Old Eastbournian
Piers O’Conor (Gonville 2009–14) signed for Connaught Rugby for the 2024–25
agricultural sciences (Dr.sc.agr., equivalent to the UK PhD) while doing subsequent research work on quantifying food intake in fish. ‘My work at the university was interesting but not very lucra- tive: in Germany, the academic system is rather more hostile towards ‘ordinary’ doctors than that in the UK since doctorate students do the research work cheaper (they only get half a wage for a full-time job) and the only people with a tenure are profes- sors. Doctors are expected to aspire to becoming professors by doing a second thesis (called ‘Habilitation’ in Germany) while also formally proving that they can lecture. Once they have completed this, they can apply for a professorship – but by no means always get one! Since I did not want to participate in that lottery, I left the university and completely changed my career. My thesis involved a fair amount of mathematics and statistics so I taught myself SAS program- ming and data management. After one year’s employment in a small consulting company east of Stuttgart, I lost my job in 2006 but immediately gained another at IMS Health in Frankfurt (now called IQVIA after their merger with Quintiles in 2017) where I work with anonymised patient data as a consultant in pharma- ceutical market research. I started mainly in the field of pure analysis but have more recently diversi- fied my work by developing and standardising statistical method- ologies for our analyses (macro programming) and now also work in project management and tutor- ing more junior members in the field of efficient programming and statistical methods. ‘While in Hohenheim, I got to know and finally also joined the Landsmannschaft Württem- bergia (www.wuerttembergia. de). This is a form of German fraternity (rather different to the US equivalent) – the sort of place where members still go around with colourful caps and bands and occasionally beat each other around the head with sharp blades! It is one of the best forms of alumni system that one can have, has given me many friends who I meet regularly at the functions held at our house in Hohenheim and my life would be rather poorer without it. During my studies, I also met my wife Nahid who was doing her
Alex Partridge
Alex Partridge (Powell 2001-06) has had his first book published, Now It All Makes Sense , which brings together a range of insights into Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Alex was the founder of UNILAD and LADBible, social news websites which now have a following of 100 million people around the globe. A legal case over their ownership in 2017 tipped him into alcoholism, triggering years of mental health issues until, aged 34,
season, after a hugely successful six years at Bristol Bears, with 137 appearances and 175 points or 35 tries. Piers qualifies for the Irish side through his grandfather, with roots in Roscommon as well as Dublin. He played a major role in a period of success for Bristol Bears, which included a Challenge Cup winners medal in 2020. He was also named man of the match in one of his two visits to Dexcom Stadium, when he featured against Connacht during the 2020–21 Champions Cup campaign. Earlier he had spells at Wasps and Ealing Trailfinders. He also has experience at under- age international level, featuring 10 times for the England U20s in 2015 while he also played for the Ireland U19s. Primarily an outside centre, O’Conor can also play at full back or on either wing.
he was diagnosed with ADHD. In his podcast, ADHD Chatter, Alex has spoken to dozens of experts on ADHD and related conditions in a bid to understand and improve outcomes for the neurodiverse population – and the book brings them all together, for the first time, in one place. It recently reached number 3 in the General Paperback chart of the Sunday Times bestseller lists.
last wrote to the College in the mid-1990s. He says: ‘Before that, I had been in Cambridge (Trinity College), thereafter went to Northern Ireland to do my MSc at Queen’s University, Belfast, and also work as an environmental consultant. Once out of work, I returned to my native Germany and took on a position at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart. This involved a stint in the Philip- pines, stationed with our partner SEAFDEC (Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre) at Tapao Point on the shore of Laguna de Bay, east of the capital Manila, studying the nutrition of milkfish and Nile tilapia. I returned to Germany at the end of 1997 and completed my doctorate in
P Katy Parker (Thwaites) (Nugent 1989–91) – see the photo in Jenny Lush’s entry in this section. Tim Parker (Wargrave 1986–91) – see the photo in Jenny Lush’s entry in this section. Alice Peck (Blackwater 2003–08) – see the entry for Sophie Franks in this section. Carl Pohl (Blackwater 1956–60) – see the photo in Nigel Strofton’s entry in this section. R Hartmut Richter (Powell 1976– 81) sent us an update on what has been going on in his life since he
Rob Owen OBE (Black- water 1978–83) is the new CEO of the Invic- tus Games
Foundation, which offers a recovery pathway for interna- tional wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women. It aims to provide opportunities for post–traumatic growth: enabling those involved to reclaim their purpose, identity and future, beyond injury. Rob joins Invictus from the St Giles Trust, a charity that works with people facing dis- advantages such as homelessness, long-term unemployment, an offending background, addiction, severe poverty and involvement in gangs. He was CEO there for 16 years and, under his leadership, the charity grew from a regional basis to a nationally recognised, award-winning organisation. Rob has also managed to find time to climb Mount Everest and Mount McKinley, reached both the North and South Poles, completed the Marathon des Sables, the New York Marathon, the Devizes to Westminster kayak race, and pulled a sledge three times around the London Marathon.
Tom Pettifer
Tom Pettifer (Nugent & Blackwater 1961-65) featured in last year’s magazine when we reported on a visit by Tom’s cousin, Richard Morgan, who wanted to find out more about him. Tom had died aged 18 in a tragic accident while
working as part of a Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) scheme in India. In 2024 we arranged for a cherry tree in Tom’s memory to be planted on the Old Wish Road edge of College Field, and on 29 August Richard visited with his wife Brigitte from their home in Switzerland. They are pictured here toasting the tree, left to right: David Blake (ES office), Richard, Emma Garrett (Develop - ment Director) and Brigitte. The plaque at the base of the tree also honours Tom’s mother, who we believe worked at the College in the 1960s. It reads: ‘In loving memory of Dorothy Joan Glew (23 June 1916 – 5 February 2006) and her son Thomas Guy Pet- tifer (17 October 1947 – 17 December 1965) who was a pupil at Eastbourne College from 1961 to 1965.’
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