Author: dean

Churchill spent a lot of time there, they have been visited by millions, they were once the nerve centre of our fight for freedom, and it was about time we paid them a visit. I am talking, of course, about the War Rooms and on 23^rd May, 60 people from the Sedbergh Community gathered there for a celebratory 1525 lunch.

While it is usual for people to gather for a pre-lunch sip of bubbly, we had, on this occasion, the opportunity to explore what were once the corridors of power and see where the great man once made vital decisions in defence of this country. It was inspirational stuff and afterwards we sat down for a wonderfully prepared meal while hearing from the President, John Walford, the Headmaster, Dan Harrison, and a former Roger Lupton Scholar, James Horan.

John Walford made an interesting observation. People that leave a legacy, do so in the hope that it will allow those from a younger generation to achieve their full potential. In turn, those recipients will one day make a similar contribution to the School. In such a way the legacy lives on and is passed down from generation to generation.

This was echoed by James Horan who, a future trainee lawyer at a city firm, hopes to leave a legacy for those that follow in gratitude to Sedbergh.  James spoke well, in a moving speech that reflected on where he would be now if it wasn’t for the opportunity that had been afforded him by the Sedbergh Community.

Dan stated that the School is showing an optimism not seen since the turn of the 20^th century. Given that Sedbergh will have 600 in the senior school next term and 200 in the prep school, who can argue with him.

Lady Joyce Singleton-Booth stood up at the end to thank Sedbergh for a wonderful day. And it was a wonderful, if not remarkable, day, enjoyed by all, and in celebration of the generosity of the Sedbergh community.

Jan van der Velde

One of the joys of my role is to hear from people that I haven’t met before. There is an Irish saying, ‘a stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet’ and while I have come to know a great many people in the Sedbergh community over the last 45 years, there are still many whose acquaintance I am yet to make.

It was with delight therefore that we received a letter from James Walker (known as Jim), a fellow Luptonian who had been in Sedbergh from 1946 to 1949. Within the letter, Jim had also included a very generous donation to the Foundation. Being most grateful, and also intrigued, I arranged to meet him in his hometown of Tunbridge Wells.

All that running around the fells, and the cold baths, in post-war Britain had done him good. Jim, now 90, greeted me with a big smile, looking very sprightly, and with a sparkle in his eyes, that told me he was on top form and enjoying life. Everyone has a story to tell, and over coffee, he told me his.

There are three themes that run through his life. His Christian faith, his time as a surgeon, and his family.

Jim joined Lupton House in 1946. Mr Christofferson had just left, and Mr Collinson was in situ as Housemaster. Those days were strict. Shorts were worn even in winter, and hands in pockets weren’t allowed during your first term. Second term you were allowed one hand in one pocket and by the end of the year you were allowed to keep your hands warm if, that is, you hadn’t already succumbed to frostbite. ‘It was a hard school’, Jim reflected, ‘but if you were prepared to do your best, you were welcomed into the family of Lupton House’.

Of all the aspects of Sedbergh, it was the Headmaster, Mr Bruce-Lockhart, who had the greatest influence on him. Jim came from a devout Christian family in Ireland, and while Mr Bruce-Lockhart demanded respect and fear in equal measure (a fact that was persuasive upon Jim’s father in the choice of school), he was a deeply religious man. In 1947 when Jim was confirmed, he was told to visit the Headmaster one evening. Petrified, Jim was ushered into Mr Bruce-Lockhart’s room, where he was invited to sit in front of a warming coal fire.

‘It was like going home’, said Jim, ‘Mr Bruce-Lockhart wanted to know about my character and I have never forgotten our fireside chat’. Jim went on ‘Mr Bruce-Lockhart (I noted the respect even now for his old Headmaster by the continued use of his surname) didn’t want to be thought of as an extraordinary man, although he was, and tried to bring things down to your level. His sermons were at times deeply moving and I still remember his sermon about the bird’. Jim looked upwards as he recollected ‘I couldn’t hear the bird because I had shut the window. But it wasn’t the bird who was the fool, it was I’. Jim smiled as he could tell I was trying to make sense of what he had just said.  

A large part of Jim’s life at Sedbergh was dominated by sport. ‘A keen rugby player, a good fullback and a strong kicker’ said Jim but with suitable modesty. Added to this was his love of tennis and shooting.

