OSAmag80

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 0
they didn't do! Some of them (no names)
seemed so bored with their subject.
I note included in the list was JOHN
DUPERE: I seem to remember from a
previous edition of the magazine, circa
1977, that he had died at a very young age
of 35. I don't know whether this can be
checked?
Also who should be included is JOHN G.
GRAVENOR, with whom I was
particularly friendly. Although he only
joined the school in 1954 it was the end of
the first year, so he was a member of our
cohort, leaving with A Levels in 1960. I
just don't know what happened to him in
the intervening years.
After leaving SCS I went to UCL for six
years of Chemistry followed by post
doctoral appointments at universities of
St. Andrews, Leiden and KCL. The next
36 years I spent at Kingston Polytechnic,
later Kingston University from which I
retired in 2006. I have since enjoyed eight
years of retirement and keep myself busy
playing the organ as ever – I used to play
at assemblies at Stationers' – and training
the choir at Fleet Parish Church. Previously
I was organist at East Barnet Methodist
Church where KEN SOUTHALL
(teacher of French, 1950-1960)
worshipped, Surbiton and then West
Clandon, Surrey.
I have been married to Louise for 46 years
and have two sons and one granddaughter.
My older brother, ROBIN COOPER
was at Stationers' from 1950-1957, but
sadly died in 2009 – which was recorded in
your August publication.
Hope that's of some interest.
Tony Cooper 1953-1960
Robin Cooper was a regular contributor to
'The Old Stationer' often to the section 'As Far
as you Roam' and stories of Stationers'
Company's School.
5 Croton Square
SHERFIELD-ON-LODDON
RG27 0SX
20th August 2014
Dear Geraint
Having just read the latest magazine
(No.79) I thought I would write concerning
two particular articles to which I felt I
could perhaps add something.
THE AURORA BOREALIS
I found John Ivey's account of his holiday
in Norway most interesting. My wife,
Kathy, and I have been to the Norwegian
Fjords and as far north as Trondheim, and
then across to Iceland. However, both
holidays were summer cruises and whilst
the scenery was absolutely stunning, there
was of course no chance to see the
'Northern Lights' or 'Aurora Borealis'.
However, it did remind me that in a
previous existence some 35 years ago,
whilst working as a manager in the
International Division of Williams &
Glyns Bank, I had the amazing experience
of seeing the 'Aurora' at its absolute best.
I was flying back from Tokyo via
Anchorage in Alaska and on the second
leg of the flight we flew within a few
hundred miles of the North Pole. Although
it was night time and dark I looked out of
the window to see what I can only describe
as colour falling down the sky. I asked the
stewardess about this and she said it was
the Aurora Borealis like she had never seen
it before. In fact the pilot made a low key
announcement so that those people who
were awake should not miss it.
It is something I shall never forget but of
all the best laid plans you just have to be in
the right place at the right time – I count
myself lucky.
Graham Ling 1954-1961
Dear Geraint
35 St. Stephen's Avenue
St. Albans AL3 4AA
22 nd August 2014
I've read the obituary for Eric Wareham
with interest and sadness. Eric and I were
in the 6th together 1942-1943, and were
the only two boys offering German for
Higher School Certificate in that year, so
we came to know each other well. Our
tutor was, of course, 'Sacco' Englefield,
whom we both greatly respected. He
generously made it clear that he would be
available to help us at the School during
the Christmas break, and I remember that,
when the two of us arrived on the agreed
date, we found him playing the piano in
the School Hall with his usual
accomplishment.
I kept in touch with Eric for some years
prior to his marriage, and last saw him at
the reunion in Wisbech, (fifty years on
from the initial evacuation) in 1989. The
reunion was arranged by Murdoch, who
was also a 6th form boy in 1942. Both Eric
and his wife attended, and I remember her
telling me how she had met Eric on her
way to America and stayed with him ever
since. It is clear from the obituary written
by his son that their marriage was a very
happy one.
Thank you, Geraint, for enabling me to get
in touch with Sylvia Mogg, who wrote
that article on 'The Guest' (the play
produced by the School in Wisbech) for
the Old Stationer. Sylvia and I were pupils
at Hornsey County School in Wisbech
1939-1942, until I transferred to Stationers'
for sixth form work. Sylvia was able to visit
me in May of this year, on her way to her
ninetieth birthday party the following day,
and it was splendid to renew the contact in
this way after some seventy years.
Best wishes
George Wells 1942-43
OLD-STATS
ronhorne@xtra.co.nz
26 August 2014
It was so upsetting to read of the passing
of DENIS HAMMENT and PETER
BULLEN. Although neither of them was
in the same form as me, our friendships
were built around our service together in
the 2049 ATC squadron. Denis and I were
Flight Sergeants and Peter a corporal and
all appear in the original formation photo
in the archives. I noted that the squadron
had been camping in 1958 near Leeming
on page 14. I have often wondered what
happened to them after the school closing
and whether they still exist and where.
On my recent travels I visited the Mosquito
Museum at Salisbury Hall where Peter did
his initial training as an apprentice to De
Havillands which stirred the memories of
him. He bought a 250 BSA motor bike
around 1944 and he kindly allowed me to
try it. I rode it into the wall of the house
adjacent to the school and haven't tried
again since, luckily there were no after
effects on either me or the bike. As
previously noted in one of my letters he
visited me in New Zealand in the 80s
when on his honeymoon.
Other items that caught my eye were the
obituary of ERIC WAREHAM and the
pictures on page 15 of Muswell Hill. As I
mentioned earlier one of the former staff
members in the village here was born and
raised in Fortis Green Road not far from
where our kids were born in Alexandra
Park Road and her policeman father served
in the Hornsey Police Station during the
war with my wife's uncle. Small world eh.
Regards
Ron Horne
22