THE MAGAZINE FOR THE OLD ALLEYNIAN ASSOCIATION, DULWICH COLLEGE ALUMNI
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CELEBRATING 95 YEARS OF SCOUTING at Dulwich College
WELCOME TO THE MAGAZINE FOR DULWICH COLLEGE ALUMNI
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2023 was an especially busy and productive year for the Association. Under the chairmanship of Nick Howe (74–80), we have moved forward with a number of projects including introducing reunions in Leeds and Edinburgh and the expansion of our professional networking programme. In addition, there has been work done on the development of a three-year strategy, with a particular remit to support young OAs under the age of 30. Part of this process included consultation with the Senior Prefect team at the College and resulted in a review of our contribution to the College’s prizes, which we have long supported across a wide range of academic subjects and co-curricular activities. This year the Association has launched a new set of Service Leadership awards which are given to students who have shown outstanding contributions in the fields of Selflessness, Sustainability and Inclusion. Last year we highlighted the work of The Uganda School Project (TUSP), a charity co-founded in 2016 by two young OAs, Sean Richardson (02–07) and Harry Bucknell (00–05). This year the OAA is very proud to support TUSP as its charity of the year, mirroring the lead taken by the College, who have nominated TUSP as their Senior School charity for 2023/24. Look out for details of the OAA golf day on 30 May, which will culminate in a fundraising dinner at the College for the charity. As always our Clubs and Societies have been busy. The Old Alleynian Association Football Club (OAAFC) continues to go from strength to strength. The club regularly fields three teams in the Arthurian League and the 2023/24 season is the tenth since its inception. One of the highlights of last season came at the end of April when, in a thrilling final, OAAFC IIs lifted the Junior League Cup with victory against Old Kimboltonians. The Sailing Society had another full year of activities, FROM THE EDITOR
MEET THE TEAM
Matt Jarrett Director of Development
Trevor Llewelyn Secretary of the OAA
Laura Jones Philanthropy Manager
Joanne Whaley Head of Engagement
Isabelle Beckett Alumni Relations and Events Officer
Sarah McAvoy-Edwards Donor Engagement Manager
culminating in a splendid dinner to celebrate their 40th anniversary. They must be congratulated on their continued organisation of the Boys Sail Training week, which has allowed many College students over the years to learn the basics of sailing in and around the Solent. After several years of early exits in the Halford Hewitt golf competition, a predominately young team saw teh OA Golfing Society progress to the quarter-final for the first time in a decade. We wish them well as they play in the competition’s centenary year just after Easter. As I write, the finishing touches are being put on the first phase of the redevelopment and refurbishment of the Lower School. The Raymond Chandler Library portacabin has been demolished (it didn’t take long!) and in its place a brand new three-storey Knowledge Hub has been constructed which will provide library facilities and break-out spaces, as well as ICT and robotics. We interview Tristan Wigfall (90–00), co- founder of lead architects alma-nac, about his role in the project and how sustainability lies at the heart of modern building techniques. The OA writing community continues to be both extremely prolific and highly diverse in its choice of subject material. The film Oppenheimer recently became the largest grossing biographical film of all time, although we are particularly proud of Peter Prince (52–60) who wrote a seven-part BBC drama about the father of the atom bomb some 40 years before the release of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster. Last summer we were delighted to welcome back to the College Patrick Humphries (63–69), who spoke about his latest book, Cleopatra and The Undoing of Hollywood . We are also delighted to highlight the work of College student Zaki Kabir who won the Daniel Phelan Prize for Journalism in 2023 with an essay which argued that as a society we must realise the value of the NHS more than we currently perhaps do. We continue to spotlight the careers of OAs, and during the year I had the opportunity to speak with Ian Russell (79–86), who as Head of International at ITN leads their documentary and short-form originals team; Gidon Gautel (04–15), who has followed his dream of working in the space industry; and rising star of badminton, Felix Wright (18–23). Peter Evans (76–85) has been associated with scouting at the College for over 40 years and as he looks to take a step back, he reflects on how scouting has changed over that time. On 27 June the College will be open to all OAs for our Summer Reunion, and in particular we look to welcome those celebrating decade or half- decade reunions with leaving years that end with a four or a nine. There will be food and music to help us celebrate as we catch up with old friends and reacquaint with present and past members of staff. Finally, I must thank those members of the Alumni and Development Office who have worked so hard to help put this edition of the OA Magazine together. In particular Isabelle Beckett, Joanne Whaley and graphic designer Lucy Baragwanath who have spent many hours writing, designing, editing and proof reading.
Taneisha Armstrong-Dalling Development Administrator
Rebecca Runge Development Officer (Fundraising)
We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback, and welcome suggestions for future features. Should you like to get in touch then please write to us at:
ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Dulwich College
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Dulwich Common London SE21 7LD
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Old Alleynian Association
Trevor Llewelyn (72–79) Secretary of the Old Alleynian Association
www.dulwich.org.uk/old-alleynians-home www.oldalleynianconnect.org
Old Alleynian Association
CONTENTS
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From the Editor Meet the Team
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Thursday 27 June 2024 6pm - 10pm Dulwich College
Meet your President: Graham Ward
Message from The Master
10 16 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 31 32 35 39 40 42 44 47 48 50 52 53 54 57 58 60 62 64 66
Peter Evans: Celebrating 95 Years of Scouting at Dulwich College
Gidon Gautel: Space, the Final Frontier
Old Alleynian RFC
Alleynian Sailing Society Old Alleynian Golfing Society
(Open to OAs and their guests)
Old Alleynian Lodge
Alumni reunions are a celebration of you, your time at the College. Something magical happens when you and your classmates return to campus to rekindle friendships and reconnect with the school. The Reunion brings together OAs from across the generations for an evening of reminiscence and celebration. You are sure to see some familiar faces at this popular event, whether they be your former classmates or your old teachers, who will also be in attendance.
