REYNOLDS on 14 August 2017, Charles Alleyne aged 66

D  OQ1964 - OQ1968

Full Obituary Pending

Full obituary Pending

Full obituary pending

Full obituary pending

Full obituary pending

Full obituary pending

Full obituary pending

Full obituary pending

Pending

Pending

Full obituary pending

John Paul Victor on 6th August 2017, aged 61

W  OQ1969 - CQ1973

Benn Scholar, House Monitor, 1^st XI Football, 1^st XI Cricket

Brother of Richard (W77)

Richard Sebastian Gilbert (Dickie) SCOTT on 1 July 2017, aged 93

G   OQ1940 – CQ1941

Father of Nicholas (G66), Uncle of Robert (G72), David (G75) and Richard (G77)

After the outbreak of WW2, he moved from Harrow to Charterhouse, where his famous architect father, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, had designed the War Memorial Chapel, completed in 1927. 

Richard enrolled at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London, but his studies were interrupted by war service with the 1^st Airborne Squadron, Royal Engineers.  While in Norway clearing minefields after the end of hostilities in 1945, he met and married his wife Eline.

After completing his training at Regent Street Polytechnic, he joined his father’s architectural practice, in due course becoming a partner and led the work to complete Liverpool Cathedral after the death of his father in 1960. He resigned when the decision was taken to radically change the original plans.

Following the faithful completion of his father's last church, Christ the King in Plymouth, his own modern style emerged in two churches he designed for the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham - Our Lady Help of Christians at Tile Cross (1967) and St Thomas More, Sheldon (1969), both of which are now listed.

He worked on commissions for the City of London Corporation for more than three decades, including the Guildhall Yard and Art Gallery.

At Charterhouse he was responsible for the design of the New Houses, Daviesites, Robinites, Pageites, Bodeites, Hodgsonites, Weekites & Lockites, which opened in 1974, along with Heywood Court and the Central Dining Rooms. A few years later he designed the Ralph Vaughan Williams Music Centre and the John Derry Technology Centre, both opened in 1980.  In that same year the foundation stone of his final design, the Ben Travers Theatre, was laid on OC Day.

In retirement he moved from Sussex to Burnham Norton in Norfolk, to a family property which he restored and enlarged; standing close by is one of his father’s iconic red telephone boxes.

He enjoyed playing on the nearby course at The Royal West Norfolk Golf Club at Brancaster.  He was a lifetime member of Old Carthusian Golfing Society and a donor to the Halford  Hewitt Course, gifted to the School in 1988.                                                                                                                            

OCGS Hon Sec John Pearmund (B71) wrote:                                                                         

“Dickie can only be described as one of the greats of OC golf playing in over 100 Halford Hewitt matches and a strong supporter of all OCGS events, winning numerous prizes at Spring and Autumn meetings. He was also Captain and President of the Society as well as enjoying an illustrious amateur golf career.”

He is survived by his wife Eline, three daughters and a son.

See also published obituaries:  

Richard Gilbert Scott, architect – obituary (The Telegraph)

Richard Gilbert Scott obituary

Obituary: Richard Gilbert Scott (1923-2017)

John Alun EMLYN-JONES in April 2017, aged 94

R  OQ36 - OQ39

By permission of his son-in-law Mark Farrall (first published in The Guardian 10/5/2017)

"My father-in-law, Alun, was born into a family with a rags-to-riches story.  His grandfather, Evan Jones, had arrived in Cardiff a farmhand and a monoglot Welsh speaker.  By the time of Alun's birth, his father Emlyn was a Liberal MP and owner of a Cardiff shipping line, but half the company's assets were seized b Franco after the family backed the republicans in the Spanish civil war.  His father's response to that loss- "That, my boy, is the price of principle" - influenced Alun's work through the rest of his life, as a Liberal candidate, chair of Cardiff Magistrates Association, NSPCC president and chair of many other voluntary committees.  Well into his 80s he was sleeping on the streets to raise funds for homeless people.  Alun was born in Cardiff, son of Emlyn and his wife Rhoda.  As a wartime bomb-aimer (nicknamed "Gremlin") he beat not only the high casualty rate, but missed a training flight on which the rest of crew were killed at Garrowby Hill in Yorkshire.  In 1998 he established a memorial where the crew are honoured every Remembrance Sunday.  In 1949 Alun saw Prue James dance in Babes in the Wood at Cardiff New Theatre.  They were married months later.  Alun exhibited his father's charm but none of his business acumen.  In his jobs as a sales rep he would buy his own carbon paper or hundreds-and-thousands to boost his figures, but his 1950s idea for Ready-Kleen vegetables, sold peeled and prepped, was ahead of its time.

Alun became involved in alcohol services after the death of his sister Inez to drink, and established the South Wales Council on Alcohol in 1965.  In 1967 Prue died of a brain haemorrhage when their youngest daughter, Lucy (my wife) was four. Alun experienced severe alcohol problems himself but went on to found several rehabilitation units in south Wales and was appointed OBE in 1976.  His idea for a unit on the Bristol Channel island of Flat Holm generated local headlines referring to Alco-traz.  Throughout his life, Alun remained very much at the centre of an extended family network.

He is survived by his second wife Julie, whom he married in 1983, four daughters, Judy, Rhoda, Mandy and Lucy, from his first marriage, and three grandsons."

See also: Alun Emlyn-Jones, a great Liberal voice and a great Welshman - Baroness Randerson

Clifden Robert CROCKETT on 5 February 2017, aged 94

H  OQ35-CQ40

Foundation & Senior Scholar, Head of House, Photographic Society

His younger brother David (H41) died in 2009

He is survived by two sons, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

David Henry ASHWIN on 24 January 2017, aged 81

S  OQ1949-CQ1951

Roger Noel Price GRIFFITHS on 17 January 2017, aged 85

Brooke Hall OQ1956 – CQ1964

Roger Griffiths went to school at Lancing College; after gaining a degree in modern languages at King’s College Cambridge he studied at New College Oxford – where, after some confusion, he passed his Diploma in Education with honours. While he was in Paris studying for a PhD, Brian Young [qv] approached him to ask if he would consider teaching Vth-form French at Charterhouse for the year beginning OQ 56. Roger returned to England for an interview, finding that he and Young had many friends in common from their time at King’s. Once he had received a letter confirming his appointment, Roger dropped the PhD so that the remainder of his time in Paris could be enjoyed most fully: theatre, concerts and fine dining!

Housekeeper Peg Horsfall looked after him and six others in the bachelor pad that was Bernina; they were known affectionately by the boys as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Lifelong friends were made here: Leonard Halcrow, Peter Gardiner, Tony Day and Dick Crawford amongst many others.

Within six weeks Roger was co-producing the School play, running the Modern Language Society and helping with the careers advice programme as well as teaching VIth-form French and some basic German for the beginners.

At the start of LQ 57 he was asked to be House Tutor of Saunderites with the remarkable Eric Harrison as Housemaster. Roger loved Brooke Hall, recalling recently (with his memory as sharp as ever) that three-course dinners with unlimited wine cost only 5 shillings, with port at 2 shillings a glass.

In October 1958, with the help of Leonard Halcrow, Roger went to a specialist dealer in South Kensington to buy his first car: a 1933 Park Ward 20/25 saloon in black, complete with bulb horn – a car he had been dreaming about since he was a boy at Lancing. With the help of Tony Day he learned to drive. This was a source of much amusement to the boys, who spotted a note in the gossip column of The Daily Express: ‘Seen on a quiet Surrey by-road – an otherwise distinguished Rolls Royce bearing L-plates. Is this a record?’

In 1958 Roger suffered from Bell’s Palsy as a result of an over-loaded work schedule – though his bachelor colleagues decided unanimously that he had lockjaw because he talked so much! He took up residence in Great Comp for the whole of CQ, where he continued to teach the VIth-formers – becoming something of a legend as a stream of trainee nurses from St Thomas’s Hospital came to visit in order to study The Case with Bell’s Palsy. 

His hashroom adjoined that of ARB Fuller – affectionately known as Fats Fuller. They became close friends – Roger often covering for Fats when he had to leave for London to look after his elderly mother. It was Fats who encouraged him to have ‘a serious outside interest’ and so introduced him to The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers: he was admitted as a Freeman some years later, and became Master in 1990. This gave him many years of great pleasure, meeting people and enjoying many fabulous dinner parties.

Roger put his spare enthusiasm and energies into producing and acting in many plays, including The Importance of Being Earnest (as Algernon), Blithe Spirit (as Charles), 1066 and All That (written by WC Sellar – BH 1932-51, Housemaster of Daviesites 1939-51), Dick Whittington Comes to Charterhouse (written by Peter Gardiner) and Henry IV a rehearsal of which the Duke of Edinburgh watched during a visit to the School; he also translated a couple of French plays, in one of which Alastair Sawday (V 63) featured.

In 1958 he was elected Secretary of Brooke Hall, a position which he enjoyed immensely – planning dinners, stocking the wine cellar and in so doing discovering a stash of pre-war vintage port which had been purchased as an investment for the School. When Roger was not entertaining at School, he played bowls for Wales at Llandrindod Wells where he won his first tournament. He also played for Surrey.

Later in the same year he was asked to apply for a Fulbright Exchange Scholarship, to teach for a year in America. He crossed on the Queen Mary, along with 107 other exchange teachers, and taught at Pomfret, an independent school in Connecticut: another adventure and a catalogue of parties, friends, plays, concerts and extensive travel. Roger’s magnetic personality meant that he made lifelong friends wherever he went.

In 1963 it was suggested that he should put in for the headmastership of Hurstpierpoint College – so, with the approval of Brian Young and two others, he applied. In the meantime, Brian had encouraged Roger to sit in on his O-level Italian classes so that he could take them over in the following year. He had also put him in for the exam – something he only found out when a pupil told him that he was first on the list for the oral: “I thought it would be good for you, Roger – and, when you pass, you will almost certainly be the only member of HMC with an O-level.  You will be the youngest member, and they will all be School Certificate men.”

Roger’s last few days at Charterhouse were full of farewell parties, culminating in a splendid dinner in Brooke Hall. He had loved seven wonderful years in this great School – made friends for life, taught delightful pupils and learnt a great deal about schoolmastering.

In 1964 Roger began his 22½ years as Headmaster of Hurstpierpoint College. Here he met and married his adored wife Diana, with whom he had three daughters: Elizabeth, Helen and Caroline. Here too his tireless energy to bring the School forward and with a secured future was endless.  He loved the job passionately each and every day. He became governor of many schools – a job he took very seriously. 

In 1985 he retired as Headmaster and became Secretary of HMC – helping it to develop into the modern, accessible, approachable organisation that it is today: a powerful voice in the world of education. In 11 years he visited 209 out of its 240 schools. 

Roger retired in 1997. He continued to be a governor of the Prebendal School and Worth Abbey; he became a guide and a steward in Chichester Cathedral, a guide in Petworth House and Pallant House. He enjoyed the culture that the Chichester Festival Theatre provided on a regular basis, and he was treasurer to Cocking Parish Council for over 10 years. 

Roger passed peacefully away. He was much loved by all who knew him, especially his family – and will be missed daily.

See also: Obiturary for former Headmaster (Hurstpierpoint College)

Dr Archibald Percy MBE NORMAN on 20 December 2016, aged 104

B   OQ26 - CQ31

Boxing & Cross-Country teams

Four of his five sons are OCs Duncan (B70), Archie (B71), George (B74) and Donald (R78) also a grand-daughter Francesca (B09)

His wife Betty died in April 2017 and he is survived by their sons and seven grandchildren.

Click Here for Dr Norman's Obituary in the Guardian

Dr Norman’s Reflections were published in The OC issue 2014 (page 77):

First published in The OC May 2016

Randle Philip Ralph DARWALL-SMITH on 16 December 2016, aged 64

G  CQ65 - CQ69

House Monitor, 1^st Orchestra, Beerbohm, Science & Wind Music Societies. Corporal CCF

His brother Robin wrote:

“Philip worked variously as a preparatory schoolmaster at The Wick and Parkfield, Haywards Heath, St Wilfrid's, Seaford and King's House, Richmond and thereafter as a merchant banker. He was elected Chairman of the Carthusian Trust in May 2000 and served in that capacity until his resignation in June 2004, continuing as a Trustee until 2008.

He was diagnosed with cancer in March 2016, and faced his illness with great courage. His father Randle was at Charterhouse (V32), as were his four brothers Antony (G60), Simon (G 64), Jonathan (G67) and Robin (G81). Philip was married twice and leaves a daughter, Daisy, by his first marriage and a son, William, and a daughter, Prudence, by his second.”

David Noed CRAY on 22 November 2016, aged 79

S   LQ51 - CQ56

School Monitor, Captain of Athletics

Younger brother of John (S52) and uncle of Jonathan (S82)

His brother wrote:

“From a farming family, he studied at Reading and Leeds Universities and then went to North Cornwall where he farmed cattle and sheep for the rest of his life. He won a Nuffield Scholarship in 1974, travelling to study the wintering of beef cattle and sheep in high rainfall areas.  He was appointed to the Governing Body of the Ministry of Agriculture Experimental Farm at Liscombe on Exmoor which concerned itself with the farming of livestock in the more challenging areas of the country.  In 1988 he became President of the British Grassland Society. In 1991 he was made an Associate and subsequently was granted the Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies in 1995, in recognition of outstanding service to, and achievements within, the agricultural industry.  Also in 1995 the British Grassland Society gave him their award for his outstanding contribution to grassland farming.

He is survived by his wife Diana, a daughter, a son and a grand-daughter.”

David Elphinstone STONE on 12 November 2016, aged 94

Brooke Hall LQ1947 – LQ1956

The first orchestral piece the red-haired 11-year-old me ever played was Swan Lake, arranged by David Stone; the first orchestral piece my daughter ever played was a Stone arrangement; I bet David’s arrangements will appear again when my hoped-for grandchildren…well, you get the idea! When David was Head of Strings at Charterhouse he noticed the dearth of suitable repertoire for school orchestras, and started making simplified arrangements of the classics, producing in due course over one-hundred. These famous arrangements are ‘meat and drink’ in schools the world over – and, to the untutored ear, they sound virtually identical to the originals.

I became reacquainted with David’s compositions when I started teaching in the 1980s and used them frequently in my teaching. You can imagine my delight when I found on coming to Charterhouse that not only was he a predecessor of mine, but that David was living in Godalming and attending concerts here regularly. I still treasure the encouraging letters (in his typically spidery hand) he would sometimes send after these performances.

David studied at the Royal Academy of Music, serving as an ARP warden during the blitz. His studies were interrupted by a commission into the Royal Corps of Signals with which he took part in the D-Day landings. After the war he continued at the RAM with a composition scholarship, and won many prizes. In 1947 he married Margaret and started work at Charterhouse after a tip-off about the job from Reginald Thatcher (Warden, then Vice-Principal, then Principal of the RAM 1944-55), who had been Director of Music here (1919-27).

David’s timetable at Charterhouse allowed him to play frequently in the London orchestras and to study part time at the University of London, gaining his BMus in 1949. The 1954 report by HM Inspectors noted, ‘the violin teacher is thrice gifted, as a performer, composer, and teacher... the second orchestra and string ensemble classes show fine evidence of his work.’ David began with fifteen pupils, but augmented this by offering lessons for groups of beginners on Sunday mornings. One of these boys ended up by playing in a performance of Dvorák’s Piano Quintet in his last year – an extraordinary achievement. One of David’s most amusing memories of his time here was when, at his first orchestra rehearsal, he asked the orchestra to tune up, but found that instead of an oboe A, he was greeted by a strange whining sound in front of him. He looked up to find a member of Brooke Hall (Jack Wright) who, having had to give up the oboe due to a throat condition, was brandishing an accordion instead!

In 1956 David left Charterhouse and started at the BBC – beginning with the Home Service and then moving to the Third Programme, becoming senior producer of chamber music and recitals. He continued to live in Godalming, working on his arrangements on the train-commute, and conducting the Godalming Operatic Society from 1958 to 1962. However, David became frustrated by the the pre-eminent position in the BBC of avant-garde music, and the one-sided stance of influential people in the corporation such as the notorious Hans Keller. Eventually, in 1969, David returned to music education and took up the post of Director of Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. It was described as a ‘happy place’ under his leadership, and he was in his element, planning, teaching, coaching and directing many notable performances. David was instrumental in planning the new building, which opened after his retirement in the 1980s.

After his retirement, David conducted, coached and adjudicated all over the world, became an Associated Board examiner and continued to receive major commissions for compositions. A notable premiere in recent years was The Dragon (for brass band and narrator) which was conducted by DGW and performed by Godalming Band and Penelope Keith; another was of his Nocturne for two pianos and eight hands, which was premiered on the South Bank in 2014.

In 2007 – to commemorate the 60th anniversary of David’s joining Brooke Hall – the School, with funding from the Carthusian Society, commissioned him to write a string quartet. The 4th Quartet was the result, and it immediately attracted international attention. The piece is perfect for the needs of young players, and we look forward resurrecting it later in 2017.

David was passionate about music education and continued writing compositions for young people – for which he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary – right to the end of his life. He was a man of integrity and wisdom, and was a great encourager. Like many notable musicians, he was disarmingly modest and unassuming; in short, he was a true gentleman. The ripples from his generous and productive life will continue to be felt for a great many years to come – probably in perpetuity. He is survived by his wife Margaret, his daughter Lucy, and three grandchildren.

John Parsons

Sir Brian Walter MArk YOUNG on 11 November 2016, aged 94

Headmaster OQ1952 – CQ1964

After Sir Robert Birley resigned in 1947 as Headmaster to engage in the re-building of the education system in Germany, the Charterhouse Governors appointed George Turner, the retiring Headmaster of Marlborough – a safe pair of hands in the immediate post-war period. But in 1952 they felt the time was right for a rather bolder appointment when they chose Brian Young, then aged 29 and junior to virtually the entire teaching staff he was going to manage. This proved to be no impediment for a man of remarkable calibre, who had shown considerable promise as a schoolmaster of many talents in his first teaching job at Eton, following his war service in the Royal Navy and his degree course at King’s Cambridge, in which he gained a First in classics.

As a man of immense erudition he taught English, Italian and mathematics as well as classics. He regarded teaching as an opportunity to share his enthusiasms. His dynamic approach to learning promoted interest and engagement in pupils with consummate success. He was a reforming Headmaster, who removed any stigma that the pursuit of academic excellence had carried in philistine pupils and, in a few cases, their housemasters. He reformed the houses by appointing more enlightened housemasters, when vacancies occurred – and he modernised the academic side of the School by appointing excellent teachers.

Until 1957 he continued the tradition that the Headmaster was also the Housemaster of Saunderites, where he impressed pupils and parents through his ability to run both the School and the House, as he had a clear perception of the abilities of all his boys. He would go round every evening with a monitor, visiting each boy’s cube in turn to exchange a few words. Boys in Saunderites felt privileged as they were able to get to know their Headmaster better than boys in other houses.

He startled members of Brooke Hall one day with the statement that he had to sack an incompetent housemaster, as a preface to announcing that the time had come to terminate his dual existence of Headmaster and Housemaster, and that the latter responsibility was to pass into the hands of Eric Harrison, a chemistry master. This was an example of his sense of humour and self-irony. Another, recounted by a pupil, concerns a caricature of him that appeared, early in his time as Headmaster, in The Carthusian on which he commented in Final Calling-Over: “I’ve noticed there is a drawing at the end of this Quarter’s school magazine. It has some resemblance to me. I hope you will not get, like me, any nightmares. Have wonderful holidays!”

Having been a distinguished athlete at Cambridge, he encouraged pupils in games. Indeed, he was a great source of inspiration to his pupils generally; he invited an opera-loving pupil to listen unaccompanied to his collection of records in the Headmaster’s Study. He took an enthusiastic part in the School’s Shakespeare and Poetry societies. He regarded it as important that boys should learn to exercise responsibilities, so (for example) he involved senior pupils in his deliberations on how to maintain high standards of discipline at the end of the school year.

His Christian faith was central to his life, and it made him a powerful preacher. For many years he was a lay preacher in the Church of England. He preached again in Chapel at Charterhouse in his mid-80s – and in the last year of his life, assisted by his granddaughter Sophie and grandson-in-law David, he compiled and published a selection of his Charterhouse sermons. One of his most important messages to pupils was the Christian message that we should treat everyone with respect irrespective of their background and education; his pupils were not to think themselves better than other young people just because they had been to Charterhouse. Carthusians had just been luckier than most others and therefore had a moral duty, throughout their future lives, to look after those who had been less fortunate than they had been.

Brian Young wanted Charterhouse to produce well-rounded human beings. He therefore instituted a policy that one third of hashroom time should be spent studying matters that had nothing whatsoever to do with externally examined subjects. He had a broad vision of academic excellence: he saw it as arising out of genuine intellectual curiosity, which would lead to engagement in range of subjects. Examinations were just to be taken in one’s stride as and when they arrived. He was shrewd in the way in which he enforced discipline in the School. When a whole class literally drove a young Frenchman out of his hashroom by releasing a stink bomb as the crowning move in their insurrection, Brian Young did not give them a traditional school punishment; instead he told the class that their end of Quarter celebrations were cancelled, and that they were to sit in silence in a hashroom, where, under his personal supervision, they were to write, in 200 words of perfect French, a letter of apology which was going to be forwarded to the unfortunate teacher. Parents were duly informed, and the start of the holiday was delayed by some hours as letters were rejected several times for multiple corrections.

Brian Young welcomed contact with former pupils.  He promptly responded to every letter requesting advice and guidance, and his wise counsel helped many an Old Carthusian to get through a difficult period. His responses were always sympathetic, but often their content could be tough. One OC recalls being told to ‘look in the mirror’ and pull up his socks. Young had a remarkable memory for people and recognised OCs who had been at the School in his day long after they and he had left. He was generous with his time: for example, he led a discussion group on the future of professional bodies for a former pupil who was about to become President of the Chartered Surveyors, when by then he himself was heading the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

Brian Young’s headship at Charterhouse was only one stage of a very distinguished career. In 1964 he was appointed Director of the Nuffield Foundation, where he concerned himself with all aspects of the Foundation’s work and proved to be a modest, good-humoured chief, who took an interest in everyone on his staff. In 1970 he moved to the Independent Television Authority (later the Independent Broadcasting Authority) as Director General, which was frowned upon by many of the television programme companies and broadcasting unions, as they all questioned his knowledge of broadcasting and the media in general. Sir Brian, as he became in 1976, encouraged programme output of a high standard – and the television companies and the government learned to trust him, knowing that he guarded the IBA’s independence zealously. He saw off Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to take control of London Weekend Television. When it came to creating a fourth television channel, he and the then Home Secretary, William Whitelaw, joined forces to prevent the creation of ITV2 – a clone that would make more money for the television companies. Instead, long and closely argued discussions – between Sir Brian, his IBA director of television, and the Home Office – resulted in what Jeremy Isaacs (the founding chief executive of Channel 4) described as a ‘miraculous conception’, namely Channel 4’s role as a publisher-broadcaster, buying content from independent producers that did not duplicate what was already being done by the BBC and ITV. From 1983 to 1990 he was chairman of Christian Aid, and from 1983 to 1988 he was on the board of the Arts Council, where he was also chairman of the music panel. He was a trustee of the Lambeth Palace library and the Imperial War Museum.

I sat next to Sir Brian at the Quatercentenary lunch on Carthusian Day in 2011. He was then in his 90th year: an incidental detail – as his mental rigour and his charisma were wholly unimpaired, which continued to be the case until he died and allowed him to retain his independence. I feel privileged to have met this truly remarkable man.

EHZ

See also: Sir Brian Young obituary (The Guardian)

                Sir Brian Young, headmaster and polymath – obituary (The Telegraph)

                Sir Brian Young (Church Times)

(Piers) John CLIFTON on 4 November 2016, aged 86

G   OQ44 - CQ48

House Monitor, Swimming Colours

His daughter Belinda Sartori wrote:

“My father did National Service in the Royal Signals and afterwards joined the Territorial Army. A keen birdwatcher since schooldays, he worked for a time for Sir Peter Scott at Severn Wildfowl Trust. He went to Mons as an Officer Cadet and was commissioned into the Signals - which is strange for someone who could never master computers or mobile phones - but enjoyed his time there continuing as a TA officer for many years.

In 1953 aged 23 he joined the British Schools Exploring Society expedition to British Columbia where he was the natural history team leader and received a glowing confidential report from the Expedition Leader.  This was sent to the senior partner at Godwins solicitors in Winchester (later named Godwin, Bremridge and Clifton) who took him on as a junior lawyer. He qualified in 1955, eventually becoming Senior Partner of the very successful practice. He was President of the Hampshire Law Society in 1987 and continued working well past his 50 years of Law Society Membership.  He and his beloved dogs went to the office every day until he finally retired aged 80 in 2010.  He spent his years dispensing honest, trustworthy, discreet advice to all those he met, the values by which he led his life, along with never saying a bad word about anyone.

Lifelong interests included sailing and skiing, and he was invited to be a technical judge for the Ski club of Great Britain. He married Elizabeth (“Buffy”) in 1964. Tragically she lost her life in an avalanche whilst skiing in Canada in 1991.

He last returned to Charterhouse for a Gaudy reunion in 2014 and thoroughly enjoyed the time spent reminiscing with his contemporaries. For the last seven years of his life he lived with his daughter in Compton and enjoyed being so close to the school and remembering things such as ice skating on the river each year.  

He is survived by his son, two daughters and eight grandchildren “

Sir Oliver Christopher Anderson SCOTT MB BCh MRCS LRCP FRCR on 4 November 2016, aged 93

G    OQ1936 – CQ1940

House Monitor

He read natural sciences at King’s College Cambridge, qualifying in 1946 after clinical training at St Thomas’s Hospital, London. National Service was in the RNVR as a Surgeon Lieutenant. 

He developed a distinguished research career, making many contributions to the understanding of cancer tumours and their treatment. When important work was threatened, he rescued it through negotiations which established the British Empire Cancer Campaign Research Unit at Mount Vernon, Northwood; he became Director there in 1966 and under his leadership the unit gained international recognition.

After retirement in 1969 due to ill-health, his involvement in research continued and he was awarded a doctorate by Cambridge in 1976. He was President of the Oncology section of the Royal Society of Medicine (1987-88) and elected an Honorary Fellow of the British Institute of Radiology in 1999. He was a generous benefactor, an active member of the Council of the Cancer Research Campaign, and expanded a trust his father had established to support medical research.

In 1960 he succeeded as 3^rd Baronet of Yews (the family home Windermere) and was later appointed High Sheriff of Westmorland. His family gave the site of Wordsworth’s Daffodils at Glencoyne to the National Trust.  He and his wife, Phoebe, also supported many cultural and music activities in the Cumbria region.

Phoebe pre-deceased him in 2016 and he is survived by a son and two daughters.

See also obituary in The Guardian 29 Dec 2016:  Sir Oliver Scott obituary

LASKARIS in November 2016, Christopher Laurence aged 24

R  OQ2005 – CQ2006

Tragically killed

CHRISTIANSEN on 31 October 2016, Eric aged 79

g  CQ51-OQ55

School Monitor, Senior Scholarship, VI History, Literary & Political Society, Shakespeare Society, Wesley Society, Junior & Senior Scholar, Elwyn History prize, Sutton Prizewinner

By kind permission of Stephen Bates, a former pupil of his at Oxford, who contributed this obituary first published in The Guardian:

“Eric Christiansen was an original, if daunting and eccentric, history Fellow at New College, Oxford for nearly 40 years and an urbane and occasionally sardonic reviewer for academic journals and for magazines such as the Spectator and the New York Review of Books.

Generations of students will recall not only his unruly shock of dark hair, his round-rimmed spectacles and the old-fashioned bicycle he rode round the city, but also the courtly notes, penned with a flourish in sepia copperplate as if direct from the 18th century, written with a quill in ink that he mixed himself from powder.

But they will also remember inspirational tutorials spontaneously illustrated by artefacts plucked from his chaotic desk in his cluttered study: “French Second Empire, thousands of small workshops, producing things … like this!” or even, as the college’s current warden Miles Young, an undergraduate in the 1970s, recollects, a cassoulet of baked beans and chipolatas cooked up during the lesson, on what appeared to be a Bunsen burner, to stave off peckishness. At my college interview for a place to read history I was not aware he was even in the room until he suddenly loomed from behind a curtain where he had apparently been taking a nap in a window seat.

Christiansen’s historical range was prodigious and eclectic, from the Spanish army in the early 19th century to the little-known medieval military campaigns by the Teutonic knights forcibly to convert the pagan tribes of Prussia and the Baltic region to Christianity, which formed the subject of his major book, The Northern Crusades (1980). The college records show that his tutors considered him daunting and formidable even as an undergraduate.

He was born in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, the son of Danish parents: Christian Christiansen, a farmer, and his wife, Greta (nee Neilson).

At Charterhouse, Eric edited the school magazine and won an open scholarship to New College, where he would spend his entire academic career following national service in the ranks with the Northamptonshire Regiment.

After obtaining first class honours in 1961, he embarked on a doctoral thesis on the place of the army in Spanish politics between 1830 and 1854, which was abandoned after the university modern history board initially declined to examine his thesis but he did ultimately take a doctorate (though never used the title). He was appointed to a Lecturership and College Fellowship in 1965, renewed every seven years until his retirement in 2002. He subsequently became an Emeritus Fellow.

Christiansen is survived by his wife Sukey Hardie, nee Chamberlain - they had met as students and married in 1981 - and also by four stepchildren.”

Gillon Reid AITKEN on 28 October 2016, aged 78

S     OQ1951 – OQ1953

He taught for a year before doing National Service, initially in the Somerset Light Infantry then with the Intelligence Corps, and after a Russian training course he translated Russian intercepts while attached to Royal Signals Corps in Berlin.

Those language skills led to his own translations of Pushkin's Complete Prose Tales (1966) and Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1970).

After a brief period in advertising, he joined publishers Chapman & Hall, then Hodder & Stoughton before becoming a literary agent with Anthony Sheil Associates.  In 1971 he was persuaded to join the publishing firm of Hamish Hamilton as its managing director, but resumed life as an agent three years’ later when he and Anthony Sheil bought the firm of Christie & Moore and Aitken moved to New York to run the firm of Wallace, Aitken & Sheil.

Returning to London in 1977 he set up on his own as Gillon Aitken and in due course was joined by OC friend and contemporary Brian Stone (S55). In 1984 they bought Hughes Massie, whose clients included Agatha Christie, Aitken & Stone retained royalties in The Mousetrap when the rest of the Agatha Christie estate was sold.

Aitken's agency went through several changes of name, becoming Aitken, Stone & Wylie when they were joined in 1986 by the American agent Andrew Wylie; after his departure in 1996 Aitken was joined by Clare Alexander in 1998 to form Aitken Alexander Associates, which continues.

He gained a reputation as a formidable negotiator and among authors he represented over the years were Pat Barker, Sebastian Faulks, David Gilmour, Tim Jeal, VS Naipul, Jonathan Raban, Salman Rushdie , Edward St Aubyn,  Paul Theroux, Hugo Vickers,  AN Wilson, Gavin Young,  Jung Chang Helen Fielding and Germaine Greer

He separated from his Swedish wife, Cari Bengtsson, in 2000; she predeceased him, as did their 27 year old daughter Charlotte .

See also: Gillon Aitken obituary (The Guardian)

                Gillon Aitken dies (The Book Seller)

Ian Morgan PATON FCBS FRPSL on 26 September 2016, aged 84

W  CQ1945 - OQ1989

1^st XI Football, Captain of Athletics

He read Engineering at Peterhouse, Cambridge

Member of the Thomas Sutton Society

Following the death of his only child, David (W79) in car accident whilst on holiday in Spain in 1985, Ian established the David Paton Travel Award at Charterhouse in his memory, to encourage interest and appreciation of the arts, which is still awarded today.

Ian completed National Service in the Royal Engineers and later served in the Emergency Reserve. His business career over 33 years was spent with multi-national engineering company British Timken Co; there he worked on the installation of a valve mainframe computer and in 1958 he began designing mainframe computer-based systems for an IBM machine. He was elected a Fellow of the British Computer Society.

As a keen philatelist from his schooldays, and combining this with his interest in American history, he exhibited his collection widely with considerable success. He was awarded several prestigious medals in international competitions, contributed articles to various stamp journals and was elected to Fellowship of the Royal Philatelic Society London in 1994.  In retirement he was appointed Assistant & Membership Secretary of the British Thematic Society, meticulously filling that role for thirteen years and was elected to Life Membership in recognition.

His wife Helen pre-deceased him.

See also: page 140 in The British Thematic Association Themescene Vol. 33 No. 4 December 2016 which has been reproduced below: 

Sir George Lawrence Jose ENGLE QC on 15 September 2016, aged 90

H   OQ1940 – LQ1945

Junior & Senior Scholar, Head of School, Editor of The Carthusian, Talbot Prize, Monahan Prize

Scholar of Christ Church Oxford

He completed National Service in the Royal Artillery before going up to Oxford to read Mods & Greats, obtaining a double First. Initially he considered a career as an academic philosopher, but changed direction to read for the Bar and was called at Lincoln’s Inn in 1953. He was offered a post at the Office of Parliamentary Counsel drafting government Bills.

He was Seconded to Nigeria in the 1960s and during his time there a coup resulted in the replacement of the elected government with a military regime. After returning to London in 1967 he was involved in drafting some of Britain's key post-war legislation, including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Oil Taxation Act 1975 and the Supreme Court Act 1981.   His favourite was said to be Bessie Braddock's Bill for the Public Lavatories (Turnstiles) Act 1963.

In 1981 he was promoted to be first parliamentary counsel at a time when legislation was being modernised, a move which he encouraged. He took silk in 1983 and was knighted later in the same year. In 1984 he was appointed a Bencher of Lincoln's Inn. Upon retirement two years later, he continued an interest in legislative matters as a member of the Hansard Society's commission on the legislative process.

Acknowledged for his encyclopaedic grasp of world affairs and a noted bibliophile, he had an enormous library collection at his home in Highgate.  With his warm and humorous personality, he enjoyed writing limericks, bookbinding, Islamic pots, playing the piano and horror films.

He is survived by his wife Irene, whom he married in 1956, their three daughters Eleanor, Vanessa, and Cecily (who is married to Jeremy Sandelson D74) and four grandchildren.

Peter Nathan (H47) added:  “I had been his study fag, and afterwards George presented me with a two–volume translation of The Iliad with a typically thoughtful note saying “Well done, thou good and faithful servant”. I still treasure these books, each inscribed in George’s immaculate handwriting.”

Link: Sir George Engle (The Times, 24 September 2016)

Anthony BECKLES WILLSON MCD, ARIBA, FSA on 10 September 2016, aged 88

H  OQ1942-CQ1946

Monitor, Struan Robertson Art Prizewinner.

Brother-in-law of Sir John Alliott (W49)

His son Mark wrote:

“Anthony studied Architecture and Civic Design at Liverpool University and pursued a successful career as an architect in private practice, from 1954 to1984.  For much of this time he was a partner at George Trew Dunn where he was responsible for the design on major public sector and commercial projects across the UK and in the Middle East.   In 1979 he embarked on a second career as a sculptor, combining the two disciplines for several years.   After many years coping with the complex technical and managerial demands of designing buildings, sculpture offered a simpler and more rewarding way of creating pure three dimensional form.  Architecture and sculpture are closely linked by their three dimensional nature, enjoying a close historical relationship via concept and adornment. In 1987 he shared the prize with his design for a sculptural fountain in Parliament Square, Westminster and from 1989 he exhibited regularly at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery in London.   His entry for the BP Oil sculpture competition in 1990 was highly commended and selected for exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall.

In recent years local affairs and the foundation of The Twickenham Museum claimed much of his time.  The establishment of the Museum in 2001 followed an eight-year legal battle over a contested will.  That the Museum won the case and is independent of local authority funding is largely to his credit.  Always open to technological change and embracing computer graphics, he created for the Museum a much-commended website to which he made major contributions of text and illustration. His research included the records of the parish church of St Mary the Virgin where he was archivist for 15 years.  As well as organising the parish records, he published a history of the church and a number of other books on the history of the area.  His historical curiosity was particularly focused on one distinguished local resident, Alexander Pope.  His series of monographs on Twickenham and its development in the 18th century were built on meticulous research into local families and the town’s streets and river frontage.  He established himself as an authority on Pope, understanding the importance of the creation of Pope's villa on the Thames in Twickenham for the history of English gardening and the poet's influence on landscape design. In 2005 he established a charitable trust to preserve Pope's Grotto, the only surviving element of the poet's villa and garden and a monument of national significance in the history of English landscape gardens.   Having overcome the funding challenges to do with the grotto being owned by a local school the first stages of the conservation work began early in 2016, and Tony, despite ill health, followed developments with characteristic insight.

He is survived by his wife Robina, son Mark, daughter Rachel and grandson Robert.”

Neville Herbert BENKE on 6 September 2016, aged 92

B   OQ37-CQ41

Monitor, Captain of Athletics, 1st XI Football, Fives Cap, Under Officer CCF

Brother of Denys (B37) who died in 2011

His son Robin wrote:

“On leaving Charterhouse in 1941 Neville volunteered for wartime service in the Army, eventually arriving in India and being commissioned into the 1^st Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army.  Following a Signals course he was moved to Burma.  Just days after arrival at his new unit he was seriously wounded in a mortar attack which killed the other two members of his reconnaissance party.  He was fortunate to be evacuated many hours later with both his life and two legs, and spent the following months in a succession of military hospitals before being returned to the United Kingdom. As he picked up the threads of civilian life he qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, spending his whole career with the same company, EC Harris, mainly based in London.  He was involved in many large infrastructure projects, from the construction of the M4 motorway to the Royal Mint at Llantrisant, with occasional work overseas.

He started playing tennis as a form of rehabilitation and through this met Mary Fenton, known all her life as ‘Dink’, whom he married in 1950.  They had a son and a daughter, Robin and Jill, and two grandsons.  They moved to Thames Ditton in 1956 and lived in the same house for the remainder of their lives.  Both were keen members of the Thames Ditton Lawn Tennis Club for many years: when tennis became too much they joined the local bowling club.  Neville served on the committees of both and 40 years ago offered his professional services with the construction of a new tennis clubhouse, which stands to this day.   Dink died in 2010 with Neville looking after her at home until the end; he continued to live in the house by himself until a few months before his own death, when failing health forced a move.

Neville was immensely proud of being an Old Carthusian and wore the tie often.   He spoke little about his wartime experience and few acquaintances outside his immediate family were aware of his injuries, although he regularly suffered discomfort for the rest of his life, without complaint.  He was a modest man with immaculate manners but would never force his principles on to others, and he was unfailingly generous and thoughtful.  Many messages of condolence were received after his death:  all of them commented that he was, above all else, a gentleman.”

Geoffrey Charles EWER-SMITH on 30 August 2016, aged 86

B  OQ43 - OQ48

Head of House, Under Officer CCF

He did National Service in the Royal Artillery and afterwards attended the Royal Academy of Music training as an Opera singer. Many years followed with an extensive musical career in West End theatres, television and productions in Holland and Germany.  Taking his stage name, he was now known as Carl Ewer-Smith.

Carl’s career in later life was that of a Chartered Accountant.  However, his love of singing remained and he appeared in high level amateur opera and musicals. He is survived by Rosemary, to whom he was married for 53 years, and their two daughters Sara and Emma.

Professor Palmer John NEWBOULD OBE on 29 August 2016, aged 87

S & L  OQ1942 -  CQ1947

Foundation and Senior Scholar, Head of Lockites, Cross Country team member

He joined Saunderites, later transferring to Lockites when that House reopened after the War, but was nevertheless eligible for membership of the “21^st Century Club” (a group of Saunderites set up in 1946 with the raison d’etre to meet periodically and to see who might live until the millennium and then to enjoy a special celebration.)

Having been taught by Oleg Polunin, he first read Botany at Balliol College, Oxford followed by a PhD in Plant Ecology at University College, London where he became a Lecturer in 1955. Appointed as Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at the new University of Ulster in Coleraine, he became Vice-Chancellor when this merged with Ulster Polytechnic.  He retired from academic life in the mid-1980s and spent those early years in Northern Ireland active in a variety of ecological fields, as Chairman of the Ulster Wildlife Trust.  He also served on the Nature Reserves Committee and Ulster Countryside Committee, becoming chairman of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, which led to his appointment as OBE in 1993.

For some years he worked with his botanist wife, Jo, on a project in Mallorca to monitor biodiversity and environmental change in the Albufera wetland.

He spent the last fifteen years of his life in Gloucestershire and served as a Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.

He is survived by his wife and their children Elizabeth, Andrew and Susan.

Gay Fenn-Smith (S46) attended the funeral and added:  “Palmer’s Humanist service was remote and joyous in a Rothschild meadow with music, poetry and evocative words.”

See more:

Julian Laurence (Larry) EDMONDS on 19 August 2016, aged 66

L  OQ63 – CQ66

Geoffrey Thomas FORD GRSM LRAM on 10 August 2016, aged 84

Brooke Hall LQ1956 – CQ1992

Like many creative or artistic temperaments Geoffrey Ford’s character presented a series of contradictory images. The passion he invested in his teaching, his music and his drama could also manifest itself in unreasonable fits of irritation and outbursts of temper. His petulance however was nearly always motivated by his desire to get things right, or as right as possible. He demanded high standards, but professionally set them for himself.

The other side to his often fiery temper was the equally passionate generosity which coloured his legendary hospitality. Geoffrey loved people, especially those who brought other areas of expertise to his experience. He admired skills foreign to his own and delighted in bringing people blessed with them around his table. His interest in food and wine was a catalyst for getting diverse interesting people together to complement or challenge each other’s views.

He especially loved travel, showing a childlike wonderment in discovering new places and using his many trips abroad to keep up with old friends.

Much has been said about the revolutionary effect Geoffrey’s colourful personality must have had on the staid institution of the English boarding-school of the 1950s. This ignores the fact that Geoffrey was no iconoclast; indeed in many ways particularly in his values he was traditional if not downright old-fashioned. This was reflected in the painstaking attention he paid to detail and the expectation that his pupils or actors would always give of their best. The other often overlooked aspect of the flamboyant is that it often masks an uncertainty, shyness and a deep rooted self-doubt. These qualities which militate against complacency are the stigmata of the artistic temperament striving for perfection.

Geoffrey’s death, sad but marked by quiet dignity, reflects in many ways the door which in the world of education has slammed firmly shut. Geoffrey’s approach to teaching – the total investing of his personality warts and all into whatever person or project came into his orbit – has alas been replaced by a more clinical, more controlled, more bureaucratic tick-box approach to the educational process. There were once times when the great public schools flouted the intrusion of  imposed national norms in the pursuit of excellence – leaving its teaching staff, a body of whacky but intelligent amateurs, to impart their knowledge and influence lives for the better in entirely their own individual way. I suspect many a pupil’s life was improved more by one of GTF’s acerbic reproaches for shoddy work, unpunctuality or failure to send a thank-you note for lunch at his house than by the whole content of many a modern GCSE specification. Geoffrey’s methods were of a different bygone era: the values he strove to impart are not.  

Many tributes at his funeral and memorial concert and the fulsome obituary carried in The Telegraph reflect the fact that his generosity, his demands and his impossible unpredictability touched the lives of so many people – pupils, colleagues, shopkeepers, musicians, architects, doctors. All bore witness to the fact that Geoffrey impacted in some way, great or small, on the whole fabric of their lives. No other memorial could speak so eloquently.

Frank Wiseman

At the memorial celebration for Geoffrey Ford, Peter Oundjian (S 73) said:

It is a privilege to be asked to say a few words. Let’s start with the contradiction – the dichotomy. On one side was the most gentle person, sometimes gushing with admiration for those he considered worthy of it, or for anything that fascinated him. On the other, the petrifying sergeant major who commanded the utmost respect and could, with just a few well chosen and perfectly intoned words, put the fear of god into any of us. 

I have often wondered what it was about Geoffrey that constituted his natural charisma. There was a magnetism about him that was palpable. He had incredible concentration. His fascination with aesthetics, beauty, expression, humour and with other people became the stimulus for his entire life’s work. That need to explore, to challenge himself and all those around him, propelled him forward constantly. That insistence on the highest standards, that intolerance of anything sloppy or mediocre. He invoked in us all an expectation of excellence, a longing for discovery. 

At the same time he was often very practical and modest. I always considered him a talented chef. He completely dismissed that notion saying, “if you can read, you can cook.” Despite his insistence on adhering to exceptional standards, he understood when to stop pushing. His ability to encourage was never overshadowed or obscured by his demanding nature. 

