SE CHRONICLE 684

35 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

From 1991 to 1998, Vaughan (succeeding Elizabeth Weeks) was Head of Spanish, and this was a highly successful period for the Department. Vaughan may have had an appearance and physique that were far-removed from the clichéd idea of ‘Mediterranean-looking’, but his passion for all things Hispanic was evident in terms of the language and the full range of Hispanic culture. Pupils in the Spanish department, particularly in the Upper School, knew exactly why they were there, and Vaughan made Room F ‘feel’ Spanish (including popular music that may not always have gone down well with the German neighbours.) The not infrequent sight of lights still on in Room F at about 11 o’clock at night pointed to the tireless effort that he was willing to invest. Vaughan’s period as Housemaster of Sing’s (1998 – 2006) was a natural follow-on from his lengthy association with the House as a Tutor. Boys in Sing’s knew that Vaughan would always be ready to ‘go out to bat’ for them, and he and Caroline continued the tradition of Sing’s being a happy and welcoming House. Vaughan gained some notoriety as a ruthless flusher-out of smokers – it was more of a problem then – on the playing fields and golf course. It was said that, given his stature, his hat could sometimes be seen moving along the top of the hedge between Avenue Field and the Piggeries. Vaughan’s Sixth Form Prefects were aware that his daughter suffered from Mitochondrial Disease and they put forward

the idea of the School supporting the Jeans for Genes fundraising initiative. Once it had been agreed, Vaughan volunteered to coordinate the annual event which continued for many years, raising a huge amount of money to fund vital research. Following Sing’s, Vaughan played a significant part in raising awareness of environmental issues at St Edward’s between 2007 and 2011 as Director of Sustainability. His deep love of the countryside and the fact that he was a born recycler (again, one could see this in various ‘re-purposed’ items in Room F!) fitted him for this role, although there may have been some frustration for him in the fact that the sonorous title came without an associated budget, therefore making it difficult to have any real impact. He did what he could, though: once released from the more than-full-time role of being a Housemaster, Vaughan led afternoon working parties of pupils into the wilds of the Nature Reserve between the sports centre and the canal in order to carry out clearance, conservation work and tree-planting. He suspected that many pupils only joined so that they could witness his health and safety tool use demonstration and his subsequent struggles with the swamp cypresses! He also formed a Vegetable Gardening Club during the Summer Term, which required him to spend much of his Easter holiday in the polytunnel at home, growing from seed those vegetables which he knew would grow fast enough to provide a harvest for

Vaughan with his daughter Hannah

pupils in time for the summer holidays. Not surprisingly for a man who, over many years, was in charge of the Chess Club, Vaughan’s precision of mind made exam administration something that interested him and that he excelled at. He became Assistant Examinations Officer in 2010, not long before retiring from classroom teaching in 2012. Although in theory his remit was internal exams only, his work in the Exams Office went wider, and in his absence this year the School has been finding out just how much he did, and how far in advance he prepared. Candidates welcomed his calm and gentle authority. David Moore (former Exams Officer) comments tellingly that apart from his prescribed role, Vaughan dealt with ‘all the little bits and pieces that went on behind the scenes and which kept the whole exam process (both internal and external) moving’, and we in Modern Languages have Vaughan to thank for so many impeccably run and supervised oral exam sessions. Vaughan’s long contribution to St Edward’s leaves us all with a sense of gratitude, respect and affection. He was always content to play his role – with that rigorous attention to detail and accuracy – and he preferred being in the background, not seeking any kind of limelight. Thank you, Vaughan, and rest well. Vaughan Abigail , 1956 – 2022 Stuart Bartholomew

Four Sing’s Housemasters: Tom James (1991 – 98), Fran Pritchard (1965 – 79), John Donald (1979 – 91) and Vaughan (1998 – 2006)