Old Alleynian Association Football Club
OA Cross Country
OA Cricket, OA Badminton OA Muslim Community Felix Wright: Rising Star Leavers' Destinations Report
Ian Russell: A Life in Television Production
The Class of 2019
Collier 2
Striking at the Heart of the NHS
Exploring the Science of Words and the Art of Medicine
OA News
Robert Weaver: Medieval Manuscripts
Former Staff Deaths A Sustainable College
Redevelopment and Refurbishment of the Lower and Junior School
Tristan Wigfall: Architect Co-Curricular Highlights
Black History Month at Dulwich College
OAs in Print
Sports Partnership Work International Community The Impact of Your Support
In Memoriam
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Utilities Group, a division with a turnover of US$1billion. Both during and after my time at PW/PwC, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve in a number of ways in the UK. My positions included: President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales; Auditor of the Duchy of Cornwall; founding Chief Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (reporting directly to Parliament on the efficiency and effectiveness of the UK’s international aid programme); Deputy Chairman of the Financial Reporting Council; member of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers; a board member of the Civil Aviation Authority; and a member of the Executive Council of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies. These opportunities extended internationally, bringing the chance to work in approximately 70 countries. I served as President of the International Federation of Accountants, Vice Chair of the World Energy Council and Vice Chair of the UK-India Business Council. Having been appointed CBE in the 2004 Birthday Honours, for services to exports, I was privileged to be invested by Her Late Majesty and enjoy an exceptional morning at Buckingham Palace with my family. It has also been a privilege to serve in a number of charitable roles, including: Financial Adviser to St Paul’s Cathedral; Governor, Trustee and President of Goodenough College; and member of the 2013/14 Lord Mayor’s Appeal Committee. (At Goodenough, I was maintaining a Dulwich connection, former Master of Dulwich and former President of the Alleyn Club David Emms having served as Director from 1987 to 1995.) In the City Civic, I was Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for 2009/10. Most importantly in the OAA context, the circle of life has brought me back to Dulwich. In 2007, Eddie George, as Chairman of the Governors, invited me to become a governor. This I did in 2008, becoming Chair of the Finance Committee during challenging times, which included the collapse of the old Science Block and the building of The Laboratory. Working with fellow governors, the Master and both teaching and operational staff was a huge pleasure. The College is truly blessed to have the support of such dedicated and talented people. On retiring as a governor in 2019, I was honoured to be appointed a Fellow of Dulwich College and now feel privileged to have been elected President of the Old Alleynian Association. What are you currently reading? My maternal grandfather was a teacher and from 1914 to 1926 served in Sarawak and British North Borneo as Headmaster of the Cathedral Schools in Kuching and Sandakan. He was sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield. Ann, my wife, and I have been on a ‘pilgrimage’ to Kuching with our son Alexander, visiting the places we had previously seen only in old photographs and bringing to life what being there had been like for my mother and grandparents. Ann and I now visit the Community and at present we are reading All Sorts and Conditions , which is a collection of stories written by the brethren about how they found their vocations. The range of their backgrounds is astounding and the variety of ways in which they were called is a true inspiration. If you are not at home you are … … with my wonderful wife, with whom I share a love of opera and ballet, at Glyndebourne or at Covent Garden.
What do you hope to achieve in your year as President? I aim to work with the committee and the Secretary to make the Old Alleynian Association even more useful to OAs and even more helpful to the College. What was your time like at the College? How did you spend your time? Do you have any particular memories? Coming from a very small prep school, I found the sheer size of Dulwich daunting, and I did not really find my feet until the Third Form. I was tall, but it was not until then that my strength caught up with my height and I could represent the College on the rugby field. I started with the U14s and progressed via, inter alia, the Colts (coached by the wonderful Terry Walsh) to the 1st XV in 1968. That year, we won every match, and in 1969, we lost only once – to St Paul’s on a dismal, dreary and dank afternoon at Osterley. The highlight of the 1968 season was beating Llandovery College, who were coached by former Welsh International Carwyn James, five tries to nil. The fixture was played in Llandovery and the whole village closed down to come and watch the match. I was also chosen for the athletics team, at discus, shot putt and the occasional high jump, and was Secretary in my final year. As Captain of basketball, I convinced the powers that be that it should be recognised as an official Minor Sport. Music at Dulwich is and was wonderful. I joined the school choir at 13, as a ‘proper bass’, having demonstrated a bottom D flat to Alan Morgan, and really enjoyed singing in the great oratorios at the school concerts given at the Royal Festival Hall and the Fairfield Halls. The CCF was especially enjoyable. I was in the Royal Naval Section, becoming Cadet Coxswain for the 1969/70 academic year. The experience was wonderful, teaching me followership, leadership and teamwork. The summer camps at the Loch Ewe submarine base and on the Norfolk Broads were memorable. Academically, I was on the science side, specialising in chemistry, for which George Way and Peter Rees (who also was Officer in Charge of the Royal Naval Section) were particularly inspiring teachers. It was flattering to be awarded the BL Brown Memorial Science Removes Prize, given to ‘the boy in the Science Removes who is most worthy of it’: a finely crafted definition, which in practice meant that it is an all-rounder’s prize. Benefiting from some exceptional coaching from Peter Rees, I obtained a place to read chemistry at Jesus College, Oxford. There is no doubt in my mind that Dulwich provides an outstanding all-round education that is second to none. What did you do after leaving Dulwich? Oxford provided a broad and fulfilling educational experience. The chemistry was even more fascinating than I had expected and included a year researching aspects of synthesising MCD peptide, which had the potential to relieve arthritis. Sport beckoned again. Three Boxing Blues came my way, including being Captain of the Oxford University Amateur Boxing Club for the 1973/74 season. We beat Cambridge 7–2; the greatest winning margin since 1954. In addition, I played rugby for the College, occasional rugby for the Greyhounds and threw the odd discus for the Authentics (although not against Cambridge). On leaving Oxford, I joined Price Waterhouse – subsequently PricewaterhouseCoopers – where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant (second prize in the final examination). I stayed with them for 36 years, 24 as a partner, and was Chairman of their World
MEET YOUR PRESIDENT GRAHAM WARD CBE MA FCA 1963-1970
In 1963, Graham came to Dulwich College having been granted a local authority scholarship from the Croydon Education Authority. To this day, Graham still feels blessed to have benefited from the Dulwich Experiment and took every opportunity to make the most of his time at the College.