It is rare to find an educator of such sophistication who is also capable of teaching very young children. That is a very special talent. Geoffrey’s abilities in this area revealed to me another aspect of his exceptional human spirit. As we all know, children are remarkably instinctive when it comes to trust, and they tend to be far more disciplined when they feel a longing to please their teacher for all the right reasons. Geoffrey possessed this talent in spades. Again it seems to me that he struck a perfect balance between invoking respect and even a little fear, while fostering an atmosphere of genuine warmth and healthy expectation.  

My earliest memory of Geoffrey is from early 1969 just before I arrived at School and his insistence that he not be my violin teacher; that job should be delegated to an outsider – a London teacher. Geoffrey agreed that he would essentially be a mentor, seeing me for my two lessons a week but only to support my London teacher's expectations. This act of extreme modesty struck me powerfully as a 13-year-old but I wondered how I would deal with what had the potential of being an extremely awkward situation. 

Over a period of four-and-a-half years I had over 300 lessons with Geoffrey. I think I played the violin in about ten of them. The rest of the time was spent talking about life, art, theatre, literature, design, the Young Vic, Joyce Conwy Evans and above all, the more personal aspects of life – for my part how to deal with the challenges and hurdles of School years, and for his part, a steady dialogue of stories revealing who he was, how he perceived the world, how he evaluated circumstances, his concepts for reaching reasonable conclusions and what it was like to have been placed in post-war England as a gay man: Geoffrey never shied away from that subject. 

He was proud to discuss with absolute sincerity what was a simple fact and he expressed himself in a manner that never made me even the slightest bit uncomfortable. In fact my deep respect for him and his personal conviction was enhanced by his demonstration of complete sincerity and openness. 

Geoffrey was an adventurer and wanted us all to experience his sources of inspiration. We were reminded of this constantly. Trips to the Young Vic to see memorable performances of L’Histoire du Soldat, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, Waiting for Godot, featuring an unforgettable Pozzo by Nicky Henson (H 61). 

Then one day in 1971, Geoffrey called a meeting of the usual suspects here at School who loved and lived theatre and music, with the prospect of presenting Jesus Christ Superstar. Even I at that moment thought he’d finally lost it. But we knew him to be fearless. How many plays did he direct? How many of them in French? Would the Ben Travers Theatre have been built without his energy and force?

Geoffrey was an exemplary audience member and Sergeant Geoffrey often had it in his heart to ensure that everyone seated in a theatre should meet his high standards of listening and attention.... and he was not embarrassed to speak his mind. After one of my concerts years ago, he proudly told me that he had at the beginning of the interval, addressed a coughing audience member within his proximity with the following line: “I've been coming to concerts for more than 50 years and have never so much as uttered a whisper. May I suggest you make that your life’s goal from now on?”

Always the teacher, there was never any hesitation to stand up for what he believed to be important, polite, reasonable human behaviour. But then came the next refrain. The one that was less entertaining: “You’d better come and visit. I’ll be dead soon.” I suspect that none of us really believed it. Or at least we didn’t want to. Geoffrey seemed to possess some form of immortality. One couldn’t imagine that Stable without its occupant.

 I never spoke to him about the afterlife. He didn’t seem terribly preoccupied by the idea. It seemed likely he was utterly sceptical. Perhaps some of you know better. But Geoffrey, in case you are listening, I have something simple to say: you are an inspiration, you have made the world a better place, and we all love you and thank you. 

See also: Geoffrey Ford, inspirational music teacher – obituary

Robin John Andrew WELLS GRSM FRCO ARCM on 28 July 2016, aged 73

Brooke Hall OQ1964 – CQ2003

         Robin Wells joined Brooke Hall in September 1965 and for the next 38 years was a key figure in the life of Charterhouse. Born in 1943, a native of Suffolk, Benjamin Britten’s county, he was educated at Culford School, before his four years at the Royal College of Music. Music and education were in his lifeblood. His father was a headmaster and Robin followed him into the profession. When he arrived at Charterhouse he lived first in the bachelor colony of Bernina on Farncombe Hill, where he made life-long friends, and learned so much about what Oliver van Oss (Headmaster 1965-73) called ‘our curious trade’ from stalwarts such as Tony Day and Dick Crawford. In July 1970 Robin married Stephanie in Memorial Chapel at Charterhouse; he rejoiced in family life, being so proud of his daughters Becca (S 92) and Ali (S 95) and his grandchildren.

           His interests were legion – from Carthusian monasteries and Tottenham Hotspur, to good food, travel and film-making, The day we played Bradfield away being one of his comic classics. He played a full part in so much of Charterhouse life, being a house tutor in Robinites for many years, and later Daviesites, coaching cricket (he was a fine wicket-keeper), playing for Brooke Hall in football matches vs the houses on Lessington on Friday afternoons and helping with the subscription concerts in both Hall and Chapel. He was regarded with great affection by his pupils. When one day in a history hash with a IVth-form the talk turned to the way that a bishop is called by his Christian name and diocese, I gave as an example George Guildford. I then asked if anybody knew any other examples. A young Robinite put up his hand and asked, “Robin Wells?”

           Music was at the centre of his life, both at Charterhouse and beyond, extending to the Far East and New Zealand as a respected examiner of the Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In the Music Department, initially under Bill Llewellyn at a time of its rapid expansion with the new RVW music school to the south of Chapel rising in his time, he was appointed Director of Music on Bill’s retirement in 1987, serving in a most distinguished and varied way in that role till his 60th year in 2003. His final CQ was marked by a celebratory concert with many of his distinguished former pupils participating in a crowded Chapel and Robin on the organ he had played so many thousands of times in services and concerts over the years.

         This was far from the end of his involvement in music in Surrey and the wider world, retirement being a concept unknown to him. A Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, Robin was for 19 years Chairman of the Godalming Music Festival, and from 1995 to 2000 was a conductor at the Petersfield Music Festivals. He also conducted at Leith Hill and the Dorking Festival, both associated with Vaughan Williams. He also composed vocal and choral music. He was Secretary of the Charterhouse Summer School and then its Director for 24 years. The performance of Vaughan Williams’s The Pilgrim’s Progress at Charterhouse was another formidable landmark, recognised nationally – as was Roger Steptoe’s opera King of Macedon, which was given its world premiere with professional singers such as Lesley Garrett, beaks and pupils. In 1966 Robin’s 50-year involvement with the Godalming Operatic Society began; he became its musical director after George Draper in 1970. Over the decades he conducted the full range of Gilbert & Sullivan operas, including some of the rarer pieces – the last in 2015. The Farnham & Bourne Choral Society also saw some of his memorable choral concerts over the years, including a concert performance of what was then rarely performed – Nicolai’s Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor. He believed that this would be a perfect opera for Glyndebourne and in an ideal world would alternate with Vaughan Williams’s Sir John in Love, with the same costumes and sets.

        Robin loved opera, especially Verdi, Wagner and Richard Strauss. I have lost count of the number of times we went to Covent Garden together to hear masterly performances such as Sir Georg Solti conducting Der Ring des Nibelungen (tickets at £8 for the whole cycle in 1966!) and the likes of the great Birgit Nilsson in Elektra and the overwhelming presence of Jon Vickers in Parsifal and Peter Grimes. From 1969 onwards we had so many trips to European opera festivals, hearing Tristan und Isolde in Munich at the very time that the Americans were landing on the moon. These continental tours, with Stephanie, continued to the end and we visited Bayreuth (where we were given a backstage tour and I took a photo of Robin on the conductor’s podium, graced by all the greatest Wagnerians from the Master himself through to modern days), Berlin, Dresden, and Weimar along with other venues such as Buxton, the Coliseum, Garsington Opera (a noted Richard Strauss venue), Glyndebourne, Grange Park, and year by year the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester.

       Choral music and especially English music – Britten, Elgar, Holst ,Vaughan Williams and Walton – were central interests. No account of Robin’s life would be complete without recording the important role he played in the Vaughan Williams Society. He was an acknowledged expert on the composer, editing with the Vaughan Williams scholar Byron Adams (a visiting member of Brooke Hall for a while) an important collection of Vaughan Williams studies and essays in 2002. Robin built up a great understanding with Vaughan Williams’s widow, Ursula, a great benefactress to the musical development of the School; he welcomed her on many occasions to events at the School. He represented Charterhouse at Ursula’s funeral in London in 2007. Robin’s performances of Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony were memorable occasions, drawing on all his love, understanding and intuitive feeling for the great Carthusian composer, whose first compositions were performed in the very Hall where Robin was to perform so often himself. If there was one work above all others that Robin loved it was Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, especially the unforgettable end of Part One: ‘Go forth upon thy journey, Christian soul’.   Benjamin Britten once said that the primary function of a musician was ‘to be useful, and to the living’. Robin fulfilled that role to perfection.

Robin’s health had not been good in recent years, nevertheless it was a tremendous shock to his many friends when we heard that he had died on 28 July 2016, his 46th wedding anniversary, at the age of 73. A moving funeral was held at the church of St Nicholas in Peperharow, a church with which Robin had been associated for a long while, not least in advice over the replacement of the organ. A memorial service was held in a packed Chapel at Charterhouse on 3rd December, when so many strands of Robin’s life came together – with three of his former pupils sharing the playing of the organ; his colleague the Revd Norman Evans taking part in the service; the lesson read by Peter Attenborough (Headmaster 1982-93); and musical contributions coming from the Godalming Operatic Society with brass, conducted by his colleague David Wright; Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending played by Vaughan Jones (R 88) accompanied by Mark Blatchly (G 77); the Farnham & Bourne Choral Society conducted by Simon Wyatt (S 73); and the Charterhouse Chamber Choir conducted by Robin’s successor as Director of Music, Mark Shepherd. The address was given by his old friend from Bernina days, Graham Jones, formerly Housemaster of Daviesites and Headmaster of Repton.

Robin’s beloved Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams is often best remembered for its memorable opening of breath-taking immediacy – ‘Behold, the sea itself’, but for Robin the core of Vaughan Williams’s vision came in his setting of the reflective opening of the final movement to the memorable pantheistic words of Walt Whitman and it is when hearing this passage that I will most remember this man of faith, love of beauty and a very dear friend:

O vast Rondure, swimming in space,

Covered all over with visible power and beauty, 

Alternate light and day and the teeming spiritual darkness,

Unspeakable high processions of sun and moon and countless stars above,

Below, the manifold grass and waters,

With inscrutable purpose, some hidden prophetic intention,

Now first it seems my thought begins to span thee.

 DR Thorpe

William Dudley AUKLAND on 5 July 2016, aged 81

P  OQ1948-CQ1953

His younger brother David (P54), died in 2012

House Monitor

After qualifying as a Solicitor, he worked in private practice in Widnes, Cheshire.  He was a Member of the Deo Dante Dedi Lodge. 

He is survived by his wife Sheila and sons James and Duncan, who wrote: “My father used to say that Charterhouse provided him with the foundations on which to build his life.”

Peter Henry Edward Roberts DUNN JP on 19 June 2016, aged 95

g  OQ34 – LQ39

House Monitor, Founder Member of the RAF CCF

Two OC sons, John (g86) and James (H91)

Peter went up to Queens’ College, Cambridge to study Engineering but WWII intervened and he volunteered.   In 1941-46 he served as Flight Lieutenant in the RAF, mainly in Burma and Java.  Upon demobilization he joined Babcock & Wilcox as a graduate trainee, rising to the company’s main board as Managing Director of the International Division until 1973, when he left to become a farmer and an hotelier.  Whilst he gave up the former in the mid-1980s, he was still entertaining guests in his Country House Hotel in the weeks before he passed away.  He always loved Charterhouse, returning for the last time with his two sons and grandchildren for OC Day in 2015.   He was appointed JP in 1974, High Sheriff of East Sussex in 1989 and Deputy Lieutenant of East Sussex in 1991.

He is survived by his sons and daughters, Julia and Joanna.

Michael Philip RAMSBOTHAM on 13 July 2016, aged 96

D  OQ1933 – OQ1936

He read History at King’s College, Cambridge

In WW2 he joined the RNVR, initially serving in anti-submarine section, before transferring to Naval Intelligence at Bletchley Park (Hut 4) in 1941 to work on Italian signals. 

Apparently he did not know why he was chosen to work at Bletchley, possibly the influence of his Tutor Cambridge, JH Plumb, also at Bletchley or of his cousin, Hugh Trevor-Roper (D32, later Lord Dacre) who also worked in Intelligence.  The work was stressful and caused him to suffer a nervous breakdown and leave Bletchley suddenly, although he was not court-martialled. 

After demobilisation he became Secretary to architect Lord Mottistone involved in rebuilding work in London. Later he became a Probation Officer until that work caused another breakdown.  He reviewed books for The Listener and The New Statesman and himself published two novels The Parish of Long Trister and The Remains of a Father.

In 1960 he moved to a 17^th century cottage in Sussex with his partner Barry Gray, and there they a created a magnificent garden and planted a wood, where he is now buried.

A full obituary appeared in The Times on September 14 2016.

John (Jack) Winfield Lawton GOERING on 6 June 2016, aged 91

B OQ38 - CQ40

Athletics Team

Jack graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from Trinity College, University of Toronto in 1948, he chose teaching as his profession. Leading by example in his own life, he inspired a generation of students about the importance of environmental conservation and ecology.  A lifelong lover of the Canadian north, he paddled many fur trader and early explorer's routes in the 1960s and 70s.

Married to Sheila since 1952, he is survived by their two sons, a daughter and five grandchildren.

(David) Michael Renton RIDDELL in April 2016, aged 83

L   OQ46 - LQ49

His daughters wrote:

“Michael enjoyed his time at Charterhouse and relished pushing the boundaries of authority, regularly taking off alone on his bicycle to Godalming to visit W O Bentley's house to admire his car collection. He was also very proud that he held the record for throwing the tennis ball over the chapel whilst a student! 

His National Service was spent in Cyprus with 188 Independent Radar & Searchlight Battery, Royal Artillery. He was an expert glider pilot and competed in national championships for several years.  His greatest achievement was winning the Firth-Vichers team trophy in league Two at Aston Down with his great friend Mike Bird in 1962. 

Michael qualified as a Solicitor in 1955, and went into private practice in Surrey, retiring in 1998.

He married Gillian in 1963 and they had two daughters who were a source of pleasure to him throughout his life. Along with his family, his loyal gliding pals provided constant friendship and entertainment for over 60 years, with regular poker evenings resulting only in a 'loan between friends'.  

He also enjoyed foreign travel, particularly as an escape from the dark winter days, with trips to Northern African on many occasions and to visit Vanessa who lived in the USA. 

He is survived by widow Gillian, daughters Vanessa and Angela, and his two grandchildren Sophie & James.

He was the cousin of S. J. Shuttleworth, Brooke Hall 1980 - 2011

Sir John Downes ALLIOTT on 19 March 2016, aged 84 

W  OQ45-CQ49

Monitor, Cross Country Running Colours, Thackeray Prize for English, History Scholar of Peterhouse College, Cambridge.

His son George (W76) writes:

John Alliott was born in Folkestone, Kent. As a teenager he smashed his leg skiing and again playing football and so had to give up contact sports, hence the cross country running. His 1949 diary reveals that he came 5th in the Pontifex that year, down from 3rd the year before. He also recorded Corps Field days against Eton and Winchester, both ‘won’. Against Eton he wrote “fought a ridiculous Etonian attack, they would have been mowed down”. His great friend Timothy Frankland (S 49) captured their Battalion Headquarters.

He won a scholarship to Peterhouse Cambridge. Before going up to read law, he did his National Service commissioned into the Coldstream Guards, serving in London District and Tripoli, North Africa.

At Cambridge he was Master of Trinity Foot Beagles, hunting the hounds 51 days in his final year.

He was called to the Bar in 1955, joining the Inner Temple and the South Eastern Circuit. He became a tenant at 1 Crown Office Row from where he practised for his whole career at the Bar. He became a Recorder in 1970, took silk in 1973 and was Head of Chambers from 1981 – 1986. In 1986 he was appointed to the High Court Bench, Queen’s Bench Division and was duly knighted. He was Presiding Judge of the South Eastern Circuit 1989 – 1992 and was on the Parole Board 1994 – 1989 (Vice Chairman 1996 – 1998). He retired from the Bench in 2001 but sat in the Court of Appeal part time thereafter.

He married Patsy Beckles-Willson in 1957, sister of Tony Beckles-Willson (H 46). They had three children, George (W76), Kate and Julian (W86) His younger brother Peter Alliott (W 52) died in 2002, father of Louise (G 82) and Charles (W86).

Robin Julian  DARWEN on 16 March 2016, aged 92

G OQ36 – LQ41

House Monitor

He served with the Queens & Border Regiment in WWII, retiring in the rank of Major.

Francis Nigel Dodd on 8 March 2016, aged 85 

House Monitor, Maniacs Cricket, Individual Prizewinner of House Instrumental Competition 1944-1948

His wife Alison wrote:

“Nigel won the school music prize four years running; he also won the conducting prize.  He went up to Balliol College as Nettleship Music Scholar, gaining degrees in both music and English, passions which were to run through the rest of his life.  His National Service was with the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals, where he played viola in the light orchestra and also taught music, before beginning his professional career as a schoolmaster at Maidstone Grammar School.

From 1960 to 1970 he was first joint, then sole, Head of English at Clifton College, Bristol, ensuring that the department emerged transformed and widely respected, English at last being taught only by committed, enthusiastic specialists.  He was closely involved with the development of the school’s new purpose-built theatre, directing, occasionally acting, and organising (jointly with the city and Bristol Old Vic Theatre) a national conference on the place of drama in education; it resulted in an influential collection of essays published by Heinemann in 1971.

After Clifton, Nigel went on to the College of St Matthias as Head of English and eventually Chairman of the BA in Humanities.  He continued to act and direct, and was for several years Director of Drama at Bristol Arts Centre, and external examiner in English, Drama & Linguistics for Sheffield Polytechnic. He ran a particularly happy department, and also found time to acquire an MEd (his thesis being on aspects of the social thought of T S Eliot and Emile Durkheim) from Bristol University.

However, in 1983 the restructuring of Higher Education under the Thatcher government brought the opportunity for early retirement on favourable terms, and the chance to focus fully on music: music journalism and teaching, solo and orchestral playing, and composition.  Many of the works he wrote resulted from commissions.  They ranged from a full-scale oratorio using soloists, full orchestra, children’s and adult choirs and the Sun Life Brass Band, to the delicately restrained setting of a group of Wordsworth’s Lucy poems for solo voice with accompanying piano, satisfyingly bringing together two of his most powerful interests.

Nigel was an inspirational educator, greatly respected for his knowledge and original ideas.  Physical frailty caused by Parkinson’s Disease did not impair either his teaching or his playing until his last three weeks; he never fully lost his engaging vitality or his ability to charm.  

In 1964 he had met and married his wife Alison (herself Head of English at a girls’ school, and a pianist).  They soon had two sons and a daughter, and later six grandchildren – the literary/musical tradition carries on amongst them in various ways: he was delighted by his family, who all survive him, and his influence on them continues to be powerful.”

(John) Peter Maxwell DRUMMOND on 27 February 2016, aged 80

P CQ49 - CQ53

Swallows Cricket; Natural Sciences at Corpus Christi, Cambridge

Peter is survived by his wife Angela, three sons and a grandson.

Christopher George Nicholas RYDER OBE on 25 February 2016, aged 85

D OQ44 – CQ49

Head of House, 2^nd XI Football, Struan Robertson prize

His father and an uncle were both Carthusians, and he was the middle of three brothers, Anthony (G45, deceased 2013) and Denys (D49) who wrote:

“When Christopher joined Daviesites it was under the Housemastership of Walter Carruthers Sellar (BH1932-51), the co-author of ‘1066 and All That’. He reached the Upper Sixth form before going onto Worcester College, Oxford, to read History.   He spent some of his time as a National Serviceman in Korea, and took part, in 1951, as a gunnery officer in the notorious Battle of the Imjin River. 

In 1957 he joined the Swire Group trading firm with interests in the Far East and was detailed to go to Hong Kong where he took up a series of shipping appointments during his 15 years there.  He also spent some 2 years as Manager of Cathay Pacific’s interests (part of the Swire Group operations) in Bangkok. In 1972 Christopher returned to London to represent the China Navigation Company’s interest at the Swire’s Head Office, having finished the first phase of his Asian career as General Manager of the CNCo in Hong Kong.  In 1978 he became Deputy Chairman of the CNCo. 

Whilst living in London, he met Gabriel, a lady with a family of 3 young children, and was married to her in that year.  His stepson, Paul, wrote of him “Having led a bachelor life in the Far East, it must have been quite a change to settle down with an instant family.  But at the age of 45 he embraced the challenges of family life”.

In 1982 he was appointed to the role of President of Swire’s in Japan.  Sir Adrian Swire, his ultimate boss said, “Within Swire, Christopher will be primary remembered for his outstanding performance as President of Swire’s in Japan.  There has seldom been a rounder peg in a rounder hole.”

A colleague commented about Christopher “His earlier four postings in Swire had given him an enviable understanding of Japanese custom and behaviour, but I think that even without this past experience, his natural courtesy, modesty patience and wit would have made him a rapid success in this most idiosyncratic of developed societies”.

In 1986 Chris was awarded an OBE for services to British Commercial Interest in Japan, and as Adrian Swire said, “He was supported in his Japan ‘Taipan’ role strongly and enthusiastically by his wife, Gabriel.”  In the same year Chris returned to London and became the Chairman of the China Navigation Company until his retirement in 1993.

During his time in the UK he lived on Highgate West Hill with his family, where he took part enthusiastically in Highgate society, and where his love of art and an eye for painting was something which he carried with him from his days at Charterhouse.  This included taking up painting watercolours with the Highgate Watercolour Group.  A friend of that era wrote, “He developed a lovely technique of large flat washes, which gave an oriental flavour to his work, with images that seemed to encourage meditation inspired by the Zen gardens in Japan.”  In 1978 he became Chairman of the Highgate Society, using his diplomatic skills to secure a satisfactory outcome over the lease of the Society’s premises.

Over the last 28 years he and Gabriel and the extended family enjoyed peace and quiet in the countryside.  Having returned to the UK, he once told me that the one thing he had always wanted, was a house in the country so as to get away from the hurly burly of London and business life. This he achieved by buying a remote farmhouse in east Devon, that he turned it into a beautiful second home with extensive gardens for himself and his family. 

I will leave the final word to Christopher’s eldest stepson, Paul Schlesinger, who knew him far better than I did in his later years, who said at the memorial service:-

“Finally he was courteous - sometimes to a fault – putting others first.  Like most of us he was a joyful mix of things.  Although Chris was in some ways a self-deprecating, private person, what people will remember most about him I think is how gregarious and outgoing he was.  Someone, whom friends were always happy to bump into.  He was the essence of very good company.  He was a gentleman and a gentle man and all of us, whether we were a work colleague, a friend or member of his family, were lucky to have shared so much with him.”

Brian Rees on 16 February 2016, aged 86

Headmaster 1973-81

Brian Rees was a very talented man both academically and musically. From Bede Grammar School in Sunderland he gained a scholarship to Trinity College Cambridge to read history. In choosing a university he had followed the advice of a young classics master at his school, who dissuaded him from going to the Royal College of Music, another viable option for a pianist who had been playing Chopin preludes at morale-boosting concerts in the Second World War and who had regularly served as accompanist to the Sunderland Operatic Society.

These talents continued to flourish when he embarked on a career as a schoolmaster at Eton, where he had been put forward by his college following a request from Robert Birley (Headmaster of Charterhouse 1935-47, Headmaster of Eton 1949-64), who in turn was to play quite an important role in his life subsequently. In the classroom he was an engaging teacher of history whose scholarship and inspiration was greatly valued by his pupils. He played the piano in the company of England cricketers like Len Hutton, and many an impromptu duet. Whilst at Eton he collaborated with the future Private Eye satirist John Wells on a musical adaptation of Aristophanes’s The Birds. He counted this memorable production as one of his greatest achievements at the school. There he also met his wife, Robert Birley’s daughter Julia, with whom he had five children. Two years after they were married he became a housemaster where having to enforce rules after a period of indiscipline provided limited pleasure.

On the advice of Robert Birley – who had by then retired as Headmaster of Eton – he successfully applied to become Headmaster of Merchant Taylors’ School at Moor Park in North London, thus bringing to a close fifteen joyful years at Eton.

At Merchant Taylors’ he had a happy and successful time raising funds for a number of development projects. He found the school rather traditional and the proximity of the parents to the school occasionally oppressive.

He left in 1973 to become Headmaster of Charterhouse. The return to a full boarding environment was a big change; in Rees’s first year the move to the New Houses was completed making Charterhouse well ahead of its time in the quality of its boarding accommodation. He had been told by the Governing Body that discipline needed to be tightened up, but found, in practice, that discipline was in pretty good order and it was mainly a question of enforcing existing rules. He had to replace one housemaster who had lost control and chastise one or two others, which he found distressing. He could take pride in his achievements at Charterhouse as he fulfilled his ambitions in fostering important new projects: John Derry Technical Centre, a new music school (RVW – a national memorial to Vaughan Williams, R 1890) and Ben Travers Theatre, which was built after he left. There were also major academic, cultural and sporting achievements: in his last year a remarkable twenty-one awards were won at Oxford and Cambridge and a further twenty places were obtained. He regarded the quality of the teaching staff in Brooke Hall as exceptional and found the beaks very supportive when his wife, who had been a great support to him, died after a long illness in 1978. In spite of this tragic loss, Brian looked back on his time at Charterhouse with great affection. In his interview last year for The Carthusian with Mark Everett (B 77, GB 2008- ) he recalled the celebrations in 1977 to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Memorial Chapel, when the former and current Archbishops of Canterbury (Ramsay and Coggan) came to preach, as did all the extant former Headmasters of the School (Birley, Young and Van Oss). A remarkable and unique achievement in 1979 was the successful staging of an opera written by Charterhouse’s first Composer-in-Residence, Roger Steptoe – King of Macedon – for which Ursula Vaughan Williams wrote the libretto. Young professional singers took the leading roles and pupils and members of Brooke Hall formed the chorus. Geoffrey Ford directed and Bill Llewellyn conducted creating memorable performances.

The prospect of becoming headmaster of a third Clarendon school tempted Brian Rees in 1981 to accept the offer of the headship of Rugby School. A misleading brief from a governing body that was rather distant from the reality of the school and a misguided choice of confidants combined to make this a rather less successful period, which was cut short by personal problems.

Here began a difficult phase in his life, in which Brian Rees showed great resilience and fortitude in the way he grappled with manifold problems. The support of his children and friends and the marriage to his second wife Juliet gradually led to a new stability; he entered a phase of new creativity, writing on musical subjects close to his heart – producing a history of Stowe, very well received biographies of Sir Edward German, Camille Saint-Saëns and, very recently, a book about Reynaldo Hahn. He was already in failing health when he completed this project.

My final personal memory of Brian is a lunch party at the house of an OC. He and Juliet had been driven over by his daughter Jessica (S 82). I had not seen Brian for nearly two years and the way in which physical disability had taken its toll in the meantime was noticeable. But his eyes sparkled and his intellectual powers were undiminished. Having caught up quite quickly on what had happened in both our lives during that period we were soon discussing Reynaldo Hahn. He broadened my musical understanding of the composer through the illuminating way in which he explained the influences of Massenet and Offenbach on him. I was also fascinated to learn how poems by Marcel Proust had inspired his piano suite Portraits de Peintres. During lunch Brian entertained us with a number of witty and humorous anecdotes.  My first memory is of my interview, when he came across as rather diffident in personal contact, but very cultured and bright.

He was a remarkable man. 

EHZ

John Gilchrist BUCHAN FORD on 12 February 2016, aged 84

g  OQ45 – CQ49

House Monitor

His wife wrote:

“Following school, John had compulsory National Service as part of the post war effort and was sent to Germany with the Veterinary Corps.  He often said that the precision in which everything was carried out within this corps, set him up for life. 

He began working as a stockbroker.  Whilst successful, John had wanderlust for a better life and moved to Rhodesia where he joined a Finance Company.

At the age of 33 he led an organisation which became the largest finance company in central and southern Africa.  With his gentle style and tough determination his company became the best performing finance company for many years – introducing the concept of hire purchase/leasing and many other finance packages into central and southern Africa.

John left Rhodesia due to the turmoil of independence in 1965 and ended up in Australia where he re-established himself in the finance world and created a new life in Sydney.”

He leaves Christine, his wife of 34 years, children; Jane, Stuart & Martin, along with 2 grandchildren.  Another son, Duncan, pre-deceased him in 2006.

Peter John CAREY FCA on 6 February 2016, aged 69

P   LQ60 - CQ65

Head of House, Cross Country Colours, CSM Army Section, Life & Literature Prize

His father Peter was in Lockites (L35) and two younger brothers were in Pageites, Jeremy (P69) and Tim (P76).

Oliver Otto (originally Fischer) FISHER on 2 February 2016 Oliver Otto, aged 93

S  CQ1938 – SQ1941

Extracts from some tributes at his funeral:

By his friend, Father Anthony Grant CR

“By 1937 Otto’s father Robert Fischer saw how things were going in Austria. He wanted the best education for his son, so sent the 15 year old with his charming non-English speaking Viennese stepmother Dina and the English tutor who’d been giving Otto lessons, to get a place at an English school. Otto thought his father was trying to get rid of him and did not want to go.

They met Headmaster Robert Birley and Otto was taken into Saunderites, the Headmaster’s own boarding House, and also into his family with his wife Elinor and their three daughters on the private side of the House.  Otto absolutely loved it there and gradually became a committed anglophile.

Less than 2 months later German Nazi forces marched into Vienna, Otto’s father & stepmother were imprisoned. Otto was in despair, but the headmaster got straight on to the Old Carthusian Consul-General, “You cannot let the parents of a Carthusian smart in Hitler’s prison,” and visas for the United Kingdom were issued.

In 1940 after Dunkirk Robert Fischer took the family to the United States, but Otto was committed to his English education, and refused to go.  Elinor Birley’s uncle General Sir John Davidson 60th Rifles came to stay and heard how he wanted to join the British army, but for an “enemy alien,” it was more than difficult. General Davidson fixed it up, and after a couple of years reading Law at Balliol, in 1943 Otto joined 60th Rifles, subsequently posted to GHQ 21st Army Group, and then to Counter-Intelligence, serving in Belgium, Germany, Holland and Austria, entering Vienna with the Allies.

After the war Otto returned to Balliol, graduating in Jurisprudence in 1948. Elinor Birley’s brother, Philip Frere was a highly successful solicitor. Another boy at Saunderites was Conrad Dehn (S45). Otto became articled to Dehn and Lauderdale, admitted to the roll of solicitors in 1953 as Mr Oliver Otto Fisher. In 1959 he founded his own firm Oliver Fisher Solicitors in London which continues today under his name.

His former partner Russell Conway writes:

“Otto was a passionate lawyer when most other lawyers were dry and interested only in fees. He cared very much for his clients and had a reputation for going the extra mile - sometimes the extra 10 miles!”

Otto was a founding shareholder of Notting Hill Housing Trust in 1965 and remained active and involved.  He retired officially from his law firm in 1993 but continued as a consultant until the age of 80 and afterwards volunteered as a generalist adviser at Richmond Citizens Advice Bureau, only leaving aged 91 when they introduced a new computer system.

Otto married his secretary, Julia, in May 1963 and they had two children, Jessica and Andrew.  The family remained close after the marriage ended and later when Otto bought his country cottage it was near to Julia and her second husband, and also to the Birley family home in Somerset.

A tribute by son, Andrew:

“My father was passionate, full of life, right up to the last. Despite his advanced years, his departure was so sudden that it has been a shock to us all. His wonderful eccentricities - when I was a child sometimes the source of acute embarrassment - became something I later learned to cherish.

He saw himself as the picture of British conventionality. Thankfully, that determined and warm-hearted spirit of his made him anything but. Our last ski trip together was in 2008 in Austria, when he was 85 years old. Despite his years, he remained determined to head up the mountain. Giving in to age would be admitting defeat and Dad didn’t do defeat. He applied that to everything. I admire that spirit, his determination, so often against the odds. He saw achievable possibilities when others gave up and so often he did so on behalf of others. That made my father who he was. What an extraordinary man and what an example to try and follow. Thank you, Dad, you are sorely missed.”

Extracts in honour of Robert Birley later written by Otto:

Thank you for the happy days in the Nursery with your two children full of life, for the carefree happiness and fun and influence this has had ever since, as to the precious pearl of family life, of delight in simple things.

Thank you for being a tower of strength in the years of the war. For being there when Hitler's bombs fell some yards away from the House over which you presided, when you ducked to share with the boys you loved the dangers of those days.

Thank you for being a tower of strength when one felt that, because of you, all would be well, all manner of things would be well; that defeat even in the darkest days of 1940 was unthinkable; that respect for freedom and the dignity of man would triumph, notwithstanding the skies towards London being lit up with an ominous red glow, and later the drones of the doodle-bugs and flying bombs—and even though the railway line below Charterhouse Hill bore the coaches filled with exhausted men rescued from Dunkirk, being brought back to their island fortress home, and when there was nothing there, other than You and Faith.

Thank you, Robert, for being there in the old chapel of the school when I was baptized as a Christian and you acted as my godfather, gave me the Bible inscribed with that beautiful copperplate handwriting of yours, for teaching me as you were reading out aloud in the larger chapel of the school the Scriptures which you loved and could expound in such a resonant, penetrating, yet warm voice that there was nothing that could separate us from the love of God.

Thank you, Robert, for the love you taught me of music, for the excitement of appreciating paintng, sending me off to look and stare at art galleries everywhere.

Thank you, Robert, for teaching me to withstand the Tyrant and for having instilled in me single-mindedness and a sense of what really matters. You lived and acted as you preached, as much later you lit so bright a candle in the new Germany, which still shines today, a resurrected renaissance Germany where your work has become history.

Thank you, Robert, for giving me the love for all that is best in England.   Yes, thank you for allowing me to be touched by those values you communicated with that lively sparkle that lifted one out of introspection into an exciting living world, thrilled to listen, to learn—to forget oneself and try to serve.

Ron Wolsey on 31 January 2016, aged 89

Brooke Hall 1956-64

The son of a South Yorkshire coal miner, Wolsey failed the Eleven-plus but was accepted by Wath Grammar School on the recommendation of a teacher. In 1942 he left school at 16 to work in a factory as a junior aircraft inspector, but found this boring so returned to school. In 1947 he gained a first in physics from Birmingham University and then, instead of staying on to do a further degree and research, he trained to teach physics at secondary school level because he wanted to give others the chances he had had through education. His teaching career began in Yorkshire, where one of his pupils was Arthur Scargill. He moved to a teaching job in Chelsea, where one of his responsibilities was ensuring that teachers wore their hats to school. Here he witnessed corporal punishment and vowed never to use it. 

Whilst teaching at the Methodist boarding-school Culford in Suffolk, RW trained to become a local preacher. 

In OQ 1956 Ron Wolsey joined BH; he taught physics and threw himself into School life, running Radio Society and helping with Science Society outings, cross-country and scouts.

He and his first wife performed in the 1958 Brooke Hall play – 1066 And All That, based on the book by WC Sellar (BH 1932-51, Housemaster of Daviesites 1939-51) & RJ Yeatman: Mrs Wolsey was Anne Boleyn, while Ron played a barber and King George I. Three Wolsey children were born during Ron’s time at Charterhouse, and the family lived at 137 Peperharow Road.

In 1964 Wolsey decided that he must return to the state sector: why shouldn’t all pupils have similar opportunities as the privileged youngsters at private schools? He and his young family moved to Callington in Cornwall, where he became Head of the Grammar School. He made important and controversial changes, preparing the school to become comprehensive in an amalgamation of several schools; though he was invited to lead this new school (now a community college), he responded to a call to Norfolk in 1971, where he was appointed Principal at Wymondham College – the largest state-run boarding-school in Europe.

Ron Wolsey stayed for 21 years, during which time he modified life at the College whilst achieving a fine balance between tradition and the progress which should grow out of it. He amalgamated the two schools on the site – boarding and county grammar – into one College of 1,400 pupils, made all boarding houses fully co-educational, drove a major new rebuilding programme, and supervised the change to a non-selective intake. By 1984 the College offered 125 extra-curricular activities and 25 sports.

His greatest challenge came in 1984 when the College was faced with closure; his survival plan – including heavy fund-raising – saw Wymondham College achieving Grant Maintained Status in 1991, which allowed it the autonomy vital to its continuing success.

Jonathan Taylor, current Principal, has said: ‘I have been humbled by his achievements. The College was under threat of closure and Ron Wolsey managed to rally the support of not only the parents but staff and local businesses. He could have had a successful career in any walk of life but Ron chose a teaching career, because he wanted to give back to others.  He will be sadly missed.’

Ron and his second wife Stephanie enjoyed 23 years of retirement in Sheringham.

Owen John Tressider Rowe on 25 January 2016, aged 93

Brooke Hall 1950-60

Owen Rowe was born in 1922 in South Africa, the eldest of three brothers. His father was a dental surgeon who returned to practise in Lymington in 1925 with his family. Owen went to King Edward VI School in Southampton (now King Edward’s) in 1933 and was appointed Head of School in 1940; he was also Captain of Football and a member of the cricket X1. He won a state scholarship and an open scholarship to Exeter College in Oxford where he was awarded a First in classics in 1942.

In 1942, he was commissioned into the Hampshire Regiment and joined the 7th Battalion as a platoon commander in A-company, taking part in the Normandy Landings. He was wounded – and, on recovery, rejoined his regiment as a pioneer officer in 1944. He saw further action in the Netherlands and Germany before resuming his studies in Oxford, where he was awarded a First in Literae Humaniores (Greats) in 1946.

His teaching career started in 1948 when he became a classics master at Lancaster Royal Grammar School. He moved there with his new wife, Marcelle; their first child, Elizabeth, was born in Lancaster.

In 1950 he was appointed Head of Classics at Charterhouse and remained there until 1960. During his time at Charterhouse his second child, Anthony (H 68), was born. Owen was Commander of the CCF for six years, took an active role in coaching hockey, cricket and football and he enjoyed playing fives. He was also House Tutor of Lockites. He took an active role in the visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to the School in 1957.

In 1960 he was appointed Headmaster of Giggleswick School in the Yorkshire Dales.  Giggleswick was facing many difficulties, and in a short time Owen Rowe restored the school’s reputation with an increase in the size of the sixth-form, a marked improvement in academic results and a rise in the number of boys who proceeded to university and other places of higher education. During his time at Giggleswick he fostered many outdoor activities such as caving, and developed the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; also new squash courts were built.

Owen instigated two major appeals at Giggleswick resulting in major building works including the building of Morrison House, opened by the Duke of Devonshire, improvements to Giggleswick’s prep school (Catteral Hall) and the construction of new kitchens. Owen Rowe was appointed Secretary of the NE division of HMC. He was very supportive of all the boys at Giggleswick, and Richard Whiteley (of Countdown fame) credited his headmaster with being responsible for obtaining a place for him at Cambridge.

In 1972 Owen Rowe was appointed Headmaster of Epsom College at a time of major change in the academic and material life of the College. He worked tirelessly at Epsom to improve facilities – including the building of a new house, science block, the music school, swimming-pool, an all-weather hockey pitch and a new mathematics, geography and computer complex. He was instrumental in the admission of girls in 1976 to Epsom College.

He retired in 1982 from Epsom but continued to teach classics at St John’s Leatherhead until 1987. He was governor of a number of local schools, including Rosebery, St John’s, and Downside as well as Welbeck College in Worksop.

After the death of his wife, Marcelle, in 1986, Owen continued to be involved in a variety of educational roles, including teaching English in a local prison, and assisting with reading in local primary schools. He was a member of the Rotary Club for over 50 years, serving in both Settle and Epsom and he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship. In the last ten years of his life he worked at the Queen Elizabeth Foundation Charity, retiring from this only two years before his death.

He was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur by the French Government for his involvement in the liberation of France in the Second World War. Unfortunately the award arrived two weeks after his death, but his family was very proud to receive it on his behalf.

He died after a short illness in January 2016. He is survived by his son and daughter, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Owen Rowe was a kind, hard-working and generous man who will be sadly missed by all those who came into contact with him.

David Frank Gibbs on 20 January 2016, aged 68

Brooke Hall 1983-89

David’s premature death, when he was only 68, is particularly sad as he and Philippa had only in the last few years moved to Wolvercote just outside Oxford where they were due to embark on a new phase of their lives together in a home that had belonged to Philippa’s late mother, but which was being substantially altered. He never lived to enjoy it.

When I wrote DFG’s valete on leaving Charterhouse in 1989, I suggested that a word that summed up his approach to schoolmastering was ‘energy’, and this was certainly the case in his subsequent career, initially as a housemaster at Haileybury and then as a very successful Headmaster of Chigwell School (1996-2007). In 2007, rather than simply gliding into retirement, David typically took up another post, this time as the Education Officer of the Skinners’ Company, a position in which he made a major contribution to the establishment of new Academies. He was latterly involved in the scheme to enable promising young people from Eastern Europe to come and benefit from a sixth-form education.

Besides his lifelong passion for sport, particularly cricket, he was an inveterate reader. He was the only person I knew who made notes on every book that he read. He wrote an excellent account of the involvement of the Skinners’ Company in education and also a history of the Woodard Corporation. In the last few years, he was writing a biography of Martin Aliker, a Ugandan statesman who might well have become President of his country.

David had that rare quality of being (genuinely) more interested in enquiring about the person to whom he was speaking than talking about himself. He achieved an enormous amount in his life. The sadness caused by the passing of their daughter Mary after a tragically short life was counterbalanced by the joy of having subsequently adopted two delightful sons, Tom and Matthew. His brief battle with cancer was particularly grim, but he was cheerful to the end, sustained as he was by a strong faith. When Rosie and I saw him a week before he died, he was typically positive in telling us how fortunate he’d been during his life and career. Everything he tackled he did with passion and enthusiasm. He was inordinately proud of his two sons, but grateful above all for the love and support of Philippa.                                                                                

RAI

John Robey COBBETT FRCS LRCP on 19 January 2016, aged 85

D OQ44 – CQ48

School Monitor

His eldest son, Peter (D71), was in Daviesites, as were three Carthusian brothers, George (V40), Claude (D42) and James (D65) and nephews Patrick (D96), James (D96) and Andrew (D99).

His son Peter wrote:

“My father read medicine Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; his original intention was to become a general practitioner.  However, during a short appointment as house surgeon at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, his career was "hijacked" as he was exposed to the speciality of plastic and reconstructive surgery.  Subsequently, John became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and was appointed senior registrar and then Consultant in plastic surgery at Queen Victoria Hospital.

During his time as a senior registrar in the mid 1960’s, John started research into microvascular surgical techniques.  Prior to the clinical application of his research, he was awarded the Moynihan Travelling Scholarship for travel to Japan, USA, and Canada to confer with colleagues also researching the possibilities of applying microvascular surgical techniques particularly to repair of traumatic injuries.  Together John and those international colleagues developed techniques for surgeries which now appear almost commonplace including re-attachment of severed fingers and thumbs, toe-thumb transplants, and whole hand transplants. He retired in 1995. In recognition of his contributions, the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand elected John a "Pioneer of Hand Surgery" in 2010.  His wife, Pamela (daughter of Alfred Bower (R13, the distinguished English International & Arthur Dunn footballer) predeceased him and he is survived by their three children Peter (D 71), Susan, and David and their families.”

Dr Philip Andrew DISTIN on 12 January 2016, aged 74

R   OQ55 – CQ60

House Monitor, L/Cpl, CCF, 1^st Orchestra, twice winner of Ehrman Prize

His lifetime friend for 68 years and former colleague Bill Vorley (R61) wrote:

“Phil was an excellent musician playing both the piano and organ, regularly playing in concerts and at services in Chapel.  After Charterhouse he went to Imperial College, London where he studied Metallurgy gaining his BSc in 1963 and his PhD in 1967.  Whilst studying Metallurgy in London, he also studied music, receiving an ARCM in 1965 from the Royal College of Music.  In 1967 he moved to Canada to take a Post-Doctoral Fellow position at the Atlantic Regional Laboratory of the National Research Council of Canada in Halifax where he continued his steelmaking research.  In 1969 he joined INCO in Mississauga, Ontario; this was a turning point in his research career as he turned his interest from steelmaking to the hydrometallurgy of non-ferrous metals.  In 1972, Phil accepted an offer from McGill University to join the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering as an Assistant Professor.  Eventually he became an Associate Professor in the same department (now the Department of Mining and Materials Engineering) until 2002. At a McGill Faculty Council Meeting, a tribute was given by one of his former students Professor George Demopoulos:   "Professor Distin served our department for 30 years by offering courses and conducting research in the area of hydrometallurgy and corrosion of metals. First and foremost, he was a teacher, committed to his students' learning through class room and laboratory instruction or one-to-one research supervision. I was one of those who personally benefited having him as my Master's and PhD thesis supervisor. As confirmation of his model commitment to teaching, he received the Faculty of Engineering Outstanding Teaching Award in 1991. He authored & co-authored some 70 journal and conference publications. In addition and to his credit, he had several patents and technical reports prepared for industrial sponsors. His significant contributions to Metallurgical Engineering research included a wide variety of technical subjects but, of particular note, is his development of patented technology for recovery of platinum and palladium metals from spent converter catalysts that led to industrial application.

