2009 Annual Newsletter

FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Dear Old Dovorians

Welcome to the Winter 2009 Newsletter in its new electronic format. I received a large number of letters and emails last year about this new system, the majority of them in favour of it. However, there are inevitably some ODs with no access to a computer. I have a short list of these to whom I will send a print-out. If you know of any ODs who are now out of touch as a result of these changes I would be grateful if you could either print this out yourself and provide them with a copy, or email me at the address below and I will send one out.

It has generally been a good year for the Club. The website now has over 500 ODs registered on it, with more joining each day, many of whom are now in regular contact with others through its email facility. This is very encouraging. But since the website in future will contain the main database of ODs, as the old system can no longer be used, we are encouraging all ODs to register, which only takes a few minutes and will enable the Club to keep in touch with you. Unfortunately the old members’ address list is no longer available, would you believe it, for legal reasons!

The January party at the RAF Club was a great success. Some ODs were still in the bar at nearly midnight! This coming January the party will be in the ballroom at the RAF Club which has a much greater capacity, so I do hope that many more of you will be able to come. All ODs, that we have addresses for, will by now have received the party details by post. If you have not received the letter, then we do not have your address.

The Summer Ball, held on the Close at Dover College was also a resounding success. There was live music and a great number of you had a fantastic evening. The OD Annual General Meeting, also held in Dover, in the Learning Resources Centre, was not well attended. It would be good to see more of you at this. It can be a very good day out and there is the opportunity, of course, to revisit your old school, have some lunch in the Refectory, as well as to have some say in the running of the Club. If you want to come along in 2010, please let the Club know so that we can organise the right number of lunches. The catering at Dover has certainly improved since my day!

The London City Group continues to thrive, but is always looking for new members specially those who are willing to buy the odd round of drinks!

The OD Committee met regularly throughout the year. Use was often made of the wardroom of HQS Wellington, the Headquarters ship of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, moored on the Thames in central London, which is a wonderful location for meetings.

It’s been a bad year for the country again, but Dover College is thriving with more pupils now than last year. There was some trouble obtaining visas for some of the overseas students for a while, but this has now largely been resolved. With the new fast train service to Dover from St Pancras things may well improve some more.

Have a Merry Christmas and take care.

John Sinclair
School House 1962 – 67
chairman@olddovorians.com
Website: www.olddovorians

NEWS OF OLD DOVORIANS
ALICE WHEELER
I have graduated from The University of Notre Dame, Australia with a Bachelor of Education (ECE) and I am now engaged to David Jancso.

TIMI JOSEPH
Timi is working as a Financial Management Consultant at IBM (International Business Machines), started in September after graduating from University of Hull studying Business and Management with a Professional Experience. He is also doing a CIMA professional qualification to become a qualified management accountant over the coming years.

MALCOLM MANEKSHAW
Malcolm Manekshaw graduated from Loughborough University studying Economics and is looking forward to joining KPMG’s corporate tax department in the new year.

JAMES HEATH
No kids yet, been married for 5yrs though, who’d have thought! Living up in Edinburgh working for a wine wholesaler. It’s 14 years since I left!!

CIARRAN O’SULLIVAN (aka COS)
He is married now with 2 kids! Should be on Facebook.

AARON DISBURY
Working as a Quantity Surveyor based in Chatham. Relaxing at weekends by running a Sunday league football team.

MATTHEW SOLLEY
Just moved back to East Langdon from Stansted. Still in shock at winning the NFU Farm Manager of the Year Award! Still getting sleepless nights with the two children but the dog is very well behaved!!

ALEX BRADLEY
I am happily married to Tracey and we had a baby – Henry James Bradley. He was born 22nd September 2009 at Gawler Hospital in South Australia. Weight 8lb 15oz.

JAMES TELFORD
(Written from a church during a wedding!) Working hard as manager of an Insurance Broker in Australia. James and Lou are expecting their first baby on March 25th.

CLAIRE HALL
Delighted to report the arrival of Henry. A wonderful addition to the family.

