THE AY M E S T R E Y MAGAZINE

SUMMER 1998

OLD AYMESTREY ASSOCIATION

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS FOR YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH. 1997 1996 RECEIPTS 75 Membership Subscriptions (including renewal of subscriptions and donations to Association Funds) 75.00

47 3 225 350

Abbey National plc - interest less tax on Investment Account Abbey National plc - gross interest on Treasurer's Account Excess of expenditure over income

37.26

239.47 351.73

EXPENDITURE 350 Contribution to School Magazine for year 1996/97 Inland Revenue - Corporation Tax 350.00 1.73

350

351.73

BALANCE SHEET FOR YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 1997

1996 1,738 Balance brought forward 1,512.08 to 31st March, 1996 226 Less excess of expenditure 239.47 over income 559 1,512

1996 Balances with Abbey: National plc Treasurers Account No. K 1424005 Investment Account No. K3649845 1,272.61

1,512

1,272.61

1,512

1,272.61

MINUTES OF THE 53rd ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE OLD AYMESTREY ASSOCIATION HELD AT AYMESTREY SCHOOL ON SATURDAY 21" JUNE 1997

PRESENT:

The President Air Vice Marshal Nigel Blair-Oliphant; Toby Wise in the chair; David Hughes, Jonathan Hughes, Sandy MacLaren, Duncan MacLaren, John Phipps, Anthony Thornley, Hugh Griffith and the Acting Hon. Sec. Lt. Col. Anthony Claydon.

APOLOGIES: were received from:- Rupert Bader, Douglas Birks. Brett Brining, Jack Coates, Philip Coates, John Eyton Coates, Simon Coates, Oliver Heynes, Edward Lane, Seumas MacLaren, Geoffrey Marriott, Oliver Mayfield, Thomas Murphy, John Schadnorst, Lestor Steynor, Daniel Taylor, Alan Turner, Ben Wise and the Hon. Sec, Bill Stallard. The President welcomed everyone present. The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 15th June. 1996 were read, confirmed and signed. The accounts for the year ended 31st March. 1996 were presented and adopted. The annual contribution of 350 for the cost of the School Magazine will be maintained; but it was noted that with receipts from membership subscriptions static at 75 there would be a continuing deficit of some 240. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:CHAIRMAN: Daniel Taylor VICE-CHAIRMAN: Anthony Thornley HONORARY SECRETARY/TREASURER: Bill Stallard SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT: Gill Griffith COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Sandy and Duncan MacLaren to serve with David Henry. Hugh Griffith reported that the new road was now open, providing welcome relief for the residents of St. John's. It could not be seen, or really heard, from the house, though the tranquillity of the lake by the dam had gone. To be truly effective the new road should be extended to cover the area northeast of the city; but there were no plans for this. A programme of tree surgery and conservation was in progress, with plans including replanting between the cricket field and the lake. Members expressed their appreciation of the splendid results achieved by Mr. John Durham working with teams of boys in the garden. The rose garden was now looking particularly fine.

As a new initiative launched in conjunction with Gill Griffith's brother, Dr. John Tooth, a team of course tutors will present a series of lectures and courses at the school during the summer holidays. These will cover: The Balkans. the Byzantine Empire, Local History, Drawing for Beginners, Shakespearian Themes, Professional Film Making and Home Video Techniques and an Introduction to Information Technology.
The meeting closed with grateful thanks once again to Anthony Thornley for generously providing the wine and to Hugh and Gill Griffith for their warm welcome, hospitality and delicious tea.

The Annual Dinner was held for the eighth time in the school dining, room and was attended by eleven members and their guests.

