In 1990 our Dad, Hugh Symonds (former member of staff and Honorary OS), did a continuous run over all the 3000 foot mountains in Great Britain and Ireland in 97 days – a record that stands to this day. Back then he raised around £20,000 for the charity Intermediate Technology. In 2005 Intermediate Technology was renamed ‘Practical Action.’ Practical Action is a charity that works in poor communities to develop sustainable solutions to health inequalities and poverty.
Hugh Symonds very sadly died of bladder cancer on 25th November 2024 at the age of 71 years.
On this the 35th anniversary of his incredible run, we – his two sons – are going to attempt to break the world record for running up and down the equivalent height of Mount Everest (8848m). We will do this on the side of the hill that Hugh ran more times than any other – Winder, a 473m fell in the Yorkshire Dales, above Hugh’s home town for 43 years, Sedbergh.
Feel free to come along and support us on 7th June, starting at Lockbank Farm (Sedbergh) 8am. The current world record is 10 hours 45 minutes and 14 seconds, held by Danish ultrarunner, Simon Grimstrup. Our aim is to break the 10-hour barrier.
Please consider donating to this important cause that our Dad felt passionately about.
Blacklock Jewellery’s journey began in 1832, when ‘Blacklocks Fancy Goods’ was founded by Robert March Blacklock, a skilled shipwright on the River Wear in Sunderland. The company grew alongside Sunderland’s rise as the world’s largest shipbuilding town by the middle of the twentieth century, building a reputation for craftsmanship rooted in precision and artistry. This legacy of excellence has guided Blacklock through nearly two centuries of evolution.
In the last 50 years, Ralph Blacklock (Powell 58-63) played a pivotal role in shaping the jewellery industry. He co-founded the Company of Master Jewellers in the 1980s, now the leading buying group for high-end independent jewellers across the UK. Blacklock Jewellery’s excellence has been recognised with three finalist placements in the UK Jewellery Awards over the past 30 years, cementing its status as one of the UK’s finest independent family jewellers. At the turn of the century, Blacklock shifted from retail to a private client business, focusing on bespoke jewellery creations. Today, this exclusive service thrives alongside an exceptional ecommerce platform, allowing to reach a global audience.
In 2024 Blacklock Jewellery remains true to its origins, blending traditional techniques with modern innovation to create pieces of timeless beauty. Each design pays homage to a rich history while embracing contemporary elegance, ensuring that the creations resonate with both heritage and forward-thinking sophistication.
The connection to Sedbergh School is intertwined with the family’s history. Chris Blacklock’s grandfather, Kenneth Blacklock, first admired Sedbergh while playing rugby for Durham School’s 1st XV, which inspired him to send his son, Ralph, to Sedbergh. Ralph attended Powell House from 1958 to 1963, playing for 2 years in a successful 1st XV alongside the likes of Neil McKerrow and John Spencer. Ralph continued the family tradition, by sending both Mark Blacklock (Powell 86-91), and Chris Blacklock (Cressbrook 87-89 / Powell 89-94) to Sedbergh, where they were under the inspirational guidance of Ed Campbell in Powell House.
Chris Blacklock, now the sixth generation Blacklock owner comments, ‘Creating a 9ct yellow gold lapel pin to commemorate Sedbergh’s 500th anniversary is something Blacklock Jewellery are very proud to do – to play a very small part in helping to celebrate Sedbergh’s remarkable legacy is a special moment. A School that has shaped so many where the values of resilience, discipline and camaraderie ring true. We have tried to reflect these values through the design and creation of the historic Sedbergh Wolf’s Head lapel pin.’
The Wolf’s Head lapel pin is crafted in 9ct diamond milled yellow gold with silver pin. Hallmarked 375 with 2025 ‘date’ letter. Hallmark consists of the Blacklock makers mark ‘RHB’, ‘375’ Standard mark, Crown fineness mark, Birmingham assay office mark of the ‘anchor’ and the date mark ‘A’.
