Old Boys' Newletter Homefield Preparatory School
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Homefield Preparatory School FOUNDED IN 1870 Old Boys’ Newletter Summer 2021 Sketch by Mrs M Jeans Dear Old Boys and Friends of Homefield From the day that they join Homefield Whether you have just left or it has been Additionally, we plan to invite our FOUNDED IN 1870 Prep, boys become part of a unique over fifty years since you were last at Old Boys to a programme of social community, which includes not only Homefield, we would love to hear your events and a tour of the new building their peers, but those who have gone news. project as soon as we can. before and those who will come after. As we progress with our impressive Why not take a look at our website to We invite Old Boys of every generation school redevelopment, offering a wealth catch up on what is going on with our to keep in touch and be a continuing part of opportunities and state of the art exciting building redevelopment of the Homefield family legacy by facilities, we are mindful of the rich works: sending us updates of their latest heritage of the school, which celebrated https://www.homefield.sutton.sch.uk/ exploits and adventures, ensuring that its 150th Anniversary in 2020. Our Grand about-homefield/school-development they reconnect with each other and the Ball to mark this momentous event could Scanned archive material can be School. Friendships forged at Homefield not go ahead, as planned, last year but viewed at: can last a lifetime! we anticipate hosting a Summer Ball in http://homefieldprepschool.cook.webs 2022 and further details will follow. Upon leaving the school, you become a ds.net/Authenticated/Browse.aspx valued part of our alumni community.
Homefield Preparatory School Recollections of Homefield – by the Revd George Coppen (1946 – 1952) Good memories even if seemingly artist Graham Sutherland (early 1900s) small are there, memories of .22 target I have just been looking at the Homefield preparatory School, unique in Homefield website and was amazed shooting, of stag beetles on the fence, the minds of many of us in having the at how the school has not only grown of playing cricket after breakfast in FOUNDED IN 1870 marks of a miniature Public School – and in size but also in excellence in the playground, of military style PE one of the better Public Schools at that, teaching and in nurture. It is so classes from Mr Cornford, of Walford was intimate and friendly. Yet its different to the school of the late shouting from the touch-line, of one structure and working was of an order to forties and early fifties of the previous bath a week or was it two, and the prepare us for sterner things to come. century. smell of coffee being roasted in a shop in Grove Road. This was very largely due to the I with my twin brother Pete (and Headmaster of that time, Mr Walford, a elder brother David who left in 1950), With rationing, I am not quite sure man at once awesome and yet tender, and were at the school from 1946 to 1952 how Olive the cook, a lovely person, one of the founders of the School. He when Charles Walford was owner managed to provide meals for day created an atmosphere and a tradition and Headmaster. It was a formidable and full-time boarders but she did, which I believe exists to this day. school in those days and for the most even if the suet puddings were quite Surrounding himself was an excellent part housed in what seemed to be in inedible. After such food and that of staff, he created a closely knit unity of pine walled buildings clad in Marlborough afterwards, army food staff and pupils and there was no facet of corrugated iron, the exceptions being was a banquet fit for kings even if not this entity of which he was ignorant. Grove House and The Limes. The appreciated by all my fellow soldiers. classrooms and boarding Olive’s real redemption was her I was hardly aware of it at the time, I battered fried slices of marmite accommodation were spartan but this believe we were subtly fitted with an bread. is not surprising as these were eagerness to learn and compete, not only immediate post-war years. They were After leaving the army and after in school but in sport – a great feature inefficiently heated by single coke university, I settled and married in and excellently organized. stoves and the dormitories, not at all. what is now Zimbabwe, taught at I will spare those who may read this, my Discipline was in the spirit of Sparta Thornhill High School, Gweru and strong nostalgia for the place, except to which made good preparation for then became an officer of the then say that as I think back, I am conscious public school and military service Rhodesian Parliament. On return to that my days at Homefield gave me a afterwards where stoicism was a pre- this country in 1975, I taught at warm complex of emotions: that one was condition of success. Durham School, became an Anglican looked after, that one mattered, that one priest working in the Oxford Diocese On the sports field, Walford or was encouraged and that one could make and also a sessional psychotherapist ‘Wally’ as we knew him, was happy if friends, could learn and want to learn. at HMP Grendon. I have fond we won but if we lost, he made it For this, I shall always be grateful. memories of Homefield and am clear that we had let him down. I still think back with a certain pride in that delighted to see it move from I was the last Homefield boy to be strength to strength… awarded football colours by him in December of 1952 just before he died in 1953. Thank goodness the ethos of schooling has changed since these days as the only way of coping with it all was by developing a sort of masochism which made it all rather fun when it most decidedly wasn’t. Perhaps Rudyard Kipling expresses all of this in his poem ‘If’. Walford had a kind heart. During the winter, we used to put water down on the small playground to create an ice slide. At the morning break, he Homefield Old Boy; Graham Sutherland would stand at one end acting as a buffer for us sliders whereas other members of staff would lay ashes on it.
