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M A G A Z I N E F O R F O R M E R
P U P I L S , S T A F F A N D F R I E N D S
MyTrinity
ISS
UE
2 SU
MM
ER
2020
Tenor of the Ensanche
JOEL WILLIAMS
ROBIN WILSON HEADMASTER 1972-94
BARRY MACEVOY IN MALAWI
WHERE IN THE WORLD
RAISE YOUR GLASS TO GEOFF WILSHER
02 www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Welcome
MyTrinity
“We are really grateful that under challenging circumstances, the school and teachers have managed to keep our child motivated and positive about their education, and provided a way for them to maintain a routine that is so important for their well-being.”
TRINITY PARENT
Our news sections bring you a few highlights from the
school and our alumni community as well as reviews of
the events we have been able to host prior to lockdown.
I hope you enjoy reading about 2010 leaver and up and
coming opera singer Joel Williams, alumnus and governor
Barry MacEvoy’s trip to Malawi, and the articles on former
Headmaster Robin Wilson and alumnus and stalwart of the
Trinity Club, Geoff Wilsher.
As I write, we are gradually easing out of lockdown whilst
still in the grip of the worldwide pandemic. I sincerely hope
you have kept safe and well during this time. My condolences
go out to all of you and your families where you have been
affected in different ways by the virus.
I could not be prouder of the way in which the staff and pupils
at Trinity School have responded to the unique challenges
that face us. Our staff trained over the Easter holiday for a
week and have been delivering online teaching via the Teams
platform throughout the summer term. Learning virtually is
an intense experience for students and staff, so we introduced
a slightly reduced timetable for teaching remotely, with a
longer lesson length than at school. Staff have been sharing
innovative ways to teach and learn with each other, and
parents have been generous in their praise for the engaging
lessons that staff are creating. We have had to learn quickly,
and the broadband networks of South London have been put
through their paces, but our governors have paid tribute to
the dedication of our teaching and support staff in delivering
a very high level of teaching remotely.
As our GCSE cohort had no exams to sit, we introduced
a new programme for them to start to engage with their
A level subjects. I have been incredibly impressed by the
set of ideas and resources our staff have produced for the
pre-A level programme, which is also being shared with
the 43 external students joining our Sixth Form in September.
Dear alumni, former staff and friendsWelcome to the second edition of My Trinity magazine.
As I write, our Junior Year is about to start a phased return with
our Years 10 and 12 also returning in small groups over the last
two weeks of term. We are working through the complications this
creates as remote teaching still needs to continue for everyone not
in school. The phased return will enable us to test the measures
we have introduced before the school returns in September.
When this magazine reaches you, we will know the outcome of
our first Giving Day, which is being held in support of our Bursary
Fund. Bursaries make a crucial difference to our school. To the
individuals who receive them, we hope we can give them a life
changing opportunity. But the impact is even greater on all of
our students because it means that they will grow up and rub
shoulders with children from all kinds of backgrounds and we
think this can shape powerfully the kind of young person they will
be when they leave us at eighteen. Trinity has always valued this,
but the cost of a private education means we have to do more to
address the structural inequality of access to schools like ours.
I would like to thank the hundreds of you who have already
generously supported the Bursary Fund. Our longer-term
ambition is that one in every five Trinity students will be supported
by a bursary, but the pandemic is going to impact a number of
current Trinity families economically for the foreseeable future,
so we also want to be able to support them to keep their children
at school.
I hope we will be able to resume our programme of events
for alumni over the next academic year and I look forward
to seeing many of you then.
With my best wishes
Alasdair Kennedy, Headmaster
www.trinity-school.org/alumnidirect line 020 8662 5159 03
My Trinity Magazine is published by
the Alumni and Development Team
at Trinity School
Edited by Melodie Johnson,
Head of Alumni Relations
Comments and suggestions for
content, or requests for copies of
photographs can be sent to Melodie by
email: [email protected] or
by post, addressed to Melodie Johnson,
Alumni Office, Trinity School, Shirley
Park Croydon CR9 7AT
contents3 My Trinity engagement
platform
4 School News
6 Joel Williams – Tenor of the Ensanche
8 Review of Events
12 School News
13 Alumni News
16 Barry MacEvoy in Malawi
18 Where in the World?
20 Trinity Gives
21 Lisa Kladitis
22 The Return of the Alumni
24 Robin Wilson, Headmaster 1972-1994
26 Destination of 2019 Leavers
28 Trip down Memory Lane
29 The Trinity Club
32 Raise your glass to Geoff Wilsher
34 In Memoriam
35 Alumni & Development Team
36 Dates for your DiaryJoin us on our social mediafacebook.com/TrinitySchoolCroydonAlumni
linkedin.com/in/trinityalumni
twitter.com/TrinitySchAlumn
instagram.com/trinityschoolalumni
Have you registered on our alumni networking site My Trinity yet? Join over 1,400 people from our Trinity
community and keep in touch with the
latest news from the School and former
students, see our forthcoming events, view
photographs and connect with your peers
and fellow alumni. Alumni can also seek and
give careers advice and search for, or offer,
mentoring opportunities, jobs and other
forms of support through our secure site.
Introducing our new Business DirectoryWe have recently launched our new
Business Directory on My Trinity, where
you can add a free listing to promote
your company to our excusive Trinity
community. People have already started
posting their businesses, including those
offering financial advice, IT support and
handmade bespoke cakes.
Why not add your company now?
How to registerIt is simple to join us on My Trinity, just sign
up using your LinkedIn or Facebook log in,
or register with your email address. You can
tailor your profile by offering as much or as
little support to others as you want.
Alumni newsMY T R I N I T Y CO M M U N I T Y O N L I N E
New Resources section on My TrinityWe have also enhanced the site with a new
Resources area, which we have started to
populate with Media; including alumni
performing in lockdown and an interview by
alumnus Alistair Kitchen, who left Trinity in
2001, with composer and film maker, Tony
Britten, who left in 1973,
Publications; where
you can find the latest
editions of the School
and Alumni magazines,
and an Obituaries
section.
These two new sections
can be accessed from
the menu.
Register now at
www.mytrinity.org.uk
Ollie ScarlesThird Year student Ollie
Scarles was selected
for the England U15
football team in
January following his
success as part of the
FA Development Squad.
He demonstrated his
excellent football skills
during a match against
Belgium in February.
04
Trinity win against MCCTrinity’s 1st XI claimed victory at our
annual fixture against the prestigious
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) last
summer. Our team bowled the best
they had all season, restricting the MCC
to 109 all out. The match culminated
in ‘Spirit of Cricket’ award winner Alex
Connaghton, who hit two enormous
sixes to win the game; our first win
against the MCC for some time.
Tayla LockSixth Form student
Tayla Lock completed
trials last summer at
the ISFA (Independent
Schools Football
Association) camp
for the U18s team.
Tayla also plays for
Crystal Palace ladies.
Lanre OlatunjiFirst Year student
Lanre Olatunji
signed for Charlton Athletic
FC academy in February.
Archie WarrenSixth Form student, Archie Warren,
represented Surrey as part of their U20
rugby squad in March. It’s a great accolade
for Archie, who was selected to play for the
U20 team despite
the fact he is only
18. He played the
full 80 minutes
against Sussex RFU
on the 1st XV pitch
at Esher.
Henry MolyneauxFourth Year student
Henry Molyneux
signed a two-year
contract with Crystal
Palace FC Academy.
Top 100Trinity has been named one of the top
100 cricket schools in the country by
The Cricketer magazine for the fifth
year running. The listing follows an
exhaustive process where all entries
are judged against an extensive set
of criteria, with all the chosen schools
having outstanding facilities, fixture
programmes and coaching.
School news
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
F O O T B A L L
H O C K E Y
Joe CottonFifth former, Joe
Cotton was named
“Player of the
Tournament” at
England Hockey’s
Futures Cup. Along
with securing this
coveted title, Joe was
also selected for the England U15 squad.
William HaspelFirst Year student
William Haspel was
named Player of the
Season for the U13
Surrey Boys Panthers
Team last year. William
was also invited to
attend a trial for the
England hockey Southern Counties
Performance Centre selections.
Three students selected for Harlequins U13 programmeSecond formers Joseph Jenkins, Conor
Maguire and Cuthbert Bashukwa were
selected for the Harlequins U13 Developing
Player Programme in February. All three boys
already make a great contribution to our
teams at Trinity and will certainly benefit
from this level of training and coaching.
C R I C K E T
R U G B Y
Fifteen Rugby Team of the YearTwo Trinity
students were
voted into the
starting XV
for ‘Fifteen
Rugby Schools
Rugby Counties
XV’ in April. Alex
Connaghton was
voted into the
second row while
Chris Lipczynski
was selected at
inside centre.
Trinity Boys Choir back at Abbey RoadThe Trinity Boys Choir, currently the busiest
studio session recording children’s choir in the
UK, make regular visits to famous studios like
Abbey Road. Some projects they can excitedly
tell us about, and some they can’t yet reveal.
The Choir recorded the score by Nicholas
Britell for the Netflix film The King, starring
Timothée Chalamet, and spent a further two
days at Abbey Road recording the soundtrack
for Maleficent 2.
The Choir also recorded the song Monsters
with James Blunt for his new album Cold,
which was recorded in the Guards Chapel
at Wellington Barracks. It is a very touching
ballad, written in homage to Blunt’s father.
Five Gold Medals!Third Year student, Zain Lam, returned
to school with a suite of medals after
competing in the Surrey Swimming
Championships in March. He won five
gold medals across the 50m, 100m and
200m breast; 50m free, and 50m fly,
and he won silver in the 100m fly.
Gold and Silver for Water Polo TeamsOur U15 and U18 Water Polo teams
claimed gold and silver medals
respectively at the ESSA National
Finals. The U15 team won the national
title following a closely-fought match
at Northampton School for Boys
against Bolton, with the U18s claiming
silver in their final match, also against
Bolton, after a semi-final victory
against Alleyn’s.
Anna ESSA ChampionSixth Form
student Anna
Bradescu was
crowned ESSA
national diving
champion in
December in
the Senior Girls
diving category.
Her win also
contributed
to the London
team winning
overall.
Ross SinclairFifth Year student,
Ross Sinclair, was
selected for the
Scotland U16
Exiles Green Squad
at Murrayfield
stadium in March.
The camp involved
work on individual
development,
team organisation
and game opportunities against
Scotland U16 Blue and Scotland
U16 Red teams, giving participants
the chance to impress the national
selectors and earn a Scotland U16 cap.
Alfie VelascoUpper Sixth
student, Alfie
Velasco was
selected for
the U18 Welsh
Exiles squad last
September.
R U G B Y C O N T I N U E D
M U S I C
W A T E R S P O R T S
Student awarded Royal College of Music scholarshipSixth Form student,
Amiri Harewood,
has been awarded a
scholarship to the Royal College of Music.
Amiri is one of our most talented pianists and,
at the age of 13, became our youngest Steinway
Scholar. He has since won a number of awards,
including our annual piano competition on
three occasions and, in 2018, was named
our Trinity Musician of the Year. Amiri has
performed at prestigious venues across Europe
including Venice, Bologna and the Steinway
Hall in London. He recently gave a brilliant
performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A
minor at the newly-refurbished Fairfield Halls.
Students mark Holocaust Memorial DayOur Lo Quartet performed at a service
on Holocaust Memorial Day in January
at the Council Chamber at Croydon
Town Hall, which was attended by the
Mayor of Croydon, local faith leaders,
Councillors and other local schools.
06
We speak to rising star, Joel Williams
JOEL WILLIAMS Tenor of the Ensanche
Joel Williams left Trinity School in 2010 having attained A levels in English, History and
Religious Studies, but his passion has always been his music. Whilst at Trinity, Joel was
a chorister in the Trinity Boys Choir, played the cello, clarinet and piano, and was awarded
Trinity School’s Music Prize for Singing. Joel was also leader of the concert band and
through all this, he managed to fulfil his duties as Deputy Head Boy.