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MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER
As I write my penultimate message for the OA magazine, I am reminded just how much there is to look forward to during my last five terms as Master of Dulwich College.
The third Dulwich College Olympiad will be held at Dulwich College Singapore in mid-March, celebrating our students across the Dulwich family of schools through Sport, Drama, Music and Art. I am delighted to be co-hosting a Global Alumni Dinner in Singapore for both OAs and the alumni of our 10 international schools with Nick Magnus, Head of Dulwich College Singapore. We hope that events such as this will serve to foster even stronger bonds across the wider Dulwich community and strengthen our relationship with Dulwich College International, whose alumni are so proud of their connection to our 405-year-old school . In October, we hosted both a professional networking event and a drinks reception in Hong Kong , which was open to OAs, IOAs and parents alike. Those members of the London team who attended reported that the evening was a great success, with many new business connections being formed and as many friendships reignited. At the same time, OAA President Will Lewis (54-65) and I had the pleasure of attending OA events in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver , where we both had the chance to forge new relationships and connect with old friends. Each of the American cities named is home to a growing and diverse OA community, with the number of leavers being accepted to study at one of their many prestigious universities growing by the year. It should be noted that the path to North American universities for students who could not otherwise consider this course is being facilitated by the support of generous OAs.. We are grateful for their benefactions. I eagerly anticipate returning to New York over Summer half term to attend an OA dinner at Keens Steakhouse on 24 May. This event will mark four decades since Michael Lynfield (69-74) took over the organisation of the annual OA reunion in New York from his father. I’ll travel on from New York to Toronto , where I will meet a small but loyal contingent of OAs and JAGS alumnae who have been socialising together in the city since their arrival in Ontario in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. There are also a run of OA events being organised throughout the UK, including in Durham, Edinburgh, Shaftesbury and Tunbridge Wells , and I do not take for granted the efforts of our growing network of OA volunteers in organising these. In SE21, we continue to host talks from the Archives and professional networking events ; with the recent addition of a Sustainability Networking event held during Eco Week . You may remember reading about The Uganda Schools Project (TUSP) , established by OAs Sean Richardson and Harry Bucknell in last year’s magazine. This academic year has seen the College and the OAA come together for the first time to support one single nominated charity, and I’m delighted that TUSP is the first beneficiary of this initiative. Our ongoing commitment to promoting a culture of service is evident in the creation of OAA Service Leadership Awards for those who have proved most altruistic or worked in support of our commitment to Inclusion or Sustainability. The first recipients of these awards were honoured at last summer’s Leavers’ Prizegiving ceremony, which Will Lewis attended along with the Chair of the OAA, Nick Howe (74-80). May the bonds between the school and the OAA grow ever stronger. I look forward to connecting with as many of you as possible over the coming terms and I wish you and your families a happy and healthy 2024. As ever
Dr Joe Spence The Master
The Master in Antarctica, January 2023
CELEBRATING 95 YEARS OF SCOUTING at Dulwich College
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Peter Evans joined the College in 1976 and attended his first scout meeting the following year. Since then the scout movement has been a significant part of Peter’s life. For over 40 years he has promoted the fundamental principles of scouting; Duty to God, Duty to Others and Duty to Self. In doing so he has positively shaped the lives of countless young people, travelled the world and made lifelong friends. Peter has been Group Scout Leader of the 25th Camberwell Scout Group for over 20 years.
