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Dear OD

When I was asked to be the UK Branch Secretary in September 2013, I formed a small "committee" that met precisely once. Their view at the time was that I should just get on with the job and revert only if there were any problems. There haven't been any, or none so complex that they required a committee to solve (or exacerbate). But we now feel that the we have got to a point where a small advisory group representing the broad range of interests of the members would be helpful in keeping the branch relevant and fresh. This group, as far as the early thinking goes, would meet no more than quarterly, either virtually or, preferably, face-to-face in a venue conducive to relaxed discussion and decision-making. If you are interested in participating, please indicate by clicking on the link below:

I would be interested in being part of the UK Branch Advisory Group

Remember the days when we called it socialising. Now it's co-mingling:

Most of us will have by now been double-jabbed and taking advantage of the much-touted benefits of, in my case, AstraZeneca, I have had a surprisingly busy month catching up with ODs.

Among them have been my own 1973 classmates Anthony Gibson (S) now resident in the amber (or is it green) Portugal and Niall Brown (G) who was up from Cape Town to visit his grandson. Rupert Pardoe (F) and John Campbell (F, 1974) made up an amusing lunch fivesome.

Pub lunches with Simon Arnold (F, 1951) are always a great pleasure and last month I had the bonus of his daughter, Clare's, company too.

I spent a fabulous day with Chris Wade (O, 1954) and his wife Agneta at their incredible home, Sharsted Court with its magnificent gardens and woods (spread over about 450 acres). Chris's sister, Virginia, won the 1977 Wimbledon Woman's Singles Title and  the two rackets she used are displayed on one of the walls. They are of course wooden and about the size of today's squash rackets.

Dinner with Graham Thomas (K, 1984) and Niall Carroll (O, 1981) to set the world too rights — and that takes a lot of wine — was instructive and fun.

Mile Maskell (O, 1953) very kindly took me to lunch at his club, Whites, where another OD, Jeffrey Frost (F, 1954) joined us. Both have enjoyed fascinating and well-connected lives and being an audience to their stories was fabulous. Jeremy Friedlander (F, 1972) and I tackled the Battersea pubs (quite successfully, I have to say); he is sort of resident in Portugal but somehow trapped in London by the confused and confusing travel rules between the two countries.

Anthony Record MBE (S, 1956) our very generous purveyor of his Domaine Gayda wines for our UK functions met me for lunch at The Carlton where we drank non-Record wines and discussed his South African charity (more about that in August's newsletter). We also discussed a plan to offer the business development programme for young entrepreneurs which is managed out of the ICE campus in Wales. (See more later in this newsletter to take advantage of this sponsorship).

The point of mentioning all this is not to give anyone the opportunity to calculate my daily calorie intake and offer dietary advice or warnings (although necessary) but to demonstrate that at its heart, the ODU is a friendraising network of Old Bishops Boys and Girls and that the contact and support we give each other (and Bishops) is our raison d'être. We should leverage, exploit and enjoy that.
 
After a few false starts and some second guessing of the trajectory of the Corona virus, we have settled on  Friday 10th September as the date for our UK Annual Black-Tie Dinner at The Carlton Club in London. Wives/Partners are as usual are most welcome.

We are delighted that Gabby Logan MBE, a familiar face and voice to those watching Euro 2020, has accepted our invitation to be our speaker.

This will be the first set-piece function, give or take our golfers and students who are pretty much variant invincible since the pandemic began. So please come along. On top of everything, it's the 125th anniversary of the ODU. We've much to celebrate. 
The ticket prices are £75 for ODs who matriculated before 2011 and all partners and wives and £65 for ODs who left School between 2011 and 2020. The price includes all Club wine and beer and soft drinks at the pre-drinks reception and dinner, but not for the after-party which will operate a cash bar.

Times have been tough. If you are genuinely not able to manage the price of the ticket, please speak to me. This must not be the reason you don't attend. This concession, if granted, will not be available to OD cryptocurrency billionaires!

Formal invitations will go out in July, but as numbers are capped and as bookings are starting to come in quite quickly, you might want to secure your place now by clicking HERE.
 