Joel said: "I feel incredibly lucky to have
spent seven years at Trinity. It is with
the music department that many of
my happiest memories were formed.
The opportunities under the helmsmanship
of David Swinson were astonishing. Within
the relatively short life-span of a boy treble,
I ended up on many of Europe's greatest
stages and sang with many of the world's
greatest conductors. Of course, at the time
I was mostly excited about races through
the frozen streets of Venice and the
smoothie selection in the Royal Opera
House canteen. Alongside races run and
smoothies drunk, I was exposed to art of
indescribable beauty, passion, and love,
and was piloted through this world by
teachers for whose patience, knowledge
and humanity I will be forever grateful."
Joel went on to read History at King’s
College, Cambridge, where he was an
academic and choral scholar, singing
in the world famous choir in their
international broadcasts, and singing solos
in the National Centre for Performing Arts
in Beijing, the Royal Albert Hall and the
Sydney Opera House, reaching combined
audiences of many millions. He then
gained a post graduate place at the Royal
College of Music Opera Studio, where he
studied for five years. He was awarded
a Kiri te Kanawa Scholarship, following
a rigorous audition process, attended by
Dame Kiri herself. Whilst still a student
at the RCM, Joel built up his solo career as
a tenor, performing in Adriana Lecouvreur
under Valery Gergiev in Verbier and with
the LPO and Vladamir Jurowski.
Described by Opera Magazine as a singer
"with flair, his tenor simultaneously
caressing and resilient", Joel is now a
member of the Centre de Perfeccionament
Palau de les Arts in Valencia. Joel is
the recipient of an Independent Opera
Fellowship which is awarded annually to
talented singers in the early stages of their
professional operatic careers. His studies
up to this point have been generously
supported by many charitable bodies
which he lists fully at tenorjoelwilliams.com.
On stage, Joel, aged 28, has already
played a multitude of roles and made
debuts for major companies including
Basilio in Nozze di Figaro at the Palau
de les Arts Reina Sofia, Facio in Fantasio
at Garsington, Le Ruisseau in Les Fêtes
D'Hébé at Bastille, Opéra de Paris, Don
Ottavio in Don Giovanni at Holland Park,
Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream,
Count Belfiore in La Finta Giardiniera, Hexe
in Hänsel und Gretel at the Royal College
of Music International Opera Studio,
Odoardo in Ariodante at the London
Handel Festival, Oronte in Alcina at the
Ryedale Festival Opera, and he also created
the role of Captain Vere for the Royal
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
We are hugely proud of his achievements and it is an inspiration for our young singers to see one of our own doing so well.David Swinson, Director of Music at Trinity
© Ben Ealovega
07
Opera House's Learning and Participation
reduced version of Billy Budd.
Joel arrived in Valencia with only a
smattering of Spanish, and was thrown
into rehearsals on his induction day
for a production of Nozze di Figaro for
a main house production. Rehearsals
were almost entirely in Spanish.
"I was so fortunate and grateful that I had
already performed the role of Basilio under
the direction of Sir Thomas Allen, and
thanks to the international language of
gesticulating I ended up standing roughly
in the right part of the stage at roughly
the right time", Joel said. Mauricio Villa
from Operawire was impressed "I have
to mention Joel Williams as Basilio... this
young tenor created a humorous creation
and, above all, his voice was projected
wonderfully."
Joel was singing in Rossini's Viaggio a
Reims at the Palau in Valencia when the
Covid-19 outbreak took hold (rehearsals
this time were almost entirely in Italian),
so when the country went into lock-
down, Joel had to resort to singing at
home and taking online classes with his
teacher, which "works surprisingly well,
and I am enjoying this time to focus
on my technique, but I feel bad for my
neighbours when I practice vocal
exercises without any tunes!"
It was actually one of his neighbours who
suggested Joel perform for the street after
the nightly applause for health workers at
8pm. "I had seen other people entertaining
their local community in Italy, so I thought,
why not? I go out onto my balcony to pay
tribute to our wonderful health workers
with others in our street, and when the
applause stops, I sing. I've performed
almost every night for two months".
Joel’s neighbours came to know what was
coming and waited in anticipation on their
balconies to listen to him. With his ipad
and small speaker to accompany him, Joel
became the Tenor of the Ensanche. Singing
in his unmistakable and powerful voice,
Joel delighted his audience with favourites
such as Brindisi, Nessun Dorma, and
La Donna È Mobile. When David Swinson,
our Director of Music, came across one of
Joel's videos, we posted it on our social
media, and Joel went ‘viral’. Many people
shared the videos via their social media
and mobile phones during Covid-19 as
a way of connecting with others and
Joel’s videos became firm favourites.
He has been interviewed (in Spanish)
and performed on Spanish television
channel A3TV and has been played
on ITN in Britain, reaching millions of
viewers with his balcony performances.
David Swinson said of Joel: “It’s 10
years since Joel left Trinity but, of course,
I remember him well. His highlights as a
treble included a solo with Paul McCreesh
at the Gabrieli Consort in Madrid and taking
the role of Cobweb in A Midsummer Night’s
Dream at La Monnaie, Brussels.
Xxxxxxx
Music is such a powerful force to unite and inspire us. Now, we need it more than ever.
We are sure to see more of Joel as
a young and upcoming opera singer,
so watch this space - for updates,
follow him @TenorJoel on Facebook and
Instagram and tenorjoelwilliams.com.
If you have not already heard Joel sing,
log in to our My Trinity alumni
engagement platform at
www.mytrinity.org.uk where you
can see one of his performances
from his balcony.
He was an excellent and charismatic
Cobweb and it doesn’t surprise me at all
that he is doing so well as an operatic tenor.
We’ve kept in touch, partly because he has
sung alongside current Trinity boys, both at
the Royal College of Music and at Garsington
Opera, and also on a tour to Italy. We are
hugely proud of his achievements and it is
an inspiration for our young singers to see
one of our own doing so well.”
For Joel’s neighbours, his performances
were awaited with enthusiasm. One of his
neighbours wrote to him saying, "I wanted
to thank you from me and on behalf
of my 8-month pregnant wife for your
encouraging music every day. In these
difficult days, going out on the balcony to
clap and to listen to your awesome voice is
like having an oxygen balloon that makes
us forget all the bad things for a while".
Joel says he is "So happy to do my small
bit for the community around here and
the people who see recordings. These are
difficult times when we need the human
connection and community denied to us
by quarantine. Music is such a powerful
force to unite and inspire us. Now, we
need it more than ever."
Joel as Basilio in Nozze d Figaro - © Chris Christodoulou Joel as Odoardo in Ariodante - © Chris Christodoulou
Click here
08
Afternoon of SportMembers of the Trinity community came together at the beginning of this
academic year for our annual Afternoon of Sport where our alumni challenged
our current students and staff in hotly-contested rugby, hockey, netball,
football and water polo matches.
Over 300 alumni, parents, students and staff joined us for a fun-filled day for
all the family. Our tennis, squash and badminton courts were open for people
wanting to play; we had a bouncy castle on offer for younger children, and all
our guests enjoyed a delicious BBQ.
Review of events
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
We were delighted to host Trinity
RFC’s 1st XV as they took on the
mighty Purley John Fisher’s 1st
XV in their first warm-up game of
the season. We witnessed a great
performance by Trinity RFC in an
exciting match which culminated
in a win for Trinity RFC.
Celebrity Organ RecitalWe hosted a special event in September to celebrate the installation
of our Wyvern Organ in Trinity Concert Hall. The best seats were
occupied by our supporters, who so generously donated to our
Organ Fund; enabling us to bring organ music back to School.
Internationally renowned organist, David Briggs gave an electrifying
performance on the night, demonstrating what this magnificent
instrument is capable of.
David’s playing was incredible; with enthralling and masterful
performances of Bach, Gustav Mahler, and Widor, followed by
a memorable performance of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which
had the whole audience humming and toe tapping.
The second half of the evening included a captivating improvisation
by David to the Charlie Chaplain film The Immigrant. The organ was
dedicated by the Reverend Canon Dr Andrew Bishop, Chaplain to the
Whitgift Foundation, and guests were treated to a thrilling finale of
Hubert Parry’s I Was Glad, accompanied by a massed choir of alumni,
parents, students and staff. Fabulous!
09
Reception for our SupportersWe were delighted to welcome alumni,
parents and friends of the School to our
Reception for Supporters of the Trinity
Bursary Fund in November. The room
was buzzing with energetic and lively
conversation as we thanked members of
the Trinity community for their generous
donations to our Bursary Fund.
2015 leaver and bursary recipient, Lisa
Kladitis, gave a moving speech about her
journey from her local state school to
Trinity, and then on to Oxford, where
she graduated with a First in History.
You can read more about Lisa on page 21.
Edinburgh ReunionIn November, David Young, our Director
of Development, hosted drinks for alumni
based in and around Edinburgh.
“Thanks for a great evening David.
It was lovely to meet you all!”
Spencer Collingwood, Alumnus, left 1986
Can you help with a venue for networking?
We would love to hear from you if you are prepared to
host one of our networking events, whether it be a drinks
reception, working lunch or breakfast at your place of work
or a venue you are associated with. Please get in touch with
Melodie by email [email protected] if you are
able to help.
10
Battle of the BluesWe arranged for a group of our most ardent rugby
fans to join us at Twickenham Stadium for the
Varsity Match, with George Chuter (Mid Whitgiftians,
Saracens, Leicester, England and, most importantly,
Trinity, 1994), as our guest of honour.
The Alumni Team provided hospitality in the Rose
Room before and after the match as part of the
Varsity Gathering – a space reserved for
university college supporters and teams.
Thanks to a combination of links to senior
members of the OURFC and sheer effrontery,
Trinity School has a standing invitation as
the only non-Oxbridge group in attendance.
The Trinity party had lots of time to
reminisce about past and present rugby
glories – not least when an Old Whitgiftian
who was there as part of his university
college party was attracted to our banner
and, having confessed that he was part
of the 1977 Whitgift XV, which was the
first ever to lose to Trinity, was promptly
introduced to Laurie King and Nick Woodman
who were part of that victorious Trinity team!
Oh, and the matches? Cambridge won both men's
and women's games. Oxford will be seeking revenge
this December. We hope the match will go ahead and
that we will be able to attend with alumni again.
Christmas Jazz eveningOur jazz enthusiasts were blown away by
the quality of our students’ performances
at our annual Christmas Jazz evening in
December, which had to be rescheduled
at very short notice due to a clash with
the general election.
There were so many fantastic
performances, including from The Jazz
Collective, comprising Sixth Form students
Will Hardy, Ben Peck and Luca Wade,
accompanied by singer Alex Persinaru.
During the evening, Ben Peck played
a gold-plated Selmer Radio Improved alto
saxophone from 1935. The saxophone,
donated to the School by alumnus Bob
Beere, who left in 1958, is one of only 2,000
made. Bob and his wife Tricia drove up from
Devon to hear Ben put it through its paces
and they were thrilled to hear it being
played so professionally.
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
CANCELLATION OF EVENTSWe were looking forward to the Founder’s Day Supper, Class of 2015 Reunion,
City Careers networking event at KWM, hosted by Trinity alumnus Darren Roiser,
our Evensong at Bath Abbey, our Trinity Golf Day, Milestone Reunions and, lastly,
our Afternoon of Sport at the start of the autumn term, but due to social distancing
measures, we had to cancel the rest of our alumni events for this academic year.
We have delayed our programme of events until late autumn, but are currently
working on ideas for virtual events we hope you will enjoy.