How did you get involved with scouting at the College? I joined the College Troop II as a Scout in 1977 and then continued through, helping Chris Field run Troop II while I was a Venture Scout and after I returned to London post-university. When Chris became Deputy Master in 1991, he had been involved with scouting at the College for over 25 years, and at that point it was obvious that he would have to step back. There was a discussion about whether the Troop could continue so I put myself forward offering support. I ran the Troop for 20 years, from 1991 through to 2010. Since then, I’ve continued to co- ordinate Dulwich Scouting and currently run the Explorer section for ages 14–17. What attracted you as a teenager to the Scout Movement? I enjoyed the adventurous outdoor activities in particular – the hill walking and kayaking. I also got quite heavily involved at Broadstone Warren in the Ashdown Forest. Through scouting I learned not only a great deal about myself but also about teamwork and leadership, skills which I have used throughout my working life. The key to many jobs is having the ability to manage people; scouting taught me that. Many of the friendships that I made in those early days have stayed with me for life. If I look at all the people I went to school with, there's probably nobody I'm still in touch with who was not a Scout. You were at the College between 1976 and 1985. What did scouting at Dulwich look like in those days? Scouting was much more integrated into the life of the College than it is today. The meetings were immediately after the end of the school day and there were over 100 College boys – J Formers through to the Sixth Form – involved in the three Scout Troops and another 20 in the Venture Scouts (Explorers). All the leaders were members of the College staff, including Chris Field, Garth Davidson, Frank Loveder and Barry Evans. The inimitable John Cottle was the Group Scout Leader in those days. There was a much more traditional feel to what we were doing than there is today. Many will remember Ivor ‘Gippo’ Gipson, who arrived at Dulwich in 1930, working tirelessly in the ‘Stores’. On leaving the College, he worked for Southern Railways as an engineer and when he came back to help he very much brought that railway engineering approach to the way he expected the equipment to be maintained. Mind you, while we might think his approach is old fashioned by today’s standards, all the systems that he created are still in place, although today they may appear in an Excel spreadsheet rather than on a wall chart. The Troop rooms were upstairs in the Gymnasium (PE Centre) and the Stores downstairs, but as the needs of the College’s sports programme expanded, it became obvious that we would have to find new premises. Hence our move, some 10 years ago, to the Trevor Bailey Sports Club, which was mostly funded by a gift from OA Bill Hall.
A LIFE IN SCOUTING PETER EVANS
CELEBRATING 95 YEARS OF SCOUTING at Dulwich College
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When you started in the 1970s there were over 100 boys involved on a weekly basis. Why do you think scouting was so popular? There were certainly far fewer co-curricular activities those days and scouting had a significant profile; all the Scouts wore their uniform to school and the staff who ran the troops wore theirs to teach. Scouting was very visible. The activities we offered were also very appealing: making camps, lighting fires, cooking your own food on open fires or by Primus (a small portable stove), pioneering with staves and poles, and numerous team-building exercises. In fact the fundamental Scout programme has not changed much at all since the 1970s. The challenge is not in getting youngsters to enjoy the activities once they turn up, it is more about getting them away from their phones and streaming services in the first place! One day of each term was given over to a Field Day where Scouts and the CCF went off and did their own activities. The Scouts could put into practice all the skills they had learned at Dulwich and take part in activities that were more adventurous, including overnight camping, sailing or kayaking. Summer camps were another real highlight, giving us the opportunity to spend up to 10 days in beautiful and sometimes quite remote parts of the country. In any one summer there would be up to 19 Patrols ‘on camp’ and looked after by what would, by today’s standards, be only a handful of primarily Dulwich staff. What has changed the most over the last 50 years? One of the most obvious changes has been the stepping back of College staff. At one point it looked as though scouting would stop completely as it was getting harder and harder to recruit leaders. Today we only run one Troop, not the three that used to exist. With the loss of teaching staff involvement, the visibility around the campus has also been reduced, with the obvious knock-on effect on recruitment from within the College. Today we rely very heavily for help on OAs and parents. A much more positive and hugely beneficial change has been the move towards having girls join the Troop. That both the girls and boys have to work together to solve problems in teamwork exercises is much more reflective of what they will experience in the world outside scouting and in the world of work. Another positive change was the opening of the Cub section (for school years 4 and 5) which is celebrating it's 10th anniversary this year.
How popular is scouting at Dulwich at the moment? Scouting is extremely popular, perhaps as much as ever. The Cub Pack is full and we have a waiting list for both the Cubs and the Scouts which, with 60 in the Troop, is bursting at the seams. We also have a thriving unit of 50 Explorers, which is very healthy indeed. Overall, about 30% of the membership are College pupils and 50% come from Foundation Schools; our Cub Pack is particularly well supported by Rosemead and other local prep schools. We are actively looking for ways to increase the number of Dulwich students participating. If we could encourage more College staff to be involved it would help hugely in raising the profile of the movement and getting scouting embedded back into the College community. How relevant is scouting today? My view is that scouting is as relevant as ever, if not more so. We certainly teach important life skills. There are not many organisations that give 14-year-olds the opportunity to run a patrol at summer camp where they can manage a budget to buy food and then cook on wood fires. More broadly the scouting movement has looked to make itself more relevant. The appointment of Peter Duncan, the former Blue Peter presenter, as the Chief Scout certainly helped to raise the profile of scouting, as has the current holder of the post, Bear Grylls. Social media has also been a powerful tool in raising awareness. What have you personally got from your time in scouting? I have made many good friends and had so many great experiences. I have travelled all over the world and been fortunate to visit South America four times through scouting trips. How do you see your involvement in scouting over the next five to six years? I have been Group Scout Leader of the 25th Camberwell Scout Group for over 20 years but it is time to step back now. I intend to stay involved and will continue to run the Explorers. There are also some exciting projects in the pipeline, not least a trip to Southeast Asia in 2025, with which I would like to be involved. It would be good to get somebody younger to pick up the overall co-ordination of Dulwich Scouting and to grow involvement within the College.
