter University and then went on to do MPhil research at UCL. He briefly directed a project to record the standing buildings at Dudley Castle before going back to TEFL teaching which had helped him survive through university. He took his TEFL Diploma in 1986 and moved out to north east Italy the same year. He lives in Udine, Italy with his wife Angela and two boys: Tom (19) who is studying Chinese at SOAS and Jamie (16) who is studying at a liceo scientifico in Italy. He sent up a language school 20 years ago which "has done pretty well and just about keeps us in polenta and red wine. And I still support Chelsea FC."

Amanda Ingram (RGS 1998-2005)
Amanda is in her final year of veterinary science at Liverpool University. She recently got engaged to Andrew Bunting and they are due to get married on 31 July 2010 at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy.

Cara Sjoblom (RGS 1998-2000)
Cara is currently working at BDO as an audit senior where she has just qualified as a chartered accountant. In January 2010 she is moving to the Cayman Islands to work for KPMG.

News - September 2009

Mike Hynard (RGS 1984-1991)
Mike is now manager of the Saracens 1st team.

Leslie Olive (RGS 1961-1969)
Leslie is now Head of Music at Colchester Royal Grammar School, while still remaining Artistic Director of Reigate Summer Music Festival, The English Arts Chorale (based in Reigate), and conductor of Stowmarket Chorale and the Eye Bach Choir.

Karina Sharples (RGS 2002-2006)
Karina has gained a First Class in the Final Honour School exam in Maths and Computer Science from Somerville College, Oxford and was awarded the Mary Somerville prize in recognition of her work.

Hannah Woods (RGS 1999-2007) and Ian Dickson (RGS 2000-2007)
Hannah and Ian have just announced their engagement. They are planning their wedding for next August.

Kate Hawkins (RGS 1992-1994)
Kate is currently on maternity leave from her job at a Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street. She has two daughters, Florence (two) and Rosie (two months).

Chris Chown (RGS 1997-2004)
Chris spent the summer of 2004 gaining his Private Pilot's Licence (PPL) in Naples, Florida. He began reading for a MEng in Aeronautical Engineering in September 2004 at Bristol. He was awarded a BAE Systems gliding bursary in his first year at Bristol. He returned to Naples in the summer of 2005 to complete his airplane instrument rating, and then in 2006 to gain his professional Multi-Engineer Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL). In his second year he was on the winning team of the Structural Design Exercise sponsored by Inbis Technology Ltd., now known as Assystem UK. In his third year he studied abroad at Purdue University, Indiana, and then followed a year-long internship at Airbus UK in Bristol as a Aerodynamics Engineer. He completed his final year at Bristol and graduated in July 2009. He is also a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Chris says that he is "now searching for a company lucky enough to employ me as a pilot!"

Robert Holton (RGS 1958-1965)
Robert has recently retired from an academic career that took him to universities in Scotland, Australia and Ireland. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, having previously held the Chair of Sociology, and was also Director of the Policy Institute from 2001 to 2005. Before that he worked for 22 years in Australia, where he was Professor of Sociology at Flinders University of South Australia. In 1996 he was elected to a Fellowship of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. He now divides his time between Adelaide, Australia and Wells in Somerset, continuing to write. He has published a number of books on aspects of globalization, the most recent of which, Cosmopolitanisms, was published in May this year.

News - July 2009

Andy Brown (1969 – 1977)
After leaving RGS Andy Brown went to Durham University to study engineering. He then joined the RAF and flew Phantoms (jet fighters). Five years ago he joined easyJet but still flies with the RAF and has occasionally flown RGS CCF students. He is married with 3 sons. Andy enjoys trekking and recently visited Everest Base Camp where the photo was taken. Click on the small photo to see a larger version.

News - June 2009

Andy Cusack (1973-1980)
Andy has been working for UBS for the past 28 years. He is married with 3 teenage daughters and lives in Bedfordshire.

