IN THIS NEWSLETTER
(click on a topic to go directly to it)
 
  o Introduction o Correspondence
  o OD v Old Haileyburian Golf o News from Bishops
  o The 2020 UK OD Dinner o Levels of OD engagement
  o ODs on the move o OD Pub Lunch in Oxfordshire
  o Fireside Chat with the Principal o And on a lighter note
I am delighted that Tony Reeler will be participating in a Principal's "Fireside Chat" with UK ODs via Zoom on Thursday 27th August, starting at 7pm (UK). He will use the opportunity to lay out his vision for Bishops, address some of the current challenges and opportunities faced by the School and tke questions from ODs. Click below if you'd like the link.
 
Dear OD
 
July was a sad month for the Bishops family. We saw the passing of two Bishops greats, Paul Dobson (left) and John Charlton (G, 1954, right). Both were teachers at Bishops, each  for over thirty years, Paul at the College and John at the Prep. Both taught Latin, both coached rugby and both were housemasters. They embodied the best of Bishops and whose greatest thrill was to see their protégé's be the best they could be and shaping them into what the School's new Principal Tony Reeler calls a Good Man.

Each Bishops generation has its "honours' board" of great and beloved teachers, women and men so important in our development and who made such an impression on us that it was and is difficult to imagine that they wouldn't (and won't) be around forever. Except that in a very real way they are: we are who we are, in large part, because of them, and the tributes and outpouring of memories and love for these two are a testament to just how deeply and permanently John and Paul's influence was felt. This is a video tribute to Paul from referees from around the world. John's obituary is HERE.  A recording of his funeral service (yesterday) can be viewed HERE.

To their families, our deepest sympathies. May they rest in peace.

We also said a sad goodbye to Garry Wallace (O, 1958, left) who, on the 19th June, succumbed to Covid-19. Gary lived in Chester with his wife, Hazel and although not able to get to any of the ODU events and functions, was an avid reader of our monthly newsletters. The ODU sends Hazel and the Wallace family its very deepest sympathies.

Not only was July a sad month, it was also a quiet one insofar as OD activities were concerned. But we have at least four events slated for the rest of the year:  the annual golf match against The Old Haileyburians on 8th August at the RAC, the Annual Dinner on 15th October, the Oxfordshire Pub Lunch on the 17th October,  a three-way golf match against the Michaelhouse Old Boys and the Old Hiltonians (date - probably September - and course to be finalised) and  the annual year end party at the end of November. The details for the OD v OH Golf match, our Annual Dinner and Oxford Pub Lunch are given below. Please do try to attend at least one of these. They are fun, good for networking and after these horrid restrictions, will be a welcome release into the world of the new normal - whatever that may be.

Nic Searle (O, 1988, left) the OD Secretary of the Eastern Canadian branch has arranged for a Zoom meeting on Saturday 8th August at 6pm (UK) with the Chairman of the ODU, Wilbur van Niekerk (K, 1985) to update Canadian ODs on the developments on the racism issues as they affect the ODU. Places are limited so if you'd like to be in on this call, please let Nic know by emailing him at NicholasSearleOD@gmail.com

Lockdown doesn't have to mean a life of complete isolation and properly distanced, I enjoyed a drink with Dr Michael Wilson (O, 1952) in his peaceful garden in Battersea. Michael had a long career as a GP in Chelsea and cautiously refers to a six month period when he was the doctor to the Lucan (yes, that one) family. It was a great pleasure to meet and have lunch with Mike Power (W, 1957). This was a rendezvous many months in the planning, but because of lockdown restrictions, it took longer than expected to pin down. A pub with a sanitising range of drinks was the obvious choice of venue and we spent an enjoyable afternoon on the banks of the Thames at The Swan in Pangbourne where Mike lives (in Pangbourne, not The Swan). Not to be outdone by the tangled web of the Kidd-Birt-Payne relationships (last month's newsletter) it turns out that Mike is the great-grandson of Richard Brooke, Bishops Principal from 1887-1900. Niall Brown (G, 1973) has elected to spend some of his lockdown in the UK - nothing to do with not being able to buy alcohol in South Africa -  and he has generously shared his (local) gin supplies with me. Left-to-right in the collage: Michael Wilson, Niall Brown and Mike Power

Chris McPetrie 
(M, 2010) and Pascal Despard (St Cyprians, 2011, right) beat the South African lockdown by a whisker (literally one day) to get married on the 14th March in Wellington (Western Cape). As some of you may have read last month, they are now living in London. The ODU sends them congratulations and best wishes for a happy life together

Rosemary Wilke, wife of the late Fr Terry Wilke (former Bishops Chaplain) and retired marketing manager for the SChool arrives in London today to start her new life in the UK. She will be working for the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Office based in Tavistock Crescent, London. Initially, she will be very involved with the Lambeth Conference. Welcome to London, Rosemary, and good luck for the move and the new job. 