A donation from the proceeds of the sales from the 9ct lapel pin will be gifted towards a Roger Lupton scholarship
To ensure your lapel pins carry the 2025 anniversary year date stamp and are delivered in time for Christmas, please place your final orders through Blacklock Jewellery by October 31st, 2025. Pins will continue to be available in 2026 and beyond, with the corresponding year stamped on each pin.
Due to recent fluctuations in the price of gold, we have unfortunately had to revise the cost of the Wolfs Head lapel pin to £650 + shipping. Please note that, as precious metal markets continue to move, this price cannot be guaranteed and may be subject to change.
Please contact chris@blacklockjewellery.com to order directly.
www.blacklockjewellery.com
We are pleased to announce that the second edition of Floreat Sedberghia has been published.
You can read an electronic copy of the newspaper below:
If you would like a hard copy please let us know and we will post one out to you.
Feel free to write to us and let us know your news. If you have something important to say, or even a pithy anecdote, please send your letters to the Editor. Either email to osclub@sedberghschool.org or write to The Editor, The Development Office, Sedbergh School, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5HG.
We hope you enjoy reading it and we look forward to seeing you at one or more of the celebratory events in 2025.
Jan van der Velde
Major Josh Wray, Royal Engineers (S.J.S. 2002-04, Hart 2004-07) was appointed as a member of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Years Honours List 2025. He was presented his award by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace in March this year. Josh commissioned into the Royal Engineers, having studied Civil Engineering at Birmingham University. He has had a diverse career to date including multiple deployments across the globe, spanning tactical command to strategic planning. Josh is married with two children. As a family they love the outdoors and, when time allows, Josh can be found seeking out the next challenging ridge-line .
To celebrate the School’s quincentenary the Development Office has released some Wilson Run limited edition commemorative running T-shirts.
The T shirts are navy blue with gold lettering.
If you would like to purchase one of these T-shirts please contact María Gallego-Calderón at mgal@sedberghschool.org
The price is £25, plus £5 for postage.
Harry Brook (W 13-17) will take over as captain of England’s T20 and ODI teams after Jos Buttler stepped down from his post in the wake of a disappointing group-stage exit in the Champions Trophy.
The 26-year-old Brook begins his tenure with a home series against West Indies at the end of May, having experienced a taste of the captaincy in the absence of the injured Buttler during last September’s ODI series against Australia.
Read more HERE.In the run up to International Women’s Day, School Archivist Katy de la Rivière had the opportunity to speak to Abbie Ward (née Scott), Robertson 2009-11, about her experiences in Sedbergh and her career as a Rugby Union player.
What provision was there for girls’ sport when you were here at Sedbergh as a pupil?
There was amazing provision for sport, and that’s one of the main things that attracted me to Sedbergh in the first place. The quality of the coaches and the sporting ethos were amazing. Girls didn’t play rugby during my time here but the programmes for girls’ hockey, girls’ netball, the tennis and the lacrosse were all very successful. Although there wasn’t girls’ rugby at Sedbergh, they really supported me in my pursuit of rugby. I was on the divisional County pathway for the under-20’s girls’ rugby and had my own programme to follow and Sedbergh staff really helped me with that. During odd sessions they’d let me join in with the boys, and for my personal strength and conditioning programme which I would have to do in the gym I was given lots of support.
When did you start playing rugby?
My first taste of rugby was playing touch rugby at my local rugby club in Keswick as a child. The rugby club was a centre point of the community and I really wanted to be involved. I’d have been around ten when I first played during summer holidays. Then around 14 I started playing more but there wasn’t much rugby for girls, just a few tournaments a year. When I went to university I started playing more, for the University mid-week and for DMP Sharks at the weekends.
I already played hockey, football, netball, tennis, athletics, everything. Rugby was just another sport to get involved with. But what I really enjoyed about rugby is how it’s so multifaceted. There’s not just one aspect of the game that you have to try and learn and master. There’s passing, tackling, set-pieces, kicking, the breakdown. I really enjoy that there is so much to learn and so much to try and master in rugby.
The move towards women’s players becoming professional has happened during your career. How has that changed the game?