Claire Bowley (1983-1985)
I am currently living in Rye in East Sussex with my husband.  I run my own conference management agency and we manage events throughout the UK and the rest of the world (Europe, USA, Asia Pacific, South America and the Middle East).  When not working and travelling we have a yacht moored in Rye which we sail in the English Channel – and now that I have completed my Yachtmasters we are looking forward to taking some time off to sail round the world (I bet my poor CCF navy instructor never thought he’d see the day!). 

Richard Cantrill (RGS 1984-1992)
The photos show Richard at work in Afganistan. Click on a small photo to see a larger version.

Douglas Proctor (RGS 1981-1989)
Douglas is currently Head of International Relations at the University of Melbourne, married with three Aussie kids (all under five) and attempting to find some type of balance between work and family life!

Steve Banfield (1981-1989)
Steve graduated from Loughborough University in Modern European Studies, trained as a Chartered Accountant in London with PricewaterhouseCoopers and in March 2000 headed off backpacking to Australia. His first stop was Sydney, and almost 10 years later he is still there! He is married with two children and works as Chief Financial Officer of a telecommunications business.

News - May 2009

Rick Keeson (RGS 1973-1980)
Rick is currently serving as a Forward Air Controller with 52nd Infantry Brigade of the British Army, and has recently exercised in Norway, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Canada as well as in the UK. He is due to deploy to Afghanistan in 2010.

Helen Oliphant (RGS 1994-2001)
Helen has successfully completed the initial phase of officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and was awarded the top Logistics Officer Cadet. Click on the photograph to see a larger version.

Ian Bradley (RGS 1980-1987)
Ian works for The University of Manchester; he has been in Manchester for some time now having worked at UMIST prior to its merger to form The University of Manchester. He is currently Head of Academic Services in the Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences although most of his time has involved work around student recruitment. He returned to RGS a few years ago in a work capacity advising some of the sixth formers.

Mike Lane (RGS 1977-1983)
Mike is married with two children (14 and 18) living near Beziers, south of France. he owns/runs business in Devon and Cornwall and the south of France.

Jamie Pinder (RGS 1975-1982)
Jamie is currently teaching in Kuwait, living in Thailand and married to a wonderful lady over there. He is contactable on Facebook if anyone wishes to say hello.

Stephen Woolsey (RGS 1981-1988)
Stephen has split the last 10 years living in Canada and New Zealand. He has settled back in New Zealand for the forseeable future. He is married with four children and one grandchild and loving every minute of it.

James Leeson (RGS 1981-1989)
James is based in Windsor working for Foster Wheeler as a Proposal Director for Refining and Chemicals. This involves managing business development and execution of proposals for multi-million dollar refinery and petrochemical engineering and construction projects worldwide. Being based in Windsor has allowed him to continue a close affinity with water which started at Scouts at school! When not swimming triathons in it, he is enjoying boating on the Thames with his family.

Roger Fawcett (RGS 1978-1986)
Roger has been married for fourteen years. He has four children, two girls and two boys. He works for an Anglican church as a Youth Minister although he is licensed by a Bishop and not ordained. He goes mountaineering and canoeing in his spare time and he writes books about Christian youthwork.

Gary Stevens (RGS 1973-1980)
Gary works as a senior lecturer in broadcast journalism at the Lincoln School of Journalism, University of Lincoln.

Lesley Paine (nee Goddard) (RGS 1979-1981)
Lesley works as The Health Centre Manager at Caterham School. She has two children, boy and girl, 15 and 17 respectively both at Caterham and lives in Chaldon.

Andrew Malcolm (RGS 1976-1984)
Andrew works at the Met Office in Exeter. He plays tennis and travels to the USA for his holidays.

Alastair Curry (RGS 1984-1992)
Alastair has recently written Cambodia's first university-level Physical Geography textbook in Khmer. Working with OMF International and based in Phnom Penh, he and his family are visiting the UK until July 2010.