SAMATHA CHEUNG (Duckworth)
I am now a mother of one Girl named Audrey and I am expecting another baby due in June. I am hoping one day I could bring my children back to Dover College and see the changes. I often sing songs to Audrey and somehow I remembered a few songs that we sung in the Chapel and I would sing those songs to her. It was such a great time at Dover College.

MARK COPSON
I have moved on, job wise, from Commercial Underwriter to a Structured Finance Analyst for a company called Commercial First and just finished my land law qualification, which makes me ask myself why I did not study at school and avoid the hard work later on…? fool…

IAN CHEUNG
My wife (Samantha) and I had our first born child (Skye Cheung) on Christmas eve of 2008. We are both working at one of the largest reference clinical laboratories in California that help the state of California to identify H1N1 flu patients via clinical testing.

PAUL-PHILIPPE FRANCKEN
I’ve started on my 2nd Masters in International Trade Law. I’m still working as a Special Constable (this is not PCSO, but voluntary police with all powers the PCs got). I’m getting married next year in Monaco.

RAYMOND HADORN
Has had a show in Lausanne, Switzerland of his collection designed and sewn by him of tennis and different inspirations. Enjoying life in Switzerland.

EMMA JANE RICHARDS
Emma reports that Shanta Simmonds has had a baby called Alfie.

SIAN McNICHOLAS
I’m really well and have just moved from Birmingham after 9 years to Lo ndon to begin working for Young’s Brewery PLC as Marketing Development Manager. It’s a great, well respected company so I’m very pleased with how it all worked out.

MAXIME BUDD
My son Hugo is 6 years old and my daughter Maddie is 17months old.

KATHARINE POPIEL
Distraught that she cannot make it back to Dover for OD football but she is happily living in New York.

CHRIS ELLIS (Staff)
Moving from Taunton to teach at Cheam from January.

BRENTON AMEDEE
Had a baby girl called Lexi on 28th September.

PAUL ROSHAN
I am married with two daughters 5 and 7 months. I have a property company and have developed over 50 luxury flats in central London, website is www.affluenthomes.co.uk. Still see John Park regularly – we play fifa 10 on playstation!! I am unfit right now 16.8 stone and smoke (sorry Helen), so no OD football this year but I will be on a regime and will come down to DC and play next year!!

MILES THOMAS
I’m starting a job on the 1st of December….. as you may well know I’m a chef. After 7 years of hell, working with the UK’s most well known Chefs, I’m now a Sous Chef at Cotswolds House which has 1 Michelin star and 3 Rosettes.

TERENCE YAP
I have 3 kids already (5, 7 and 9)….so don’t think I will have any more new babies anytime soon. Love to all at DC.

KEITH TANG YAU CHANG
I’m the same as Terence Yap, I also have 3 kids (2 months, 6 years and 9 years).

RIES QUIN
I now own my own carpentry business and things are going well despite the credit crunch! I will be taking a year out to live/ travel in New Zealand in May! Sorry I won’t be available for OD cricket!

GARETH DUGGAN (ex-GAP student)
No long working in newspapers and instead I’ve jumped the fence and am now communications manager at a big hospitals trust in Birmingham. Loving it!

IN MEMORIAM
Sir Donald Luddington Priory 1934 – 1939 1920 – 2009
Secretary for Home Affairs, Hong Kong and later Governor of the Solomon Islands which he guided to independence.

A truly distinguished Old Dovorian, Sir Donald Luddington was born in Edinburgh on 18th.August 1920, but spent his early childhood in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) where his father was a civil servant and his mother’s family were tea planters near Kandy. He was sent home to England for his education, firstly in Harrogate and from 1934 at Dover College.

War saw him commissioned in 1940 into the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He was later posted to India, having transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps, and subsequently was on active service in Burma. He was mentioned in despatches, when as a troop leader in a tank unit, he led it against a Japanese ammunition dump.

Following the war and demobilisation he went to St Andrews University and then joined the Hong Kong civil service in 1949. He rose to become Secretary of Home Affairs in 1971.