He really enjoyed his relationships with students and colleagues, always being available to answer their queries and share in his own unselfish manner his deep technical knowledge. He will be always fondly remembered for his gentle character, quiet dignity, quick wit, and sincere generosity by which he conducted himself as teacher, researcher, and colleague. He will be greatly missed.

Apart from his work and his interest in music, Phil remained fascinated by the history of British steam trains throughout his life.  He enjoyed travelling near and far and when younger, was an enthusiastic skier, cyclist and hiker.  Keeping in touch with friends in Britain remained important to him.  Gentle and modest, he enjoyed life's humorous moments in his own quiet way.  He is survived by his beloved spouse, Susanna.”

Brian Paul GRAVES on 8 January 2016, aged 93

V    CQ1936 -  CQ1941

School Monitor, 1st XI Hockey, 3rd XI Cricket and Football

His daughter, Sue Sharman, shared the summary of his life that Brian himself prepared:

“Upon leaving School, I was immediately called up and posted to the Royal Artillery, being commissioned into the Regiment a year later. I took part in the D-Day landings in France in 1944 and was involved in that campaign until VE Day, positioned close to the Baltic Sea near Lubeck. A posting to the Far East followed, to spend a year serving in the Indian Army. 

After demobilisation in 1946 I joined my father’s firm, Graves Son & Pilcher, and studied for the professional examinations of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors , passing the final exam in 1947. I became a partner of the firm in 1951 and senior partner in 1972, retiring in 1991 although remaining as a consultant to the firm until death.

In 1979 I was appointed a director of the Alliance Building Society and continued until 1992, by which time it had merged to become Alliance & Leicester.

In 1968 I became Chairman of the Sussex Branch of the RICS in its centenary year, and for a number of years served as representative of the county on the Council of that body. In spare time I was a member of Brighton Round Table no 10 and its Chairman in 1960.  For over 30 years I belonged to the Rotary Club of Brighton and was a longstanding committee member of the Society for Housing the Elderly of Brighton and Hove & also Brighton Boys' Club.

At certain periods during my life I played hockey for Brighton & Hove Hockey Club and was a member of East Brighton Golf Club and the Grasshoppers' Lawn Tennis Club”.

Christopher Michael BOTTING on 2 January 2016, aged 63

G OQ66 - OQ70

Foundation Scholar, House Monitor, Captain of Golf, 3^rd XI Football, Athletics Team

During the 1970s and 80s he was an active member of the OC Golfing Society

His daughter Charlotte Scroggie wrote:

“Dad read Mathematics at Sussex University and then qualified as a Solicitor.  He worked in UK, Australia and Jakarta where he and was living at the time of his fatal heart attack.   He frequently returned to UK and Australia to visit family and friends, many of whom were from his Charterhouse days.  He continued to play and love golf throughout his life.”

A friend said at his funeral:

“Chris was a man with a unique spirit who brightened the lives of all that knew him. He loved Indonesia and most aspects of this world in which we live. He was a pillar of our golfing societies for over 30 years with his infectious enthusiasm and love of life.  His incredibly sharp legal mind, when combined with his natural wit, helped to keep life in perspective and people in their place.  He helped to establish the ideals of the ‘Jagorawi Jesters’ and fully embraced those ideals. He knew the rules of golf and life and lived by them, not a perfect man, but the heart and soul of the Jesters group.  Chris will be remembered in many different ways by each individual.” 

He leaves behind his wife Lanny in Jakarta and his three children and two grandchildren in Australia.

SF Corke (née Bridges) on 20th December 2015, aged 91

When Shirley Corke (archivist in charge of the Muniment Room in Guildford, part of the Surrey Archives Service) came to advise on the viability of using the newly created Library cellar in 1984, she was no stranger to the School: her husband Hilary (P40) and three of their children, Emma (P77), William (P80) and Phoebe (P82) were all OCs. The hygrometer she brought shot up to beyond the maximum it could measure; her consternation matched the forebodings of the Librarian and the Master-in-charge of Library. Her personal link with the School, and knowing her and her husband as Carthusian parents, made her the natural person to approach for an assessment of the then wholly unsorted archival records the School held in Godalming, as well as those of Sutton’s Hospital and Charterhouse-in-Southwark.

She spent a day viewing all the material held here at School storing all the information in her memory, as she made no notes. How fruitful this day had been became clear when she submitted a comprehensive report that gave an overview of the range of records and the possible ways in which it could be organised systematically, so that they would all become easily accessible, leaving access no longer wholly reliant on the collective memories of the Librarian and the Master-in-charge of Library & Archives. The report was submitted to the Governing Body with an application for a grant to fund a professional archivist to come and look at all materials in detail, devise a system of classification and then do the broad listing on the basis of this system. Although the Governing Body formally visited Library for a presentation of some of the materials, it was largely the professional weight of her report that led them to accept the proposal in 1988 and set the funding aside for the following financial year.

So work could have begun in the autumn of 1989. But there was no-one more suitable for this particular task than Shirley, given the ideal combination of her professional expertise, long experience and personal affiliation with the School. It was well worth waiting for a year until she retired from her post in Guildford and became free to undertake this not inconsiderable challenge. Her incisive mind and encyclopaedic knowledge allowed her to tackle it with a precision and insight and at a rate that was awe-inspiring given how much material there was. When she had finished, she remained initially as a consultant to guide the Librarian, who took over the day-to-day management and running of Archives.

When the Librarian’s time was increasingly taken up with Library work, Shirley took over as the Archivist and Sue Cole joined her as the Assistant Archivist. Those years saw the completion of the detailed listing of our records and a much more systematic approach to gathering contemporary records, not least because the absence of such a rigorous approach had resulted in a considerable paucity of material illustrating Carthusian life in the 1960s and 1970s. Since Shirley’s arrival in the School all records had been transferred into archival boxes and strict working practices had been introduced: you only write in pencil and you don’t throw little ends of pencils away! This amusing quirk apart, Shirley certainly did not shy away from modern technology – and so a card-box system was used to establish a detailed electronic record. She could operate this with consummate ease, while lesser mortals found it quite challenging. But there was another hurdle to be crossed: the storage of the archival boxes. The then Daniel Wray Room, now the Gallery Room, became progressively more Dickensian in appearance as more boxes were piled on the tops of cabinets. However, that was only sufficient to store those records that were likely to be consulted more frequently, so other locations needed to be used as well, namely the picture store, now the supply store of the School Shop and the Library cellar, which was no longer quite the damp dungeon Shirley’s hygrometer had once condemned. Managing the Archives housed in three different locations was tricky, but it was handled by Shirley without complaint. It highlighted the need to find a proper location where storage, work and research space were united. And through Shirley’s tenacity and with the support of the then Second Master, Richard Gilliat (G63), we arrived at a solution: the corner of Gownboys leading to the entrance to G from the cloisters, which is where Archives has been based since. Shirley and Sue managed the transfer of all records into the newly created strong room and work room, which was quite a task.

Thus the Archive was well established in the new location when Shirley handed over as Archivist to Ann Wheeler in September 2002 – so well established that Shirley had found time to research and write the history of Charterhouse-in-Southwark, which was published by the School in 2001. The Mission papers in the Archive had seemed an almost negligible part of the whole when she started, but supplemented by searches in London and other record offices, conversations with those who had known the Mission in the past, and a certain amount of nosing about building sites, a little-known side of Carthusian life was revealed. She was interested in present as well as past Carthusians, and enthusiastically supported the initiative to get boys to use Archives to study the lives (at Charterhouse and later) of various Carthusians killed in WW1. She continued for another five years on a consultancy basis, coming in for one or two days a week. When she retired, she could be described as the true architect of the Charterhouse Archive: a tremendous achievement. She had also done pioneering work as a founder member of the Public Schools Archivists’ Association.

Shirley was a very learned, highly cultured person who had a very wide and diverse range of interests both academic and musical. Her enthusiasm was infectious; her eyes sparkled with joy when you were talking to her about one of her particular passions. This made her an inspiring and delightful colleague. I will treasure the memory of the time spent in her company.                                                                                            

EHZ

Norman Albert   BONHAM-CARTER   on  7 December 2015, aged 87

G OQ43-CQ46

Monitor, Athletics Colours (holder of School high jump record for over 20 years)

Two brothers Gerard (G48, deceased 2015) and Maurice (G65) were also in Gownboys, also a son David (G81), who wrote:

“Norman started a career in banking, before becoming articled to solicitors Thorold Brodie Bonham-Carter & Mason in 1950 and a Partner in 1959. They merged with Radcliffes & Co in 1973 and he retired from the firm in 1990, acting as consultant for a further three years.  He was an Associate of the  Institute of Bankers, a Council Member of the Law Society 1981-90 and President of  Westminster Law Society.  Owner of a vigneron near Bordeaux. Founder and President of the Solicitors' Wine Society, Officer of the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne and Commander Conference des Chevaliers, 2001.  Chairman & Vice President of the Anglo-Belgian Society and past Chairman, Old Gownboy Association.

He is survived by sons David and Henry, daughter Miranda, sister Jill and brother Maurice.”

David Myles  MORRIS on 23 November 2015, aged 80

G  OQ48-CQ52

Shooting VIII

He went up to Christ Church, Oxford with a Holford Exhibition to read Classics and, after  qualifying as a Solicitor, he went into practice in Salisbury.

IRVINE on 31 October 2015

Angus John Giffard Irvine, aged 85 (H47)

Monitor, Swimming team.

Extract from tribute at his funeral by his son George: "There

are certain people amongst us that, because of the way

they choose to live their lives, become beacons of hope

for all the rest of us. This was Dad. Above all else he was

deeply interested in people. A hardworking, enthusiastic,

gentle and loving man. He joined the 10th Hussars

where he was a popular officer, full of fun and loved by

his troopers and fellow officers in equal measure. The

Army was an opportunity to race and play polo rather

than prepare for War.

Angus learned early about the rewards of hard work;

originally wanting to be a farmer or a vet he decided that

perhaps a path in finance might be a way of becoming

that farmer. He passed his accountancy exams and joined

Milne & Robinson, later becoming a partner in E.B.

Savory Milne. A rare combination of qualities led to a

hugely successful career. His colleagues mention him

not only as key in the development and success of the

firm but also highly regarded and trusted within the City.

He wrote a definitive book on the machine tool industry

which is still in use today.

Among Dad's range of interests were racing, hunting, polo,

football, cricket, writing notes about the Bible, history

books, bee keeping, learning how to farm including the

successful creation of a Friesian dairy herd, Church,

Remembrance Sunday, gardening, painting, planting

trees and hedges, making and keeping an uneven grass

tennis court, swimming, family, songs around the piano,

music including a fine player of the clarinet, supporter of

Liverpool - the list goes on. With all of the aforementioned

he had an uncanny ability to share his enthusiasm which

was contagious. He was always persuasive and dedicated

to whichever cause he happened to be supporting at the

time. Never bothered by being in a minority but instead

had such amazing strength of character to fulfil his

convictions.

Thinking about those less fortunate than himself was a

very large part of his life and with this came his charity

work. He believed sport was a catalyst to a competitive

spirit and therefore essential in the lives of the young.

With regard to his Playing Fields Legacy fund it was only

last September that we witnessed yet another massive

fund raising success from him. Five years ago he began

a Churchillian fight back to recovery following a third

serious neck break (the first two resulted from falling

off horses, the third from falling off a ladder teaching

grandchildren how to pick apples when holidaying

in France). Dad got straight back to his usual role as a

general doer and life enhancer. Right up to the end he

remained sharp in mind, humorous and empathetic."

He is survived by his wife Josephine (artist Josephine

Trotter), three daughters and two sons.

His lifelong friend Peter Nathan (H47) wrote: "We were

neighbours in Chiddingfold, and from a young age my

brother Michael (H45) and myself regularly joined Angus

and his elder brother Jimmy (H/L45, deceased) and other

friends for games and various sports. Angus and 1 enjoyed

riding and went foxhunting together which lasted many

years, but he was such a successful and prolific National

Hunt race rider, winning many point-to-points, that we

seldom raced together.

In OQ 1943 Angus and I arrived together for tea with

Housemaster VSH ('Sniffy') Russell (BH21-56) as two of

the six new boys in Hodgsonites, and later we were both

Monitors and members of the House cricket, football

and hockey teams. He also played the clarinet very well,

taught by George Draper (BH42-70). We shared a great

love of sport and in particular a passion to try and save

the country's playing fields so that future generations

might benefit from what we had both been enabled to

enjoy from an early age. His truly was a modest, generous

and self-effacing character who will be much missed by

family and a wide circle of friends."

WALFORD on 21 October 2015

Sir Christopher Rupert Walford, aged 80 (G54)

Foundation and Senior Scholar.

Paddy Crabbe (V60) wrote: Sir Christopher Walford was born in London and lived in Kensington. His prep school

was Dunchurch in the Midlands and he won a scholarship to Charterhouse. Related to Oliver Walford ('Old Ver'),

the founding Housemaster of Verites, Gownboys was the chosen house of his father, uncle and cousins William

(G57) and Peter (G62). He played football, hockey and boxed for the school and performed in musical and dramatic

productions. He excelled in academics and won prizes as a modern languages scholar. He then won a

State Scholarship to Oriel College, Oxford.

He did National Service in the 1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, and was a member of the Honourable Artillery

Co (TA) from 1957 until 1972 rising to the rank of Battery Sergeant Major and was awarded the Territorial efficiency

Medal. He qualified as a Solicitor in 1962 and became a Partner of Allen & Overy, London from 1970-96.

Christopher's 'other career' - local government - started in 1962. He served on the Council of the Royal Borough of

Kensington (1962-65) and until 1982 when combined as Kensington and Chelsea, becoming Mayor in 1979. Soon

after being elected to Kensington Council, Christopher met his future wife, Anne Viggars, a school teacher. They

were married in 1967 and lived in Kensington. He was an Alderman of Farringdon Within Ward in the City

of London 1982-2002, as Sheriff 1990-1. Christopher was the first Aldermanic Sheriff and Lord Mayor whose

"mother" Livery Company was the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards. He was Master in 1987/8.

The Clerk remembers Christopher telling him about a Service at St Paul's to mark the 50th anniversary of the

end of World War II during which Christopher had to walk the full length of the Cathedral aisle, backwards and

very slowly in front of the Queen Mother while carrying the heavy ceremonial sword.

As Lord Mayor of London in 1994-5 he chose the theme 'The City -The Heart of the Nation', seeking to show how

The City could work to the advantage of manufacturing business in other parts of the UK. Christopher was the

Master of the City of London Solicitors Company in 1993/4 and an Honorary Court Member of the Worshipful

Company of Builders' Merchants. In May 2001 he was appointed Sponsoring Alderman for the Guild of

Educators. He was active in the charitable sector. He was a trustee of the Campden Charities, Morden College in

Blackheath, the Foundations of St Paul's Cathedral Choir School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He

was also a member of the Court and Accounts Committee of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, a Governor

of Bridewell Royal Hospital, a Governor of King Edward's School Witley Chairman of the City of London Branch of

the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and, following his appointment in 1994, one of HM Lieutenants for

the City of London. Christopher was immensely proud of his family, his sons Rupert and Lawrence and five

grandchildren. It was a great loss to him when Anne died in 2004. Later he re-met a friend from University days,

Denise Hudson and they were married in 2009.

He is survived by Denise and sons Rupert and Lawrence from his first marriage, with five grandchildren.

Arthur Henry (“Bill”) MISKIN on 20 October 2015, aged 95

G  LQ34 - LQ38

House Monitor, 1^st XI Football

He served with 141 Regiment Royal West Kent Regiment, The Buffs, during WW2 and was awarded the MC.  Initially articled to a firm of solicitors, he went into farming after the war, eventually retiring in 1974.

At the age of 94, accompanied by his daughter Jane Phelps, he was the oldest OC present at the Gaudy on Carthusian Day 2014, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Derek Brian Anthony   PAPPIN on 9 October 2015, aged 84

V OQ44  - OQ47

John Nicholas ('Nick') Garrow, on 6 October 2015, aged 72 (G61)

Captain of Swimming, 1st XI Football, 1st XI Hockey.

Extract from eulogy given by his son-in-law Tom Ware: "Apart from sport at Charterhouse, which included two seasons

in the 1st XI playing centre-half, his other interests included music and he played lead guitar in a band called

The Gs. He was also good at mathematics and languages.  In his last year he developed a love of sports cars and

he would turn up in his Morgan at school and as an OC earning him the moniker "Slick Nick". After school

he spent time in Germany and France brushing up on languages and continued to play football for OCFC in

the Arthur Dunn Cup. He was a member of Liphook, Huntercombe and Royal Mid Surrey Golf Clubs and OC

Golfing Society; later he took up sailing at Bosham, near his cottage in West Wittering.  He chose Accountancy as career and
qualified with Cooper Brothers. In 1973 he joined Morgan Grenfell and spent fourteen years there, rising to become Managing

Director; he was asked to head up the firm's operation in New York and spent three years there. He was headhunted

to lead Salomon Brothers M&A Operations in London, and so successfully that he was able to retire early in 1990

and choose a good work/life balance. In 1994 he became more entrepreneurial and established Chief Executive

Partnerships, bringing together 40 senior industrialists to pool money to invest in small companies and use their

expertise to benefit the companies they invested in. This venture ran for ten years, followed by investments in the

residential property market, but latterly he concentrated on his investment portfolio.

Nick developed an interest in medicine and established a new company with considerable investment, opening

the Mole Monitor Centre in Harley Street which maps the entire skin surface. The concept has become

more popular and widely used and it is a great credit to him that after a few years he donated the business

and technology to the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, where it continues to benefit people today. He married

Diana in 1967 and they had two daughters, Annabel and Julie. The marriage ended after thirty-six years and after a

while he met Rebecca, who also had two children. Nick was an inspiration to many as well as a wonderful

father, grandfather, husband, partner and friend. He was hard working, successful in business, willing to give

advice, generous with his time, organised, intelligent, brave, a very good sportsman and very competitive.

He had enormous energy, a wicked sense of humour as well as being charming, romantic on occasion, and very

persuasive, also a great negotiator which helped him enormously in business. All in all, what I would describe

as a very good all-rounder. People warmed to him. He was also mischievous, had a twinkle in his eye and could

be controversial, especially in public, and has also been described as an iconoclast. When diagnosed with cancer, he fought his illness with dignity and stoicism, bravery and courage and despite the pain, suffering and inconvenience he put a brave face

on things. He died at home where he wanted to be."

BONHAM-CARTER on 24 September 2015

Revd Gerard Edmund David Bonham-Carter, aged 84 (G48)

Monitor.

Other Gownboy family members are son Martin (G82),

brothers Norman (G46) and Maurice (G65).

Excerpts from a tribute, by the Vicar and friends at St Paul's

Church, Wimbledon Park: "In 1948 Gerard began a fiveyear

Aeronautical Apprenticeship at Handley Page

Ltd followed by a Diploma Course at the College of

Aeronautics, Cranfield. He then worked as a Helicopter

Project Engineer with Fairey Aviation. In 1956, he took a

short term commission in the RAF and was awarded his

Pilots wings. This was followed by work as a Management

Consultant with PE Consulting Group, including

assignments in Australasia; as a director of several

subsidiaries of the Charterhouse Group; as Secretary

responsible for Building and Civil Engineering at the

National Economic Development Office; a directorship

of Brandts Export Finance; and from 1975 to 1984, as a

director of Charterhouse Japhet, an Accepting House in

the City.

In 1984, Gerard attended the Southwark Ordination

Course, leading to ordination as a Deacon in 1987 and

Priest in 1988, serving as a non-stipendiary curate here

at St Paul's and a chaplain's assistant at St Georges and

Atkinson Morley Hospitals. Between 1991 and 2005, he

was Chaplain at the Royal Hospital for N euro-Disability

in Putney.

Among other interests, he was Chairman of the Lady

Mico Charity in Kingston, Jamaica and Trustee of

the Nightingale Fund, financially assisting nurses

undertaking training courses.

As a golfer he held memberships at the Royal & Ancient,

St Andrew's, Royal Wimbledon and Felixstowe Ferry

Golf clubs. An accomplished cellist, he played with the

Bow String Quartet in City churches, the Merton Adult

Education class quartet and, of course, here at St Pauls

with our own scratch orchestra. He was also a member of

the Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club and there are legendary

stories of his skiing holidays in the French Alps.

As a member of the staff team here, he was instrumental

in helping me to settle in quickly as Vicar in 1999. I

experienced him as honest, loyal and supportive beyond

the call of duty. I valued his great sense of humour and

tremendous wit and underlying all this, his deep faith,

faithfulness and commitment to a genuine, joyful,

generous and loving ministry to many in the parish, at

the Royal Hospital and beyond. Gerard was a loving and

supportive husband to Amber, father to Martin and Sarah

and his three grandchildren who survive him."

Blatchly

JM Blatchly

Brooke Hall 1966-72; Head of Science

Died 3rd September 2015, aged 82

John Blatchly, MBE, MA, PhD, HonLittD, FSA and Honorary Wolsey Professor of History at University Campus Suffolk, died peacefully after a short illness courageously endured.  At Charterhouse he contributed much to the musical life of the School, as well as completing his doctorate based on original research into chemiluminescence, in which he had been assisted by his pupils at King’s School Bruton, Eastbourne College and Charterhouse.  Although it had been his life’s ambition to teach here, he only spent six years in BH before going on to be a very successful Headmaster of Ipswich School for twenty-one years; he reckoned to have gained much from his time at Charterhouse – not least what he learned from Oliver Van Oss (Headmaster, 1965-73), whom he greatly admired. In an extremely busy retirement he completed the transformation from chemist to historian – writing and lecturing prolifically, especially about East Anglia. He also relished a long and full stint as a lead inspector of HMC schools.

Diarmaid MacCulloch gave the eulogy at his memorial service: ‘John Blatchly was a man of exceptional vision who had a genius for getting things done.’ After giving a long list of JMB’s major achievements, he remarked: ‘There is so much more.’ He described him as ‘one of the sanest people I have known.’

The untimely death of John Blatchly was greatly mourned by many – but especially by his wife Pam, his daughter Janet and her daughters Rebecca and Kate, and his son Mark (G 77).

CLARK on 1 September 2015

The Hon David William Francis Clark, aged 67 (S65)

3rd XI Hockey.

His brother Richard (565) wrote: "David studied at the

Sorbonne before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant

with Whinney, Murray & Co (now Ernst & Young). He

was the founder and CEO of information and technology

services company, Infocheck Group Ltd, which he sold

to Equifax, and he later set up cloud service company,

Knowall IT Ltd, which has become a substantial

company, now run by his elder daughter Serena and her

husband Simon. Elected as a Conservative Councillor

on Hammersmith & Fulham Council (1977-86), he

acted as Deputy Leader and Chairman of Finance and

Housing. He was also Chairman of Fulham Conservative

Association. Having moved to live in Olhao, Portugal, he

developed a well-known international art school there

('Art In The Algarve') with his younger daughter Camilla,

and acted as OC Club Ambassador for that country. His

hobbies included golf and shooting, and he was also a

keen member of the St Moritz Tobogganing Club (Cresta

Run). He was proud of his two daughters and five

granddaughters and will be much missed by them and

his many friends."

Richard William Le Bas   RICKMAN on 23 August 2015, aged 89

(P OQ39 - CQ44)

Head of House, 1^st XI Hockey

He went immediately to join the Buffs and served for the remainder of the War.  Afterwards he joined the Colonial Administration Service, based in the Gold Coast, before working in the oil industry for Standard Vacuum in East Africa and Mobil in London.

In 1953 he went into teaching, first as an Assistant Master at Holme Grange School, then at Highfield Preparatory School.  He moved to Sunningdale School in 1978 where he taught History and French and, as a keen games player himself, passed on his love of tennis and golf, before retiring in 1986.

He is survived by his wife Anne.

Professor Richard Charles CORNES on 22 August 2015, aged 69

L OQ1959 – CQ1964

House Monitor, Maniacs Cap, Wind Society

He read Social Sciences at University of Southampton, where he gained a First.

His academic career started as a lecturer at East Anglia University in 1969, before a first post at the Australian National University in 1972, where he stayed for fourteen years interspersed with visiting positions at University of Warwick, Institute of International Studies in Geneva, and University of Washington in Seattle. In 1996 he moved back to UK take a chair in Economics at Keele University, and four years later to the chair in Economic Theory at University of Nottingham.  In 2006 he returned to Australia as an adjunct professor before taking up the FH Gruen Professorship and being honoured as Emeritus Professor on retirement in 2014

His affiliation with the Australian National University lasted over 30 years; a tribute said :-

“Richard Cornes was a pure soul, a model researcher and the type of colleague one dreams of. He was always ready to help and to make positive comments and intriguing questions. To former colleagues, he was a truly aggregative person and a stellar researcher who is missed every day. His scientific contributions will live on forever.”

See more:  Workshop in Honour of Professor Richard Cornes

Michael Fernley Turner Bridger FRSA on 22 August 2015 aged 92 (H42)

Boxing Team.

He joined Lockites in 1937 but when that closed in 1939 at the outbreak of WW2, he moved to Hodgsonites and

was later a founder member of the Old Hodgsonites Association. The eldest of three Hodgsonite brothers,

Barrie (H43) and Ben (H45) both pre-deceased him.  His son Julian was also in the House (H7J) and wrote: "My

father was wounded in Italy in 1943 while serving with the Coldstream Guards. After the war he read law at

Lincoln College, Oxford. He worked in the insurance industry, underwriting policies and pensions at Lloyds of

London where he was a 'name' for many years. In the 1966 and 1970 General Elections he stood for Parliament for

the Conservative party, though unsuccesfully. Amongst other interests he followed motor racing and was a BARC

judge at Thruxton Circuit; also to celebrate his birthday each year he attended Henley Royal Regatta. He was a

Freemason of the Deo Dante Dedi Lodge. In retirement he took a postgraduate degree in Archaeology at Birkbeck

College. He was married three times, firstly to my mother Patricia who died in 1978, to Pauline (divorced in 1990)

and to Danielle who survives him."

RG Woodcock on 20th August 2015, aged 80

Brooke Hall 1967-95; Housemaster of Verites 1976-91

Roy Woodcock was born in Burnley in 1934 and after several years moved to Worcestershire. At school he was a keen sportsman, with five years in the cricket 1st XI, three years in the 1st XV and three years representing the school at athletics; he also played basketball in the local league. He played cricket with Worcestershire Schools for four years in the early 1950s, with three seasons as captain, playing at Lord’s on several occasions. He captained England Schools cricket, and played occasionally for the Worcestershire 2nd XI.

With A-levels in geography, French, and economics, Roy won a place at Keble College Oxford in 1954 to read geography. He played football for the University and cricket for both University and College; he was awarded his cricket Blue in 1957 & 1958.

At school Roy had met Margaret through the grammar schools’ sixth-form club; she waited patiently for him to complete his university education and his national service with the RAF.

Just as he was going back for a fourth year to gain a teaching diploma, and to play more cricket, Roy was offered a job at Rossall School in Lancashire. Because he wished to earn some money, he accepted it and left Oxford.

Roy married Margaret in 1959 after a year at Rossall; and they lived in a house on the edge of the playing fields, about 300 yards from the Irish Sea. Nicola (V 82) and Richard (W 84) were both born in Fleetwood.

The family moved south to Charterhouse in 1967, where Roy took over the Geography Department. He also took a major role in the School’s football and cricket coaching. By now, he was an MCC advanced coach. RGW was an enthusiastic teacher, with a passion for geography that he instilled in many pupils.

In 1976, a few years after the birth of Joanna (V 92), Roy Woodcock was asked to take over Verites. He worked tirelessly as a housemaster – committed to the long hours with his typical sense of duty and responsibility, and with the staunch support of Margaret.

Apart from his other duties, during the next few years Roy wrote several geography books – from children’s to A-level standard; he also contributed over 150 articles for various magazines and newspapers.

After 15 years Roy and Margaret moved out of Verites for a quieter life until retirement in 1995; they moved back to Worcestershire, where they bought a house in Malvern at the foot of the hills. They both enjoyed walking on the hills and in many other places, and Roy wrote 17 books of walks during the next few years. They also became members of Worcestershire County Cricket Club again after a gap of nearly 40 years: they had previously been members with their parents.

As he became slower and less energetic, Roy’s major pleasures in life continued to be seeing his three grown-up children, his large circle of friends, and his three grandsons.

John Peters (BH 1969-2004) writes:

Joining Brooke Hall straight from Oxford was a challenging and, at times, daunting experience. So many able and confident people were around, few of them reluctant or hesitant about offering their opinions on a variety of subjects. My first Brooke Hall meeting at the start of Quarter was an eye-opener – so much so that I wondered whether I would survive. That I did in those early days was in no small part due to several supportive colleagues like Dick Crawford, David Summerscale, Richard Thorpe and, not least, Roy Woodcock.

Roy was not only a most skilful sportsman himself, but he was also an astute tactician, especially in cricket and football. I was privileged to succeed him as Master-in-charge of 1st XI Football, and although he must have known how inexperienced I was, he gave me wonderful advice on many occasions. It was not in his nature to be hyper-critical or judgemental, rather he was unfailingly kind whenever I sought his advice, for which I was immensely grateful. On the field of play too he was tough, robust, fair, mentally alert and uncompromising.

These qualities too were needed in abundance in his early years as a housemaster in Verites, where some Carthusians mistook his quiet demeanour for weakness or lack of resolve: how wrong they were. So I recall a gentleman, an able teacher, an engaging and friendly colleague, a devoted husband to Margaret, and a wonderful father to Richard, Nicola and Joanna, the latter two speaking poignantly about Roy at the thanksgiving service in Malvern for his life and achievements. The very fact that over twenty of his former came to the service from all over the country spoke volumes for the regard in which Roy was held. He will be sadly missed.

Malcom Bailey (BH 1975-2013) writes:

I first heard of Roy Woodcock, when the Senior Tutor at my college called me in to his study and suggested that I should apply to Charterhouse for a teaching post. The school’s Head of Geography was particularly interested in employing a sporting geographer. Roy had written to a number of Oxbridge colleges searching for a new beak to add to his growing department.

I was interviewed over lunch at his house in Peperharow Road and met his lovely wife, Margaret along with Richard Heaton-Watson, the other member of the department. During the afternoon I was given a tour of the school and viewed the department, which was being crafted in the top floor of Museum Block, into a new set of hashrooms.

‘Let nature be your teacher’ was the inscription on the front of the building. Roy’s vision was to make Carthusians fully aware of the world around them and their commitment towards it. The subject was going through an academic revolution, adopting more scientific and statistical issues, moving away from a regional approach.

The next September, I taught in a modern department of three beaks and very soon Robert Bogdan (BH 1975-2015) was added to the team.

Roy made sure that field work was an integral part in learning and our pupils visited a variety of locations, ranging from Helvellyn to the foundations of the Thames Barrier. His exceptional knowledge of geology was invaluable ‘in the field’ and the importance of ‘boots on the ground’ was never far away from our teaching plans. His loping stride took him up mountains energetically!

He set up the legendary sixth-form Easter field study week in the Lake District, where the pupils were encouraged on mountain treks, taken out of their comfort zone and given exciting moments, scaling famous peaks in Cumbria. Each day, our pupils had hands-on in-field surveys, carefully and safely planned. This trip was a valuable social experience, bringing the year group together and was often regarded as a highlight of a Carthusian’s time at school. It was not surprising that the department increased in numbers, so Roy employed another geographer: Angela Bailey.

Roy was an extremely kind and modest man, who made geography fun and above all he taught the subject without all the IT embellishments, so Carthusians had to read books and articles, research in the library and use their initiative to solve problems and come up with original ideas. His budget financed an impressive department library and field equipment. Our pupils used these to produce outstanding individual field studies as part of their A-level assessment.

Roy formed the school’s Geography Society, inviting inspirational speakers to evening lectures in rooms 41 & 42, along with the statutory slide show or video clips. Roy also arranged visits to the Royal Geographical Society Lectures in London and other venues.

Like all Brooke Hall members, Roy was a brilliant all-rounder: a sportsman who had played county cricket, and had sadly only missed a Double Blue when he was injured just before appearing at Wembley for Oxford University in the Varsity soccer match. He was an exceptional tennis and squash player, who seemed to have more time on a court than anyone.

Above all, he was a caring coach – and, as Master-in-charge of School Football and Cricket, he was well respected on the circuit. Verites looked out onto Green, so he was able to indulge two of his passions from his study when, eventually housemastering took him away from the sports field.

More important to him, than anything else, was his family. Margaret was a wonderful hostess whether there was house lunch to host or a dinner party to arrange. He was very proud of his children, Nicola, Richard and Joanna and always had time for his house staff; he was a true gentleman.

Richard James Archer GIBSON on 13 August 2015, aged 91 

R  OQ37 - OQ42 

Head of House

Youngest son of Ivor Frederic Gibson (BH1920-50), Housemaster of Gownboys and Head of Classics. His brothers Ivor RD (H37) and John D (H40) are both now deceased.

His daughter, Julia, wrote:

“During WWll Richard served with the RNVR until his discharge in 1947.  He went on to initiate careers in both dentistry and market gardening before becoming a member of Lloyd’s of London in 1953 where he worked for Willis Faber & Dumas, retiring from the company in 1982.  His time at Charterhouse left him with an enduring love of music; he was a skilled pianist and organist and was passionate about opera, attending Glyndebourne annually until late in life. His dislike of the City was matched by his love of the coast and the countryside. He enjoyed the simple things in life; fishing for prawns, flat fish and mackerel off the Sussex coast, growing vegetables and in particular he enjoyed a passion for growing Ericaceae which he did commercially as a hobby. Other keen interests included bridge, cricket, horseracing and the stock market. He married Jean in 1957 and had four daughters. He and Jean continued to live in and around Godalming and in the last years of his life they could be seen walking almost daily around the Charterhouse grounds. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and six grandchildren.”

Brian Thomas Graves Nicholson CBE on 12 August 2015 aged 85 (g48)

House Monitor.

Extract from Daily Telegraph, 26   August 2015: "Brian Nicholson was a veteran Fleet Street newspaper manager in an era of constant strife between print unions and proprietors, and an influential figure in the world of advertising. He began his working life as a reporter on the Newcastle Evening Chronicle. After a stint on Canadian papers, he returned to work on the Manchester Evening Chronicle, moving to Fleet Street to join the Sunday Graphic in 1956.  His first senior appointment was as managing director of the Evening Standard, under Beaverbrook ownership, in 1972, resigning in 1977. He moved on to be joint managing director of the Observer, whose American owners threatened closure when attempts to reduce manning levels provoked repeated strikes by members of the National Graphical Association, the printworkers' union. For several years he was in the front line of hostile negotiations with the NGA and other unions, which resisted technological progress.  In 1984 he departed after much management and editorial strife to acquire a wide portfolio of new roles.

From 1985 he chaired a headhunting firm, Marler International, and was a Director of numerous media businesses. From 1990 to 1992 he took on the role of Head of Public Affairs for Lloyd's insurance market during a traumatic period of losses and scandal. He was also a long-serving churchwarden at St Bride's in Fleet Street, the journalist's church, with many cultural and charitable interests and was appointed chairman of the Advertising Standards Board of Finance in 1989. This was very much a behind-the-scenes role, holding powerful interests at bay. On his retirement in 1999 he was praised by ASA chairman Lord Rodgers for his "vast knowledge of the industry and sensitive understanding that any attempt to lean on the Authority could undermine the credibility of self-regulation." At various times he was a board member of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne Opera, the Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, Vice President of the Royal Theatrical Fund, and President of the History of Advertising Trust. He was appointed CBE in 1998 and awarded the Mackintosh Medal of the Advertising Association in 2000."

A strong supporter of Charterhouse, he was a member of the Carthusian Society committee for a number of years and was much involved in the 1990 Sports Centre Appeal, appointed as the first Chairman of Charterhouse Sports Centre Ltd (now QSC). Married in 1959 to Henrietta, she survives him with two sons Edward (g80) and Patrick (g83). Their eldest son Henry (g78) died in a skiing accident in 1990.

Peter Campbell Roden Wynne-James (surname James at School), on 11 August 2015 aged 81 (g51)

Monitor.

His grandfather, Campbell Wynne, entered Lockites when the School had newly arrived in Godalming. His National Service was spent in the Royal Irish Hussars and for a number of years afterwards he was a member of the Territorial Army 3/4th London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). His son Oliver wrote: "My father's business career was mainly in Advertising and Marketing and, after a successful start at the advertising agency Haddens, he set up his own consultancy MFC Associates. He was also a partner in the Lower Nupend Art Gallery, specialising in English 18th and 19th century paintings. He served as a Trustee of Charterhouse in Southwark for fifteen years,

sometime Chairman of the Appeal Committee and as Chairman of his local Conservative Association for over twenty years. Having been raised in London, he moved to Herefordshire in 1963 and dedicated much energy to various projects and good causes in the area. He married Jane in 1959, who along with his three children, Camilla,

Rupert and Oliver survives him.

Laurence Frank Steel, on 31 July 2015 aged 96 (V36)

His father and uncle were both in Verites, Frank (V12) and John (V09). 

His sons Theo & Robin wrote: "Our father was interested in radio while at school. After a pre-war version of a gap year in Jodhpur India, where his father was working, he joined the P&O shipping company in 1937 and worked there until the outbreak of war in 1939; indeed he was aboard the SS Strathallan when it was blocked entry into the Mediterranean in August 1939 and returned to Tilbury quickly to arrive the day before hostilities commenced for conversion to war use.

Laurence spent the War in the RAF working all over the country on installing and upgrading radio from his base at West Drayton. He married our mother Muriel in February 1943. After the war he settled in Westcliff on Sea where he lived until his death. He worked for P&O again until 1976 in London and then for HM Customs and Excise in Southend until 1983. He was a good father and grandfather and led an active retirement until 2009, often travelling to France. After the death of our mother in 2011 he was well looked after by the Westcliff Lodge Care Home where he passed away."

Sir Peter John O'Sullevan CBE, on 29 July 2015, aged 97 (D35)

Abridged from a eulogy delivered by Hugh McIlvanney OBE, sports journalist and friend for 40 years, at the Memorial Service held on 27 October. Kindly facilitated by Richard Curry (R80), lion Secretary OC Racing Society and Nigel Payne, Chief Executive of the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust:

"Honours and achievements didn't define Peter, though he accumulated plenty of them during his life. His career was a series of towering successes but his truest triumph was his nature. I thought long and hard about what I could write in an attempt to come somewhere close to suggesting the effect he had on so many of us. It seemed then, and does now, that probably the simplest tribute suited him best - he was great company.  Peter didn't just enhance occasions, he enriched lives. The world was lucky to have his company for so long. To quote an American sports writer 'Dying is no big deal. The least of us will manage that. Living is the trick.1 Nobody 1 have known pulled off that trick more effectively or stylishly than Peter. However much he knew about racing or broadcasting or journalism, he knew rather more about life.  The heights he achieved professionally - the deservedacclaim as an exceptional racing journalist in print and recognition as one of the greatest commentators sports broadcasting has produced - cannot fully account for the effect he had on people, whether they were close to him or only acquainted at a distance through his work. Even those who knew him only through his commentaries may have discerned that more than extreme expertise, authority and an invitation to trust was being conveyed by the wonderful voice maintaining elegant fluency while describing the most hectic action.

Health problems had dreadfully afflicted his childhood and youth. He endured chronic asthma, potentially deadly bouts of pneumonia, and later a virulent form of acne that was related to his respiratory weakness. In his teens he had to wear a medicated mask through which he could see but not be seen. At School the ailments were borne with a courage that allowed him to shine at cricket and football. Rather than diminishing his spirit, early sufferings laid the foundations of a philosophical conviction that serious illness, for anyone who carne out of it in reasonable shape, could have profound consolations. It was difficult to relate that sadly furtive figure of the acne agonies to how he was in his maturity, when the handsome, urbane and immaculately tailored presence generally exuded more effortless composure and social ease than anybody else in the room. Declared medically unfit for the armed forces, he settled for duties with the Chelsea Civil Defence Rescue Service, driving stretcher parties to the scenes of havoc caused by bombing. Explaining his reputation for making light of danger, he said given the miseries with his health, he hardly cared whether a bomb or a building fell on him.  Even in wartime he still found time and energy for the more agreeable risks of riding, backing and, with amazing precocity, owning racehorses. His racing colours - black, yellow crossbelts with a yellow cap - were registered as early as 1940. From boyhood onwards, punting was for him one of the intrinsic thrills of racing. He was adamant that an editor should never employ a racing correspondent who didn't bet. His own wagers could be hefty and his determination to gain an edge in the odds was tireless and sometimes mischievously ingenious.

When operating professionally, he liked to be something of a lone wolf but when relaxing among friends, he could, well into his nineties, be convivial on a scale that exposed non-stayers in his company. If Peter thought you were out of order and decided to let you know, either verbally or with the pen, the point would be made in sentences of flawless grace and precision. Behind the wheel at 94, he was still giving a fair impersonation of a getaway driver in a bank robbery.

Human and animal welfare causes have benefited by millions from the Charitable Trust established in his name in 1997. He said "I just can't see harmony breaking out in the human race until we start treating the lesser species better. We can't claim to be civilized while we are brutally abusing fellow creatures as we do." His beloved wife Pat, to whom he had been married for nearly 60 years, died on New Year's Eve 2009.

His Honour (Robert) Henry Stephen Palmer, on 27 July 2015 aged 87 (G45)

Henry's father was also in Gownboys.

Extract from tributes at his funeral, sent by his daughter Kate Robert-Tissot: "Known to everyone - even his grandchildren - as Henry, he arrived at Charterhouse during the war and always remained a very proud Old Carthusian. In 1946 he went to University College, Oxford, where he started studying Medicine, much to the delight of his doctor mother but, after struggling with dissection, switched to Jurisprudence, much to the delight of his lawyer father. He was admitted as a Barrister of the Inner Temple in 1950 and specialised in Divorce and Common Law. He was Head of Chambers at 10 Kings Bench Walk for a number of years and in 1978 he became a Circuit Judge on the South Eastern Circuit. He was also able to sit occasionally at Bodmin and Truro Crown Courts, which he managed to organise to compliment his family summers down in Cornwall.

Back in London, he worked at Acton, Wood Green, Snaresbrook, Isleworth Crown Courts and occasionally the Old Bailey, ending up as the residing judge at Harrow.  His work at the bar continued to prosper. It was work he found challenging and stimulating. As we know, the law is often a little ponderous and one of the ways he occupied his time was writing limericks whilst waiting for verdicts. These were often repeated at home from a scrap of paper, and the habit of writing poems continued in later life.

He retired in 1993 aged 75, but carried on with the Mental Health Tribunal work that he had been doing alongside his judging. This took him to many hospitals, but mainly Broadmoor where he came into contact with notorious patients including the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter

Sutcliffe and Ronnie Kray, scarily both on the same day. He had married Anne in 1955 who sadly died shortly before their Diamond Wedding Anniversary. One of his favourite hobbies was D1Y, constantly adapting family and holiday homes in London and Cornwall and making toys for his three children.

He kept living a full and active life in retirement, pursuing his love of gardening at home in Chiswick, on the allotment and in Cornwall. He and Anne made regular visits to the theatre, cinema and galleries and played a lot of bridge. He was so proud of all his eight grandchildren and loved to celebrate all their achievements, academic, sporting or creative, and always enjoyed visits from them

and their friends in both Cornwall and London.  Henry was active for a number of years as Chairman of the local Abbeyfield Society and later became involved with his GP surgery's Patients Group. He had an active, enquiring mind, and right up to the end did the Times 2 crossword." A message received by the family after he died said: "He was a marvellous person - one of those rare people whose age may advance, but whose attitude and example stayed resolutely young. He was wise and kind and, in the world of the pompous puffed-up judge, so wonderfully non-conformist!"

GROSS on 16 July 2015

Guy Edward Franklin Gross, aged 76 (L57)

School Monitor, Captain of Cricket, Nomads Football,

Wesley Society.

He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1963 and then

studied Law at Churchill College, Cambridge. Deciding

upon a career in teaching, he was first an Assistant Master

at Cheam Prep School until becoming Joint Headmaster,

with Andrew Perry, at St Pirans Prep in 1972. He had to

retire due to ill health in 1980 but during his time there

pupil numbers expanded and the school was transformed

by the addition of many new facilities; he remained in

contact and regularly visited to preach in the Chapel.

In 1985 he married Mrs Betty Harris of the Cedars

Christian School in Rochester and together they ran

that establishment until retiring to Devon, where she

survives him.