Review of events
11
New York ReunionDavid Young flew over to New York in February
to meet with alumni and organized a reunion
for ex-pats over there at The Shakespeare Pub,
which was really well received.
“The first Trinity School alumni reunion
get together in NYC. Great to catch up with
everyone. Well organised by David Young.”
Richard Sexton MBE, Alumnus, left 1988
Christmas DrinksOver 100 U25s enjoyed Christmas drinks at our Sports Pavilion after
term finished in December. Thankfully, the music provided by Nathan,
the youngest member of our team, outplayed the racket made by the
fire alarm we managed to set off in the kitchen at the start of the event.
It was an evening full of fun and laughter, with lots of hugs and ‘hi-fives’
in abundance as our young alumni gathered to eat, drink, socialise and
upload photos and videos of the event to their social media.
Ladies who lunchMuriel Stocker, the widow of Brian,
who left Trinity in 1952, and her sister
Pamela joined Melodie and Donna for
lunch at Chapter 1 in February. It was
a wonderful opportunity to meet up,
share memories and talk about our
outreach to alumni and their families.
London DrinksIt was great to meet up with alumni
and parents for an evening of lively
conversation at The Yorkshire Grey
in London in February. The reception
enabled those attending a chance to
enjoy mini reunions, network with
others, and, for our younger alumni,
to seek careers advice.
12 www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
D R A M A
It was inevitable that the students would
miss the vast number of extra-curricular
activities available to them at school,
but staff and students have risen to the
challenge by enriching their lives and
others in many different ways.
There are so many initiatives to mention,
but they include the launch of our Blue Cube
Gallery by the Art Department where staff
and students can share the art they produce
during lockdown, our Head of Drama is
working on a production ‘Shakespeare in
Pieces’, which will comprise a compilation of
individually recorded parts from the bard’s
plays, and groups of musicians have created
memorable performances on video together.
Spanish cooking has seen 40 students (and
their families) each week joining our Head of
Spanish in his kitchen over Friday lunchtime.
Foundation schools and care homes have
really come together. Volunteers from the
Rave reviews for JosephThe School’s production of Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
was met with rave reviews following
a sell-out in December.
With a cast, orchestra and stage
crew of 80 students, this firm musical
favourite was a spectacular show.
Featuring an original technicolour coat,
designed and made by staff member
and alumnus Will Coma; a complex set;
live music, directed by Head of Music,
Richard Holdsworth, and innovative
stage direction, led by Head of Drama
Productions Chris Chambers, it was
thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Paul Johnson, editor of "Sardines",
a leading theatre magazine, gave
the production five stars, saying “…
for sheer bravery, team spirit, ambition,
enjoyment, audience reception,
commitment, attitude and downright
entertainment, I cannot fault Trinity
Drama Productions’ latest show
in Croydon”.
Paul praised individual student
performances, stating that “it’s
a statistical certainty that one or
two will end up in the West End”.
Fifth formers get a taste of A levelsDesigned to keep young brains engaged, and in the absence of formal examinations,
our Fifth Form students have benefited from exciting and enriching opportunities
to enjoy intellectually stimulating work to give them a taste of what it is like to
study A levels at Trinity.
School newsTrinity in Top 50The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools
Guide 2020 has ranked Trinity School in
the Top 50 independent secondary schools
in the UK for the fourth year running.
Extra-Curricular Activities during lockdown
Staff provide PPE to NHSOur DT staff have been producing protective visors
using our 3D printers and laser cutters to supply to
local care homes and GP surgeries, as well as local
hospitals with much-needed PPE. Other members
of the staff community are contributing to the
nationwide ‘Sew for the NHS’ initiative, working
with local groups and sewing shops to create scrubs,
hats and face masks for medical staff, with patterns
and instructions being shared via our Intranet.
Photo: Senior Partner of Forge Close Surgery in
Hayes, Dr Sarah Young, will be sharing the kits
we supplied with the local midwifery team who
have been running critically short of PPE.
schools have been driving care home staff
to and from their shifts to save them having
to use public transport, DT departments
have been providing PPE for care worker
staff, and students have been supporting the
residents with cards and letters. I don’t think
the three schools have worked together
so closely before.
Alasdair Kennedy, Headmaster
Jasper Bew, son of a key worker, plays his part in
Trinity guitar group, The Axemen from the school library.
Click here
13
Alumni news
Simon White, FRSB1977 leaver, Simon White, has
been elected to Fellow of the Royal
Society of Biologists. Simon is Chair
of EFPIA (European Federation of
Pharmaceutical Industries and
Associations) Supply Chain Working
Group and a Director at Pfizer. Any
thoughts about ‘winding down’
have been put on hold as it is ‘all
hands on deck’ to supply hospitals
worldwide during the current crisis.
Simon said: “I thought the School
would like to know as it all started
with A-level Biology.”
Simon’s FRSB certificate is dated
the 1st April, but he assures us
it is genuine!
Imani’s GB Team raise funds for NHSAlumna Imani-Lara
Lansiquot, who left in
2016, participated in the
#DontRushChallenge
fundraiser for the NHS
with her fellow members
of GB’s 4x100m women’s
relay team. The girls
recorded a fun video
of the team in lockdown.
Harry Petty appears on ITV2015 leaver and English Teacher at Trinity,
Harry Petty, performed his self-penned
lockdown poem ‘Another Day’, which
was broadcast on ITV news.
Organ Scholarship for Luke2017 leaver, Luke Saint, who graduated
this summer from Royal Holloway,
University of London, has been awarded
an Organ Scholarship at Guildford
Cathedral where he will be working
alongside Cathedral Organist Katherine
Dienes-Williams and Sub Organist
Richard Moore.
It is a fantastic opportunity for Luke who
is really looking forward to joining them
in September.
Engineering Scholarship for Niamh2019 leaver, Niamh Singleton,
has secured a Quest undergraduate
scholarship with the Institute of
Civil Engineering (ICE), sponsored by
construction group Taylor Woodrow,
part of Vinci Construction UK.
Niamh will study at a leading UK
university, while gaining valuable work
experience. With the added benefit
of financial support, mentoring and
networking opportunities, VINCI say
that the sponsorship route is taken
by “many of our rising stars”.
LOCKDOWN FUNLondon Quartet’s parody
Trinity alumnus, Mark
Fleming, performed
a parody of Fat Larry’s
Zoom with his fellow
members of Cantabile
– The London Quartet
during lockdown using
the video conferencing
app of the same name.
Mark and the rest of
the group got together
to give a wonderful
recital with a great play
on the original lyrics.
14 www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
PhD beckons for Tom WoodThomas Wood is starting a PhD in Genetics and Development at Columbia University this
autumn. Tom, who left Trinity in 2016, has just completed studying Genetics at Rutgers
University in New Jersey, USA and is looking forward to starting his PhD in New York City.
Columbia University is an Ivy League research university, founded in 1754 by royal charter
of King George II. Based in Manhattan, the University is the oldest institution of higher
education in New York and the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.
We asked Tom to tell us about his course at Rutgers and the focus of his PhD:
“A highlight of my course at Rutgers was the level of interaction you get to have with
your professors. The class sizes in the upper level classes are small and allow for seminar
style lectures where you can build relationships with the faculty. This interaction is
fantastic, as all Genetics majors are also required to join a research lab and conduct
their own independent research project to complete the degree.
I joined the Nakamura Lab two and a half years ago and this experience has allowed
me to develop professionally in ways that would not be possible with a lecture-based
course. We conduct research into the genetic mechanisms underlying the fish to
tetrapod transition, with my focus being on bone formation and neck development.
In the lab, I have managed to publish a first-author paper on the subject, as well as
use an integrative approach of functional gene knockout via CRISPR-cas9, CT scanning
and live cell fate tracking to show the role certain genes play in the evolution of the
neck and differentiating bone fates. Such genetic understanding can have important
implications for developing therapies for numerous bone diseases further down the road.
PhD programs in the life sciences in America tend to allow students to rotate between
labs in their first year to find the lab that is the perfect fit of research interests and
personality. However, I know that there are lots of fantastic labs at Columbia investigating
areas such as hematopoietic stem cells, heart development and how bone can function
as an endocrine organ. Any of these areas (and many more) would be amazing to
work in so I can't wait to get started and see what I like!”
Tom’s education at Trinity laid the path to his
further education: “My time at Trinity was shaped
by some fantastic members of staff such as
Mrs Anderson and Mr Johnson who went above
and beyond to inspire me in their subject. I am also
particularly grateful for the career support that was
provided, as I would not have been able to navigate
both UCAS and American University applications
without the help of Mrs Highmore. In short,
I would not have been able to be successful
in America without Trinity helping me get there.”
My time at Trinity was shaped by some fantastic members of staff such as Mrs Anderson and Mr Johnson who went above and beyond to inspire me in their subject.
Tom with 2003 leaver and former Head Boy,
Ben Shorten at the New York Drinks in February
Trinity alumnus selected to attend One Young World Summit2012 leaver, Francis Beechinor-Collins,
was selected to attend the One
Young World Summit 2019 by his law
firm, Clifford Chance, whilst he was
training to be a solicitor. Francis is
now an Associate at this prestigious
law firm, working in the Project
Finance team at their Frankfurt office.
The Summit acts as a forum for young
people from over 190 countries,
allowing them to come together
to accelerate the resolution of the
world’s biggest threats, such as
climate change and extreme poverty.
Francis said: “This was an excellent
opportunity to represent my law
firm, as well as network with young
people working for large companies,
NGOs and charities. I came away
inspired to take action against the
global threats we face. Being in
a Q&A session with someone like
Muhammad Yunus, who forged
the idea of microfinance, suddenly
made solving big problems far more
tangible and realistic. I left feeling
that helping to stop climate change
or alleviate poverty is something
I could actually do, rather than
just aspire to do.”
Tom outside Rutgers
Alex Willis2018 leaver Alex Willis started a 4-year
apprenticeship in Farriery with Nigel Brown
in Abergavenny after completing a pre-
farrier course at Warwickshire College, where
he gained three distinctions and a merit.
Alex got the bug for farriery after completing
a blacksmithing taster course, then going on
work experience with various farriers.
Alex says, “I’m really enjoying myself and have been able to work all through lockdown - horses’ feet don’t stop growing! I’d like to thank the school for its support in my career choice, particularly Mrs Highmore and Mr Price for their help and encouragement”.
Oscar SteeleOscar, who left Trinity in 2019, has secured
an apprenticeship in the asset management
division of global investment company
First State Investments.
The journey to securing the position at First
State certainly wasn’t straightforward, but
Oscar’s perseverance and determination paid
off in the end. Oscar said: “Going through various interviews and assessment days was initially very difficult and something that required a lot of practice ... The main thing I learned is that preparation is key and will give you confidence throughout the process”.
George RailtonGeorge, who left in 2018, started a degree
apprenticeship with Commerzbank the
September after leaving school.
George said: “I’ve always wanted to work in finance and when I saw the opportunity at Commerzbank, I realised I could do something I enjoy whilst studying for a degree without getting into debt. I’m proactive and wanted to take on a role where I could make a difference and learn
invaluable work skills, so it was a perfect fit”.
George attended our Higher Education
week last summer to share his experiences
with our Lower Sixth students. George’s
degree apprenticeship is partnered with the
European College of Business Management
(ECBM) and the degree is sponsored by
the University of South Wales.
Dukinfield Darbishire Scholarship for KieranThe Headmaster was delighted to receive
a letter from Somerville College, Oxford,
announcing that 2018 leaver, Kieran Moore,
had been awarded a Dukinfield Darbishire
Scholarship and College Prize.
The award was granted to Kieran in
recognition of achieving a distinction
in his first-year exams. The college said:
“Somerville will always be pleased to
welcome entrants from Trinity School, and
we hope that Kieran’s success here will be
an encouragement to other applicants.”