Next month's newsletter will report on the Cambridge University pub outing. Later, though, you will read about our slightly-less-than-triumphant sixth annual golf derby against the Old Tonbridgians.

While I haven't been able to meet him — that, given his insanely hectic travel schedule, would be almost impossible — I have been in touch with Mark Lewis (W, 1974). Mark runs an impressive organisation called Dem-Inter which provides agri-business consultancy and management, initially in Europe. The services expanded to Eastern Europe after the “wall” came down and then moved to Russia/Ukraine as these countries opened up. More recently the attention has been directed to Africa. Dem-Inter is focused on lowest possible cost of production, adding value and in Africa, combines this with staple food production to reduce import levels. The picture (right) taken on his travels is of Chief Sheikh of 48 villages near Gubaysh in West Kordofan.
 

Please remember that should you need any help even as restrictions are lifted, you need only ask.

Finally, I know that by now I must come across as a bit of a Sir Andras Schiff (pianist) groupie, but do watch and listen to THIS to understand my obsession with him and Beethoven. The start of the second movement (at 8:47) of this Op 111 (Sonata 32) is to me one of the most sublime moments in music — even before it gets into boogie-woogie, almost seventy years ahead of its time. It needed sharing.

Stay well and keep safe

Kindest regards

Nicky Bicket
 

GOOD WITH WORDS
 

Martin Fletcher (F, 1965, right) has just published his new novel, Best Eaten Cold, billed as, and I'm sure it is, a world war two thriller. Martin is still in practice as a lawyer so where he finds the time to write is a mystery (or thriller). Which is maybe why he doesn't have time to warm his food. The book is available from Amazon in either paperback or KIndle formats.


An astonishingly good and comprehensive review of Peter Elliott's (W, 1967) book Thomas Muir: 'Lad O' Pairts' appears HERE. It is also avaialble on Amazon.

We are hoping that we will find a secure and irreversible opening in among the lockdown restrictions to have Peter speak to us in person not so much about his book, but his interest in and the art and craft of writing.


Many ODs joined in the Fireside Chat at which Nick Dall (B, 1999, left) discussed his book Rogues Gallery with Choppy Bands (K, 1990, right). Nick doesn't write only about corruption; he cut his teeth/sharpened his pencil as an environment journalist for the UK's Guardian newspaper. His latest piece published in that paper at the end of last month is a very interesting report on the April fires which swept across Table Mountain and devastated many historic buildings and documents at UCT. Read it HERE.
 

NOT FOR LACK OF TRYING - OUR GOLFERS ARE PIPPED BY THE OLD TONBRIDGIANS
 

Last Saturday, 26th June, our golfing warriors took to the Tandbridge Golf
Club Course to square things with our old rivals the Old Tonbridgians. That, as things turned out, we didn't do. But it was very close.

This was our sixth annual match against them and one which we look forward to, not just for the golf but for the camaraderie as well.

Our captain for the match was Graham Llewellyn (G, 2010, looking serious, below) and he filed this report:

"It was a good day out. Thankfully the weather held and the conditions were good for golf. The course was in excellent condition. One of the better courses I’ve played over here.

We unfortunately went down on the day. Though it was close. Damon Crowhurst (F, 1991) and Dermot Commins (G, 1980) were sent out first in a 3 ball. They were each playing individual games against one OT. Dermot won his game (4/3) and Damon went down (4/3) so effectively all square after the first match. Seb Golding (F, 2011) and Dan Linegar (K, 2011) then went out and won their match 2/1. It was then my and James Pickering's (O, 1997) turn. It was a tight game through the first 9 and then the OTs put the hammer down by playing some really good golf coming in. So we ended up going down 3/2. Greg Baldwin (O, 1975) followed with the extra James Hyslop and unfortunately lost the decider.

So all in all it was 3 games to 2 in the end so it was close. Still it was a good day and it was really nice playing against the OTs as usual. Everyone had a good time which made the day a great success".
 

All the photos from the day can be seen on our blog HERE
 

The next outing is against the Old Haileyburians on the 4th September at the RAC in Surrey. This will be our fourth match against them and they are tough competitors, notwithstanding that a few of them rely on motorised transport to get them from hole to hole.