His friend Joe Ullman (W59) wrote: "Guy arrived at

Charterhouse in 1953 at a time when there were hardly

any slow bowlers. At his prep school he had become a very

competent left arm spin bowler, and so it was no surprise

that those in charge of cricket at that time immediately

promoted Guy to the 1st IX. There he acquired the unique

record of being the only Carthusian in the 20th century to

have played in the cricket XI for 5 years (Peter May only

played for 4). In later years Guy enjoyed nothing more

than reminiscing about Charterhouse. I recall spending a

hilarious afternoon with him in 2014 recounting stories,

in particular about the then cricket professional George

Geary. If he had been asked about his death, Guy would

have said "George has called time!"

Rev Charles David Gilliat Patterson, on 10 July 2015, aged 75 (G58)

House Monitor

His elder brother Malcolm (G56) was also in Gownboys and they were related to the large Gilliat family including cousin Richard (BH86-04). Charles worked in accountancy and insurance until 1970, and after training at Oak Hill Theological College, was ordained in 1975. He was Curate at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton and Chaplain to the Divine Healing Mission and the International Order of St Luke. He served as Vicar of Bures Suffolk from 1980 for ten years and afterwards as Rector, Bath Weston Stjohn until retirement in 2001. His wife Mandy wrote: "For the last 14 years of his life Charles helped on the staff of the parish of St Denys Stanford In The Vale (Oxon). He was an extraordinarily 'ordinary' Vicar, with no ambition for preferment. He eschewed networking and 'being noticed'. Rather he just hoped that the God who had called him, did indeed find him a good and faithful servant to the end. He loved the souls he had care of and had no high opinion of himself. His guiding principle he took from St John, Chrysostom - 'Glory to God for everything.1 He was deeply loved and admired by me and our family who survive him." His friend Simon Sturge (G57) wrote: "1 was in the House with Charles and afterwards we mixed socially and remained good friends. He had an extraordinary gift for friendship, both as a very gifted host and by being willing to go to great lengths to help anyone physically, morally or spiritually. He was also something of a bon viveur with a love of good food and fine wine. Conversation with him was always full of laughter. His dress sense showed an elegant style and he was proud of being able to wear his grandfather's clerical frock coat when appropriate. He has been described by one of his many friends as "one in a million" and for me, put simply, he was the most inspiring man I ever met."

PERRYER on 2 July 2015, John Neil aged 89

Verites  OQ1939 – CQ1943

Foundation Scholar, House Monitor

His son Tom wrote:

“My father lived a very exciting, successful life working across the globe, with his last forty years in South Africa as Managing Director of Renold Chains.  In his memoirs he wrote:

On leaving school in 1943 I was not called up for National Service, but was directed to study engineering at Loughborough College; I think the government was confident about the outcome of the war by this time and was looking to a future need for engineers. After the two year course I was given 3 alternatives - go into the army (presumably REME), go into the coal-mining industry and thirdly (and clearly the most attractive!) join an oil company. They sent me to the Iraq Petroleum Co and in September 1945 I started a year's training at various suppliers of drilling equipment and the only English oilfield near Newark, which actually used some of the relevant equipment for its exploration wells.                                                                                                                                             

He died at home in Kloof, Kwazulu-Natal, survived by Sylvia - his wife of 63 years, a son, two daughters and two grandsons.”

Below is an extract from John Perryer’s memoirs with a more detailed account of his experience in 1947-48 in the oilfields of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq & Qatar, as read by his grandson James at his Funeral:

12^th January 1947 - the start of the adventure - immediate destination Haifa, Palestine, but with no idea what was to come next.  Blackbushe Airfield and a chartered Airwork Avro York. 42 IPC passengers, all (I think) new employees, nearly all of them ex-service men. The York was a very noisy plane - with its Lancaster bomber wing and engines, and there was no cotton wool for the ears on offer. As a result I had ear trouble for the first month or so. Our first stop was in Malta, where we were put up for the night at the superb Phoenicia Hotel, a good early sign of IPC's care for its employees! Next day, the 13^th, we flew to Lydda Airport, near Tel Aviv, where we were loaded on to a bus (I don't remember any formalities at all). The night before, Jewish terrorists had blown up, I think it was the Jerusalem Post Office, and as a result there were several British Army road blocks on the road to Haifa. At each one we were unloaded, poked and prodded with rifles, and at at least one road block, forced into the ditch with our hands over our heads.  This particular one (I don't remember whether it applied to all of them) was manned by 6^th Airborne Division men, and they all thought we were a new batch of Jewish immigrants! I had befriended a chap (Dick Abbot) who had been a major with them at Arnhem, where he'd been badly injured and, I think, traumatised as well, as he had a terrible stutter. He was beside himself with fury - these were his men treating him like dirt and he couldn't find the words to tell them who he was! Anyway we arrived at Haifa and were put up at the Windsor Hotel, an excellent smallish family hotel on the sea front. After 2 or 3 days we were all split up and went our various ways (most onwards to pipe line stations and Kirkuk, the field HQ, and the rest - only 3 or 4 of us - to exploration drilling sites. I was driven, with 3 or 4 others - not from the new intake- to Tripoli, in the Lebanon, in a Humber Pullman (typical IPC staff transport!) along the Mediterranean coast via Beirut - a really beautiful drive, but somewhat spoilt for me because on looking through the rear window to wave goodbye to my friends at the hotel I saw my tin trunk sitting on the pavement! It took several weeks to catch up with me.                                                        

Tripoli was where the northern pipe line ended (the southern one going to Haifa) and was also the Exploration Division's HQ. I was to work there later - in 1949/50, but this time only stayed a day or two before being sent on to Aleppo, to join the Syrian Petroleum Co subsidiary of the IPC in drilling the first exploration oilwell of the post war era in the IPC's territory, (which encompassed, besides the main oilfield at Kirkuk, areas around Mosul in the north and Basrah in the south of Iraq, plus Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine and Qatar and the Trucial Coast in the Persian Gulf.) Transport for this sector was by Railcar - a relic of the French days - powered by a marvellous Bugatti Royale engine, sitting up in the middle of the car; Ettore Bugatti had made far too many of these in the thirties, thinking he was going to sell more than the 7 Royales - the largest passenger car ever built- for which he actually found buyers. The surplus found their way into these railcars around the French empire. The fascinating journey took all day, at one point, at which I don't remember any formalities, crossing from the Lebanon into Syria. We passed Homs and Hama, notable for their enormous water wheels, and saw the first beehive house villages, which were so typical of Syria in those days (nowadays, as we found when we went back in 2002, they've almost all gone, with one village remaining as a show site).

In Aleppo the whole crew, 40 or so of us, were put up at the city's prime (in fact the only decent) hotel - the Hotel Baron. This had been established by an Armenian family (the Mazloumians) at the start of the century to cater for wealthy European visitors to the Orient - the Orient Express in those days became the Taurus Express for the journey from Istanbul through Turkey and across the Taurus mountains to Aleppo,  - and was suitably furnished and fitted out. We took over the whole hotel and lived like kings (incidentally Lawrence of Arabia stayed there - an unpaid bar bill is displayed as a memento of his visit - as did Agatha Christie who wrote Murder on the Orient Express in the room in which Sylvia and I subsequently stayed when celebrating our golden wedding in 2002, while her husband , the renowned archaeologist, Sir Max Mallowen, searched for ancient artifacts locally, many of which are now in the Aleppo museum. While I was there (for my 21^st birthday incidentally) someone arrived, whom I subsequently- years later in fact- discovered was on the run from the Irgun Zvai Leumi or the Haganah, or both. He was Roy Farran, late of the 3^rd Hussars, whose book, Winged Dagger, mentions it though the fact that I took him to the local night club was not included. While we were constructing the actual drilling rig, up near the Turkish border at Bafloun, among the vineyards (which on our 2002 visit we discovered had been completely replaced by olive trees) we were shuttled to and fro, the 30 miles or so, in the regulation Humber Pullman, until a drilling camp had been built on an ex-RAF airfield nearby at Minnakh, to which most of us moved when actual drilling was about to start, in about April 1947).

Half way through the year I was moved to the next drilling site, which was out in the middle of the Syrian desert - about as big a contrast as one could imagine to the idyllic setting under the grapevines at Bafloun. Here I shared a Nissan Hut with two water well drillers, air conditioned only by a screen of shrubbery fitted into the end wall facing the prevailing wind, if any, with water dripped through it. Actually quite effective. The water came in a tanker from Aleppo, until a local supply, vital to the drilling process, was achieved by the time the well was ready to be "spudded in". I supervised the erection of the derrick and the installation of the little camp power station (2 Dorman 100 HP diesels) and we spent our spare time exploring the surrounding desert in our International pick-ups. We discovered the ancient Roman city of Ressafeh, abandoned many centuries ago when the desert advanced and water supplies, up till then arriving from the north via an impressive aquaduct and stored in immense underground cisterns, became inadequate. Since our 'discovery' of it, Ressafeh has become quite a tourist site, with a tarmac road connecting it to the main highway between Aleppo, Deir-es-Zor and ultimately Northern Iraq. We used to see large herds of gazelle and the occasional wolf (and one day awoke to a flock of storks taking a break in their southward migration). This fairly idyllic existence went on until I was transferred to Qatar, with the only communication with our base in Aleppo being a weekly supply truck - often held up while crossing the featureless desert -, no radio even, evenings were spent in the Nissen Hut playing the guitar -the Scots driller was an expert on the Hawaaian guitar and I accompanied him amateurishly on my Spanish version (useful for sing-songs in the all-male establishments throughout IPC territory. When we tired of that we threw darts at the centipedes (araba-wa-arabein -Arabic for 44 being their actual number of legs) and scorpions) . The second water well driller, a New Zealander, spent his time making model wheelbarrows, of which he already had a trunk full, the sale of which was going to fund his retirement years. The wheel and frame were made from petrified wood, of which he'd found a source in the desert nearby, with the body beaten out from copper sheet. Rather extraordinarily, when we came to Durban for the second time in 1969 and related this tale to a friend, we were told that a New Zealander, who had sold model wheelbarrows, had just died here. And he presented us with one of them.

Aleppo to Qatar - December 1947

The first leg was by Humber Super Snipe pick-up - with sand tyres - to Damascus, where I took passage by Nairn bus across the desert to Baghdad. This, the only land service between the two cities, had been started after the First World War by 2 New Zealand ex-servicemen, with an ordinary town bus fitted with sand tyres which drove across virgin desert, braving the attacks of bandits, who were rife in the area. The bus carried stacks of old newspapers and sometimes drove into Baghdad with its passengers, stripped of all their possessions including their clothes, sitting there, wrapped in newspaper. The service throve, nevertheless, and after the second World War the 2 Nairns had a very special bus purpose-built for them - a massive tractor with 2 Cummins diesel engines, towing an articulated passenger section that looked a bit like the fuselage of a Junkers 52, with corrugated aluminium construction, aircraft style seating, air-conditioning plus loo, and a galley from which a steward dispensed soft drinks. It travelled across the desert at 70mph through the night, making 2 stops, at the frontier post where I remember bribing the customs officer with a tin of 50 Players not to examine my luggage too closely (not that I can remember having anything nasty to declare - I think it was just the thing to do!) and at Rutbah Wells, arriving in the centre of Baghdad in the early morning. I was met - the Company's efficient organisation was rather taken for granted - and transferred to the Sinbad Hotel, a very posh establishment on the Tigris, with a large deck from which one could observe the goings-on on the river and its banks (including the not-so-pleasant morning 'ablutions' of most of the male population, which meant that you had breakfast inside!). There I met and was rather taken in hand by a young man named Bushrod Brush Howard, the son of a director of  Standard Oil of New Jersey (22½ percent owners of IPC), who had been sent over to get some experience. At that time it consisted of looking after the wellbeing of a seismic crew out in the desert. From the comfort of the Sinbad he would pay them sufficient visits to keep them supplied with caviar and alcohol, and I think he rather welcomed doing the same for me. Anyway I ate superb steaks, topped with Caspian caviar and for a couple of days was shown all the sights of Baghdad, including the quite   interesting night-life, before being ushered on to the overnight train to Basrah. This was quite the most superb train I had travelled on - two first class sleeper coaches and a restaurant car (I actually don't know if there were any other coaches). My day compartment was shared with the Italian wife of the Chief Engineer of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co at Abadan - a princess in her own right. Sadly I was never able to take up her offer of visiting them!  In Basrah I was taken to the Basrah Petroleum Co's mess (the IPC subsidiary where in 1950 I was in charge of testing the new oil wells of the Zubair field as they were completed. In 1947 there wasn't yet any drilling activity, but I was later on involved with a well being drilled at Nahr Umr on the banks of the Shatt-el-Arab a little way north of Basrah, which produced beautiful iridescent green oil, but sadly not in enough quantity to warrant production,so it was filled up with cement - I wonder if it's been opened up since!). This mess was in a fine house on one of the main squares and while I was there - I know I didn't dream this because it was confirmed by our friend here, John Cartwright, since deceased , but at that time working in a shipping agency in Basrah, but I'm not entirely sure whether I actually experienced it or was so overcome by the horror of the event that it became imprinted on my memory - early one morning the residents in the mess were awakened by sounds of hammering from outside, followed by the noise of soldiers going up on to the roof of our building. The hammering was from the erection of a scaffold in the square and the soldiers had set up machine gun posts on the roof. At 7.30 a train of cars arrived and a little man was dragged out, stood on a chair and hanged. He was an influential Iraqi jew, named Barudi, who had been sentenced for espionage and having exhausted all avenues of evading execution, couldn't believe they were actually hanging him. But it happened!).

Basrah to Qatar

The penultimate segment of the journey was on about the 21^st December 1947 by BOAC Flying Boat (a Short Sandringham, I think) which flew from the Shatt-el-Arab to Bahrein, flying low over the Persian Gulf, passing Kuwait, where a lot of oil derricks could be seen). It was only a 2 hour or so trip, but remains my only flying boat experience. On leaving the plane and being taken in the launch to the landing stage I saw a large pile of baggage, including Christmas parcels and childrens' toys and learnt the tragic news that the incoming flying boat from Karachi had mistaken the top of the morning sea mist for the water surface and landed on it, nose-diving straight in, killing all aboard  (except one passenger, I have only just (20.6.06) learnt from a friend - Fritz van Zyl, who was working in Bahrein for the Bahrein Petroleum Co at the time). I believe this accident was the eventual reason for a stricter control of the flying hours permitted for flight crew, the crew involved having been on duty for so long that their judgment may have been affected.

The next night remains in my memory as being one of the most uncomfortable ever! It was spent at the RAF Muharraq camp in non air-conditioned accommodation at  (literally)100ºF and almost 100 percent humidity, and I spent most of the night immersed in the camp's tiny, green, swimming pool which may have been a degree or so cooler. Next morning I was glad to get aboard my final transport, an Arab Dhow. 3 of us were taken across the narrow strait between Bahrein and our camp at Dukhan on the west coast of Qatar, a journey that should have taken 3 or 4 hours, but which, because of a storm that blew up, took much longer. I suppose it wasn't more than 7 hours, but it felt like a lifetime! Some of the time was spent trolling for fish from the stern - without success.

I was in Qatar for Christmas 1947 and until the end of 1948 when I spent a short time in Tripoli before 3 months' home leave but more of that anon!

Rupert Lindsay Leatham, aged 91 (g42)

Captain of Rackets.

Mark Blatchly ((G77), BH96-) is related by marriage and wrote: "Rupert was the second son of Charterhouse Medical Officer and legendary schoolboy racquets champion Dr Hugh 'Killer' Leatham CglO).  After Sandroyd and Duckites, he had a year at Cambridge before joining the RAFVR in June 1942, aged only 18.  He learnt to fly Tiger Moths, went to Pensacola Florida in September 1943 and received his wings in July 1944. He was then sent to Canada for two months to learn to fly Catalina flying boats. When the war ended in June 1945, he was stationed at RAF Jerusalem. He was one of the lucky pilots who had a 'good war'. From 1952-63 he was a commercial airline pilot and took part in the mini-Berlin airlift for five months between October 1952 and March 1953 whilst working for Air Charter Ltd (Freddie Laker), flying Yorks up to eight times a day between Hamburg and Templehof. Between 1954 and 1963 he flew Vikings, Dakotas, Rapides and Viscounts whilst working for Airwork Ltd and Eagle Airways (Bermuda) Ltd. In 1963 he started Bermuda Airlines Ltd, a sightseeing seaplane business, with a six-seater Cessna 185B Skywagon. He returned to London in 1971 and was an underwriter and claims manager for American International Underwriters and Lloyds Aviation Claims Centre. From 1979 to 1987 he was the proprietor of the Star Garage in Bridport, selling Talbot and Peugeot cars. In retirement living near Salisbury, he was a member of the Bath, Wilts & North Dorset Gliding Club until 2007 and pursued his other hobbies too, sailing, squash, photography, camping and gardening. Married thrice, he had four children.”

David Lars Winther, aged 75 (H58)

 

His  brother John  (H55)  wrote:  "From Frilsham House  Prep School, then under the Headmastership of OC Bill Ward Clarke (V19), David gained a Senior Foundation Scholarship to Charterhouse, following his elder brother into Hodgsonites where both his father and his maternal grandfather had been decades earlier. The house during David's early years there was under the benevolent care of V S H Russell (BH21-56) known affectionately to all his charges as 'Sniffy'.  His academic ability continued to develop rapidly, becoming a GEC Scholar sponsored by that company and amongst other awards gained the Eustace Dallin Wade Prize. He became Head of House under the new Housemaster Richard Fletcher (BH46-59) following in the earlier footsteps of his uncle James Scovell Adams (H16) during the First World War. He enjoyed various sports, becoming Captain of the 3rd XI Football.

After Charterhouse David joined GEC as a trainee for a year at Coventry as part of his compact with the company and then went up to Emmanuel College at Cambridge in 1959 coming up as a GG Hooper Exhibitioner and becoming a Senior Scholar for 1961-2. He matriculated in 1961 with a First Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Science and in his third year read Mathematics but sadly his final year at Cambridge was curtailed due to illness.  Fully recovered, he decided not to follow a career in Industry and returned to Charterhouse to try his hand at teaching; he discovered he had a talent for the craft of schoolmaster but thought he could help mould and direct the talents of the young more effectively if teaching them before they reached Public School age. He briefly joined the staff at a Secondary Modern School before rejoining the private sector as an Assistant Master at Sandle Manor at Fordingbridge where he taught very happily for a few years before moving to Horns Hill at Newbury He remained there for 35 years until his retirement in 2000, devotedly teaching Mathematics and Science to generations of schoolboys. He became Head of the Maths Department and Senior Master. He also took on responsibility for two Houses for two separate periods. He found time to take up the viola which he played enthusiastically in the School's Orchestra. He never married and his life became dedicated to the school which he so loved. A former colleague said of him: "David was an excellent maths teacher, methodical, patient and generous with his time. But he was not just the teacher - he was a true 'schoolmaster1: the 2nd XI cricket, the golf, the houses, the music, the common room were all of huge importance to him."

In retirement he moved to live near his sister at Weston near Newbury where he much enjoyed bridge and golf. Only a few days before his death he had invigilated exams back at his beloved Horris Hill and had played his best 18 holes for years before ultimately collapsing amongst old friends with bridge cards in his hand. A fine end for a truly lovely man and a Carthusian whose life exemplified so demonstrably his old schools motto 'Deo Dante Dedi'.

BROADHURST on 7 June 2015

Creighton Cecil Percy Broadhurst, aged 95 (B37)

Captain of Shooting.

Extract from The Guardian: "Broadhurst was one of the

venerated gardening writers who in the 1960s-80s inspired

householders to make their own space, of whatever size,

as attractive as the gardens of stately homes. Though he

was christened Creighton, to myriad gardeners in Britain

he was always known by his nickname Topline' which

came from the call signal he used during WWII when

commanding motor gunboats with the RNVR.

He was briefly a Lloyd's underwriter before war began,

and after demob he had another spell in the City, but

found it boring. He decided to become a dairy farmer,

purchasing a small farm at Staverton, near Ashburton,

Devon. It was here that he began growing roses and it was

on these that he built his reputation. He produced leaflets

with useful tips on successful rose-growing and placed

them in garden centres. In the early 60s this led to a slot

on Westward TV and when the station lost its franchise

in 1981, Topline had his own programme on local radio

and in 1982 joined Central Televisions Gardening Today

programme. He also had a weekly newspaper gardening

column which was syndicated to fifteen newspapers

around the UK. He is survived by his second wife, Kitty,

whom he married in 1981, and from his first marriage by

a son and daughter, with four grandchildren."

Lord William Hugh Griffiths, Baron Griffiths of Gavilon, in Gwent on30 May 2015, aged 91 (S41)

Monitor, 1st XI Cricket, 3rd XI Football, Hockey Colours.

OC Club President 1993-1998.

Adapted from Daily Telegraph 1 Jun 2015: "In 1942, aged 18, Hugh was commissioned in the Welsh Guards and two years later was awarded the MC while serving as a lieutenant in the 2nd Armoured Recce Battalion at Hechtel in Belgium. The citation noted "There was no doubt that his single-handed action against four German Panther tanks broke up what might have been a serious attack and altered the direction of the battle.  "Following demobilisation in 1946 he went up to St Johns College, Cambridge, to read Law. An all-round sportsman, he was a double Blue at cricket and golf and bowled fast in several appearances for Glamorgan during their championship-winning season of 1948.  He subsequently read for the Bar and was called at the Inner Temple in 1949. Personal injury work formed the bulk of his early practice. After years of involvement in medical negligence cases he became a firm supporter of a no-fault scheme that would compensate victims of medical mishaps whether negligence could be shown or not. As a Recorder of Margate 1962-64 and Cambridge 1964-70, he was eager to give defendants another chance rather than send them to prison and tended to favour probation even in serious cases. He was a member of the Advisory panel on Penal Reform from 1967 to 1970 and in 1971 was made a Judge of the High Court, Queens Bench Division.  In 1973 he was appointed to serve as one of three judges on the Governments ill-fated Industrial Relations Tribunal.  On returning to the High Court, he sat frequently at the Old Bailey where his caseload included terrorism trials.  He was a member of the Lord Chancellor's Law Reform Committee from 1976 until 1993. Appointed a Privy Councillor in 1980, he was Lord Justice of Appeal (1980-85). On appointment as Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in 1985 he was created a life peer.

He was chairman of the Security Commission from 1985 to 1992. Other memberships and fellowships included the Canadian Bar Association, the American Institute of Judicial Administration, and the American College of Trial Lawyers. He was a good-natured, reforming arbiter, renowned for taking a robust and independent line from fellow judges, and his appointment to chair the Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct in 1990 was welcomed by the Law Society. Following his retirement in 1993 he continued to work as an arbitrator and mediator in international and domestic commercial and other disputes. He held the rare distinction of having been both President of MCC and Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.  At the MCC in 1990 he saw the contentious issue of membership for women rejected; in 1993 he headed a working party set up to examine the state of English cricket and his report proposed the abolition of the Cricket Council and the amalgamation of the Test and County Cricket Board with the National Cricket Association." He had married Evelyn Krefting in 1949, who died in 1998.  In 2000 he married Baroness Brigstocke who died in an accident in 2004. In 2009 he married Greta Fenston, who survives him, with three daughters and a son from his first marriage and three stepsons and two stepdaughters."

Richard Francis Southall on 26 May 2016 aged 78 (L55)

Senior Scholar, Captain of Cross-Country, Athletics & Shooting colours, House Monitor, Debating Society Secretary, Eustace Dallin Wade prize (Chemistry), Beeton Prizewinner, Pontifex winner 1955.

He followed his father into Lockites, as did his two sons from his first marriage, Charles (L83) and Richard (L91) - who was also a keen runner; the Southall Cup is awarded annually for the winning senior individual in Pontifex and carries the name of father and son.  Richard went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, with a State Scholarship in Natural Sciences and an Exhibition.

He was awarded a Blue for cross-country and was Junior Treasurer of the CU Hare & Hounds Club, until the heart condition which dogged him for much of his life was diagnosed. Adapted from the address given by The Revd John Fellows at his funeral "From the first time that I met him until the last time I saw him, he always seemed to me to show a great repose and restfulness, certainly an outward calm. This was no doubt in part due to his time at Downs School near Malvern in which a strong Quaker ethos found, I think, a ready echo within his character.  Richard attributed his great interest in all things technical, mechanical and so on to his early schooldays.  Throughout his life he was intensely practical. He had a lifetime's love affair with motor bikes, which he could happily take apart, service and reassemble.  After University he started off in publishing with Methuens but then went to Crossfield, and began what eventually became an illustrious career in typography, but especially in the growing field of digitalisation, the coming of the computer and its implications for printing. A lecturer at Reading, posts at Stanford, Xerox Research Centre, and the Universite Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg followed. He acted as consultant to numerous organisations, was the author of a standard work on the manufacturing and design methods of 20th century printers' type, and was a contributor to others. That's what you might call 'the official Richard', one of the great names in the transition from metal type to the digital age.  But what of Richard the man? He set himself very high personal standards. He had a strong conscience. He spoke to me disparagingly of the various moral panics which the popular press were capable of stirring up. That Quaker conscience and conscientiousness never left him.  It was while working for Xerox in 1990 that he met Christine, who in many ways complemented his character; they were married in 2003 and have been a part of life in Weston Colville for the last 22 years.  There is an article on the internet about typeface design where the writer complains most texts are too specific rather than about general principles, the notable exception being Richard Southall. I think Richard would have liked that. He was very notable and certainly exceptional. Not a bad epitaph for the man whose life we celebrate today."

JAMESON on 22 May 2015

Rev David Kingsbury Jameson, aged 87 (R46)

Monitor.

His father Lt Col Hugh Jameson (BH19-44) and

Housemaster of Weekites. His brother Peter (V35) died

in 1999. His nephew Mike Shaw wrote: "David was called

up into the army in 1946 for two years' National Service

and was posted to a regiment after training in the Royal

Army Educational Corps.

He then went to Merton College, Oxford, where he had

been awarded an Exhibition and after a shortened postwar

two-year course he gained an Honours Degree in

History. After University, he enrolled at Queen's College

Birmingham Theological College; he was ordained in

Hereford Cathedral, as Deacon in 1953, and as Priest

in 1954. As a Priest he served in many varied parishes,

Leominster in Herefordshire, in the Portsmouth area

firstly at the Cathedral as Chaplain, as Vicar of Gosport

and then of Copnor, Forty Hill Enndd, Nuneaton. After

a short period as organiser for the Church of England

Children's Society, he was delighted to be invited back to

Forty Hill Enfield.

He retired in 1991 but continued to serve as

non-stipendiary Priest-in-Charge in the Parish of

Bridestowe and Sourton in Devon from 1991 to 1996.

From this parish, he was appointed as Honorary Curate

of St Giles-in-the Fields in central London 1996-9. In

spite of ill-health, he continued serving as a Priest until

over the age of 70. He will be greatly missed by his large

family and many friends. He is survived by Mary, his

second wife, and four daughters of his first marriage."

WALKER on 19 May 2015

Edward Stevens Walker, aged 86 (R46)

Monitor.

His wife Judith wrote: "As an only child Edward found

happiness and success from his education at Charterhouse.

He obtained a degree at the LSE. Thereafter he qualified as

a Chartered Accountant, and undertook National Service

in the RAE He left Peat, Marwick Mitchell to pursue a

career with The Beldam Packing & Rubber Company

Ltd., where he became Managing Director, working there

for over 25 years. Latterly he worked with the Ski Club

of Great Britain, utilising his financial skills once again.

In his youth he was a keen golfer. However, as time moved

on, Edwards love of the sea and sailing took precedence.

He married Pamela Pharaoh in 1956, and they had three

children, a daughter Fiona, and sons Richard and Peter

who were also educated at Charterhouse (R77 and R81).

In 1982, Edward and Judith (Dawson) were married and

in 1986 they moved to West Sussex. This enabled him

to enjoy extensive sailing in the Solent, cross channel

and to the west country, in his beloved Fisher Yachts.

Edward also drew great pleasure from the garden and the

animal menagerie, including helping to foster and care

for rescue dogs. His latter years were troubled by ill health. This

culminated in a fall in December 2014, from which he

never fully recovered. Edwards presence, personality

and the atmosphere he created, is very much missed. He

always enjoyed contact with, and news of, friends and

family. Nothing was too much trouble if he thought he

could offer assistance, or get involved in a project. He

valued his life-long friendships from all walks of life,

including his schooldays. Until his health declined he was

an enthusiastic OC, attending functions and reunions in

Surrey and London. He is survived by Judith, Pamela and

their three children with seven grandchildren."

(John) Jeremy Marescaux Lees on 18 May 2015 aged 76 (L56)

4th XI Football Captain, Maniacs Cricket, Cross Country & Athletics teams.

Jeremy was the second of three brothers in Lockites including David (L55) and Rodney (L62).

His   eldest daughter Gina (P83, now Mrs Mather) wrote: "On leaving school, my father Jeremy became a Lloyds Insurance Broker, holding directorships at Robert Bradford Savill Ltd and Paul Bradford & Co. From 1985 he was Chairman of Seascope Reinsurance Brokers Ltd and from 1990 Chairman of Lees Preston Fairy Ltd, a company that he set up himself. He travelled throughout his career to Asia and the Far East, being a very early visitor to Taiwan and Korea and making some wonderful friends in Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland and America.  With travel in the early days being so difficult, he would often be away for six weeks at a time, visiting some very isolated and far-flung places, but this was all taken in his stride. Despite having battled asthma all his life, he played OC football and was a member of the winning Arthur Dunn Cup side in 1962. He was a lifelong supporter of Charlton Athletic, a dedicated season ticket holder and a shareholder since 1994.  One of his most devastating moments, when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and was no longer allowed to drive, was the realisation that he could no longer attend the weekly Charlton matches. Having retired in 1998 he relished his time at home, split between his great love of growing vegetables, his house in Portugal and his beloved golf club, Clandon Regis. He was a founder member of the club, heavily involved in its running and, in recent years, was Chairman of the Seniors Committee.  Married to Jean since 1963, he was a devoted family man, enjoying nothing better than a large family reunion, with himself, his two brothers and their respective offspring.  He is survived and sorely missed by his wife, three daughters and five grandchildren."

Richard (Dick) John Walker, on 14 May 2015 aged 88 (V44)

House Football, House Monitor.

He took great pleasure in his family and its association with Charterhouse; his three sons were in Verites: Bruce (V72), Graeme (V82) and Ian (V84) as well as two cousins Nicholas Clark (V59), Roger Clark (V51) also nephews Richard Grigg (V67), James (B81) and Alexander Clark (B83). His son Bruce wrote: "Owing to his fathers objections to the public school system, it was not initially certain that Dick would follow his uncle, Jack Clark (D18) to Charterhouse. Paternal resistance was overcome, however, possibly because rural Surrey offered a safer wartime location than the family home on the Sussex coast. Verites during the War provided useful opportunities for physical exercise under the slightly eccentric housemastership of Jasper Holmes (BH19-50).  Dick often recalled the outdoor fun of chopping down trees, digging slit trenches and working on other air raid defences in Holmes' Pioneer Corps.  On leaving school he joined the Royal Navy in 1945, finishing his service in Malta as an aerial photographer in the RNAS. Returning to civilian life in 1947, he hoped to go to Cirencester and become a farmer, but was persuaded to join his fathers textile company in the City.  However, after twenty years, the sale of the firm prompted a change of career and over the next seven years, he tried various new avenues - textile manufacturer's agent; secretary of the golf club; personnel management - until he found his niche in the acquisition of Herbert Sports, a Sussex retail business. This provided an outlet for his interest in sport and enabled him successfully to put his own management ideas into practice, something that he had been unable to do in a family company under the firm control of his father.  The enterprise prospered and he enjoyed a life centred upon his native Sussex, pursuing his passion for golf and other local interests, and, during family holidays in the Alps and the Highlands, his love of skiing, wild places and hills. In 1984, a serious car accident left him totally blind and badly injured.  With typical determination, he regained his mobility, continuing to run his company with his usual energy. Indeed, he continued to play golf into his eighties, guided by one of his sons or by friends, and took part in both OC golf meetings and blind golf competitions all over the world, and organised regular charity golf days. He is survived by his wife Margaret, whom he married in 1952, by Renate, his partner of twenty years, and by his six children and his eleven grandchildren."

Robert Gavin Alexander Bittlestone on 4 May 2015, aged 63 (D69)

Foundation Scholar, House Monitor, Secretary of Film & Science Society, Beveridge & Debating Societies.

He went up to Christ's College, Cambridge, to read Economics. He then worked as a Management Consultant and Financial Controller for Vickers Ltd until 1978. Then he moved to become Managing Director of Micro APL Ltd until 1983, when he founded and became Chairman of Metapraxis Ltd, a company specialising in the visualisation and prediction of corporate performance. He was the author of two publications: Odysseus Unbound: the Search Jor Homer's Ithaca (2005) and Financial Management for Business (2010). His son Mark wrote on behalf of the family: "As the vastly different subject matter of his two publications might indicate, Robert was forever fascinated by the world of ideas and, as such, his interests ranged widely. His time at Charterhouse contributed greatly to the development of such interests. His construction of the theatre lighting control system at school inspired him to do the same at the ADC theatre when he went up to Cambridge. The passion for science he developed at Charterhouse would remain with him as he sought a more scientific approach to business management and a love for science fiction.  However, perhaps above all, his time as a Carthusian left him with a love for the classics, to which he would return in the early 2000s as his interest in the birthplace of Homer's hero Odysseus grew and which led him to publish Odysseus Unbound. He spoke very fondly of Charterhouse, of the friends he made there, the societies to which he contributed and the many wonderful teachers who inspired his eclectic passions. Though he tried most directly to pass such passions on to his children by buying them each electronic switchboards for their fifth birthdays, indirectly he transferred to all of them, and to many friends and colleagues with whom he brushed shoulders, a natural and irrepressible curiosity for concepts and ideas.  He died after a long battle with depression following the death of his wife Jean in 2011 and is survived by their three sons and daughter."

ROSS on 4 May 2015

(Alexander) Michael Murray Ross, aged 76 (H57)

His younger brother Alasdair (H62) died in 2004.

Monitor, Army Corporal, School Play.

His daughter Tanya Ross wrote: "Eschewing University, my

father Michael was articled to a chartered accountant in

the City, and qualified in 1962. This was also the year

that he married Jess, and after two happy and social years

in California where he worked at the Los Angeles office

of what is now Grant Thornton, they returned to the

UK where he joined his fathers firm, Finnic Ross Welch

& Co, in the City. They settled in Sevenoaks to raise a

family. Michael was made a partner at 29. One of his

proudest achievements was the establishment of Kreston

International, an international association of regional

accounting firms, allowing smaller practices to access

a global network and compete with the increasingly

dominant big players. The firm evolved and merged with

others, and in 1984, the senior partner of the Newbury

office retired suddenly, creating a vacancy which Michael

agreed to fill.

As well as his established clients of family businesses, the

Newbury practice was much involved in the Licensed

Trade and the Licensed Victualler Society, leading

Mike to be President of the Society's Schools in 1993-

4. During his time in Newbury, he engaged with the

local community, as a regular in the church choir, with

the local Conservative Association, and supporting the

Newbury Spring Festival as Honorary Finance Director.

Retiring from BDO Stoy Hayward in 1998, he retained

a number of non-executive directorships. He served as

a Borough Councillor at Basingstoke and Dean for East

Woodhay Ward from 1998 to 2006, 10 years on the

St Thomas' Woolton Hill PCC as treasurer, 12 years as

Parish Councillor on East Woodhay PC, 20 years on the

Management Committee of the NW Hants Conservative

Association, as well as taking an active role in the local

Rotary Club, where he was President from (1993-4) and

received the Paul Harris Award for public service.

Although he spent most of his life in England, he always

considered himself a Scot at heart, having been brought

up by his maternal grandparents on the east coast of

Sutherland, aiming to visit every year. The mountains

and wild beaches helped him to relax, with an occasional

round of golf. He was a well-established member of the

Caledonian Club, and spent a happy year as President

of the Golf Society. Family life with daughters Corina

and Tanya was happy and he was delighted to become

a grandfather rather late in life. Jess and he shared a

love of tennis, playing competitively at county level in

their twenties and they were also keen bridge players;

celebrating their golden wedding anniversary in 2012.

After being diagnosed with cancer, he spent his last

weeks at home. His strong faith meant that he had no

real fear of death, and the end when it came was quiet

and peaceful. He will be much missed by all his friends

and family for his twinkly warmth, his wise counsel and

his steadfast presence in our lives."

(Anthony) Harry Lesser on 2 May 2015, aged 72 (L61)

Senior Foundation Scholar, State Scholar, House Monitor, Secretary of Beerbohm, Poetry and Literary and Politics Societies; Committee of Debating, Shakespeare and Wesley Societies; Library Committee, Winner of Talbot, Gordon Whitbread, junior and Senior Monahan Prizes; Editor of The Greyfriar.  He went up to Balliol College, Oxford with a Scholarship to study Classics, followed by a BPhil, awarded in 1967.  A colleague, Daniel J Hill, wrote in The Guardian 15/6/15: "My colleague Harry was a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Manchester for more than 40 years. He had broad interests, but he particularly engaged with the historical, political and moral philosophy, especially Jewish ethics.  He edited five books, and wrote a large number of articles, book chapters and encyclopedia entries, the range of which demonstrated his vast general knowledge. His impact was felt most as a teacher, at the University of Chicago, then at Aberdeen, and from 1970 at Manchester, where he successfully supervised more than 50 graduate theses. Generations of students experienced his generosity of spirit and patience; if a student had a problem, Harry was the first person to whom he or she would turn. A former colleague called him 'the most beloved and inspirational teacher in the place, the very soul of the department.  He organised the University's annual philosophy weekend in the Lake District, during which a highlight would be his evening reading of either a ghost story or some form of Jewish humour. Where Harry was, laughter was never far away; his endless repertoire of anecdotes and jokes would enliven any social gathering. In addition to his work at the University, he took his philosophy outside the classroom, engaging in public debates on topical issues using the highly structured method once commonly used in medieval universities. He was noted for his uncanny ability to make any thesis, no matter how outrageous, sound utterly plausible. This was the fun of debating for him. In fact, he held strong moral and political views, though he was always tactful in voicing them." He is survived by his wife Margaret and son Marcus. His contemporaries The Rev John Nightingale (G60) and William Horbury (L60) attended the funeral.

Graham Agar Broadbent in May 2015 aged 77 (R56)

Head of House, 2nd XI Football.

His father and uncle were both in Pageites.  After National Service in 14720th King's Hussars, he went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge to read Natural Sciences. He started his business career with BP Chemicals and was latterly Managing Director of IEA Coal Research Ltd before retiring in 2001. He leaves a widow, Suzanne, two sons and a daughter.

George Robert Theodore Smith on 27 April aged 65 (V68)

House Monitor, Beerbohm Society, CCF Company Sergeant Major, School Chess Team, Captain 2nd Shooting VIII, Politics VI.

His  friend Robert Bogdan (BH75-15) wrote: "Theo (Tom to his family and close friends) was born on the family estate in Aberdeenshire and was sent to Prep School at St Andrews, Eastbourne and then on to Beaudesert in Stroud. Whilst he was at Prep School his father died and so he became the Laird of Pittodrie with a mansion, Harthill, a ruined castle, a dozen hill farms and 70 peacocks. At Charterhouse he was prominent in the CCF and enjoyed shooting as well as furthering his interest in motors. After leaving School he had a brief flirtation with the Scot's Guards but was invalided out after breaking his toe on the obstacle course.  He then returned to Aberdeenshire to run the 3,000 - acre estate which included the iconic hill: Bennachie, on which he hosted the occasional shoot. In 1977 his love of cooking led him to convert the family mansion into a fine Country House Hotel. Many OCs and members of Brooke Hall enjoyed his company in the snug bar or billiard room. In 1990 Theo added an extension which included a ballroom and extra bedrooms, styled on the frontage of Drum castle in Deeside. This made Pittodrie House Hotel increasingly popular for weddings and corporate events. His marriage to Kathleen also added two step daughters to his family. After his retirement in 2009 Theo was able to fulfil his love of travel and his family enjoyed many spectacular holidays abroad."

William (Bill) John Stainton Clutterbuck on 26 April 2015 aged 81 (V51)

1st XI Football.

Father of Guy  Clutterbuck (V77) and uncle of Matthew Oakeshott (R64).  He studied at the London School of Printing & Graphic Art and became Managing Director of Sackville Press and held various other directorships. He was a Liveryman of the Stationers & Newspaper Makers Company.  A keen golfer, he was Seniors Captain at Tadmarton Heath and Tehidy Park Golf Clubs.  His son Guy wrote: "Towards the end of my fathers life, the happy memories of his life started to return with great clarity. Playing for the Old Carthusian soccer team was evidently one of his finest memories, and who scored a particular goal, in which match on what occasion held great importance in his frequent tales of his earlier years".

Keith Forman Bull on 19 April 2015 aged 93 (W39)

His daughter, Cathy Peterson wrote: "The only son of Dr. Leslie Bull (Wll), Keith's early years were spent in New  Zealand and then Tonga where his father was Chief Medical Officer of Health. World War II intervened with his further education and he served with the Fleet Air Arm as an Observer flying in Albacores, Barracudas then Avengers. After the war he read Modern Greats at Worcester College, Oxford.  He then married his first wife, Dorothy, emigrated to Canada and had two daughters and a son. With his career initially in advertising and then market research, he spent the last twenty years of his working life at The Toronto Daily Star as the first Manager of Market Research, before retiring at age 55. Sailing, camping and skiing were his avocations. His diaries from schooldays mostly have entries about chapel, hash and banco.  One activity that he recalls in his memoirs is the Scout Troop with scoutmaster The Revd George Snow (Chaplain, BH36-46). When Lord Baden-Powell presented the troop Colours to them personally, he had the pleasure of shaking B-P's hand. He always looked forward to receiving The OC magazine at his home in Kingston, Ontario and in earlier years had regularly attended OC dinners in Toronto. In 1971 Keith re-married, to Primula, daughter of Dr Alan Eshelby (S07) and sister of his contemporary Richard Eshelby (S40) who died at El Alamein during the War whilst serving with the RAE They had a long happy marriage of forty-four years and she survives him, along with his 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren."

DAVIES on 16 April 2015

Richard William Davies, aged 81 (R51)

His widow Susan wrote: "Richard had been a luminary in The

Green Room, helping to put on many school productions

and contributed much to the Art Department under Ian

Fleming-Williams (BH47-70). He also shone in the CCF,

becoming Head of Corps. He did National Service as a

2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Royal Horse Artillery, mainly

in Germany.

In 1953 he went up to Queens' College, Cambridge to

read architecture and again distinguished himself doing

stagecraft for the ADC productions. At the same time he

was in the college boat and gained his oar in the May

Bumps. On coming down, he did three years' articles

with a firm of accountants in the City. After qualifying

he briefly worked in the family firm of Davis &r Newman

before joining British Aluminium in 1961. In 1966 he

moved into the textile industry in the Leicester area and

played a full part in the rationalisation of that industry.

Later he returned to British Aluminium and pursued a

portfolio of various activities, advising small companies

under a government scheme, making fine furniture and

commercially photographing oil paintings for a West End

art gallery and managing the family investments.

At the same time he became a magistrate, gave ten years

of his life to Charterhouse-in-Southwark, and served on

two Government Enquiries, one on the prison service

and the other into motorway service stations.

Richard's career was remarkable in that it covered such

a wide range of skills and interests and touched and

improved the lives of so many people; he had great

capacity for friendship and enormous enthusiasm for his

various interests. From his first marriage to Gillian he has

a daughter and son Mark (R78); they later divorced and

he remarried in 1979 to Susan Hammond, which lasted

happily for thirty-six years."

ROGERS on 15 April 2015

Dr James Walter Blachford Rogers, aged 98 (L34)

MB BChir MRCP MRCS DPM FRCPsych.

Abridged/mm The Scotsman: "Following family tradition he

studied medicine, going up to Cambridge and then on to

the London Hospital in Whitechapel. He was 18 months

from qualifying when WWII broke out and found himself

at the heart of the Blitz, managing his studies as London

was bombed for 57 consecutive nights. He qualified in

1941 and took several training jobs before joining the

Navy in June 1942 as a Surgeon-Lieutenant on board the

destroyer HMS Puckeridge, deployed on convoy defence.

During this time he acquired his watchkeepers certificate

and went on to become a skilled navigator.

He defied the enemy twice, escaping the devastation of

a U-boat torpedo attack on Puckeridge in the western

Mediterranean in September 1943, he was unscathed and

helped to save his crewmates. Posted next to destroyer

HMS Lawford, on D Day plus 2 while operating off Juno

beach, he survived a bombing despite suffering dreadful

injuries. He eventually ended up in hospital in Liverpool

where a broken back and shattered ankles remained

undiagnosed for some time. His war ended then but

he continued in the Navy, serving on HMS Osprey in

Dunoon, where he met his future wife, a nursing sister.