And to end, may I wish our Muslim ODs Eid Mubarak

Lastly, stay safe - it's not over yet

Nicky Bicket
ODs v OLD HAILEYBURIANS GOLF MATCH
 
This year marks the third annual golf-fest against the Old Haileyburians and will take place on Saturday 8th August at the RAC in Surrey. £40 entry which includes very decent sandwiches. Tee-off times are from midday. The Club has assured us that play will take place in accordance with the relevant social distancing rules.

Alex Price (M, 2008, right) is our captain, convenor and coach and the chap to suck up to.play in this or any of our other tournaments. Reach him at 
alexprice009@gmail.com or 07779775408.

There is now an OD Golf WhatsApp group which keeps the golfers together and informed. You don't not want to be on this, so please get hold of of Alex as soon as possible.

 


With lockdown being lifted, I have every hope that not only will we be allowed to hold our black-tie dinner on Thursday 15th October, but that ODs will be confident and excited to attend and celebrate all that is Bishops and the (sort of) end to the pandemic restrictions.

Once again at The Carlton Club in London, this popular function Is preceded by a welcome reception, a four course meal and an after-party, at the Club. The cost is £70pp for ODs who matriculated in 2009 or earlier and £60pp for ODs who finished in 2010 or later. Wives and partners are charged at £70pp. Drinks at the pre-dinner reception are included in the price as is half-a-bottle of wine per person at dinner. A cash bar is in operation at the after-party. Pictures and report of our 2019 dinner are HERE.
 
Please diarise this event. Please come. Please galvanise your classmates. And lets make it a real party. We'll need it.
 
RSVP HERE.
ODs ON THE MOVE



 
As the economy begins to stir a little, so to stir are our ever-upwardly-mobile ODs who are proving that a little lockdown never got in the way of career progress. This month we congratulate (in the photo from left to right):

Stuart Crawford-Browne (K, 1988) has been appointed Customer Success Manager at SentiSum which involves enhancing digital customer experiences in e-commerce and Zendesk customer support. This enables the turning of online customer conversations (chat, email, social) into real-time insights with AI, providing clients with user-friendly ML/NLP driven solutions trained by data curation experts and helping clients improve decision making, productivity and cost efficiencies

Jono Mackie (K, 2008) has been appointed to Senior Associate at the Exeter Property Group a Exeter Property Group which is  among the largest real estate investment managers in the world, focused on acquiring, developing and managing logistics/industrial and office properties across the U.S., Mexico, Europe and Asia.  

Neil Arnold (S, 1990) is now the Head of Value Creation at KP Snacks which company has its roots way back in the 19th century. KP Snacks today is now the UK’s second largest snack manufacturer

Ryan Tennis (B, 2011) has been promoted to Divisional CSR Lead at BDO UK LLP  who  as part of a global network, provide audit and tax, advisory and business services outsourcing to companies across the UK

 
CORRESPONDENCE & OTHER WRITING
 
One of the enjoyments of the role of UK branch secretary - and there are many - is the correspondence I receive from ODs. Much of it is about current affairs (in the broadest sense) but much triggered by names and stories read about in previous newsletters. As Bishops moves forward, it is good to be reminded of memories and characters that anchored our past..

This month both  Philip Hazel (F, 1961, left) and Alastair Henderson (S, 1969)  wrote some of their reminiscences. Read these letters HERE.

John Battersby (W, 1966, left) an accomplished political journalist still contributes to various papers. Some of you may have seen him moderate last month's online streaming of the Rivonia Trial documentary. Also looking back to look forward, he recently wrote a piece for South Africa's Daily Maverick in which he argues for balanced and critical thinking when it comes to the understanding of history in the ongoing #blacklivesmatter movement. A history from which by definition the present and future cannot be uncoupled. To read his article, click HERE
I think you will find interesting and encouraging the messages with which Tony Reeler (right) greeted the boys on their return from lockdown at the start of the third term and his first days as Principal. He addresses the challenges of eradicating racism at the School and more generally, laying out his vision for what it is to be a Bishops boy. I have condensed these into one document which can be read HERE.

