Horizon Summer 2011

BRIGHTON COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI NEWS

Horizon

CONTENTS

> THE JUBILEE PAVILION UPDATE

> THE LEAVERS’ APPEAL

> FINISHING TOUCHES TO BRIGHTON COLLEGE ABU DHABI

> BRIGHTON COLLEGE GOLF DAY

> OB RECEIVES FREEDOM OF THE CITY

> DEVELOPMENT OFFICE VOLUNTEERS

> OB WEDDING ANNOUCEMENTS

> WELCOME TO OUR NEW SCHOLARS!

Summer 2011 An historic mergerTwo leading Sussex schools come together as Brighton College and Handcross Park School merge this term, in a move to meet demand for boarding in Year 7 and Year 8. >

The termly newsletter from the Development and Alumni Relations Office, with development updates, news from Old Brightonians and details of forthcoming events.

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An historic merger

The Simon Smith Building

At the end of last month, it was announced that leading Sussex schools, Brighton College and Handcross Park School, have merged. Like Brighton College, Handcross Park dates back to the 19th Century. Founded in 1887, it celebrates its 125th anniversary next year. Located on a beautiful 50 acre site near the village of Handcross, it has a long tradition of nurturing confidence and intellectual curiosity in children, in a warm, happy and supportive environment. In recent years, many Handcross Park pupils have in fact gone on to study at Brighton College.

Brighton College has, for some time, been seeking a partnership with a Sussex prep school to meet demand at the College for boarding in Year 7 and Year 8. Brighton’s own prep school does not offer boarding. According to Brighton College’s Chairman of Governors, Lord Skidelsky: “Handcross Park is ideally located, close as it is to the A23 and to Gatwick Airport. Handcross Park already has good boarding accommodation which we intend to improve and expand as part

of a major programme of investment in the site. Above all, we believe that Brighton College and Handcross Park share a very similar ethos: a focus on the individual, a belief that children enjoy a challenge and a commitment to creating a community that is happy, purposeful and respectful of difference in others”.

For its part, Handcross Park will become a part of the Brighton College family of schools, drawing on the educational expertise of Sussex’s leading school and benefiting from the associated economies of scale. Handcross Park parents will also benefit from reduced fees, bringing the school in line with Brighton College Prep School. Handcross Park’s Chairman of Governors, Mrs Emily Hutchings, expressed her delight at the move – “this merger will give us the strengths and means to take Handcross Park to the next level and achieve our goal of becoming one of the leading co-educational prep schools in Sussex”.

As our contractor, Primus, continues to push forward with the construction of the new building in the Woolton Quad, the latest project development is that DDSB Design have been appointed as the interior designers for the key areas. We are immensely grateful for the donation from a parent which is supporting this element of the project. DDSB’s portfolio of works includes the interior design of the Terminal 5 lounges at Heathrow airport, where they have taken the very best of British design, style and art from the past and present, to create a truly impressive space. Their current project sees them working on the JFK Airport in New York.

The new building in the Woolton Quad is to be named after Simon Smith, Second Master, in recognition of his contribution during his 38 years at the College. The building will provide the College with a new social space and café, a new home for the Health Centre, Chaplaincy and Senior Common Room, and even an outdoor theatre. Whilst the difficulties of the economic climate have had a direct impact on our sub contractors, disruption to the site has remained at a minimum throughout the term. Construction is due to be completed at the end of October, with the subsequent interior design being turned around in time for the hotly anticipated opening of the building later in November.

BRIGHTON COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI NEWS Summer 2011

Royal Wedding Street PartyOn Thursday 28th April, the front quad was decked out in red, white and blue to celebrate in style the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The event started with the College and Prep schools gathering together for a traditional street party under union flags, billowing in the April gusts. The pupils were entertained, while they ate their lunch, by the outstanding swing band and excellent House performances. They were then joined by the Pre-Prep pupils who greeted the waiting crowd with a lovely rendition of the British music hall classic It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.