Homefield Preparatory School FOUNDED IN 1870 “That is how my life at Homefield Prep Sadly, for Mr Walford, I never quite The water ran off the playing field, began . . . . “ Some recollections of an Old emulated the illustrious feats of Don across the tarmac playground and into Boy the rear of the school where the Bradman who had toured in England Being deposited by my parents as a new in 1948 but my lifelong love of cricket doorstep was worn. A ‘causeway’ of boy boarder at Homefield Preparatory certainly took root at Homefield benches enabled us to move round School in 1949 was a daunting where cricket was then the religion. without getting our feet wet. I guess experience for a 9-year old boy from today everyone would have been sent Australia and one which I shall never home but there were no snowflakes forget. then! I recall that I was determined to deal Life on the estate was, with hindsight, with the occasion manfully and rather unusual. The majority of accordingly any inclination to show residents were widows mainly those emotion or any sign of tears was to be whose husbands had been killed in rigorously resisted – if I failed, Mother WW1 but a few from WW2. Such men would be reduced to floods and, as there were, were all disabled, almost whatever else, that had to be avoided at all wheelchair users although there was all costs! one very skilled blind carpenter, Captain Luckman. In The Sanctuary, It soon became apparent that I had set where we lived, there were two other the bar very high for myself and I was boys of our age. The grounds were and on a razor’s edge. As we arrived at the are extensive so there was plenty of school, speech was becoming space for adventures. I think I must increasingly difficult. Time seemed to Jonathan Bell - Dressed for his first have left Homefield at Easter 1951 to go be flying past faster than ever before. day at Homefield - 1949 boarding at Southey Hall in Great My dread of being left alone in foreign Bookham. When that closed in 1954, I surroundings with no friends was David Frost (1951) went to the junior school at swiftly becoming a reality. I am still in intermittent contact with Hurstpierpoint before getting an It was then that I first met Matron, a exhibition to the senior school in 1955. I one of my Homefield chums who has most kind and motherly woman of left aged 17, in December 1959 and lived in Belfast for many years. We whom I would become very fond joined the Royal Navy at Dartmouth in both lived on the Haigh Housing during my time at Homefield. Matron’s January 1960. estate for officers’ widows on the many years before the mast clearly left south side of Green Lane in I had a very enjoyable career as a her in no doubt about the demons that I Morden. Donald’s father had been in seaman officer before retiring in the was then confronting. the Indian Army Service Corps and summer of 1987. Initially I worked for My parents reassured me that they was killed during the retreat from BBC TV and then the World Service at would visit me at the very first available Burma; mine was killed when his Caversham before becoming the bursar opportunity, bid me farewell and then submarine HMS P33 was sunk in late of St Hilda’s College from 1992-2001, clopped off into oblivion down the August 1941, months before I was when it was still all women. I have linoleum covered floor of the main born. many fond memories of Homefield! entrance hall. We travelled by bus each day into Matron slid her hand into mine and Cheam Village or into Sutton and the drew me towards another equally bereft fare for us at 6 years old was 5d. No youth. “Here’s someone you might doubt, these days, our parents would know” she trilled brightly, “- he’s from be arrested for child neglect and we’d New Zealand.” The naivety of Matron’s be taken into care for being allowed to ‘helpful’ remark amused me greatly and travel alone on public transport at I began to smile. It was the tonic I such a young age! We thought it needed. perfectly normal and just part of our That is how my life at Homefield Prep everyday life! At that time, the school began – and a very happy chapter of my was on the old Grove Road site. I life it proved to be. remember the day when torrential rainfall caused flooding inside the school buildings.