Alumnus secures prestigious scholarship
Alumni choosing Apprenticeships over universityMany school leavers are looking at apprenticeships as an alternative to university and the number of degree apprenticeships on offer is on the rise, as are the industries where they are offered. However, the sheer number of candidates applying means applicants need to work very hard to get noticed.
Here are three Trinity students who have been successful in their endeavours:
Alumna awardedGold D of E Award2018 leaver and former Head Girl, Deesha Ganguli, was presented with her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award at Buckingham Palace last summer. Deesha said “I thoroughly enjoyed completing my Gold award and learnt so much whilst doing it!”
Oscar with proud parents Nina and Simon
(Simon is also an alumnus, leaving in 1981)
16
Barry MacEvoy in Malawi
“I flew to Blantyre in Malawi and was
greeted by our local outreach contacts and
a gaggle of our (rather tired) Sixth-Formers
and (similarly tired) teachers. Students and
teachers stay at “Fisherman’s Rest”, a lodge
set up to support community projects.
Our contribution is set into the context
of Hope 4 Malawi, a charity dedicated
to bringing food, water, education and
sanitation to the south of the country.
I have travelled widely in sub-Saharan Africa
over the years and I own land in a poor, rural
part of India. I had thought I had seen, and
understood, poverty. I did not. In the absence
of electricity, gas, heavy oil and petrol, the
population has deforested large swathes
of the country to create fuel for cooking,
heating, brick-burning and tobacco curing.
To come from a country where we have the
luxury of being able to travel and then talk
about offsetting the effects of that travel
by planting trees, to one where the people
would have starved had they not cut the
trees down, is quite a jolt. This deforestation
has brought, inevitably, problems with
soil erosion and the landscape has been
ravaged in places.
In the south of the country, there are some
twenty-five primary schools but only a
handful of secondary schools. The reason is
that, most children leave school at the age of
12 and go into subsistence farming. Around
20-30% of children don’t even make it to the
end of primary school. When these children
finish their education, they work with their
families, in unforgiving conditions, growing
staple crops such as maize. At the end of the
year, it is often the case that imported food
is cheaper than what they can produce at
home. In purely economic terms, the people
are working … for nothing.
Class sizes can be anywhere between 10 to
well over 100. A classroom scene typically
consists of a large room, unbearably hot,
with one window and the children sitting
in the half-dark on soil, among puddles of
water. Conditions are deeply unsanitary and
toilets – if they exist – are shocking. Books
are virtually non-existent and teachers use
chalk and blackboards. Even chalk is scarce
and many of the teachers themselves have
left education before the age of 18.
Trinity School has carried out a great
deal of work at one particular school in
Chipwepwete, where we’ve helped to
build new classroom blocks that seat 30
children, at desks, in a clean and well-lit
environment. We take books with us each
year. People have been taught how to make
their own lightweight concrete blocks and
timber trusses. UN agencies have helped
by drilling boreholes, as river water is
often dirty and contaminated. We provide
vitamin-enriched maize to each child, which
costs £12 per child per year. Without that
food, many children will go hungry until the
evening, making school attendance almost
pointless because they are exhausted and
undernourished.
On one particularly fierce day, when the
temperature in the shade was around 30
degrees, I was driven to a distant school.
This meant 30-odd minutes down a dirt-
track in a 4x4, during which I wondered
if my teeth were going to fall out. There
was no town as such, but people scattered
around the hills thereabouts sent the
children down every morning and the
We provide vitamin-enriched maize to each child, which costs £12 per child per year
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Governor and Alumnus Barry MacEvoy talks about his visit to our partner school in Malawi. Barry wanted to get a sense of why we, as a School, are involved, how the money we raise is spent, and if our students, when visiting, truly benefit from the experience.Here is an account from Barry about his trip:
Barry left Trinity in 1990 and read Physics at Balliol College, Oxford. After completing a PhD in Particle Physics, he spent 17 years working on the Large Hadron Collider project at CERN and teaching at Imperial College London. Simultaneously, Barry built up a now sizeable business acquiring, managing and developing residential and commercial freehold property in the South-East. Barry is a Governor on Trinity School’s Committee.
The programme plays to everything we should like our young men and women to be; outward-looking, kind, polite, sensitive, ambitious for themselves and others and resilient.
school had been positioned roughly in the
centre-of-gravity of the local population.
Our outreach partner explained that the
program wanted to update the school
because it was shockingly dangerous.
He was not wrong. To do so would mean
levelling an adjacent plot to build on.
As I turned to look at it, what with
construction being one of my core
businesses, I immediately thought that
a 17-tonne excavator, 8-tonne dumper
and 2 competent operators would make
a nice job of it in one week and a perfect
job in two. But there is little in the way
of machinery and even if there were,
transporting it to site is not easy. Much of
the work must be done by local people by
hand, when they are preoccupied with the
more pressing issue of earning enough to
live. When I picked up a mattock and struck
it against the soil, it didn’t leave a mark.
The ground may as well have been iron.
Despite the dreadful poverty, people were
warm and gentle and I didn’t at any time
feel unsafe. I was waiting for the hassle
to start, but it never did. This was in stark
contrast to a number of the other countries
I’ve travelled through over the years.
What with a lot of travel and, I suppose,
culture shock, I was by this stage dishevelled
and discombobulated. It was perhaps
therefore unfortunate that, I was thrust
with no warning in front of an audience
of several hundred children and teachers
“to say a few words”.
I was not prepared, so all I could do was
come out with what was in my head.
I said that the country was beautiful, but
we could see the people were struggling
and we wanted to help. That education
Trinity School’s Malawi Project supports local charity Hope4Malawi through fundraising and volunteering for our partnership school in Chipwepwete. Founded by Trinity parents Sara and Mark Goodman, the charity helps schools and orphanages in Malawi provide a better life for the children in their care. Our school community has raised over £100,000 since the project began and since the start of our collaboration, 116 Trinity students and staff have volunteered in Malawi; teaching the children and helping with building projects.
Maize arrives to feed the children.
L-R: Nick Denman, Stephanie Justin, Hannah Carey,
Barry MacEvoy and Lucy Charlton.
Staff and students gather outside the school.
was their future. That in return, they had
given something back to us. They made us
re-examine our own lives in the UK and we
would not forget their kindness, hospitality
and fortitude. This seemed to go down well,
although my thoughts at that stage had
not really crystallized.
The programme plays to everything we
should like our young men and women to
be; outward-looking, kind, polite, sensitive,
ambitious for themselves and others and
resilient. It is almost a “finishing school” for
the students who have been lucky enough
to join the team in Malawi over the last six
or seven years. Digging trenches and fixing
boreholes beneath an unforgiving sun,
teaching in desperate conditions and seeing
that life is not all skiing holidays and nice
dinners is, we hope, life-changing for them.
It’s not for the faint-hearted and it’s
certainly no holiday.”
18
Chris O’ConnorVictoria, BC, Canada1987Chris joined the Foreign Office in 2003 and enjoyed postings in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Lebanon, Tunisia and the USA. He was awarded an OBE whilst UK Ambassador to Tunisia where he oversaw the UK’s response to the first of the “Arab Spring” revolutions that shook the region. Chris now works freelance from Canada, developing innovative approaches to addressing insecurity and conflict in the Middle East.
Basit SheikhOrange County, CA, USA1986 Basit is Vice-President of Emerging Technology at Capital Group, an asset management firm based in Southern California. In his role, he drives research into new technology trends including AI and Cognitive Computing as well as incubating the firm’s FinTech and Blockchain domains.
Richard SextonNYC, USA1988Trinity Ambassador for USA Richard is the CEO of Office Concierge which helps companies navigate their office leasing options. He is also the Founder of Captain’s Knock, which creates inspiring public and private events that champion sports and expat communities. Richard was awarded an MBE in 2013 for services to British and Commonwealth charities in New York.
Ross AngelPadova, Italy1978Ross is a crystallographer whose research has taken him around the world. After a PhD at Cambridge, Ross worked in New York, Washington, University College London, Bayreuth in Germany, and Virginia Tech in the USA before he moved to Italy. He is now in Padova at the National Research Council.
Indy KlerAmsterdam, Netherlands 1988Former Head Boy, Indy, is Regional Sales Manager (UK & Scandinavia) for Silicon Refractory Anchoring Solutions - a world leader in the manufacture of refractory anchoring systems for multiple building industries.
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Where in the World?Our alumni network reaches across the globe. Here are some snapshots of some of our alumni from around the World.
Haroon NiaziDubai, UEA 2000 (Class of 2002)Haroon is a Partner (Head of Middle East) for HKA, a global Construction Claims and Consulting firm, and is based in Dubai. Haroon holds dual qualifications in law and construction and previously worked as a barrister in London before moving to the Middle East 10 years ago. Haroon has been instructed on various construction disputes and is a testifying expert witness.
Lali WiratungaSydney, NSW 1993 Trinity Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Lali, a former lawyer and management consultant, is now National Manager of Westpac’s Davidson Institute, in Sydney. Lali volunteers on the board of community organisation TAD, and serves on the Alumni Advisory Board of UNSW Business School. He advocates for financial wellbeing, innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2016, Lali was recognised for helping in the community by Pro Bono Australia's Impact 25.
Jason TomsHong Kong 1986
Jason is a Commercial and Maritime litigation solicitor and Partner at Reed Smith LLP. He is experienced
in dealing with dry and wet shipping claims and
investigating maritime accidents. Jason acted for the estate Administrators in Hong Kong's highest value contested probate proceedings and in proceedings resulting in Hong Kong's largest ever divorce settlement.
Simon White, FRSBTours, France 1977Simon is Chair of EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) Supply Chain Working Group and a Director at Pfizer. He has recently been elected to Fellow of the Royal Society of Biologists.
Percentage of Alumni outside the UK
23%
20%
40%
14%
2%
1%
AU ST R A L A S I A
E U R O P E
A S I A
A F R I C A
N O RT H A M E R I C A
S O U T H A M E R I C A
20 www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Trinity GivesYoung alumni raise over £120,000 for bursaries
Why do we need to raise money for bursaries?
We held our first telephone fundraising
last summer, with 12 young alumni
ambassadors contacting over 500 Trinity
parents, alumni and other supporters
of the School to talk to them about
the Trinity Bursary Fund.
These incredible students raised gifts
and pledges amounting to £120,475;
surpassing all our campaign targets.
Holly Bishop and Oscar Lally (both
Trinity leavers from 2015) were joined
by Callum de Freitas and Pearce Jennings
(2016) , Jack Grainge, Robert Good,
Joseph Francis, Harry Jackson Priya Patel
and Yunus Skeete (2017) and James
Hammond and Munaiza Hoq (2018)
in the call centre set up in our library.
Their teamwork and sense of fun was
really remarkable during a fortnight
of cheerful and enjoyable telephone
conversations.
Support came from every quarter,
with parents and alumni alike signalling
their approval of our drive to increase
the number of bursaries we can offer
at Trinity. Our thanks go to all our
donors for their generous support and
encouragement for the campaign.
We want Trinity to remain within reach
of any child who would thrive here, not
only for the difference it will make to
them, but also for the way it shapes
our school experience and values of
our whole community.
Less than 20 years ago, schools like ours
received massive funding from central
government and local authorities to fund
scholarships and bursaries, ensuring
talented students from poorer families
aspiring to come to Trinity did not have to
pay school fees. The last of this funding was
withdrawn in 2004. Trinity is more fortunate
than most because the John Whitgift
Foundation endows around £1.9 million
p.a. to be spent solely on bursaries to
support children from low income
families, but there is a need for more.
We are aware of many talented children at
local primary schools who would thrive at
Trinity if they are given the chance of a place.
