The Newsletter of the Woolverstone Hall Old Boys Association

EDITORIAL: Since sending the last edition of "Janus", a number of thoughts have crossed my mind about WHOBA; how it might be developed or improved. I have put these thoughts into question form.

It is possible that nothing needs to change but I doubt it. I hope that you can help answer some these questions and I look forward to hearing your views. It is also possible that you can think of other questions that should be asked and any suggestions would be appreciated.

Now that WHOBA has a presence on the Internet an increasing number of OWs, previously thought lost, are getting in contact. Tony Boys and Eric Coates continue to devote a lot of time and energy to improving and updating the website. I hope to get future editions of "Janus" to as many OWs as possible electronically, which will be cheaper and quicker than using the postal service, particularly for those overseas. If you received this by post but have an e-mail address, please let me have your details so that I can update the distribution list.

If you have memories, anecdotes, observations or any Woolverstone related material that you would like to share with a wider audience you can e-mail me or send details by post. There is a wealth of material that OWs would love to be let in on for the first time or be reminded of and I am continually looking for copy to fill the pages of "Janus".

QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Roger Cook's mention of "Ug" Davies prompted a good response. Michael Shakeshaft, Berners housemaster and modern languages teacher recalled the arrival of Ug, real name Philip, as an 11 year old in Berners. He did not come by the school coach from London, but flew in from Bahrain, where his parents were stationed. Michael and Marjorie knew he would be arriving late and in due course there was a knock on the door. Michael opened it expecting to look down on a small travel-weary boy, only to discover a strapping lad of almost 6 feet. It was no surprise to Michael that he excelled on the rugby field and had a trial, following which he was picked to play for England under 15s against Wales. It resulted in Michael's only trip to Twickenham, travelling by the school bus, and although Wales won it was a great day out and a plus for the school.

Bryan Middlebrook, Halls housemaster and classics teacher, said that Philip, who he described as a "very quietly spoken and courteous young man", played twice for England U15s against Wales. Confirmation of this can be found in the Summer 1965 edition of "Janus", complete with a photograph of Philip wearing an England cap. Bryan recalls him kicking a penalty from the halfway line in an U13s Sevens Tournament.

David Harris (Orwell 60/67) wrote that Phil was a year below, but because of his size and speed played first team rugby with David's year, alongside himself, Hindle, Bartlett, Hotz de Baar, Wild, Jones etc. He was a "blistering powerhouse, a large lad likened to a caveman (hence Ug) because of his advanced maturity. He ran distances between 100yds and 440yds like the wind and certainly reached regional, if not national, athletics championships. When Orwell played Berners in 1966, we had to put three people on him to stop him. But we did. Just!" Jeffrey Edwards (Corners 63/66) recalls him being a member of the highly successful Colts XV that never lost a match and described him as "like an express train, impossible to bring down in a tackle."

The tilly question also generated a good response. David Harris - "a diminutive of 'Utilabrake', the snappy marketing name for that type of van, presumably a contraction of 'utility brake'." Andy Andersen (Berners 60/67) - "an aged Bedford, derived from the word utility, which I think must be a hark-back to the war and 'utility vehicle'. The Aussies call them 'utes' just to be awkward." Tony Meager:"During the 50s the school purchased a passenger van with a side sliding door, produced by Commers and known as a 'Utilicon', presumably suggesting that it could be used for passengers and goods." Graham Lassiter:"In my years there were two tillys; tilly being a contraction of utility. Tilly one was the motorised transport and tilly two was a hand pulled four wheeled trolley used by all and sundry, especially for zooming down the slope by the tuck shop. I don't remember it ever getting very far before the inevitable crash occurred." Bryan Middlebrook:"The Woolverstone Tillies (there were at least two generations of them) were driven not only by Ken Bullard but by members of the teaching staff after undergoing a rigorous test of their driving skill around the deserted lanes and minor roads of Suffolk."