In 1973 Luddington became Governor of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, which included being High Commissioner for the Western Pacific covering the Gilbert & Ellice Islands, Tonga and the New Hebrides. Luddington’s job was to oversee the transition of the Solomons to self-government and independence, which was finally achieved in 1978 two years after Luddington’s departure and return to Hong Kong, where he was, firstly chairman of the Public Services Commission, and later the head of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) where he stayed until his retirement in 1980.

Sadly, Luddington’s wife Garry, whom he had married in India in 1945, died in 2002. They are both survived by a son and a daughter.

Ian Kenneth Gale Sandercock Priory 1940a – 1944b 1926 – 2006
John Took writes;
In January 1940, the College’s first term at Poltimore, I got off the freezing train at Exeter St. Davids to find the school bus. Another small boy was already inside; he was even smaller than me, a ll rusty hair and freckles. In a few years he became the tallest boy in the school, Head of Priory, Head Prefect, CSM of the corps, Captain of the Shooting VIII and a redoubtable member of the Modern Languages Sixth. His rather formal bearing and military style resulted in his being referred to as “the General” although inevitably he was known to all as Sandy. He was liked and respected, a good example to all; and Tusky Munns (who had been at the College at the same time as H.G Sandercock, Sandy’s father) said that no housemaster could hope for a better head of house. George Renwick
doubtless had the same sentiments, from headmaster to head prefect.

At the end of the summer term 1944, Sandy joined up into the Indian Army entry. He (and I) went to Maidstone Barracks for four months of square bashing and learning Urdu before embarking for India and OTS at the end of the year. A little story from Maidstone is worth telling. We were on the range, mostly a bunch of hopeless shots, and Sandy put five shots into a one-inch group. The sergeant-in-charge would not believe this and claimed that there were only three holes and that two had gone wide. Sandy very politely asked the sergeant if he could try again and if the sergeant and all of us would carefully observe tell-tale signs of bullets going wide. The sergeant reluctantly agreed – and Sandy put five shots once more into the one-inch circle. After that our fearsome NCOs
treated him rather respectfully.

He was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry where he served with distinction, much of it on the North West Frontier. He had hoped at the end of his Indian service in 1947 to transfer to the British Army, but it was not to be. The Army lost a good officer.

Sandy was, however, selected for the Colonial Administrative Service and posted as a District Officer to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). After two years he was seized by ill-health, a wretched misfortune which dogged him thereafter, and he returned home, where he took up business as a wine shipper. Some years later he obtained a grant to purchase land in Kenya where he set up to farm coffee. This demanded many years hard work before a first crop was produced. It was not a great business success and, after further ventures in Australia and Zimbabwe, he returned to England where his beloved wife, June, died and he then retired in South Africa.

Sandy, the news of whose death reached us only recently, was a most engaging companion and raconteur, a fine shot, keen fisherman and all-round countryman who loved music. Our friendship, formed in Priory House nearly seventy years ago, embraced many adventures both at school and at home and abroad. He was a fine representative of his school. He died in September 2006, aged 80.

Squadron Leader Gordo n Henderson DFC L 1936 – 41
Peter Henderson writes;
Gordon Henderson passed away on 23 May 2009 after a short illness. He served bravely throughout the war and is greatly missed by all his 225 Squadron comrades. Gordon was a marvellous father to his three children, Liz, Gerry and Peter.

A Dawes
Priory 1939. Died on 21 May 2009.

D E Charlier
Leamington 1939. Died on 22 May 2009.

M D Carr
Priory 1943.

Peter Johnson
An Honorary OD, Governor and Chairman for some years. Died 4 August 2009.

Patrick A M Hughes
Junior 1927 C 1931-1936. Died aged 91 on 3 August 2009.

A D Booth-Jones
Junior 1933 C 1933-1937.

Robin Goldthorp
Started in Leamington House, moved to School House. Left in 1943. Head of School, XV, XI, 2nd Hockey, Half and Full Blacks. Died aged 84 on 27 October 2009.