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LEAVERS July 1997 J.E.G. Boorn - (WRGS) Came Autumn 1993. Soccer XI. Cricket XI. T.G. Cornwell - (Malvern College) Came Autumn 1993. Soccer XI, Cricket XI. Colours for Soccer. Art Exhibition. Prefect. D. Lewis - (Bedstone) Came Autumn 1993. Soccer XI. Cricket XI, Cross Country. S. Read - (Warwick) Came Autumn 1992. Soccer XI. Cricket XI. Choir. On Shing - (Bedstone) Came Autumn 1996. Soccer XI. Cricket XI. Colours for Soccer. M.J. Telfer - (WRGS) Came Autumn 1994. Soccer XI. Cricket XI. Cross Country. Colours for Soccer and Cross Country. Choir. T. Underwood - (Bredon) Came Autumn 1994. Soccer XI. Cricket XI, Cross Country. NEW BOYS Autumn Term 1997 J. Hasbury, A. Price, P. Striven. Spring Term 1998 A. Graham, J. Tomlinson. Summer Term 1998 W. Singleton. LEAVERS March 1998 J.P. Edwards - Came Autumn 1994. Soccer XI (Capt.), Cricket XI (Capt.), Cross Country. Colours for Soccer and Cricket. Choir. H. A- Harris - (Hillstone) - Came Autumn 1995. Colours for Drama. Choir. July 1998 J. Allen - (WRGS) Came Autumn 1994. Soccer XI, Cricket XI. (Capt.) Colours for Cricket and Soccer. Gold Challenge. Choir. Prefect. W. Bickham - (Bedstone) Came Summer 1993. Choir. A. Fayaz - (WRGS) Came Summer 1996. Soccer XI. Cricket XI. Colours for Cricket. Choir. S. Llewellyn - (King's) Came Autumn 1994. Soccer XI, Cricket XI. Gold Challenge. C. Newton - (WRGS) Came Autumn 1993. Soccer XI. Cricket XI. Colours for Drama. K. Thomas - (WRGS) Came Autumn 1994. Cricket XI. Colours for Drama. Prefect. J. Tomson - (WRGS) Came Autumn 1995. Soccer XI. Cricket XI. Nat. West Art Award. Choir. Prefect. P. Williams - (Shrewsbury) Came Spring 1994. Soccer XI, Cricket XI, Cross Country. Colours for Cross Country. Choir. Gold Challenge. Ogden Cup 1997 and 1998. Prefect.

NEWS of OLD BOYS

Robert AUTY ('86-'92) gained three 'A' levels at King's and is now doing a Marine Engineering course at Berkshire College. Adrian BAKER has a flat in Hong Kong. He has an excellent and enjoyable job, in which he travels widely for a firm selling sports ware. Last year he visited thirty-two countries. Michael BEWS ('78-'83) has a Ph D. in Computer Science and has started his own computer business in Swansea. He is getting married in August. James BEWLEY ('84-'88) is the Production Manager at Russell & Dorrell. He is now married. Andrew BEWLEY ('85-'89) is a chef at Ostler's. Robert BRODIE ('85-'88) took a degree in Microbiology at Birmingham University and is now taking a 'Masters' in Integrated Business Studies. He still beats all challengers at Chess. Anthony DAVIDSON spends his free time Go-Carting. He is 3rd in the Ist year Birmingham League. Morton EDWARDS ('88-'94) represented the WRGS in golf and now has a handicap of 19. He gained nine GCSE's, including two at A grade, at the WRGS and is studying for his A levels at the Vlth Form College. He has his Duke of Edinburgh Silver award. James GRIFFIN, at Shrewsbury, gained nine GCSE's - including three at A grade. Simon GREEN-PRICE ('72-'75) is Director and Coach of the Luctonian Rugby Club at Kingsland. Oliver HEYNES is in his final year at Manchester Grammar School, study ing Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Art, having gained 9 GCSE's at 'A' grade. He is still playing chess but did not get into the team of six which won the Times Schools Chess - five of whom are international players. He was, however, part of the team which won the Marlwood International Chess Tournament and he won the prize for the best player on board 9. Richard and John HARPER ('82-'87) are back on the farm. Michael HARPER ('85-'90) is at Harper Adams. Mick HIRANYASTHITI is in the Lower Sixth at Wellington and will be taking Physics, Economics and Maths at A level. He is a 3rd Black (Ist year) prefect. He is a corporal in the CCF and a member of the A team of the Field Gun Crew. David ILSLEY ('78 - '80) is living in Leeds and working as a general surgeon in Scunthorpe. He will be going to Hull for a year and then back to Leeds. Ben ILSLEY ('79 - emigrated to Australia in February. He is now living in Melbourne. Philip JOLLEY ('87'-'91) is taking a B. Tech. in Health. He is hoping to join the Ambulance Service when he is 21. Michael KENT ('78-'80) is leaving this country to take up a research position in the British West Indies. Carl KNAPPETT('80-'85) has a Ph d. in Archaeology at St. John's, Cambridge and is applying for a Junior Fellowship. Nicholas MICHELL ('85-'90) after a year in Australia, is gaining work experience in a department store in Romsey.