They married in December 1946 and lived in London

where he trained at the Maudsley Hospital, gaining

membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and

Physicians and a Diploma in Psychological Medicine. His

interest in psychiatry had been sparked by an inspirational

professor during his general training and later in the

Navy. In 1952 he moved to the Crichton Royal Hospital

in Dumfries as a consultant child psychiatrist and for

the next two decades there he was utterly committed to

reshaping the lives of troubled youngsters. The success

of the unit was due largely to his leadership, guidance,

compassion and collaborative approach.

In 1971 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of

Psychiatrists and took a post in Edinburgh running a

psychiatric service at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children

and continued his work with disruptive youngsters in

schools long after retiring from the hospital at 65. He

became a part-time Senior Lecturer in child psychiatry

at Edinburgh University, only finally giving up work at

the age of 84 and writing a book on his professional

experiences a decade later. On leaving Edinburgh he

retired to Rockcliffe on the Solway Firth where he was

a keen gardener, a member of the Solway Yacht Club

and much in demand for his navigational skills. He and

his wife Joyce toured around Europe in a VW van and

also made trips to Fiji, Nepal and Machu Picchu. Other

interests included amateur dramatics, natural history, golf,

photography and reading. When macular degeneration

robbed him of the ability to read he switched, with typical

stoicism, to listening books. The willpower and positive

attitude he displayed through his life also enabled him to

recover from surgery, including five hip operations and

the loss of his wife of 63 years in 2010. He is survived by

four children and seven grandchildren."

ROSSETTI on 15 April 2015

Nicholas Gabriel Holley Rossetti, aged 78 (g55)

He qualified as a solicitor and was in practice in Norfolk.

ARNSBY-WILSON on 13 April 2015

Patrick John Arnsby-Wilson, aged 79 (R53)

Monitor, 2nd XI Cricket, 3rd XI Football, Secretary Beerbohm Society.

His wife wrote: "After school Patrick did National Service

with the Royal Artillery in Germany and was rapidly

promoted to the rank of Captain. He joined the family

stockbroking firm and continued his career in the City

long past retirement age. He never lost his enthusiasm for

cricket, football and horse racing. A kind, generous man

with a wicked sense of humour, enormous courage and a

great animal lover. He is sadly missed by his wife Lynda

who survives him with their son, two daughters and four

grandchildren on whom he doted."

KERR, on 12 April 2015

David Sutcliffe Kerr, aged 76 (W57)

Head of House, 3rd XI Cricket, Maniacs Captain, Cross

Country Colours.

His cousin, Jon Wilkie (W59), who followed him into the

House, wrote: "After leaving Charterhouse David spent a

year working on a sheep farm in Western Australia where

he had many relatives on his mother's side. On returning

to England he studied law at Liverpool University and

after graduating joined a Liverpool law firm.

He inherited his parents' love of the mountains and

while at Charterhouse was a keen member of the Mallory

Group. This was further fostered by Charles Evans, his

father's registrar and a member of the successful Everest

Expedition of 1953.

He attended the Outward Bound School in the Lake

District to further his mountaineering knowledge and

skills and made several trips to the Alps in the summer

climbing seasons. However, after the death of several

climbing companions during the 1962 and 1963 Alpine

seasons, including Wilfrid Noyce in the Pamirs expedition

of 1962, he gave up extreme climbing but not his love

of the fells and mountains of North Wales, Cumbria

and Scotland. In June 1965 David married Madelaine

Collinson and their three children were born between

1967 and 1972. The family spent many weekends

driving to the Lake District and North Wales for walking

and camping holidays and enjoyed time in Scotland on

the Munros. In 1974 they left Liverpool and moved first

to Penrith, then Cockermouth and then into the Lorton

valley. Here he was surrounded by the mountains that

he loved and spent many happy hours climbing to their

peaks, always leaving his family far behind.

David joined a law firm in Workington and became a

partner. He joined Cockermouth Squash Club and made

lifelong friends there. Always with a great interest in the

welfare of others, he became a member of Cockermouth

Rotary Club and was president in 1996-97. In the last

few years he devoted Friday mornings in term-time to

read to the children of Lorton School.

David and Madelaine made the most of their retirement

by trekking in Nepal, taking trips to Norway, Canada and

many walking holidays in Europe. Howard Knowles (W57),

an exact contemporary and life-long friend, comments: "1

developed very high respect for David's character and

he fully deserved to be made Head of House. As well as

being an enthusiastic outdoorsman, he was an excellent

all-round sportsman and, while his greatest talents were

as a cricketer and long distance runner, he also became a

dependable goalkeeper in the Weekites house team. Also

in his final Quarter he was a member of the house team

winning Pontifex for the third year running. I know I will

miss his easy going friendliness."

PERKINS on 29 March 2015

Brig Michael John Perkins CBE, aged 83 (R49)

Head of House, 1st XI Football, 1st XI Hockey, 2nd XI

Cricket, Captain of Fives.

His wife wrote; "After National Service at Mons Officer

Cadet School in the 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

he obtained a regular commission in the Royal Artillery

in 1952. He was Army Squash Rackets champion eight

times and represented England and Great Britain on

many occasions. During his military career he held

a variety of senior posts, including command of 1st

Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, 6th Armoured Brigade

BAOR, Chief of Mission BRIXMIS and Director of Army

Physical Training, attaining the rank of Brigadier in 1975.

On retirement in 1986 he was appointed CBE.

In civilian life he became Chairman of the Centuryan

Security division of the OCS Group for more than a

decade. He was a member of the Jesters and President of

the Veterans Squash Rackets Club of Great Britain 1993-

2001." Married to Pru for 56 years, she survives him with

their two sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren.

DRAKE-BROCKMAN on 8 March 2015

Gervase Alan Drake-Brockman, aged 76 (G56)

Monitor, 3rd XI Cricket.

His son Anthony (G84) wrote: "My father spent much of

his childhood with his grandparents in Cheltenham as

his father Alan (G18) was in the army and was stationed

in India for some time. After prep school at Beaudesert

he followed in the footsteps of many of his family and

went to Charterhouse, where he enjoyed his time very

much, particularly on the sports field. His father was

keen for him to have a career in the army, but he was set

on a career in agriculture and ultimately this difference of

opinion led to him leaving Charterhouse before the end

of his final year.

After School he started his chosen career and joined

Massey Ferguson where he was involved in distribution

and sales but also spent time teaching (and ultimately

running) Stoneleigh. He was always proud to tell how

he could dismantle and then reassemble a combine

harvester. In 1973 he had the opportunity to move on in

management and took on the role of Managing Director

of what is now the large East Anglian company Thurlow

Nunn Group. Originally focussed on the distribution

and maintenance of farm machinery, under his tenure

it expanded to include the manufacture and erection of

frame buildings and various car dealerships. He stayed

with TNG until his retirement.

He had many interests, in particular horse racing (a

member of both Cheltenham and Newmarket), sport

(mainly golf and football), ornithology and gardening.

He was particularly proud of the arboretum he designed

and planted in his garden in Suffolk. Although he left

Charterhouse before he could play for the 1st XI cricket

team, he was a fine cricketer, representing Cheltenham

and then Gloucestershire 2nd XI before a back injury

cut short his career. He married Gillie in 1963 and she

survives him with two children, Anthony and Nicky, and

five grandchildren. As a family friend said in the address

at his Memorial service in May, "We will remember his

kindness, his generosity, his supportiveness and his

humour. Ger was always fun to be with. He was a real

gentleman, whose life was well fulfilled."

CAIRNCROSS on 26 February 2015

Neil Francis Cairncross CB, aged 94 (L39)

Foundation &r Senior Scholar, Head of House, Thackeray

Prizewinner.

He went up to Oriel College, Oxford with a Leaving

Exhibition to read Classics, but left early to join the Army

and was wounded in action whilst serving with the Royal

Sussex Regiment.

Called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1948, he afterwards

joined the Civil Service. As Private Secretary to the Prime

Minister (1955-58) dealing with domestic matters, he

nevertheless accompanied Harold Macmillans party

on his famous Commonwealth Tour in 1958 after the

entire Treasury team resigned. He held other senior

appointments as Secretary of the Royal Commission on

the Press 1961-62; Deputy Secretary at the Cabinet Office

1970-72, and also served in the Northern Ireland Office

and as Deputy Under Secretary of State before retiring

in 1980. He was a member of the Parole Board for three

years and appointed CB in 1971.

HINES on 24 February 2015

Peter John Hines, aged 85 (S47)

His younger brother Anthony was in Verites(V53).

Peter did National Service in the RAF and then made a

career in Insurance Broking as a Member of Lloyds.

His brother said: "Peter was proud to have sung at

Charterhouse under the baton of Ralph Vaughan Williams

and, indeed, lived in Dorking for over fifty years under

the shadow of Leith Hill where RVW grew up. He is

survived by his wife Hermina, their four daughters and

five grandchildren."

WARREN on 23 February 2015

Ian Scott Warren, aged 97 (g35)

Head of House, Captain of Hockey, 3rd XI Football,

Cygnets Cricket.

His younger brother Peter (g37) died in 1973.

Ian went up to Magdalene College, Cambridge, to read

Classics with an Exhibition and Holford Scholarship.

In 1938 he joined the Colonial Administration Service

and was assigned to the Gold Coast where he was made

Assistant District Commissioner two years later. During

the WWII he served with the RAF.

Afterwards, he was called to the Bar of Lincoln's Inn

and practiced Common Law from 1947 to 1970 until

he was appointed Master of the Supreme Court, Queen's

Bench Division. He was later Senior Master and Queen's

Remembrancer 1988-1990.

He was particularly proud of his book of Aesop's Fables

translated from the Greek into verse, with illustrations

by Hellmuth Weissenborn, published in 1982. He

last attended Founder's Day Dinner in 2009, aged 92,

accompanied by his step-grandson Michael Newman

(H92). His son Clive wrote: "My father's passing was very

peaceful, he just faded away with much dignity. He loved

his time at Charterhouse and in Duckites - it made a

profound impression on his life and provided him with

a wealth of friends and wonderfully funny anecdotes."

MORGAN on 17 Feb 2015

Richard Francis Morgan, aged 85 (S48)

Senior Scholar.

He did National Service with the Royal Army Service

Corps and went up to King's College, Cambridge, with a

scholarship to read Classics and History.

His widow Sarah wrote: "Following Richard's qualification

as a Chartered Accountant - and gaining a law degree

at the same time - he worked first in the City before

moving into industry. He subsequently became Finance

Director of three major British companies of increasing

size. An early colleague described him as "standing out

among a cohort of young men for his sense of calm."

He said little, in a quiet voice that underlined his focus

and determination. His intellect always shone through.

Richard enhanced all our lives. Thoughtful and caring by

nature, a delightful companion, a loyal friend, courageous

to the end of his days.

Apart from piano playing, gardening, skiing and spending

time with his beloved family, my husband's major leisure

activity was mountaineering. A long-standing member

of the Alpine Club, one of his successful ascents was

climbing the spire of King's College chapel in 1953 to

plant a Union Jack in celebration of the Coronation. The

authorities were outraged, never identified the culprit,

and had to pay a scaffolding firm to take it down. He

climbed mainly in the Alps and, after retirement, in Peru

and Nepal. His last climb, on the week when he turned

80, was one of the classic UK rock routes. Devil's Slide

on Lundy. This was with his elder son and a 10 year old

grandson, perhaps the first 3 generation ascent of that

route. Richard died from kidney failure, at home with his

family, myself, our two sons and six grandchildren."

ASPREY on 13 February 2015

(Maurice) Desmond Asprey, aged 92 (V39)

1st XI Hockey, Swimming, Fives & Football for the House.

His father was in Robinites (R1897), brothers Nigel

(V21) and Edward (V30) both dec'd, nephew Edward

(V62) and great nephew George Asprey (V85).

During WWII he served with the Royal Corps of Signals

& 1st Battalion Scots Guards in Italy,

His daughter Catherine Valentine wrote: "Desmond married

Thelma in 1956 and had three children. He set up his

own successful business and lived an active family life

enjoying outdoor activities. A keen golfer, playing for 80

years from the age of 7, he was Kent Amateur Champion

in 1954 and continued to play off a low handicap even

in his final years in the Cobham Park Veterans. A loving

husband, inspirational father and friend to all. He will be

sadly missed by his family and all who knew him - Certa

Cito (motto of the R Signals)."

FIRTH on 11 February 2015

Bryan Loxley Firth, aged 89 (W43)

Shooting VIII.

His father and brother were both in Weekites, as was his

son Willoughby (W72) who pre-deceased him in 2013.

He served with the RAF during WWII as a Meteorologist.

He later became a Racing Commentator for the Jockey

Club and was a regular presence in Yorkshire and at

other northern meetings until he retired in 1987.

PELLY on 9 February 2015

(Andrew) Desmond Pelly DFC, aged 91 (H41)

His father was in Pageites, and a surviving cousin Peter

in Robinites (R48).

Desmond always wanted to fly and volunteered for the

RAF straight from school. He was selected for Bomber

Command, joining the Pathfinders in the later stages of

the war and was awarded the DFC. For the aviators in his

156 squadron based at RAF Upwood in Cambridgeshire,

the risks were great as they were sent in first to light up

targets before returning for a second run and unloading

their deadly cargoes. Extracts from interviews given by

Desmond: "In the evening you would just go to the pub,

try to relax and forget about it all. It was the only way

to operate otherwise you'd become a nervous wreck. I

knew all about the high casualty rates but I was young

and always believed it would never happen to me. I still

remember the faces of friends who didn't come back."

Against the odds and despite being shot down, he

survived 41 missions but in February 1945 his Lancaster

was shot down by a German fighter. Desmond found

himself on the ground, safe and sound but stranded in

the heart of Germany. He set out to walk home, evading

capture for 24 hours. He said "We had little compasses

so I just headed west. I was captured by a German soldier

and during interrogation was told that my crew members

had died."

He spent the remainder of the war in a PoW camp and

three weeks after he was liberated he married his fiancee

Nancye in June 1945, and they celebrated 69 years

together. She survives him with their four children, a son

and three daughters. In civilian life he held directorships

with William France Fenwick & Co Ltd, Prince of Wales

Drydock Co Ltd, 1946-69, Tatham Bromage & Co, and

was a distribution consultant to Halings of Haywards

Heath. He was involved with Mid Sussex Riding for the

Disabled group for many years as Chairman 1988-2002

and Treasurer. They said: "We were honoured to have

Desmond as part of our group, we all loved him and

nothing was too much trouble. He mounted and led the

riders and had a particular talent for finding sponsors

and supporters which kept our group in the money - he

will be sadly missed."

He was one of the veterans present at the 2012 unveiling

by HM The Queen of the RAF Bomber Command

Memorial in Green Park, London and can be seen talking

on YouTube:

WIDNELL on 20 January 2015

Christopher Barrington Courtenay Widnell, aged 74 (R58)

Head of House, Secretary of Science, Political, Shakespeare

and Wesley Societies, Library Committee, Head of RAF

Section, four School Plays, State Scholar.

He went up to Trinity College, Cambridge, after spending

a year with the Medical Research Council. He continued

research work in London before going to the USA in 1965

as Jane Coffin Childs Fellow at the University of Chicago.

Described as "Biologist, Educator, Physiologist and Cell

Biologist", for 29 years he had a distinguished career

at Pitt University, Pennsylvania holding professorships

in Anatomy, Neurobiology and Cell Biology, becoming

Emeritus Professor and Scientific Programme Director of

the American Cancer Society. His work 'The Essentials of

Cell Biology' was a standard text and over the years he

edited and contributed to many articles in professional

journals. He married Rosalind Anne in 1965 and they

had two children.

Zinn

TL Zinn

Died on 18th January 2015, aged 92

The last group of Carthusians Theo coached in Latin and Greek verse speaking nicknamed him ‘Yoda’. He was indeed a sage and mentor to these aspiring Jedi of the hexameter: seated legs apart, hands planted on his stick before him, eyes tight shut and jaw jutting forward as he listened to their recitation, he was quick to pounce and quick to praise. None whom he taught will ever forget the experience. Theodore Lionel Zinn (P 38) was a Foundation Scholar and Head of Pageites during his time at Charterhouse before the Second World War and he was awarded a Sutton Prize in 1940. His memories of Charterhouse were warm, and he stated in an interview he gave The Carthusian in the early 1990s, “I was never lucky enough to have such teachers again; from them I received inspiration and love of my subject.” After war service in India deciphering coded messages sent by the Japanese, he completed his degree at Oxford and then started his long career as classics master at Westminster school. During his time there he inspired a generation of distinguished classicists, and he revived the ancient tradition of putting on an annual Latin play. These were comedies by Plautus and Terence (topical prologue by Theo), performed by boys to their peers, masters and parents in Little Dean’s Yard in the summer.

After his retirement he put his peerless skill and experience in speaking classical verse at the service of his alma mater. Carthusians coached by him regularly carried off the prizes from the Guildford Classical Association’s Reading Competitions, and the esteem in which he was held in the classical world was evident from the deference with which he was greeted by the distinguished judges. His pleasure at his pupils’ successes was only matched by his ill-concealed outrage at judgements which went against them. He coached too for Charterhouse’s own Verse Speaking Competition, where pieces are recited not read, and he sometimes coached and judged the competition in Russian. As he delivered his judgements, enthusing about the work he had heard performed, the years dropped from his shoulders and the invigorating passion he felt for literature was clear. As PAD remarked of him in his departing speech to Brooke Hall, he was ‘iam senior, sed cruda deo viridisque senectus’ (now elderly, but the god’s old age was fresh and green).

He wrote an ode in Latin, the Carthusiana Domus, in honour of the Quatercentenary, performed at that year’s VSC; he was a bibliophile, and a lover of classical music who composed a Requiem himself. A scholar, then, and an inspiration to scholars.

But he is equally to be remembered for his kindliness. He supported the family of his Indian bearer long after he left the army; he was dubbed ‘our resident humanitarian’ by the Headmaster’s Essay Society whose meetings he regularly attended; he was patient with the halting and the tardy; he rang up his friends in Brooke Hall to warn them of any health scare he’d heard of on the radio. He used to say that the recipe for a long life was to take as little exercise as possible, to get as little fresh air as possible and to eat as many cream buns as possible. But his athletic career was not without distinction, and I’m indebted to James Holloway (G 02) for this anecdote:

Charterhouse was playing Winchester (the Eleventh XI or some similarly august team). Theo was nominally the 11th man but no-one really expected him to be called upon (tea was expected well in advance of such an eventuality), so instead he took up the much more sedentary role of scoring during the Charterhouse innings. Winchester managed to get all out for 11, and Charterhouse were 11 for 8 when we got bowled. Theo was called to the crease and told to ‘just stand there’. The stakes being high at this point, he did just that. In his words: ‘Now, you please must believe me when I say that the ball came at me and, completely by accident, hit my bat. Then somebody shouted “run!”.’ Winchester were as good at fielding as they were at batting, and Theo managed to score what for want of a better word might be termed a run, thus securing a victory for Charterhouse 12-11.

Now Theo, who never changed in the near twenty years I knew him, is gone. There will be no more phone calls late at night, no more discussion of the ‘small print’, no more sense that getting this phrasing right is the most important thing in the world. All we that are left can do is pass on what he taught us, and remember him with gratitude and affection.

JPF

ZINN on 19 January 2015

Theodore Lionel Zinn, aged 92 (P40)

Head of House, Foundation Scholar, Senior Scholar.

Abridged from Daily Telegraph 5/3/15: "He went up to

New College, Oxford, to read PPE. Ironically, in view of

his later heroic championing of Classics against attacks

on its supposed irrelevance in the modern world, his

decision was motivated by a sense that he should be

devoting himself to a responsible course of study at a

time when the world was overwhelmed by the turmoil

of war. However, he soon returned to Classics and took

a dazzling First in Mods, although on his own admission

he found less to engage him in Greats. His war service

was spent in India in the Intelligence Corps as a Japanese

specialist. The work involved the decipherment of coded

messages in Japanese which required him to master

the language from scratch and to attain a high level of

fluency. On his return he completed his degree at Oxford

and then elected to become a teacher; in 1950 he became

Seventh Form Classics Master at Westminster School,

where he was to remain for more than three decades. He

was an inspirational teacher of Latin and Greek, but there

were many other remarkable strings to his bow and he

was revered and adored not just by budding classicists

but by all those fortunate enough to get to know him.

Westminster had a long tradition of putting on Latin

plays which had fallen into abeyance; this he revived

using the school's Little Dean Yard for outdoor summer

performances. In a television documentary made about

the School in 1979, he all but stole the show with a

sparkling and impassioned defence of Classics.

Following retirement in 1983 he settled in Godalming

and returned to teaching Classics (and also Russian) parttime

at Charterhouse and coaching pupils for the Classics

section of the school reading competition. As an active

member of the Old Pageite Association committee which

he set up, along with then Housemaster PA Duncan

(BH70-03), the House Declamation Competition,

popular with all age groups, became an instant tradition.

Nick Oulton (W79) paid this tribute on his Galore Park

Publishing site: "Theo was a major inspiration behind the

setting up of Galore Park. He took me on as a mature

student when I first started teaching, and what was

supposed to be a couple of one hour refresher sessions

turned into a three year course of weekly tutorials. We

went through the Latin A level syllabus, then the Greek

and finally the MA in Classics course at London University

- and as we went, the drafts of 'So you really want to learn

Latin1 emerged. It was wonderful! As well as helping me,

Theo was also the author of Latin Prep Books 1-3, the

Common Entrance course that we dreamed up together.

He will be greatly missed and, as a school master, his like

will never be seen again."

GIRARDOT on 17 January 2015

Neville Charles Chancourt Girardot, aged 89 (W43)

His daughter Emma Mason wrote: "His younger son, Paul,

was in Weekites (W70) and he was delighted when two

grandsons joined Duckites, Tom & William Mason (g13)

&(g15).

As the youngest of five boys, who were all at different

public schools, he was allowed to choose which school

he would attend. He chose Charterhouse, principally

because that was where his best friend was going - a

decision he always rejoiced in.

After School he started working for the Admiralty in

the Naval Intelligence Directorate. He was awarded the

Danish King Christian X Liberty Medal, a commemorative

decoration for special services to Denmark in wartime. At

the end of the war he was selected to join MI5.

In 1950 he married Stella Gosling, and the following

year was posted to Baghdad followed by Cyprus in 1955.

They returned to England in 1957 when they bought

a family home in Pirbright, Surrey. He had two further

postings, to Rheindahlen in Germany for 3 years in 1973

and Washington DC in 1980, where he enjoyed working

with the FBI and CIA except for the dry lunches! He

retired in 1984 as Assistant Director of Security Services.

Throughout he was a keen gardener, winning prizes at the

village show and becoming Chairman of the Horticultural

Society. In 1986 they bought a holiday home with their

eldest son, Mark, in Seaview on the Isle of Wight, where

he loved to visit.

On his death, a friend described him as "quintessentially

British with a wonderful sense of humour." Another said

"he was a breath of fresh air and very good at pricking

the balloon of pomposity, which he did with great charm

and humour." His beloved wife, Stella, pre-deceased

him and he is survived by two sons, a daughter, seven

grandchildren and two great-grandchildren."

ROBERTSON on 6January 2015

Alastair Campbell ("Sandy") Robertson, aged 88 (S44)

Head of House, 1st XI Hockey, 1st XI Football.

His great friend James Mackie (R44) wrote: "From School

Sandy joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and

in 1946 he was sent to Malaya where he served in the

North East town, Kota Bahru, as a captain. He went on

to Japan, which was recovering from the devastation of

World War II. After he was demobilised he went up to

King's College, Cambridge, where he read History and

played hockey for the college and for the Wanderers. He

played club hockey until well into his forties. Also while

at Cambridge he met Jill whom he married in 1950.

From University he entered the Sudan Political Service

and when that country became independent in 1955,

Sandy returned to the UK and went into the retail

sector, working first in the department store, Clements

of Watford. Subsequently he joined the John Lewis

Partnership where he held senior management posts in

London, Portsmouth and Edinburgh, as the first General

Manager of the new St James's Shopping Centre.

When he retired he returned to the Chichester area; his

main hobby was sailing which he did competitively in

Scotland, Turkey and New Zealand. After his wife died

in 2012, he went back to Argyll where he had owned

property for many years. He was an active member of the

Argyll Society and supporter of the Argyllshire Gathering

and Oban Ball. He designed a house near Kilninver on

the shores of Loch Scammerdale, where he died.

His father had been at Charterhouse as had his younger

brother Lindesay, a missionary, who died in 2009. Sandy

always retained his interest in the School and together

we attended the 400th anniversary celebrations and the

Gaudy and Founder's Day Dinner in 2014. He is survived

by his Carthusian sons, Bruce (S69) and Malcolm (568)

and by his daughter Barbara (Bobbie) who is a GP and a

Lt Col in the TA. His eldest son, James died in 2007.

He was a modest person who achieved a great deal."

JOHNSTONE in January 2015

Anthony Paul Johnstone, aged 73, (R57)

He was in Robinites for two years, following his father

Peter and uncle Paul, who were both casualties of WWII.

Anthony never knew his uncle who died in a flying

accident in Rhodesia in 1940 and was just three years old

when his father was killed in action in Italy in September

1944. In 2011 Anthony wrote to CK Wheeler (H67, BH67-

06): "My wife and I spent a few days in Riccione for the

first time in September, the sole purpose of the visit being

to pay respects and to see what my father's resting place

was like. We were not disappointed, the cemetery was

immaculate and we were so pleased to see the sign from

Charterhouse that you had placed there." His wife Gloria

survives him.

COX on 29 December 2014

Hugh Edward Arthur Cox, aged 89 (g43)

He joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve straight

from School and remained in the service until 1963.

He was employed by the Port of London Authority for

almost twenty years before moving to Powell Duffryn

Wharfage & Transport Company. Hugh was one of

the founding members and a leading light of the Old

Duckites Association together with Ted Barnes (g43),

Greville Spratt (g45) and Peter Goldsmith (g47), and was

later President. He and his wife Carol, who pre-deceased

him, were regular attenders at the annual dinner.

GLENNY on 5 December 2014 Thomas Wallis, aged 93 

L/B   (OQ35 – CQ 40)

Both of his sons were in Lockites, Guy (L74) and Toby (L77)

Guy wrote:

“My father had the unusual experience of attending two houses at Charterhouse. For most of his career he was in Lockites, but when it was temporarily closed during the war, he moved to Bodeites, where he was a Monitor.  In the autumn of 1940 he attended Trinity Hall Cambridge to study Rural Estate Management where he joined the Royal Artillery section of the University Corps. After only a year he interrupted his studies to join an officers training unit in Catterick North Yorkshire and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1942. 

He initially joined a regiment serving as a rapid response group to possible enemy landings in Northern Ireland, but subsequently moved to northern England to train for the allied invasion. He landed on the Normandy beaches around two weeks after D-Day, and campaigned with the Allied forces in France, Holland and Germany until the German surrender in May 1945.

He was then informed that he was to go to the United States to train for the invasion of Japan. However this was forestalled by the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Instead he found himself on a steamer from Marseille to Alexandria to join a peacekeeping force in Egypt and Palestine where he witnessed the birth pangs of the Jewish State. It was not until 1947, after 5 years in the army,  that he returned to Cambridge to finish his degree and 2 years later when he started his first civilian job in Leighton Buzzard.

In 1952 he married his wife Audrey, and moved to the Isle of Wight where he became a partner in the local firm of Way Riddett & Co, Chartered Surveyors. He was a well-known figure to the Island's farming community through his agricultural work, and involvement in running the annual fat-stock show, agricultural show and ploughing match. He had diverse interests including architecture, art and antiques, and a great passion for gardening. He also enjoyed travelling in Europe, and latterly to Australia where two of his children have settled.

In retirement he remained active in the Island community joining committees for the local hospital, the Red Cross, the Church and Abbeyfield Homes.

He is survived by his wife, four children and six grandchildren.”

DICKINS in December 2014

Giles Lancaster Dickins, aged 71 (H61)

Foundation & Senior Scholar, Sutton Prizewinner.

Elder son of WO Dickins (BH28-66), brother of Mark

(H62,dec,d l981).

Tribute from the University of Sussex: "Giles was a part-time

PGCE Mathematics Tutor at Sussex in the 1990s,

splitting his time between the University and Beacon

Community College. He left Beacon in 2003 to focus on

preparing trainee teachers to teach mathematics through

Sussex PGCE courses, a role he was immensely proud

of. He contributed to both the secondary PGCE, the new

7-14 PGCE, Education Minor and to the development

of the BA in Mathematics Education Studies. He

became a Lecturer in Education from 2005 until his

retirement in 2008. He was a brilliant and compassionate

mathematician, the bedrock of the teaching team and a

great collaborative colleague. He had a huge commitment

to his work and always went the extra mile with students,

who loved him. He was unfailingly generous, courteous

and unassuming, with a strong value base to all he did.

Intelligence, integrity, courtesy, diligence, graciousness,

gentleness and humility are all words that describe Giles.

Teachers across the profession have benefited from his

wisdom, encouragement and passion for teaching. For all

of this, he will not be forgotten.

Prior to the operation, from which he died as a result

of complications, Giles was very much enjoying his

retirement, undertaking tasks such as building and

repairing stiles in the Lewes area where he lived. All

within Initial Teacher Education at the University of

Sussex pass their sincere and heartfelt condolences to

Giles's family"

.

HAMILL-STEWART on 23 November 2014

Michael Patrick Hamill-Stewart, aged 83 (R48), in France

Foundation & Senior Scholar.

He joined the Royal Navy immediately after leaving

School and remained in the service until 1971. For a

further twenty years he worked for IBM. His wife Anita

died in 2009 and he is survived by their five children and

ten grandchildren.

LE ROSSIGNOL on 11 November 2014

Clement Sorel Le Rossignol, aged 92 (R40)

He went up to Exeter College, Oxford. During WWII he

worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough.

Later he was on the telecommunications research staff at

GEC Research Centre, Hirst until 1987.

ROWAN on 5 November 2014

Dr (Robert) Anthony Rowan MB BChir MRCGP,

aged 90 (g42)

School Monitor, Athletics Colours.

His Duckite nephew Peter (g66) is also a doctor.

His widow Ros wrote: "Tony loved his schooldays but

horrified me by recounting cleaning grenades at school

during the war, his confusing demonstrations in the

science lab and tales of putting drawing pins on the chair

of one of the masters to prove he had a cork bottom.

He went up to Clare College, Cambridge, with a Leaving

Exhibition to Study Natural Sciences and completed his

medical training at St Thomas's Hospital to qualify as a

General Practitioner. During the Korean War he served

as a Surgeon Lieutenant in the RNVR and was mentioned

in dispatches. On returning to civilian life, he joined his

father Henry and his brother Michael (§37, now dec'd) in

general practice in London. He retired in 1986 and the

following year moved to Kent, where he gave his time to

volunteering and writing. We had a good life together for

fifty-seven years."

HALSE on 14 October 2014

Philip Lewis Halse, aged 76 (G56)

Monitor, Cross-Country and Swimming Colours, Captain

of Boxing.

The second of four Carthusian brothers, Ian (G58), Huw

(G62) and the eldest, John (S54), who died in 1984.

His wife wrote: "Philip studied Economics and Industrial

Relations at Cardiff University and captained their

cross-country team. After qualifying as a Chartered

Accountant he worked for a time in the wholesale grocery

business before joining British Leyland & Rover Group as

Financial Officer in 1968 and stayed with the company

for over twenty years."

Married to Andrea since 1962, she survives him with

their two sons.

CROSS on 12 October 2014

Anthony Cross, aged 93 (H39)

Monitor.

His brother John was also in Hodgsonites (H48). His

daughter Gillian Miles wrote: "Aged 18, my father joined

the army at the first opportunity and went off to war,

armed with a set of golf clubs and a tennis racquet. After

completing training he served in the Royal Signals in

India and in Burma and was very close to the fighting in

the Burma campaign. He rose to the rank of Captain and

felt a great responsibility towards the men he commanded

who became known as "Tony's Troops".

At the close of war he was sent to Vienna, where he met

his future brother-in-law, Lawrence Hill. On returning to

the UK he qualified as a Building Surveyor and worked in

London. He was Best Man at Lawrences wedding in 1949

and in time-honoured tradition he fell in love with the

bridesmaid, the bridegroom's sister Joyce. After marrying

in April 1952, they lived in the capital until taking the

decision to move north to Sheffield to be nearer to Joyce's

family, where they lived happily for 47 years.

Anthony obtained a post as draughtsman at English Steel

(later British Steel) and his working life concluded with

a job in the University of Sheffield Estates Department.

He was always on the look-out for people to help and

assisted many youngsters, giving them maths tuition,

driving tuition and temporary homes as necessary. He

also had a mischievous sense of fun and was quite often

the office practical joker.

In his younger years he was a keen sportsman and

enjoyed cricket, hockey, swimming and golf. He was a

member of West Hill Golf Club and acquired a handicap

below 10. He belonged to Blackheath Hockey Club

for many years and joined the English Steel team on

moving north. After retirement he accompanied his wife,

a confirmed Elvis fan, on several trips to the USA and

when not globetrotting was content to while away hours

in the garden. He was happy and proud to be the father

of a daughter born in Sheffield in 1955 and a stepson

adopted in 1956. My father was a true gentleman and a

truly gentle man, and was regarded as such by all who

knew him. In spite of having to go to war, he was a

peacemaker all his life and through adversity learned to

count his blessings. He was a caring and thoughtful man,

respectful, generous, polite and the embodiment of the

school motto, Deo Dante Dedi. His wife pre-deceased him

but he is survived by a still devoted family of daughter,

son-in-law, grandchildren and stepson."

Harrison

EE Harrison

Died 9th July 2014, aged 90

Brooke Hall 1946-84; Housemaster of Saunderites 1957-72; Second Master 1970-84; Governing Body 1988-98; Master of Sutton’s Hospital 1984-95

This is the text of a eulogy given at Eric’s memorial service in Charterhouse Chapel on Saturday 27th September 2014.

Second Masters, speaking generally, exist in three categories. The first group are characterised by a certain repressed jealousy. They will appear to be helpful but only fitfully, sometimes failing to give their headmaster but a few minutes’ notice before some sacred school event. With parents and others they will discuss the headmaster using the device of ‘faint praise’. In private, they hope the headmaster will drive over a cliff.

Those in the second group suffer from the delusion that they ARE the headmaster and are running things with admirable efficiency. At fleeting moments they will recall that there is an individual called the headmaster roaming lands near and far seeking out donations and subscriptions like the mendicant orders of the Middle Ages. Thankfully there is a third group who have arrived in the school as young masters anxious to teach their subjects with no wish to brandish new ideas of education or calls for instant change. They will avoid common room (in our case Brooke Hall) quarrels, which split factions apart – and beside which the arguments in the Parliaments of King Charles I or the tirades of the Dantonists versus the Robespierreists in the French Convention were but mere polite conversations.

They will begin to admire the buildings through which the daily flow of life proceeds and find quiet corners and fine viewpoints from which to contemplate them. They will take trouble to read the plaques and memorials which recount the school’s past. They will agree to serve in the school’s CCF, suffer the nerves of drill inspections and spend cold nights out in some scrubland region drinking cups of tea. They will umpire and referee innumerable games whether or not they know the rules, sit through plays and concerts which may be enjoyable but equally might be excruciating. Trusted and approachable, the mantle of Second Master will eventually be thrust upon them. The image of Eric Harrison must surely now be coming into focus. EEH, as Second Master, served a long series of Headmasters and in 1981 – not 1976, as The Carthusian stated on his leaving –he acted as Headmaster and delivered the School safely into the hands of Peter Attenborough.

Knowing how much Eric loved Shirley and his children, I had thought – if the idea ever crossed my mind – that Happy Harrison families had begat Happy Harrison families from generation unto generation as far back as Magna Carta. But this was not the case. Once in my Study when we were talking over some problem, Eric (in a voice a little different from his normal voice) quite suddenly said: “Of course – my parents were divorced.” I could have been hit with a brick. Divorce, in the days of Eric’s childhood, was something of a rarity and often attended with much scandal and derision. In Eric’s case it seems his plight was pitiable.

His father removed his much-loved elder brother Dick from the family home and Eric was left behind. He was then sent to Kingham Hill School. Kingham Hill is now a normal English public school; in Eric’s childhood it was an orphanage in all but name, and occupied old orphanage buildings. A child in this situation might have been scarred or life. Like his namesake in the unflinching Victorian novel – Eric, or, Little by Little – Eric might have descended the various steps from rebellion to the more modern vices or become a miserable drifter.

Fortunately, Kingham Hill and its staff did wonderful work. Founded on Christian principles by a philanthropist, Charles Baring Young, its aim was to care for the children of one-parent families which were unable to cope. There were no fees to pay. As well as academic subjects it taught certain trades such as carpentry and farming to help boys find gainful employment. Eric made a great success of his time there. He became Head of House and Head of School. He won prizes for maths and science and for carpentry. And in preparation for the work-place, and I am sure because of his honesty, he was put in charge of the school shop and made stock-keeper. In 1942 – after leaving (and I would imagine because he had no home to go to, and masters were in short supply in war-time) – he stayed on to teach science. I have read the inspectors’ reports on his teaching and class management. They are as good as one would expect: ‘no lack of discipline’, ‘dignified yet approachable’, ‘lessons obviously prepared’, ‘a clear and pleasing voice’ are some of the comments on the teenager instructing pupils almost the same age as himself.

After Kingham Hill, Eric went on to St Peter’s College Oxford. It was a young college, even younger than Eric himself, and the brain-child of James Chavasse, Bishop of Liverpool – who, alarmed at the rising costs of education at the older universities, created St Peter’s where (as the rubric states) promising students who otherwise might be deterred by the costs of an education at Oxford or Cambridge could obtain an Oxford degree. Eric studied chemistry, and so successfully that he was granted a fourth year to research and specialise in the study of rocket fuels. These were the years of the V1s and the V2s.

It was in this fourth year that Eric met Shirley, who was also researching in the Oxford Science Department. In the further recesses of the laboratories was another bright young scientist, Margaret Roberts. I think that, with every due respect to Baroness Thatcher, the shades that watch over Charterhouse must have heaved a collective sigh of relief that – in the giddy world of Oxford romancing – Eric decided to marry Shirley rather than Margaret. The arrival of Margaret as a young Brooke Hall wife might well have caused the pillars of the temple to shudder, if not actually collapse.

Eric took the decision to go into teaching. As few scientists were making that choice at the time, those who did were like gold dust. Eric considered a number of famous schools, including Shrewsbury – but, happily for Charterhouse, he went through that Study Door in Saunderites to be interviewed by Robert Birley, from whom few promising candidates escaped. No doubt Eric was transfixed by those almost hypnotic eyes, and phrases such as: “Of course, teaching is such TREMENDOUS FUN !” Hardly recognisable as ‘tremendous fun’, but amusing nevertheless – Eric recounted some of his early teaching experiences in his memories published in 1984. How the young Carthusian proud of his lineage asked his fledgling chemistry beak if he had taught his grandfather, who entered the School in 1908. How there was a dashing county cricketer also called Eric Harrison, and Eric’s younger pupils refused to believe that he was not secretly leading a double life.

Along with his teaching, Eric was becoming a keen archaeologist. He submitted erudite papers on Mesolithic and Neolithic sites, especially those along the ridges and promontories of the Surrey Downs. David Summerscale recalls how he was once driven urgently by Eric up to the Hog’s Back where the County Council was busily laying down a major road over an important pre-historic site, while Eric and those who could help were hastily collecting as many artifacts as the steamrollers would allow them. He made a close study of an Iron Age settlement situated on the edge of the Charterhouse ridge, past the cricket pavilion – and, in 1961, did a considerable excavation on the pre-Roman site there. To his just annoyance the tennis courts, presumably some bursarial appanage, prevented him from extending his trenches further. He took pupils out on digging expeditions. On one occasion when he stepped out of the vehicle he found beside his toe a perfectly formed flint arrowhead just lying on the ground. He was Editor of the Surrey Archeological Society annual journal, and in January 1963 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

In 1957, when Brian Young separated the twin duties of Headmaster and Housemaster of Saunderites, Eric and Shirley moved into the oldest, largest and most imposing house in the School. There was a story – very hard to believe – that Eric thought that his summons to the Headmaster’s Study was because of some imbroglio in the Chemistry Department. Shirley was the daughter of a Winchester housemaster, and knew well the workings of a boys’ house. In those days there was no central catering. Shirley had to arrange the feeding of her hungry flock, deal with the domestic staff – never easy in the post-war years – and often plunge into the kitchens and prepare the meals herself. In addition she played in the string section of the School orchestra, and she sang in Small Choir. At the start some literate Saunderites gave Eric the nickname of ‘Quiverful’, after the Barchester clergyman of that name, with his large horde of hungry children. (“Really! The very worst side of Trollope”, Robert Birley used to say.) The nickname did not survive very long. Eric became better known for the care he took with each Saunderite. He could be very good with difficult boys. There was one whom Eric dragged over the hurdles of his A-levels after many problems. The father of the boy was so appreciative of Eric’s efforts that he sent him a case of his finest claret. Eric rightly thought of sharing these spoils with the Headmaster. Oliver Van Oss arrived in Saunderites to find the family drinking the wine from cold tumblers and popping in ice-cubes. It must be a wonderful thing to be asked to become a housemaster twice in one’s life; for the Master of the London Charterhouse, despite his ancient and eminent title – despite fine halls, Chapel and cloisters and gardens so expertly embellished by Oliver Van Oss – is in fact a housemaster, caring for those at the ends of their lives rather than their beginnings. Seeing the pensioners coming and going, the Master will make remarks such as, “John: did you remember to get to your fretwork class? You forgot last week”, or “James: did you enjoy your visit to the theatre?”, “William: did you enjoy your snooze in the garden?”, “Jasper: is that the top of a whisky bottle protruding from your lapels? I had better relieve you of it.” Echoes of a previous life, with uncanny similarities.

When Shirley became ill and confined to her chair, Eric was always at her side bringing comfort and all manner of assistance, to make her way smoother and guide her through family festivities and Old Carthusian gatherings. They were able to entertain friends and ex-colleagues, and Eric the Antiquary could enjoy the old records and manuscripts. When Shirley became ill and confined to her chair, Eric was always at her side bringing comfort and all manner of assistance, to make her way smoother and guide her through family festivities and Old Carthusian gatherings.

After they moved from the Old Charterhouse and after Shirley died, greatly mourned, Eric came to the Sussex farmlands where he had had some happy memories of his grandparents’ farm and where he was cared for by members of his family – still corresponding shakily with us, and enjoying what Matthew Arnold calls ‘the quiet mossy path to age’. He had brought peace to calm so many differences and disputes, as Housemaster, as Second Master and acting Headmaster, and as the benign guardian of Sutton’s Hospital. Eric Harrison devoted his life to Charterhouse. He had peace at the close, and for that we give thanks.

Brian Rees

Woods

MJ Woods

Brooke Hall 1958-94; Director of Art 1970-94

Died on 26th June 2014, aged 80

In the last few years of his life, Michael wrote a journal which he referred to as ‘a collection of thoughts and memories’. It begins: ‘I have just walked up King Street to the post box at the bottom of Carrow Hill. A bit mad because there is a postal strike on. But I passed a patch of strong green grass; on it lay yellow leaves…’

He later remembers how, during his national service at Rudloe Manor near Bath, he took evening art classes and, during the weekends, he would walk into the city to look, draw and paint. He was always looking, and was often enthralled by the smallest of details. In his journal he recalls sitting in the back of a canvas-topped RAF vehicle being fascinated by the flurry of leaves in the vacuum created by the wheels. Michael Woods was born and brought up in Norwich – a city he always loved; his house in Norwich, where he spent holidays and later retired, was the smallest house possible. But – full of paintings, pots and random, beautiful objects set against white walls – it was a lovely, warm and welcoming space which he and his beloved wife, Jacqueline, created together and often entertained in. Michael delighted in observing the gentle changes in light and colour. He notes: ‘I’ve just moved my laundry into the clear sunlight in the studio. The load is eleven of my red handkerchiefs. I have just turned everywhere pink! And the pink in the studio makes the bathroom blue. “Why do you have your whole house white?” many people ask. Well, it never is white!’ His memories are dominated by observations that many people would overlook; it was this attention to detail that drove him and everything he did – and, as a teacher, Michael was particularly pleased to be told by a student that he had not only taught him to see and draw, but also to understand what was there.

