Announcements | Monkton Combe

Jemima and Mike Sohn welcomed Daniel to the family on 28th November 2023, a little brother to Rachel and Sophie.

Hannah (née Cheater) and Sam Foster welcomed their second baby, a girl - Tatiana Jill Foster, at 8.13pm on Sunday 13th April 2025 at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. A little sister for Angus. All very healthy and well!

Charmian Monroe married Joshua Broughton on April 26th at St David’s Church, Moreton-in-Marsh.  In attendance were: Phyllida Stuart, OM 2015, Audley Monroe, OM 2000, Meg Chalkley, OM 2018, Sarah Denno, OM 2018 and Louise Smallbone, OM 2018. George Bevan, Hon OM played the organ.

Mike Parr married Jackie Riley.  The reception was at the Royal Squadron Yacht Club Cowes IOW. OM Neil Clifford OM 76 was among the guests. 

Amy and I met while teaching at Monkton in 2018, and we (finally) got married at St Mary's, Westwood, on Saturday 10th May 2025. Of the attendees, 15 were Monkton Alumni (from several 'generations'), including the best man (Owen Fung '06), and 20 were current/former Monkton staff (many of whom had to get special permission to leave their Saturday school duties to attend)! The weather was stunning and we felt so lucky to have shared our day surrounded by all our friends and family. The photo below, featuring most of the alumni in attendance, was taken during our evening party at the beautiful Iford Manor.

Back row (from left to right): Jonathan Blair, Michael Cowell, Simon Stephens, Camilla Robinson, Penny Sertin, James Sertin, James Goodman 
Front row (from left to right): Robert Colborn, Owen Fung, George Purves, Amy Purves, Jemima Sohn, Abi Blair

24.4.1939 - 3.1.2026

Richard's early childhood was spent in India with his parents, younger sister and brother. They lived in Bombay but in the hot weather escaped to the hills of Kashmir. He attended Sheikh Bagh School in Srinagar as a boarder. This was a wonderful school set up by Eric and Phil Tyndale-Biscoe for boys who could not return to England due to the war.

In 1946 the family sailed home and lived near Bath. Richard entered the junior school and progressed through the senior school. He loved Monkton and the friends he made there have been friends for life. Rowing, drama and the art room held special memories.

On leaving school he was articled to a firm of accountants in Sheffield. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant and in 1963 went to Iran with Coopers and Lybrand. He made the most of his time there visiting different regions, speaking Farsi and mixing easily with people. Richard married Sheila in 1965 and with their two young children returned to Iran. This contract ended due to political troubles.

The family settled in the country near Maidenhead with Richard working in the city for many years. He was a countryman at heart and enjoyed hill walking, beekeeping, his garden, geese and Staffordshire bull terriers. He was involved in local affairs as well as all the usual family commitments.

In retirement Richard led an active and adventurous life. He completed a course in Oxford on vernacular architecture, moved to Marlborough, travelled in Asia and had many camping trips around Europe with Robert Cowen - an OM friend. He immersed himself in many aspects of Marlborough life and was especially helpful in the restoration of The Merchant's House.

He leaves a sister, a son, a daughter and three granddaughters.

My brother Bruce Gordon Sinclair was born 16th April 1939 and died on 29th January 2026 of leukaemia.

He was born in Lewes Sussex and died in Leyland Lancashire where he had lived for most of his adult life. 

He was at Monkton for 4 years from 1952-1956, where he had a sound evangelical Christian education which formed the basis of his life. In particular in his final years at Monkton he was responsible for the services at Conkwell Chapel. When he left Monkton he intended to enter the Anglican ministry but while at Durham University, reading English he was advised that his talents would be better used in teaching in State schools. After leaving Monkton he spent a year gaining practical experience working at the Metal Box Company and a departmental store in Hull.