Tom MURPHY ('87-'92) is at Leicester University. He has joined the T.A. which he enjoys and keeps him very busy.

Stephen NELSON ('75-'80) is still working in North Sumatra at a Plantation Research Station. He is getting married next year. Jonathan NICHOLAS ('66-'70) is farming in New Zealand. His farm, situated between the coast and the Hunter Hills, is 540 acres and he keeps sows, boars, Aberdeen Angus cows and two Hereford bulls. He is married and has a boy and a girl. John PETERS ('69-'73) having done many different things including shooting for the British Team, is now taking a computer course. Christopher RATCLIFFE (`74-'78) did a five year apprenticeship with Stanley Experimental Engineering before going into the Royal Engineers. He is now a Corporal Instructor in heavy plant earth moving equipment and has been in Germany, Rumania, Bosnia and Northern Ireland. Nigel RICHARDSON ('79-'84) was married in July. He plays rugby for Worcester and is starting teaching at Abberley Hall in September. Matthew RICHARDSON (`83 -`88) after a second visit to the Far East has come home to work on the farm. Duncan RIDLEY (`81-'83) is reading Applied Economics at Plymouth. Oliver SAUNDERS ('80 -`85) lives in London, working in computer publishing and printing. Jeremy SAWTELL ('82-'88) majored at Cirencester Agricultural College and then had a job in agricultural equipment consultancy in Banstead. Daniel SCOTT ('85-'88) has a B.A. (Hons.) in Stage Management and Technical Theatre. He had a job with Disney in America but now is with a production company in London. Jonathan TOMSETT (`84 -'86) has a degree in Environmental Studies from Bristol University and after travelling to Australia and the Far East has settled in Jersey and has a trainee position with a leading firm of financial investment advisors. Tim WELLSPRING ('82-'85) has left the Computer Film Company where he has been Production Co-Ordinator for 4 years. Edward WILLIAMS (`88-'91) is at Cardiff University. Stuart WILLIAMS (`88-'94) is at Worcester College of Higher Education. Justin WILLIAMS (`88-'92) gained 4 'A' levels at A grade. This October he is going up to Oriel College, Oxford to read English Rupert WILLIAMS, at Shrewsbury, gained ten GCSE's, including seven at A grade. Ben WISE has a degree in Marine Architecture at Southampton Institute. Extracts from a letter from Christopher RAWLINGS ('76 - '81) I have now been working for the British Council for some 6 years and it has been a thoroughly fascinating time. I have been fortunate indeed to have travelled to 26 countries with the organisation - from huge education projects in West Bengal and the Indian Himalayas (around 0.5 billion), through assisting in the aftermath of Apartheid in South Africa, to working on governance in Kenya. Needless to say, along the way I have been privileged to meet some of the most interesting and inspiring people around - authors, poets, politicians and presidents and scientists on the one hand; and on the other, simple, honest 8

folk with much wisdom to impart. It has left me with a network of friends and colleagues around the world, in every continent (including Antarctica!) Furthermore, I have found that areas normally closed or restricted to visitors have been made open to me - one of the most memorable being the Kingdom Bhutan. (I have now applied to the Chinese Government for diplomatic entry to Tibet - something I have long dreamt about.) I have been a director in the HQ for about 18 months now. although the job has included extensive travel, both domestic and international. My remit has been the overall control of contacts which we operate in developments in South Asia. It is a large operation (India alone has a departmental turnover of well over 30 million. although actual donor/agency input amounts to many billions of dollars.) I am the youngest by a