The June 1998 edition of "Janus" recorded that Woolverstone had been asked to supply school percussionists for the world premiere of Benjamin Britten's "Noye's Fludde" at the Aldeburgh festival, but no names were supplied. The information came, almost by return of post, from Merlin Channon. He sent photocopies of the relevant pages of the festival programme which records the percussionists of "an East Suffolk Children's rchestra" as Roger Abrams, Alan Baguste, Alexander Durrant, Nigel Fletcher, Niall O'Loughlin, Roger Stone, David Windsor and Geoffrey Wolmark. (Where are they now? - Ed) After the list of personnel a note proclaims: "The percussion players, from Woolverstone Hall, are trained by Mr M. Channon."

SNIPPETS: Bob Coates (Corners 58/65) edits "The Journal of the Institute of Burial & Cremation Administration (Inc)." The Summer 1998 edition featured an article on aspects of exhumation and the experiences of an archaeologist in the crypt of Christ Church in Spitalfields. It includes some colour photos of well preserved bodies buried during the first half of the 19^th century.

David Harris (Orwell 60/67), who lives in Hampshire, attended a first Thursday meeting at the Victoria. A kindly OW, whose name has escaped David, found him a taxi to take him back to Waterloo. He got into conversation with the driver, who learned that David had been to a school reunion and was on a high. He asked which school it was and David responded that it was a small school in East Anglia that was now closed. The conversation developed along the lines of "What was the name?" "Woolverstone Hall." "You're joking!" "No , why, do you know it?" "Do I know it? Course I bleedin' know it, I went there myself!" The driver was Steve Jones (or possibly James), who David thought was having him on, but he knew far too much about the school. He played for the 1^st XV for a record number of years. David said "I had never heard of him and, unless I was set up, it was a most incredible coincidence." Does anyone remember him and where does he live now?

John Pirtle (Johnstons 56/61), who has lived in New Zealand since 1965, read in the October copy of the New Zealand Gardener magazine an article that referred to a rose named "Surpassing Beauty of Woolverstone". Apparently in 1980 Peter Beales (Is he an OW? - Ed) discovered this old and unknown climbing rose growing in the churchyard of Woolverstone church. He took cuttings and propagated it, named it and marketed it. John wrote "we now have our own rose" and he has ordered one.

John Dawlings (Owell), after reading the Canberra Times review of Alan Gould's fiction ("Janus", June 1998) , was reminded of an extraordinary meeting he had during the 80s. When John moved to Canberra in 1982 he occasionally went to the Canberra Bridge Club. On one visit he looked across to the next table and to his amazement saw a guy wearing a Woolverstone blazer. It turned out that he had never been to Woolverstone but that he shared a house with an OW who was a poet. John has no doubt that the poet was Alan Gould. Alan, did you share a home with a bridge playing, sartorially challenged kleptomaniac?

Phillipe Ouario, who last year used "Janus" to canvass for musicians to help him get a record out, has recorded and released an album.

Bob Massie (ne Hunt) (Orwell 72/79) is hoping to stage a "Class of 72" reunion, as next year will mark 20 years since most of them left Woolverstone. Bob, who contacted Tony Boys by e-mail, included a long list of names of his OW peers. Unfortunately most of them are not on the OBA database. The "Class of 72" can contact Bob via his e-mail address, which you will find on message 32 on the website, or by writing to the editor.

Graham Davis (Orwell 68/75), working in the USA for a medical diagnostics company, spotted a letter in the virtual version of the Times on 8 September, which he thought could be described as "Baileyesque". The letter referred to a master coaching a school XV in the mid 70s. He instructed his players to "pair off in threes"! Graham went on to say that the phrase sounded familiar but the name of the school was not mentioned. He asked whether anyone recognises the name of the author, Peter Strachan Cowie.

Malcolm Poole recently joined a newly opened fitness club in Ipswich, in the hope, he says, of recapturing some of his sailing days ability. One morning after showering, a voice said "Woolverstone was a long time ago." Malcolm turned and there stripping off for action stood a large imposing young man. It was Ken Davis (Johnstons) who left around 1976. He lives in Ipswich and is a business management consultant, having previously been in local government.