100%. Contracts were introduced for a nine-month period, in the run-up to the 2017 World Cup. Then they were pulled, and then reintroduced in 2019. So it’s only been professional since 2019, with, obviously, the little stint in 2017.
Seeing that transition from amateurism to professionalism, it’s been huge. It’s been huge in terms of allowing the players to shine, allowing the players to focus. Their focus is only on performance so the game has been able to just skyrocket. When you invest in the players, you see better performances on pitch. Then you see an increase in spectators, in investment, in funding. And then it’s just like a continuous circle. From where I was, where I was paying for my own kit, I was paying to play. I was paying for food after games to where it is now. It’s night and day difference. It’s been an incredible journey. And, you know, I’m very lucky to have been involved in that, been involved as one of those players that’s also been fighting for those changes and contracts. And although I won’t see the pinnacle of professional rugby, I’m excited to see where it goes for the players that come along in the future.
Ilona Maher has joined the Bristol Bears in the last few months, with her Instagram following of nearly 5 million. How do you think social media or the presence of social media helps to promote the game?
It’s huge. The thing that I love about rugby is one to 15 – everyone has got a very different job. Everyone has to have a very different set of skills in rugby. There’s a place for everyone. And I think that’s the same with personality. Social media puts a spotlight on individuals to show, yes, we all are a team, but within that team, it’s really important that we highlight and showcase individuals.
Female rugby players must be some of the strongest women athletes around. Over the course of your career, do you think there has been a change in how femininity is defined and how strong women are celebrated?
Absolutely. There is a huge trend towards celebrating strong women. And it’s here to stay. We can acknowledge that women can be strong and, can have big personalities, and can be celebrated. Rugby is such a great sport for illustrating and highlighting that and the individuals that portray those traits. Social media has played a great role in knocking down or questioning stereotypes. And I think that has been really healthy. As a sport, there a place for absolutely everybody in rugby. That’s been key.
The trend towards actually being healthy, being fit, being strong have made these things fashionable. It’s great that young girls can look at that and can aspire to be that.
You’ve had a family and continued to play at a high level. Did you feel that you were well supported during your pregnancy, and in returning to training and playing after you had your daughter?
Yes, I was really well support. The club’s maternity policy had only just been put together. It had been in the process of being written for a couple of years, but it came to fruition with near perfect timing for when I had Hallie. I was incredibly supported where I did all my training, which was at Bristol Bears. The coaches, the strength and conditioning staff, the medical staff all went above and beyond in terms of research and making sure that they were able to accommodate me to continue to train and keep pushing myself. Because that’s what I wanted to do. They would have also been more than happy supporting me if I wanted to take a complete step back and just enjoy that time away from rugby. But I made it well known from the start that I wanted to continue training, pushing myself as much as I could throughout pregnancy with the aim of returning to the pitch as soon as possible. They worked with me to achieve that. Likewise, at England, you know, they worked in tandem with Bristol Bears to help me achieve that and to return on the international stage. I was able to bring Hallie into Six Nations and into training camps which was amazing. I want that to become the norm, athletes being able to be mothers and professional athletes at the same time.
My daughter was 17 weeks old when I played my first matches. She ran out with me at Ashton Gate, which was pretty special, that was for the opening game of the Premiership that year. Now that she’s a bit older it just gets more special because she’s got a bond with my teammates and she’ll come into the changing rooms after matches, running around and collecting all sorts of water bottles and balls and cones. She really is part of the team and it’s incredible to share those moments with her.
What do you think Sedbergh gives to its pupils in terms of creating mindsets or giving pupils skills that they can take forward?
It instilled a really solid work ethic. But with the ethos of work hard, play hard. Work really hard, but when you get time to relax or to celebrate or be with your friends, enjoy those moments. For me, that’s really important as a professional athlete because it can be so intense. When you’re in Six Nations, when you’re in World Cup camp, it can be really intense and it’s important to find that switch off in your downtime. I definitely learned that at Sedbergh.