long way which has both hazards and advantages - and it has certainly meant an exceedingly steep learning curve. I have had to learn Russian from scratch, maintain fluency in French, am just about to embark on Hindi, and this is on top of management skills, advanced and international/multi-cultural negotiation, project and business management, representational ability, and so on and so forth.... I am about to undergo a major new challenge, however: I shall be travelling to India on 22nd August to carry out a lengthy consultancy. After that I shall have about 6 weeks in Britain before, most probably, being posted to New Delhi - for 2 to 3 years! It seems a huge step. I shall be taking up a diplomatic post (First Secretary and Attache) heading the development operations in the sub-continent. So it's a case of finding a house in Delhi, a car, transferring insurance, etc. All rather daunting.... OBITUARIES Geoffrey Howell was at Aymestrey from 1919 -'25.. when he left for Malvern College. He was a regular attender at O.A. A. days until the last few years. However, he came to the match last year with a friend but was not well so did not stay long. He was eighty-six when he died last summer. Colonel Arthur Clerke Brown died in December 1996, aged eighty-four. He came to Aymestrey in 1921 and left for Eton in 1926. GIFTS We are most grateful to the following for their generous gifts:Mr. & Mrs. Richardson - potatoes for November 5th. Mr. & Mrs. Llewellyn - notice board and enormous desk. Mr. & Mrs. Boorn, Mr. & Mrs. Cornwell, Mr. & Mrs. Lewis, Mr. & Mrs. Read and Mr. & Mrs. Teller - equipment for hockey.

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MUSIC

Associated Board Exams: Grade 2 S. Llewellyn - Piano with Pass A. Gowland - Piano with Merit THE ELGAR FESTIVAL Our choir did well to come third in their class as they were, as always, competing with very much larger choirs. MALVERN PREPARATORY SCHOOLS' ART FESTIVAL The choir took part as usual in the Music section of this festival. They practised with the other prep. schools in the afternoon and then sang Evensong in the Malvern College Chapel in the evening. As usual this was a moving experience for those parents present. The Art Display was opened by David Part, OBE, DL, Chairman of The General Trading Company and was of a very high standard. This year. for the first time for some years, three prizes were awarded. Aymestrey's art did not get a prize but the judge called for a representative from Aymestrey to come forward as he wished to buy the picture painted by Nicholas Giles, which he did, much to Nicholas's delight. CROSS COUNTRY & ATHLETICS In the Worcester City Schools Championship Matthew Telfer came 2nd in a race of sixty boys. On Shing, Cornwell and Telfer all gained 5* awards in Pentathlon and 3 Events, and Read 5*

Pentathlon. This year R. Aldworth gained 5* in both Pentathlon and 3 Events.

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THE ENGLISH SPEAKING BOARD SUMMER TERM 1997 Junior Grade One T. Duke - Good Pass J. Murphy - Very Good Pass E. Scoffin & S. Turner - Credit Junior Grade Three J. Edwards & T. Underwood - Credit J. Allen - Distinction Senior Grade One D. Lewis - Good Pass S.Read - Very Good Pass M. Telfer & J. Boorn - Credit T.Cornwell - Distinction SPRING TERM 1998 Junior Grade Three R. Aldworth, J. Batten, N. Giles, A. Gowland. L. Newton - Credit H. A-Harris & P. Striven - Distinction Junior Grade Four J. Edwards & J. Hasbury - Credit J. Allen - Distinction SUMMER TERM 1998 Junior Grade One A. Price - Good Pass Junior Grade Two T. Duke, A. Graham, J. Murphy, W. Singleton - Very Good Pass E. Scoffin, J. Tomlinson - Credit S. Turner - Distinction Senior Grade 1 W. Bickham, A. Fayaz - Very Good Pass J. Allen, S. Llewellyn, C. Newton, K. Thomas, J. Tomson, P. Williams - Credit CRICKET 1997 My first impressions of the Aymestrey cricketers were that they were an enthusiastic bunch who would be capable of taking wickets, but who displayed little batting technique; my opinions never changed! Our first match, at home on a wet pitch against Moffats, got off to a spectacular start. On Shing, who a month earlier had never even heard of cricket, took a wicket with the first ball of the match, and two more within a couple of overs. Only three of the opposition batsmen made any sort of contribution, with the seam bowling of On Shing (3 - 19) and Telfer (2 - 8) being well supported by the unorthodox leg-spin of Fayaz (5 - 26) shooting Moffats out for 103. However, when Aymestrey came to bat, Allen made 15 and Edwards 5, but all the other nine ended up with a big round '0' by their names! All out for 33, we