RECENTLY REUNITED: Timothy Leuers (ne Williams) (Johnstons 76/78) lives in Japan, where he teaches English at Kurume University in Kyushu. He wonders whether going to Japan had anything to do with his experiences of British culture at Woolverstone. He says that he was shy and was never mentioned in "Janus" (Better late than never - Ed). Having established that the author of the Cement Garden and the Comfort of Strangers was the same Ian McEwan that had attended Woolverstone, he was pleased that they had attended the same school and been in the same house. Particularly as he counted Ian as "possibly his favourite author".

John Burd (Johnstons 67/70) has been in contact with Tony Boys through the internet and recalls learning to sail at school, a pastime that he still manages to follow fairly regularly. His other recollections include the Car Club, run by HCAT (Can anyone enlighten us? - Ed), restoring an extremely elderly vehicle belongiong to Rob Peeling; after dark trips to the pub at Harkstead, with no lights on until after they had left the school grounds; trips to Ipswich and the tea shop in the basement of one shop where "we could meet the Ipswich High School girls"; and hitch hiking in the dark. John can still tell the make of a car from its headlamps at night, which at that time was "absolutely essential to avoid flagging down a master's car". John went on to say that his career as a professional scientist has its roots in the enthusiasm and encouragement of the science teachers at Woolverstone. John would like to hear from anyone who knew him that would like to swap reminiscences. He can be contacted by e-mail on jburd@globalnet.co.uk or through the editor.

Alan Fisk has put WHOBA in contact with Jeffrey Edwards (Corners 63/66), known as Fred, who is a university lecturer at Salford interested in disability issues. He is a much travelled academic, with a BA Hons from Manchester University, MA in Disability Studies from Leeds University and a diploma in Applied Social Studies from Bath University. Are there other OWs who were students at three or more universities? Jeffrey recalls Eric Coates, famous for his bowling skills, and his brother Bob and would be interested in making contact with Alex Baron, if he can be traced.

John Norbury (Corners 68/71) recently discovered the existence of the OBA. He lives in Upminster with his wife Pat and three children, where he is an insurance broker. He entered the insurance arena after leaving Woolverstone and has remained in the business since then, with the exception of a two month sabbatical spent in Brittany pursuing his dream of being a cyclist. Sadly he found it too hard and returned to develop his career, which resulted in him starting his own business specialising in demolition insurance risks. He recently took his family to meet Roger Barker, his former house master, who helped him to succeed at Woolverstone.

Richard Daish (Halls 60/66), who retired from the National Grid after starting in the electricity generating business after Woolverstone, rediscovered the OBA after being out of touch for about 20 years. He is the younger brother of John (Halls 59/67), now a consultant paediatrician at Northampton Hospital. Richard moved around the country with his work and ended up in St Albans, where he still lives. During his travels he met the middle Campbell-Smith brother, Alan Andersen, Nick Darling, Glyn Evans, Michael and Marjorie Shakeshaft and Kim Winter. He has been active with the Round Table, eventually becoming Area Chairman for Hertfordshire in 1989/90, and would be interested in getting in touch with contemporaries from his years, especially members of Round Table.

Jim Atkinson (Hansons/Orwell 56/63) wrote via the Internet with some his memories of Woolverstone, which he describes as 4 star luxury compared with many modern English boarding schools. He recalls learning about photography, drama, music, sailing, Sea Cadets, debating, bangers (the four wheeled type), pig rearing in the Young Farmers Club, tractor driving, model airplane making and flying. He admits that his initial motivation for joining many of the clubs and societies was the opportunity to get together with girls from Ipswich High School. He also recalls 6^th Form dances, that cafe in Ipswich, the name of which he has forgotten, where it was "dead cool to spend an afternoon working through a packet of Woodbines". Jim lives in Hampshire, although he has spent much of his working life abroad, is still interested in sailing and photography, has graduated from Woodbines to Benson & Hedges and would like to hear from OWs during his time at school.