Michael approached every task he undertook with enthusiasm and completed it to the best of his ability. In his journal he describes how a brief spell working at the local firm where his father was a senior engineer, proved to be a useful early lesson: ‘One day my foreman asked me to paint numbers on each of the contacts.... so I brought in some of my own paint and small watercolour brushes and duly did what I was asked. When he returned some hours later, he said that I had done them too well and cost the firm too much. Well, that was ‘it’ for me. I wasn’t going to be doing bad jobs for anyone, so I told my parents I would have to leave.’ Luckily, he got his wish and proceeded to spend the next seven years at Norwich Art School and the Slade, before securing the position of Assistant Art Master at Charterhouse.

He enjoyed teaching and took great pride in contributing to many aspects of the School. In his journal he recalls being amused when he discovered that his sixth-form students had hollowed out and eaten the bread loaves of their A-level still-life set-up, noting, ‘it was such a pleasure being able to help such bright people’.

Brian Souter, his assistant and successor at Charterhouse, remembers working with Michael ‘Potty’ Woods in Studio: ‘It was a time of great happiness and productivity during which a great number of young people were inspired and given the skills to develop as artists, designers, architects and art historians. Michael ran what must have been one of the best art departments in the country, and I learned so much from him. The introduction of life-drawing was skilfully slipped past a headmaster, and helped to raise drawing standards. In his white dentist’s jacket and with his arm submerged in a tub of slip, Michael was never lost for words – and if the right one did not spring to mind, he might invent one! Michael’s enthusiasm and energy was not confined to Studio. There were wonderful sets for theatrical productions such as My Fair Lady, King of Macedon and Aida – as well as exhibitions such as ‘Look at Godalming’, ‘Look at London’, ‘The Charterhouse Cartoon Tradition’, contributions to The Carthusian and the Arts Committee, the design and construction of floats for three Lord Mayor’s Shows, and a royal visit in 1972 when Michael presented the Queen with one of his own pots. Michael was a considerable artist and designer, and his souvenir mugs for the1872-1972 Centenary and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 will doubtless become collector’s items. When a group of OCs started the OC Art Society, quite rightly they asked Michael to be their first President.’

Michael was also well-known and admired by many outside Charterhouse. John Booth, Director of Art at Eton remembers Michael’s highly organised and lively department: ‘He was the first of us to persuade his headmaster and governors to finance the construction of a separate and purpose-built art school, and was generous in inviting his art colleagues from other schools to visit his department of which he was justifiably proud.’

Jeremy Baines, fellow student at the Slade and later Head of Art at Clifton, recalls meeting Michael on their first day at the Slade: ‘He was a great and unique character – famous for his little mannerisms and naughty gurgling laughs. Michael told some of the worst and least funny jokes, which were somehow funny because Michael was telling them.’ Throughout his life Michael remained committed to his vocation as artist and teacher. He continued to draw and paint every day and exhibited and sold his work all over the world. He also wrote many books.

The sitting-room at home was always an extension of his studio, and the place where his large mahogany easel stood. Most people who knew Michael will remember his annual Christmas card. As children, Oliver, Geraldine and I grew up watching this happen during the autumn months. The print run, of course, increased steadily over the years – but the process was always the same. Once the image was decided upon, the blocks made and the proofs finalised, the hand-printing began and the finished cards were steadily laid out around the sitting-room hearth to dry. This all took several days. Luckily we were fairly adept at avoiding any painting, drawing, wet clay pots etc that regularly inhabited the sitting-room – so there were very few disasters. Everything in Michael’s life was carefully considered and loved. Friendships were valued and maintained, belongings were polished and mended, and every pot and picture he ever made was remembered as if it were a member of his family. He made endless lists and notes, many of which he carried with him, along with a fascinating range of useful tools which he would famously produce from his jacket pocket at any given moment.

Everyone who knew Michael would recognise his voice, and his laughter was infectious. Many people will remember him whizzing around School on his bicycle, always wearing a hat and carrying a spotted handkerchief in his pocket. His funeral at Norwich Cathedral was attended by many people who had known Michael including colleagues and past pupils, many of whom he had not seen for years. It was an elegant occasion, replicating the service he chose for Jacqueline and enhanced by the many fabulous tributes sent by people from all over the world whose lives have been enriched by knowing them both, and who now hold on to lovely memories. They talk of him as being a dear friend, an exceptional teacher, wonderful, generous and talented – and a gentleman.

We shall all miss him in very different ways.                                                                                               

Vanessa Free (daughter)

LEMAN on 18 June 2014

George Grahame Curtis Leman, aged 84 (P47)

Head of School.

His grandfather, father and uncle were all in Pageites.

National Service was spent in the Intelligence Corps,

Combined Services team. He went up to Trinity College,

Oxford. With his career mainly in advertising, he worked

for American multinational companies and also as a

Management Consultant. Several of his books of fiction

were published in the UK and USA and also a scientific

work in human sciences.

Gibbs

N Gibbs

Brooke Hall 1950-62

Died 26th May 2014, aged 91

Nigel Gibbs was born in Carrara (Italy) in 1922 and lived there for the first four years of his life, afterwards living in Bristol; sadly, his mother died when he was just five. From the age of seven he was a boarder at Clifton College (1929-41) where he was a scholar. He and his older brother, George Anthony, both played cricket and rugby for the school. Nigel was an exhibitioner at Worcester College Oxford (1941-42 & 1945-47), reading Classics and English. At Oxford, he played for the University at rugby, hockey and cricket. His studies were interrupted by war service in the RNVR (1942-45); after training, he spent two years in submarines reaching the rank of Lieutenant and being mentioned in dispatches. In 1944 he met and married Muriel, who was in the Wrens.

On graduating from Oxford in 1947, he taught at Clifton College Preparatory School – playing a full part in the life of the school, producing plays and continuing his keen interest in sport. During 1947-50 he played rugby for Bristol and Gloucestershire: ‘a first-class back, kicking with equal facility with either foot and earning many points with his long-range penalty kicks’. Also during this time his son Timothy and daughter Bridget were born.

In 1950 Nigel moved to Charterhouse as Assistant Master and House Tutor in Daviesites. Once again, he played a full part in school life: he produced plays and served in the CCF (RAF & RN), commanding the RN section in 1961-62; he coached many teams in cricket and hockey. With wide-ranging interests and a heartfelt belief in the value of school societies and clubs, he organised a junior natural history society and helped with the debating and gramophone societies. He was Master-in-charge of Exams, and was a GCE examiner of English and Latin at O- and A-level with the Cambridge, London and Oxford Boards.

While at Charterhouse in the early 1950s he played rugby for Harlequins and Surrey, gaining England caps against Scotland and France in the 1954-55 season. Reporting on the Calcutta Cup match and Nigel’s debut, the News of the World commented on his ‘glorious kick from the edge of the touchline’ to convert a try, and stated: ‘…altogether he hardly put a foot wrong throughout the game’. He was also a member of the London Society of Referees.

After Charterhouse Nigel Gibbs became a headmaster, steering two schools successfully through difficult periods: Crewkerne School (1963-65) and Colston’s School in Bristol (1965-71) where he taught English, divinity and Latin at all levels, with some junior history, French and mathematics. According to the School’s history by John Wroughton: ‘His six years at Colston’s School witnessed the blossoming of extra-curricular activities, the rise of the School to excellence in sport and the introduction of a policy of liberalisation, which brought many fundamental reforms to the life of the community.’ The Colstonian has paid a warm tribute: ‘He was an extremely kindly man, whose immediate desire was always to make others happy, but never at the cost of any sacrifice of his strongly held moral principles. He was, indeed, a truly Christian gentleman. He loved the Chapel, where he was a faithful communicant… In his time with us, he made many friends and no enemies. He got to know the boys well through his coaching of the younger teams.’ After some postgraduate studies at Bristol University, Nigel was for a number of years the Deputy Head of North Foreland Lodge in Hampshire before retiring happily in Bristol and Devon.

Nigel Gibbs is survived by his wife, Muriel, whose care in later life when he had vascular dementia enabled his continued pleasure and involvement in all that was most important to him: family, worship, sports and reading (two books of well-thumbed Plato were kept at his bedside). His family has received many warmly appreciative cards and letters from friends and former colleagues. One remark eloquently acknowledges his ‘calm, measured and utterly reassuring presence, full of quiet wisdom’.

GREEN on 4 May 2014

John Curtis Green MBE, aged 85 (P48)

His father was in Saunderites, and in Robinites two

brothers Christopher (R45 deceased), Andrew (R54) and

a nephew Michael (R78).

His brother Andrew wrote: "A Pageite with 'Uncle' A L

Irvine (BH1914-46), John left at the age of 16 to go

farming. He learned with the Matson family in Shropshire

and quickly became a prominent Young Farmer. When

Nuffield farming scholarships were being awarded to

over 24-year-olds, he was given a six-month travelling

scholarship aged 19 with three months to be spent in the

UK and three in the US where he made many friends.

On return he took the job of managing 2000 acres for

the Worth family at Holbeach Hurn, Lincolnshire.

There he successfully designed tipping and side tipping

trailers, began to revolutionise potato harvesting through

design of equipment and new systems and brought

neighbourhood farmers together in a major vining, pea

growing, harvesting and marketing enterprise.

In 1967 he joined his brother Andrew (R54) in the

Cambridgeshire fens to found Greens of Soham which

became a major vegetable growing, packing and

marketing business. He was an expert in soil management

and agronomy especially that of the potato, founding the

Cambridge University Potato Growers Association which

led to the creation of the research centre at the University

farm. He contributed to new science leading to novel

seed treatments and systems for controlling size in potato

crops and the growing of seed.

In addition to his design and engineering skills John built

and converted houses to a high standard, 2 packhouses

and 40,000ft of root vegetable storage - perhaps

benefiting from his father Christopher Green, architect

(S18). As a trustee of the Nuffield Foundation he started

'Young Nuffield' - new scholarships for under 24 year

olds and encouraged many young people to benefit from

it. In 1995 Greens of Soham Ltd commenced its farming

involvement in central Europe through the purchase

of Poland's largest state farming business. The new

company, Spearhead International Ltd, of which his son

is chief executive, now farms 200,000 acres in the UK

and Eastern Europe

On retirement to Cornwall, he started a sailing school for

children run by volunteers utilising a method of quick

learning from their peers as they sail on the water with

limited monitoring, which continues to produce leading

National dinghy sailors. In recognition of this, among his

many achievements, he was awarded the MBE."

He is survived by his wife Margaret whom he married

in 1964, four children, fourteen grandchildren and one

great grandchild.

FROOMBERG on 12 February 2014, Philip David BEM aged 89

B  OQ38 - CQ43

School Monitor, Exhibition in Modern Languages to Queen’s College Cambridge

He served in the RN Voluntary Reserve during WWII.  His business career was in clothing and textile manufacturing, as Chairman & Managing Director of Allan A Carswell Ltd.   He was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2012 for voluntary service to the Merton branch of the SSAFA Forces Help charity.

WINSER on 22 January 2015

Colin Richard Winser TD, aged 83 (W49)

Monitor.

Also in Weeklies were his younger brother John

(W52), who died in 2014 and son Crispin (W96) who

writes: "I remember my father taking me for my first day

at Charterhouse and his obvious envy that I was just

embarking on a stage of life which he had enjoyed so

much. Throughout his life he was a proud supporter of

OC and Old Weekite events, which we were often able to

enjoy together.

On leaving School in 1949, he gained a place at Cambridge

to read history, but was first commissioned into the

Royal Fusiliers. He embraced National Service with his

usual enthusiasm, describing it as a form of finishing

school. He was posted to Berlin and narrowly avoided

the Korean War, retaining his military interest thereafter

by serving in the TA for many more years, reaching the

rank of Captain. He went up to Corpus Christi College,

Cambridge, in 1951 where he read history and then

law. He rowed for his college, both in Cambridge and at

Henley, had a thoroughly good time and emerged with a

gentleman's Third.

He then secured articles at Lovell, White & King,

where he spent three years before joining his father's

firm, Sherwood &r Co (now Winckworth Sherwood).

After an initially broad practice he soon specialised in

parliamentary work, becoming a Parliamentary Agent

and focussing his energies on promoting private bills

to facilitate infrastructure projects. In his 40 years as a

solicitor, my father won the respect and friendship of

not only his colleagues, partners and clients, but also his

opponents. He has been described as "one of the doyens

of [the] unique profession of Parliamentary Agency" who

promoted bills with "consummate accomplishment" and

was "one of the most diligent members of the Society of

Parliamentary Agents".

In 1964 he met my mother Caroline through mutual

friends and, after a lengthy courtship, they married at the

Old Charterhouse in 1973. My mother's impulse purchase

of a cottage in the Isle of Wight led to him taking up

sailing and buying a share in a Bembridge One Design.

Though his sailing was marked more by enthusiasm than

skill, he was always a very popular boat partner. They

moved from London to Surrey in 1994, and whilst my

father loved London, he embraced life there. Although

he never fully shared my mother's passion for horses, he

became involved in charitable work as a trustee of the

Fortune Centre, an inspiring establishment in the New

Forest that provides riding therapy for children with

special needs. After the birth of my first son in 2008, he

filled his new role of grandfather with ease; he adored

his three grandchildren and was looking forward to the

arrival of his fourth, my sisters first child. We all miss

him very much."

Thornton

Sir Richard Thornton KCVO OBE

Died 7th Jan 2014, aged 91

Governing Body 1973-97; Chairman 1981-89

Sir Richard Thornton was a dedicated farmer and landowner – widely respected for his committed service to the County, and indeed to Charterhouse.  He was born on October 10th 1922 and educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge. His extensive knowledge of farming and love of the countryside is obvious in the family estate at Hampton, Seale. He served on the Thames Conservancy (1968-74), becoming chairman of the land drainage committee of the Thames Water Authority (1974-80) and the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (1977-84). He was President of the Surrey Branch of the Country Landowners Association.

Sir Richard became Chairman of the Governing Body of Charterhouse shortly before the appointment of Peter Attenborough as Headmaster in January 1982. During this period of transition he provided calm, courteous and assured leadership. He had a great gift of listening and was unfailingly helpful in suggesting possible solutions and strategies.

As Chairman, he oversaw the completion of Ben Travers Theatre and RVW Music School, also the refurbishment of Science Block and accommodation for the increasing number of girls. Denis Thatcher opened the Halford Hewitt Golf Course on OC Day in 1988 by driving off from the first tee. Sir Richard and other members of the Governing Body were lucky to be narrowly avoided by the sliced ball!

Sir Richard, as Lord Lieutenant of Surrey (1986-97), laid the foundation stone of Queen’s Sports Centre in October 1994, after he had handed over the chairmanship. The Queen formally opened the Sports Centre in February 1997. 

His wider interest in schools meant that he was also a long-serving Chairman at Bishop Reindorp School in Guildford (now Christ’s College) 1985-98 and a governor at Barfield College and Merrist Wood Agricultural College.

Peter Attenborough wrote: ‘his wisdom, his judgment, his deep courtesy, his patience, his personal warmth and his friendly smile ensured universal respect and a positive atmosphere wherever he was. He has always been for me the embodiment of Chaucer’s description ‘a verray parfit gentil knight’.

He was the beloved husband of Gay, and father of Sarah (G 74), Louise (G 77), Bridget (G 78) and Emma (G 81), and an adored grandfather and great-grandfather; one of his grandsons – Andrew Tinker (G 13) – was a Carthusian. A Service of Thanksgiving was held in Chapel on Saturday 22nd March. Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for Surrey, Dame Sarah Goad DCVO JP, represented the Queen at the service.

Ray

CTA Ray

Brooke Hall 1965-85

Died 4th December 2013, aged 89

Christopher Ray (D 42) was born in Scarborough in 1924. His early years were spent in India where his father was a senior member of the Indian Police Force. When he was seven, Christopher was sent to Winchester House School in Northamptonshire; he saw very little of his parents from then onwards, spending school holidays with relatives in Yorkshire. In 1936 tragedy struck when his mother died in India, two years before the award of his scholarship to Charterhouse where he started in OQ 1938. While at Charterhouse during the early years of the war, and partly because of his circumstances, he developed wide-ranging interests – an extraordinary mental capacity, intellectual ability, independence and self-reliance. In 1942 he went on to study classics at Magdalene College Cambridge, but in the following year he was called up. While waiting for his papers to arrive he taught himself carpentry, making models of every conceivable joint including the heinously difficult hidden dovetail! After officer training at Sandhurst, and learning to drive Sherman tanks and ride motorcycles, he joined a tank regiment – the 1st Fife & Forfar Yeomanry. Until VE Day he taught driving and the maintenance of Churchill tanks while waiting to be sent into action, which nearly happened after VE Day when he was posted to India. He landed at Bombay, travelled across India by train, and ended up in Calcutta where his father was Commissioner of Police. Two close friends of his, who passed out from Sandhurst with him, had chosen different regiments; both were killed in the withdrawal following the Arnhem debacle. He always remembered them, and visited their graves with the Royal British Legion only a few years ago.  Christopher was a natural linguist; during the war he taught himself Hindustani and developed his French and German, returning to Cambridge after the war to study for an MA in modern languages instead of classics. After Cambridge he taught at Lancing College for nine years; there he married his first wife Beryl, and his two sons Julian and Michael (V 70) were born. He then taught at Marlborough College, and at Holmewood House in Kent where he was Senior Master. In 1965 the family moved to Godalming where he achieved his long-held ambition to teach languages at Charterhouse; he taught French, German and Russian until his retirement in 1985. CTAR was always much involved in extra-curricular activities, particularly musical ones (school orchestras and wind ensembles); he coached cricket, hockey, football, golf and fives – and he played in staff and old boys’ matches. He undertook many other tasks and roles during his teaching career – including GCE marking, summer schools, foreign trips, running the exams, and even timetabling.

He was a brilliant teacher – well prepared, meticulous about everything, and perceptive in identifying where individual pupils needed help. He was dedicated to teaching, and took his job extremely seriously – in fact, he loved helping anyone to learn anything. His hashes were always of maximum value – incorporating his own special techniques for helping people to understand the subject in question – and with his sense of humour never far away. Discipline was never a problem for him. A former colleague commented that, ‘He was always a calm and smiling presence in the Department and usually had some amusing anecdote to recount that would lighten the burden of my day’. CTAR was extremely proud of the successes achieved by his pupils, and was forever interested in their subsequent education and careers. For many years he also worked for a translating company, mostly on pharmaceutical documents; he also translated two books – The Rise of the Working Class  by Jürgen Kuczynski in 1967, and Dachau – The Official History, 1933 - 1945 by Paul Berben in 1975.

He had a profound and lifelong love of classical music – particularly Mozart, Brahms, Haydn, Beethoven and Spohr; at the end of his time as a Carthusian he had a few clarinet hashes from George Draper, but he was largely self-taught. He later took up the bassoon and contra-bassoon, and played in orchestras and wind groups. His record collection was vast, covering the entire spectrum from the Baroque onwards; he passed away listening to Radio 3.

CTAR enjoyed his time at Charterhouse immensely, both as a pupil and as a schoolmaster. He did long stints as Treasurer and Secretary to the OC Club, and as a member of the Carthusian Society Committee, between 1966 and 2000; he was proud to be an OC and to uphold the finest traditions of the School, and he was extraordinarily methodical and accurate to several decimal places in his minute-taking. Upon retiring from Charterhouse, Christopher and his second wife Joanna (who died in 2005) moved to East Knoyle in Wiltshire where he found many new friends. Before going into hospital in November 2013, Christopher had been working through a refresher course in Ancient Greek, and had also just finished War and Peace for the third time. He was an avid reader, and never stopped learning. Following his death his family was very grateful to receive many letters from colleagues and friends describing the friendship, support and encouragement that he had given to them over the years. His sons have donated a memorial bench to the School; it will be placed on Green, where he played cricket on many occasions.

CLAPHAM on 19 November 2013

Dr Charles Cornell Clapham, aged 89 (R42)

Eustace Dallin Wade Prize for Biology 1941.

He read medicine at Christ's College, Cambridge and

completed his training at Guy's & St Thomas's in London.

He did National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corps

and became a General Practitioner in Cornwall.

Phillips

JC Phillips

Brooke Hall 1952-1978; Housemaster of Gownboys 1967-78.

Died 19th September 2013, aged 85

John Phillips was born on 15th November 1927 and was educated at St Andrew’s Eastbourne and Malvern College. Before going up to Magdalen College Oxford to read history and get a DipEd, he did his national service (1946-48): he served at first in the ranks and was later commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. John met Pat Reilly when they were undergraduates at Oxford. Neither of them having families to go to in the vacs, they spent a great deal of time together; Pat cooked their exiguous meat ration on a gas ring. They married in 1952, and had four children: Jan, Nick, Gilly and Nessa. John did his teaching practice at Charterhouse, and was delighted when George Turner (Headmaster, 1947-52) invited him to stay on. Before Gownboys John and Pat lived in Pitfold (the house in Hurtmore Road designed for them by an architect friend); here began the legend of their hospitality – lubricated by the famous Pitmix (gin and vermouth with a splash of grapefruit juice) which tasted innocuous. Its last public outing was at the party after which one guest was discovered attempting to swim home across Wildernesse.

John succeeded Peter Gardiner in Gownboys, who (in a very short time) had pioneered radical reforms – including the abolition of monitorial beating and fagging. John always remained grateful to Peter for having laid the foundations upon which he could build. During the Phillips’s first year in G, the House camped in Markenhorn (now a housing-estate) at the top of Farncombe Hill while the 1872 building was modernised. JCP was a towering figure as Housemaster of Gownboys; he developed a new approach to housemastering. All members of G were valued for themselves and for whatever contribution they could offer; although his housemastering was strictly speaking inimitable – since it depended on his character and on the unique atmosphere that he and Pat generated in G – John’s principles and ideas were enlightened, forward-looking and strongly projected: a pattern all might follow – and indeed amongst his many imitators were pupils of his who found their way into housemastering in due course. John had a remarkably light touch, but only the foolhardy would risk disappointing him. He celebrated (with effusive, noisy and spontaneous jubilation) worthwhile efforts in all fields of achievement – not just the traditional public school provinces of sport, more sport and a smattering of classics. He took enormous pleasure and pride in Gownboy successes (however modest); he ran a tight ship, and despite his liberalism he was able to simulate authentic wrath when checking anarchic or dangerous impulses (illicit doings in cellars and on rooves) – though he might later have a very good laugh at mischief that struck him as creative or witty. No wonder that JCP was rated by Oliver Van Oss (Headmaster, 1965-73) as one of the three great housemasters of England; no wonder that his G produced so many high-achieving originals.

John left Charterhouse to become Warden of St Edward’s Oxford (1978-88). His experience in Gownboys informed his headmastering, and St Edward’s benefitted in particular from his emphasis on the house community as the most important educational force in a pupil’s life. JCP oversaw many developments, not least the expansion of the pupil roll by 50 during his time – a new house, new buildings for sport, design & technology and maths, pioneering partnerships with other Oxford schools – and in 1983 he began the move towards co-education at St Edward’s.

As at Charterhouse John’s successes as Warden were reflections of his personal qualities as much as his ideas. He understood the young and enjoyed their company – and in all that he did he was strongly supported by Pat. They were indeed a powerful team. JCP knew when to take a firm stance and to draw clear lines but he was a naturally liberal man, tolerant of the ways of young people. He knew that one of the key features of education was to create space for the young to make mistakes. He appreciated the value of learning from experience. A man of serious purpose without being overtly pious, he took the spiritual side of human development seriously though he was rarely solemn. John Phillips was a great enthusiast and encourager; he was always demonstratively delighted in the success of those around him. JCP’s classes were humane, inspiring and fun; when he started at Charterhouse, bright forms did extra classics – churning through Latin texts! No wonder then that from the beginning of his career he made such a strong impression and inspired others to teach. Teaching was for him a passion enriched by his many other passions – sailing, sketching, water-colouring, pottery, sculpture, cars (including several Alfas, an Aston Martin, a Lagonda, a Sunbeam Talbot 90, and an MG named Rudolf), sundry sports, food, wine, France, Scotland, history, architecture, painting, educational innovation, jokes, music, contemporary art, and the cultivation and landscaping of gardens (for colourful shrubs, wild flowers, fruits, asparagus and general veg – as well as for adventurous play with the grandchildren); but his chief and over-riding interest was in other people. At the centre of John’s life was his large and lively family, whose warmth and generosity radiated to give John’s pupils and colleagues a sense of belonging – especially during the Phillips years in Gownboys.

John and Pat retired to Devon, where he worked until 2002 as Education Officer of the Emmott Foundation –a charitable trust giving grants to clever children whose sixth-form careers would otherwise be curtailed by family disaster. In 1990 he instigated and launched the Arkwright Scholarship scheme for young engineers; this expanded rapidly, and in 2000 it was taken over by the Smallpeice Trust which in 2013 awarded 371 engineering scholarships. Pat and John moved to Sussex in 2011 to be nearer their family. When John died, after a long period of ill-health borne with typical fortitude and good humour, the Phillips family was overwhelmed by the volume and warmth of e-mails and letters received. JCP – ‘Spike’ to his pupils – had inspired great affection and admiration; he had generated countless amusing anecdotes, many of them springing from his love of a good party. Beyond and above the diverting detail of what was written were the commonly remarked cardinal virtues of the man: energetic, fun, fair, decent, inspirational. John Phillips had a gift for friendship and jollity which affected all who knew him; his many interests and talents combined with his natural ebullience to make an extraordinarily memorable educationalist – in fine, one of the truly great Charterhouse figures of the 20th-century.

With thanks to Malcolm Oxley (Second Master, St Edward’s Oxford)

SUMNER on 12 August 2013

The Hon Sir Christopher John Sumner, aged 73 (L58)

Head Monitor, Captain 2nd XI Hockey, Nomads Football,

Literary &r Political Society, Wesley Society, Chapel &

Library Committees.

His father was in Daviesites, daughter Emma (B93),

and son-in-law Matthew White (P90) married his elder

daughter Claire. He read Economics at Sidney Sussex

College, Cambridge

Adapted from The Inner Temple Yearbook 2014-15, written

by Master Thorley: "Christopher was in all respects the

perfect gentleman. He was called to the Bar in 1961

and practised from 12 Kings Bench Walk until his

appointment to the Circuit Bench in 1987, at a time

when his father Sir Donald Sumner (D30) was still a fulltime

judge. His appointment was welcomed on all sides.

Nobody had any doubts that he would be a success. He

pioneered a new approach to the daily work of a judge.

Instead of slavishly following the order of cases in his

list as devised by court officials, he would have all the

litigants and lawyers into court, sort out the batting order,

thus leading to a brisk and fair dispatch of business.

It was thus no surprise when in 1996 he was elevated

to the High Court Bench and sat in the Family Division.

Here he proved himself again and that sense of calm,

good order, courtesy and wise judgement which he had

displayed in the County Court, carried into his work in

the High Court. One of his best qualities as a judge was

his humanity, in particular to the losing party, to whom he

delivered the bad news as considerately as possible - an art

so necessary in family disputes, yet so difficult to achieve.

Christopher served two spells with the Judicial Studies

Board between 1991 and 1996 and again between 1999

and 2005, becoming Director of Studies and Chairman

of Family Law. He was also much concerned withjudicial

welfare, assisting the judiciary at all levels to lead less

stressful professional lives. His marriage to Carole took

place in 1970; it was one of enormous happiness and the

bedrock upon which he built his professional and private

life. They had two daughters and a son William. He

called his family 'his legacy'. It is a remarkable testimony

to Christopher and his unfailing good humour, humility

and kindness that one never heard a bad word spoken

of him. As one person wrote to the family, 'Oh, that we

might all aspire to live such a brilliantly successful life

with such grace and decency.'"

Cooke

AT Cooke

Brooke Hall 1966-90; Housemaster of Bodeites 1978-90

Died 5th June 2013, aged 69

From the age of 7 Antony Cooke grew up at Charterhouse where his father, Wing Commander Michael Cooke, ran the School Workshop (later the Design & Technology Department) and the RAF Section of the CCF, as well as teaching Maths and Technical Drawing, and where for many years his mother Kathleen was secretary to the School Secretary, who was the person responsible for admissions at the time. Her sister Alison was the Headmaster’s Secretary.  To start with, the family lived in Badger’s Hollow, below Bob Arrowsmith and his sister Grace.

In those days it was not customary for masters to send their own children to school where they worked, so Antony and his elder brother Terence both attended Rossall, where Antony was Captain of Rugby and Head of School. From there he went to Lincoln College, Oxford to read French and German, playing rugby for the University Greyhounds and, during his language year in France, for Toulon.

In 1966 he was appointed as an Assistant Master at Charterhouse, becoming House Tutor in Duckites for five years and then for another five years in Robinites. Also at this stage he was Master-in-charge of Shooting. When John Mash left in 1978 he succeeded him as Housemaster of Bodeites, the house of which his childhood neighbour had once been the rather feared incumbent. As a housemaster he showed a masterly blend of firmness and support for his charges. Bodeites under his leadership flourished and reflected something of his own humanity.

He taught French throughout the School and German to O-level, and in the last few years GCSE. Some of the resulting changes in language teaching were quite challenging. Antony’s excellent command of the languages stood him in good stead to cope with new techniques while retaining all that was valuable in the more methodical traditional approach. His teaching style yielded a happy synthesis of these seeming irreconcilables.

In the department he was a cheerful and thoughtful colleague, ever helpful and cooperative in daily business and a solid support in crisis – a fund of wise experience. He offered friendly help and advice when necessary, but much more valuable even than this was his inestimable ability to listen. Antony, although a busy member of Brooke Hall, always seemed able to find time and space in the day: time for a chat, time for a drink, time to pen a kind note after a play, time for the real essentials in life – his family, friends, pupils and their immediate concerns. His incisive mind was quick to grasp the essentials of any situation, and his reports at the end of Quarter reflected an admirable insight into those whom he had been teaching.

Antony had a very wide range of interests which spanned from the cultural, to wind-surfing on Hayling Island in February, to taking the engine of his beloved Velocette motor-bike to pieces. One of my enduring images of Antony is that of a leather-clad biker roaring off into the distance. He was not an ambitious man – it was others who were ambitious for him. And so he successfully applied in 1990 to become Headmaster at Kamuzu Academy, the so-called ‘Eton of Africa’, which President Banda had founded near the palm-tree where he had been taught as a child in Malawi. When Dr Banda was deposed, Antony moved to Kenya for two years to continue teaching. He joined the Aga Khan Academy in Nairobi as Deputy Head and was transferred to Uganda to reopen the Aga Khan High School in Kampala. He worked with Ugandan Aga Khan Schools for nearly ten years – the last four as the CEO of the Aga Khan Education Service in Uganda, with responsibilities throughout East Africa. In January 2007, he became the founding Headmaster of another British-style boarding-school in Africa, Riviera High School at Kabuga near Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

He had just retired from there when on a visit to England he was diagnosed as suffering from an advanced cancer which took hold rapidly and ended his life in a mere nine months, thus preventing him from realising his cherished dream of retirement in Kenya with his second wife and their son in a house he had recently purchased overlooking the creek in Mombasa. He leaves his widow and five children from two marriages, the eldest three of whom are OCs: Alexander  

(G 84), Selwyn (V 88) & Isabelle (G 92).

EHZ

FRANKLAND on 9 April 2013

Timothy Cecil Frankland, aged 81 (S50) Head of School, 1st XI Football, Maniacs Cricket.

Relatives in Saunderites: his father Roger (S27, dec'd),brother Mark (S52, dec'd), sons Mathew (S79) and

Nick (S76) who wrote: "My father's National Service was with the 15/19th Hussars and he was later a member of the

Inns of Court Yeomanry. He qualified as an Accountant and became a Partner of Binder Hamlyn &r Co. Thereafter

he joined the merchant bank Hill Samuel &r Co., where he became a highly respected Director of the corporate

advisory department. In 1974, on behalf of the bank, he began his long association with Asia, particularly Japan

and Korea, to which countries he was a frequent visitor and where he made many friends. During this time he

also held a number of Directorships with other British companies. In 1991 he was appointed to the Governing

Body of Charterhouse, on which he served for twelve years, and was also on the Board of the newly formed

Charterhouse Enterprises Ltd. On his retirement he and his wife, Elizabeth, divided

their time between their homes in Richmond and Cornwall, enjoying their passion for walking and

gardening and spending time with their many friends and family in both. Until the last months he continued

to play golf at The Royal Mid Surrey with one of his oldest Carthusian friends, James McGuffie (H47). He is

survived by his wife and greatly missed by his three sons and two grand-daughters."

Spratt

Sir Greville Spratt GBE TD JP DL DLitt

Died 13th December 2012, aged 85

Sir Greville Spratt (g 45) served on the Governing Body and also on its Finance and General Purposes Committee for over a decade (1985-1999). All members of the Governing Body give their time and their services voluntarily, and their sole concern is the welfare of the School – its pupils, its staff, its facilities and its reputation. Decisions are those of the Governing Body as a whole and this tribute acknowledges Sir Greville’s contribution to the School through some of the beneficial decisions made during his tenure of office, especially during his six years (1989-1995) as Chairman. Sir Greville was invited to join the Governing Body during the chairmanship of Mr Richard Thornton. At that time Sir Greville was an Alderman of the City of London, destined to become one of three OCs who were elected Lord Mayors in quick succession during the 1980s – Sir Alan Traill (H 53) in 1984, Sir David Rowe-Ham (G 54) in 1986 and Sir Greville (g 45) in 1987. All three invited the School to enter a float in their Lord Mayor’s Show through the City; these floats were designed by Michael Woods, Head of Art, and were greatly enjoyed by the pupils and beaks who participated. All three Lord Mayors planted mulberry trees at the School during their mayoralty, Sir Greville’s being in the grounds of g. These trees are reminders of an ancient custom performed by the Master of the London Charterhouse who every year presented a bowl of mulberries from a tree growing in the grounds of the Charterhouse to the Lord Mayor of the City. In 1984 when Sir Alan Traill was Lord Mayor and his two sheriffs both OCs, Eric Harrison (being Master of the London Charterhouse at the time) re-enacted this ceremony.

An up-to-date history of Charterhouse was published in 1990 with the Foreword written by Sir Greville. This history, the first for fifty years, had been commissioned in 1988 by the Governing Body and was written by Anthony Quick (BH 1949-61; Headmaster of Rendcomb College 1961-71; Headmaster of Bradfield 1971-85).

Two major factors affected the environment in which the Governing Body and the School operated during most of Sir Greville’s time on the Governing Body. First, Conservative governments were continuously in power (Margaret Thatcher and John Major) during which the Labour threat to the charitable status of the independent schools was not an issue of immediate concern; indeed the opposite was the case with the introduction in 1980 of the Assisted Places Scheme which encouraged independent schools to admit pupils whose parents could not afford the full fees. Nevertheless, the Governing Body approached this scheme cautiously by admitting only five pupils a year in case there was a change of government that might have cancelled the scheme, possibly leaving the School to meet the shortfall in fees. When the Tony Blair Labour Government came to power in 1997 it did cancel the scheme but fortunately it continued to meet the costs of pupils already in schools. Second, during Sir Greville’s first eight years Peter Attenborough (as Headmaster) provided the School with steady leadership until his retirement in 1993, but an unsettled period followed when the new Headmaster, Peter Hobson, appointed under Sir Greville’s chairmanship, resigned in his second year. It fell to Sir Anthony Laughton, who had succeeded Sir Greville as Chairman, to deal with the problems that had now arisen.

External events often dictated the decisions that had to be made, whilst others were internal, based on ‘good housekeeping’, planning ahead and responding to initiatives from within the School community.

In The Carthusian of June 1993, Dr Ian Blake recorded some of the external pressures that the School faced during Peter Attenborough’s Headmastership: he described the period as ‘an era of educational change that was never envisaged in the worst headmagisterial nightmares of the seventies. These upheavals – National Curriculum, the change over to GCSE, constantly altering patterns of university entrance and recently, for boarding schools implementing the new Children’s Act, tactful liaison with local Social Services – will be regarded by future historians as the educational equivalent of the French Revolution’. These issues were of as much concern to the Governing Body as to the Headmaster. The abolition of the entrance examination to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge for post A-level candidates brought to an end the presence of senior pupils who stayed on for the OQ after their A-level exams, thus causing not only a loss of more mature intellectual study and leadership but also of income.

These were the years during which major decisions were made concerning the admission of girls and, in particular, the arrangements for their accommodation and whether to admit girls in the Underschool. The system of landladies that had served well when the admissions were limited to a few girls was replaced progressively as numbers increased with hostels in the care of members of Brooke Hall – Stainers, Sandy Lane/Sutton Cottages, Timbers, Northridge and Chetwynd with Long Meadow to follow later. Sir Greville was in the chair in 1989 when there was widespread discussion about whether the whole School should go coeducational. Housemasters and heads of academic departments had opposing views and it fell to the Governing Body to make the decision that the existing arrangements should be continued but with an increase in the number of girls to make the Sixth-form more coeducational.

These were also the years during which classroom teaching was transformed by modern technology with inexpensive blackboard and chalk being replaced with televisions and computers, all costly to purchase and with further costs to come with their replacement at the end of their operational lives. A language laboratory also became a necessity as the best modern tool to meet the growing concentration on oral communication skills which now formed a greater part of curriculum requirements alongside the traditional concentration on literature.

The impetus for investment in improved and new facilities for the School had begun with the construction of the seven new Houses and the centralisation of catering – a programme that was completed by the end of CQ 1974. From then on up to the present day the Governing Body has invested continuously in modern facilities.

An exciting item on the agenda at the very first Governing Body meeting that Sir Greville attended in February 1985 was a letter from the Chairman and the Captain of the OC Golf Society offering to raise all the money required for the construction at the School of a golf course together with machinery, and at a later date, a club house. This most generous offer was in due course accepted and, driven by Nicholas Royds (V 47), the money was raised and the Halford Hewitt Golf Course was formally opened by Denis Thatcher on OC Day 1988.

A major headache for the Governing Body was the Science Block with facilities that were desperately out of date. Sir Greville was in the chair during the final two years of this seven-stage project. The construction of a purpose built new building was considered but that would have left the existing building standing with no obvious use. In addition funds were short and so the decision was made to renovate the existing building in stages year by year as money became available. Ten years after the decision to undertake this project, the renovated building was formally opened on 2nd February 1991 by the Right Hon John Wakeham (H 49) Secretary of State for Energy and also a Member of the Governing Body.

On OC Day 1990 Sir Greville’s school contemporary, Lord Prior (S 45) who was President of the Sports Development Appeal, turned the first turf in preparation for the first all-weather hockey/tennis Astro surface which would be known as Chetwynd after the Shropshire estate of the late Lt-Col JGB Borough (S 1890) whose bequest after the death of his widow in 1987 helped to fund the new pitch (and also the Brooke Hall extension). The pitch was officially opened twice, initially for hockey on 20th February 1991 by David Faulkner, captain of the Great Britain hockey team. It was opened a second time on OC Day that year for tennis in the presence of Lord Prior with an exhibition match between Danny Sapsford (British Davis Cup team) and Jeff Hunter (British Under-21 and Oxford University).

Sir Greville was Chairman when planning permission was sought for the construction of the Sports Centre. Original thoughts were that it should be sited on the edge of Lessington immediately opposite the Art Studio so as to enable pupils to access it easily during hash time. When planning permission, even after appeal, was refused this was a major disappointment for the Governing Body. At a subsequent remarkable meeting chaired by Sir Greville on 13th May 1993, Alan Hewett (H 49) together with the co-directors of the firm, Barnsley Hewett & Mallinson, chartered architects, led by their chairman, John Cahill, assured the Governing Body that, if commissioned, they would successfully obtain planning permission for a Sports Centre on the site where it now stands adjacent to the Chetwynd Astro surface. Their self-confidence proved justified and during the OC Gaudy on 15th October 1994 the Foundation Stone was laid by Mr Richard Thornton, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and former Chairman. The centre was intentionally planned to be shared by the School with the public and to be administered commercially. It was opened for use in November 1995 with Tim Ostle as Manager and formally opened on 21st February 1997 by Her Majesty the Queen who had graciously approved the building being named after her. Other modernising developments included the extension of Brooke Hall, the Geoffrey Ford BTT Foyer and the redecoration of Hall. Writing in the Quatercentenary book Charterhouse – A 400th Anniversary Portrait, Peter Attenborough paid this tribute to the Governing Body:

‘One of the features of the development programme was the timely decisions made by the Governing Body: just as one stage was drawing to a close, decisions were published about the next, creating a sense of a successful community going from strength to strength and always looking ahead with confidence.’

This continuous programme of investment and development was made possible through the assistance of the Carthusian Trust and the generosity of Old Carthusians, parents and well-wishers coupled with prudent financial management. This also enabled new, soundly funded and targeted scholarships to be introduced – Sir Robert Birley Memorial, Peter Newton and Attenborough.

Sir Greville was devoted to his alma mater serving it unstintingly, not only as a Member and Chairman of the Governing Body but also as a Trustee of the Carthusian Trust and President of the Carthusian Society, always exuding a sense of calm control, courtesy, consideration and cheerfulness. It was fitting that during the OC Gaudy 1996 Sir Greville (a former Captain of Charterhouse Athletics) had the pleasure of opening one of the many new School facilities – and one which now commemorates his own name, the Sir Greville Spratt Stadium.

HWF

Crawford

RH Crawford

Died 16th October 2012, aged 87

Dick Crawford arrived at Charterhouse in LQ 51. He was appointed by George Turner, and served under five headmasters; he retired in 1986 in Peter Attenborough’s time. In his 35 years here, Dick did almost everything it is possible to do, both academically and on the sports field: he was House Tutor in Gownboys (1953-57) and in Weekites (1960-70). He was Master-in-charge of Football (1953-62), and at one stage he was in charge of all the main School football and cricket teams (save the 1st XI Cricket); he was in charge of Yearlings Football from its inception in 1964 until 1979, and in charge of Yearlings Cricket for a similar period. He was Honorary Secretary of Brooke Hall (1965-75), an office in which he demonstrated his talents of precise organisation and tact. These qualities were also much in demand in his role as Vice-Chairman of the Games Committee (1982-86).

His prime function in the School was of course that of a teacher. He was one of the last generation of Underschool form masters who taught a number of subjects to a particular year-group – in his case English, French and history. When he arrived at Charterhouse he had to teach geography as well for a brief period, a prospect which initially filled him with horror. This was not true of the occasions when he taught German, which he had studied alongside French in the first year of his degree course at Cambridge – and which he revived to a high standard in his retirement as a result of careful grammatical revision and reading quite a range of German literature in the original. He never commented on what he felt about teaching scripture, which he did on a number of occasions. He taught all these subjects to an extremely high standard, demonstrating a particular strength in stretching pupils of middle and lower ability. He regarded this as his forte, and was very happy in consequence to take the bottom French division for O-Level, and later GCSE; he frequently outstripped the division above in results. Dick continued to be an invaluable help in French after he retired, when he coached those who had failed GCSE until the phenomenon of failure was removed by a general lowering of standards – and Dick ventured for the first time (and, at that, in retirement) into teaching Specialists whose command of French grammar needed to be strengthened when they arrived from other schools in the Sixth-form. This was also his first experience of teaching girls.

As a form master who taught three subjects Dick got to know the boys particularly well and would monitor, guide and encourage their academic progress across the subjects – a role which is nowadays fulfilled by tutors. He struck an excellent balance between constructive criticism and praise, making sure that any work of distinction was recognised appropriately. Part of this process was that, in English, for example, he would ask pupils to make a copy of an excellent piece of work and add any suggestions for improvement they might like to make. These copies were collected by Dick, and after his retirement he published a collection of these pieces of English writing in prose and poetry in a limited edition called Junior Carthusian Writing 1965-85. He would refer to it disparagingly as his ‘ego trip’, which given his natural modesty could not have been further from the truth as he was merely lending a voice to past pupils as an editor of their work.

He had a great enthusiasm for all his subjects and made a consistent effort to keep up to date in them. He had a great love for English literature, and for poetry in particular – and he was also an avid reader of history. He read a considerable amount in the holidays, be it at his parents’ house in the early days, or later on the many holidays in Devon he shared with Tony Day (BH 1954-90), one of his great friends and colleagues. On the occasions when we introduced a new textbook in French it was Dick who had gone through it with a fine-tooth comb carefully evaluating its strength and weaknesses as a teaching aid and noting any linguistic infelicities that might have escaped the editor’s eye before he used it in hash for the first time. This meticulous level of preparation was an inspiration to colleagues, as was his equally rigorous approach to marking pupils’ work. A high standard of discipline could be taken as read in all his classes. Embracing change was not one of Dick’s natural tendencies. But when confronted with it he would make an effort to come to terms with it. When we acquired a language laboratory I took Dick through only such technical details as he needed to know in order to be able to use it, which he duly did. Technology and its new devices filled Dick with bafflement and frequently with alarm. When he had purchased a mobile phone he asked me to drop in and discuss its use. When I arrived he had gone through the manual underlining crucial points in different colours, so he talked me through how he thought it worked, uttering one of his favourite phrases – ‘walking on a minefield’ – which he used particularly when referring to technical difficulties. All I needed to do was to offer reassurance – as , despite his diffidence, he had worked it all out correctly.

