Last blog

Due to an accident to my wife I was unable to make the AGM and very sorry not to be able to welcome in our new president Bob Jennings. In recent months Bob has been very involved in the running of the Society and has already attended two dinners (Old Bristolians’ and Cathedralians’) representing the Society.

As my tenure as president has ended it would no longer be appropriate to be publishing a blog under the title of OC President, and so this will be my last blog.

During the two years whilst I have been publishing the blog there have been 12,000 visitors and nearly 100,000 views and I have been very pleased to receive many compliments for keeping OCs in touch.

I thought OCs would like to continue to be informed of events in a similar manner and so I put to the OC Society committee a proposal to launch a new website which would replace the old Colston’s Connected with a new website and which would incorporate an attractive news section similar to my blog; I am pleased to say that the committee  has endorsed the new project.

I have been working with Tracy Mace and our new web provider (Pelican Connect) to move our database to the new website and to set up a news section. We will launch the new website formally in a few weeks time but it is already up and running; and so,  if readers of this blog would like to register they can do so now.

For the moment the URL of the new website is

http://colstons.pelicanconnect.com/homepage

We hope you enjoy the new website and that it enables you to keep in touch with other OCs and keep up to date with OC events and news.

Over the forthcoming weeks we have a number of events (the OC Golf Society at Carlyon Bay last weekend, the mixed sports event at Colston’s School on Sunday 1st May (now published) and the OC seniors outing to the Malvern Show on Friday 6th May) on which  we shall be reporting and these will all appear on our new website.

Don’t hesitate to let us know what you think of the new website. Hopefully you will see that it is more attractive than the old one.

OC Alastair Paynter’s post graduate studies in Australia

The OC Society was pleased to be approached by OC Alastair Paynter for support with his post graduate studies in Australia. He has kindly written the following report:

After leaving school in 2007 I proceeded to Southampton University to study History. Two years after receiving my MA in 2011, I was offered an AHRC grant to do a PhD in the field of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century political history. More specifically, this has involved looking at the emergence of distinctly libertarian conservative political thought during this period in Britain. Naturally this has led to research on some fascinating figures, many of whom, though now largely forgotten outside academic circles, were tremendously significant in their lifetimes.

To provide some sense of context within the wider Anglosphere I decided to embark on a chapter on similar political developments in Australia at the same time. One important figure who stood out was Bruce Smith, a politician and businessman from Sydney who was well-known in British political circles for his 1887 book Liberty and Liberalism, which is probably the most significant political work to emerge in Australia during the Victorian period. Smith also maintained important links with British anti-socialists, for whom he served as their man in the Antipodes.

The OCs generously agreed to offer me some funding to undertake primary research in New South Wales in February 2016. Most of this took place at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney, where I looked through original correspondence between Smith and some of the leading political figures of his day, as well as numerous articles, speeches and tracts.

State Library of New South Wales in Sydney

While I was in Australia I was able to liase with Professor Gregory Melleuish and his doctoral student, Zac Gorman, at the University of Wollongong. Greg is the leading historian of conservative and classical liberal thought in Australia, and has done previous work on Smith, so his insight and advice were invaluable for the project.

I would like to thank the OCs for their generous support, which helped make the pursuit of this exciting project possible.

Professor Gregory Melleuish and his doctoral student, Zac Gorman

Alastair Paynter

 

OC Society welcomes new president at AGM

The Society held its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 22^nd March 2016 in the OC Pavilion. Unfortunately our President, Martin Tayler, was unable to attend as he was looking after his wife, Wendy, who broke her leg in a fall the previous weekend. Immediate past President Andy Thomas took the chair and invited the Secretary, Doug Lodge, to present his report.

It had been another busy year with Martin ensuring a full range of activities to involve as many OCs of all ages as possible. The OCRFC enjoyed a mixed season on the pitch but a successful one off it and increased their number of playing members. The Golf Society met for its usual three meeting in the year plus a most enjoyable triangular match against the School and the Staff.  A number of day trips were organized for older OCs and their partners, which proved very popular. The year culminated in a most enjoyable annual dinner with guest speaker OC Boyan Wells providing an interesting and entertaining insight into the School’s history. The Society’s important charitable work increased with its Charitable Trust supporting 15 pupils to attend the School.

