News & Pictures

OM Isha Marquez in bookshop find

A signed copy of part of an epic biography by Sir Winston Churchill has turned up in an antiquarian bookshop in Bath.  Rooke Books in Northumberland Place is likely to put volume one of the four volume account of the life of the first Duke of Marlborough up for auction.  It is expected to fetch around £2,000.  Churchill wrote Marlborough: his life and Times in the 1930s when the Conservatives were out of office.

The first two volumes alone of the biography of his ancestor - a successful military commander who never lost a battle run to a million words. His research is said to have provided key background insights for Churchill's military strategy in the Second World War.  The book is signed by Churchill and dated December 1939.  It turned up in a box of books acquired by the firm.  The bookshop has been open for a year and Isha says that business was picking up after a slow start.  She had been working for free as an intern when she drew up a business plan and convinced the owner to keep it open.  She plans to put the book on display ahead of auction and will consider serious offers in the meantime.

OM Rides for precious lives

OM Johnny Wheeler (third from left) was part of a group of financial advisors who got on their bikes over the weekend of 2-4th July to raise money for a new childrens hospice.  The riders from AWD Chase de Vere cycled 230 miles from St Austell in Cornwall to Bristol.  The route started at the site where the charity Children's Hospice South West would like to build the new hospice and went via North west Devon finally finishing at the hospice in Bristol.  The ride involved 100 other riders and the Chase de Vere team have set their sights on rasing £2,500.  If you would  like to sponsor them, please visit their Just Giving page on the following address: http://www.justgiving.com/AWDBath2010.

OM Kate selected for England

Congratulations to Kate Jain (OM 88), who was selected to represent England in the Over 40’s Ladies Masters Home Counties International Hockey Championships 2010, held last weekend in Swansea. On the Saturday, England defeated Wales 2-1 and drew with Scotland 3-3, and on Sunday, won 5-1 against Ireland, with Kate scoring one of the goals. Although undefeated, England was edged out by Scotland on goal difference.

Whilst at Monkton, Kate had played for Bath Ladies and Wiltshire Schools, and captained a victorious Monkton Combe XI in the Avon Schools Cup, as well as a combined Bath Schools side in an international Youth tournament in Alkmaar, Bath’s twin city. After leaving school Kate captained her university side, Oxford Brooks, and played UAU hockey for Exeter in her teacher training year. Since then she has lived and taught in Canterbury where she played Premiership hockey for Canterbury Ladies and married Abhi Jain, himself a Canterbury player. The couple have two children, Ella and Charlie.

Kate is the younger daughter of former teacher and houseparent Peter Sibley who was also a brilliant sportsman in his own right – it’s obviously in the genes!

Can you help Stephen Sykes

OM Stephen Sykes is writing his autobiography and would like to post a message:

OM Chloe Dalton new special advisor to Foreign Secretary

OM Chloe Dalton (96), special adviser to new Foreign Secretary William Hague was spotted accompanying the minister last week on their way to the Foreign Office.  Her area of expertise is Iran and the Middle East in the new Conservative/Liberal coalition government.  Chloe was the first girl boarder at Monkton Prep School, (formerly Monkton Combe Junior School) staying with former Headmaster Peter Leroy and his wife Angela.  Chloe’s sister Mary and brothers William and Arthur are all Old Juniors.

OM Clare in bike theft plea

It's bad enough to have your bike stolen any time, but when you are preparing for an 1800 mile trek through the Rockies, it is particularly frustrating.  Old Monktonian Clare Fox (07)  has been planning her epic cycle ride with the aim of raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a charity set up for cancer sufferers.  The bike, worth £1200 was taken from Rainbow Woods in Combe Down last month.  She is appealing to anyone who may have information to contact the Bath police - 0845 4567000.  The Ridgeback Panorama touring bike, which has a unique frame serial number M9111098, was taken from the woods on Friday, April 16.

Meanwhile, Clare is working at a local pub to raise money for a new bike and her parents have agreed to help her out if she needs extra funds.  Despite the setback she is still determined to fulfill her ambition which will start next month in Vancouver.  Her aim is to cycle 155 miles per day.  It should take her three months to complete.  We wish Clare the very best of luck. For the full story please link to This is Bath website.

Old Junior makes it to the North Pole

Rupert Nicholson (MCJS 94-96) has made it to the North Pole in the 2010 Polar Challenge with team members Stephanie Brimacombe and Tom Williams. In fact after a 9 days, 14 hours and 20 minutes they crossed the finish line ahead of all the other teams!  The team, called Team Avilton are raising money for Mencap and are well on their way to their target of £100,000.  For more information about the team and Polar challenge, please visit their website http://www.thedarkesthorse.co.uk/home.  Congratulations to Rupert and his team on a remarkable achievement.

OM Hockey Match - March 2010

On a sunny Sunday in late March the OM hockey day took place, this year for the first time incorporating the new Prep School pitch. We assembled the two best teams in the Prep School's history - those who left in 1995 and 1999. The vast majority were able to return, and in a keenly fought match the "youngsters" were victorious 3-2.  It was very good to see them all again, and to welcome back to the school Malcolm Robson and Roland Symons, who  both played key coaching roles in the 90s. A number of parents and supporters also joined us.