Mrs Celia Cobb
Celia died in November 2009. She was the widow of T H Cobb, former headmaster and housemaster of School House. She was much loved by ODs of School House.

Mr Tom Boorman
Tom died in November 2009. He was the father of Justin and the late Jason. He was a model parent. He organised the refurbishment of the Head Boy’s room in School House.

NB Should you wish to place an obituary notice here or expand on any existing notices please contact chairman@olddovorians.com

BIRTHS / MARRIAGES
We have received no notifications in this category. Should you wish to place an announcement here, please contact webmaster@olddovorians.com

THE COLLEGE CHAPEL
The College Chapel is available to Old Dovor ians and Staff for Marriages. After the Marriage Ceremony, why not hold your reception either in the Refectory or on The Close.

For details of Marriages and Wedding Receptions (and other functions), please contact Rick Sullivan in the Bursary who will be pleased to give you details. His telephone number is 01304 205969 extension 208.

THE LONDON CITY GROUP
The London City Group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at lunchtime in the Cock & Woolpack, a charming little pub in Finch Lane, just behind the Royal Exchange Building and two minutes’ walk from Bank tube station.

The meetings are generally well attended with ODs from every age group coming from far and wide. Among the regulars are Tony Bunting, Gerald Kityakara, Richard Robinson, Richard Upton, Paul Hayes, Chris Cox, Rod Glyn Thomas, Roderick Murrey, Roger McHardy and Arthur Ryser to name but a few.

For more information call John Sinclair on 07984 278476 or email chairman@olddovorians.com

DOVER GROUP
We meet on the last Saturday each month (except December) at the Brewer’s Fayre Restaurant, Premier Lodge, Marine Parade, Dover.

We normally have ex members of staff: Lionel and Nicole Gay, Peter Kershaw,George and Penny Matthews, Rosemary Rottenbury, Karla Stefan-Nelson, Jean Tuckwell and Pearl White. The Nickalls family (Guy and Kit, Helen and Michael Blackwood) come occasionally.

This year we have also had visits from Gerald Kitiyakara, Tony Bunting, Mike Lightbourne, Andrew Holmwood, Richard Peters – although not necessarily on one of these Saturdays.

We have welcomed Spencer Hogg from Lyme Regis and his son, George. Alan and Brenda Walker have returned to live in Dover and have now joined us. John H Turnpenny 01304 206905 – email: j.turnpenny@talktalk.net

WEST COUNTRY GROUP
A very succesful and enjoyable luncheon was held at Stanton Manor, Chippenham on Friday 8th.May 2009.

This year we agreed to include the wives and partners of ODs which proved to be a great success. This will continue to be the norm from now on. Those attending included Mr and Mrs Michael Ryan, Mr and Mrs Leslie Fox, Anthony Lousada, John Gilpin and Robert Reckitt. Apologies were received from six Old Dovorians. We met at noon for drinks, before moving into the dining room where we spent two hours indulging in fine food, reminisences and the creation of a new world order. We eventually dispersed after three and a half hours of most convivial friendship. It was agreed that this function should continue and encouragement given to other ODs to
support us. It would be particularly encouraging if a member of the OD Committee or a member of staff together with their partner could join us and bring us up to date with our old college.

The date for 2010 is set for Friday 7th.May at Stanton Manor, Nr Chippenham, Wilts. SN14 6DQ, two minutes from junction 17 on the M4.

Interested members may contact me at 4 Swanscombe, Blagdon, North Somerset BS40 7SL or on 01761 463163 or email lf10@talktalk.net Leslie Fox

SURREY/SUSSEX GROUP

Over the past five years, because we seem to have gathered a great crowd of ODs in the Surrey/Sussex area, we have been meeting for a most enjoyable dinner at the Punchbowl at Oakwood Hill, near Ewhurst, Surrey. We have entertained nearly 20 people and always look forward to new members jo ining us. If anyone would like further details, please contact Nigel Nicholson, telephone number 01483 273620, or e-mail stnicoloff@aol.com .
Nigel Nicholson

WEST MIDLANDS GROUP
Please contact Tim Bosher on timbosher@lightingreality.com for details of this group

OLD DOVORIAN GOLFING SOCIETY
The AGM was held at Knole Park G.C., Sevenoaks on 9th October 2009. At our Spring Meeting at Littlestone G.C., Graham Turner’s usual 37 points was not enough to retain the Quantock Salver, which was won with an outstanding 40 points by Charlie Scott.
With neither the wind nor the rough as severe as last year, the scores at our Summer Meeting at Tandridge G.C. improved. Simon Pentecost took the Crescent Salver with a creditable 36 points.

