to the generally happy atmosphere in the kitchens. He was passionate about justice and fair play and though he did not enjoy confrontation, played an important role in speaking up when things were not right, especially where there was inconsistency and unfairness. He liked to work in a happy environment, to which he contributed a great deal by his own personal attitude, sense of fun and hard work, and was deeply troubled, from an innate sense of fairness and what was right, when things happened to disrupt the team. The College senior management has been grateful for his reluctant willingness to raise issues that might otherwise have gone unknown and which could therefore be properly addressed for the good of all.
Sadly, despite struggling through for some time, eventually Philip’s several ailments eventually meant that he could no longer continue working and he had to retire last year. A charming, caring and very generous man, Philip is missed by the whole department and has always had a great reception from everyone when he has come back to visit his many friends since then. Philip has now moved down to the coast with his wife Jennifer, where they are both very happy and where we hope the slower pace of life will help his health improve and enable him to enjoy a well-deserved and fulfilling retirement.
Gordon White
Simon Yiend
G ordon came to the College in 1999 when Catering was quite a different operation. He was passionate about the presentation of food and in delivering and maintaining a high standard. He took great pride in the size of portions, which he produced for ‘growing boys’, as many generations of Alleynians, used to large plates of substantial food to fuel their energetic lives, can testify. Gordon particularly loved the events side of the business and was a stickler for high-quality menus, which earned the College a formidable reputation for the many, many functions and events that have been delivered over the years: from weddings, to corporate activities, to Boarders Christmas suppers, sports dinners, Old Alleynian dinners, Founder’s Days, formal lunches for the Great and the Good… the list goes on and on. Not to mention the endless sports teas for all manner of games, visitors, parents, home teams – his cricket teas were a byword on the school circuit. An attempt to calculate the number of people past and present who have benefited from Gordon’s quality menus and well-matched pairings of food would be impossible to calculate but every formal meal always won praise and appreciation and there will be Alleynians old and present who remember with appreciation the tremendous fare provided on so many different occasions, sometimes in challenging circumstances, with failing equipment, come rain or shine, in kitchens, marquees, on College lawns or boarding house gardens. A very senior executive of Saatchi and Saatchi at an event held for the company
during Olympic year summed up Gordon’s legendary style of varied, quality food in great volume when he said, after his lunchtime barbecue, ‘I think I have just eaten the zoo’. Gordon’s zeal never flagged and he was still enjoying overseeing the many termly events as much after 15 years as he did when he started out as Executive Chef. Gordon was ‘old-style’: always to seen about the College in his chef ’s whites and ubiquitous chef ’s hat – can anyone ever remember having seen him without it? Naturally formal in style, he would never fail to address staff as ‘Sir’ and was unbending in his formal approach as part of the appropriate aura and respect that he cultivated and rightly expected. Although formal with his superiors, he was also possessed of a sharp and quick wit, usually delivered deadpan in the kitchen. It sometimes took people a while to realise that they had been either the butt of a friendly joke, or to recognise that he had made a joke at all, yet he had a great sense of humour. You would never have expected to see him slapping his thigh or rolling in the aisles: he was a ‘sergeant-major’ in the kitchen and about the College, unbending, highly organised and always maintaining his cool and a rigid respect for etiquette, but a warm and generous man, who took great pride in his job. He left the College in September 2014 for a change of scenery and a new opportunity and is now working as a Catering Manager in another school, although his wife, Sue, continues with the College kitchens as Sous Chef.
Ovidiu Precup
Norman Young
O vi came to Dulwich as a pupil in the Upper School in 1995 and graduated in Operational research at the London School of Economics. He then came back to Dulwich to work as the College IT Systems Analyst and as a resident tutor in Ivyholme House whilst studying for his MSc and later a PhD. He mainly worked in my office – which was great for me because it meant an expert was always on hand whenever I had a question about Microsoft Access, or if something daft happened to my computer. He was very knowledgeable about all things IT, and he was always happy to give advice at any level at the College. Although Ovi has lived in the UK since he started studying here as a pupil, it was only when he started working in the Academic Administration Office that
he was able to gain a better understanding of the English psyche, and our use of irony and colloquialisms. Catherine Blair and I very much enjoyed explaining how the British think, but we suspected that as soon as he had acquired ‘the knowledge’ he would start looking for jobs outside the Dulwich environment. To prove he was ready for this, he even took the Nationality test, which he passed with flying colours (I don’t think I could answer many of the questions). Ovi is a very remarkable man, with a huge range of invaluable skills. It was a great loss to the College when he left us in July 2013 and, on a personal level, we miss his wicked sense of humour and his secret stash of chocolate. He is now working at the Prudential as part of an elite team with global responsibilities.
Philip Coates
Stuart Lock
Simon Yiend
Sam Howard
S tuart – Locky – joined the Dulwich PE department back in 2000 as a fresh faced NQT straight from Exeter University, where he had captained the 1st XV to victory at Twickenham in the BUSA Championship. Locky’s face, body and hair have all either grown, withered or disappeared over the past 15 years, but his affection for Dulwich College has not diminished. It is difficult to find a teacher that cares so much for the boys within the school, has participated in so many aspects of the school and is as admired, respected and liked by boys, parents and staff alike. The fact that he is still in contact with so many OAs is testament to the friendships he builds. Whilst being an exceptional sportsman himself, representing Wales Youth at rugby and football, his
P hilip started in the College Catering Department in 1997, two years before Gordon White. Their shared careers since then have seen many changes and working in partnership as Executive and Head Chef they have done much to develop catering at the College and to deliver an outstanding service. Gordon would be the first to say that the many successes of these years were due to an outstanding team effort, of which Philip in the Head Chef role was a truly critical part: they both share the credit for all that has been achieved. Philip was sometimes an unsung hero who delivered faithfully and to a very high standard, day in, day out, whether catering for the boys or for special events. He loved cooking and
greatest asset was his ability to teach PE and coach sports teams to the highest level. His lessons were always well thought out, interesting and promoted maximum opportunity for skill development, and his A-level teaching demanded the highest standards from not always the most gifted of boys. Always one to push himself, not get stale and probably bored of the simple chat in the PE office, he took on teaching GCSE maths in his past few years and, not surprisingly, he excelled in this as well. On arriving at Dulwich, Locky threw himself into College life wholeheartedly, as a form tutor in the Lower School, House Master in the Middle School and taking Rugby, Football and Cricket teams. In all these areas he took a real sense of pride in all that he did and everything
food, and delighted in being able to give true quality. He was very interested in people, a kind, compassionate and considerate person with a true care for everyone. As well as being deeply committed to delivering excellent service, and conscientious about maintaining the standard and quality of the catering provision, he was also an extremely loyal and considerate manager, much loved by all in the department. Rarely seen without a smile on his face, even in latter days when he was in some pain from his physical ailments, Philip had a great sense of humour and was always joking and pulling people’s legs. He particularly enjoyed thinking up pranks and was a key contributor
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