Cyrus Golding BY FRANK HUTTON-WILLIAMS
Ben Snook BY DONALD MACKINTOSH
By the time Ben joined as Head of History from Godolphin and Latymer in Michaelmas 2022, the reputation of his unusual research interests – charters from Anglo-Saxon England, on which he has published a leading monograph – had preceded him. Some of the department’s more mod- ern-focused historians can
No sooner had I sent out the details of Deep Time and the Vibrancy of More Than Hu- man Matter than a new figure popped up in my Teams feed. Brief correspondence with the then-named Cyrus Nayeri quickly outweighed the depth of the talk itself. In three relatively short years – or Cyrus ‘eons’ – at Dulwich College, Dr Golding has overseen significant depart- mental reform as Head of
be forgiven for worrying that we were about to meet some dusty boffin seeking to replace our schemes of work with abstruse medievalism. Any such concerns vanished on Ben’s arrival: he immediately revealed himself as a man of verve and wit, with a superb range of knowledge across numerous periods and topics. Ben is an exceptionally strong teacher. His lessons and seminars in History and Politics, both in the classroom, gaining significant Oxbridge success with Further History sessions, and at History Society, made an enormously positive impact on pupils, as did his time as a popular Upper School form tutor. As well as having enjoyed his personable company, History colleagues will long be grateful for his excellent organisation as Head of Subject, and for putting together highly enjoyable social events, as well as the best INSET day in living memory. Ben leaves us – too soon – for Caterham School, where he will combine teaching with researching and writing his next book. We will greatly miss his humour, academic rigour and kindness, and are confident of his success: a man who can make Anglo-Saxon land ownership transfer documents sound interesting can do anything. ◉
Geography, acted as an advisor on Sustainability, led Ad- vanced Electives as a bespoke space for Sixth Formers to thrive, presided over the academic journal Routes , which he co-founded during the pandemic, run numerous field trips across Europe, coordinated the Geography strand of the PGCE programme for King’s College London (at weekends), married the delightful Eddie and been ap- pointed Deputy Head at Brighton College in Hanoi, Viet- nam. I mention these things not as a list of achievements but as indication of the pace at which he moves. If there is one constant for this most restless of furtive intellects, it is that Cyrus will continue to flow under many radars, fading in and out of signal as he moves now from the West to the East. Committed to research-informed prac- tice wherever he finds it – and however uncomfortable the findings – Cyrus is unrestricted by any single stance or ideological position. He will drive institutions rather than be contained by them. As sad as his departure is, we must let him fade out of sight, the better to have our compass reoriented. ◉
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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