In 1949, however, while enjoying the full extent of activities that Sedbergh had to offer, life was to take a new direction. While in London with his parents that summer he started coughing up blood and was diagnosed with pulmonary TB. At the time treatment was in its infancy, but a new cure, streptomycin combined with para-aminosalicyclic acid, over a period of up to two years was thought to be a more effective way to treat the disease, than bed rest and surgery. Thus, Jim became one of the first in the UK to undergo this new regime of drugs.

‘For six months I wasn’t allowed out of bed and had daily injections which became sore after a time’ said Jim, but with typical Sedbergh stoicism. Eventually, and by degrees his health improved, and eventually he was allowed back to Ireland, transported by rail in a carriage completely to himself. While, sadly, he never returned to Sedbergh, the three years he had had in Lupton House, were formative, and he has never forgotten those happy times and the friends he made.

Jim went on to study medicine, inspired in part by his experience with TB, and also by his aunt who had been a missionary doctor in Africa. During this time he met Shirley, later to become his wife, and whose father was an Old Sedberghian. ‘We have now been married for 60 years’ said Jim with great pride and affection.

Encouraged to specialise, Jim trained to become a surgeon, and such were, and are, the demands of the discipline, and despite being in the top 10 of 120 in medical school, Jim admits it took him a while to pass the exams. But in 1964 he was finally elevated from Dr Walker to Mr Walker and having spent some time post qualification in Jamaica, in 1967 he, with his wife and three young children, took up a post in Rwanda with the Church Missionary society. ‘We had to learn the language when we got there’ said Jim, ‘but we were made most welcome, almost revered, because my aunt had also served there as a doctor and had been greatly mourned when she was killed in a car crash while travelling between Rwanda and Uganda some years earlier’.

Jim spent six years in Rwanda, alleviating people’s suffering, although he himself talks about it with great modesty. Smallpox, at the time, was still prevalent in Africa, a deadly disease now eradicated from the planet, and he was tasked with treating it as best he could. Indeed, while the UK had established the NHS in 1948, in Africa there was little access to modern medicine, or surgical skills. His work, I’m sure, would have been life changing for many. No wonder the name ‘Walker’ carried such currency in central Africa.

By 1973 however, and with the children becoming teenagers, it was time to return to the UK. For the last 15 years of his working life he headed up the A&E department at Tunbridge Wells which explains why, many years later we found ourselves there, talking about his life, while enjoying a coffee. He is a tremendously spirited man, gentile, happy, and deeply interesting. There is much to this man, and so much to tell, but that would need a book with many chapters.

We ended by my asking him what had persuaded him to donate to the School. ‘Because’ he said, while looking me in the eye, ‘I owe so much to Sedbergh. Those three years set me on a course in life such that I never looked back. I am indeed most grateful’.

We shook hands; it had been a great privilege to meet him and to hear his story. One of many thousands whose journey had started at Sedbergh, defined by a process which has become the happy parent of so many generations over a span of half a millennium. He may have come from a different era to me, and our backgrounds are quite dissimilar, but we are both Old Luptonians and Sedberghians, and by the end of the coffee, it felt like we were old friends. Thank you Jim, it was a great pleasure to meet.

Jan van der Velde

Chris played for the 1st XV during his time at Sedbergh School and captained them in the 2010-2011 season. Here Chris tells us about TI Rugby:

“I set up because after experiencing the academy route in sport from the age of 13 I realised there was a gap in the market to support young people trying to meet their potential. I took up coaching and coached multiple men’s and women’s teams during and after my time at Durham University. On leaving Durham I was approached for help by a female player trying to get into her national squad. Working with her made me realise there was huge inequality in the female game despite its growth. 

TI Rugby was built to provide support, guidance and specific rugby strength and conditioning for all female rugby players at every level. 

TI Rugby provides weekly online training plans that are specifically designed for rugby. It consists of four sessions designed to work alongside club training or be used as a stand-alone tool. We promise results with as little as two sessions a week. Accompanying every training plan is a link to video demonstrations by myself. Here, I talk through and demonstrate how to complete movements and offer information on rehab and prehab. We work with both Rugby League and Rugby Union athletes. 