Derek Wood (Hansons 50/53) is another OW that made contact through the WHOBA web page, from Perth, Western Australia, where he has lived for the last 33 years. Graham Lassiter, who also lives in Oz and was at Woolverstone at the same time, has been in contact and they hope to arrange a meeting when Graham goes there later this year or early in 1999. Derek and his wife, Beryl, recently visited the UK and made the pilgrimage up to Suffolk, where they had lunch in the Butt and Oyster. They were joined by Fred Moughton (Hansons 50/57), one his peers, together with Gerald Donaldson (Corners 57/64) and Eric Coates (Corners 58/64).

SPORT: John Dawlings recalled a cricket tour of Kent in 1971, chaperoned by Dickie Mayes and Peter Sadler. The tour included a match at Dickie's old school, which was "quite spiteful, as I believe one of our batsmen was felled (Anyone care to admit to it? - Ed) by one of their fast bowlers. Ours retaliated and as wicket keeper I spent one of the most active afternoons I can remember."

The team also came up against an England schools bowler, Graham-Brown, playing for Sevenoaks, who demolished the Woolverstone batting with the exception of David Waight who hit 50. John said that Graham-Brown went on to play occasional county cricket and he is amazed that someone as good as him could only make the county team occasionally.

Regarding David Waight, John thinks that he went on to play 2^nd XI county cricket. Can anyone confirm this, which county was it and where is he now? John played in the last ever match on the hallowed square, Old Boys v Very Old Boys, and recalled Dickie Mayes' commenting, when Jimmy Cotterell came on to bowl:"He's the second best cricketer Woolverstone ever produced." On being asked the best, he answered: "Dave Waight, of course." Bryan Middlebrook's top team has already appeared in "Janus". Dickie, how about your all time 1^st XI?

MEMORABILIA: Chris Nial (Hansons 65/72) has recently moved and in the process he came accross a number of papers on Woolverstone, including some cuttings from "The East Anglian Daily Times" of the mid 80s. He also discovered a naval cap band from the London Nautical School marked TS Woolverstone, which he recalled finding in one of the Nissen huts. (Did an early OW get jankers for losing a cap band? - Ed)

When the school closed down Graham Lassiter discovered some untitled films lying in a cupboard, which he took home promising to convert to video. When he was preparing to emigrate to Australia four years ago he found them in his garage and decided to do the conversion as soon as possible. Last year, comfortably settled in Oz, he came across them again and actually took them to the lab, but there was a problem with the transfer and they had to be redone. A couple of weeks later he went to collect the films only to find that the shop was closed for a month over Christmas and before it reopened he left for England where he spent the next three months. At the beginning of September he came across the receipt and picked them up!

The video has about 20 minutes of cine film, mostly black and white, and records some of the happenings at the school. The final section, a display of military marching and an inspection by a senior officer, is in colour but appears to be unconnected with the school. It is undated but would appear to have been filmed in the 60s. There is a clip carrying the title "The Janus Players Present The Rise and Fall of Calibar", a play that was performed on the lower terraces of Orwell side. Can anybody remember the production, recall the cast and provide a date?

Graham Davis has made enquiries about the availability of school photographs. The following have been traced and hang on the wall of the permanent display; 1951, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 77 and 82. Copies can be taken from the negatives, but to gauge interest and to make the cost of reproduction reflect the benefits of economies of scale, please advise the editor of your requirements. If you have originals or copies of other years school photos, Fred Moughton would be delighted to hear from you. If you do not wish to donate photos for the display, he is able to have negatives made and return the originals.

Eric Coates (Corners 58/64) has many of the school report cards. If you would like yours, send a stamped addressed envelope, together with a cheque, made payable to WHOBA, to cover any arrears of annual subscription, to him at 3 Lawrence Road, Hampton, Middx, TW12 2RS.