Homefield Preparatory School FOUNDED IN 1870 Sir Nicholas Young (1960 – 1965) Lindsay Walton (1960) I have played guitar in bands on and off throughout my life after it all I loved my Homefield years. The school I went through the Junior and Senior started at Homefield with a skiffle had some great teachers when I was Departments and left in the summer group, encouraged by the carpentry there (1960-1965), and they introduced of 1960 with onward progression to master, comprised of myself, Simon me to cricket, books, acting, travel, KCS, Wimbledon. It was nostalgic to Thomas, Simon Prudden and Tim carpentry - and responsibility. I made see some of those old pictures on the Hayes. I still play to this day in a trio some friendships which have lasted a school website from my era, - not skiffle any more !!! lifetime. I arrived, I think, as quite a especially those of all the teachers nervous little chap - and left feeling that I remember so well - some I live with my wife, Rosemary, in confident, happy, and grateful to the good, some bad and some in the Cambridgeshire having built my own school for the start it had given me. middle!!!! I remember Mr Chubb house in 2005. I even called it who taught at Homefield from his Homefield! Good health is still I attach a couple of pics - the cast of Toad student days until his retirement hanging in there even after open heart of Toad Hall (I was the Washerwoman!), and even deputised as Headmaster surgery in 2013 (faulty valve). This and the 1st XI team with Colin Cowdrey, for a short while. The photo of the gave me a new lease of life! who captained the Old Boys in 1964, and whole school from around 1957 was cruised to an easy 77 with one of the amazing as I could still name well famous cut-down bats, on the school’s over 25% of the pupils and all the beautiful cricket ground in Grove Road. staff!!! My time there obviously had a great effect on me. I got my colours in all the sports teams and was vice captain of the 1st XV. In my last year, I shared the Victor Ludorum with Richard Truscott. Academically, I was Timothy Bridge (1957 – 1965) middle of the road which didn’t stop My first teacher was Miss Clements,a me from having a successful lovely lady,who at the age of working life in the Oil Industry, six,nurtured us all with her gentle Toad of Toad Hall 1964 ending up in international oil kindness. At this point, we were trading for many years. I retired housed in Grove Road. Next was a After I left Homefield, in 1965, and from the rat race in 1994 and went move across to “The Limes”, where qualified as a commercial lawyer, I into business with my passion for Miss Holmes and Miss Darling ran 2A ended up running Macmillan Cancer antique furniture restoration which I and 2B respectively. Then, on to ”Big Support, and then the British Red Cross, still get involved with and do a fair School” and Mr Hedges, a wonderful working in conflict and disaster areas all amount of work for the Royal avuncular character who operated in over the world. Before that I had Society for Science in London - a far 3B. 3A came next,with Mr Herbert, a worked, at various times, in a prison, the cry from oil but extremely frightening ex rugby player who kitchens of a mental hospital, a German satisfying. taught Maths and PE. On to 4B and Mr hospital, and on a yacht in the West I played rugby for KCS, Greer, a very colourful fellow, who Indies! Wimbledon’s 1st XV for three taught singing (in French!) took us seasons (’63, ‘64 and ‘65) and then away to Belgium, and generally went on to the Old Boys’ and from entertained us. 5B was next and subject there down to Sussex to play for teachers suddenly began with different Hayward’s Heath, East Grinstead teachers delivering English, Maths, and Brighton. I retired when I was French, RE, Latin, History, Geography, 51 (maybe a little too long) after Art and Science. Amazing times! playing Vets rugby for Centaurs and In 1962, three young male teachers Thamesians. My son and two arrived, who really made a difference: grandsons are following in my Trevor Worton, taught History and footsteps. Cricket,Tony Packwood, Maths and PE However, forget the knighthood and all that - my proudest moment is still being and Nick Jones, Science and Rugby. made Captain of cricket at Homefield!