The Treasurer Ian Gunn presented the audited accounts of the Society and the Charitable Trust for 2014 and 2015. The accounts taken together showed a small deficit for 2015 after substantial charitable donations and contributions to the School. The Society’s balance sheets remain strong.

Robert (Bob) Jennings (1965 – 1971) was elected President of the Society in succession to Martin Tayler who retired at the meeting. Andy Thomas provided an amusing tale of his first OC rugby tour to France with Bob who was able to return home at the end of the tour dressed immaculately despite being involved in some hair-raising escapades dressed in a white coat throughout the weekend. Bob has been a very active OC, playing rugby and cricket for the OCs and virtually running the Golf Society single-handed since its inception in 1972. We look forward to an energetic and enjoyable period with Bob as our President.

Former president of the OC Society, Andy Thomas, welcomes the incoming president, Bob Jennings, at the AGM

Bob paid tribute to the outstanding contribution made by his predecessor Martin Tayler. Martin has taken many initiatives to increase the engagement of OCs in the affairs of the Society and his President’s blog has proved to be hugely successful in keeping members informed of the latest news about OCs and the School. Martin has also played a leading part in selecting students to benefit from OC bursaries and has agreed to lead this important work on behalf of the Society.

Officers and committee for 2016 were then elected and Bob Jennings closed the meeting with an invitation to join him in the extensive programme of OC events arranged for the coming year.

 

1st XV 1949-50

I thank Doug Winstone for sending me the photo of the 1949-50 1st XV with names supplied.

Back row: Charleston (Full Back), Bulging (Wing)

Middle row: Wyatt (Centre), Green (Wing Forward), Bishop (Prop), Wright (Wing), Winstone (Hooker), Pitman (Lock)

Front row: Nash (Prop), Dummett (Scrum Half), Close (Lock), Webb (No 8), Connor (Wing Forward), Kettlewell (Fly Half), Smith (Centre)

 

OC Martin Higgins returns to Colston’s to inspect CCF

I was very pleased to be invited back to Colston’s for the CCF inspection today, especially as the CCF was being inspected by OC Martin Higgins. Martin has had an illustrious career in the RAF (see previous article) and is currently Officer Commanding of the Red Arrows at RAF Scampton. It was particularly rewarding for me as I had been the OC RAF Section when the RAF was founded at Colston’s in the 1970s.

Old Colstonian Martin Higgins

Martin inspecting the welcoming parade

Martin gripping an imaginary joystick whilst encouraging an RAF cadet on a flight simulator

CCF wasn’t as much fun as this when Martin was at Colston’s

However, school food was very similar to this!

Click on gallery below for slideshow

 

 

Martin was full of enthusiasm about his time as a cadet at Colston’s (Martin left Colston’s in 1990) and showed great interest in the CCF activities the boys and girls were doing and in the individuals themselves. Martin was indeed a  great role model to all the youngsters he met today.

 

Cribsheet 2015

The annual magazine of the Old Colstonian Society “Cribsheet” has been published and sent to paid up members of the Society. Members abroad should be receiving their copy soon. An electronic copy can be viewed below:

Cribsheet 2015

Please let me have your thoughts on this edition and suggestions for next year’s edition.

OC reunion lunch

A group of more than 30 OCs covering a wide range of generations were joined by members of the OC Rugby Club in the OC Pavilion for a reunion lunch on Saturday 20th February. Following a good lunch, when there was plenty of opportunity to reminisce about the good old days at school and afterwards, many of the party braved a wild afternoon to watch the OCRFC match against top-of-the table team Spartans from Gloucester.

Special thanks to Derek Barnett for opening the bar for us and to Tracy Mace for her organisation of the day. Through the generosity of those present we were pleased to raise just over £250 for the school World Challenge trip to Swaziland later this year.

Click on the photos below for slideshow.

Food Security in the Developing World by OC Dr John Ashley

OC John Ashley has been a regular contributor to my blog and Cribsheet in the last few years and I was interested to hear news of his most recent publication entitled “Food Security in the Developing World” (see flier below).