The fancy dress competition winners were then announced before the main event, a flash mob style performance of the Black Eyed Peas I Got a Feeling. Mr Keaney, supported by four podium dancers, led the assembled pupils, academic and support staff, in a truly outstanding performance.

A very special thank you to all parents who helped to make the bunting and to everyone who participated in making the day such a spectacular and memorable occasion.

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The Jubilee PavilionWe would like to send our sincere thanks to everyone who has made donations to the Jubilee Pavilion over the past year. We have been delighted by the response to our fundraising appeal, particularly in recent weeks, and also by the generosity of parents and Old Brightonians, who are helping to make this project a reality. Whilst our fundraising efforts are not yet quite complete, we have every confidence that the College community will help us secure the funds to allow work to start on the project as soon as possible.

To view the Jubilee Pavilion brochure, please visit www.brightoncollege.org.uk/senior-development-vision-for-sport.asp where you can read more about the difference that this project will make to our pupils and options for tax efficient giving.

Those who give £1,000 or more will be made Friends of the Pavilion, and have their names inscribed on a donor board in the new building. Some donors have opted to attribute their donations to their children, so that their names can remain in the Jubilee Pavilion long after their time at the College. If you, or members of your family, wish to make a contribution, you can do so online or download a donation form at www.brightoncollege.org.uk/documents/donation.html. All donors will be invited to a special opening event at the Jubilee Pavilion, bringing together friends and supporters in celebration of Brighton College sport.

In addition to our fundraising events, the houses have gone to imaginative lengths to do their bit for the Jubilee Pavilion:

The School House boarders hosted ‘An Afternoon of Sporting Entertainment’ for parents and guests that raised £220. The boys showcased their sporting prowess in badminton, volleyball, football, golf, croquet and cricket, whilst Mr Debney, School House’s Deputy

Housemaster, demonstrated his fire juggling skills. Later, the boys and guests retired to the School House Common Room, for a series of sports-related entertainments, including a quiz and ‘the Shoolheifer Experience’ - whereby U6th former Jake Shoolheifer amazed everyone with his astonishing range of sporting knowledge and trivia.

On Monday 27th June, 4th Form girls from Seldon and Williams played against each other in a sponsored rounders match. Despite some tight fielding from the Seldon team, the Williams side were the eventual winners. Isabelle Collis (W) was the highest scorer with 7 rounders, whilst Olivia Gavoyannis (S), Anna-Rose Truman (S) and Sarah Batchelor (W) all played particularly effectively at posts, stumping out the opposition.

Durnford Upper Sixth raised £300 from a ‘Take Me Out’ dating event. The event was huge success amongst the pupils, with well over 100 people attending. The lucky couples were sent on a glamorous date to Spinelli’s, and everyone had a lot of fun.

Ryle raised £100 from a table tennis and pool tournament.

And, on behalf of Abraham house, Mr Grocott raised £200 from abstaining from drinking alcohol over the course of Lent!


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Brighton College Golf Day in aid of the Jubilee PavilionFollowing the success of the Sports Quiz and the Gala Dinner at Lord’s, the next fundraising event for the Jubilee Pavilion will be a charity Golf Day. On Friday 30th September, Brighton College will take to Singing Hills Golf Club in Albourne, an area of outstanding natural beauty in the heart of Sussex, with its gently undulating fairways, spectacular water holes and the Sussex Downs offering a stunning backdrop.

The day will start at 11.00am with coffee and bacon rolls on arrival, serving as vital fuel for the 18 holes of golf that will follow! Tee offs will start at 12.00pm on the Lake and River courses, where you can expect demanding drives on the opening two holes of the River nine, and two exhilarating par 3s.

Tickets cost £85 per person and are available to parents of all three schools, Old Brightonians, staff and their guests. To reserve your place, please email Kim Willis on [email protected] or ’phone 07947 119291. Entries from pairs and individuals welcome, and that means you too ladies! The format will be confirmed closer to the event. Places are limited, so please do register your interest as early as possible in order to secure your place.