Homefield Preparatory School These three, close friends, In 1999 I was promoted to ‘Chip’ Braulick (1970 - 1973) revolutionised Homefield, bringing with Headmaster! Now retired and My father worked for Esso and he was them, vitality, energy and panache. celebrating my 70th birthday in transferred to the London office from Tony and Trevor have sadly passed November, I truly believe that FOUNDED New York, hence my time in England. away, but IN 1870Jones, who will be 80 Nick everything I ever achieved was next year, still keeps in touch. because of spending eight years at I was very fortunate to go to a traditional Homefield! Great days! English School. My older sisters both When I started, Michael Hall was went to the American School in London, Headmaster. In 1962, Martin Carnes Hugh van Gennep (1965 – 1973) so they did not get the same experience as arrived and took us boys on our first It is good to know that Homefield me by any stretch. I was fully immersed cruise! SS Dunera specialised in taking goes from strength to strength. I was and when I returned to the USA, school boys abroad, a sensation for us. one of the generation who started at everyone thought I was English due to Flying to Venice to meet the boat, we Homefield in Grove Road and my strong accent and my inability to saw Athens and other wonderful places finished from the Western Road site. handle the hot humid summer! over two magnificent weeks I can remember the official opening After school clubs saw us shooting, Bruce Watston (1973 – 1981) ceremony by Douglas Bader and boxing, learning gymnastics, how new and modern everything Many moons after leaving Homefield, I photography, football (George Stafford was when we moved in compared to became a French teacher and taught in ran the famous Under 11 team). the old Victorian buildings. It is Walsall, Pakistan and then Kent. Discipline was kept by ”Bessie” and frightening to think that is over 50 I left teaching about three years ago to be “Brutus” a pair of size 11 plimsoles, years ago. I have found a copy of “A ordained and since June 2019 have which when wielded by the young History of Homefield” by David worked as a Curate in Ashford, Kent. members of staff, left an impression on Warren which commemorated the our behinds. centenary and I appear in a photo in My brother, Phil, was about two years the inside back cover wearing long behind me. He also became a languages A wonderful, comprehensive education, teacher but favoured German. He also trousers and carrying a briefcase. that saw us arrive at our next school works to promote fostering and adoption thoroughly prepared. Having failed my Although I no longer live in Sutton, in Merseyside and has written a series of Common Entrance, I was sent to an West Sussex is not that far, and I highly entertaining, emotive and unknown school in Sussex. I was top of think of Lawrence Jones who taught informative blogs. every subject! My education at me French when I pass Horsham Homefield was so staggering, that train station as he used to travel up Gareth Jones (1989) suddenly a boy, me, who had from Horsham every day. I have happy memories of my time spent at As someone who is 'in the business,' I can floundered at Homefield, was top of the Homefield. sympathise with the challenges the school class! I had never been top at anything! has faced over the last year. Having not As you can imagine, my self-esteem Stephen Watson (1971) lived in the area for some time, I must went through the roof and I never admit I had not seen that the school had looked back, starring in the school plays I left Homefield exactly 50 years ago, so much building development going on and passing my ‘A’ Levels. All because seeing which rather takes my breath at the moment. If I may, quite right too. of Homefield! away as it seems like yesterday. I The main building was a product of its will be retiring this year after a career From 1971 – 1974 I attended King time and it definitely needed to be working as an accountant, latterly Alfred’s College, Winchester and having modernised! with a company involved in printing graduated from their teacher-training and packaging machines. I was a pupil at the school when the programme, started my teaching career Sports Hall was built on what was the old at Slindon College. I joined the Prison I much enjoyed looking at the old playground for the Pre-prep. This was Service in 1977 in my attempt to change photos in your archive, particularly circa 1986 and it felt state of the art at the the system(!). Having failed in my quest the whole school photo 1974 where I time. I left in 1989 and from there went on I returned to Slindon and in 1986 joined recognized some of the teachers, to St John's, Leatherhead, before doing a Barnardos, working at their special Messrs Jones, Packwood and Colley gap year at Lichfield Cathedral School school: each boy the worst in 40,000 in and Mr Carnes together with Miss with Rev'd Andrew Walters who had London. Darling. Wonderful to see the been Head of Homefield in my latter memories of Homefield past. years there.