CELEBRATING 95 YEARS OF SCOUTING at Dulwich College
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SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER Scouts' 95th Anniversary Dinner Dulwich College
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Gidon joined DUCKS in 2002 and remained at the College until 2015, when he took up a scholarship to study Mandarin for a year at the Tsinghua University, Beijing. On his return he went to LSE to study Economics and Politics, and Imperial College Business School to study Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management. He now works as a Project Manager at BryceTech. GIDON GAUTEL
Bryce Tech is an analytics and engineering consultancy that partners with science and technology clients both in the private and governmental sectors. One of their specialities is working in the space sector. They provide insight and expertise on the space economy. BryceTech provide official launch industry data to the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation; assess technology investments for NASA; deliver industry analyses and acquisition support for the Department of Defense; and provide market, investment, strategic and technology analyses for leading aerospace organisations worldwide. The company’s resources promote the technological and economic growth of the industry, informing the decisions of satellite operators, launch vehicle manufacturers, and government agencies.
it more, both from a theoretical and a practical perspective, so that’s really what drove me to study for a Master’s. It was a brilliant opportunity because it covered such a wide range of subjects, including technology management and venture capital, and a whole host of transferable skills that I still use today. So what was it that directed you away from becoming an entrepreneur and setting up your own company at the end of that year? One thing that became very obvious on the course was that it is best to start a business in order to solve a problem you are truly passionate about, and not to become an entrepreneur just for the sake of it. Also, the average successful start-up founder is usually around 40 and not a 20-something entrepreneur. Of course, there are those that are much younger, but it takes a lot of experience within a particular industry, especially in the highly technical areas in which I am interested, before you're in a position to understand it deeply enough to identify the problems around which to innovate and build a business. So having thought long and hard about what to do, I decided not to start a company straightaway. It is definitely something that I would be open to in the future, maybe once I have more experience, but only if there is a problem that I am deeply invested in, and that I’d be in a particularly good position to solve. How did you find your way to working in the space industry? I had always been interested in space, including throughout my time at school. While I was at the LSE, however, I started to see the concrete roles and opportunities for me personally. I became aware of the incredible innovation happening in the space industry, and really started to get actively engaged. I co- founded an ‘Innovation in Space Society’ at LSE for students who were interested in commercial space and was lucky enough to do an internship at my current company, BryceTech, having invited the CEO to come and speak to the society. What was it about you that Bryce saw as your potential? I don’t think it was any one thing in particular. My time at LSE had taught me how to approach problems analytically, which is crucial in consultancy. Also, right from College, through my career at LSE, and especially through working at the think tank LSE IDEAS, I have enjoyed analytical writing. I like to think that I have got pretty good at it, particularly at explaining complex issues in a
You studied Chinese to AS level and then took up an opportunity to go to a Chinese university before returning to attend LSE. Could you tell us about that? I had two very supportive Mandarin teachers at school and they encouraged me to apply for a Confucius Institutes Scholarship to study in China, allowing me to go to the Tsinghua University for a year before heading to LSE. Although my degree at LSE was in government and economics, I continued learning Mandarin, taking classes wherever I could to keep the language alive. I did an internship in Hong Kong during my first summer, and then the year after I did a data science course in Beijing. So throughout university, I tried to maintain my Mandarin. I also read a lot of Mandarin as a Project Coordinator at LSE IDEAS, which is the university’s foreign policy think tank, for whom I still write strategic policy pieces on China’s space industry and its international relations. My long-term goal is still to continue to speak it fluently. Many people would struggle to study for a degree and learn a language at the same time. Did you find it difficult? It certainly requires time, but it helped that the language was complementary to my work. During my internship in Hong Kong I read announcements about business regulation across China, and then as the Coordinator for the China Foresight project at LSE IDEAS, I read Chinese language news articles and policy announcements. The broader importance of knowing the language also keeps me motivated. In today’s changing world it’s critical that the aims and thinking of states are well understood. Getting your information from primary language sources, rather than abstracted interpretations, is the best way to do that. Your degree finished at LSE in 2019 and you then went on to do an MSc at Imperial College Business School. What made you decide to do this? LSE had given me a great background in economics and politics, but I was keen to explore how that theoretical knowledge could be put to practical use in running a business, which is why I chose to do a course in innovation, entrepreneurship and management at Imperial. I had written a piece in my final year at LSE on innovation in the unmanned aerial systems industry in China (put simply, why does China build such good drones?), and I was extremely interested in how businesses innovate, and how innovation ecosystems are built up. I wanted to understand
clear and straightforward way. This is crucial in a rapidly changing technological context such as we often have in the space industry. I think it also helped that I am a bit of a space geek. I love hard sci-fi. All of my favourite books and movies tend to be in that genre. I’m also really passionate about the industry and seeing it progress. I am pretty sure I would not have got the role at Bryce if I had not shown that I was personally invested in driving the industry forward. Can you give us an example of a project you have been involved in? One really great project was the UK Nanosat design competition. It was an initiative by LaunchUK, which is a joint effort by the UK Space Agency and the Department for Transport. The competition encouraged young people (16+) to design a nanosatellite (weighing less than 10 kg) that could be used to inform innovative solutions to support the UK’s climate change or decarbonisation efforts. There was a prize of £600k available to the winner to enable them to develop and manufacture their satellite and to subsequently launch it from a UK spaceport. The project really caught young people’s imagination and we received over 40 applications, which were all immensely impressive, and while a lot of them were from university students, we also received some really good entries from Sixth Form students. In fact, a two-person Sixth Form team made the final. The competition was structured around the lifecycle of a space mission, and I found it fascinating to go through each stage of the mission process, working with both the mentors of the competition and with the teams themselves. We have continued to work with the winners, as well as the UK Space Agency and other partners, to build the satellite and launch it on a rocket from the UK.