Dick was a perfectionist and everything had to be ‘just so’, and he tended to worry until it was. This applied to all aspects of his life be they professional or private. This meant, not altogether surprisingly, that every so often he worried unduly. On one occasion this prompted me into telling him something Tony Day once said to me some years before he died: ‘If Dick is not worried about something, he is ill.’ Apart from a broad smile Dick’s response was just one word: ‘Traitor’.

Dick had a fine sense of humour which included self-irony. Once when I picked him up from 147 Peperharow Road, as he liked to refer to his address, to go to a concert in London he announced that he had not brought an agenda, something he could be relied to draw up for any meeting including social ones. When I enquired whether this was an attempt to alarm me he replied that it was just intended to keep me on my toes so that I would not assume he was utterly predictable.

Dick was a very good listener and an astute judge of character. When I had been fulminating about some particularly unsatisfactory state of affairs and had outlined the action I was planning to take, he said he was putting no money on the opposition. I said I would take this as a compliment. Smiling and with a wicked twinkle in his eyes he said, ‘Could it possibly have been anything else?’ After his retirement Dick was able to cultivate a number of his hobbies, be it watching sport on television or live here at School (he unfailingly supported any match his great-nephews played in when they were here), playing golf, reading, listening to music or joining me for live musical events, which he did with increasing regularity over the years. He greatly enjoyed coming to Philharmonia and Proms concerts, song recitals at the Wigmore Hall and occasionally operas at the Royal Opera House or the English National Opera. The latter stand out as they came to an end with a series of progressively more disastrous productions, culminating in a performance of Macbeth as an opera about Fascism through the ages. It had a nudist colony as a backdrop to the murder of the Macduff children, and finished with a surviving Macduff child placing a typewriter at the front of the stage. As we were walking back to the car Dick said, ‘These people had no clothes on. If this was meant to shock, it failed. You can take it as a piece of evidence that I am broad-minded.’ This particular quality was challenged in some orchestral concerts such as a Proms concert, in which a new piece by a contemporary German composer entitled ‘Grabstein für Stefan’ had been included. It turned out to be an uncompromising study in cacophony. When it came to an end, mercifully after 8 minutes, Dick turned to me and observed that this would not be the kind of tombstone he would be looking for. Dick’s musical tastes (which had been inspired by his father, a leading figure in the musical life of Leeds in his day) were traditional; he was particularly fond of English music, especially Vaughan Williams and Elgar.

Dick enjoyed social occasions, but he was essentially a very private person who in his professional life had been totally dedicated to his pupils and their progress – and to this School, in which he continued to take a great interest until the end of his life – and privately to his family and a small number of close friends, especially Tony Day and Leonard Halcrow (W 44, BH 1947-76), who both sadly died some years before Dick.

EHZ

Macdonald

Lt Col Ian Macdonald

Died 15th June 2012, aged 84

Weekites 1941-46, Brooke Hall 1977-85,

Registrar & Clerk at Sutton’s Hospital 1986-97

Ian Macdonald was born at Broseley, in Shropshire. He

won a Foundation Scholarship and came to Weekites in

1941. For his National Service he joined the Army in the

60th Rifles and served in Northern Ireland. Then, having

decided to become a regular, he went to Sandhurst and

was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals and

was posted to Libya and Iraq. In 1953, through an Army

scheme, he went up to Trinity Hall Cambridge to read

engineering; it was while he was there that he met Judy, and

they were married in 1955 – and, in due course, Henrietta,

Abigail and Hamish were born.

After a year at the Staff College he was posted to Aden and

then to Germany. Moving to Washington DC he worked in

the British Embassy and the Pentagon. His final posting was

to work with the Chief Scientist of the MOD.

He retired from the Army in 1977 with the rank of

Lieutenant Colonel and came back to Charterhouse to

join Brooke Hall and teach mathematics, having first had

to teach himself the new maths. He also commanded the

CCF. Judy, for her part, was much involved with School

theatre productions, designing and making costumes; for

instance, in Geoffrey Ford’s memorable production of King

of Macedon she worked with Joyce Conwy Evans.

In 1986 Ian became Registrar of the Charterhouse and Clerk

to the Governors, following in the footsteps of two other

old Weekites, Norman Long Brown and Jock Moss. He had

responsibility for the domestic side of the Hospital and, to

a large extent, for the finances. His imperturbability, his

sense of humour, his sense of proportion and his interest in

people enabled him to deal without fuss with the inevitable

small upsets; he always made time to talk and listen, and

it was very much due to him that the place ran smoothly

and efficiently. It was a time of big changes, such as the

modernisation of the living conditions of the Brothers and

the increase of their number, which were possible due to

the improved financial conditions of the Hospital. He was

very much involved in the planning of the new Ashmore

Building, and had to see it through the planning stages. His

deep sense of the purpose and character of the Foundation

was an invaluable factor. From his office he could keep an

eye on the comings and goings in the Entrance Court.

He retired as Registrar in 1997 to his house in Godalming,

where he died suddenly at the age of 84.

EEH

First published in The Carthusian 2012

James

David James

Died 7th June 2012, aged 63

Dave joined the carpentry team in the Charterhouse

Estate Department in May 2000. Born in 1949, he

spent his apprenticeship and early working life in general

maintenance before turning to carpentry as his specialism.

He took a City & Guilds qualification in carpentry and

joinery in the late 1960s, and this set him on the route

which brought him to the School. Very much a local Surrey

man, for over 20 years Dave was a retained fireman with

Godalming Fire Station, which meant he was used to be

being on call – and this factor was drawn upon a number

of times during his 12 years with Charterhouse. Willing to

turn his hand to helping where he could, he was part of the

team that helped clear up Lockites in August 2007 when

it flooded leaving a trail of disaster that took over a week

to sort out. He will be remembered for many things – not

least of which his whistling! When working, when relaxing,

when happy, when not so happy. The Maintenance team

would always be able to track him down if working in an

empty School house, locating him by the sound! Dave was

an outstandingly reliable timekeeper. However, the team

recall the one occasion when he was late – ‘Diesel Dave’ was

nicknamed when it came to light when coming into work

that morning, he had filled his diesel van... with unleaded

petrol! Dave was married to Jane. He will be deeply missed

by his family, and the School.

JLD

First published in The Carthusian 2012

Fuller

Dr KD Fuller, Brooke Hall 2000-05

Died 28th April 2012, aged 66

Keith Fuller died after a short

battle with pancreatic cancer

diagnosed at the end of January

2012. He was married to

Melanie who was a housemistress

at Bedales, and later, Director

of Music of the Junior Schools;

their son Tristan, is a lawyer in

Brussels.

Most people have horrific memories

of childhood physics lessons.

They were times when someone

groaned on interminably about

Newton and equations... Keith always believed that physics

was supremely relevant, interesting to everyone – and, in

Brian Cox or Jim Al-Khalili fashion, he could captivate his

audience.

Dr Fuller was a great schoolmaster. He realised that subject

knowledge is not enough to be a good teacher. Teaching is

a performance craft, and you need to like people and be

able to listen carefully to what they are saying. Keith loved to

perform in a classroom, and he cared deeply for all his pupils.

KDF began life as a maths teacher at Bedales. He always

told me that he was largely responsible for film stars such

as Daniel Day-Lewis loving maths! Keith came over from

the dark side to physics teaching before the commencement

of his MSc whilst he was teaching at Bedales. Physics study

and education became a lifelong passion.

Keith had a long association with the Nuffield Physics

project as a teacher, and then as a topic for research. In a

world where educational fashions come and go, Nuffield

Physics was a real triumph. KDF’s PhD research documented

and analysed the development of the Nuffield

A-level physics course in the 1970s. The great Eric Rogers,

who taught physics at Bedales and briefly at Charterhouse

in the 1930s before leaving for Princeton University, was an

inspiration to Keith and an inspiring figure for the Nuffield

course. Eric Rogers’s book Physics for the Enquiring Mind is

a classic – and one that we still recommend to new physics

beaks in Brooke Hall. Throughout his teaching career Keith

was able to pass on to colleagues his understanding of the

Nuffield way to teach physics.

I really got to know Keith during the Institute of Physics

‘Advancing Physics’ project. This was a substantial re-design

of A-level physics teaching which began in 1998, and a

project that Charterhouse was heavily involved with. KDF

(who was Head of Physics at GHS at the time) attended

many early development meetings, contributing to the

course design. He then got involved with piloting the new

course and helping to train teachers in the delivery of the

new ideas.

I was Head of Science here, and in a position to recommend

new appointments in the Department – and it was not long

before I managed to poach Keith from his beloved GHS.

The move to Charterhouse was a very difficult decision for

him. I am glad that many times during the last few years he

referred to his time in Brooke Hall as some of his happiest days.

Keith was a Robinites house tutor, and Hugh Gammell

always says it took hours to calm the house down after

Keith left. I heard that he used to go out and referee football

games during banco, and that he loved to watch late night

TV with the boys. The Rs loved and respected him – and,

as every housemaster knows, this is first and foremost what

you desire in your house tutors.

Football was an engaging passion. He loved coaching U16 B

soccer at Charterhouse. Keith at heart was a Southampton

supporter. He died on the day they became a Premiership

team once more. Our greatest football moment together

was causing a traffic jam in Southampton as he ran into the

back of my car on the way to watch Southampton versus

QPR. He was looking for change for a toll booth, with his

car in gear!

Keith would often say, “I will come over for some wine and

a chat; I have a few bits to sort out.” This usually meant that

he had a project to discuss! He always had lots of good ideas.

Just last year, following one of our ‘little chats’, we decided

to interview Sir Brian Young (Headmaster of Charterhouse

1952-64, and formerly Chairman of the Nuffield Foundation)

at his home. Keith was in his element. It was a real

privilege to be a witness to this conversation.

KDF greatly enjoyed his recent time in the Reading University

Education Department as a teacher-training tutor.

His book on the history of Nuffield A-level Physics was

published late last year.

When Keith arrived at Charterhouse the teacher-training

project (that has grown vigorously over the past six years

during his so-called retirement) started to evolve. Long

before public benefit became a political issue, Keith was

encouraging and helping me work on the Charterhouse

Science Department’s engagement with the community.

During his time in BH and throughout his tragically short

retirement he helped me and other colleagues in Brooke Hall

engage with primary and comprehensive schools, universities

and teacher-training institutions. The public benefit

physics project was created to bring subject knowledge and

love of physics to those pupils and teachers who wanted and

needed it. Particularly for Keith we had to deliver the material

in the spirit of Nuffield and Eric Rogers. He never got

the recognition he deserved for the effort he put into this

work. He loved it though, and enthusiastically contributed

to its success.

I think if you are very lucky you get to work with someone

like Dr Fuller. He was a friend, a colleague, a mentor, and

we worked well as a team. He brought out the best in me

and everyone he worked with. Unselfish and determined,

Keith Fuller had vision and energy. The Charterhouse

summer and autumn physics schools are his legacy, and a

fine testament to the unselfish commitment of a great man.

Keith was a huge personality and consequently he has left a

large emotional vacuum. As I reflect on my time with him

I feel great warmth. His friendship and inspiration have

profoundly changed my life. I miss him very much, and I

give thanks for the years I spent in his fine company.

STH

First published in The Carthusian 2012

HOW on 28 March 2012, Ed Joseph aged 37

Brooke Hall OQ 2003 –LQ 2012

Ed was without doubt the most gregarious person I have known.

I think it was his interest in other people and his need for human

interaction that drew people to him and him to others. He would

greet strangers with the enthusiasm of an old friend, whether

mountain-biking in the Lake District or running the Shackleford

Loop. Ed didn’t have social pretensions and although he liked a

bit of pomp, he didn’t do pomposity.

I was always amused by Ed’s endearing habit of rubbing his

hands together when considering an exciting or mischievous

project. I suspect that Ed had calmed down considerably by the

time we became friends, but he certainly retained an enthusiasm

for schemes of rather dubious outcome. He welcomed any excuse

to purchase clothes or equipment of questionable necessity. I used

to tease him that his road bike was only ever used as a clothes

rack. Whether it was a new pair of skis, his legendary velvet

jacket, or a DIY tool belt, Ed loved gear.

There was also the deeply serious side to Ed that showed in the

commitment he gave to his work. I remember talking with him

when he’d first been appointed Head of Chemistry. He’d spent

weeks over the summer e-mailing experts on teaching methodology,

reading articles and planning strategies. I often likened Ed to a

sled dog: he preferred to run hard and found it difficult when there

wasn’t a challenging project in which to immerse himself.

Nick Mills (BH 2004-09)

By the evening of the first Wednesday of the Easter holidays,

the news of a tragic accident had broken with shocking effect:

that morning, Ed How had been killed whilst skiing in Val

d’Isere. Charterhouse had lost a greatly loved & respected beak.

Two days later a large congregation drawn from all sections of

the Charterhouse community gathered in Memorial Chapel

for a short service taken by the Headmaster. As the School

reassembled for the start of CQ there was a palpable sense

of loss. A book was left in Millennium Chapel in which

memories of EJH could be inscribed; it was soon filled with

out-pourings of love from all corners of the School. Eighthundred

from far & near attended Ed’s memorial service in

Chapel on Sunday 20th May at 11 am. The tributes – from

Ed’s wife Ruth, from his Cambridge & cricketing friend

Arnie Clarke, and Malcolm Bailey – were warm, fulsome

& richly humorous. Ruth How’s tribute was extraordinarily

courageous & eloquent – drawing by turns sympathy, tears

& laughter... and was followed by prolonged applause. The

singing of the hymns was hearty & heartfelt, and the organ

played a medley of pop hits from Ed’s iPod – including the

music of Robbie Williams, Frank Sinatra & Billy Joel (‘Only

the Good Die Young’).

Ed How passed his 12+ to win a place at Dr Challoner’s

Grammar School in Buckinghamshire. He appreciated its

academic excellence; he and his peers, he reckoned, were

‘pushed harder (and slightly hungrier for success) than the

average Carthusian’. He went on to take a double-first in

Natural Sciences at Gonville & Caius, Cambridge. He was

the ‘golden boy’ of the University – President of the Hawks

Club, a cricket blue (with a 5-wicket haul vs Kent at the

zenith of his career), and Captain of the Falcons (Cambridge

University Football 2nd XI) in which capacity he met and

played with Simon Allen & Peter Deakin (BH 1997-2008).

He was widely known and universally liked, not least for his

tremendous energy, enthusiasm for life, impish sense of fun,

charisma, and interest in people. He always had a magnetism

about him – and time for everyone. After Cambridge he

enjoyed working for Deutsche Bank, but felt that teaching

had always been his true vocation: ‘Sitting at a desk all day...

not getting enough sport – I was a bit fed up. The more senior

I got at work, the more I began to feel that there was no real

purpose to it.’

Ed How joined Brooke Hall in September 2003 to teach

chemistry; he came fresh from the city, with sharp suits and a

loud car – a boy-racer’s Subaru with a bean-can exhaust. The

master-in-charge of new-beak induction was overwhelmed

by the number of times Ed thanked him for helping him at the

start of his new career. The School had gained a bright & polite

young man who clearly was looking forward to a new challenge.

Ed’s presence in the Science Department was like a piece

of sodium in water, fizzing around with great energy.

He loved teaching and related brilliantly to Carthusians.

He strove constantly to improve both his own and the

Department’s work. He took delight in organising: as Head

of Chemistry he arranged, planned, and rearranged store

rooms, cupboards & hashrooms. He persuaded the Bursar to

increase his budget, and used the increased funds inventively

& wisely. The chemistry numbers and results shot up. Ed

adored spreadsheets: he was the department expert in data

presentation − and, as in all aspects of Ed’s life, the fun was

in the communication of his ideas. His files were colourcoded

and analysed to the nth degree. He amassed valuable

data, and gave us many ideas about how best to teach &

encourage. For the proposed new chemistry building

he prepared detailed & meticulous plans – carefully

taking into account projected pupil numbers,

changes in chemistry over the next fifty years and

much advice from his various mentors in the

Science Learning Centre. Ed worked tirelessly:

he was a perfectionist, and made huge demands

on himself. He was frequently to be found

working in the department after 10 pm. EJH

was an inspirational teacher and

a great colleague: generous, kind

& funny. He was a ‘radiator’ –

switched on pretty much all

of the time. He energised

& encouraged all whom he

encountered; he was always

a noticeable presence in the

room. From the outset he showed a fiercely independent

spirit, refusing to accept the status quo and always aspiring

for excellence. Although his teaching career was brief, his

legacy will be far-reaching and echoes of his work will be found

in many aspects of life in the School for a long time to come.

Ed showed equal professionalism and dedication on the

sports field, in outdoor activities and in boarding-house life.

Ed will be remembered for his physical & mental energy. He

was a superb athlete – strong & agile; he could run fast over

any distance from 50m to Pontifex. We shall remember him

on Green during the summer, running in smoothly from the

town end with a perfectly planned bowling delivery – left

arm over, relatively fast, with a little bit of swing. He played

in goal for various football teams but liked to run around

more in the defence where, amongst the ageing Brooke Hall

team, he had more work to do. That suited him. He chatted

through games and pulled the strings of the less gifted

members of his defence, encouraging effort with a cheeky

grin on his face.

Ed was a ‘kit bandit’: he always wanted the best for his teams

– squad shirts made with the latest technology, and fancy

training equipment (the digital clock at the end of Pontifex,

cones, ‘silly’ cricket bats, body armour etc) – and he

got it. His introduced his father to Charterhouse;

Mr How senior and his AAA colleagues spent

many afternoons at school helping Ed run

his various athletic activities. Ed constantly

wanted to talk about his ideas for training and

teaching, and was prepared to put his research into

effect – stripping an activity back to its aim and

building it up again: thus he instituted Harriers – a run

for those less athletic pupils not involved in teams... all for

their greater health & fitness. Of course Ed ran too, and his

colleagues joined him. He devised the Orienteering Course,

a visionary addition to outdoor education at Charterhouse:

those little yellow marker posts pop up all round the School,

and are constant reminders of his presence. He transformed

the IVth-form Pioneers’ programme, setting up demanding

and professionally run expeditions to Derbyshire & South

Wales, so that the youngest members of the School finished

their first year with a challenging week. He cajoled staff into

giving their support for several days at the end of CQ, just

when they would probably have preferred not to sleep under

canvas away from home. He remodelled the Yearlings’ Walk –

a highly inclusive activity, developing leadership roles for first

year specialists... and beaks. Planning this always involved a

long-distance bike ride with a couple of colleagues to sort out

the safest & best routes. During the Walk his bike was chained

to the spiral steps below the Chemistry Department; upstairs

was a WWII-style operations room − with paddles and labelled

figures representing the house groups, radio contacts, maps,

and boys keeping check. His dog Moses was never far away.

EJH had a strong association with Lockites – as tutor, then

as Assistant Housemaster (2005-10). He always had a new

plan to improve the L experience for the boys & girls. He

showed great commitment to L, and was part of the character

of the place; he enjoyed gently teasing the specialists in coffee

after lunch; he was very generous with his time – and took

immense trouble with his tutees; he struck-up strong ties,

and was regarded with admiration & affection. A bon viveur,

EJH was at the heart of any L social gathering – and he played

an important part in reviving the Old Lockites Association,

organising several L vs Old L football matches. Latterly as a house

tutor in Pageites EJH was similarly thorough, and attentive to

his individual charges – bringing humour into his discussions to

lighten any academic gloom. Monday night will never be quite

the same without Ed demonstrating a yoga move on private side

before rushing off to knock the house into shape.

We will remember Ed for his attention to detail (in choosing

paint, fabric & furniture – he really did love colour, texture

and good design... and in his micro-navigation skills) – for his

designer stubble, tailored suits & silk ties (and his extensive

repertoire of tie-knots) – for his ‘pleased to see you’ grin, his

bright eyes, his readiness to laugh at a situation or at himself

– for his eagerness to share his latest idea, his excited chatter

and increasingly rapid hand-gestures as he described positions

on the field, the ideal passes, or the latest gadget – for the

immense pride he took in his teams & schemes – for his

curious mannerism of tucking his tie into his shirt whenever

he drank coffee or conducted an experiment – for preparing

obsessively for the first dance at his wedding by attending

dancing classes (on the night, Ruth made it look easy; Ed

made it look well-prepared) – for the list of his cricket &

football clubs (reading like a child’s fantasy collection

– Buccanneers, Willow Warblers, Quidnuncs, Falcons,

Crusaders, Butterflies, Blues) which further demonstrated

his immense popularity. We will remember that if he ever

appeared stubborn & unyielding at times, this was never for

selfish reasons; he was just determined to get the best for every

pupil in the School. He got people off their backsides and

motivated them into doing something worthwhile; naturally

Ed expected the highest standards, and wasn’t afraid to tell

us when they weren’t being met; nonetheless, he was also

exceptional in his acceptance of everyone. He cared so much

and was so generous with himself; this left him vulnerable at

times. When he was depressed his openness and strength were

impressive. His greatest love was for Ruth (they married in

December 2008) and for their daughter Tillie (who was born

in May 2011). Ed never looked happier than last summer

walking around the boundary in his Free Foresters Blazer

and the latest PUMA trainers with Ruth and Tillie whom he

adored... and with Moses, as always, by his side. Our most

recent and treasured memories are of Ed on Terrace at the end

of Pontifex on 22nd March – Tillie aloft on his shoulders,

and Ed as happy & proud as a father can be.

Ed How had exacting standards and a competitive streak.

His ambitious mission statements for his pupils (which were

often laced with a smattering of colourful language) led him

to push them some way beyond what they had thought

possible. Ed’s state-of-the art sports kit and refined sartorial

elegance have left strong visual images − but we should most

fondly remember him as he truly was, underneath this flashy

exterior. Ed How was in many ways an extraordinary man

– perhaps one of the most talented one might encounter in

a lifetime – and his greatest legacy will be his zest for life,

for achievement, for giving heart & soul in everything – for

‘filling the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of

distance run’. We miss him, but he will never be forgotten.

Malcolm Bailey, Bob Noble, Elizabeth Holloway, Andrew

Johnston, Andrew Johnson, Jim Freeman, Ed Hadley, Peter

Reeves (BH 1984-2006), Kevin Brown, Peter Deakin (BH

1996-2008), Nick Pelling, Mike Gillespie, Mark Shepherd,

Helen Pinkney & Simon Allen.

First published in The Carthusian 2012

Driscoll

John Driscoll

Died 21st December 2011, aged 61

John died suddenly from a heart attack, well before the ink

on his JOB DONE rubber stamp had been allowed to dry;

nevertheless, he made an indelible imprint on the fabric of

the School during his time as Project Manager. The Library

refurbishment, the Lodge, Engineer’s Cottage and Oakhurst

renovations, Gownboys refurbishment, the Hunt Health

Centre, Fletcherites, the Peperharow Road houses and the

racquets courts external works all bear testimony to his love

of architecture and his empathy with the Charterhouse

environment. Although, publically, John considered

himself to be a journeyman, his self-depreciation masked

a master-craftsman whose strong work ethic ensured that

the projects repeatedly came in on time and on budget. He

was highly regarded and fondly respected by all his peers at

Charterhouse.

John was a maverick, an individualist, and an intensely

private family man. He was tone deaf and loved music. He

sailed, he cycled and he biked. He completed the London

to Brighton cycle race last year and was carried to his rest

in a motorcycle sidecar. He had a quirky sense of humour.

At his Requiem Mass, one his daughters summed up John’s

philosophy of life by reading ‘Desiderata’, a poem written

by Max Ehrmann in 1927. She explained that he had had

it framed because the words were a great comfort to him

during difficult times and he wanted to share it with his

family. The poem concludes:

‘And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe

is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your

labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep

peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and

broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.’

He did.

Pippa Williams

First published in The Carthusian 2012

Metelmann

Henry Metelmann

Died 24th July 2011, aged 88

Henry Metelmann was known to many simply as one who

worked as a groundsman at Charterhouse following his

retirement as a railway signalman. His gentle and friendly

manner gave little indication of the passion of his beliefs or

the profundity of his thinking.

Henry was born in Altona, now a suburb of Hamburg, on

Christmas Day 1922. His early years are recorded in his book

A Hitler Youth, in which he documents the inevitability, for

so many young people in Germany, of being drawn into

the Nazi machine from an impressionable age. His boyish

enthusiasm was the source of considerable argument with

his father, who died just before Henry was called up.

Joining the Wehrmacht in 1941, Henry trained as a tank

driver, serving first in France but mainly on the Russian

front. His book Through Hell for Hitler charts his gradual

disillusionment with the Führer and Nazi theories of racial

superiority, and his growing antipathy towards military

service, as a result of which he eventually became a convinced

pacifist. Meanwhile Henry was captured, and spent time as

a PoW in America and in Britain before returning home.

Finding himself something of a lone voice in post-war

Germany, he returned to England after only a few weeks

to work on farms in Hampshire. In 1952 he married his

employer’s Swiss au pair, and they had two children. He

began work on the railway as a porter, eventually becoming

a signalman. Sadly his wife died in 1980.

A resident of Peperharow Road, he made many visits to

Charterhouse to talk to pupils about his life under Hitler.

He also appeared in several TV broadcasts. His humility,

and his willingness to state without equivocation how

profoundly his beliefs had changed, made him a striking

and memorable speaker. His inclination to compare, say,

Hitler’s drive towards the oilfields of the Caucasus with

more recent Western involvement in Iraq or Afghanistan

sometimes made for uncomfortable but thought-provoking

listening.

It was also as a local resident that Henry became in the 1980s

a regular volunteer at Seaman House, the Charterhousein-

Southwark hostel at the foot of Rackets Court Hill,

where his contribution to the visiting children’s experience

was highly valued. He had earlier attended a meeting for

the school’s neighbours to discuss the proposed ‘Children

to the Country’ scheme, which was to bring Southwark

children and their teachers to stay in the hostel for a week at

a time. A number of doubts and concerns were being given

a thorough airing when Henry put up a hand and quietly

asked “How can we help?” I cannot give him a more fitting

epitaph.

CKW

Darbishire

DH Darbishire

Brooke Hall 1956-85

Died 30th November 2010, aged 87

David Darbishire came to Charterhouse in 1956 to teach physics.

He was born in 1923, educated at Clifton College and went on to

read physics at Balliol College Oxford in 1941-42 and 1946-49. In

the gap, during the war, he was a pilot in the RAF, and, following the

Staff Navigation Course, taught advanced pilot navigation to

instructors. When he came down from Oxford he decided to go into

teaching, first at Haileybury for six years and then here at

Charterhouse. He was a straightforward no nonsense teacher,

implanting the principles of physics soundly in his pupils’ minds,

which enabled them to burst forth later. He was invaluable to the

department in understanding and implementing the challenges of

the new computer technology.

Following on from his war-time service he became leader of the RAF

section of the CCF. He really came to life, I’m told, on the occasion

of the annual inspection when he could talk to real flying types! He

also enjoyed his visits to Oldham with the cadets. Having won swimming

blues at Oxford in 1948 & 49 he ran the swimming at

Charterhouse for many years. He was Housemaster of Verites for

four years (1971-75).

David was a passionate glider pilot & instructor, and through this he

met Gaynor. They married in 1959 and had four children – Helen,

Francis, Owen & Adrian. It was fascinating at David’s funeral to hear

them talking about their father and telling how they had inherited

different skills and interests from him. One realised that he had been

a man of many parts, a lover of nature and the arts, including poetry

and literature, particularly Thomas Hardy. He was clearly very

knowledgeable in his typically modest way.

Upon his retirement in 1985 David went into local politics and was

a Godalming Town and Waverley District Councillor for the Liberal

Democrats from 1987 to 2003, keeping alive the tradition of town

& gown co-operation.

David is most widely remembered in the local community as a

teacher of Adult Education Astronomy Courses. One is always

meeting people who much appreciated these sessions; often they

would relocate to the telescope on the top of Science Block.

A man of many parts and talents, he made in his time a significant

contribution to both Charterhouse and Godalming life.

Norman Evans (BH 1957-91)

First published in The Carthusian 2011

McFarlane

Sheila McFarlane

Died 10th July 2010, aged 77

About three years before I was due to come out of Robinites, Sheila

McFarlane told me (much to my dismay) that she herself had decided

to retire at the end of the current school year in order to give her

successor time to settle in before I left. Thoughtful as ever, she

considered it would not be in the best interest of the boys were both of

us to depart in the same year. When I consulted other housemasters

about securing a new matron they were unanimous that – although

I might have an encouraging initial response to the usual advert in

The Lady – once they received the job description and terms of

employment, I should be lucky to have even one suitable applicant.

We therefore decided that, as well as specifying the formal contractual

responsibilities and duties, we should indicate the sort of personality

which would be happy to maintain the ethos and atmosphere

which we thought characterised Robinites – someone the

boys whom Sheila understood so well would warm to rather than

resent as a new broom. I cannot now remember our precise wording

except for this one sentence: ‘Above all, if your conception of

‘matron’ conjures up creaking stays, umbrageous starched bosoms

and military discipline then this is certainly not the job for you.’ To

my absolute astonishment (to say nothing of that of sceptical

colleagues) we received about a dozen very good applications.

Charterhouse has long been fortunate to have dedicated, long-serving

and dearly-loved matrons – but I doubt there had ever been a

matron who moved in with a daughter who had only left school

herself at the end of the previous term, who treated the boys (and

was treated by them) as an elder sister. Nor had there even been one

with a natty little white sports car which, very much envied by all

Carthusians, cast reflected glory on every Robinite for having such a

‘with it’ Matron.

Sheila immediately endeared herself, not only to the Robinites, but

also to the ‘dailies’, Maintenance, medical staff at Great Comp − and

by no means least – to my two cats, who were convinced that the

whole house was really run for their benefit. Before she moved in she

had asked me how I saw the matron’s role. I said something to the

effect that I hoped matron would be another ever-available,

approachable adult; somebody who would respect confidences,

offer a sympathetic ear and proffer evidently sensible advice without

fuss or drama. She should never feel expected to act as some sort of

‘Madam Housemaster’ because, once the boys recognised that she

did not involve herself in disciplinary matters, she would earn and

deserve their confidence and respect. I never ever remember her

complaining about unacceptable behaviour.

“Most important of all,” I remember concluding (oh dear, how

pompous that sounds now!), “is that sometimes boys will need to

tell you things that they obviously do not want me to hear, but at

other times they will be secretly hoping that you’ll somehow alert me

that there is some matter, some anxiety, something confidential, that

they really hope I will give them the opportunity to broach when

I’m ‘going round’ in the evening.”

Spotting this distinction requires acute perception and most sensitive

judgement when dealing with 60 boys, some of whom are very

much still children while others are already confident young men.

Sheila’s approach was faultless, promoting harmonious relationships

between, boys, staff, parents & Great Comp, which I believe characterised

the house. Most significantly, it was a major factor in revolutionising

the relationship between seniors and juniors, transforming

it from the hierarchical conventional ‘public school tradition’, fostering

instead the informal friendly, fraternal atmosphere of a genuine

family. There lay Sheila’s secret. She treated all of us (including the

Housemaster!) as part of her own large family, regarding us with the

warmth and tolerant affection she accorded her own children.

Her death will cause deep grief to innumerable Robinites, many of

whom may only now realise how important she was to them at one

critical moment in their adolescent lives. It is sad but true that not

until we are much older do we realise how much we owe those who

offered us encouragement when it was most needed, or boosted our

sagging confidence when we were growing up into a daunting adult

world. We took for granted those times – one year, one month, one

week, even a single day or hour, perhaps only one moment – when a

sympathetic ear, a word of advice gently offered, an embarrassing

confidence kept, a guilty secret confessed, altered the course of our

lives. We accept their patience and attention without ever thinking

of thanking them, just as we take for granted the unlimited love of

parents, or the unstinted support of a favourite uncle, aunt or

godmother, until it is too late

There it is. Sheila was the ideal fairy godmother with her measured

calm perspective and affectionate sense of humour – far more

valuable than any magic wand because her spells never abandoned us

in rags at midnight bereft of transport back to everyday reality

without even a glass slipper.

She will be remembered by so many Robinites in so many ways, but

above all for her innate kindness and genuine interest in each of

them as individuals. She was the greatest asset any house could

dream of: I hope she regarded it as genuine partnership of equals as

I did then and still do. I cannot imagine I’d have survived without

her support and common-sense. How fortunate we all were when,

like Mary Poppins she descended (though without the parasol) into

our lives at the very moment she was most needed.

I recall that Robinite leavers’ lunch in the garden when we all

dressed as tramps, Sheila appearing round the corner – surely the

world’s most raggedly-elegant bag-lady. Most often however I shall

remember her coming each morning to let me know if anyone was

seeing the doctor, having to go to the dentist, or (very rarely)

needing a ‘day in house’ She opens the door; Foss stretches out on

the carpet (‘Assuming The Position’ as Sheila called it) confident

that having his tummy tickled takes precedence over any peripheral

matters like the health of the house.

Here above me in my study I have one of her charming watercolours,

done entirely without me suspecting it. I sit at my glass table; outside

the window at my back Foss is coming in to see what he is missing.

Perched on the head-rest to the chair (now very battered) in which

I sit as I write this, is Pangur, the tabby cat. Sheila once revealed, in

strict confidence, how a timid yearling, having come into the study

for the first time to have a ‘chit’ signed, told her with some awe:

“The cat was sitting on his head!”

Is it selfish of me to believe that occasionally in later, sadder years, as

well as finding great comfort in her deep but never ever obtrusive

faith, she sometimes recalled with as much pleasure as I do, little

moments like these from a life so lovingly, so unselfishly lived – a life

so enormously generous in every sense. God bless her – as I am sure

He does.

 IM-B

First published in The Carthusian 2011

Totton

RK Totton

Brooke Hall 1964-88

Died 11th March 2010, aged 81.

Robin Totton was a close friend, with a deep interest in music —

and although 1 worked in the Music Department teaching the

violin, my experience included a lot of play production as well

as a keen interest in French; and thus, in time, Robin's and my

interests overlapped and ultimately we were to collaborate in a

series of French plays - about fifteen in all, I think: hence our

friendship - and when Robin died I was asked to give the

address, and it is on that address that this appreciation is based.

Robin arrived at Charterhouse in 1964 and it was clear that this

clever, witty man was a significant addition to Brooke Hall.

Robin was a gifted and natural linguist, by which I mean that

were you to (unannounced) place him in a totally foreign

country, he would in a fairly short time have absorbed and

understood the language, and probably end up speaking it!

Robin came to Charterhouse principally to teach French, but I

think that Spanish - the language, the music, the country, the

culture — was a greater passion. He had as a young man whilst at

Oxford read, and been much influenced by, the writings of

George Borrow — Lavengro principally — and as a result the seeds

of interest in Spain, the gypsies and flamenco, were sown at this

time. They were to flower later in his life when he wrote a very

fine book about flamenco, called Song of the Outcasts. The book

is remarkable for its lucid explanation of the subject and - this

will not surprise anyone who knows Robin's prose - it is written

in beautiful English.

Robin's hospitality was generous and frequent. Many of his

friends have sat with great pleasure at his table while he cooked

for us, and the quality of his offered wines was proof of his

very considerable vinous knowledge. Conversation was easy and

always interesting and amusing. One was constantly astonished

by the range and depth of Robin's interests - and his breadth of

reading was, it seemed, immeasurable. Architecture too, was a

preoccupation. During the last years of his life Robin spent a

good deal of his time in Jerez, where he had an apartment. From

there he pursued his interests in flamenco, wrote for newspapers

and journals, and made many friends. He was indeed a well

known and respected figure in Jerez as I witnessed when staying

there. I went with Robin, on a most memorable holiday, visiting

Seville, Granada, Cordoba and other parts of Andalucia. Robin's

knowledge and enthusiasm made him a superb travelling

companion.

Robin's sadness was the break-up of his marriage: it affected

him deeply. But this difficult time was lived through with

dignity and no acrimony. His ex-wife and he remained always

very good friends.

I once heard Robin described as a 'real gent'. Yes, he was a 'gent'

- beautiful manners, always courteous - old fashioned many

would say. These qualities are rare and enviable.

Geoffrey Ford

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 40. No. 2. Autumn 2010

Watson

Wing Commander Douglas Watson

on 10th May 2009 aged 93

Douglas Watson came to Charterhouse in 1970 as School

Secretary, a position whose primary function then was dealing

with admissions and sending out the bills to parents. Douglas had

previously had a distinguished career in the RAF, fighting Rommel

in North Africa and flying Halifax bombers in Italy, where he was

awarded the DFC. He remained in the RAF after the war and

came to Charterhouse aged 55 on his retirement. The Bursar and

Assistant Bursar at the time were retired Army officers and the

trio were known as the 'Pentagon'. However Douglas was

anything but military in his character. He loved poetry and had a

dry sense of humour which served him well when dealing with

housemasters over matters of admission. The Headmaster, Oliver

Van Oss, wrote and thanked Douglas for 'the admirable success

you are making of one of the scratchiest and most demanding

jobs in the complex. I find it the greatest fun working with you;

we both see the absurd side of things'.

Douglas and Kathleen, whom he married in 1947, moved to

Thursley in 1975, and they they were wonderful hosts to the

Charterhouse community. I certainly remember evenings of good

food and wine, and congenial company.

After eleven years at Charterhouse he retired in 1981 and devoted

himself to Thursley village and church life; he was church

treasurer for many years. He remained active to the end. He died

very suddenly while away on holiday in Derbyshire. His funeral

took place in Thursley church with a packed congregation, including

several representatives from Brooke Hall. He was buried in

Thursley's beautiful churchyard. He is survived by Kathleen and

their three children, the youngest of whom, Mark (S 75) gave the

tribute at the funeral and to whom I am grateful for much of the

detail in this account.

Norman Evans (BH 1957-1991)

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 40. No. 1. 2009 

BALDWIN

PN Baldwin

Brooke Hall 1966-94

Died 15th December 2007

Peter Baldwin was a very entertaining man, who would

produce comments on any number of subjects and cause much

amusement among his colleagues in Brooke Hall. He was given

to pronouncing upon certain nice distinctions, thus: 'in the

highest circles, the L in Wiltshire is silent' - or 'the upper

classes would not pronounce the L in soldier'. He would relish

any academic challenge, and not just in the hashroom. I

remember that the school hired a karate instructor from

outside. This instructor would come on a Tuesday and have a

cup of coffee in Brooke Hall before doing his coaching. In

conversation he discovered that PNB was a classicist, and ended

up asking him for a Latin motto for his karate club.

Peter Baldwin was born in 1941 and was educated at Dulwich

College before going up to Oriel to read Classics. He obtained a

double first in Mods and Greats, something that many in the

know would regard as the academic gold standard. He then

stayed for a further two years at Oxford and obtained an M Phil.

He arrived in Brooke Hall in OQ 1966 and within a year had

become Head of Classics, a post that he held until 1991.

Everything was organised with great efficiency and classics

specialists were given much attention. I remember the care that

Peter would take in choosing an appropriate Oxbridge

college for a pupil, and how he would write a letter of

recommendation to one of the classics tutors.

Peter also took part in a variety of other activities during his

time in Brooke Hall. In his early days, he was in charge of the

timetable and other academic matters; he was really the

Director of Studies in the days before that term was adopted. He

was also much involved in theatrical matters in the days before

BTT; his particular area of expertise was Green Room. He had

been an officer in the CCF in his early days and had many

amusing stories about corps camps. Although not a games

player, he was happy to help with a bit of sport especially in

CQ. He enjoyed officiating with the shot-put at athletics fixtures

and would turn his hand to umpiring junior house cricket -

once from under the protection of an umbrella.

He had a lively brain and a variety of cerebral interests. In retirement

he took to the Telegraph crossword (cryptic, needless to

say), and would normally finish it fairly rapidly. He had been a

competent pianist in his earlier days, but rather let this slip in

later years; however, he derived much pleasure from classical

music. I suppose that his great loves were Chopin's piano music

and archive recordings of famous opera singers - although

Beethoven was always a great cornerstone for him.

Although Peter spent his entire career at Charterhouse he did

have a sabbatical term in 1991. He spent this at Diocescan

College, Cape Town. He greatly enjoyed this change of scene

and was pleased to report that Latin was still very much

flourishing in this corner of a foreign field.

He took early retirement in 1994. He remained in the area and

lived a quiet life on his own. Among other things, he became

hugely interested in rugby in later years and was always keen to

watch it on SKY television.

He was a quiet, private and modest man, who wore his talents

lightly and hated imposing on other people. He became ill in

the autumn of 2007 and died on 15th December. His funeral

was well attended by Brooke Hall past and present.

Stephen Shuttleworth

McGOWAN

William Godfrey Philip McGowan

on 22nd November 2007 aged 61

Brooke Hall OQ 1975 - CQ 1977

Godfrey McGowan, son of a Congregational minister, was

educated at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury, and Queen

Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, followed by Clare

College, Cambridge, and the University of Lancaster. Before

coming to Charterhouse, he had taught in France and at

Abingdon, his appointment to which (we are reliably informed)

was finalised at a municipal bus stop. Carthusian pupils write

that he brought a sense of solidity in a changing department,

and describe him as a highly successful teacher of French, with

a great sense of humour and a ready wit. His rapid-fire manner

of speech, his energetic approach and perhaps his hairstyle led

to his characterisation as 'Billy Whizz' after the Beano cartoon

character. He was a house tutor in Pageites, an organist and

singer, and treasurer of the Subscription Concerts. He was a

devotee of railways, both model and real, and a connoisseur of

trams and coastal shipping.

Leaving Brooke Hall he returned to Abingdon for five terms,

then became head of languages at Trent College in Nottingham.

An OC colleague describes his department as one where a real

sense of teamwork existed through a period of significant

change in curriculum, and refers to his efficient but not

intrusive leadership.

A decade later, Godfrey moved back to Lancashire as head of

department at Rainford High technology college. His deputy

remembers him as a witty, eloquent and fascinating conversational

partner, a man of many interests with a sound knowledge

and understanding of a range, of educational issues, who

inspired a warmth and a positive approach to languages among

pupils across a wide range of ability.

Godfrey had decided to move on after seven years at Rainford

when he suffered a stroke. His recovery permitted him only

part-time employment, but in recent years he undertook literacy

work with offenders for the Probation Service, and assisted

in various capacities at Blackburn Cathedral and at QEGS, his

alma mater. He was also a guard on the restored railway at the

Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester!

Early in 2007 he began treatment for cancer, which initially

seemed successful. Despite a second bout, another operation

and a course of radiotherapy, his wit and sparkle did not desert

him, and his outlook on it all remained positive. Sadly, hopes

for his full recovery were misplaced. His funeral was held in

Blackburn Cathedral. He is survived by a married sister with a

son, but had no other immediate family. He was a man of deepseated

qualities, a respected colleague and an entertaining

friend, and is much missed.

CKW

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 39. No. 3. Autumn 2008

STAGG

Peggy Stagg

Born Peggy Bennett - 3rd February 1928 in Penrhiwceiber,

Rhondda Cynon Taff

Died 26th August 2007 in Dorchester, Dorset.

Peggy Stagg's long association with Charterhouse began in 1954

when she married Donald Stagg (CDS). She participated fully in

the life of the school - helping, for example, with the

Charterhouse-in-Southwark days-out for both children and

pensioners. It was with considerable gratitude that I inherited

Peggy as my matron when starting out as housemaster of

Saunderites in January 1987. Taking over any house at any time

is a potentially daunting prospect, and to have someone as wise

and experienced as Peggy was a real bonus. Not that she was

new to me - far from it, as we had known one another for

fifteen years when as matron in Daviesites (where Donald was

housemaster) she looked after house tutors such as me with real

warmth and generosity. Regular suppers made us feel properly

appreciated.

Peggy - like so many with a Welsh background - loved singing,

and this became one of her great joys; she was a keen member

of Small Choir and of Choral Society. She was a devoted wife to

Donald, and loving mother of their three children Caroline (D

73), Kassy (D 76) and Geoffrey (G 80), of whom she was very

proud. Her warm personality extended to anyone she met, and

she followed the growing-up of our own three children with

love and interest.

She exhibited a reassuring calmness in Saunderites, particularly

welcome in the context of the house at that time. She was far

from being a 'soft touch', yet was always ready to lend a sympathetic

ear to boys and girls in the house with customary tact and

wisdom. On retirement she shared a house with Colin Davies,

my predecessor as Housemaster of Saunderites, in Maiden

Newton, Dorset. His typical generosity and selflessness was

evident when Peggy suffered a stroke, yet she in the event

outlived him. When Rosie and I visited her in a Dorchester

nursing home, she showed the same warmth and interest that

were so typical of her, and was uncomplaining, despite the fact

that she was no longer able to sing or go for walks with her dog,

which she had loved so much. She had been blessed with a

grandchild not long before, and this gave the last two years of

her life a real meaning. She was a lovely woman, and I feel

proud to have known her.