A year gone by for our Kingsford ScholarsAs always, our Kingsford Scholars have made an invaluable contribution to the College over the past year, and have successfully secured the university offers and grade predictions they aspired for. Issah Abdul Moomin has been offered a place at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, to read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He is the second Kingsford boy in three years to achieve an Oxbridge offer, following on from George Weller, who is reading Natural Sciences at Cambridge. Issah has since been working steadily towards this ambition, but has also found the time to complete his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition in Snowdonia, in weather conditions that he described as “challenging”! Issah also helped with the Abraham at Home charity fundraising event, which raised over £1200, and helped the House tug of war team to pull a few people over the line!

Jorden Edgar-Oliyide has been offered a place to read English at Nottingham University and was an exceptional school prefect in his Upper Sixth year. Jorden accompanied Issah on the Duke of Edinburgh expedition to Snowdonia, and performed very well in his group. He contributed a great deal to sporting activities for his House and the College; a pacy and free scoring forward for the 2nd XI football team, and a fine sprinter for our athletics team. He performed creditably in the boarders’ play, a version of Julius Caesar, helping the younger boys along, and also won the Chapel Reading prize which is awarded for the best prefect reader in our Chapel services.

Kris Shukla is another veteran of the gold Duke of Edinburgh award this year, and hopes to read Economics and Politics at Exeter. He has made a fantastic contribution as a house prefect in Abraham House, across a variety of activities including Mandarin lessons. He and his dance partner won the charity Strictly Come Dancing competition this year, with a very energetic piece which impressed the judges and which they also performed at the Theatre Royal in our celebration of the arts earlier in the year. He has played for the 3rd XI football team, and the House football team, who were runners up in the overall competition this year, narrowly missing victory on goal difference. His assured touch on the ball and vision in tight situations made him a very valuable team player. Kris also volunteered to replace an injured runner in our House

athletics competition, and the gesture spoke volumes for his willingness to contribute.

Liam Fergus has performed very well inside the classroom in his first year of AS level work, and is respected by his teachers and peers for his down to earth approach and his strong work ethic. He is currently preparing his UCAS application for universities and is considering embarking upon a music degree. His musical talent, along with his sense of humour, entertained us all during his piano playing in the Abraham at Home charity event last term. He also contributed points to the House music competition with a solo piano piece.

Darcy Weller has enjoyed a very fulfilling first year at the College, excelling particularly in music, which he may continue on to further education. Having already achieved his grade 8 in guitar, he is working towards his diploma, and has performed in several concerts and tea time recitals this year. Perhaps his most notable performance was his solo piece performing Vivaldi’s Concerto in the Festival Concert, although his rendition of Telemann’s Concerto in D in the Summer Concert was also superb. Darcy has also been a key performer in sport, with some fine performances for the College 1st XI football, and good efforts on behalf of the House cricket team, which he led in the summer term competition.


Head Master’s Garden PartyAlthough the weather disrupted the planned croquet on the lawn, it certainly did not dampen spirits at the Head Master’s Garden Party on Thursday 26th May. The purpose of the evening was to bring together supporters of the College who have made significant donations to development projects over the last two decades, to thank them for their valued support. These benefactors have enabled projects such as the Alexander Arts Centre, the Sammy Woods Pavilion, the Dyslexia Centre and the Kingsford Fund, to name but a few, to be fully realised.

In his welcome, the Head Master conveyed his personal thanks to the guests in attendance and talked of how the school continues to thrive thanks to the wonderful teaching staff and the motivation of our pupils. Plans were on display for the Jubilee Pavilion and the new Music School, so that we were able to share the next stage of the vision in the College’s development plans. The drinks reception was accompanied by melodic offerings from College musicians, who set the tone for the evening beautifully.

Guests were then treated to a tour of the College from a group of willing pupils, so they could see first-hand how their donations had made a difference to the College and enriched the lives of our pupils. Thankfully the sun decided to pop out from behind a cloud for this part of the evening, enabling the College grounds to be shown off in all their glory! We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our thanks to all those who have supported the College in recent years by donating to our building projects and bursary schemes, in whatever capacity, allowing its continued success.