After receiving his degree from Durham University, he spent a year with VSO teaching at the Police National Training College in Kenya. After this he held several teaching posts, finishing his career as Deputy head of Bishop Rawthorn Church of England High School near Leyland in Lancashire. After taking early retirement he devoted his life to serving in various capacities at St Andrews Parish Church Leyland. His service was recognised by the two hundred parishioners and friends who attended his Thanksgiving Service there in February 2026.

He is survived by his wife Carol who also was a teacher, his 2 daughters and son and 5 grandchildren.

Ian Sinclair, OM 1953

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Tiffany Ng, who was a member of our Monkton community during the 2012-2013 academic year as an international student in Lower Sixth.

She was a boarder in Nutfield, and felt very welcomed by her house parents Rachel & Andy Glasgow.

Tiffany passed away unexpectedly in early February from a bleed on the brain while on a snowboarding holiday with friends in Japan.
She was just beginning to build her life and career, having spent recent years living and working in Hong Kong after completing her education in England.

Those who knew her during her time boarding with us will remember her warmth and the spirit she brought to our community during the year we shared together.
Tiffany's father Vitus has asked that we share his encouragement to all who knew Tiffany: to treasure our loved ones and hold them close.

A funeral service with Mass was held for Tiffany on Saturday, 14th February in Hong Kong.

We extend our deepest condolences to Vitus and all who knew and loved Tiffany. Though her time with us was brief, she remains part of the Monkton family. May she rest in peace.
 

Robert Norton Cowen was born in Richmond, Surrey, the youngest of three children. As a small boy during the war, he witnessed the bombing of his neighbour’s house which instilled in him at an early age his unwavering philosophy for living life to the full. 

He was educated at the Mall School, Twickenham followed by three years at Monkton Combe.  Despite his relatively short tenure, the school clearly made a favourable impression on him as he had an inexhaustible supply of stories from this time - not least his fondness for fishing for wild brown trout in the stream and finding new ways to dodge cross country running!

He went on to study Engineering and undertook his National Service in the RAF based near Andover.  At the age of 21, his father died unexpectedly and he found himself with the responsibility of managing the family motor trading business in London. He relished the social interactions this position afforded and a chance meeting led to him becoming involved in supplying classic cars to the film industry, resulting in numerous adventures across Europe on sets including Monte Carlo or Bust! and The Pink Panther.

In 1969, Robert married Sheila Kinsella and they moved to a cottage in the woods near Dorking, Surrey where he remained for more than fifty years.  Alongside raising a family, here he was able to indulge his passion for nature (in particular, butterflies and moths), cycling and pottery.  He loved music - playing saxophones, attending jazz concerts and for many years driving the English Chamber Orchestra’s tour bus.

Throughout his life he enjoyed camping trips on the continent, with Grindelwald in Switzerland being a favourite destination.  In latter years, he teamed up with fellow OM, Richard Shaw, for annual jaunts with his trusty folding caravan in tow.

Robert never lost his energy and enthusiasm for life - in 2022 he moved to Warnham, Sussex and frequented numerous clubs, such as Speakers, Military History and various Mechanical Musical Instrument societies.  A voracious reader and jovial raconteur, his unfailing sense of humour and generosity of spirit were with him to the end.

He is survived by his two daughters, Alexandra and Elizabeth, and four grandchildren.

Born 20 January 1937, died 2 June 2025

Mathew sadly passed away in October 2025.  A much loved contemporary of his Monkton cohort below are some tributes to him that we have received:

Dan Reynolds OM 1981 has said the following:

“It was a great experience and honour to share a Kearns Block study with MK in my Lower Sixth year. My lasting memory of him was his passion and deep knowledge of modern music - whilst I was like a rabbit in the headlights with it! He educated me and gave a lifelong knowledge of great songs and bands for which I will be forever thankful. I think of him often to this very day when an old master is broadcast.

M was a very popular peer, loved by us all.  I miss him.”