We were spared the rain this year at Redlibbets G.C. and Richard Owen won the Turnpenny Jug with 39 points.

On a blustery autumnal day at Knole Park G.C., David Walter retained the Dawes Cup with 35 points, decided on a countback with Tony Röbin. The winner of the B J Salver for the Best 3 Scores of the year was Richard Owen with 107 points, just beating Andy Hitchcock’s 106 points.

In the annual Triangular Match against St Lawrence College and King’s Canterbury, we were not able to cope with the extremely wet conditions at Royal Ashdown Forest G.C. and came a poor third.

We meet with the Old Laurentians for a full diary of fixtures in 2010:
Fri April 16th 50th Anniversary of the Triangular Match
Fri April 30th Spring Meeting at Walton Heath G.C.
Thurs July 8th Summer Meeting at Tandridge G.C.
Fri September 3rd Meeting at Redlibbets G.C., near Brands Hatch
Fri October 8th Autumn Meeting & AGM at Knole Park G.C.

A total of sixteen golfers, including some new faces, contributed to a very successful season, with our five trophies, once again, being shared by four different pairs of hands. We always welcome new members. If you would like to join us please contact Tony Röbin on
01483 276959 or tony.robin@btinternet.com
Tony Robin (Captain)

THE OLD DOVORIAN CLUB PARTY
At the Royal Air Force Club
128 Piccadilly
London
Friday 15th January 2010
7.00pm – 9.30pm
You are invited together with your spouse, partner, friends or guests. Dress code: smart, men must wear jacket and tie.
Ticket price £29.00per person
(includes sparkling wine, orange juice etc. and delicious finger food)

Please complete the form below and return with your cheque to;
Richard Robinson, Hon.Treasurer OD Club Email: treasurer@olddovorians.com
12 Towerside
148 Wapping High Street
London E1W 3PF
Please try to send applications to arrive as soon as possible, but in any event not later than Saturday 9th. January.

Please book for….person(s) at £29.00 each. I enclose my cheque for……… made payable to;
The Old Dovorian Club.
Name (block letters)………………………………………………………………………………………..
nee (if applicable)…………………….House………………….from………..to…………..
Address…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………….post code…………….
Fax no…………………..Email…………………………….Tel no…………………………
Name(s) of spouse, partner, guests……………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………
Applications will be acknowledged by email, fax or mail. Please indicate with an asterisk
preferred method, above.

OLD DOVORIAN MEMORABILIA
The following items are available from the School Shop
Description Price inc. p&p for UK Sales
Cufflinks – (New design. British hallmarked sterling silver). £55.00 per pair
Town Tie – (Narrow Stripes on a Black Background) Silk £18.00
Country Tie – (Broad Grey/Red/Blue Stripes) – Silk £18.00
Burgundy Tie with College Crest – Polyester £7.50 £2.50 each
Ladies Pendant – St. Martin emblem (Gold) £7.50 £2.50 each
Ladies Pendant – St. Martin emblem (Silver) £7.50 £2.50 each
Prices as at December 2009
Please supply the following:……………………………………………….…………
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Name House Year
Address
Postcode
Send to
Mrs Brenda Barber School Shop Dover College Effingham Crescent Dover, Kent CT17 9RH
I enclose a Sterling Cheque drawn on a UK bank for £ Payable to the “Old Dovorian
Club”. (add £ 2.00 for any overseas orders.)