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Old BrightoniansThis term has seen a whole host of events peppering the College calendar, offering lots of opportunities to make contact with OBs; the OBA Lodge met for their termly meeting; we were overwhelmed at the response to the Pioneers’ Lunch which saw fifty OBs return to the College with their wives and partners; we were grateful for the support of OBs at our Gala Dinner at Lord’s Cricket Ground, which raised £13,000 for the Jubilee Pavilion; we enjoyed a glass of wine with OBs who have kindly made

donations to College developments at the Head Master’s Garden Party; former staff convened for Simon Smith’s Farewell Dinner, to mark his retirement this month after 38 years service; doctors, pilots, vets and various other professions were represented at the Fourth Form Careers Day with OBs giving up their time to speak to pupils about their respective professions; and we were delighted that a handful of OBs supported the 1st XI versus the MCC in their annual cricket fixture.


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Singing their praisesThanks to two donations, a new edition of the College hymnal will be produced this year. We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Mr John Davison (C. 1950-55) who has donated £5,000 to the College in memory of his late mother. Mr Davison’s donation will pay for the reprint of the Chapel hymn books, which are desperately in need of replacement, and so we are hugely grateful for his kind gesture. Philip Mitchell (H. 1960-65) has pledged the same amount to this project, and will help in the selection of hymns for the new publication, which we hope will be ready by the end of the year.

The Pioneers’ Club - Thursday 5th MayWell, what a wonderful time our Pioneers had in the Chapel Music Room, or Room D, or as it is now known the Hordern Room, after OB Michael Hordern (C. 1925-30). Simon Smith, Second Master, gave a warm welcome to all guests, some of whom had travelled great distances to come back to the College, and especially to our earliest OB who had been at the College in the 1930s, namely John Osborne (C. 1931-34).

Father Robert Easton led a vibrant and energetic service in the Chapel, including a ‘tour’ which led from the dreaded corner in which three swords hang Damocles-like over any pupil who sits below, to the beautiful Byrne-Jones windows. He also underlined most poignantly how little the Chapel had changed over the years, whilst the school around it grew in size and number and energy, and underlined that the Chapel is there for all pupils and OBs, unchanging in its welcome and atmosphere of calm and restoration.

“A fabulous day at the College!!! We had a ball! Can’t wait to do it again!” Steve (S. 1957-62) and Jillie Webbe

Having enjoyed the hospitality of the College, we moved on to a diversity of restaurants, including 24 St George’s Restaurant, recently acquired by Jamie Everton-Jones (D. 1990-95), and The Ginger Dog. The food was excellent, the company was enthused and the multitude of photographs being passed around the tables meant that many a pleasant reminiscence was to be heard echoing around the restaurants.

“What a change since I was there 60 years ago, a change even since my son was there 30 years ago. There seems to be so much life and enjoyment everywhere. I almost wish that I could have my time at the College all over again, so that I could enjoy the facilities and ethos which were absent six decades ago. We look forward to future reunions.” Pat (C. 1949-55) and Christine Lyford

Forthcoming events

News from an OB

19th August Tour and wine tasting at Ridgeview Estate3rd September Brighton Day, Brighton College15th September OB City Drinks, Rocket City bar, London16th September Gravetye Manor garden tour and lunch27th September Dr Kerry Brown from Chatham House, ‘China and the Challenge of Political

Reform’, Head Master’s Lecture, Great Hall (5.00pm)30th September Golf Day, in aid of the Jubilee Pavilion, Singing Hills Golf Club13th October OB Property Drinks, Rocket Mayfair bar, London20th October London Town Club launch (venue TBC)13th November Remembrance Day Service, Brighton College Chapel26th November Art Exhibition, Brighton College8th December Pioneers’ Club, London (venue TBC)4th December Carol service, All Saints’ Church, Hove24th December Midnight mass, Brighton College Chapel

Further details on these events will be published in the annual OB magazine, The Pelican, due out at the end of August. Alternatively, please contact Rebecca Findlay at [email protected] or on 01273 704250.