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were routed by 70 runs. The performance away to Moffats was even more horrendous. On an excellent pitch on a beautiful day, the home side piled up 148 - 2 by tea time. Only Boorn's off-spin (2 - 23) made any impression. On such a wonderful pitch, to be bowled out for 20 and lose by 128 runs was an embarrassment. In my report to Mr. G. on the match away to the Abbey School, I described it as, "Two bad sides murdering the noble game!" Nevertheless, we earned a draw, bowling them out for 100 (Telfer 3 - 13, On Shing 3 - 22, Boorn 2 - 11) and reaching 82 - 7 in reply. It was a game we should really have won, but too many batsmen forgot that they were there to score runs, not just survive, and it was left to Boorn to enjoy himself with a bucolic little knock of 25. We then won! Cornwell (17), Edwards (13) and Telfer (10) enabled us to reach 65 all out against St. Richard's, and Fayaz, Telfer and Boom all chipped in with a few cheap wickets to give us victory by 16 runs. There was also some success in the matches against the adults. A good team effort earned an honourable draw against the Old Boys, with Boorn's 4 - 36 being the highlight. The parents were then put to the sword, largely through a magnificent 8 - 19 from Fayaz (including an all-bowled hat-trick!). There was also a good innings from Edwards and some mighty six-hitting from On Shing, who both scored 20. The final match of the season was home against Abberley 4ths, and the old pattern re-emerged. We did well to bowl them out for 83 (Allen and Read also getting amongst the wickets, as well as Fayaz and Boorn), but the batting again collapsed to 31 all out. Despite the modest successes, it was an enjoyable season. The bowlers so often did the job, and were well supported by the fielders, especially Boorn, and On Shing and the wicket keeper, Edwards. One or two of the batsmen could play straight in defence, but this was negated because the foot-work was non-existent throughout the team. Technique may be boring to acquire, but it is rather important. SOCCER 1998 Despite having most of two terms devoted to soccer, it was a struggle to pick a competitive side when it came to inter-school matches. There was always a likelihood that some of our little fellows with a degree of talent would feel intimidated when pitted against bigger, less skilful players; and so it proved.There were a few 'stars' (Edwards, Tomson and Allen just deserve that title), but the supporting cast varied enormously in ability and commitment. The first match, at a cold and windy St. Richard's saw us put up a fair fight against their 'B' team but in the end we lost 2-0. We never really looked like scoring, because too many people wandered from their positions. Although Moffats weakened their team, it still ended up a mis-match. Some wonderfully creative refereeing, in the best prep. school tradition, kept the score-line down to 7-0 (we think!). Abberley Hall 4ths also proved to be too strong for us, although we competed in all ways, except the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. The final score was 3-0. We felt that our greatest chance would be against The Abbey School, and at last, Edwards scored twice! Sadly one of them, an otherwise impressive header, was into our

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own goal, and we lost 2-1. Some of the younger boys did show progress through the term, Scriven in particular, but it was not a season that anyone could look back on with any real satisfaction.

TABLE TENNIS 1997/1998 Over the last two years we have tried to give everyone in the school the opportunity to learn the basics of table tennis, and bit by bit some have reached an encouraging standard. We twice pitted our skills against the King's School, the first time losing narrowly and the second time winning comfortably - a measure of the improvement. The highlight of the season, though, came when three boys entered their first-ever tournament. the 'Worcester Junior Closed': James Allen won the U 12. Singles and was runner up in the U.12 Doubles; James Edwards was runner-up in the U.12 and U.17 Doubles: James Tomson drew the top player as his partner and won the U.17 Doubles! Well done to all. I hope they, and several others, continue with the sport, for they have definite potential. CRICKET 1998 It was evident right from the start that not only as there a shortage of talent, but even more worryingly, a lack of interest in the game. The latter was especially evident at morning break, when more often than not they had to be coerced into some kind of cricketing activity. Consequently, we decided early on not to arrange as many fixtures as usual.

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Wet weather was a constant peril, and we were lucky to be able to play the first match against St. Richard's 2nd team. Put into bat, we literally scrambled our way to 60, following a policy of running anything that did not go directly to the fielder. Extras made up 29 of our total! We tried hard, but dropped catches meant that we could not prevent them from passing our total with four wickets down. Winning the toss enabled us to field first against The Abbey School, and the policy worked handsomely! Fayaz, in his new medium-pace style, took four wickets for three runs off eleven overs, and he was almost matched by Allen with three wickets for six runs. Their total of 40 all out was not going to test even our batsmen, and Allen (21) and Newton L. (10 not out) saw us to a six wicket victory. It would have been nice if the last ever match at Aymestrey could have ended in victory, but it was not to be. It started well enough. with three wickets each to Fayaz and Tomson meaning that Abberley 4ths were dismissed for only 53. Throughout the brief, wet season the batting has relied completely on the much improved Allen and the young Newton L., but for the first time the latter failed. Allen was left high and dry on 14 not out as Aymestrey subsided to 38 all out. As with the soccer side, we had to ask too much of people who normally would not have come close to being in the team; indeed, numbers of them did not want to be there. However, Allen, Fayaz, Tomson and Newton L. all emerged with credit from a soggy, low-key season, and could go on to become competent cricketers. Allen, Fayaz and Tomson were awarded their colours. Ian Bell