Robert Ingram

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 39. No. 3. Autumn 2008 

VAUGHAN on July 26 2007
Peter Martin Vaughan, aged 65, after a two year battle with
cancer H CQ1955-CQ1959
Extract from the Journal of the South Wales Society of
Chartered Accountants:
" Peter was a towering presence in the South Wales Society
network for over 35 years. He qualified in 1965 and joined
his father's firm in Swansea, heading up the firm and
becoming a consultant in 2003, working almost to the end.
He was a supporter of the Chartered Accountants' Benevolent
Society and also an active Rotarian at Swansea St Mary's.
Other interests included the Swansea Festival of Music &
the Arts, the Dylan Thomas Society and the Conservative
Party. A true gentleman, Peter made time for both business
and friendships. Swansea will miss his enormous contribution
to business life and various organisations. Our thoughts
go to his 95 year old mother Freda. His booming voice and
wicked sense of humour as well as his common sense will be
much missed."

AMBLER on March 7, 2007 in South Africa

Jeremy David Ambler, aged 77

VOQ1942-CQ1946

Jeremy read Agriculture and Modern Languages at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He worked in agriculture pre and post university. Married in 1958, he moved to Denmark where he continued his studies and also offered translation work. On returning to England in 1961 he took a PGCE and taught for a couple of years in Horsham before moving to South Africa in 1963. After sixteen years teaching he went into Government, retiring in 1992 when he returned to the UK. He leaves 7 children and 13 grandchildren. Once recalling his time at Charterhouse, he said that he used to tend the boiler in Verites for Housemaster Jasper Holmes and kept ferrets at school 'for the sake of the kitchen'.  A cousin, William Cullen, was in Daviesites (D44).

MRS LR WILSON

1917-2007

Although officially Relief Matron, 'Billy' Wilson was far more

than that throughout my forty-seven Quarters as Housemaster

of Robinites; she became a much valued friend. She had already

served five or six years for my predecessor David Summerscale,

and five more for my successor Hugh Gammell - some twentyfive

years in all, and thus was closely associated with the House

far longer than any one of us.

'Mrs Wilson' (as she was always known to us) will be remembered

by successions of Robinites not least for the splendid

dinners she made for our yearlings on their first night. Unhappy

that Robinites who had just waved goodbye to parents

had to be pitch-forked into the New Dining Rooms with 150

other nervous rather 'lost' new boys (and offhand older

Carthusians who had already arrived) I asked her whether she

could 'do' a meal in House. She always served particularly

succulent roast chicken in the private side dining room. It came

with all the correct trimmings: "They are old enough to learn

that you must have bread sauce with roast chicken!"

She also cooked dinner for me each Wednesday. It was the

evening when I could invite guests in the sure knowledge that

I would not have to chance the kindly meant, but unpredictably

idiosyncratic fare, from the Central Kitchens. Particularly

memorable were her meals on those evenings in early May

when Harvey Hallsmith, Philip Balkwill and I conferred over

the English Scholarship papers: typically asparagus, young

lamb (or salmon) garden peas, minted new potatoes, followed

by the first English strawberries.

She was most solicitous about the 'dailies' who kept the House

spick and span. On their last morning before the Christmas

holiday, she would appear with mince-pies for them and we

would gather in my drawing room for a glass of wine. A little

earlier in the month she stored several dozen of her mince-pies

in my deep-freeze, "to see you through." I cherished her

unswerving loyalty and feel guilty that we took her unending

kindness, her interest in us all and that characteristic unflappability,

far too much for granted.

Though we exchanged Christmas cards, the last time I saw her

was at a dinner arranged by HDG when she eventually bowed

out. But I cannot recall Robinites at midweek without seeing

her faithful red Metro parked outside with its evidence of her

having just come from, or about to go, playing tennis. I remember

her most vividly as, between her matronly duties, she sat glued

to the television watching Wimbledon, working on a patchwork

quilt. She gave me one as a leaving present. I have it still and

remember her each night when I go to bed and each morning

when I re-make it. I have no doubt at all that wherever it is we

go when it's over for us down here, up there she deserves

nothing less than a grand view of the Wimbledon Fortnight -

probably tacking a patchwork for St Peter.

She was a great lady, invaluable, irreplaceable - a very great

lady; we were all enriched by her presence amongst us

.

IMB (Brooke Hall 1968-1994)

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 39. No. 2. Autumn 2007

QUICK

AO Quick on 27th September 2006 aged 82

Brooke Hall OQ 49 - CQ 61

Headmaster of Rendcomb College; Headmaster of Bradfield

Anthony Quick joined Brooke Hall in OQ 1949, arriving via

Shrewsbury School, SOAS, the Royal Navy and Corpus Christi

College, Oxford, where he read history. He was one of the first

new recruits to Brooke Hall after the war. Tall, and, even then

slightly stooping, he looked remarkably young. Sir Frank

Fletcher, when meeting him while watching soccer on Big

Ground, mistook him for a boy and asked him his form. "I'm

with the lower fourth", said Anthony. "A bit big for that aren't

you?" replied Sir Frank. Consigned as he was in his first years

to lower school teaching, his youthfulness tempted some of his

charges to try to take him for a ride. "There came a moment",

said Anthony, "when I realised that it was going to be them or

me. I decided that it was going to be them."

An excellent teacher, he shared Walter Sellar's contempt for the

turgid Carter & Mears which was the staple diet at the time, and

before long came the far livelier Richards &• Quick. When his son

James started teaching 25 years later he was asked whether he

had written the text book he was using. "No, but my Dad did."

Anthony's admiration for Walter Sellar was matched by his

admiration of and love for Walter's elder daughter, Jean. They

were married in 1955 and she was to play a vital role in all he

did thereafter.

Not a sportsman, though he did play a crafty game of fives,

Anthony was fully involved in other activities. Put in charge of

the naval section of the CCF, he solved the problem of a superfluity

of paperwork by consigning all correspondence from

Their Lords of the Admiralty to the waste paper basket. No

actor, he was nonetheless always willing to take on cameo roles

in the annual Brooke Hall play, perhaps his finest performance

being that of Somnolente in the Bernina Opera Group's production

of Bianca Neve e i Sette Nani.

He was House Tutor in Weeklies to his head of department,

Frank Ives - and was set to succeed him as Head of History

when in 1961 he was called to higher things as Headmaster of

Rendcomb College, playing down his success with the

comment that he had to leave Charterhouse as he could no

longer stand living on the Portsmouth line. I should perhaps

have realised that this move was bound to happen after he

emerged from Brooke Hall one day, having just given a shattering

set down to a pernickety senior colleague, observing that "I

have to do that once or twice a year". After a very successful ten

years at Rendcomb, combining several roles (Jean is alleged to

have demanded that the central heating should be put on as she

and the children were freezing. "I shall have to ask the Bursar."

'Who is the Bursar?" "1 am"), he moved on to Bradfield College.

As Headmaster there he was unfailing in his support for the

masters who worked with him. His chaplain recalls that he also

knew every boy by sight and took trouble to commit to memory

particular things of interest about each of them. With a strong

sense of his duty as Headmaster he would always attend every

match, concert, exhibition or lecture, but would not pretend to

enjoy everything or to have a special knowledge about it. Music

being one of his blind spots, a colleague was surprised to see

him with a gramophone record given him by the Director of

Music. Asked what it was, he replied, "some fish thing." It was

the Trout Quintet.

When he retired in 1985 the family moved to the fringes of

Dartmoor, close to the homes of Jean's mother, Hope, and Jean's

sister, Roly and her husband Geoffrey Hadden (Housemaster of

Verites in the 60s and 70s). There he thoroughly enjoyed life,

the company of his lively and supportive family, sailing, gardening

and dabbling in politics. A traditionalist, he would only buy

British cars and petrol from British companies to put in them.

He stood as anti-Federalist candidate for South-east Cornwall,

gaining all of 400 votes, relishing the cut and thrust of argument

then as he had done back in 1954 at Charterhouse when,

speaking on the motion 'that the Public School system is out of

date', he suggested that the motion was bunk. He admitted that

the public schools produced the lounge lizards of suburbia, but

maintained that this did not make them out of date. His skill in

controversy was inherited from his father, Regius Professor of

Divinity in the University of Oxford. A favourite work by his

father was The Ground of Faith and The Chaos of Thought (OC

Quick, Nisbet & Co Ltd, 1931). It was always very difficult to

win an argument with Anthony because he was always right, his

father's book having given him two lines of argument which

might be used to defend any belief.

Anthony's pithy comments and obiter dicta - memorable,

succinct and to the point - are legion. When I once said to him

that I was snowed under with problems, his answer was, "you

should distinguish between what is urgent and what is important.

It something urgent that needs to be done by midday is

not done by then, it ceases to be urgent."

Anthony left Charterhouse as a master forty-six years ago, but

he remained in close touch with the school for the rest of his

life, and the affection and respect with which he was regarded

by his colleagues was exemplified by the number of them

present at Bradfield for the service of thanksgiving for his life.

Though he writes, 'it is presumptuous of one who only spent

twelve years of his life at Charterhouse to attempt to write a

history of the Foundation', he was just the man for the occasion

when a short history of the Foundation was adumbrated in

1990. The book ends with the comment, 'Many have good

reason to remember Thomas Sutton with gratitude both for his

generosity and for the care with which he set up his

Foundation.'

Many of us who have known Anthony and Jean and their

family will remember him also with gratitude - and affection.

JC Phillips

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 39. No. 2. Autumn 2007

GARNETT. On 22nd September 2006, Thomas Ronald

Garnett, aged 91

P OQ1928-CQ1933

He was Head of House, Captain of 1st XI cricket and

Captain of Fives. He won the Thackeray Prize in his final

year and went up to Magdalene College, Cambridge with a

Leaving Exhibition to read Classics.

He played cricket for Somerset in 1939 and in 1949 won

the British Amateur Doubles Championships' Kinnaird

Cup for Eton Fives with A. J. Wreford-Brown (G31 &

Brooke Hall 1935-1976). He turned out for Old

Carthusian Football Club and Charterhouse Friars.

Extract from The Times:

"He was an Assistant Master at Westminster for two years

before becoming a member of Brooke Hall in 1938, to

teach classics. He joined the RAF in 1941 and, classed

unfit for flying duties, he was commissioned into the RAF

Regiment. As squadron leader in Bengal, he was in

command of ground defence for the RAF's remote forward

airfields and radar sites. Moving on to Burma in 1945 to

join the northern axis of the Fourteenth Army's advance on

Rangoon, he was mentioned in dispatches.

In 1946, he married Penelope Frere and returned to

Charterhouse. Here he was responsible for the 60-acre

Farm and apparently considered becoming a full-time

farmer; however in the spring of 1952 he was chosen as

the new Master of Marlborough. In 1961 he was appointed

Headmaster of Geelong Grammar School in Australia,

where HRH Prince Charles became a pupil for a while,

and remained there until retirement on his fifty-ninth

birthday in 1974.

He had an abiding love of the natural world and was a

keen ornithologist. He chose to spend the rest of his life in

Australia, devoting time with his wife to the cultivation of

several acres at 'The Garden of St Erth' in the central

Victoria bush and became an expert horticulturalist. He

wrote on the subject and for some years edited the

gardening page of a Melbourne newspaper, The Age. In

1996 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia

for services to horticulture."

He is survived by his wife and their five children.

Of a large Carthusian family, his father, brother, seven

uncles and five cousins were in Pageites.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

GARNETT

TR Garnett (P 33) on 22nd September 2006 aged 91

Brooke Hall OQ 1938 - LQ 1952

Master of Marlborough; Headmaster of Geelong Grammar

Tommy Garnett was one of the most distinguished and distinctive

members of Brooke Hall of the last century. Although he left

fifty-five years ago, he is still remembered in Carthusian lore for

his classical rigour, his impressive athleticism and his beautiful

voice (he spoke with what one old Saunderite of his day

describes as 'an almost Churchillian lisp') - as well as for the

distinction of having run two great schools.

Born in 1915, he won a scholarship to Charterhouse and a

classics scholarship to Magdalene College, Cambridge. A fine

sportsman, he played five cricket matches for Somerset and

won the British Amateur Doubles Championship at Eton fives;

his partner was AJ Wreford Brown (G 29; BH 35-76). He joined

Brooke Hall after a year at Westminster, and became House

Tutor in Saunderites - a major post in those days, since the

Housemaster of Saunderites was also the Headmaster.

Distinguished service in the RAF during the Second World War

interrupted his time at Charterhouse - and he only returned

here upon his demobilisation in 1946, by which time he had

attained the rank of Squadron Leader. He married Penelope

Frere (Elinor Birleys niece), with whom he had a family of five

children.

Garnett became Master of Marlborough in 1952 and, in 1961,

Headmaster of Geelong Grammar where, in 1966, Prince

Charles joined the pupil body for two terms. He retired in 1974

and developed his interest in horticulture. At Charterhouse,

TRG had been master-in-charge of Farm - a 60-acre concern

and a pupil activity, with its main building down in the hollow

where BTT is now. In retirement, the Garnetts created a magnificent

garden at Blackwood, near Melbourne, comprising more

than 3,000 varieties of flora. Tommy Garnett now wrote books

and journalism on horticulture, and became Hon Sec of the

Royal Australian Ornithologists Union. In 1996 he was awarded

the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to

horticulture.

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 39. No. 2. Autumn 2007 

HEALD. On 21st September 2006, Stephen Alfred Heald,

QBE, aged 101.

W OQ1918-CQ1923

He represented the School at Fives. He went up to

Merton, Oxford with a leaving Exhibition and joined the

civil service, where he held a number of senior posts in

Information and Public Relations with the Foreign Office,

Ministry of Information, Central Office of Information and

Ministry of Health. He was awarded the OBE in 1945 for

public services. In 1967 he became Campaign Director of

the UK Tea Council.

He had two cousins in Pageites.

First published in The Charterhouse News sheets October 2006

HEALD. On 21st September 2006, Stephen Alfred Heald,

QBE, aged 101.

W OQ1918-CQ1923

He represented the School at Fives. He went up to

Merton, Oxford with a leaving Exhibition and joined the

civil service, where he held a number of senior posts in

Information and Public Relations with the Foreign Office,

Ministry of Information, Central Office of Information and

Ministry of Health. He was awarded the OBE in 1945 for

public services. In 1967 he became Campaign Director of

the UK Tea Council.

He had two cousins in Pageites.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

BULTEEL. On 21st September 2006, John Bellenden

Bulteel, aged 78.

V OQ1942-OQ1945.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

BRIDGE. On 16th September 2006 in Munich, Frank

Henry Shaw Bridge, aged 83.

S CQ1937-CQ1942

He went up to Worcester, Oxford with a Exhibition

In the war he belonged to the Friends' Field Ambulance

Unit. He became a legal assistant, firstly in Germany and

then in Tangier he worked as Assistant Registrar at the

International Court. In Sierra Leone he was Registrar at

the Supreme Court and a parliamentary draftsman.

Latterly he was at the European Commission of Human

Rights and a Translator at the Council of Europe.

His brother, Patten, was in Saunderites (S45).

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

COWLING. On 9th September 2006, Alistair ("Atty")

Martin Charles Cowling aged 46.

S OQ1973-OQ1976

He went to Sixth Form College in Scarborough.

His father was in Saunderites.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

COOKE

Wing Commander MHT Cooke

Brooke Hall 1949-68

Michael Cooke was born in Edinburgh in 1913 and died in

Williton, Somerset, in September 2006, aged 92. Educated at

Cargilfield and Sedbergh, he read Medicine at Edinburgh

University, albeit reluctantly, and withdrew before graduating.

As a young man, he was a talented games player and a champion

fencer in his school and RAF days. Married with two sons, he

survived his wife of 63 years, Kathleen, by three years.

Fascinated by machinery - he was a lifelong enthusiast of motor

racing and flying; he served in the RAF after learning to fly and

service aircraft at the de Havilland training school, until his

father finally allowed him to join up in 1936. Posted to the

Middle East, he led XIV and later XLVII Squadrons of Bomber

Command. His anecdotes and accompanying photographs of

his desert flying days were remarkable. Grounded for medical

reasons in 1941, he returned to England and was assigned to

Fighter Control. Returning to civilian life after the war, again for

medical reasons and much against his inclination, he eventually

became a schoolmaster and served as a member of Brooke Hall

for nearly twenty years.

Appointed in 1949 to upgrade and run the Charterhouse boys'

workshop, he gave the best of his considerable technical expertise

- notably design, cabinet-making, wood-turning, joinery and

metalwork, and became an accomplished teacher of maths and

technical drawing, which he introduced to the school curriculum

as an examinable subject. He had a particular gift for encouraging

boys of a technical turn of mind, earning their life-long gratitude

in a number of cases. As an RAFVR officer he ran the RAF

section for a number of years, also the school fencing team. Few

who were taught or instructed by him can have failed to

appreciate his high standards, meticulous approach and

exceptional skills.

Michael was a man of learning and intellect, and a remarkable

connection between mind and hand characterised almost

everything he loved - the understanding of flight and the skills

of aviation, the design and execution of woodcraft and

metalwork, photography (including aerial photography), flyfishing,

the restoring and running of vintage machinery, and,

most enduringly gardening of all kinds, especially rose beds,

orchards and soft fruit. Once retired to rural west Somerset, he

lived a life of gardening, furniture making, seeing to the practicalities

of running an old house and spending happy hours with

his grandchildren.

The house itself sustained Michael over his last three years -

much longer than one would have expected. A widower and

with both legs recently amputated, he endured the days and

nights of loneliness and discomfort with remarkable courage

and dignity. With a tenacity familiar to those close to him, he

refused to consider moving to a more practical but less homely

environment. His determination to remain at home surrounded

by his books, his pictures, his furniture and his cat was

justified; when whisked away against his will by well-meaning

healthcare authorities in the late summer of 2006, he died

within a week.

Terence & Antony Cooke

First published in The Carthusian Vol. 39. No. 2. Autumn 2007

BRYAN. On 28th August 2006, Michael Mead Bryan,

aged 78.

R CQ1942-OQ1945

He did National Service with 16/5th Lancers. In his

business career he was Managing Director of Kimpton

Brothers, commodity traders. After he retired he became a

full time picture dealer, specialising in early nineteenthcentury

watercolours.

His younger brother Simon was also in Robinites (R47).

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

CHETWYND-STAPYLTON. On 19th August 2006,

Lt.Colonel Granville Richard 'Crack' Chetwynd-Stapylton,

aged 96.

G OQ1923-OQ1927

He played football for the 1st XI and was in the boxing

team for two years.

His father was in Gownboys and also his son, Richard

(G57), who writes:

"My father was commissioned in 1929 after a somewhat

uninspiring academic record at the Royal Military College,

which was in complete juxtaposition to his prowess in the

sporting field. He played most of the major sports for the

Academy and went on to become an Army footballer,

Army rugby player, welterweight boxing champion and an

Army hurdler. He was so outstanding in these sports that

he was known as "Crack" in the regiment.

Commissioned between the two world wars, he lived life to

the full; he hunted, played polo, and learnt to fly

aeroplanes whilst taking a full part in regimental and army

sports. He joined the 2nd Battalion The Somerset Light

Infantry in 1929 and served for seven years before being

posted to Palestine as an Intelligence Officer. In 1934 he

married Emma (nee Young) and they achieved together a

fortnight short of 72 years of married life.

He was clearly a first class instructor, as a number of

postings placed him in jobs where his imagination and

skills were put to good use. OCTU (Officer Cadet

Training Unit) 1940, the 3rd Division Battle School 1942

and his last overseas appointment was commanding the

Battle School in Hong Kong for reinforcements to the

Commonwealth Division in Korea 1952 -1954.

The war over, he carried out a number of staff

appointments at formation level and in the War Office.

He retired from the Army in March 1958 and became a

Civil Defence Planning and training officer for Shropshire.

Putting to good use all his skills as a training officer, he

ran seminars, training exercises and planned the necessary

operations to be executed in the event of a nuclear war.

Whilst doing this on a part time basis, he and his wife set

themselves up as market gardeners and produced some of

the best lettuces, strawberries and raspberries in the

county. He retired from market gardening in 1965 and

spent some time in improving his aim with a shotgun at

the pheasants, partridge, hare and rabbits of Shropshire

and on improving his golf handicap. Despite being blessed

with banana shaped fingers from his boxing days, he took

up DIY carpentry. He developed the skill of being able to

complete the Daily Telegraph crossword in his head and

kept his mind active with other esoteric and obscure

mental problems.

He is survived by his wife, a daughter and son."

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

EVANS. On 17th August 2006, Roy Selby Evans,

aged 82.

g CQ1938-CQ1942

He represented the School in football, hockey and cricket

and went up to Clare College, Cambridge.

His elder brother and son are Carthusians, Harrie (g40)

and Toby (V86).

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

EVANS. On 7th August 2006, David Milne Evans,

aged 88.

V OQ1932-CQ1936

He held a Wrangler Scholarship at Caius, Cambridge and

took a First in the Maths Tripos. He went into the Civil

Service in 1939 joined up into the Royal Artillery the

following year, serving as Major until the end of the war.

He then worked at the Imperial Defence College from

1954 until his appointment as Assistant Under-Secretary of

State at the Ministry of Defence in 1973, and in the

Cabinet Office from 1977-81. He was awarded the

Coronation Medal in 1953 and the Silver Jubilee Medal in

1977.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006 

GRANT. On 2nd August 2006, Ian Edward Cawston

Grant, aged 77.

P OQ1942-OQ1946

He was Head of House and a member of the Cross

Country team. He went up to Magdalen, Oxford but

National Service intervened and he spent two years in the

Merchant Navy. He later became Managing Director and

Chairman of a shipbroking firm and Fellow of the Institute

of Chartered Shipbrokers. He was a long serving

committee member and past Chairman of the Old Pageites

Association.

His son Richard was also in the House (P70).

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

CARLOS-CLARKE. On 17th July 2006, Jeremy John de

St Just Carlos-Clarke, aged 76.

R OQ1943-OQ1947

He worked for a while for the Australian High

Commission in London and then spent almost twenty years

with the Hong Kong Tourist Association.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

CHITTOCK. In July 2006, Major Michael Carsey

Chittock MC, aged 91.

G OQ1928-OQ1932

His son Adrian (G70) writes:

"He went up to Trinity, Cambridge to read law but illness

caused him to come down before graduating. He became

articled first to his father and then with Theodore Goddard

& Co in London. Qualifying in 1939 he was due to join

the family firm of Chittock & Chittock in Norwich, the

third generation in a family practice of solicitors founded

in 1862 by his grandfather; however as a commissioned

officer in the Royal Norfolk Regt T.A. he was called up on

the embodiment of the TA a few weeks before the outbreak

of the Second World War. He joined the 6th Battalion of

the Norfolks, stationed with two other Territorial battalions

of the regiment along the Norfolk coast. In the middle of

1940 he was seconded to the Corps of Military Police and,

following a tour of duty as Adjutant of the MP Depot, was

appointed Assistant Provost Marshall on the staff of the

15th Scottish Division in the rank of Major.

With that Division he landed in Normandy in June 1944

and saw constant action in the early days of the D-Day

campaign and was twice mentioned in dispatches for

gallantry. As the Allies broke out and moved into Belgium

and Holland, he was given the task of controlling an

sorting out a huge military convoy which was snarled up

under intense artillery bombardment while trying to cross

the River Meuse. Despite many dying around him, he

stuck to the task and enabled the crossing to be achieved.

For his outstanding bravery during this action he was

subsequently awarded the Military Cross.

Following discharge from the Army he returned to join his

uncle in the family firm which merged and grew in size

and status to eventually become the locally well known

firm of Daynes Chittock and Back, until his retirement in

1977. During his time in practice he was a Director of a

number of local companies and was a founder member of

the Norfolk & Norwich Marriage Guidance Council. He

was also Secretary to the Norwich branch of the RNLI,

Secretary to the Norfolk & Norwich branch of the Army,

Navy and Airforce Families Association and President of

the Norfolk & Norwich Solicitors Amicable Society.

His main hobbies were fly fishing, gardening, sailing his

White Boat class 'Oleander' on the Norfolk Broads and,

from the age of 63, painting in water colours. He

exhibited and held one man shows in Norwich, Ipswich

and Sheringham and, on a number of occasions, at the

Mall Galleries in London during the Royal Society of

British Artists annual exhibitions.

He was married in 1940 to Jill Hamilton Wilson who died

in 1999. He spent the last seven years of his life actively,

and mostly in very good health, at a residential home in

Bungay and is survived by a daughter, two sons, five grand

daughters, a step grandson and a great grandson. He will

be affectionately remembered by many as a 'true

gentleman' of his generation."

His father and one son were in Gownboys, and a

granddaughter, Tessa Boase (g86), was in Duckites.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

BEATSON. On 22nd June 2006, Robin Montresor

Beatson, aged 80.

W OQ1939-LQ1944

He joined the RNVR and after the War went up to Merton

College, Oxford. He became a Director of the sugar

broking company, Rionda de Pass Ltd.

His father and elder brother were both in Weekites.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

GAULD. On 14th June 2006, Andrew James Mitchell

Gauld, aged 50.

S LQ1971-CQ1973.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

JOHN. On 7th June 2006 in Nelson, New Zealand,

Jonathan Robert John, aged 64

S LQ1955-CQ1960

On leaving school he entered The Royal School of Mines

in London and graduated in 1964. He started his career as

a mining engineer with the Anglo American Corporation in

South Africa and worked on various Mining projects in

Natal and the Eastern Transvaal.

His wife wrote:

"In 1973 the family emigrated to New Zealand and in the

following years Jonathan managed various manufacturing

industries before making a career change from day to day

operational management to business consulting in private

practice and lecturing in business studies. He was always

very active in community affairs and pursued a wide range

of interests - with a particular fondness for tramping the

mountains of the South Island of New Zealand."

He is survived by his wife Maggi and their two sons.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

LEONARD. Tragically in a road traffic accident on 5th

June 2006, Emily Victoria Florence Anson Leonard,

aged 21.

W OQ2001-CQ2003

Dr Joanna K Bratten, Brooke Hall, writes:

"Emily Leonard arrived at Charterhouse in 2001 and by

the time she left had proved herself not only a charming

and intelligent young woman, but an ambitious academic

and a very committed actress. She applied herself to her

work with real focus, and earned high grades as a result.

Emily spent most of her free time in the Ben Travers

Theatre, where she took part in numerous productions,

from her first difficult role in Anthony Minghella's Whale

Music, her outstanding Hermia in A Midsummer Night's

Dream, to her final, and perhaps her most impressive,

performance at Charterhouse, as Sybil in Private Lives.

Emily stood out from other pupils through her

independence and her strong will; she was always true to

herself. We share her parents' grief at this untimely loss."

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

BRIERLY. On 1st June 2006, Keith Leslie Brierly,

aged 82.

V OQ1937-CQ1942

In WWII he served with RNVR and afterwards went up to

Magdalen, Oxford with a scholarship to read Mathematics.

He was in the first hockey team at School and represented

OU for two seasons.

He became a Management Consultant.

His father, an uncle and cousins were in Verites and also

his son Anthony (V68).

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

MANLEY. On 1st June 2006, Dr David Michael John

Picton Manley, aged 73

g LQ1947-OQ1949

Because of the death of his father, he left early to attend

Guildford Technical College. From there he went to

London University to take a BSc and PhD. He became a

Fellow of the Institute of Physics and a Member of the

Institute of Electrical Engineers. His first appointment

was as Senior Scientific Officer at the Admiralty Research

Laboratory in Teddington, specialising in submarine trials.

He described himself as a consultant engineer, inventor,

acoustician, tutor and examiner. His multifarious activities

and interests included inventing in 1977/8 a method of

measuring flow in pipe-lines which was successfully tested

in Kuwait to the great benefit of the whole petroleum

industry but of little reward for himself.

He was a member of the Institute of Civil Defence and

Disaster Studies and the Civil Defence for the Royal

County of Berkshire. He set up the Welsh Marches

Radiation Monitoring Scheme to collect low level radiation

data. He took a strong stand against wind farms, holding

that the noise and vibration could significantly damage

people's health.

Over time he visited the Physics Department of

Charterhouse on a weekly basis to help the pupils with

practical problems of advanced work and deal with aspects

of Physics well beyond the requirements of A level. His

kindness, wisdom and tremendous knowledge and

understanding of Physics and his eccentric ways endeared

him to them.

Peter Wynne-James (g51)- Michael's "son " in Duckites -

said:

"He was described as a defender of the poor and suffering,

he was courteous and friendly... Passionately concerned

about certain environmental issues... also angered by

injustice, hypocrisy and dishonesty wherever he

encountered them. He was courageous (for most of his

life he was a diabetic but never complained). He loved

music and attended services in various cathedrals -

Winchester, Guildford, Liverpool and latterly of course

Brecon, where he particularly appreciated the welcome he

received. At one time he had thought of being ordained

himself into the Anglican Ministry. Michael was a very

able man of huge integrity. Life was not kind to him yet

he maintained an almost innocent view of people. He had

a deep Christian faith and a rare goodness and honesty."

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

LEA. On 1st June 2006, The Revd His Honour

Christopher Lea MC, aged 88

S CQ1931-OQ1935

He was a member School Boxing Team for two years. He

went on to the RMC Sandhurst where he was a Boxing

Blue. He was commissioned into the Lancashire Fusiliers

in 1937. During the Phoney War before the German

offensive in May 1940 he found life in France so tedious

that he started to study law, but Dunkirk, where he was

wounded, brought an end to that for the time being. He

was one of the early volunteers for Airborne Forces and

was selected for a party of men of the 11th Special Service

Battalion which blew up the Tragino aqueduct in Apulia.

He was captured and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner

when he resumed his study of the law and was shot and

wounded when trying to escape. He retired from the army

in 1948 and was called to the Bar in the Inner Temple in

1948 and began a common law practice; he became a

metropolitan magistrate, deputy chairman of the Berkshire

quarter sessions and eventually a judge on the Oxford

Circuit in 1972. When he retired as a judge in 1991 he

was ordained and worked as a voluntary priest in the

parish of Mortimer, Berkshire where he had lived for fifty

years.

His father was in Robinites and his brother in Saunderites

and his nephew was in Gownboys.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

CAUSER. Tragically in a sky-diving accident on 26th

May 2006, Tamsin Marie Causer, aged 32.

Malcolm Bailey, Housemaster of Duckites, recalls:

"In House she was effervescent, confident and a lively

presence. She made great friends with everyone and

enjoyed her time at Charterhouse to the full."

She was second-in-command of the Army CCF contingent

and participated in all sports, including fencing.

The Scotsman wrote:

"Tamsin Causer, a quadruple world record holder, and a

fellow skydiver collided in mid-air. She plunged to her

death in the sea and was believed to have been knocked

unconscious in the collision and drowned. The other

woman escaped with minor injuries. They were part of a

17-strong group performing a formation jump above the

town of Empuriabrava near Girona in northeast Spain.

Tamsin, a development manager with GK2 Printers

Europe, had nearly nine years' skydiving experience and

had made more than 500 jumps. As well as skydiving, she

was a fan of base jumping, which involves jumping with a

parachute from fixed points such as cliffs and high

buildings and is regarded as a fringe extreme sport. She

had been working towards becoming a stunt actor to make

use of her wide range of physical pursuit hobbies, which

included motor biking, kick-boxing, horse riding, skiing

and scuba diving.

Speaking in 2005, when taking part in charity fund-raising

events for Breast Cancer Awareness, Tamsin said "I am

exceptionally driven and my whole life is about pushing

myself harder and harder to improve and learn. All these

fantastic pursuits helped persuade me to pursue a

childhood dream - to become a stunt performer, a greater

challenge than any I have ever undertaken. I have taken up

a number of other sporting challenges to help me reach

this goal and I must also secure paid acting work - all

while I continue with my full-time job. Shockingly,

skydiving is no longer a requirement for the UK stunt

register, but this hasn't stopped me from participation in a

sport which I totally adore."

Tamsin achieved four world records in the space of a year

in a sport where men outnumber women by seven to one.

Her first world record was in California in September

2005, followed by others in Europe, Thailand and Bangkok

this year. Describing the build-up to the world record

attempts, she said 'I am very excited at the prospect of

taking part - to have reached the required standard to be

involved at world record level is a huge honour and the

result of a great deal of hard work and a love of this

fantastic sport."

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

BENNETT. On 17th May 2006 after a long illness, Peter

David Mancha Bennett, aged 76.

V CQ1943-LQ1947

His elder brother Anthony (V43) and two nephews were in

Verites, David (V82) and Nigel (V75).

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

CHAMBERLIN. On 8th May 2006, William Ryder

(James) Chamberlin, aged 85.

L OQ1934-CQ1938.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

GILBERT. On 1 st May 2006, Roger Quentin Gilbert,

aged 61.

D OQ1957-LQ1962

He became an Insurance Broker.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

HOSKING. In May 2006, Roger Antony Hosking,

aged 79.

R OQ1940-CQ1945

He went up to Worcester, Oxford. He followed in the

footsteps of his father, to Kenya where he become a

District Officer/ Commissioner for ten years until 1960.

He then qualified as a solicitor and was in practice in Bath

until retirement in 1994.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

FORRESTER. A belated report for John Digby Forrester,

deceased some years ago in Canada.

g OQ1934-OQ1938

He served in the Army during the War. Afterwards he

qualified as an Accountant and emigrated to Canada.

BROMHEAD. On 30th April 2006 in Australia, Michael

Bernard Bromhead, aged 81.

S OQ1938-CQ1942.

He joined the RAF as a pilot officer, and after war service

he went up to St John's, College, Cambridge. He became

Director of International Sales for EMI Films.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

HOPE GREGORY. In April 2006 in South Africa, Ian

Rowdon Hope Gregory, aged 62.

gCQ1957-CQ1961

He joined the Army in 1966, becoming a Major in the

Scots Guards. He left the Army in 1982 and became a

Financial Advisor until retiring in 1999. He and his wife

then went to live in South Africa.

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

MICHELMORE. On 20th March 2006, Jeffry

Michelmore, aged 85.

B CQ1934-CQ1939

He was captain of fives and rackets. He went up to

Magdalene, Cambridge and played lawn tennis for the

university in his first year. During the war he served with

1st Devon Regiment. He practised as a solicitor in

Newton Abbot for twenty seven years, becoming Partner in

the firm of Harold Michelmore & Company

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

JACKSON. On 9th March 2006, after a short illness six

months after his 100th birthday, Colonel Oliver Reginald

Jackson MBE.

H OQ1919-OQ1923

His daughter gave this information to a Devon newspaper:

"He went to RMA Woolwich and was commissioned into

the Royal Artillery in 1925 where he oversaw the care of

the Regiment's horses, in his spare time playing polo,

riding point-to-point and foxhunting. His first foreign

posting was to Nigeria where he trained the West African

Frontier Force and discovered the excitement of big game

hunting and wildlife photography. WWII took him to

France, Italy, India and Burma and his major task was

training troops in combined operation beach landings, for

which he was awarded the MBE. The time spent away

from home created a dislike of foreign travel that never left

him. He was C/O of Trowbridge Barracks for two years

after the war but the prospect of promotion and ever

increasing deskwork decided him to retire. He and his

wife started up a small market garden business at

Cockwood on the River Exe, supplying Covent Garden

with strawberries and flowers. He resumed his boyhood

love of sailing and became Commodore of Starcross Yacht

Club and President of Cockwood Boat Club.

With his parents in colonial service in India, he had been

sent to boarding school in England from the age of six and,

having been deprived of a normal family life then, he

delighted in his own family and leaves a daughter, four

grandchildren and four great grandchildren."

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

LANKESTER. On 8th March 2006, Commander Philip

(Pip) Kynvin Lankester, aged 91.

L OQ1928-CQ1933

He represented the School at cross-country. He joined the

Royal Navy in 1938 and served through the War,

eventually retiring in 1957 in the rank of Commander.

His younger brother was also in Lockites, and three of his

children went into Verites, David (V72), Robert (V76) and

Imogen (V78).

First published in The Charterhouse News sheets October 2006

HART. On 3rd March 2006, Stephen Robert Hart MBE,

aged 72

P OQ1947-CQ1951

His brother-in-law,The Revd N.C. Evans (Brooke Hall

1957-91) writes:

Stephen's time at Charterhouse could not be classed as the happiest

days of his life; slow reading and a poor memory militated against

academic success, though he was good at Maths and very good at

games at a house level (would he today be diagnosed as Dyslexic?).

His proud boast was to have planted the first Metasequoia

Glypstroboides at Charterhouse when he escaped the CCF and joined

the Pioneers. However this lack of academic success did not preclude

him from being a great achiever on the national and local scene later

in life.

He was a farming pioneer and a naturalist striving to promote the

importance of a sustainable partnership for farming and the

countryside in a generation ignorant of the joys of the natural world

and the importance of farming at the heart of it. Farming needed to

innovate and cooperate in the battle to compete with globalisation

and cheap imports, but at the same time preserving wild life and both

less favoured areas as well as the most productive.

Stephen was born at Hammonds Farm, Checkendon, in the depths of

the Chilterns, where he lived all his life. He grew up with nature all

around him, with the practical experience that comes from walking,

not driving, round farm, woods and stock, immersed in the joys and

challenges of nature.

After Charterhouse and National Service Stephen, with an elderly

father, could not be spared from the struggling family farm for

further academic training. Perhaps this produced his independence of

thought in finding solutions to the problems that beset the farmers of

the day.

The Young Farmers Club provided the opportunity for development

and leadership. "Good Farmers, Good Countrymen, Good Citizens"

was their motto, ideals which Stephen continued to promote with

infectious enthusiasm all his life.

In 1961 Stephen was awarded a Nuffield Farming scholarship and

went to study sheep production in Australia and New Zealand. This

was to change his life and was the springboard to national leadership

and the inspiration to share his ideas with others in the industry. He

began to develop his own line of sheep; he sought to develop a

healthy hybrid ewe with good mothering ability that produced

multiple births with a will to live, with a management package that

eradicated footrot and enabled a high stocking rate. The final result

was the 'Hartline' breed. Stephen was sheep farmer of the year in

1997 and the Hartline flock won many local and national awards and

his rams were to be found on many farms throughout the country.

However Stephen's interests spread further than the boundaries of

Hammonds Farm. In 1972 Stephen was awarded the MBE after 5

years as Chairman of the National Federation of Rabbit Clearance

Societies. Appalled at the inexperience and lack of understanding of

pest control he had become the secretary of the local society, which

expanded under his management to over 40,000 acres, killing over

10,000 rabbits a year and bringing him into contact with every

landowner in the district. Moving to London from this success at

local level, he tried to achieve the same efficiency nation wide, but

was frustrated by the lack of understanding of the regulators and

politicians. This surely was the motivation for his continuous political

lobbying throughout his life.

For instance, recent changes in agricultural support within CAP

provided a great opportunity for fresh thinking by the industry.

Stephen campaigned tirelessly at every political level for payments

that would preserve the traditional patchwork of the English

countryside, loved by public and wildlife. Bio-ethanol was his latest

campaign, emerging from his obsession with ever decreasing prices

driving farming into bankruptcy. Use of the relatively small grain

surplus for fuel production would create a sustainable world grain

price, and sustainable production throughout the world. A food

supply would then be readily available when global warming

produced sudden shortage and starvation. Because of the efforts of

Stephen and his fellow campaigners the ethanol industry is further

developed and better able to take advantage of the high oil price to

build its future.

Work as a trustee of Turners Court, a local approved school (now

closed), over 25 years was also an absorbing interest - first giving a

fresh start in the countryside and farming to disadvantaged boys, and

later helping to provide for disruptive children and late starters in

local schools. Perhaps he felt his own difficulties at school gave him

a special insight in how to encourage these children.

Stephen believed that the survival of the family farm, with resident

farmer, was essential to sustainable partnership with nature and the

countryside. The farming co-operative, Thames Valley Farmers, was

established, enabling smaller farms to compete in both buying and

selling. The Tenant Farmers Association with Stephen as founder

vice-president and treasurer followed, to protect and promote the

values of tenant farming. The tenancy arrangements now responsible

for over 50% of our agricultural land are undoubtedly the better for

25 years endeavour by this Association.

In 1958 he married Vanessa Williams, a childhood friend, and they

had three daughters. In the village of Checkendon he was a perennial

tower of strength, as churchwarden for years, Chairman of the Parish

Council, Trustee of the Village Hall, etc.. He had just retired from

Hammonds Farm and he and Vanessa had moved into a new home in

the village when cancer struck.

Stephen had become a national figure on the farming and

countryside stage. His memorial service was attended by over 500

people. At this service Anne Kelaart (Chairman of the Farming and

Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) spoke as follows:

"Stephen was a farmer whose philosophy of the countryside was

deeply appealing. The farmer as countryman was central to his belief.

His knowledge of the natural world, learnt at his father's knee, was

immense but so too was his global appreciation of agriculture and its

importance in the countryside. In these days of single issues it needs

voices like Stephen's to remind us all of the interdependence of life

and the necessity of a rounded view.

Without significant formal training in agriculture he was a deep

thinker, brimful of ideas and with the ability to analyse possible

situations. He was saddened by the pervading ignorance of the

natural world and the lack of appreciation of farming at the heart of

this world, and set out to do what he could to redress the balance. He

was always ready to welcome all and sundry to Hammonds and

Woodhouse (his wife's family estate the management of which he

took over in 1975), so that they could learn and share with him the

wonders which were right there. University students, school parties,

delegations from China, embryo vicars, MPs, mountain bikers, town

and country, all were welcome and could not fail to leave inspired. A

farm walk with Stephen was a treat and a seminar rolled into one.

Many will remember his campaigns. Latterly he was convinced that

if wheat was grown for ethanol it could also act as a food reserve in

emergency. He was tireless in trying to make those in authority

understand the importance of this and also the complexities of

cultivating field boundaries, especially in the Chilterns. A good

friend to FWAG he lobbied us on conservation policy. The words

which ring in my ears are, "Don't forget the landscape. All hedges at

a prescribed minimum height of 6 foot and there will be no

countryside to see. Hedgerows should be of all heights, shapes and

sizes. The countryside must not be by prescription". And "Don't let

anyone tell you that raptors have no effect on songbirds - just look at

those skylarks' legs under a kestrel's nest".

The South Oxfordshire Countryside Education Trust (SOCET) was

Stephen's brainchild. He wanted children to know about wildlife, to

love it as he did, and he also wanted to help young graduates find

work after they has left college or university. With the help of the

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust and of

Manpower Services he sought to place post-graduate students who

had an interest in the countryside in local schools in South

Oxfordshire. He worked with staff at Hill End to train these young

people to work with children. He himself was an inspirational teacher

and ex-SOCET students have gone on to spread the word over a very

wide area.

Through Nettlebed Farming Club and Henley Agricultural

Association, (he was president of both), he worked and played with

local farmers and represented them as a first class Rural Ambassador.

Particularly though he is remembered by those who were

encountering difficulties. Unobtrusively but with an unerring instinct

he provided the listening ear, the helping hand and many acts of

kindness. All remember him touching his cap!

It was natural then that he should be a founder member of the

Oxfordshire Farmers' Forum set up in the diocese to keep the church

involved in agricultural affairs both informing rural incumbents and

encouraging farmers who were involved in their local parish

happenings. He was also a highly respected member of the CPRE

and sometime chairman of his local branch. As Agricultural Adviser

to the Oxfordshire Branch Executive he put the farming point of

view.

On the national stage, too, his advice was sought and valued. It is

from John Thorley of the National Sheep Association, of whose

Environment and Conservation committee Stephen was Chairman,

that I would like to quote: "His legacy was not only his concern with

getting farming back into a position where it was properly

appreciated for its role in producing food in the most natural and

ecologically friendly way, nor for creating the Hartline breed of

sheep, nor even for trying to get commonsense to prevail in the

official mind, but for his quiet but consistent application of a fine

intellectual mind to resolving problems in a deliberate and

considered way".

As his vicar wrote "He leaves a gap in our landscape that will be

impossible to fill" - and this was a man whose time at Charterhouse

by his own admission was unremarkable."

His father and younger brother were OCs - S.Harold Hart (R1897)

and Eraser (G57). His sister, Margaret, married N.C. Evans (Brooke

Hall) and Oleg Polunin (Brooke Hall 1938-72) was a cousin. One of

his daughters married Robin Fountain (B80).

First published in The Charterhouse News Sheets October 2006

ENGLAND. On 28th February 2006 in Nairobi, Jack

England, during a party on his 92nd birthday.

G OQ1927-CQ1931

He came to School from Nairobi where his Old Carthusian

father ran a motor trading business. During the war he

served as Major in the King's African Rifles. He enjoyed

many sports and was Managing Director of Craig's Sports

House in Nairobi for over twenty years. He was Men's

Doubles' Tennis Champion of Kenya twice in the 1930s,

Kenya Golf Champion in 1963 and a long-serving

Secretary of the senior golfers' society.