Then in the afternoon the teams were joined by some more recent OMs to play two matches against the school. the OMs won both, 3-2 and 5-2.

Tim Dewes is happy to help organise a similar occasion next year, provided that the OMs don't feel they are too old!

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OM President's Lunch

Over 100 OMs and guests attended the President’s lunch at Pembroke College in Cambridge last Saturday.  

Amongst the guests were one of the newest members of the OM Club Rachel Wilsher who left last summer and one of the oldest members,  Mr Don Fisher  who left Monkton in 1945.  

There were three heads or former heads of Oxbridge Colleges present: Sir Richard Dearlove (62) [Pembroke, Cambridge]; Professor Peter Richards (54)[Emmanuel, Cambridge] and Sir Tim Lankester (60) [Corpus Christi, Oxford].  During the lunch it was also noted that three successive Cross Country Captains were present: Edward Perrott (64); Merlin Waterson (65);  and Chris Hayward (66).  

President Roberto Dionisio(70) OM Club President thanked everyone for coming and also extended his thanks to Sir Richard Dearlove, College Master  for his kind invitation to host the lunch.  He then spoke about the changes to the Club before handing over to Principal Richard Backhouse who introduced the new OM General Secretary Tim Dewes (Hon OM) current Deputy Head. To view some pictures from this event, please visit the Photo Gallery.

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More exciting news from OMs

Below are a few articles that were kindly submitted by OMs during the last few weeks.  Do please keep your news items coming.  They can be submitted either to Caroline Bone in the Development Office bonecaf@monkton.org.uk or to OM Editor Peter LeRoy at panda@leroy.com.

• Assistant Professor Giles Cattermole
• On Location with the Wise Men from the East
• Peter Jordan
• Professor Andrew Sims
• Professor Chris Turner

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Can you help Jim Gillingham?

"I was at MCS from 1962 to 1966. About December 1974, I purchased one of the clinker sculling boats that I had used while I was at MCS. I remember paying Julian Bewick £20 and for that, he kindly included a pair of oars. The boats were named by letters, and I think I got either C or D scull. Although it looked to be in a sorry state, I built a new stern section for it and then with new varnish, it came up pretty well. I'm very proud of the fact that it survives to this day and that I still use it on a semi-regular basis. 

Many years ago (I don't remember the year) I wrote to Dick Hole asking whether he knew how old the boat was. He replied as follows:

 Dear Mr Gillingham,

What questions you ask! I can give no certain information about the age of the old clinker sculling boats. I think it is safe to say that none was acquired new. The youngest which I suspect you may now have, for the older ones must have disintegrated long ago  I myself fetched from Cambridge in 1940 or 1941 from Banhams. I would think it was then about 3 or 4 years old. I got a special ration of petrol to do the journey and Banham rigged up a gantry on my front bumper (a Vauxhall 10 hp car) & the boat lay on it & on the roof. This form of boat transport was unusual in those days & drew many curious glances. If my memory serves all the other 4 clinker sculling boats were in the club & already fairly old when I went to the school in 1934. Unfortunately the book in which I used to keep all records of boats, their costs etc. has been lost.

Yours sincerely, Dick Hole

I wonder whether there are any OM's who were at the School in 1940/1941 who might remember the boat arriving and be interested in writing to me at jimgillingham@hotmail.com?"

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OM Ben Hodgson (77) captures books from the Bible on Film

Old Monktonian Ben Hodgson has been busy filming in North Africa.  Ben is Director of Photography with Big Book Media, a production company specialising in bringing the stories from the Bible on to the screen.  Visit The Times Online for a full report on his latest filming trip.

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Gold Medal for Millais Nurseries at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Congratulations to OM David Millais on his Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower show.  Specialist rhododendron growers Millais Nurseries, of Churt, near Farnham, Surrey were delighted to gain a Gold medal from the Royal Horticultural Society for their exhibit of Rhododendrons and Azaleas.  This is the first gold medal for rhododendrons for 14 years. 

Their theme this year was BRITISH PLANTS.  The exhibit featured an island bed showing larger growing hybrids cascading down in size through interesting wild collected foliage species, deciduous azaleas and yakushimanum hybrids, with evergreen azaleas and dwarf varieties forming the front of the exhibit.  A particular feature of the display was the wonderful foliage of many rare species, planted to simulate a gushing stream running through a Himalayan mountainside. Amazingly they only showed a small selection of their vast range, and clearly demonstrated how versatile and diverse rhododendrons can be.  

They exhibited plants collected from the Himalayas by famous British plant collectors such as Frank Kingdon-Ward, Keith Rushforth, and their own Ted Millais.  Also featured were some of the great hybrids raised over the past century by British breeders such as the Rothschilds from Exbury Gardens, Arthur George and a selection of their own modern hybrids raised by Ted Millais.  Every plant in their display had a British story of adventure or breeding behind it.

This was Millais Nurseries third exhibit at Chelsea, and they were the only specialist rhododendron grower at the Show.  All their plants are British grown using a wide range of organic practices wherever possible to produce high quality healthy plants.

The trials garden and plant centre is open throughout the year.  (Crosswater Lane, Churt, Farnham, Surrey) Telephone: 01252 792698.  Visit their fully searchable and secure website at www.rhododendrons.co.uk where you can order online.