My thoughts and memories of Mathew:

“I am very sad to see that Mathew K has died.  For a long while, I had been trying to re-connect with him.  Then, a lot of news concerning his passing and funeral appeared on the internet, with tributes coming from the Ugandan President and Vice-President. He was a proud but private Ugandan.  His family stood up to the dictatorial regimes of the time.  This obviously put pressure on Mathew, but he did not complain.  His humour won the day.

Mathew was, in fact, one of the funniest people I’ve ever met.  He was always laughing wildly at something.  He was a very kind and thoughtful man, who often checked-in to see how people were doing.  Another colleague reminded me that he was an enthusiastic supporter of the school’s sports’ teams, often leading and encouraging the chants in support of the 1st XV on Longmead.  After Monkton, we remained in touch for a few years, but then our lives went different ways and we lost touch, very sadly.  He left us way too young.”

Neil Burns, OM 1981

Mike Clarke attended Monkton Combe from 1953 to 1958. He remained very attached to the school all his life, speaking of it often and with great fondness, and attending reunions and other events into his late seventies. He had thrived at Monkton and particularly loved the abundance of wildlife in the school’s environs, where he built on his existing knowledge of the natural world. Within those few years he became intimately acquainted with the area’s animal and bird populations, discovering and observing the local badger setts, birds’ nests and fox dens with his great friend Chris Oliver. They knew that the cinder track was the best place to find slow worms and even adopted (or discovered?) a limestone cave system which they named Old Faithful and frequented regularly, of course without broadcasting their amateur potholing pursuits to MC teachers.

Mike went on to study German at Bristol University and spent two terms at Wurtzburg University, followed by a year of VSO in Nigeria. He then returned to his home city of Manchester and was asked to join the teaching staff of his former prep school in Didsbury, Moor Allerton. Despite having very much fallen into the role, Mike was a natural born teacher, combining an enormous sense of fun with an easy ability to engage and enthuse pupils. He particularly enjoyed teaching natural sciences and bible studies. Having been a Crusader since childhood (the class originally having been held at the family home), he also became a leader when he returned to Manchester, and continued to run a class for the next forty years.

In 1968 Mike bought his first home in Didsbury, and the same year, met Christine Gott at St Mary’s Church in Cheadle. Sharing a keen interest in the countryside and a strong Christian faith, they were good friends for years. They also worked next door to each other, Christine acting as Matron of the mother and babies home next door to Moor Allerton. In 1979 Mike finally came to his senses and asked Christine to marry him. Within two years they became parents of twins, Deborah and Andrew, who also attended Moor Allerton.

Sharing a love of wild places, the family spent a lot of time walking in the hills of the Peak District and the Lake District, and developed a lifelong connection with the west coast of Scotland, in particular the beautiful Isle of Mull. Its wildlife and natural beauty were full of wonder for Mike and, characteristically, he never failed to find something exciting to observe. He contributed a huge sense of fun to family life, and holidays were full of games, excitement and Mike’s epic sandcastle structures, which he loved watching being destroyed as the tide rolled in.

By the time he married, Mike was attending Emmanuel Church, a lively, evangelical C of E church in Didsbury. Mike & Chris were always the first to welcome new arrivals to the church, and in recent years were particularly supportive of the growing Iranian church community, having folk round for meals and taking them out to discover the local countryside. Mike also ran the church’s Pathfinders youth group for many years. Through his dynamic and energetic teaching and youth work, Mike had an enormous impact on the lives of many hundreds of children and young people in South Manchester, cultivating a love of nature and of Jesus.  

Mike remained at Moor Allerton School his entire working life, having become Headmaster in 1980. He biked to work every day, and was a familiar sight to Didsbury residents in later years as one of its oldest cyclists. He retired in 2000, and with Christine, walked for miles in the Peak District and kept one of the neatest and most productive organic allotments in South Manchester. In his final decade, the allotment became his pride, joy, and happiest place, and he was digging it (and still cycling there) until a few weeks before his death in early September. He died peacefully of heart failure after a short hospital stay, during which he retained the warmth, optimism and sense of fun that were so central to his character. He is enormously missed by his family and all who knew him.

