12 THIRTY YEARS AGO 1994–95 T he school was thriving under Hugh Davies-Jones’ leadership with 412 pupils in the Prep Department (including 151 girls) at the start of the academic year. The Pre-Prep had also expanded, necessitating not only more staff but also another classroom – achieved by the arrival of a pre-fab building (for Mrs Close) which was installed during the summer holidays – just outside the swimming pool. Boarding numbers were also very healthy with both Houses full. This says much about the provision that St Andrews offered (under the guidance of
During the year it was announced that Eastbourne College was to go totally co-ed by admitting girls into Y9 the following year (1996). This was to have massive consequences as previously a significant number of our girls would go on to Moira House. The parents of three Y8 girls, with sons already at the College, approached Charlie Bush to request a place for their daughter in September 1995. The following year 11 girls joined Eastbourne College whilst none went ‘up the road.’ In the Spring Term a wonderful performance of Tom Sawyer was staged under the guidance of Simon Farrar and Andrew Nott. A number of the key players of the cast are pictured below. On the sports front it was
a notable year for Hockey with the U11 Girls winning the six a side Nationals at Sheffield – much to the delight and excellent coaching of Mal Rossell and Pam Bott. In addition, John Bradford excelled at the National Athletics in
Mrs Close’s Classroom arrives
Mr and Mrs Garrett and Mr and Mrs Nott). This was bucking the trend being witnessed nationally where boarding numbers were diminishing in many other schools. An even bigger change took
Birmingham by winning gold in the Long Jump final. A total of seven teams were unbeaten in their fixtures, predominantly in the following Girls teams…. 1st XI and U11 Hockey, U10 Netball and both U10 and U11 Rounders. Whilst in the boys, it was the 3rd XI Hockey and 4th XI Cricket who won all their matches. It was a record year academically with 21 scholarship awards won and whilst a good number of the 81 Y8s chose to go onto the College, Tom Sawyer – lead actors L to R…. Muff Potter (Oliver Pile), Judge Thatcher (Ben Shuttleworth), Mr Rodgers (Anthony Roberts), Injun Joe (Carlton Littlechild), Aunt Polly (Fleur Jervis-Read), Tom Sawyer (James Garlick) and Sis (Holly Symington)
place over the summer break of 1994 with the conversion of
the kitchens and Dining room to a cafeteria system. As well as outside contractors, Mick Simmons and his Maintenance crew were knocking down walls and re-arranging the serving facility to get everything ready for the start of the Autumn term. Term started with the arrival of 75 new children, 32 of whom had moved up from the Pre-Prep. Ben Shuttleworth, Fun Chakkaphak and Isabella Dash were appointed as Heads of school and served for all or part of the academic year. It was not far into term before the school Conversion of the Dining room
many went elsewhere. It is interesting to note that 25 other schools received pupils from us in September 1995. At Speech Day Mr David Varney (father of Justin and Meredith, both OAs) presented the prizes and, in his speech he urged children and parents to consider
were shocked by the sudden and tragic death of Tom Close, School Bursar. Tom had moved back with his family in 1984 from
U11 Girls Hockey six a side National Hockey champions
the Bahamas, where he had been Bursar of St Andrew’s School, Nassau. To say that the school community were shattered by his passing is an understatement. As Hugh Davies-Jones wrote at the time… “we all felt that we had lost a friend, the school had lost a loyal and committed staff member and the whole community was the poorer for the loss of a man whose generosity and humanity had touched the lives of so many others.” Ben Shuttleworth also had the distinction of accompanying Hugh Davies Jones to Belgium to return the ‘school’ bell to the city of Ypres – Tom Close
the importance of careers in Commerce. He was then the Managing Director of Shell UK as well as President of the UK Institute of Petroleum. The summer term saw the retirement of Michael Hughes who had taught Classics for the last 12 years. As Director of Studies he would also compile the school timetable by means of a large board together with an assortment of coloured pins – no computer programs were used at that time! Many Stags will no doubt remember him as their Set Tutor but everyone will recall his hilarious performances in staff reviews on St Andrew’s Day as a pantomime dame. Others may well have more personal recollections of going on one of the many trips he organised, at home and abroad, during school holidays. At the end of August 1995 a group of 14 OAs gathered at Oakash to mark the 50th Anniversary of the school’s evacuation to Chaddleworth
giving his speech in French to the dignitaries present and also appearing on TV. I vaguely recall reading that said bell had been brought back to St Andrews in 1918 as a war memento by a former member of staff. Recurrers were riding high in the set competitions, winning the Sheffield cup in all three terms and thus ensuring their position at the front
during the war. An Anniversary walk also took place, led by John Wilton together with OAs Peter Reeve, Rupert Harper and George Rothman who walked all or part of the 140 miles back to Eastbourne over the next three days.
Ben returns the school bell
of the gym in morning assembly. Mr Hawthorne must have had some fiendish but effective way of motivating his tutees at the time? Whatever it was, it seemed to work!
OAs at Oakash
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