I gather you were the co-chair of the Lunar Commerce and Economics Working Group of the Moon Village Association. Can you tell us about this? I was lucky to work with a group of very talented and passionate people on a report that looked at the potential pathways of commercial development in cislunar space, which is the space around the Moon and the space in between the Moon and the Earth. In 2022 we published a report called the Lunar Commerce Portfolio, which is essentially an assessment of the market sectors depicting the range of possible lunar commercial futures. We looked at the viability of nine markets in total, including transport to and from the Moon, energy and power, construction and manufacture, and habitat and storage. It was an extraordinarily fascinating project: we were not just learning about all of the different activities and initiatives that have been proposed but were also trying to put figures on activities that are literally not of this world. The plan is to update the publication every time new data becomes available, which is a really exciting initiative to be part of. It is also extremely timely. We are living in a renaissance of lunar exploration that is very different from the Apollo era. This time, far more nations are engaged in the effort, and the focus is on building a sustainable presence, enabled by commercial industry. You have just started with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. What's your motivation behind that? I love analysing the space industry and I found myself wanting to play a hands-on role. I saw that the Royal Auxiliary Air Force had positions available for Air and Space Operations, and this was around the same time in 2021 that the UK Space Command had been formed. I am currently completing Operations training and hope to work on space operations and policy.
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OLD ALLEYNIAN RFC It gives me great pleasure to report the OARFC continues to grow and thrive, achieving its purpose as a community rugby club whilst retaining important and close links to the College. Membership now stands at over 1,200 – including both players and social members – with good age and gender diversity. The highlight over the last 12 months was the 1st XV winning the Papa John’s Community Cup at Twickenham, beating Harlow 34–7 in front of a healthy crowd of supporters. It was great to see so many OAs in the line-up, including Tyreece Asamaoh (11–18), Benjamin Osuntokun (11–16), Tom Marchant (08–15) and Toby Anthony (02–12). The 1st XV also won their league, Counties 1 Kent, with a 20-point margin over the second-placed team, and were promoted into Regional 2 South East, in which, at the time of writing they sit in fifth place after 14 games. The 1st XV’s success in the cup and league is a reflection of strength across the senior club: over 50 players represented the 1st XV, led excellently by Gill Crouch, and 77 players represented the 2nd XV. Players have been ably supported by the coaching team, led by James Knox alongside Charlie Thompson (06-13), Laurence Boyle, Griff Jones, Alex Smiddy (90–00) and Steve Jeal. Over the season, the 1st XV secured a top ten place across all levels in the number of tries scored. The 2nd XV are at the time of writing second in Counties 3 Kent, having won nine of their eleven games. It shows how far the club has come that our 2nd XV is now playing at an equivalent level to the 1st XV when I joined almost 20 years ago. Similar success has been found by the 3rd XV, who are at the time of writing at the top of the Kent Metropolitan League A, having won all but one of their matches this season, and the 4th XV, who are second in the Kent Metropolitan League B. The Age Grade section of the club continues to generate a hub of activity on a Sunday morning, with over 650 age grade players and affiliated members. As well as providing opportunities for College boys to supplement the rugby they play at school, this section of our club is a valuable community asset. Through the club’s ‘Give it a Try!’ outreach scheme, we have supported almost 450 children across over 158 sessions at nine local schools. This not only supports new membership at the club but also enables us to share more widely the benefits of rugby that members enjoy. In 2023 the OARFC marked the 125th anniversary of its foundation, on 8 October 1898. This remarkable achievement was celebrated with the 125th Anniversary Ball in June, with several OAs, old and young, in attendance. We are pleased to have provided Terry Adams (47–54), a proud Old Alleynian, with a final outing at the club before his sad passing later in the summer. The ball raised funds for the fit-out of the replacement shed as a girls’ changing room, which we hope to begin later this year. We were grateful to Elliot Read, Deputy Master, for attending on behalf of the College. In addition, the club was pleased to enter arrangements with the Alleyn Cricket Club (ACC) that see cricket played on the grounds in summer. The ACC secured funding from the ECB and Surrey Cricket to re-lay the wickets, work that has allowed us to extend this relationship further. Phil Kent, Chairman OARFC
The Moon Village Association is an NGO based in Vienna whose goal is the creation of a permanent global informal forum for stakeholders like governments, industry, academia and the public interested in the development of the ‘Moon Village’. The Moon Village is not a literal village on the Moon, it is not an International Space Station on the Moon, and it is not a single science facility. Rather, it is a diverse community of projects carried out by stakeholders from different fields (for example, technical, scientific, cultural, economic), and the idea is that the Village acts as a catalyst for new alliances between public and private entities. Additionally, the Moon Village will provide a strong inspirational and educational foundation for future generations. Currently the MVA has over 600 participants from more than 65 countries and 30 institutional members around the globe, representing a diverse array of technical, scientific, cultural and interdisciplinary fields.
Does that mean that you would quite like to be an astronaut one day? Definitely. That is certainly one of my dream jobs! This year I commanded the UK’s inaugural analogue astronaut mission, organised by a company called Space Health Research, who specialise in analogue missions that simulate the human and technological exploration of space. It was a fantastic experience and I got to work with a brilliant crew. If that experience is anything to go by, I think I would love working as an astronaut. I can also see career opportunities opening in this space. The tail end of this decade will see commercial space stations launched, which will require private crew for maintenance and operations. We are already seeing civil and commercial astronaut missions such as Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civil space mission that raised millions for charity, and Polaris Dawn, which will see the first commercial space walk. I expect to see a growing number of opportunities beyond the standard government astronaut routes. The future looks very exciting.
UK Space Command works with allies and partners around the world to make space safe, secure and sustainable for all generations. The UK Space Operations Centre is based at RAF High Wycombe where personnel collate and analyse and assess space information to support UK and allied military forces. Military space analysts work alongside civilian space analysts from the UK Space Agency to monitor the safety of UK satellites and track orbital events, including potential satellite collisions and the re-entry of objects into the Earth’s atmosphere.