Jerry Ovens (MCS School House 1972–1978) (Commander RN – Retired)

Many of his contemporaries will be deeply saddened by the news of the death of Jerry Ovens (59), who passed away on 30th April 2025 after a short illness.

One of life’s great characters, Jerry thrived at Monkton Combe School, particularly in Mathematics under the guidance of Jules Bewick. He was a committed sportsman, part of an unbeaten rugby team coached by Pete Sibley, and a member of the 1975 Junior Colts VIII that triumphed at the National Schools Regatta. He served as Senior Prefect before going on to study Aeronautical Engineering at Bristol University (1978–1981).

The son of Major General Patrick Ovens, Royal Marines, Jerry was determined from an early age to pursue a career in the Armed Forces. He joined the Royal Navy in 1978, serving with distinction in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Baltic theatres. His roles included anti-submarine warfare at RNAS Culdrose, Instructor and Senior Observer with 706 Naval Squadron, Commanding Officer of HMS Quorn (Rosyth and Portsmouth), and Operations Officer aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, including attending the handover of Hong Kong. He later served as a Tactical Training Group Instructor to the United States Navy in Virginia at the time of the 9/11 attacks, and returned as Commander and Executive Officer at RNAS Culdrose, where he oversaw the arrival of the Olympic Flame in 2012.

Among his many career highlights, Jerry was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for training a GR7s RAF Harrier Squadron from its arrival on a carrier to conducting night bombing raids over Iraq in just four weeks. He also played a key role in securing degree accreditation through the Open University for Pilots, Observers, Aircrewmen, and Air Traffic Controllers on completion of their training.

A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Jerry delighted in flying and engineering — including  homemade hovercrafts, rockets, and remote-controlled aircraft. He had a deep passion for paragliding, flying not only in Cornwall but around the world until late 2024. He competed with Royal Navy teams and served for a time as Chairman of the Royal Navy Gliding and Paragliding Association.

He enjoyed a happy and adventurous marriage to Sandy, blessed with two children, Lowenna and Jack, both of whom gained degrees from Oxford University. Together they embraced life’s adventures including placements in America and Italy and travelling extensively as a family; they shared a passion for wildlife (whether in Africa, the Galapagos Islands or Cornwall) and the environment. Sandy passed away in 2024 after a long illness, staying active to the end.

Jerry remained close to many Monkton contemporaries, including Chris Batstone, Joe Grimwade, and Dave Marr (with whom he also shared naval service).

Jerry is survived by Lowenna & Jack, as well as his two older sisters, Sarah and Joanne, and their families.

John went to Harper Adams agricultural college after school, where he gave his life to God. He then went to Capernwray Bible college, where he first met Heather. During a missions trip to Ethiopia, he felt God's call to become a Doctor. He completed A-levels and studied medicine at Glasgow University. He married Heather in 1976, and together they were sent by the Church of Scotland as missionaries, first to Ethiopia (cut short by political unrest) and then to Malawi (13 years), returning to Bath in 1992, with their four children. He was awarded an MBE for his work for the health and welfare of the people in Ekwendeni, Malawi. His agricultural training was useful for him to develop local primary health care, alongside his main role as the Doctor running the mission hospital. He continued to practice medicine in the UK until retirement. He then enjoyed church activities, his garden and visiting.

John died from pulmonary fibrosis. He was under the umbrella of Dorothy House Hospice for his last few months, although he remained at home, as he desired. He died peacefully with all his family around him. He remained cheerful, and confident of his faith and God to his death. We trust he is now in heaven with Father God.

He will be greatly missed by family, friends, and the local church as a kind and generous, faith-filled man.