There was a family ethos at school. I’ve literally just got back from a weekend away with the Sedbergh girls, and their partners and their kids. 14 years later. Those are friendships for life, really. It’s about how you keep showing up for each other. I was only at Sedbergh for two years. But 14 years on, we’re still showing up for each other. That’s incredibly special as well.The OS community is warmly invited to watch the Sedbergh Sevens teams compete at the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens Tournament.
The tournament will be taking place the week commencing the 24th March.
Please find the schedule for the tournament via the link here: Tournament Schedule 2025 – Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s
There will be a Sedbergh hospitality tent next to the RE 1 pitch this year where all members of the Sedbergh community are warmly invited to pop in and have some refreshments.
We look forward to seeing you there!Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (SH 81-86) is currently starring in ‘Witness For The Prosecution’ at London County Hall. Read more about the production HERE.
Dugald is a writer, actor and director. He trained at RADA and has worked extensively with UK theatre companies including the RSC, The National Theatre, The English Touring Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Hampstead Theatre and The Old Vic. As a long-standing member of Edward Hall’s internationally-acclaimed Propeller, he played roles including Henry V, Petruchio, and Olivia, before becoming an associate director. He toured the UK as Hannay in The 39 Steps; and West End appearances include Freddie in The Deep Blue Sea, Lysander in Propeller’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bill Austin in Mamma Mia, and recently, Victor Prynne, in Private Lives. He received a Best Actor nomination from The Stage for his portrayal of David Cameron in William Gaminara’s The Three Lions, and a Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland Best Actor nomination for his role as Mephistopheles in Faust at the Edinburgh Lyceum. TV and film work includes The Castaways, Call the Midwife, The Crown, Professor T, From Time to Time, Hart’s War, Alive and Kicking, Deserter, Case Histories, Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, Trust, and Hotel Babylon. He narrated a landmark documentary series for the Smithsonian Channel, Aerial Britain, which launched in the UK in 2019. His debut novel, The Lizard – a suspense thriller set in the Greek islands in 1988 – was published in 2020 and his second novel, Second Skin was published in May 2024.
Visit Dugald’s website HERE.Alex (R 15-20) is taking part in ‘Ride of the Their Lives 2025’ on 14th June to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Full details of the event and how you can support are in the flyer below. We wish Alex lots of luck!
To celebrate the School’s quincentenary the Development Office has released some Wilson Run limited edition commemorative running T-shirts.
The T shirts are navy blue with gold lettering.
If you would like to purchase one of these T-shirts please contact María Gallego-Calderón at mgal@sedberghschool.org
The price is £25, plus £5 for postage.
Dugald is a writer, actor and director. He trained at RADA and has worked extensively with UK theatre companies including the RSC, The National Theatre, The English Touring Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal, Hampstead Theatre and The Old Vic.
As a long-standing member of Edward Hall’s internationally-acclaimed Propeller, he played roles including Henry V, Petruchio, and Olivia, before becoming an associate director. He toured the UK as Hannay in The 39 Steps; and West End appearances include Freddie in The Deep Blue Sea, Lysander in Propeller’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bill Austin in Mamma Mia, and recently, Victor Prynne, in Private Lives. He received a Best Actor nomination from The Stage for his portrayal of David Cameron in William Gaminara’s The Three Lions, and a Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland Best Actor nomination for his role as Mephistopheles in Faust at the Edinburgh Lyceum.
TV and film work includes The Castaways, Call the Midwife, The Crown, Professor T, From Time to Time, Hart’s War, Alive and Kicking, Deserter, Case Histories, Foyle’s War, Midsomer Murders, Trust, and Hotel Babylon.
He narrated a landmark documentary series for the Smithsonian Channel, Aerial Britain, which launched in the UK in 2019.
His debut novel, The Lizard – a suspense thriller set in the Greek islands in 1988 – was published in 2020 and his second novel, Second Skin was published in May 2024.
Visit Dugald’s website HERE.Alex (R 15-20) is taking part in ‘Ride of the Their Lives 2025’ on 14th June to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Full details of the event and how you can support are in the flyer below. We wish Alex lots of luck!