We regret that for reasons of administrative costs, we cannot accept
non-Sterling cheques, bankers drafts drawn on overseas banks or credit cards.
Other College Memorabilia available: A set of prints of Dover College at a special price of £32.50. For this item
cheques should be made payable to “The Friends of Dover College”.
Mrs Brenda Barber, Dover College, Effingham Crescent, Dover, Kent CT17 9RH
Please supply the following:
Quantity Description Price (Each) Total
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I enclose a Sterling cheque drawn on a UK Bank for £…………. payable to:
The Old Dovorian Club…………………….
or Sterling notes or local currency notes equivalent to the Sterling amount.
Name…………………………………………….House…………….From………………To……
Address……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

THE OLD DOVORIAN TRUST
The Old Dovorian Trust was set up over 20 years ago to provide a channel for ODs who want to help support and develop the College. Thanks to the generosity of many of you, and in particular a major donation from the late Gordon Fowlie, the Trust has been able to contribute over £25,000 in the last decade alone to fund a large variety of projects ranging from the a grand
piano, CDT and sports equipment and contributed to an all weather surface on the gravel. It has concentrated on helping the College obtain some of the smaller capital items on its wish list which had been hard to come by in fairly tough years. Thanks to you, the Trust has therefore been able to make a real difference to the quality of experience of pupils at the College.
At present despite the hazardous nature of stock market investment, the Trust has assets of around £60,000.00 and an income of slightly more than £2000.00 per annum.
Because of the tax changes and low interest rates income has been static for a couple of years and it would be an excellent idea to boost the capital now so that it can start to grow again!
This could be a very good time to invest! All donations of any size would be most welcome! Cheques, CAF, cash, standing orders, we are not fussy. If you are taxpayers we can get another 25% or so from the Revenue which is an added bonus. Rest assured that the benefit all goes to the charity, all donations are invested and the income distributed as requested. There are no expenses as the trustees have donated their time and handle all the administration. Please send donations to:
Richard Robinson, OD Club Treasurer, 12 Towerside, 148 Wapping High Street, London E1W 3PF. Cheques should be made payable to the Old Dovorian Trust.
The bank is Natwest, sort code 60-07-04, account no. 59273992. Thank you.
As well as the Old Dovorian Trust, the Dover College Trust exists for the benefit of providing scholarships and capital project contributions to the College. During the year, the Dover College Trust and the College set up a combined Foundation Fund with the aim of accumulating sufficient money to enable comprehensive upgrading of College buildings including the
boarding accommodation. It is possible that the Fund will be used as the basis for an appeal, in due course. Meanwhile, any contributions or testamentary dispositions would be welcome.
Remember, that if you are the sole beneficiary of a pension fund, the new rules allow you to donate the residue, on death, free of tax, to charity – much better than giving it to Gordon!
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SUNDAY 27th June 2010 at 11.30 a.m.( provisional date, to be confirmed)
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Minutes of the previous meeting – 28 June 2009
3. Matters Arising
4. Treasurer’s Financial Report and Adoption of the Club Accounts for year
ended 31st December 2009 including the accounts of the OD Trust
5. Election of Officers for 2010/2011
Nominations: Chairman: John Sinclair
Treasurer: Richard Robinson
Secretary: Richard Upton
Any variation to the above nominations will be posted on the OD
website (www.olddovorians.com) closer to the date of the AGM.
6. Election to Committee 2010/2013 – Nominations will be posted on the OD
Club website (www.olddovorians.com)m closer to the date of this AGM.
Notes: (i) Committee members are elected for a 3 year term of office
(ii) On completion of his/her term of office, a committee member may seek
re-election for a further term
7. War Memorial and Endowment Fund
(a) Adoption of the Accounts and Report of the War Memorial and
Endowment Fund.
(b) Members of the War Memorial and Endowment Fund committee hold
office for a four year term.
8. Any Other Business
NB There will be an informal meeting of the OD Club Committee after lunch.
Richard Upton John Sinclair
Hon. Sec. Chairman
If you would like to contribute any articles or anecdotes to the newsletter please submit them in
the first instance to the webmaster:
webmaster@olddovorians.com