Lyn Alvis arrived in the valley in 1969 as an Assistant Master in the Chemistry Department but, in fairly short measure, became Head of Department, a post which he held until his retirement 35 years later. Throughout his time at the School he was a dedicated teacher, always keeping the needs of the individual at the forefront of his classroom technique. As with many of his generation, he was totally immersed in the day-to-day life of the School, purchasing a cottage only metres from the School’s boundary, where he based himself with his wife Rosemary and daughter Suzie, and contributing fully not only in the laboratory, but also to the sporting, pastoral and cultural aspects of the everyday life of the School. As a Chemist he was a great believer in learning through discovery, and it was fortunate that the School had the facilities and resources to allow a significant immersion in practical work in the classroom – a line that he encouraged within the Chemistry Department and, more widely, during his time as Head of Science.

Many pupils will also remember him as a talented coach on the sports field. He led senior teams to success in both Rugby and Hockey, bringing technical expertise, a dry sense of humour and a quiet determination to achieve, which allowed his teams to give of their best whilst simultaneously enjoying the sporting experience to the full. Lyn was also an integral  part of many sports tours including trips to the Netherlands and Portugal.  Pastorally, he was first attached to Grove House which was at that time a boys’ house. He was a thoughtful and helpful personal tutor and for a short period stepped into the Housemaster’s role whilst Peter Sibley was on an exchange visit. He, too, could not turn down the opportunity to experience an alternative education system and enjoyed spending time on two occasions teaching at King’s School, Paramatta, Sydney. In later years he became a valued member of the School House team.

Amongst the many other roles that he embraced over 33 years, he could be found liaising with local charities, heading up links with local industries, organising the annual prize giving ceremony and even efficiently supervising the somewhat thankless task of getting some 340 demob happy pupils onto coaches for end of term Commemoration and Carol Services in Bath Abbey!

A role of which many of his pupils will probably not be aware was that of Chairman of the Staff Common Room, and he was much appreciated by generations of staff who valued his quiet assistance and incisive analysis where this was required. His sense of service extended well beyond the School’s boundaries, however, and he was an important member of the village community, serving on the Parish Council, maintaining a watchful eye on local affairs and ensuring that matters of import were fully raised for discussion in the Wheelwright’s Arms. This was also where he would regularly meet with Peter Marsden and Peter Sibley, you could set your clocks by them, and this practice continued well into retirement when they switched their allegiance to the Hadley Arms!

Lyn was a wonderful man and a great gentleman and will be sadly missed by all: former pupils, staff and local community. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Rosemary and Suzie.

Tribute by: David Merricks Hon OM & Martyn Garrod Hon OM

Former pupils and staff will be sorry to learn that Tessa Moriarty has died aged 87. She came to Monkton in the 1980s to teach English as a Foreign Language and to give support to pupils with dyslexia. Monkton was beginning to take more pupils from abroad at that time and the need for specialist English Language teaching was growing. Much of her time was spent in Binmead, away from the main school buildings, where a more relaxed and informal manner in small groups and one-one sessions was appropriate.

She was always interested in language and had a good knowledge of French and German as well as English grammar. Solecisms in the newspapers and other media were gleefully pointed out. Much of her teaching was done through conversation and Tessa enjoyed talking about a wide range of topics including politics and philosophy as well as her beloved Thomas Hardy novels. She sometimes complained that Monkton staff would only discuss rugby and cricket.

In later years she joined the English Department to teach mainstream English and some GCSE classes. She continued to teach the foreign pupils and took a special interest in how they were coping with life outside their native countries following up any cause for concern insistently. She really cared about the people she taught. Towards the end of her career she taught at Monkton Prep School also. Then after retirement she had the spirit and empathy to give lessons in HM Prison Service, on one occasion taking in the film The Shawshank Redemption, which is about an escape of course.

Pupils will remember Tessa for her lively teaching and staff will think of her humour and fund of amusing stories from her time at the BBC and elsewhere.