Rhubarb Issue 12: November 2023

ST EDWARD’S

The events list on page 95 is a reminder that there are plenty of opportunities to come back and catch up with fellow OSE and I plan to attend as many gatherings as I can in my first year as President.Whether it’s at a year-specific reunion, sports matches, family fun day or the carol concerts in Oxford or London, we hope to see you. The School continues to flourish under Warden Alastair Chirnside, and it is heartening to see it go from strength to strength without changing the values that we all remember. I do urge you to go back to the School if you haven’t recently and see for yourself – either at Special Gaudy (Summer 2024) or, if you have younger children, one of the Open Mornings the School runs for prospective pupils.You are sure to be impressed! Please do contact the Beyond Teddies team if you would like to visit outside of their organised events as they would be delighted to show you around.

For those of you who have not yet seen the digital archives, I commend these to you. All past copies of the Chronicle are now digitally archived (and are searchable) as well as the School Sports Shields. Have a look, there are many opportunities for fond memories! See page 14 for details or scan the QR code.

BEYOND TEDDIES

Finally, I would like to thank you all for your support.The OSE are a special group of people, bonded by memories, shared experiences and Rhubarb! I look forward to meeting many of you at the enormous number of events and activities over the coming year.

MEETOUR ose executive committee

T he OSE Society Executive Committee is led by the President and is made up of OSE from each decade. Their role is to make sure that the Society achieves its purpose which is ‘ to maintain the values and promote the interests of the School and to encourage mutual help between those who are and have been connected with it. ’The Rules of the Society, which were up-dated and ratified at this year’s AGM, can be found on the website.

Each member of the Executive Committee works with the Beyond Teddies team, offering strategic thought, practical advice and opinion to help shape events and communications that best engage with OSE across the ages.We are hugely grateful for all their help and invaluable contributions. By having a wide range of ages, demographics, interests and professional backgrounds, we aim to have a balanced and representative group to support the near 8,000 strong diverse OSE community.The OSE Society Executive Committee reports into the main Society Committee that is made up of Past Presidents, Regional Reps and Martyrs Reps.

JAMES MACDONALD SMITH (President) (Sing’s, 1981-1985)

SIMON TALBOT-WILLIAMS (Cowell’s, 1974-1979) S imon escaped Teddies in Summer 1979. Having failed Oxbridge, he took four more A levels and completed an Estate Management BSc at Oxford Polytechnic. In 1984 he joined

PHILIP LEA (Sing’s, 1971-1975) P hilip left Sing’s in the summer of 1975. He briefly studied and worked in agriculture before switching to law, getting a degree from South Bank Polytechnic and qualifying as

J ames left Teddies in1985 and joined the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester where he studied Rural Estate Management. After Cirencester, James went to

Sandhurst and was commissioned into the 13/18 Royal Hussars (Queen Mary’s Own); during his service the regiment was amalgamated to form the Light Dragoons (far less of a mouthful!). During his service which was predominantly in Germany, he was also deployed on Op Grapple 2 in Bosnia Herzegovina. After the Army James went into the City, working for Barclays, where he was amongst other things, a private banker. (it’s all on LinkedIn!). After 20 years of being salaried James set up his own business in 2014, Harnhill Wealth Management, a partner practice of St James’s Place.Teddies must have sown a seed for learning as he is now halfway through a degree in Philosophy with Psychological Studies at the Open University. In his spare time he is a keen climber and walker and currently undertaking qualifications as a rock climbing instructor and mountain leader. He is the proud father of Annabel (Corfe, 2019) and Charlie.

Jackson-Stops & Staff. After six happy years in which he became a Chartered Surveyor and Board Director he started Talbot Scott in the depths of the early-90s’ recession. At almost the same time he was asked to take a temporary position helping OSE Martyrs Cricket; 34 years later he is now the President. Business life has been varied as he splits his time between providing London corporate property services, building new homes (750 already completed), and managing property assets. He has three children, five step-grandchildren and 30 step-great nephews and nieces. Real Tennis and Cricket remain great passions and he travels the land seeking new opportunities to rejuvenate long lost courts.

a solicitor. He stayed in private practice, principally as a clinical negligence litigator, until 2020. He now works as a part-time law lecturer at the University of Portsmouth. For 14 years he was a retained fire fighter for Hampshire Fire and Rescue service and is Founding Trustee/ Director of three disability related charities. He is also an obsessive gardener and woodworker. He says:‘I hope Teddies taught me decent and worthwhile core values, it is for others to judge! Advice to current pupils and younger OSE: always question your elders (and everything else for that matter), but preferably from a position of knowledge.Try to find and commit to a career that you enjoy, you will spend a lot of your life at it.’ Philip’s son, Ed, came to Teddies and left Kendall in 2011.

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