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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8 by helicopter. He was also able to see the museum that Nigel started and is going fom strength to strength and to see King Edward Point where we lived. Our house is no more and it all looks very different. He sailed from SG to Ascension in May arriving back in UK in June, Jennifer Jennifer Bonner whose husband Nigel was brother to Gerald Bonner whose obituary was in the last magazine. Dear Geraint 35 St. Stephen's Avenue St.Albans, Herts., AL3 4AA 01727 851347 29th August 2013 I note with sadness the death of Gerald Bonner. I was with Gerald – and Wilf Baker, Eric Wareham, John Freeman and others in the Arts 6th, 1942-43, my one and only year at Stationers'. At Wisbech I attended Hornsey County School until my matric. in 1942, but then transferred to Stationers' in London, as Hornsey County no longer had the staff for 6th form work. I subsequently lost contact with Gerald for some years, but was able to renew it because my wife knew his wife (before either of the two was married) when my wife was was German language assistant at Bedford College in Regent's Park in 1956, and Jane Bonner (as she later became) was a student in the German Department there. Gerald and Jane were both very helpful and hospitable to me when I was last in Durham, a few years ago. I had only one year in the sixth, as I managed to gain my Higher School Certificate at the end of that year so as to spend the next year as a university student before I reached the call-up age for national service at 18, when, in the summer of 1944, I was sent to a Nottingham coal mine as a Bevin Boy. I thought that, if I had already spent a year (1943-1944 as an undergraduate, I would more readily be accepted as a student after the war was over. I need not have worried about that, as ex-service personnel had no difficulty in getting into college as post-war students. The Stationers' year was the most enjoyable of all my school years, although it was hard work to do the two-year course in one. It would not even have been possible, had I been in the science sixth, as the extensive practical work, plus the theoretical knowledge, could not have been covered in a single year. This shows how much more demanding are science courses compared with many arts courses – something confirmed by my later experience at university, where I studied first for a BA and later for a BSc. Anyway it was in the arts sixth that I was taught at Stationers, and I had every possible help and encouragement from my teachers there. 'Bobs' Roberts was a magnificent Latin teacher, and successfully recommended me for the Latin prize, which helped to pay my undergraduate fees in the following year. 'Dickie' Dash did his best with my French, which was not so good, and 'Sacco' Englefield, who taught me German, subsequently became a lifelong friend. He was a truly remarkable man, and, of all my teachers, the one who has influenced me most profoundly. With another of his pupils, the neuro-pathologist David Oppenheimer whom pre-Stationers, Englefield taugh at a private school in Cheshire in the mid 1920s, I co-edited his posthumous papers into three books, all of which were duly published. The first of them, Language, its Origin and Relation to Thought appeared in 1977 (London: Elek/ Pemberson) and was the most successful of the three. The New York publisher, Scribner, was so impressed with it that he at once brought out an American edition. It is striking that nearly all the pupils who became close to Englefield went on to read for science, rather than for arts degrees, although it was modern languages that he himself taught. Doubtless it was his famous school 'Bug Club', that led them towards scientific studies. Nigel Bonner, Gerald's younger brother, is an obvious example. Like me, he became a lifelong friend of Englefield. I was intrigued by Sylvia Mogg's article on The Guest in the issue of the Old Stationer that recorded Gerald's death. I was not involved in the production or performance of that play, but I remember Sylvia very well from my Hornsey County School days at Wisbech. In 1941-42 I was there in the fifth form, and she in the science upper sixth. I did not get to know her well, as she was so much my senior – a difference of two or three years can seem very considerable at that young age. Like her, I was very fortunate to have had a very good billet at Wisbech. At the time, I did not realize what a sacrifice it was for my hosts, who had three young children of their own, to take in an adolescent boy as if he were their own. Fortunately, by keeping in touch with them until they died, I could later express my gratitude. I kept in contact with Hornsey County School until its closure in 1952, but then lost contact, which is remiss of me, for I owe a great deal to my teachers there. Sylvia says in her article that she would be glad to hear from any survivors from those early days, and if you can let me have her address, I will write to her. Best wishes George Wells 11th September 2013 christopherbell238@btinternet.com Good afternoon Geraint Finally arrived back in the UK. On closing e-mail account in the Falklands lost all contact details so e-mailing on OSA address to let people know new contact details. Can you pass on to those that need to know. Back in the old house in Bradford on Avon. Chris Bell Hi Geraint 28th September jleeming231@btinternet.com You may have heard from other sources that GEOFF RICHMOND has had a successful liver transplant, and that he is making good progress. This a quote from his wife, posted on Facebook: “Hello, I'm Judy Richmond, Geoff 's wife. He would like you all to be informed that, incredibly, after just over a week on the list he has had a successful transplant on Monday. All systems go and fingers crossed for continued good news.” That was last Monday, 23rd. I hope all is well with you Best wishes John Leeming Puybobe, 23200 St Alpinien CRESUE, France 30th September 2013 carol.neil@orange.fr Subject: Still you are Stationers..etc atc Dear Editor Today a copy of the Old Stationer turned up in our letterbox here in Deepest France. I think it came from Richard Phillippo, who is about my generation (55-62) at Mayfield Road and who recently emailed me out of the blue. A nice surprise. I particularly enjoyed your rather waspish 'Ed' notes in italics! Any way to be brief, I am NOT an OS for no particular reason apart from my working life as an architect-planner in some 20+ countries, now retired to France bu still wielding the pencil and designing 22