A former Brighton College pupil, who rescued 29 casualties in the heat of a battle in Afghanistan, has been awarded the freedom of the city. Flight Lieutenant Marc Heal (L. 1994-98) captained a Chinook helicopter immediate response team, commanding eight of their missions during Operation Panther’s Claw in July 2009. The Old Brightonian pilot was previously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) by the Queen for his actions.

He attended a special council meeting at Hove Town Hall on Thursday 19th May, where he

was accepted as an honorary Freeman of the City. He is one of only four people to receive the Honour, which was given “in recognition of his outstanding gallantry as the Captain of the Chinook helicopter Immediate Response Team in Afghanistan for which the Queen awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross. The inspirational command of his crew and superior flying skills led to the successful extraction of 29 casualties and the saving of lives.”


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New look websiteThe Old Brightonians website has had a makeover! Do take a look at www.oldbrightonians.com and let us know what you think. The new site is much easier to navigate and is constantly being updated with the latest news, events and special offers exclusively for OBs. There is still some work being done to transfer all the content from the previous site, but we hope that this will prove to be a fantastic resource for our network of OBs across the globe.

Congratulations!A huge congratulations goes to our OBs who have ‘tied the knot’ recently!

James Aiken (A. 1998-03) married Rachel Tripp in Brighton on Saturday 16th April.

Ned Carnie (H. 2000-05) married Ruth Potter in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire on Saturday 9th April.

And, Harriet Daultrey (W. 2003-05) married Ricky Fraser in the Brighton College Chapel on Friday 9th July.

Velvet smooths the way for a successful eveningEntrepreneurial parents, Old Brightonians and staff gathered in the Café de Paris on Thursday 16th June to network at the third meeting of the Brighton College Business Club. Guest speaker Emma Harrop, founder and managing director of the Velvet stores, talked with passion about her business, giving valuable insights into the highs and lows of setting up and growing your own business and highlighting the difficult decisions that had needed to be made on her own journey. From small beginnings, the Church Road, Hove branch now sells a huge range of furniture and

accessories to customers from around Sussex, with their website reaching out much further afield.

The next network evening will be on Thursday 3rd November from 7.00-9.00pm in the Café de Paris. If you would like to attend, please email Sally Woodmansey on [email protected]


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Gala Dinner at Lord’sThe Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground was the spectacular setting for the College’s Gala Dinner on Saturday 14th May, to help raise funds for the Jubilee Pavilion.

The Head Master got the evening off to a splendid start with the announcement that exactly two-thirds of the sum required for the building had already been secured thanks to donations and pledges made to date. Some competitive bidding at the auction which followed meant that a further £13,000 was raised on the night. Lord Skidelsky’s silent auction lot, a tour and tea at the House of Lord’s, attracted the second highest bid, just pipped at the post by Matt Prior’s wicket-keeping gloves!

Geoff Miller, National Selector for the England and Wales Cricket Board, entertained the audience with tales of his own school days, and the audience of parents, pupils, staff, Governors and Old Brightonians also enjoyed musical entertainment from the Brighton College Saxophone Group. Our thanks to all those who supported the event by taking tables, donating lots for the silent and live auctions, and through sponsorship.

Finishing touches to Brighton College Abu DhabiThe site of Brighton College’s first overseas school in Abu Dhabi approaches completion as final additions are made. The work will be complete by the end of July ready for the very first term this coming September. As the buildings go up, the school has also just awarded its first cohort of Scholarships for 2011. Art, Academic, and All-Round Scholarships were awarded to twelve pupils who will join the school in September. Headmaster Brendan Law celebrated with the successful pupils, and described how their achievements show

Brighton College Abu Dhabi’s uniqueness: “What sets us apart is the fact that we will encourage our pupils to achieve academic and all-round excellence, whilst concentrating on their personal development. Our approach will help broaden their horizons and cultivate independence, self-assurance and confidence - the hallmark of a British independent school education.”