Homefield Preparatory School My family's connection to Homefield is Jonathan Isaby (1982 -1991) Sameer Zaman (1996 – 2003) deeper than just my experience After leaving Homefield, I went on to After leaving Homefield, I joined KCS, though. I am the youngest of ten KCS, Wimbledon, and then read Wimbledon. I then went on to do my children and five of my brothers all Modern Languages and Linguistics at undergraduate medical studies at passed FOUNDEDthrough IN 1870 the school. My two the University of York. I have spent King's College and Imperial College, eldest brothers were in the school most of the ensuing two decades or so London, graduating as a doctor in when it moved to Western Road and ensconced in or around Westminster 2014. I am currently working as a the new buildings were opened by as a journalist or campaigner, working Cardiologist in the NHS and doing a Douglas Bader. We have a picture at variously at the BBC and Daily PhD in Artificial Intelligence at home in fact of them meeting him and Telegraph, editing websites Imperial College. I live in Wimbledon also Colin Cowdrey. ConservativeHome and Brexit Central with my wife and two boys aged 2 and heading up the national years and 6 months. campaign group The Tax Payers’ Alliance, with a brief stint as Director Alexander (2001 – 2005) and Fergus of the think-tank Politeia. (2005 – 2007) Vickery Both Alexander and Fergus left Homefield to join KCS, Wimbledon. Following a Masters in Chemical Engineering from Pembroke College, In the 70s, before the school could Cambridge, Alexander Vickery joined afford a proper minibus, one of the BAE systems. He met Amy at teachers would occasionally come and university and they are to be married borrow the comma van that belonged next June 2022 in the Lake to my parents (because we were such a District. They currently live in Putney. large family) to escort pupils around. Having completed a Masters in I loved my time at Homefield and had History at Jesus College, Cambridge, very happy memories. Indeed, I was I have also popped up regularly on Fergus Vickery joined the Teach First clearing out my mother's house TV and radio as a political programme. He completed his two- recently and stumbled across many old commentator. year training at Selsdon Primary sports team photographs and other School and then accepted a teaching Homefield memorabilia. My oldest Married with a son and living in New position at King’s College School, La and closest friend is from Homefield Malden, in 2008 I was also co-author Moraleja, in Madrid. He met Laura, a days too so you are right to say that of the only book published about that fellow teacher in Madrid and they too friendships are forged there. year’s London Mayoral election, Boris are to be married next year, 2022, in Right now, I am the Headmaster of St v Ken: How Boris Johnson Won London. I July on the island of Solta, Andrew's Prep School in Eastbourne wonder what happened to him?! Croatia. Fergus loves living in Madrid. but I shall be leaving at the end of this Toby and Josh Lyndham (1990s) term to take over at Bilton Grange Prep Freddie Meyers (2000 – 2010) School in Warwickshire, which has just Toby now works as an A & E doctor I left Homefield in 2010, gaining a joined forces with Rugby School. It has in New South Wales and lives with Music/Academic scholarship to Trinity been a long time since I last walked on his partner, Alice, in Queensland. School and it was while at Trinity that Homefield's hallowed turf but, one Josh now lives in Maidenhead and is I started to take composing more day, when I am next in the area, I hope Head of Drama at a school in Slough. seriously. In 2012, I was a winner of to. the BBC Young Composers’ Competition which lead to a Enduring friendships commission from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and a broadcast of my new Please do get in contact with us to share your exploits and adventures with the composition on BBC Radio 3. In 2015, I Homefield community and if you are in contact with any Homefield ‘Old Boys’ was offered a place to read Music at St who may have missed out on receiving this newsletter, please do encourage Hilda’s College, University of Oxford. them to get in contact with us via: https://www.homefield.sutton.sch.uk/about- homefield/old-boys We would be delighted to receive any memorabilia that you hold – we could scan any photos and return them safely to you as we try to extend what is currently held on the website.