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SWIMMING

Thanks, as usual, to Mr. Goodyear and Mr. Durham for their constant care of the swimming pool, the season was longer this year. By the end of term all boys could swim a length and most boys much more than that. As in previous years the seniors did not have much time for swimming and, with no Sundays because of weekly boarding. there were very few opportunities for really long swims. P. Williams did not have the opportunity to rival his brothers in distance swimming and 1500 metres is the longest anyone swam, but most boys are now reasonably safe in cold water and really enjoy it. CHALLENGE The majority of boys have stayed for Challenge on a Saturday afternoon. This has involved them in learning to light fires in the Aymestrey way kindling, second layer etc. no paper, petrol or paraffin!, cooking on the fires, making shelters from materials in the jungle, knot tying, orienteering, night walks, instructing juniors and survival swimming, which included swimming in clothes for 170 metres, undressing in the water and making a survival float out of the clothes. Batten, Newton L., Turner. Murphy and Scoffin all gained their Bronze badges, Tomson and Aldworth their Silver and Williams. Allen and Llewellyn their Gold.

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CAMP 1998 On the Wednesday of our camping trip in the Forest of Dean we went bike riding. We used hybrid bikes - they are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. We went on a thirteen mile ride, but had to stop about halfway because the gears on one of the bikes broke. This took about 45 minutes to fix but we managed by taking some chains away. This meant that the rider could only use one gear but that the bike would go. The course was built up of tracks and paths, but I especially liked the tracks. We biked down really steep hills, and on one occasion we side slipped down a hill. In the afternoon we returned to the campsite and later that evening went orienteering. James Tomson The best activity we did on camp was caving. The caves we explored were in Symonds Yat. The most important equipment was the helmet as we found that sometimes we misjudged the height of the roof and hit our heads. Once Mr. Busby went down a little hole and said that he was exploring but that he was going the right way. We thought he would come back but he didn't and we were worried, but realised that we had to find our own way! James Allen (We are most grateful to Mr. Busby for taking the boys to camp. They all enjoyed their time there.) AYMESTREY Maurice Nightingale Asterley was Senior Master of Lucton School in the village of Aymestrey when he married Edith Mary Coates of nearby Eyton House. They not only fell in love with each other but also with the name of the village and vowed that one day, when they had their own school, they would call it Aymestrey. In 1904 they started a school in Sheffield - there is still an Asterley House there - but in 1909 they moved with some of the boys to Malvern and named the school Aymestrey House. Despite the Ist World War the school flourished and soon outgrew the house. In 1922 'Sir' moved the school to its present house then known as Crown East Court but renamed it Aymestrey Court. It is said that what decided him to choose this particular house was that he saw a kingfisher on the lake. The fifty roomed mansion had been empty since 1918 and as the housing market was depressed he was able to buy it, with 40 acres, for 10,000. Built in 1866, the estate had originally been 400 acres with St. Thomas' Church on the bank behind the sunken tennis court. Sir Edward Elgar, when he was a young man, came and taught the violin to the young ladies of the house. It is reputed that he was paid half-a-crown an hour with a piece of cake and a glass of Madeira thrown in. The Asterleys had one son, Dan, born 1909, who was responsible for his mother's