We aim to make our entrance examinations
almost unteachable, ensuring those families
with money to coach their children do not
gain advantage over poorer pupils with
greater potential. However, we still have to
turn away bright children because of their
inability to pay.
The exponential growth in demand for
bursaries at Trinity is fuelled by the failure
of local state secondary schools to meet the
needs of their brightest pupils. Sadly, levels
of attainment in A-level exams in Croydon
are 62% below the national average.
Our ambition is to increase the
percentage of students who currently
receive bursary support from 17% to 20%.
One in Five.
As we go to press, we are about
to embark on our first ever Giving Day,
on Thursday 18th June.
In addition to supporting Headmaster
Al Kennedy’s One in Five bursary funding
goal, the Covid-19 outbreak has introduced
a new challenge for us with many Trinity
families affected by bereavement or
financially through illness, unemployment
and business failure. So, while raising funds
Trinity Giving Day
to open our doors ever wider, Trinity's
first Giving Day will also be used to
help those who are already part of the
Trinity community, providing temporary
bursary support for families who might
otherwise have to withdraw their
children from school.
Why not visit the Giving Day website
at www.TrinityGives.org.uk to see
how we got on!
We were delighted when she agreed to
speak at our Reception for Supporters
of the Bursary Fund last November
about her journey from local state
school to Trinity and then on to read
History at St Catherine’s College,
Oxford, where she graduated with
a 1st Class Honours degree.
Lisa said: “I still vividly remember the
excitement of finding out I had been
accepted at Trinity after a challenging
interview and examination process.
However, after this initial excitement,
there was an agonising wait. Coming from
a single-parent household, there was no
way that my mother could afford to pay
the school fees. While I had been told I
was academically good enough to attend,
my mother was careful to manage my
expectations and I knew that without
a generous bursary I would have to turn
down my place. Our happiness and
excitement when we found out that
I would receive a bursary and was able
to come to Trinity is hard to describe.
I am unbelievably grateful to donors who
made this possible, as well as the staff
and students who made my time at Trinity
so life changing. I am so pleased that the
opportunities I enjoyed are now being
given to more students like me.”
When talking about the difference
between her previous School
and Trinity, Lisa said:
“The change from my previous
school was disorientating; I
vividly remember comments
on one of my first essays
asking what subject
I was planning on reading
at university. Had I
considered Oxbridge?
I was encouraged to
read beyond the A Level
syllabus. Whereas before
I had been allowed to
coast, I was suddenly
being given extra work
and I engaged with my
Alumna Lisa Kladitis talks about being awarded a bursary2015 leaver and former Head Girl, Lisa Kladitis joined the Sixth Form in 2013. She moved schools because she was concerned she would not realise her full potential at A level and recognized she would be more challenged academically at Trinity. Having attended the Sixth Form Open Evening, she was certain where she wanted to study and applied.
Encouraging me to achieve the best I possibly could in everything I attempted has had a profound impact on my approach to all aspects of my life...
subjects in ways I never had before.
Perhaps most startling was the other
students. Previously, my desire to do well
academically had made me an outlier,
and often an object of gentle ridicule.
I was suddenly in an environment where
a desire to achieve the best possible
results - academically and otherwise -
was the norm for all students. Rather than
being embarrassed because I had actually
bothered to complete the homework set,
I was now surrounded by students who
also had a passion for learning.”
Lisa confessed she was a “painfully”
average sportswoman. She played netball
from young age, but she had never taken it
seriously. At Trinity, she had the opportunity
to develop her skills and be coached in
a way she had never been before. She
improved significantly and enjoyed
netball all the more for it.
“Encouraging me to achieve the
best I possibly could in everything
I attempted has had a profound impact
on my approach to all aspects of my life,
and is what makes Trinity such an
inclusive and enriching school.”
22
The Return of the AlumniMany of our alumni have visited us over the past academic year to talk to our current students, help with practice interviews, or join our Alumni and Development team for a social visit and tours of the School.
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Young alumni impart valuable adviceRecent leavers visited the school to speak to our Lower Sixth students as part of their
Higher Education Week. Our young alumni talked about their first year at university,
stressed the importance of making new friends; advised on managing finances, and
what they might do differently if they could turn back the clock to their time at Trinity.
They encouraged our students to remain focused, examine all their options, not to
get complacent, and to think carefully about the choices they were about to make
on what to study and where.
Their key messages were: Don’t be afraid. Be determined. Be hopeful.
Empower yourselves with a good education.
David & Michael HodsonBrothers David and Michael Hodson visited
us in January for a tour of the School. David,
who left in 1977, had previously visited us for
the opening of our new Music School, and
promised to return with Michael. David is a
contemporary of our archivist and alumnus,
Laurie King, so there was much reminiscing
at the music opening and on the day he and Michael visited. Former
Trinity chorister, Michael, who left in 1978, also has a great deal in common
with Laurie, who was Head Chorister in his time, and was delighted to be
shown our recently-installed organ in Trinity Concert Hall (a.k.a. Big School).
Kjellon MorrisIt was great to see 2019 leaver, Kjellon, who returned to present us with a sequel to a comic strip he first created seven years ago. The characters are the same ones from the original comic and this one concludes the story.
Kjellon said: “One day in Year 7, I went to the library after school. I asked the librarian, Ms Parlain, if I could use some printer paper, and I started drawing. I spent an hour or so making a comic, with a simple story. I showed Ms Parlain and she displayed it in the library for others to see. I promised her I would make another comic before I left the school”.
Fast forward to now, around 7 years later, and the original comic is still displayed on the library wall. This time, Kjellon produced his comic on canvas. He said: “It’s a thank you gift to the school, for helping me find what I love to do. I like to create things, and make things that others can enjoy and learn from”.
Kjellon is currently studying Computing and Games Development at Plymouth University.
Classicists back at Trinity2017 leavers Henry Gale and Harry
Jackson returned to Trinity again in
the autumn term, this time with
2018 leaver Eliza Prentice, to talk to
current students about their university
courses. Henry is reading Classics and
Linguistics at Cambridge, Harry is
reading Classical Literature and English
Language at Leeds and Eliza is studying
Classical Studies at Exeter.
23
Sharing your experiencesWe really appreciate alumni who give up their time to help our current students. We would love to welcome you back to pass on your wisdom at a careers evening, society meeting, during our higher education week, or as a judge of one of our internal competitions.
Would you be willing to help with
practice interviews for university
admissions or apprenticeship
applications? These interviews
normally take place one evening
in November.
Do you have half an hour on the
phone to guide a student in their
choice of profession?
If you work within 10 miles of
Trinity, could we organize a short
student visit to see your industry
in action?
Interested? Please contact Sue Highmore, Head of Careers at [email protected], or Melodie Johnson, Head of Alumni Relations [email protected], so we can explore how you can get involved.
Anthony and Stephen HarrowBrothers Anthony and Stephen Harrow
visited us in January. Anthony, who left in
1957, is a regular visitor at our events at
Trinity and it was good to meet with him
and his younger brother Stephen, who left
in 1964. The brothers enjoyed a tour of
the School, followed by a pub lunch with
David Young and Jason Court. Anthony and
Stephen used the occasion to exchange
belated Christmas presents, which became
all the more poignant when we heard
the devastating news that Stephen had
succumbed to COVID-19 shortly after their
visit. We hope Anthony will continue to
visit us once the current crisis has abated.
Alumni help with practice interviewsOur Head of Careers, Sue Highmore, was
delighted when Architect Jamie Bell, 2007
and PHD student with a teaching role at
Reading University Alex Dean, 2011, kindly
agreed to conduct practice interviews
with students for university applications.
Alan Tomsett and Oliver TomlinIt was wonderful to reunite Alan Tomsett,
aged 97, who left in 1938 and Oliver
Tomlin, aged 96, who left in 1940. Alan
and Oliver have remained friends over the
years and still exchange Christmas cards,
but they had not seen each other for a
while. Oliver and Alan enjoyed reminiscing
and meeting our Headmaster, Al Kennedy
over tea and cake.
Alan regularly travels up from Bognor Regis
to visit St John’s Church in Shirley and his
wife’s grave. Oliver is still local in West
Wickham and we hope to see him again
soon to capture more of his memories.
And that’s not all!Other alumni dropping by to see us include
Lali Wiratunga (1993) and Mike Pougher
(1958) who were over here from Australia,
Malcolm Duncanson (1989) when he
visited Trinity for a tour of the School with
his wife and son, and Peter Tugwell (1956),
fellow golfer and friend of our archivist
Laurie King.
Of course, we see many alumni at our various events, although they were sadly curtailed from March. However, we hope to resume our programme of events later this year.
24
Headmaster of Trinity School from 1972 to 1994
ROBIN WILSON
Robin Wilson succeeded Oliver Berthoud as Headmaster of Trinity School in 1972. Oliver Berthoud had planned to retire due to ill health and Robin had been interviewed by the Governors at the Fairfield Halls for this prestigious role. Tragically, Oliver Berthoud died in office and Alan Turner was appointed Acting Head for the summer term before Robin took up his post in September 1972.
Robin studied French, German, and then
English at Trinity College, Cambridge, where
John Whitgift had been Master – Whitgift
Middle School was renamed Trinity School
after Trinity College in 1954. Robin's first
job was at a German University teaching
English and was also in charge of a British
Council Anglo-German Centre at the time.
On returning to the UK, Robin worked at the
third oldest school in the country, St Peter's
York, which was founded in 627. During his
time there, he acted in 21 performances of
the York Mystery Plays.
Robin joined Trinity from Nottingham High
School, where he was Head of English. He
faced the rather daunting task of being
a young, untried Headmaster at a school
with teachers who were much older than
him and had been at Trinity for, in some
cases, a considerable length of time. On
joining the School, Robin was asked to offer
his first impressions of Trinity, to which he
replied “The School was run in a very happy
atmosphere.”
At the start of his Headmastership, Robin
planned to bring focus to specific areas of
school life including Religious Education,
Arts and Technical Studies and General
Studies in the Sixth Form. He appointed
two new Heads of Department for General
Studies and Religious Studies by 1973
and began working on a series of building
projects to improve the facilities at the
School. Robin left his mark in so many ways
during the 22 years he was Headmaster; not
least overseeing the massive expansion of
the school buildings and facilities available
to students.
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Robin at the Founder’s Day Supper
25
The Berthoud Centre opened in 1981,
complete with Recital Room and Music
Practice Rooms, giving the growing number
of talented musicians space to practice and
learn, including The Trinity Boys Choir, which
was gaining critical acclaim under the then
Director of Music, David Squibb.
The Turner Building followed in 1987, an
ambitious project that extended the existing
School building to create the Mitre Theatre,
Mathematics Department, Economics
Department, a new room for Prefects
and a Sixth Form Games Room.
In 1994, the impressive and state-of-the-art
Shaw Building was built to house extensive
Art and Design and Technology suites,
including photographic and pottery studios,
dark rooms, exhibition areas, design and
technology work spaces, a video and CCTV
Studio, sports halls, squash courts and a fully
equipped fitness room. The Shaw Building
was officially opened on 22nd April 1994
by Dennis Silk, President of the MCC. Chris
Tolman, who was in the Lower Sixth recalls
the Mayor’s reaction to the new facilities at
the time: “Absolutely fantastic”. There are
not enough superlatives. Brilliant ”.
Robin’s last building project was the
expansion of the library to create The Wilson
Library. Robin knew all too well that all these
projects were essential to keeping Trinity
School competitive in the market place by
creating outstanding facilities to enhance
learning and get the most from each and
every student at Trinity.
Trinity’s intellectual status at the time was
also evident, regularly celebrating victory
in the Croydon Advertiser’s ‘Top of the Form’
competitions and becoming the first team
to win the National Independent Schools
Challenge Trophy in 1977. Notably, during
Robin tenure, the School’s rugby 1990-1991
team recorded its best ever season at the
time with 16 victories, scoring 485 points
with only 46 points scored against them.
