Old Eastbournian
club in Hastings. Early school days were spent at Westerleigh in St Leonards, then Ascham before Brian started at Wargrave House in September 1946. In the Michael- mas term 1949 he became house prefect and in the Lent term 1951 became school prefect and head of house. He enjoyed hockey and tennis at school and was an enthusiastic member of the CCF. Brian spent a year at Brighton Techni- cal College studying engineering before joining the family firm of Coombs Motors in St Leonards, a Vauxhall/Bedford dealer-
‘Richard Burke’s first speaking appearance, as Aston’s brother, Mick, was electrifying. He used the stage with such instinctive skill that for several moments one could hardly believe that this was the per- formance of a young man of eighteen. Such a performance could scarcely be maintained and there were moments later on when the actor was less assured. Nevertheless this was acting which betrayed a quite exceptional talent and which even succeeded in doing justice to Pinter’s curious ability to transmute the jargon of contemporary house furnishing into a poetic world of fantastic wish-fulfilment.’ Aside from theatre, David won several prizes at the College; the Andrew Downes Senior Declamation, Newton Reading, Mackenzie German, Möering Essay and John Belk Memorial prizes. He was in the diving team and won his 2nd swimming colours in 1964. Richard was also editor of the Eastbournian , a Cavendish Library sub-librarian and hon sec of the Shakespeare, Revue and Eastbourne College Dramatic societies. Richard is survived by his civil partner, Adrian Rondeau, whom he had known for 55 years. Tony Champion (Ascham staff 1954–56) died on 6 November 2022, aged 94. Tony taught initially at St Bede’s then joined the staff at Ascham. From 1951 to 1956, with the permission of the St Bede’s headmaster and then Henry Collis, the headmaster of Ascham, Tony was released to coach at Eastbourne College Boat Club. In the Easter holidays in each year from 1953 to 1956 he accom- panied crews to a week’s training on the Thames based at Eton and Windsor. The 1953 Eastbournian reported: ‘We are most grateful to the Headmaster and partners of St Bede’s School, who made it possible for Mr Champion to keep his expert eye on the 1st IV. Mr Champion’s good coaching is fully appreciated by us and the crew’s response to his handling was obvious.’ Having in both 1952 and 1953 beaten a number of other schools to reach the final of the Public Schools Challenge Cup for fours at the Marlow Regatta, in 1954 the 1st IV went one better by winning the final. 2024 marked the 70th anniversary of this achievement, and a feature about it appears on page 111. When the victorious crew arrived back a throng of boys in Black- water Road gave three rousing cheers for the crew and the coaches and Brian Mulvany (the Chairman of the Boat Club) paid tribute to Mr Champion whose keen instruction had been largely responsible for the victory. When Tony left as coach in 1956, the Eastbournian reported: ‘Our debt to Tony Champion is immense; his keenness, his unflagging encouragement and unselfish altering of his personal holiday plans and so on have been an inspiration’, going on to say: ‘Since 1951 Mr Champion has been a firm and invaluable friend of the Club; even though he had left Eastbourne he returned for three weeks to undertake the final coaching for Marlow. His services to the College and the Club have been recognised by the Old Eastbournian Association, who have made him an honorary life member.’ Tony’s interest in mountaineering was mentioned in the 1955 November edition of the Eastbournian , which gave an account of Tony’s ‘Lapland Holiday’: with some friends that summer he spent five weeks climbing a relatively unexplored mountain range in Arctic Norway, some 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Tony returned to Ascham in 1969 to give a talk on mountaineering: ‘No doubt to divert us from the tangible temptation, Mr Tony Champion, once a master here, and himself much given to the pleas- ures of the ice-axe and the crampon, came over on January 25th with a thrilling lecture on mountaineering in the Alps. ‘ His wife, June, née Hodge (formerly a matron at Ascham), prede- ceased him in 2009. Our thanks go to Gordon Price (Ascham 1953–59; Reeves 1959– 63) for his contribution to this tribute. Brian John Collins (Ascham 1945–46; Wargrave 1946–51) died on 20 May 2024, aged 91. We are grateful to Brian’s son, Adrian, for the following tribute. Born on 22 September 1932, my father Brian Collins grew up in a keen tennis-playing family across the road from the Amherst tennis
Brian as a schoolboy
ship, where he spent the whole of his working life. Disappointed at not being selected for national service on account of his asthma, my father volunteered as a special constable with the Sussex Police. His exploits for the constabulary were noted in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer on the occasion that he apprehended a suspicious-looking gentleman who turned out to be a town council- lor. When off-duty he was a keen player and coach at the South Saxons hockey club, serving on the committee and becoming a life member. He served as president of the Hastings Rotary Club, was treasurer of Westfield Parish Church, and latterly a volunteer, along - side his wife Delphine, at the Conquest Hospital. He was an avid steam train enthusiast and volunteered for many years at the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales. He loved to play tennis and bridge with his friends and family. Brian is survived by his wife Delphine, his children Bridget, Cherry, Adrian (Wargrave 1977–82) and Guy (Wargrave 1983–88), eleven grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren. Alistair James Cuthill (Ascham 1950–51; Powell 1952–55) died on 10 October 2024, aged 86. Our thanks go to Alistair’s nephew, Greg Lunn (School 1976–81), for the following tribute. Born in 1938, Alistair spent the Second World War living in Canada where his father, a sea captain, coordinated cargo convoys across the Atlantic. While at the College, Alistair was a member of the Navy section of the CCF. After leaving the College, Alistair did his national service in the Royal Navy. A varied career followed, starting with an apprentice- ship at Roots car manufacturers. He was employed by Otis Elevators for a while. He then worked for his father-in-law’s furniture business in Devon before returning to Eastbourne to join the Sussex Police, with whom he spent several years as a bobby on the beat in Eastbourne. After leaving the police force, he returned to the furniture business and worked at various furniture sellers including Maples. He also had a stint running his own kitchen furnishing outlet. His last job was driving the St Andrew’s School minibus. Alistair was an engaging, jovial man with a great sense of humour, always easy to get along with. He was not known for being an early riser, and his sister Felicity remembers fondly how, as a teenager, Alistair would arrange to go fishing early in the mornings with his friend Ian Browne (Reeves 1952–56). To make sure he would get up, Alistair would tie a piece of string around his toe and dangle the string out of his bedroom window so that Ian could pull it to wake Alistair! Alistair always spoke fondly of his Eastbourne College days. In retirement he attended several OEA events. He also kept in regular touch with his many friends in Eastbourne, over recent years playing golf together and exercising at the David Lloyd leisure centre with several of his ‘regulars’. Alistair married Susan King in 1961 (died 2011). He is survived by his two sons Andrew and James, his sister Felicity and many grandchil- dren, nieces and nephews, including David Lunn (School 1974–79), Catherine Welmer (Lunn) (Nugent 1980–82) and Greg Lunn (School 1976–81). Paul Jordan adds: While at the College, Alistair won his 2nd running strings and 1st rowing colours, played in the Tigers rugby team, was awarded a bronze medallion for life-saving and achieved the rank of Able Seaman in the CCF. Alistair contacted the College in 2006 and told us about a plan by a
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