John spent the previous year in Palestine, where between consultancies there he prepared the 100+ pages of case studies which are on the book’s companion website, which can be accessed by people who have the book.

John says:

“Any late influence I can have towards making the world a better place I’m grateful for, so I hope it may inform and influence a few people here and there.”

 

OC James Rothwell – Head of Social Marketing, Google Asia Pacific

I am always keen to follow the progress of pupils I have taught and pleased to hear news of OCs through any sort of media. I was therefore fascinated to see on LinkedIn (no, I am not looking for a new job) the glorious work title for James Rothwell: Head of Social Marketing, Google Asia Pacific.

I contacted him to hear how he had achieved this and he has kindly replied with the following fascinating article:

I left Colston’s in 2005 knowing I wanted to pursue a career in business, but not quite knowing where that journey would take me. I applied for International Business at Warwick, based purely on the premise that I had studied French and Spanish at Colston’s, and wanted to travel with work. During my studies, I discovered a passion for creativity, developing products, and technology, and decided to pursue a career in marketing.

At 22, I joined Reckitt Benckiser on the Marketing Graduate Scheme. Far from the glamour of international travel and technology, I became a Brand Manager for metal polishes and window cleaners, living in the illustrious Slough! However, RB gave me a great platform to hone my marketing skills, and an opportunity I didn’t see coming.

In my first year at RB, I discovered that my brand B rasso, a metal polish with no product innovation for more than 100 years, was almost perfectly suited to cleaning electrical products like smartphones and TVs. I spent a few months tinkering with the idea, talking to designers, and exploring R&D options for the product. I then presented the idea of B rasso Gadget Care to my manager. Initially sceptical, I eventually won over my leadership team by designing a new product, sourcing packaging in Indonesia and a new formula in Brazil in my own time, with budget I had to beg, borrow and steal for. Within 6 months, I had the product on shelves in Boots, Tesco and Asda.

At a national marketing conference 6 months later, my General Manager at RB told the success story of the product, and the young marketing graduate behind it. By chance, a Google Marketing VP was in the audience. The next day I received a phone call, and the rest is history.

I started at Google in London in 2011, where I worked on Search and Maps marketing for a year, before moving to Tokyo where I spent another great year looking after Google+ for Asia. In 2012, I moved to Singapore. Having spent a year marketing Google+, I became Head of Social Marketing for Google in Asia

Pacific, leading many of our creative and entertainment partnerships and managing our internal creative agencies.

The past 2 years have been the most exciting, challenging and inspiring of my career to date. I have focussed on placing Google at the heart of national conversations across Asia. From allowing X Factor viewers to vote for their favourite contestants using Google Search, to allowing cricket fans to meet their heroes using Google Hangouts, to partnering with Marvel to change the way a story can be told through the web, I have met incredible partners across Asia, and learned a huge amount about entertainment, pop culture and social behaviour. Undoubtedly my highlight is still walking down the red carpet at Marvel’s Ant Man, and having a beer with one of my childhood heroes Stan Lee.

I am sure 2016 will bring a new set of adventures and challenges, and having just celebrated the first 10 years after leaving Colston’s, I am excited about what the next 10 have to offer.

 

 

OC seniors’ trip to RHS Malvern Spring Show – Friday 6th May 2016

OC seniors’ trip to RHS Malvern Spring Show – Friday 6th May 2016

We have 30 tickets for this prestigious event. At the RHS Malvern Spring Show there are Festival Gardens, Show Gardens, Floral Marquee, plant pavilions & plots, together with a Festival Food & Drink pavilion.

See website for more details

Coach trip from Colston’s departing at 9.15 a.m. with an additional pick up point at Starbucks, Eastington, near Stonehouse at 9.45 am, returning to school at about 5.30 pm.

The cost, including coach, is £25 per head. 

Please contact Tracy Mace at TracyMace@colstons.bristol.sch.uk if you and your partner would like to attend. As we only have 30 tickets I would encourage you to reply as soon as possible.

See articles of last year’s seniors’ visits:

Bletchley Park

Eastnor Castle