 The difference between TI Rugby and other online training plans is: 

1. We understand almost all female athletes/players have other demands on their time and therefore we make every session time-efficient and each session can be done within an hour and some as little as 40 minutes. 

2. We provide a new program every week to keep it interesting and keep the player stimulated. 

3. Video demonstrations are provided to break down every movement

4. Every player who signs up has direct access to contact me, where I can help them work around injuries or niggles, look at some of their specific goals or offer further holistic advice. 

I have worked with a number of players so far both at the community club level as well as premiership and international players.”

If you would like to chat or discuss options with Chris you can contact him on chris@tirugby.com.

You can read more about it here https://tirugby.com/  and there is also an Instagram page just search for TI Rugby (https://www.instagram.com/tackleit_rugbycoach/).

“In June, I am embarking on a road trip with my friend Rafa to the Arctic Circle to compete in the Midnight Sun Marathon: 26 miles of racing the sun before it reaches the horizon. 

We have chosen to fundraise for Alzheimer’s Research UK, a fantastic charity fighting against what the ONS has recently concluded as the leading cause of death in the UK. 

All donations will support their efforts to understand causes, diagnose earlier and more accurately, spread awareness of risk factors, and discover more effective treatments.

As we come to the end of our 12th week of training, there remains a long road ahead (literally). This is our first marathon and any donations towards Alzheimer’s Research UK would be greatly appreciated. Stay tuned as we post updates about our journey and fundraising leading up to the race!”

You can donate via Fraser’s Justgiving page here.

The School is trying to identify the traditional house ‘dub’ spots used for river bathing. If you can recall which part of the Rawthey, Dee or Lune your house swam in we’d be delighted to hear from you!

During the First World War a drought and national water shortage led to water from the taps in Sedbergh slowing to an ineffective trickle. Each house was assigned a river ‘dub’ in which to bathe. Morning prep at 7.15am was cancelled for the summer term so that boys had time to reach their dub and bathe before morning lessons. Governors’ minutes from the time record that each house had been assigned a dub but sadly do not record the locations. Through the twentieth century houses continued to use a ‘house dub’ however these may have been further afield than the spots originally allocated for early morning bathing.

To help the cognitive juices to flow and trigger memories of swims on balmy summer evenings we’ve included a list of swimming locations mentioned in the memoirs of Old Sedberghians. If you can identify any of the more unusual spots listed, can name which house swum in which spots, or add more swim locations to the list please get in touch with Archivist Katy de la Rivière on kdlr@sedberghschool.org. Dubs with an asterisk have a known location but information about whether they were assigned to a particular house would be welcome.

• Akay dub*
• Lords dub*
• Lune Viaduct dub*
• Lune dub below Waters Meet
• Brewers Dub
• Four Lane Ends dub
• Lincoln’s Inn Bridge dub*
• Straight Bridge*
• Sandy Dub
• Jackdaw Bridge*
• Thrushgill*
• Dorkgill dub
• Rawthey above New Bridge*

Harry Brook hit his maiden Indian Premier League century with 100 not out off 55 balls in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 23-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders.

The England batter, 24, smacked 12 fours and three sixes in a sublime knock to help Sunrisers post 228-4.

Kolkata could only reach 205-7 in reply despite Nitish Rana’s 75 from 41 balls, and Rinku Singh’s unbeaten 58 off 31.

Brook is the first batter to hit a ton in this year’s IPL and the fifth England batter in history to do so.

Read more here.

Unfortunately over the last year, some dear friends and relations of friends have been diagnosed with Cancer at various stages. Research into this life threatening disease is coming on in leaps and bounds but every bit of fundraising that anyone can do will help to speed this up. I have decided to face my fears so I have persuaded Mum and Dad to buy me a skydive for Christmas. This will be taking place during the Easter Holidays over Morecambe Bay out of Flookburgh Airport.  I’d be extremely grateful for your support, be that a couple of pennies or a few pounds towards this great cause. Please see my Justgiving page HERE.

Polina (L 19-22)

In November 2021, Mark Adams (W 1974-1979) was descending the escalator at Bank Station, London, when he tripped and fell. Unconscious, and with a severe head injury, he was fortunate to be attended by two off-duty paramedics who together with the London Air Ambulance Service, undoubtedly saved his life.