News - April 2009

Simon Cuthbert (RGS 2003-2008)
Simon is taking a gap year. He is curently in China undertaking a martial arts course for four weeks before heading to Thailand, Nepal, Peru and the USA. He began his travels in New Zealand in December 2008. He is travelling with Guy Adams (RGS 2004-2008). Simon will return to a place at Exeter University to study Theatre Studies.

News - March 2009

Paul O’Mahony (RGS 1993-1998)
Paul runs Temple Theatre which won Best Production at the international theatre festivals in Berlin and Bilbao for its most recent work, Out of Chaos. It is now staging the world premiere of Olivier award-winning playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker's translation of Hippolytus. Full details can be found at www.templetheatre.co.uk

News - January 2009

Ian Whiteman (RGS 1953-1961)
The Reigate and Banstead District Sports Council gave a number of sports awards in 2008 with entrants nominated by clubs, for leading athletes and teams in the Borough.  There was also an award for Volunteer of the Year and this was won by Ian for his services to The Old Reigatian Hockey Club. The Sports Council citation reads:  Ian Whiteman has been an enthusiastic member of the Old Reigatian Hockey Club since its formation in 1960. In addition to representing the club in over 950 matches he acted as Secretary for ten years and as Treasurer for an incredible thirty-one years! Not content with his past record, he now turns up for umpiring duties most weeks and coordinates summer hockey. The number of nominations in the ‘Volunteer’ category exceeded all the others, showing how much clubs depend on their services and how much they are appreciated. Ian Whiteman is a prime example of these wonderful enthusiasts.

Ed Newey (1997-2004)
Ed has just been awarded the undergraduate prize for ethics writing from Brunel University. He graduated from Brunel Business School in 2007 with first class honours, and has recently graduated from Manchester Business School’s MBus Programme in Global Business Analysis with a distinction, having gained a scholarship to study there. Ed’s undergraduate dissertation was entitled The impact of trust on international strategic alliances: an ISA case study involving  outsourcing of supply chains to China.

Births 2009

Richard Freeman (RGS 1984-1992)
Congratulations to Richard and Jennie on the birth of their son, Thomas John (10lbs 11oz), on 20 September 2009.

Andrew Wylie (RGS 1990-1997)
Congratulations to Andrew and Helen on the birth of their son, George, on Saturday 31 October.

Dan Jackson (RGS 1987-1995)
Dan and his wife Nina had a son, Abel, on 29 August, 2009.

Peter Manfield (RGS 1987-1994)
Peter and his wife Pia had a son, Theo Leslie Manfield, on 15 July at 3.25kg.

Rod Marshall (RGS 1971-1973)
We have just heard that Rod and his wife Caroline had a baby girl called Zoë on 3 July 2008.

Marriages 2009

Simon Bedell (RGS 1976-1983)
Simon married Sally Stewart at the Presbyterian Kirk in Lossiemouth on Saturday 3 October. Their reception was held at the Mansefield Hotel in Elgin. Kevin Timmons (1983) was their best man and David Cawthrow (1983), Nick Bays (1983) and Ian Brimicombe (1982) were also present.

Holly Brown (RGS 1998-2000) and Chris Parsons (RGS 1991-1999)
Holly and Chris were married on 29 August 2009. Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

Christian Harding (RGS 1987-1994)
Christian married Emma Raynsford-Smith on 4 April 2009.  They had a party in August to celebrate their marriage, and guests included Aubrey Scrase, Old Reigatians Charlie and Oliver Harding (Christian’s brothers), Trevor and Kevin Preston and Jonny Scriven all pictured. Christian is currently working as a speech and language therapist at Meath School in Ottershaw. Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

Aaron Simmons (RGS 1989-1997)
Aaron marred Charlotte Hilder (sister of Ben and Toby, both ORs) in Reigate on Saturday 5 September. Click on the small picture to see a larger version.