nickname, Tief - his childish attempt to say her name, Edith. 16

The school grew to about 50 boys and in 1934 'Sir' took on a partner, Mr. Mildmay, to help him. Sadly 'Sir' died the next year and his son. Dan, was called to be junior partner. Dan, who had won a scholarship to Bromsgrove and then taken a first in Greats at Hertford College, Oxford, had gone off to learn his trade at West Downs School in Winchester. He brought back herewith him, two features which exist to this day - Base Game and unaccompanied singing in prayers. As well as being, like his father, a gifted teacher, he too was a man of many parts:- a musician, writer, landscape painter in oils, rugby coach, a remarkable fly fisherman and a naturalist, particularly ornithology. He was ahead of his time as a rugby coach and Aymestrey more than held its own in rugger matches against much larger schools. During the war he married Jean Bates, whose father has a ward in the Royal Infirmary named after him. After the war Mr. Mildmay left and Dan, Jean and Tief ran the school. Tief died in 1962 at the age of 92. In 1966, due to his wife's illness, Dan handed the school over to Hugh and Gill Griffith, but continued teaching and coaching for another ten years, during which time he and Jean lived in a cottage in the grounds. Jean died in 1989. He died in 1994 and a memorial service was held in the school which was attended by many old boys. During the following thirty years the school has maintained its reputation and excelled at various times at music, art, cross country and chess apart from academic successes. Following the Asterley tradition it has remained single sex, small and friendly, teaching boys to be hard working and self reliant, while at the same time maintaining old fashioned values of honesty and manners. With the advent of the 'Nanny' state with its rules and regulations making many activities impossible, it seemed that the school had outlived its 'sell by' date and therefore it closed in July. Among many distinguished 'old boys' there are David Davis - Uncle David of Children's Hour, Professor C.H.Waddington, Stephen Dorrell, Nicholas Bomford - headmaster of Harrow and Oliver Philpotts whose name is immortalised by the film The Wooden Horse - he was the one who went on his own as a 'traveller' in tea after the three of them had escaped from a P.O.W. camp through the tunnel they had dug under the vaulting horse. The closure is a sad time for many staff and boys. The boys who would have left anyway are all going to the schools of their choice:- one to King's, five to the WRGS, one to Bedstone and one, who is following his brothers, to Shrewsbury. It has been more difficult for the rest but generally they are all now settled. It is extremely sad for us to be saying goodbye to Mrs. Barnett who has been here since 1976, when she assisted the then matron, Mrs. Wood, and has been herself matron for the last three years. In fact she has worn many hats, including latterly doing a little work in the classroom. Mrs. Wales has been here for even longer - she came in 1972. She established Aymestrey's reputation for excellent art early on and it has never changed. Very many boys taught by her have gone on to get an A in ' A ' level Art. 17

Stephen Gowland came in 1984 when Tim Jones left, and in the last ten years the music department has been active in many ways. We have taken part in singing competitions winning some, but also he was a genius at getting together small groups of musicians - a violin, trumpet, cello, recorders etc. playing something he wrote for them. When it came to carols he put up with GSG's obsession that the boys should learn all their words and that there should be no rustling of papers to disturb the magic of the singing! Just before his son left to go to Malvern, P.J. Wellspring offered to teach computers here. At that time we had a Nascom I but very soon Macintoshes appeared and this subject went from strength to strength. Old boys wrote back to say that they did not learn any more about computing at their next schools than they had learnt here. He has also taught Biology and for many years has been the mainstay of the production of the Aymestrey Magazine. Mrs. Bennett has been teaching gym, junior games. tennis, swimming, athletics and cross country for eight years, with excellent results. Recently she has also taught junior History and Geography. Although Tony Goodyear retired from teaching here two years ago, he has been kindness itself, coming up here in term time to keep the swimming pool, fell trees, cut up wood, and help in any way. John Durham who has taught English, French Oral, Religious Knowledge and Public Speaking, came in 1994. The latter has been particularly good and all the boys have passed their English Speaking Board exams. well, normally with credits but with several distinctions. In fact, last year the ESB obviously thought our results were too good and there must be something wrong, so they sent two different examiners to monitor the exam. In fact the marks they gave were better than ever! He will also be remembered, by those who took part, for his brilliant French playlets Ian Bell taught here for two terms in 1984-5 whilst he was waiting to take up a post at Kings. Just over two years ago he turned up again and fortunately we were able to offer him a post in January 1997, teaching Games, Geography, Geometry and latterly, History. In 1984, in two terms he put us on the map locally with table tennis and it was wonderful to have him back again to teach the games. FRIENDS OF AYMESTREY We are very grateful to the Friends of Aymestrey for all their support over the years and who are supplying a marquee for the OAA farewell party on September 5th. Also to Stewart Mee (1974 -'76) who is lending us a refrigerated trailer and John Tyler (1974 - '79) who is going to supply a public address system. We look forward to seeing you on September 5th and hearing your latest news. 18

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