Rhubarb October 2022

Ross Haddow (Cowell’s, 1995-2000)

Jonny Shawyer (Sing’s, 1995-2000)

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Teddies and it has no doubt played a big influence on my life. Not only did I have access to a wide range of excellent facilities and activities – learning, music, sport – but I made great friends who I still remain in touch with even 20 years after leaving. The first thing I remember about the Australia tour is that all the boys’ team decided to dye their hair blond – me included! Second thing was that we had very good tour kit. It was the first time I’d been on a tour like that as well as the first time I’d been to Australia – not only did we have a lot of fun and success on the pitch, we had a lot of fun off it as well. I dormed with Barney Rodgers at the home of a very kind family in Perth; we had fun playing Aussie footie at Geelong College; and went to the rainforest of Cairns. I went to Bristol University, then forged a career in drinks marketing and development working in London, Africa and Thailand. I returned with my two young children and wife to Buckinghamshire and am now working for Fever-Tree. My fondest memories of Teddies tend to be of the smaller funny moments spent with friends in Cowell’s, in the classroom or down on the playing pitches.These are the moments I tend to replay with friends even now.

Over 30 schoolmates transferred to Teddies with me from prep school, but it was ultimately irrelevant as the School offered so many chances to develop pupils’ interests and strengths. Finding a space socially and enough challenges academically and physically was straightforward for most people and even though I was willingly pushed pretty hard academically and spent a large number of hours on the sports fields, it never felt overwhelming to me which is testament to the support we were given. On the tour, we probably played hockey six days a week, so it was pretty full-on and I think a bunch of us boys saw it as a massive opportunity to celebrate that effort and gain some independence. The younger girls’ squad was very impressive and they behaved immaculately, comparatively speaking! The hosts we had were great and wonderfully varied: from a very well-off family with identical twin girls in Palm Beach, Sydney, where they refused to let us leave without vitamin shakes, to hosts on a great shabby ranch in the middle of nowhere where we had to go wombat spotting in the middle of the night and mind the funnel webs. To include Perth and Cairns on the itinerary was an inspired choice. I left from Cairns alone to explore Myanmar and then packed in a lot of travel in the years to post-university. Conservation, financial qualifications and clean-tech have occupied my time since and now I run a company making sustainable graphene and another producing green hydrogen electrolysers – both technologies are critical parts to decarbonising the future. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Teddies – from the classroom (where I could have focussed more) to the sports fields (where most of my focus was!). The tour to Australia was fantastic. The hockey was tough, the experiences amazing, including snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. The thing that was so special about the trip, though, was the fact that pupils from across all the age ranges at the School were included – and that it was for both boys’ and girls’ teams. I also remember my dad disallowing what would have been my greatest ever individual goal in a match under lights in NSW. Since leaving Teddies I have been teaching in schools in Surrey and London – running hockey programmes and as a Director of Sport. The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree! It is very difficult to pick just one memory from five years at the School, and from living at Teddies from the age of seven! I was also fortunate enough to get married in the Chapel four years ago. Matt Baggs (Apsley, 1996-2001)

FEATURE

“ My abiding memory is of Charlie Baggs masterminding everything from start to finish. It was remarkable. I also recall Richard Hegarty's 'take-off' vividly: it epitomised the fun we had and the bond that existed, and clearly still exists, within a group who 'flew the flag' and did themselves proud. It was a privilege to have shared this special time with them all. I had nine very happy years at Teddies as Head of History then Housemaster of Cowell's, as well as a cricket and a hockey coach.The tour to Australia remains one of my fondest memories of my time in Oxford. I always catch up with Charlie Baggs and Geoffrey Boult every time my wife and I return to the UK from Brunei, where we have been working at Jerudong International School since 2013. ” Chris Lush, SCR, 1995-2004

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