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ALLEYNIAN SAILING SOCIETY The Alleynian Sailing Society (ASS) goes from strength to strength with another full year of activities, culminating in a splendid dinner to celebrate our 40th anniversary. The Boys Sail Training week took place in July and was fully subscribed. The boats were ready early and we got to Cowes in good time. Thence to Yarmouth for two nights with some more formal teaching on chart work and boat handling as well as a day sail to the Needles. The trip up to Bucklers Hard showed the boys a different side to the Solent and the barbecue (now under cover on the hard) was a success thanks to the effort of Harry Willets. We were joined by Fiona Angel and Elliot Read from the College, who seemed pleased to see the boys enjoying themselves and learning a different aspect to life. The Pursuit Challenge threw up some interesting sailing decisions and was a close finish. The Tony Pendry cup was awarded to David Coxon on Mon Deleme (skipper Al Capon,73-80), and for the first time Competent Crew certificates were awarded to various boys: James Misson and Conrad Summers on Gimbal (skipper Simon Purchon, 68-75); James Lock on Fleur de Lys (skipper Peter Fosdike, 92-01); and Max Thorpe and Saverio Jones on Vis a Vis (skipper Reg Kheraj). I thank the skippers and crew who continue to give up their time in order to make this event a success. The College was represented by Harry Willets and Victoria Goldsack, and they were joined this year by Rajiv Joshi, who looks certain to bolster the school’s commitment to and support of sailing. The Belvidere Cup was postponed this year as the J-80s had been sold and the weather proved unsuitable for the replacements. The older boys’ rally took place in May and two boats made their way to Weymouth in good time. Fortunately, the firing range at Lulworth was not active this year and the Hon Sec was not chased by range boats! The ASS dinner, held at the Royal Thames Club, was a success, with an address by Roger Knight OBE (57-66), who was Chief Executive of the MCC after playing cricket professionally. (Roger’s father was DVK, former Boarding House Master who many may remember was the first Hon Sec when the Society was formed.) Many old and newer sailors attended and there was a good ‘buzz’ in the room. The College was represented by Fiona Angel and Elliot Read. The OAA was represented by Nick Howe (Chairman) and Trevor Llewelyn (Sec), and we are grateful for their continued support.
The Arrow Trophy The Alleynian Sailing Society took part in the Arrow Trophy Yacht Regatta in 2023. Organised by the Royal London Yacht Club, the regatta is an annual sailing competition for alumni clubs from independent schools, taking place in the challenging waters of the Solent. The format is short fleet racing on day one, raced in two fleets of one-design yachts, with the top four teams facing a series of match races on day two to determine the placement of the top four boats and overall winner. In total, there are five trophies to be won, first to fourth place and ‘best of the rest’. The two fleets operate on a divisional basis, with the 12 top-tier crews racing faster and more challenging boats, and the 12 second-tier crews racing smaller, slightly easier to sail (though none the less competitive) boats. Schools can be promoted or relegated based on a rolling aggregated four-year score. Dulwich have pedigree, having won the competition several times in the past, but we have sat firmly in mid- table positions over the last few years. With racing highly competitive between schools, the prospect of relegation to the second tier loomed large for 2023. Most of our crew for the event have been sailing together in the same incarnation since 2021; however, we were pleased to welcome back Mark Richmond, an experienced sailor and racer, to the team. 2023 also saw the return of Anthony Frankford, club Honorary Secretary, a number of years after he claimed to have hung up his racing boots. This new crew combination seemed to work wonders for the racing dynamic and chemistry onboard, and with conditions on day one favourable to good racing – everything looked positive. A good start is imperative to a successful one-design fleet race, and it was clear that with Mark on helm, we were taking no prisoners, jockeying for a strong starting position in the fleet. With options on how to sail the course based on tide and wind conditions, good race tactics are also vital, followed by slick sail handling, manoeuvres, and the infamous spinnaker sail hoists and drops. Our performance in race one was only OK, earning us a mid-table, seventh-place finish. Our second race saw us improve markedly, holding our own around the course, fighting for every inch of water and finishing fifth. Race three saw us start very well, making good headway up the course. With pressure mounting between schools and the scoreboard starting to take shape, the fierce competition and rivalries finally boiled over with a serious collision between two other schools, allowing Dulwich the chance to pull ahead and finish in a strong fourth place. As the boats lined up for the fourth and final race, Dulwich was one of three boats that could finish fourth to make the match racing (and guaranteed silverware) on day two. All ashore, the crew celebrated in the evening, and as it happens, this year the weather gods convened to prevent racing on day two due to lack of wind. Although frustrating, that’s part of sailing – and with day one rankings taken as final – it left Dulwich in fourth place, and the recipient of the Radley Shaker trophy for 2023. Pride intact, Dulwich’s silverware streak restored, and our tier one place maintained – it was a great end to the 2023 racing season. Looking ahead to the season in 2024, I see great things in store for the ASS’s! If you are interested in finding out more about the Alleynian Sailing Society please contact Secretary Anthony Frankford, anthonytfrankford@gmail.com. Reg Kheraj (02-07)
Anthony Frankford (73-80), Secretary ASS
Who and where are you now? If you fancy it join us for some sailing please get in touch
Sunday 26 May – Friday 31 May May Rally Hamble and along the coast Wednesday 10 July Boys Sail Training Week BBQ Beaulieu Thursday 11 July Boys Sail Training Week Dinner Island Sailing Club, Cowes
2023 ASS Arrow Trophy Crew