Homefield Preparatory School There my life was filled with practical Thomas Gunningham (2001 – 2011) Some of the challenges I have faced in music making: I conducted two my life, which Homefield helped me After leaving Homefield, I joined St chamber orchestras, played principal through, have shaped my outlook on John’s School, Leatherhead. There, cornet and soprano cornet with the life. Probably my most significant academically, I found a passion for University Brass Band, and in my last FOUNDED IN 1870 achievement since leaving Homefield design and maths and beyond the year I put on a full production: my 90- has been my fundraising activities for classroom I completed the Gold Duke minute one act opera, “A Sketch of charity. I am proud to have raised over of Edinburgh award, contributed to Slow Time”. £25,000 for the Royal Marsden Trust to the CCF, becoming an NCO, and After Oxford, I gained a MMus in help young children suffering from proudly represented the school’s 1st composition, studying with Morgan team for rugby for a couple of years. cancer. Hayes at the Royal Academy of Music. I successfully gained a place at the Joseph Dean (2010 – 2018) My last year was rather disrupted by University of Leeds to study Civil Science COVID-19; however, the pandemic I spent 8 years at Homefield and I have and Structural Engineering. At Leeds, lead me to found a new ensemble many fond memories of my time at the I achieved a Masters and Bachelor of “Bandwidth” which explored the school thanks to the staff and my Engineering, learning more about implications of internet delay, on live friends, many of which I am still in concrete and steel than one could performance online. I’m currently contact with! ever need! At university, I carried on working as a freelance composer living Following the 3 years since I left playing rugby and managed to play in South London and work teaching Homefield I have continued my in the varsity game at Headingley both the piano and trumpet. passion for piano and art. I am now Rugby Stadium in front of 10,000 From September 2021, I will be people. moving forward, starting my GCSE composer-in-residence at Eton College, courses in Year 10. Here, attached, are Now I am currently beginning my and my hope in the future is to study some of my recent artworks. career in Structural Engineering for a PhD in Composition, focusing on Consultancy at Waterman Structures, the way that new musical practices can where I’m attempting to make my develop by performing online between mark on London’s skyline! multiple locations. With my dad (Mr Andy Meyers) still working at Zain Ahmad (2011 – 2017) Homefield, it’s lovely to hear what’s currently happening at the school and 2021, as for so many individuals, was it is always a highlight when I’m able such a strange and difficult year but to play trumpet descants at the school one of reflection too. It made me realise how fortunate I was to have In Memorium carol concert! attended Homefield from the ages of At the start of 2021, we were saddened to Samuel Warren (2007 – 2018) 7 to 13. The responsibilities given to hear of the sudden death of one of our me at Homefield have provided the Homefield ‘Old Boys’, Mr Peter Franklin, Sam left Homefeild to join Royal who has been a passionate supporter of the confidence to challenge myself as Grammar School Guildford, and school over the years, maintaining close ties well as seeking to help others. I will graduated with 3A*s and 1A in his and curating the vast collection of in September, become School Captain A levels. Homefield memorabilia. His titanic at Kingston Grammar School (KGS) knowledge and passion for plants has He is currently finishing his first year and I am also one of the two CCF inspired generations of our boys to take a at Durham University where he is Flight Sergeants in the school. I also keen interest in their environment and to Reading Mathematics. have been enjoying learning how to hone their ‘green finger skills’. We will be run a business in a responsible way commissioning a tree in Peter’s honour, and am a Young Enterprise with a commemorative plaque, to ensure Keep abreast with Homefield Sustainability Director. Our fledgling his legacy continues to live on at news as it happens… Homefield. A great friend of the school Please share and retweet! business is actually turning a profit who will be greatly missed. much greater than we had hoped! I remember the many productions which I took part in at Homefield and https://twitter.com/HomefieldSchool I’m sure Ms Cook and Ms Hartle https://www.facebook.com/homefield.s would have been delighted to hear chool/ that I am one of three drama scholars https://www.instagram.com/homefield _preparatory_school/ at KGS.
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