Robin liked to get involved and was a keen
producer of school drama and children’s
operas, such as “Bang” by John Rutter; Sir
Richard Rodney Bennett’s “All the King’s
Men”, and many others. He was also
game enough to be involved in the alumni
amateur dramatic society, The Mitre
Players, from time to time.
Robin formed the Trinity Group of
Headmasters, comprising the Headmasters
at Whitgift, Caterham, Eltham College and
Dulwich, along with numerous other schools
in the South London area. The group still
meets to this day, discussing common issues
and opportunities and acting as an open
forum between what might be construed
as competitive organisations. Robin saw the
merits of acting in solidarity, particularly
as inflation in the mid ‘70s was running at
8-12%, which was affecting school fees for
all independent schools. The ‘Three-Day
Week’ action during the 1974 Miner’s Strike
and the impact of multiple three-hour
black outs of electricity during this period
were also affecting schools. Robin became
Chairman of the Headmaster’s Conference in
1993, a great honour for him and recognition
of the ever-improving status of Trinity School.
Robin’s energy and drive have continued well
into retirement. He continued to work part-
time for HMC, leading inspections of eleven
of its schools. Robin also became involved
with his wife Caroline’s work with the local
NSPCC, which for some years has included
a tea and concert at Trinity, mainly for the
elderly. He is a loyal and long-standing
member of the Trinity Golf Society and is
still a Member of the prestigious Addington
Golf Club, where he enjoyed a year as
Captain and researched and wrote the
Centenary booklet in 2013.
Robin is also a keen supporter of the
Trinity Bursary Fund, recognising that Trinity
remains the diverse, inclusive community
that embraces education for all, regardless
of capacity to pay. We salute you Robin!Robin attends a reunion
Robin joins the 1988 leavers
at their reunion
Robin at the reception
following the Re-dedication
of our War Memorial
Robin left his mark in so many ways during the 22 years he was Headmaster; not least overseeing the massive expansion of the school buildings and facilities available to students.
26
Destination of 2019 leaversName Destination Subject
Saifullah Aleem Kent Law
Euan Baird Loughborough Management Sciences
Finlay Baker Coventry Sports Management
Nicole Bambroffe BathBusiness Administration (with placements)
Abbie Bateman Loughborough Psychology
Samuel BeadleGrant Thornton Accountancy Apprenticeship
Accountancy
Billy Bearman Nottingham TrentInternational Business with Spanish
Nathaniel Bedeau LoughboroughIndustrial Design & Technology
Cameron Beglarbegi NottinghamFinance Accounting & Management
Alfie Bennett GloucesterSports Business & Coaching
Joseph Bennett Leeds Mechanical Engineering
Elijah Berhane Gap year
Chloe Beroud Bristol English
Joseph Bertolotti NottinghamInternational Management
Eva Bervas Bristol Maths & Physics
Sankalan Bhattacharyya
Cambridge Natural Sciences
Dylan Bowling NottinghamEconomics with Hispanic Studies
Zachary Bowling Exeter English
Jacob Bowry Sussex International Business
Julian Bromberg BathMechanical Engineering (with placement)
Renee Brown Birmingham Dentistry
Rory Brown Gap year
Maddy Burt DurhamEnglish Literature & History
Adam Cady University of Arts London Film Practice
Karin Camprodon Garcia
UCL Cancer Biomedicine
Jack Cernoch Oxford Law with Spanish
Joel Chan Nottingham Law
Kekeli Chen-Kwawu Bristol Mechanical Engineering
Christy Clancy Edinburgh Classical Studies
Brad Clark Exeter History
Samuel Connelly Nottingham Civil Engineering
Nathan Cook East AngliaComputing Science with a Foundation Year
Harry Cookson Cambridge Engineering
Coleman Corry Gap Year then Exeter PPE with Study Abroad
Edward Cowlard Birmingham Theology & Religion
Prashant Dandiker UCL Physics
Shivani Dattani Gap year
Charles Davies Oxford Engineering
Owen Davis Nottingham Modern Languages
Jasmine De Maid BirminghamBusiness Mgmt with Marketing and Year in Industry
Jonathan Douglas Nottingham Trent Product Design
Christopher Dray Goldsmiths Economics
Thomas Duval KentManagement with a Year in Industry
Michael Eagling Loughborough Biological Sciences
Tom Fairley LoughboroughCommercial Management & Quantity Surveying
Fred Figueira Durham Business & Management
Max Finch Harper AdamsAutomotive Engineering (off highway)
Brodie Foxley OxfordEconomics & Management
Marco Fung Warwick Economics
Shreya Ganguli Edinburgh History & Politics
Daniel Giffin Croydon CollegeCriminology Psychology & Social Justice
Daniel Gilbert Leeds Automotive Engineering
Joel Goodman Leeds History
Owen Harries Bristol Biology
Angus Harrington Cambridge Engineering
Owais Hasan St Georges Biomedical Science
Tayyab Hasan KCL Medicine (5 years)
Finlay Higgins Manchester Architecture
Harry HollandEngineering Apprenticeship
Offshore Energy
Gabrielle HugginsGap year and then Sheffield
BioSciences with Foundation Year
Iftee Hussain KCL Politics Philosophy & Law
Timothy Hutchings Destination not yet known
Edward Johnston UCL Psychology
Neal Kesterton Bristol Aerospace Engineering
Hashim Khan ManchesterModern Languages & Business Management
Alexandra King QMUL Medicine
Sam Kirby Southampton Computer Science
Elliot Knight Nottingham Trent Architectural Technology
Esteban Kumar Surrey Law
Gabriel Kuti Gap year
Ari Lalji LeedsEnglish & Comparative Literature
Krishna Lall Imperial Chemistry
William Lamont LeedsFilm Photography & Media
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Name Destination Subject
27
Daniel Le Maitre-George
Birmingham Money Banking & Finance
Jared Lee Gap year
Haig Lucas EdinburghEnglish Literature & Classics
Robert LynchGap year then Australian university
Millie Malone Gap year
Brandon Man Bristol Economics & Accounting
Toros Maraslioglu Gap year
Sophie Marie-Gallagher
BathModern Language & European Studies (Spanish and Italian)
Harry Marshall NottinghamFinance Accounting & Management
Quentin-Zach Martins
Manchester Music
Jack Maw Gap Year then Bristol History
Jack McCarthyEconomics Degree Apprenticeship
Civil Aviation Authority
Archie McMillan Newcastle Business Management
Toby Mills Warwick Maths
Joshua Mogford USA (Colorado State) Psychology
Sam Moran ExeterBusiness & Management with Industrial Experience
Funmi Morgan Leeds Medicine
Kjellon Morris PlymouthComputing & Games Development
Jenna Murphy St Andrews History
Izzy Newbold Oxford Brookes Philosophy/Sociology
Fintan O'ConnorArts University Bournemouth
Film Production
Joel Okolo-Hunter St Georges Medicine
Jabir Olatunji Leeds Languages & Culture
Joseph O'Reilly York Economics
Daniel-Paul Osahon Oxford Medicine
Madeleine Packard LeedsGraphic & Communication Design
Mollie Palmer Bristol Chemistry
Jay Paranjape Bristol Geography
Yannis Patakas LSE Accounting & Finance
Keya PatelGAP year and then Nottingham Trent
Business Management & Economics
Shiv Patel LiverpoolAerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies
Martin Percival BirminghamElectronic & Electrical Engineering (with an Industrial Year)
William Perry Apprenticeship Accountancy
John Petty NottinghamMedicinal and Biological Chemistry
Ben Phan Bath Biomedical Sciences
Kiran Pillai Bristol Law
Hugh Preston LoughboroughProduct Design & Technology
Luke Regan-Daley Newcastle Accounting & Finance
Millie Reid KCL History & Iberian Studies
Samuel Richardson KentBusiness & Management with a year in industry
Sarah RogersGap year and then Keele/Leicester
Medicine
James Rowland USA (Washington State) History
Matthew Scally Oxford Physics
Aryan Shah Lancaster Accounting & Finance
Devina Shah BristolChemistry with Industrial Experience
Jay Shah LoughboroughAccounting & Financial Management
Robert Sharrock Bournemouth Computing
Charlie Short Bristol Aerospace Engineering
Ibraheem Siddiqui UCL Biological Sciences
Niamh Singleton Bath Civil Engineering
Alexander Smith Lancaster Economics
Benjamin Smith Royal Holloway History
Olivia Smout Exeter English
Tara Snowley Bristol Physics
Nadia Soole Sanchez
LeedsCriminal Justice & Criminology
Dante Spencer-Campbell
Leeds
Computer Science with high-performance graphics and games engineering
Joseph Spiteri BathBusiness Administration (with professional placements)
Oscar SteeleGAP year then apprenticeship applications
Matthew StevenArts University Bournemouth
Film Production
Robbie Styles Chan DurhamChinese Studies (with year abroad)
Euan Tilley East AngliaModern Language with Management Studies
Lidia Toth St Andrews Biochemistry
Aidan True Bristol Economics
Lilly Tuesley Durham History
Matthew Vaz UCLEconomics with a Placement Year
Max Walker Leeds Law
Blythe Walker Sibthorp
Camberwell School of Art Art Foundation Course
Joseph Watchorn WarwickPhilosophy Politics & Economics
Lea Watson UCLPsychology with Education
Amber Wentzell Warwick Modern Languages
Daniel Williams Leeds Geological Sciences
Betty Wood Warwick Maths
Katie Woolcott Nottingham Economics
Ellen Wyllie Leeds Physics with Astrophysics
Artemis Xenitidou Bristol Economics
Nikolas Zamar Leeds Politics
Name Destination Subject Name Destination Subject
28 www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
A trip down Memory Lane
All the King’s MenLaurie King, our archivist, recently
uncovered a copy of the recording
of All the King’s Men, a children’s
opera by Richard Rodney
Bennett.
A performance of the opera by
the Trinity Boys Choir at the
Fairfield Halls marked the release
of the Choir’s recording in May
1971. Arthur Davison, a popular
conductor at the time, came
along to ‘launch’ the recording
and was presented with a copy
by the Drummer Boy, Bill Tucker,
resplendent in the uniform
featured on the LP’s cover.
Many of you will know, Bill is
a member of our teaching staff
at Trinity and has held the posts of Head of Physics and Head of Science.
The Abbey label record was well received with extracts being aired on the radio with
the initial pressings selling out quickly. A trade paper of the record retailing industry
commented at the time: “Every school library in every dealer's territory should want
this. So should every household with children."
The reverse side of the album lists the choristers, including the principal characters
as follows: King Charles I, Michael Flaxman, left 1972; Queen Henrietta Maria,
Paul Male, left 1975; Dr Chillingworth, Jonathan Gaunt, left 1972; Drummer Boy,
Bill Tucker, left 1976; Colonel Massey, Ashley Stafford, left 1972; Messenger,
Colin Greenstreet, left 1976; King’s Herald, Stephen Cornwall, left 1975.
Have you discovered our online archive yet?Over the years, we have built up a massive online archive
of photographs, school publications, school lists, films and
much more. To access the site, go to trinityschool-archive.
daisy.websds.net and log in with User name: guest and
Password: trinity
Happy browsing!
Please share your memories of School in the 1940s, 50s and 60sWe have started work on a compilation
of reminiscences and memories of School
life in the 1940s, 50s and 60s and would
love alumni from these eras to take part by
sending in their recollections. Please tell
us about Headmasters Horace Clayton and
Oliver Berthoud, what sport you played,
the music and drama you were involved in,
pranks pupils got up to, the subjects you
studied and, for our older alumni, what
your schooling was like during WWII.