Tony will be holding a "fireside chat" with UK ODs via Zoom on Thursday 27th August at 19h00 (UK). He will use the opportunity to tell the story of his journey from a schoolboy at RBHS to Bishops as it's 15th Principal. He will also be outlining his vision for Bishops and addressing the challenges and opportunities as he see them. The format will be informal and there will be time for you to ask questions. Because capacity has to be reserved ahead of time, please could you click below if you would like to participate (only those who RSVP will be sent the details and link):
 I'd like to register for the Principal's UK Fireside Chat

In the meantime, if you'd like a glimpse into Tony's philosophy and views on education, watch part one and part two of a three-part interview (part three still to come) he had with Matt Pearce (G, 1987) on Bishops TV

A far cry from the almost pocket-size quarterly blue School magazines (remember them?), the Bishops 2019 yearbook is out. And what a publication it is. To read it online or download it, click HERE. Be warned, it's a large file.
INTEREST IN NUMBERS

When confronted with a bit of free time and nothing in particular to do, some turn to their stamp or wine label (or just wine) collections, mowing the lawn or shouting at Manchester United on the TV. Or various other ways to keep busy (my wife, a sociolinguist, is intrigued by the use of the word "busy" to describe inactivity; as in "I'm busy watching TV" or, bizarrely, "I'm busy resting". South African English is, apparently, the only variety of English where this occurs). 

I keep "busy" by using my free time assessing how we are doing as a branch. The only way I can do that is to gauge the level of interest. And the only way I can do that (but open to better and/or cleverer solutions) is to use the open rate for these monthly newsletters. These scores have been accumulated since 2015 when I began using Mailchimp as our email platform.


Aside from being a bit of eye-test which hopefully most should pass - even Dominic Cummings - the stats below reveal that, actually, we're not doing too badly. Or rather, you as the branch members aren't. Almost 80% of the UK ODs are either highly- or very interested in what's going on in the branch which by any measure is an excellent score and very gratifying.

As I said, the first chart shows that almost 80% of the UK ODs are either highly- or very interested; the middle chart re-formats the interest levels by year (with a caveat that some year numbers are probably too low to be meaningful) and the bottom chart shows the interest level by house. Although, in the house chart, some - not I - might argue that here the lower scores may have more to do with literacy levels than interest.


I think the trick now is to build the interest in the 15% who are "not really interested", recognising and accepting that interest in ODU matters is not obligatory just because you're an OD.

If you have insights or ideas as to how to make our communication more relevant, you will find me a keen listener. Thanks to all of you for your support.
 

 

all scores and level descriptors taken from Mailchimp
AN INFORMAL OD LUNCH IN AN OXFORD COUNTRY PUB
 
You and wives/partners are invited to the annual ODU Oxfordshire pub lunch which this year is on Saturday 17th October. The venue, as always, is the lovely Bell at Hampton Poyle (11 Oxford Rd, Hampton Poyle, Kidlington OX5 2QD).

We get together from 12.15pm and sit down for lunch from the pub's 
a la carte menu at about 1pm. As is customary, we split the food bill equally between us, but the ODU pays for all the drinks. Dress is very casual.

To RSVP, please click HERE .

 
AND ON A LIGHTER NOTE
 
Much of this newsletter, indeed much of the past two weeks, has been focused on the contributions made by great Bishops teachers who have sadly taken their leave of us. Their influence, values and discipline are a part of all of us who were fortunate to have been exposed to their unique brand of pedagogy. Their legacy lives on.

In fact as far afield as Pittsburgh, PA, where the death penalty remains legal, criminals appearing before The Hon. Alexander (Zandy) P. Bicket (S, 1973, left) are being instructed in those same standards of behaviour and deportment (see photo below) which have been drilled into every Bishops boy since 1849. Whether defiance of this rule is punishable by lethal injection or just half-an-hour's gardening is not known, but the message is clear.

Below is the photo taken of Zandy's empty courtroom, where, as you can deduce, the staff have been locked down and the felons locked up.


 

 
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