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Lend a handWe have been incredibly lucky over the past year to have had the support of a number of parents and Old Brightonians, who have volunteered their time to the Development and Alumni Relations Office, to help in particular with events. This has taken the form of sourcing raffle prizes, assisting with set up and encouraging ticket sales, and has proved to be invaluable in terms of achieving the best out of our events and raising maximum funds for our ongoing development projects. If you would like to become a volunteer for our office, please get in touch via [email protected] or 01273 704375 and we would be delighted to hear from you!

Sounds of the Chamber ChoirThe Brighton College Chamber Choir’s second CD is now on sale. With a selection of pieces from Bryd, Tallis, Bruckner, Parry and Whitacre, it really is a delight to the ears. The CDs are available to purchase for £12 each, with £3 from each sale going to the new Music School. To purchase your copy, please contact Karen Smith at [email protected]

New recruits

Leavers’ Appeal

We are very much looking forward to welcoming two new additions to the Lower Sixth in September, in the shape of our new Foundation Scholars, who are joining us from Patcham High School. Thanks to the generosity of an OB, Ellis Goodman (H. 1951-53), these local pupils have received full scholarships for the Sixth Form, giving them access to a first rate Brighton College education which they would not otherwise have had the opportunity to receive.

Al-Amin Miah was Head Boy at Patcham and has just sat 12 GCSEs, including the study of Ancient History which he did in his own time and in just three months. He is planning to study Maths, Chemistry, Physics, and German at A-level and has ambitions to study Mechanical Engineering at university. He impressed his interviewers on the assessment day with outstandingly mature and thoughtful reflections on his experiences as a young British Muslim and the impact of discrimination in British society.

Radi Darwish was Deputy Head Boy at Patcham and has just sat 11 GCSEs. He is a very strong scientist excelling in his studies of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and he plans to take

these subjects, alongside Maths, at A-level next year. He has consistently demonstrated an impressive ability to think on his feet and apply familiar concepts to unfamiliar questions; his entrance papers in Maths and Physics were particularly strong. He has ambitions to study Medicine at university. He is looking forward to the range of extra-curricular activities that will be available to him at Brighton and where we expect him to make a considerable contribution.

We would like to wish the boys the best of luck for their GCSE results over the summer and look forward to them joining our new cohort of pupils!

Our sincere thanks go to parents of leaving pupils who have opted to donate their deposits back to the College for future developments, enabling us to continue making a real difference to children’s education in the future. As their children reach the end of their time here at Brighton College, it is a wonderful legacy to their contribution to the school. These donations are providing valuable gifts to both the Jubilee Pavilion and, the next College development, the Music School.

The Music School will allow us to bring teaching, practice and performance together at the very heart of the College, making an encounter with music an everyday experience for pupils and staff alike. The three-storey building will provide valuable practice rooms, a library, an ICT room, a recording suite and a 150-seat recital room within which to host some of our many performances. We also plan to utilise a roof terrace for events in the summer months. We are still in the planning stages at the moment,

working closely with Eric Parry Architects who have been appointed to design this impressive building on the College landscape; a facility within which to celebrate our accomplished musicians.

If you would like to see the plans, or have any questions about the project, please contact Debra Chalmers, Development Director, at [email protected] or 01273 704234.

Upcoming eventsBrighton Day3rd September 2011

Golf Day30th September 2011

London Town Club Launch20th October 2011


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Contact UsWe are always delighted to hear from friends of the College, whether they beparents, pupils, staff, Old Brightonians, or simply an individual with an interestin supporting the school.

Development & Alumni Relations OfficeBrighton College, Eastern Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 0AL

T: 01273 704375E: [email protected]: www.brightoncollege.org.uk/senior-development.asp

Debra Chalmers Development DirectorRachel Savage Development OfficerDeborah Rao Development AssistantRebecca Findlay Alumni Relations Officer

Horizon Summer 2011

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