T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 7 8 buildings for expats and others. I shall pass on the mag to my brother-inlaw ROB FAULKNER, another OS, who lives in Thaxted, Essex. We occasionally offer a tentative version of the Composite Verse to anyone who can't make it to the door in time. In the meantime, even as currently non-OS, I would be happy to pen a few words about an Architect's Life ( I have doubled as a technical author and columnist) for your consideration. I attach a recent entirely self-promotional piece just published in the local expat rag here in the Creuse. Gives you an idea of what to expect. (But I have written some REAL books for Thames & Hudson etc.) Bon courage with the mag. As they say round here, Bon amicalement Neil Parkyn Former RIBA RTPI FRSA Architect Neil Parkyn: an introduction In the course of a 40 year career as an architect and town planner, Neil has worked in 19 countries, on projects ranging from rural schools in the Sudan, the largest single-source housing project in Saudi Arabia, sites -and -services in Manila, UNESCO World Heritage sites in Oman and public realm schemes in Britain. For ten years he served as a Director of Colin Buchanan and Partners and as an independent consultant he has worked with Atkins, Llewelyn Davies., Kinhill, Maunsell, Arup, Halcrow, RMJM, Haliburton, Dar At Handasah and Ralph M Parsons. As a technical author he edited and eo-wrote Thames and Hudson's '70 Architectural Wonders of Our World', which has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide, 'Superstructures' (Merrell) and several Guides for the Royal Institute of British Architects. In France he has just completed over 90 watercolours + French textforavolume ontheIndustrial Heritage ofthe Creuse for the Conseil General de la Creuse. He has exhibited his paintings in London, Kuwait and in France. He won the 1988 Award from 'The Publisher' for Best Specialist Columnist.and hasserved asa Member of Council of the Royal Society of Arts and of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Dear Geraint Great to have such a prompt reponse. Not always the case with the Young 'Uns, especially... I'll just quickly do the easy bits before I forget. More to follow in a few days. ROB FAULKNER 33 Newbiggin Street Thaxted Essex CM6 2QS. As you may be aware, Rob's younger brother Ray Faulkner died tragically young 15 years ago. Puyboube is the name of our hamlet; St Alpinien (= a local saint} is our small Commune and Creuse is the 'forgotten' department of France, between Limoges in the west and Clermont Ferrand in the east. I think you already have my fellow architect OS DANNY BONE on board. He must be about ten years younger than me, and tells a good story about going to the Head (still J.Nunn) about his intention of studying Architecture and being told something to the effect that “Yes we DID have someone doing that a while ago..” The 'someone' was me, but I only met Dan and heard the story some 25 years later for the first time. Cambridge, not Oxford... along with Fenner, Bondy(?), Sweden, Carter, Hunt etc... a bright year - but only making Oxbridge thanks to J Gore, I suspect, but also in my case the dry humour of JI Morris. Enough for now. Really pleased to make contact Bien amicalement Neil Looking up The Stationer Vol. XLIX No.3 December 1962, D.G. Carter, T.I.Fenner, R.Harris A.P.Hunt, N.K.Parkyn and D.J. Cottrill went to Cambridge. J.A Bondy went to Oxford with Richard Phillippo; and D.B.Sweden to King's College, London. Ed. 4th September 2013 derekandjanet34@btinternet.com Dear Geraint I have recently been in correspondence with Miss Maggie Godfrey who was my teacher at Stroud Green Junior School between 1959 and 1961. She would be delighted to hear from pupils who went to Stationers' between 1954 and 1976 when she took up her first post as Headmistress. She has just celebrated her 80th birthday and now lives in Potters Bar. Her email address is maggie056@live.co.uk. I trust that I find you in good health and enjoying the fine weather over the past few months. Looking forward to hearing from you. Kind regards Derek Mitchell 7th January 2014 derekandjanet34@btinternet.com Hi Geraint Further to our conversation I list below all the Old Boys that I know who went to Stroud Green and the year they went to Stationers'. Apologies for any errors. JOHN GEERING 1953; MIKE GEERING 1955; JIM LLOYD 1959 (sadly deceased); DEREK MITCHELL 1961; COLIN LEACH 1961; COLIN JOLLY 1961; STEPHEN COLLINS 1962. PHIL GEERING was at Stroud Green from 1955 to 1956 when the whole Geering family moved to Winchmore Hill and he moved to a local primary school. As we already know our illustrious President, DAVE SHEATH, was also briefly at Stroud Green about 1949/1950. If any others come to mind I will let you know. Look forward to seeing you at the Dinner in March. Kind regards Derek Mitchell Dear Geraint 27th September 2013 johnclarkeward@msn.com It was good to see you again yesterday and have a chat about times past at the School. I started at Stationers' in September 1958. We were living in Wood Green at the time but soon moved to Enfield Town from where I travelled to school on the train from Enfield Chase – cycle to the station or on the 629 trolleybus and walk up Umfreville Road, Harringay. Either route was completed by a walk along the Hog's Back footpath from Quernmore Road to Ridge Road and overlooking the Hornsey railway sidings. My first form master was Mr 'Hitler'Phillips – nicknamed only because his moustache and slick black hair; he was a good maths teacher and a nice man. He took us on a school outing to watch a test 23
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