Mark Richmond (95–00) - Helm/tactics Ant Lindley (92-00) - Main/radio Ben Taffs (09-16)- Trim/Bow leader Matt Gorvett (06-13)- Trim Reg Kheraj - Trim/crew boss/nav (skipper) Tom Tidbury (93-00) - Pit/trim Anthony Frankford (62–69) – Pit/trim
September Date TBC End of Season Dinner Royal Thames Yacht Club/ Royal Ocean Racing Club
Pete Fosdike(92-01) - Bow Victoria Goldsack – Mas
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OLD ALLEYNIAN LODGE It has been another successful year for the Lodge. We welcomed several new members, with current membership now standing at about 43 and growing. As usual, we held our four meetings in the Old Library at Dulwich College and were privileged to dine in the Pavilion Salle on each occasion. The highlight was our October meeting, when we warmly welcomed Fiona Angel (Senior Deputy) and Will Lewis (Past President of the OAA) to join us for what was a superb dinner. Both delivered entertaining yet informative speeches, leaving members enthused to hear of the College’s vision for the future. Outside of the Lodge meetings, we have been equally active with regular informal get- togethers and rehearsals. A healthy contingent also attended the annual Public Schools Lodges’ Council Festival, held this year at the magnificent Stowe School. This was a true family event, and members were delighted to attend with their families and children to meet with other members of the Lodge and the wider Masonic public schools community. More recently, we hosted a table at the annual OAA dinner and were delighted to show our support for such a great event Whilst the Lodge is clearly in good health, we are always looking for new members and you can be assured of a warm welcome, whether you are familiar with Freemasonry or not. Membership of the OA Lodge is open to former pupils of the school as well as past and present teaching staff. This year alone we were delighted to welcome new members who had just left the College as well as members who left decades ago, all of whom chose the OA Lodge as a great opportunity to join Freemasonry and stay in touch with the College. With the support of the OAA we also continue to encourage membership and enquiries from those below the age of 25, for whom we offer a 50% deduction on subscriptions. Freemasonry is a national/international society, with English Freemasonry being controlled by the United Grand Lodge of England whose headquarters are in Covent Garden, London. Their website contains a great deal of useful information: www.ugle.org.uk. If you think that Freemasonry may be something for you or if the article has sparked an interest, then please do visit our dedicated website ( www.oldalleynianlodge.org.uk ) where you will find lots more about us. It is also the best way to get in contact. We very much hope to continue to build on our current success in the coming year and would be very pleased to hear from you. Do get in touch.
OLD ALLEYNIAN GOLFING SOCIETY The Old Alleynian Golfing Society (OAGS) has had a very enjoyable and reasonably successful year on and off the links. The team performed well in the Halford Hewitt, beating Wellingborough, Felsted and Merchant Taylors, before losing to the eventual winners, Loretto, who have won the Hewitt for the last three years and are profiting from their academy. Our youth policy was to the fore again this year as six of the players, Hugo Avshu (01-12), Felix Truckel (00-11), Jonny Waugh (04-15), Freddie Neden (10- 15), Felix Suther-Jones (11-16) and Guy Tillson (11-16), were under 30. They were joined by Chris Cowen (95-06), Alex Charawani (78-87), Ameet Patel (93-95) and Jonathan Swinney (77-84). There is a great spirit amongst the team, and they were, as ever, well supported by the SoDs (supporters of Dulwich) despite the appalling weather. The halfway hut at Deal did especially good business on the Saturday afternoon during torrential rain. Our over-50 team did extremely well in the Cyril Gray competition at Worplesdon, just failing to reach the final for the first time. We again benefited from a ‘youth’ policy, with one of our team only qualifying by a day and another by less than a month, so we have the basis for a great few years. Well done to the team of Roger Kelly (81-88) and Simon Anthony (86-91) (who were unbeaten), as well as Jonathan Swinney and Colin Webb (79-84), and Matt Aldous (84-91) and Jeremy Brewer (64-71). We qualified for the finals of the Grafton Morrish at Hunstanton and Brancaster again this year, but lost narrowly in the first round. It was another youthful team, with five of the six under 30. In addition, Jonny Waugh won the Spring Meeting at Deal and Nic Bennett (75-82) the Autumn at Tandridge. There were the usual friendly matches and society days during the year, including against old foes Whitgift, Alleyn’s, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Loretto and King Edward’s Birmingham, as well as a number of other schools. Many of these matches start through friendships made in days gone by but result in new and lasting friendships. We are also fortunate to play at some of the best courses in the South East, such as Royal St George’s, Rye, New Zealand, Royal Ashdown, Tandridge and Wildernesse. The matches are played in what I consider the true Dulwich spirit. We try our hardest to win whilst playing, but afterwards we really do not mind if we win or lose, it is all about taking part and meeting up with old friends and making new ones. The joy of the OAGS (and all OAA societies) is that we have one huge part of our lives in common. This seems to make the conversation flow easily when we meet up, and I was very pleased that we welcomed a few new faces to the society this year who have become regular attendees. The other great joys of golf are that you can play all of your life, and that with the handicap system it does not matter whether you are off scratch or 28, you can still play and enjoy yourself. We focus on helping our younger members to participate with financial assistance, but are also very keen to hear from all OAs. So, if you are just retired, or now work from home regularly and have more time, please do register on the website at www.oags.co.uk or email me at honsec@ oags.co.uk. We are a very friendly group and will make you feel most welcome.
Simon Whitaker (70-74), Secretary OA Lodge
Peter Foord (72-81) Secretary OAGS
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