Jo Langham (RGS 1998-2005)
Jo married Maciej Labiak on 1 August, 2009. The wedding took place at Clandon Park, Guildford. Guests included Jenny Clark, Paddy Clarke, Ania Dean, Amanda Ingram, Laura and Zoe Ingenhaag, Ellie Montgomery, Lizzi Nightingale, Naomi Petersen and Cara Sjoblom. Click on the small photo to see a larger version.

Peter Manfield (RGS 1987-1994)
Peter married Pia Vraalsen on 3 May, 2009.

Deaths 2010

Vernon Browne (RGS Class of 1962)
We have heard that Vernon Brown died this year.

Derek Hogg (RGS 1941-1947)
Derek Hogg died on 26 February 2010, aged 80.

Deaths - 2009

Frank Coe (RGS 1929-1936)
Frank Coe died on 19 December 2009.

Paul Flanagan (RGS Staff 2003-2009)
On Friday 27 November, Paul Flanagan lost his year-long battle with cancer. Paul joined RGS in September 2003 from The John Lyon School in Harrow. A graduate of the University of East Anglia, he had spent eight years in the City with Nat West. This experience proved of great value to him when he decided to leave the City and become a teacher.

As Head of Economics and Business Studies, he set about introducing his unique teaching style, adding a new dimension to what was already an excellent department. He motivated his department to innovate and take risks, fortified by frequent forays to the coffee shops and restaurants of Reigate. Paul also believed that education did not end at the classroom door: he was very keen on activities which taught students about real-life economics, and organised an annual Business Enterprise Challenge, as well as entering teams for the Bank of England’s Target 2.0 competition. Another of his passions was sport, and he was an enthusiastic coach of 3rd XI cricket. He was also a supportive Form Tutor.

Paul’s funeral will be a family affair in his native Carlisle, although his family are planning a memorial service in due course.

Click here to read more information from the Headmaster's address at assembly on Monday 30 November. (Opens as a PDF in a separate window)

Peter Carr (RGS 1946-1952)
We have just learned that Peter Carr died earlier this year.

Charles Gant (RGS 1944-1948)
Charles Gant died in November 2009.

Sir Oliver Wright (Former Chairman of Governors 1990-1996)
Sir Oliver Wright died on 1 September 2009. He was the Chairman when we became fully co-educational, a defining moment in the school's history. You can read his obituary from The Daily Telegraphy by clicking here.

Harold Bradby (RGS 1916-1923)
Harold Bradby died on 25 August 2009 aged 102.

Dave Howe (RGS 1965-1972)
Dave Howe died on 3 August 2009 after a short illness. He was captain of the Old Reigiatians Rugby A XV in the late 1970s.

Geoffrey Illman (RGS 1942-1945)
Geoffrey Illman died on 26 June 2009.

Anthony Harrison-Barbet (RGS 1955-1957)
Dr Harrison-Barbet died on 29 May 2009.

Reverend Graham Williams (RGS Staff mid 1960s–mid 1970s)
Graham Williams died on 12 June 2009. His funeral will be held on Wednesday 24 June at 2.30 pm at St Peter and St Paul, Nutfield, where he was Rector for over 50 years.

Clive Sasserath (RGS 1942-1947)
Clive died on 5 June 2009.

James Worthen (RGS 1996-2004)
James died on 10 May 2009.

Richard Burnett (RGS Staff 1980-1992)
Richard Burnett who taught French at the school has died aged 76. John Manfield commented: "Those who were here during those years will remember Richard as a gentleman and Francophile. His stories of St Mere Eglise, and his supplying at staff lunches of the most powerful Calvados I have ever tasted, will be remembered by many."

Stephen Gatley (RGS 1962-1970)
Stephen Gatley died on 20 February 2009

Reverend Howard Ellsley (RGS 1936-1939)

Bill Frindall (RGS 1950-1957)
Bill Frindall, MBE, cricket scorer and statistician, died on 30 January 2009 aged 69.

James Cole (RGS 1974-1981)
We have recently heard that James Cole died in 2007.