To take part, please email Melodie at
[email protected], or send
your memories in the post addressed
to Melodie Johnson, Trinity School,
Shirley Park, Croydon CR9 7AT.
We are also happy to record memories
during a telephone call or visit.
We would love to see you back
at school again!
Here is the latest from the Chairman of our
former pupils’ association, The Trinity Club
and its related sports, music and amateur
dramatic clubs at Lime Meadow Avenue,
Sanderstead:
I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy
during the corona virus restrictions, which
have kept the club closed since 21st March,
with staff either furloughed or re-deployed.
The weather has been fabulous and it is a shame our
sports facilities and clubhouse are not currently being used.
We missed the opportunity to introduce the Club and all it has to offer
to this years’ Upper Sixth leavers at their final assembly before they all
go outside for fun and frolics on the various inflatables and activities
laid on by the school. This fun afternoon helps to discourage some
of the last day pranks that happened during my time at the school!
We will be in touch with leavers in due course, to make sure they get
their Old Pupils ties or scarves. In the meantime, we wish them all the
best in their chosen further education choices and career paths and
hope that they will visit us soon. The Club is there for all ex-pupils to
be able to stay in touch with contemporaries and take part in one
of our many sports or other activities on offer. Do look us up at
www.thetrinityclub.co.uk.
Something members may wish to do is to join our 400 club. Not
only does this raise money for the Club, but also gives all entrants an
opportunity to win many monthly prizes. A £20 stake enters you for
10 monthly draws, where you can win £60, £50, £40 or £30; there is
also one final draw in the year, when you can win the big prize of £500.
Please email Trevor Stotten, [email protected] to help with
this worthwhile venture.
Do keep in touch with your friends and team members. I’m sure there
are many out there who would be grateful for a message or a chat.
I hope that you all stay healthy and look
forward to us being able to meet again as
soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime,
please see news from each of the Clubs
at Lime Meadow Avenue.
Andy Thompson, Chairman
The Trinity Club, Lime Meadow Avenue,
Sanderstead CR2 9AS
The Trinity Club is your Club, so please do come
and join us!
CRICKET
A quite remarkable weekend last
September will probably define the 2019
cricket season. The final 1st XI league
game began in the knowledge that
victory was required to avoid relegation.
The match was one of the most dramatic
witnessed at Lime Meadow. Chasing a
daunting 254, at 37-3 all appeared lost.
Two excellent centuries by senior players
under the most extreme pressure batted
‘Mids’ into a winning position, only for
fortunes to change. However, a 16-year
old’s display of great maturity, with
a scrambled single from the last ball,
helped to secure a tie. Ultimately just
enough for survival.
The Surrey Trust League Finals at
Normandy the following day were perhaps
even more stunning than that of the
previous year, as the double-double was
achieved with victory in both Tier 2 and 3
finals for the second consecutive year; an
extraordinary achievement, unparalleled
and unlikely ever to be equalled.
Cricket matches should have commenced
at our beautiful grounds at the beginning
of May, but all recreational cricket is
currently on hold, including coaching,
training and matches for juniors and
seniors alike. At the time of writing it is
unclear as to whether there will be any
season (mid-April to mid-September)
at all. It is likely that any cricket played
will be on a ‘friendly’ basis and possibly
in shortened formats.
Nick Trend, Chairman TMWCC
Follow us on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TMWCC
Instagram: @TMWCricket
Twitter: @TMWCC.
www.tmwcc.co.uk
email: [email protected]
30 www.mytrinity.org.uk
HOCKEY
Like many sports, Trinity Hockey
was affected by the current
pandemic and the season, under
guidance from England Hockey,
was curtailed. It was anticipated
that this season could be a struggle
given the fact that 11 schoolboy
players had moved on to University.
However, I am delighted to share
that the 1st XI were just outside
the promotion zone and were
3rd in their league. There was also
good progress with Trinity Colts
and its outreach programme to
the other schools.
From a season that initially looked as
if it may be a challenge, I am pleased
to say that club performed well and
continued to move forward. Our
prime objective is to provide Hockey
for former pupils and staff of Trinity
School and we are always delighted
to welcome new members from the
Trinity family.
If you are interested in playing,
please email me at
Sanjay Bowry, Chairman TMWHC
www.tmwhockey.com
RUGBY
We were proud to wear our new
home and away kits for our first
season as Trinity RFC. Our 1st XV
enjoyed a number of great
performances, captained by Ali Hall.
The Club is blessed to have what we
believe is the best pitch in Surrey to
play on. Although the season was cut
short with three games to play and
the 1st XV finished 4th in the league,
thankfully, we finished ahead of
local rivals Whitgiftians, Purley
John Fisher and Chipstead.
Our AXV managed to field teams
that enjoyed a couple of victories
that could easily have been mistaken
for cricket scores! Our Under 13s,
managed by Phil Mamode, were
top of the league and our younger
members’ team, the Titans are
growing stronger. Off the pitch,
Jez Glynne-Jones, aka Matron Jez, is
doing a grand job organising events
and keeping in touch with our former
players’ section, The Midwives.
www.TrinityRFC.com
twitter: @Trinity_RFC
GOLF
The Trinity Golf Society was formed
in 1990 and was looking forward to
celebrating its 30-year anniversary
this year, with the original Captain,
Jez Glynne-Jones, back in post to
lead the fixtures.
The society exists to foster friendship,
fun and a bit of competitive golf
amongst not only the alumni of the
school but across the wider Trinity
community. Indeed, a growing number
of our membership started playing as
guests and have now become firmly
established members of the group.
Our Golf days planned for the
rest of this year and next are
as follows (subject to social
distancing restrictions at
the time):
• Thursday 20th August 2020,
Captain's Day, Purley Downs
• Sunday 6th – Tuesday 8th
September 2020, Sandford
Springs
• Autumn 2020, date and venue
to be confirmed
• Wednesday 30th December 2020,
Post-Christmas bash at
Tyrrells Wood
• Thursday 25th March 2021,
Croham Hurst
• Thursday 13th May 2021,
Mill Ride
• Wednesday 23rd June 2021,
The Addington
If anyone is interested in coming
along to any or all of these
fixtures, either as a guest or to join
the society as a member, please
email Laurie King for more details
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Lime Meadow Avenue Acoustic Folk and Blues ClubIt has been nearly seven years since the folk
and blues club opened its doors at the Trinity
Club and during that time, we have attracted
many musicians from far and wide, including
the USA and Australia, as well as those who
just like to listen and enjoy the atmosphere.
Our fortnightly club nights are well attended
and even more so on concert evenings, where
we have had the likes of Richard Smith from
Nashville, Brooks Williams from Statesboro,
Georgia and our homegrown talent of Wizz
Jones, Daryl Kellie, Jon Hart and Sanjay, who
toured the country in a show in the lead role
as Buddy Holly.
Our last concert in November was the very
popular Two Coats Colder, who have appeared
at folk festivals all over the country, even The
Royal Festival Hall.
One of our regular members has set up
a weekly Zoom meeting online during
the lockdown, which has again been well
attended to the point of making it a now
twice weekly event.
Once the Trinity Club has been given the
all clear to re-open, we hope you will come
along one evening, have a drink from our well
stocked bar and sit in our hall with stage and
soft lighting and listen to an eclectic mix of
music and if you feel so inclined, bring an
instrument and sing us a song or three.
You can see details on our website www. limemeadowacousticfolkandbluesclub.co.uk,
or visit our Facebook page.
Neil Pepper, alumnus, left 1971
The Mitre PlayersOur 2019 summer season started with our touring show, the adultversion of “Bugsy Malone”, which we performed to sell out houses at the Clubhouse at Lime Meadow Avenue and our new venue on the Isle of Wight. This was a new venture for the Mitre Players, and we spent 9 great days on the island, taking part in the local carnival parade as well as seeing the sights, having BBQs and performing at The Apollo Theatre, Newport. Our autumn show, performed in Trinity’s Mitre Theatre was the hugely ambitious production of “Big Fish”. A large cast with stunning sets, costumes and a giant, wowed the audiences each night. January 2020 saw the junior Mitres performing a magnificentproduction of the junior version of “Honk!”. Both audiences and cast had a wonderful time, selling out as usual. “Coram Boy”, due to show in March, was to be the first joint Trinity
School/Mitre Players production for over ten years. Directed by Chris Chambers (Trinity) and Julia Ascott (Mitre Players), this huge production involving Trinity students and The Mitre Players with Trinity musicians providing the music, was on course to be a greatsuccess with old links being renewed and new bonds forged. We hope to be able to perform the show in the autumn.Please visit our website at www.mitreplayers.org.uk to find out
more or contact me by email [email protected] Jones, Secretary, Mitre Players
3232
Geoff was invited to join the Club’s hierarchy
in 1966 at the tender age of 25, which, he
said, seemed a great honour at the time.
He has held just about every post on the
Council over the ensuing 54 years, including
Honorary General Secretary, Founders Day
Supper organiser, Chairman of the Council and
Chairman of the General Committee. During
this time, he also served as Secretary and
then Chairman of the Hockey Club where he
captained every team from the 2nd to the 6th XI.
Geoff has been the ‘Voice’ of the Club over
the decades. He edited the magazine for over
20 years and disseminated news across the
alumni community through newsletters and
other communications, including those sad
occasions when imparting news of alumni
leaving us, which he handled in a very personal
and sensitive way. He developed the first
Association website, which he still maintains,
and also developed the first hockey club website.
Geoff was involved in re-writing the
constitution several times - every time a major
change was introduced to the Club's rules.
Most recently, he was involved with John
Parish in preparing the Articles of Association
for the new Trinity Sanderstead Sports and
Social Club, and then did the same job for
the revised TMWA.
At a more mundane level, Geoff found himself
responsible for the distribution of the TMWA
magazine, the AGM notices and any other
formal notices issued. This, he claims, was a big
mistake, as he estimates he had to purchase,
stuff, label and stamp some 100,000 envelopes
during that time, with help from a small band
of helpers. For much of the time, envelopes
and stamps were not self-adhesive, as you can
see if you examine the state of his tongue!
Geoff extended the link between the
Association and the School by becoming a
member of the External Relations Committee.
He also established an important link between
the Association and the School’s Alumni
operation. Geoff has been a regular guest at
School events, and has enjoyed coming in to
speak to Sixth Formers about to embark upon
life beyond Trinity, to talk to them about the
Club and encourage them to use its facilities.
Sadly, his dry wit was sometimes lost on
the 17-18 year olds, but not on the staff
in attendance!
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
glass to
Raise your
Geoff Wilsher
CELEBRATING60 YEARS ATTHE TRINITY CLUB
Geoff Wilsher has finally retired, having been a stalwart of The Trinity Club for more years than he cares to mention. He has literally given up years of his spare time supporting its members and the School.
3333
Volunteering is in Geoff’s blood, and despite
being kept busy at the Club, Geoff became
a magistrate in Croydon at the age of
55, and served there until compulsory
retirement at the age of 70. Magistrates
handle the early stages of every criminal
case, and take over 90% through to
acquittal or sentence. He sat as a court chair
in the adult and the youth courts, handling
cases from shop-lifting to murder. In 2008,
Geoff was elected Chairman of the Croydon
Bench, taking responsibility for about 150
magistrates. In this role, he was following
in the footsteps of other alumni, including
John Sinkins and Michael Bone.
After retirement from the magistracy,
Geoff volunteered to help at the London
Science Museum in Kensington. In this role,
he lectured to members of the public on a
range of matters illustrated by the museum’s
exhibits, focusing on the history of aviation
from the Wright Brothers to Concorde. He
often found he learned as much from the
audience as they did from him!