WHO WERE THEY? Ed "Chalky" White (Halls 67/73), who lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona, is yet another OW that made contact through the WHOBA website. He recalled a bright summer afternoon, when the swimmers in his PE class were at the side of the pool, having just cleared the debris from the bottom. They, together one individual excused swimming that day by sick bay, were watching the progress of two non swimmers instructed by Glyn Evans to do a few lengths using floats. In about three feet of water one individual kicked too hard and he lost his float. In his panic to save himself, he jumped on his peer. They thrashed around the water watched by 15 potential rescuers, when who jumped in to effect the rescue? The one still wearing his Harris Tweed jacket, watch and glasses! The non swimmers made a full recovery but Ed believes that the jacket never recovered. Who were the non swimmers and the hero? He also recalled that one morning on the way to assembly, the boys were greeted with a view of women's clothing strung from the top of the main building. Diana was sporting a powdered wig and a pirate's hat. The Morris Minor of one the masters had been put in front of the library and the skeleton from the biology lab had been placed behind the wheel. Ed did not supply the year, but asks whether can there is an OW out there that would like to throw more light on the incident. He goes on to say that information leading to names will be rewarded with a pint of tequila "next time you're in Phoenix".

INTERNET: The website continues to register large numbers of visitors, presumably most of whom are OWs. The site is worth a visit for everyone with Internet access. WHOBA has invested in a scanner and Eric Coates (Corners 58/64) is busy copying the original "Janus"', early editions of which are already available on line. Whilst scanning them, Eric has taken the time to read the copy and he says that there is some excellent material in them. Ian McEwan, a former editor was also a prolific contributor, so if you want to read some of his early writing, including a report on the exchange with public school Stowe, it will soon be available on line. There are also messages left by OWs, a photo gallery and a "Looking for Somebody" section.

IN MEMORIAM: On 24 August "The Daily Telegraph" carried an obituary for Gerald Eichler (Johnstons 56/60), who passed away on 17 August. He was a television reporter who turned philosophical discussions between academics into unlikely but much admired late night viewing. He was a man of ideas and his best known productions were "Something to Say" and "Voices". In "Something to Say" intellectuals discussed serious ideas in a studio. It was the forerunner of "Voices", which was simple, but into which Eichler brought the most talented thinkers of the day. The critics loved it, but it was less successful with the viewing public, even though he produced 42 of them.

He was born Gerald Rainmar at Graz, Austria, on January 12 1942, and later adopted the name Eichler from a dance teacher. At 13 he came to England to visit his step-father and decided to stay. He arranged for himself to be taken into local authority care and was sent to a reception centre, where he remained for six months, before going to Woolverstone Hall and then studying for a sociology degree at Regent Street Polytechnic..

Later, lodging with the radio producer Tony Cash, who was working on the BBC's Russian Service, Gerald showed him a piece he was writing. It was not always clear where one sentence ended and another began; but what shone through was Eichler's originality and great intelligence. Through Cash, Udi, as he now called himself, made his first contacts with the BBC. In 1964 he joined the BBC general trainee scheme, and embarked on a career in television, working at Lime Grove.

In the late 1960s, he left the BBC for Rediffusion, later to become Thames, and joined the documentaries department where he stayed for 15 years. At Thames he was a director on This Week, the producer of Something to Say, the maker of documentaries and the executive producer of Take Six. He also produced Sex in Our Time, a frank and explicit look at contemporary sexual behaviour. However, it proved too frank and too explicit for the regulators at Thames.

In 1981, Udi co-founded the television production company Brook, which provided him with the flexibility to combine television production with his lifelong interest in therapy. In.1987 he took an MSc at Roehampton Institute and began working as a therapist, while at the same time keeping up his career in television production. His later programmes, in. particular Museums of Madness (1991), which he made with Jonathan Miller, and Family Therapy (1995) were much more popular with viewers than his earlier philosophical programmes.

The Telegraph described him as "intelligent, bold, direct, honest and often provocative. Having grown up in post-war Austria, he had little respect for authority, and this brought him to challenge almost everything - his particular bete-noirs being restrictions on smoking and parking." He had a fine Billie Holliday record collection, was fond of windsurfing, boats and skiing and owned a vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Udi Eichler married Diana Davies in 1962 and had two daughters. That marriage was dissolved. He later married the novelist Judith Summers (cousin of Keith Pittel - Ed) in 1997; they had a son.