That same weekend, his lifelong friend, Tim Proudman, (W 1979) was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Mark Adams spent the next four days in a coma and was in hospital for several weeks. Assisted by his partner, Becky, his mother, Jan, and his brother, Guy, he slowly learnt to overcome the impairments caused by his brain injury. This started with learning to feed himself, and then to walk, and finally to run.

Tim Proudman, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon from Australia, underwent brain surgery, followed by radiotherapy and an extended course of Chemotherapy. This continues to this day.

The road to recovery has been long and arduous for both of them. But if ever you want to find an example of the enduring Sedbergh Spirit, then this is where you will find it. These two remarkable men didn’t give up, but having run marathons together on six continents, they decided to enter the Antarctica Marathon on King George Island, which takes place on 12^th March. 

Both have been training hard. Neither are sure whether they will make it all the way around, but they see this as a celebration, of life, of the freedom of running, and most of all, of friendship.

It is not just that these are two remarkable men, but they are also generous of spirit. I remember as a boy at Sedbergh, both, on separate occasions and as senior members of the school, went out of their way to congratulate me on my reading in Chapel when I was still quite new to the School. I have always remembered their kind words. It was therefore a great privilege for me to speak to them recently, and we will be showing extracts from that interview prior to the Wilson run on 21^st March.

In gratitude to those who helped him when he was injured, Mark is raising money for the London Air Ambulance Service. If you would like to support this charity, you will find the link to the Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/markadamsantarctica

Tim Proudman, has done much voluntary work with Interplast (ANZ), and is the coordinator for reconstructive surgery in Bhutan. While he is no longer able to work, he continues to raise funds for this vital organisation. If you would like to know more about it, or to support it, please see the YouTube link here: https://youtu.be/YuhcsXTZ5TE. Tim has also said if anyone else is suffering a similar experience and wants someone to talk to, then please feel free to contact him.

We wish them every success on 12^th March and we will be thinking of them as they run their last marathon, on their last continent.

Jan van der Velde

We are up and running! An inaugural video call brought us together for the first time online on 14th February and we had a follow up lunch in London on 2nd March for those who were available. 

The group, started in December, already numbers more than 50 entrepreneurs, investors and others who want to support OS founders and on the way generate donations to the Sedbergh Foundation. We have had two pitches already from Andrew Philipson (E 99-05) with Jobba a recruiter platform, and Chantal Kinsella (R 05-08) with Kinsella Homes, a new low scale model for dementia care homes, based in York. Both founders received feedback, recommendations and introductions – thanks to all who contributed!

We wish member James Jackson (H 97-02) much luck in completing his Series B financing round for Bumper (bumper.co.uk)

We are looking for OS and Parents who want to help, and OS founders who want guidance and potentially investment! Join us on the Linkedin group OS Startups Forum, or email Andrew Stott at support@osstartups.com

Inaugurated in 1897, the Old Sedberghian Club is a long-established institution which looks to celebrate friendships and heritage, and also to help the next generation with their career aspirations as they make their own way in the world.

The Club is funded through membership subscriptions- some coming from members and some from parents while their child is at Sedbergh. All pupils who attended Sedbergh receive full membership to the Club after they leave the School, with all the associated benefits and events that includes. Further subscriptions do not need to be paid until OS reach at least 30 years of age.

The OS Club is a not-for-profit organisation, and we try to keep the subscriptions to a minimum. As such they have not been increased for five years. However, due to increasing costs and in order to maintain our many initiatives and level of service, we have recently had to increase the subscriptions from £40 to £50 per annum. A £50 annual subscription will ensure you receive a physical copy of the new OS Club Magazine due out in 2022.

As a Club we are making great strides in supporting the careers of our new alumni as they leave the school, as well as organising an ever-increasing number of social events, ones which are relevant and varied, as well as hosting annual sporting fixtures and various other ventures. 

If you would like to set up a standing order of £50 per year the account details are: 80676993 and 20-45-28 (Account Name: Old Sedberghian Club).

Please could current members who already pay a subscription by standing order simply amend the amount to £50.00 rather than setting up a new standing order. Thank you very much for your continued support!

Please click here to read a letter from the Chairman regarding OS Club Membership.