Sport is clearly one of Geoff’s loves,
although he admits that his enthusiasm
exceeded his ability. He was a keen and
successful sportsman at School, playing
Hockey for the 1st XI, captaining the 2nd
teams for Rugby and Cricket and hurdling
in the athletics team. He continued to
play sport at university and at the Club
www.mytrinity.org.uk
whenever he returned. Geoff not only
excelled in sport and academia, but also in
the CCF, where he reached the rank of under
Officer in the RAF section and became the
first member of the corps to take the controls
of a jet fighter; a Gloster Meteor.
The extent of Geoff’s popularity at School
culminated in him being appointed Vice
Captain of the School in 1958, the
equivalent of Deputy Head Boy today.
When he left School in 1959, Geoff went
on to read Aeronautical Engineering at
Trinity College, Cambridge, having won
a state scholarship for further education.
Career-wise, Geoff was always a techie of
some sort, initially in the aircraft industry
and then in IT. He worked for Hawker Aircraft
after University, working on the Harrier
jump jet and then on a supersonic vertical
take-off aircraft, the P1154. Geoff’s specialty
was kinetic heating, evaluating how hot a
supersonic aircraft would become at high
speed. This was with the benefit of the latest
model of slide rule, and the occasional use
of a primitive computer, a Ferranti Pegasus.
Changing namesThe Old Mid-Whitgiftian’s Association (OMWA),
was established in 1908 under the headship of the Rev.
G Jones when the School was known as Whitgift Middle
School. In 2009, some 50 years after the School changed
its name to Trinity School, it was renamed the Trinity
Mid-Whitgiftian Association (TMWA). Whilst the
TMWA is still the official trading company for the
association, it became known as The Trinity Club last year.
Did you knowNow here’s a little-known fact. Geoff was a champion Tiddlywinks player in the Sixties, playing for Cambridge University from 1961-62, England in 1962 and for Surrey in 1963-66!
From the cash-strapped aircraft industry,
Geoff transferred to the emerging world of
IT, where he worked as a programmer and
then as a sales manager and marketing
manager. In the final ten years of his
career he found a new love – teaching!
Geoff spent ten years teaching the
rudiments of computing to all ranks of
the Ministry of Defence, from the Chief
of Defence Staff to the newest recruits.
Geoff’s talented wife, Judith, attended
Croydon High School and graduated from
Newnham College Cambridge with a
degree in Mathematics. Judith has been
by Geoff’s side for 56 years and has leant
her unstinting support to Geoff throughout
his career and beyond. Their sons Stephen
and Mark both attended Trinity and are
a great credit to them both.
Now Geoff has hung his volunteering hat
up for the Club, he hopes it can continue to
preserve and propagate the values alumni
acquire at School and offer a place where
friendships, sports and networking can
thrive for many years to come.
1st XI Hockey
Team 1958.
3434 www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
In MemoriamSadly, we lost some dear friends over the past year. We offer our condolences to families and friends who have lost loved ones and we say a few words about of some of them here.
Barry Widger, staff 1968-2003Barry was a very popular teacher and contributed enormously to the life and development of the School. He was Head of
Cricket, coached Rugby; taught Classics, was Head of the Junior School for fourteen years and Tutor for Admissions. He took jazz classes for General Studies, chaperoned members of the Trinity Boys Choir on international trips and led Classics trips around Europe. It is true to say that Barry played a part in all aspects of life at Trinity. Barry died in May leaving son Andrew (alumnus, left 1989) and daughter Hannah.
Phil Broadhurst, left 1967Phil was a professional jazz pianist, arranging and composing for his own quintet as well as scores of other pieces
for various bands, ensembles and at festivals in New Zealand, where he settled and lived with his wife Julie. A presenter for radio programme Art of Jazz, Phil was the first jazz musician in NZ to be honoured as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). Phil passed away in April.
Ron Etheridge, left 1949In 1942, Ron received a government grant to attend Whitgift Middle School (now Trinity) and quickly developed his
ability and love for cricket. Ron was the first pupil to score a century against the staff Common Room in 1949 and in his last match played at the ‘old school’ ground, prior to its demolition, Ron topped the scoreboard with over 80 runs for a Past Captains XI. Ron passed away in January, leaving widow Olive and sons Nigel and Brian.
We send our condolences to the family
and friends of the following alumni
who we also lost over the past year:
• Kenneth Duckett, left 1944,
• Richard Fleming, left 1981
• Leslie Harris, left 1948
• Mike Mead, left 1957
• Chris Neal, left 1975
• Anthony O’Connor, 1957
• John Parker, left 1947
• Martin Taylor, left 1971
• Christian Wilcox, left 1994
Obituaries on My TrinityFull obituaries and tributes can be found on our alumni engagement platform, My Trinity
at: www.mytrinity.org.uk. Please go to the Resources area from the left-hand navigation
menu, then Obituaries.
Richard Hyder, left 1973Among the first intake at Shirley Park in 1965, Richard was, according to friend Nigel Flay “The most loyal of friends - always keeping
in touch, even during those hectic years when career and family tend to take precedence and override old connections. His gentle promptings kept nearly 20 of his classmates/teammates in regular touch; meeting up several times a year.” Richard passed away in January and is survived by his wife Denise and children Matt (left in 2007) and Katy.
Roger Hammond, left 1963Roger was a popular member of the TMWHC, making a huge contribution to the club both on and off the field. He was famously
known for his tardiness and rarely turned up for matches on time, but he could be relied upon to take on many responsibilities over the years both at the Club and prior to that, at the School where he helped behind the scenes in house and school plays as stage crew. Roger passed away in May, leaving his wife Pam.
Sir James Gowans, left 1942
Former School Captain, James Gowans, was a pioneer of immunology, whose early research demonstrated a type of
white blood cell played a central part in the body’s immune system. His research over the years was recognised with many honours. James passed away in April at the age of 95.
Stephen Harrow, left 1964Stephen divided his time between Croydon, where he was Vice Chair of the Sutton & Croydon United Nations Association, and
Exminster in Devon. He visited the School in January with his brother Anthony, so it was a shock when he passed away a few weeks later. Stephen leaves his widow Jenny and brother Anthony.
Shomari Lyon, left 2007 Fellow alumni will be shocked to hear Shomari passed away last September, aged just 30. Shomari graduated
from Bristol in 2013 and was working and travelling in Australia when eight months into his trip, he became ill. He leaves his mother Angela, his brothers Kamau and Chinyelu, and his fiancé Lucy, to whom he proposed a few weeks before he died.
How to get in touch with us:David Young
Director of Development,
email: [email protected]
direct line: 020 8662 5162*
Jason Court
Development Manager
email: [email protected]
direct line: 020 8662 5147*
Melodie Johnson
Head of Alumni Relations
email: [email protected]
direct line: 020 8662 5159*
Donna Lewis
Alumni Relations Officer
email: [email protected]
direct line: 020 8662 5155*
Laurie King
Archivist and Alumni Relations
email: [email protected]
tel: 020 8656 9541 ext 747
Nathan Lee Choon
Data Analyst
email: [email protected]
tel: 020 8656 9541 ext 266
If you would prefer to write to us by
post, please write to the relevant
team member at the following
address: Trinity School, Shirley Park,
Croydon, CR9 7AT
* Important: please note, our direct
lines may not be manned due to
the current situation. If you need to
contact us during this time, please
ring the main school number on
020 8656 9541 and they will get
a message to us to ring you back.
Thank you.
3535
The TeamThe Alumni and Development Team has been working from home since March; keeping
in touch with each other via a regular 10 am Zoom meeting every working day. We are all
looking forward to getting back to the hairdressers or barbers (well, apart from David
who doesn’t need his hair any shorter, and Nathan, who has found a way to cut his own):
www.mytrinity.org.uk
As well as keeping in touch with alumni, David and Jason have been working on the
forthcoming Giving Day, supported by Donna, our Social Media Queen, and Nathan, our
Data Analyst, who is managing to fit in studying at the same time as working. Laurie has
been keeping in touch with alumni after a short time in furlough until the Headmaster
realized he was missing and Melodie has primarily been working on the magazine.
We miss seeing our alumni at the many events we have already had to cancel, but we
loved hosting Imani-Lara Lansiquot’s Q & A with students, staff and alumni on 4th June.
We look forward to seeing many of you as soon as we are able to resume our
programme of events.
Extracts from Trinity entrance examsI came across these extracts from entrance exams in 1983
and 1984 and could not resist reproducing them here. (Editor)
• "Well be running out of oxygen soon" said Simon in moose code.
• I soon settled down at the school and got into trouble often.
• The looks on the fishes' faces ranged from superfluous to happy.
• The villigers had been hit very badly with the wind.
• We put our diving suits on and checked we had air in our water bottles.
• In the night my father searched for wild animals to see if they would come and attack us.
• To my great surprise a small tidle wave knocked over my dad on to the cuboreds.
• I've seen a hospital and they're open for vacancies.
• We sat by the fire and listened to the spockey noses.
• I was having night mayors. Why! Why was I having night mayors?
• When I saw a two faced cobra I didn't bother about thinking twice.
• I screamed quite softly.
• Armed to the teeth with swords, daggers and swing balls, they looked terrifying.
• He sprang at me with a knife in his hands. I swiftly sprang out of the way and he stabbed a boar thinking it was me.
• I will kill every one of you with my bear hands.
• Mr. Giles was quite nice. He was unmarried.
• I couldn 't swim so I went into the cabin and shot myself.
• There was no-one at home who could worry about me because I lived with myself.
• I quickly woke up Chris but he was dead.
• Suddenly I woke up. It was 23.59. We were going to die at midnight. I got back to sleep as quickly as I could.
• The guard was reading a newspaper. I could just make out the date. It was the 20th of October, 1501.
36
Dates for your diary
Monday 16th November 2020
Reception for Donors
We thank our supporters
of the Trinity Bursary Fund
Trinity School
Wednesday 12th May 2021
Mitre Society Lunch
We thank supporters leaving
a gift in their Will
Audience Chamber, Almshouses
Friday 4th March 2021Spring ConcertWe invite alumni to singTrinity School
Thursday 11th February 2021
Trinity London Drinks
Networking Event
The Yorkshire Grey WC1
Tuesday 25th May 2021Trinity Golf DayShirley Park Golf Club
Saturday 19th June 2021
Milestone Reunions
Reuniting the Classes of 1960/61,
70/71, 80/81, 90/91 & 2000/1
Trinity School
Coming soon!T20 CricketNetworking events:MedicsEngineersProperty and Construction
To find out more, or to register your interest in an event, please contact one of the team overleaf.
Make sure you receive your invitation - please let us have your up to date contact details!
We are hoping to resume our programme of events towards the end of the autumn term 2020, but please note, events are dependent on the social distancing measures at the time. Whether you are interested in networking, music, sport or would like to catch up with your peers from years ago, there will be something for everyone.
Tuesday 8th December 2020
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Join us for festive carols
Croydon Minster
Tuesday 15th December 2020Under 25s Christmas DrinksBack from University PartyTrinity School
www.mytrinity.org.uk [email protected]
Saturday 10th April 2021
Evensong with Trinity Choristers
We invite alumni to sing
Ely Cathedral
Thursday 29th April 2021City Careers networking EventHosted by KWM‘Walkie Talkie’ Building, EC3
Friday 19th March 2021
Founder’s Day Supper
Organised by The Trinity Club
Trinity School
Friday 26th March 2021Classes of 2015 and 2016 ReunionSponsored by The Trinity ClubTrinity School
Saturday 4th September 2021Alumnae ReunionCelebrating 10 years of girls at TrinityTrinity School
Saturday 11th September 2021
Trinity Day
An Afternoon of Sport,
Music and the Arts
Trinity School
Wednesday 9th December 2020Christmas Jazz EveningEnjoy our wonderful Jazz musiciansTrinity School
Thursday 10th December 2020
Varsity Match
Twickenham Stadium