And then, on 18th September, fresh from our annual UK Dinner the previous week, we go into battle against Michaelhouse and Hilton old boys which takes place at the Silvermere Golf Club in Cobham, Surrey. This is going to be a huge game. Old scores will be settled and new challenges thrown down. Sharpen your clubs. Don't miss it.

For the Old Haileyburian and the Michaelhouse/Hilton match, please get hold of Alex Price now to secure your place.

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ODs ON THE MOVE
 

Lloyd Bowden (DCPS, 1999) the Director & Founder at Doctors’ Indemnity, reports that they have launched  to doctors a highly professional and streamlined experience in accessing bespoke broking and insurance services through their partnership with Gallagher a specialist medical malpractice firm.

Brett Hope-Robertson (O, 2012) has joined REVIX in London as an investment analyst. Previously, Brett was at RidgeCape Capital in Cape Town for three-and-a-half-years

Kristian Otto (W, 2011) has been promoted to Senior Surveyor at Knight Frank. If you don't know who Knight Frank are, it's time to get onto the property ladder. Speak to Kristian!

Matthew Dekenah (B, 2003) based in Edinburgh, has started in a new position as Lead Test Engineer at IAM Cloud (IAM Technology Group Ltd). Previously he was a Senior Test Engineer for Free Agent

David Shepherd (S, 1998, right) has just had his Corte Vetusto Mezcal listed for sale through Opici New York. His mezcal joins portfolio of influential brands curated by one of the finest distributors in the US. Who knows, they may also distribute to The Carlton Club on 10th September.

Brett Ormrod (M, 2007) has after a highly successful almost eight years with Foster and Partners, has started a new job as the Sustainability Manager at Lendlease an international real estate developer and construction firm based in London.

Dr Paul Murray, formerly head of History at Bishops and now the School Archivist has been awarded the Colenso Visitorship to St John's College, Cambridge for the 2022-3 academic year. To read a bit more about the visitorship and the people who are awarded them, click HERE. To read a bit more about Bishop John Colenso, a contemporary in South Africa and not very good friend of our founder, Robert Gray, see HERE. 


These ODs (below) have achieved selection to South African teams:



Sacha Mngomezulu (F, 2020) has been selected for the South Africa U20 rugby squad for the upcoming international U20 series against Uruguay, Georgia and Argentina.

Stephane Pienaar (O, 2017) has been selected to represent South Africa rowing at the u23 level. Stephane will race in a coxless pair with team mate Thabelo Masutha. Stephane will race for South Africa at the U23 World Championships at Racice, Czech Republic. He is currently training with the Olympic squad in the Lesotho mountains on the Katse Dam. 

Liam Neill has just been selected for the SA Water polo team .to compete at the Japan Olympics

Ryan Julius (K, 2013) is off to Japan to play hockey, as are Dayaan (W, 2017) and Mustapha (W, 2020) Cassiem

Michael Houlie (B, 2018) will be swimming for South Africa at the Japan Olympics

To all these ODs, congratulations and good luck from the UK branch.

Last month we held the third of our virtual Fireside Chats.

Pete Farlam (K, 1987) a clinical psychologist and head of the Bishops Support Unit discussed a wide range of psychological disorders, their origins and indicators and also debunked some myths  along the way.  

In his insightful and empathetic way, he was also able to assure those of us listening to him that, aside from the possibility of our own "demons", insofar as those close to us were concerned, our role is to be aware and be supportive. Boundaries are particularly important as we try to deal with those close to us who are struggling.

The chat was recorded and can be seen and listened to HERE.

One of the many philanthropic projects supported by Anthony Record (S, 1956) is The Innovation Centre for Enterprise (ICE) in Wales. Since 2012 it has helped businesses in Wales to start, grow and prosper. Based in sunny Caerphilly, the Campus of Enterprise is based over three modern buildings and is currently home to over 200 innovative businesses. ICE provides its members with more than modern facilities and spaces: on tap is mentoring, professional advice in all aspects of starting and running business, assistance with new-business funding and connections to like-minded entrepreneurs. This has been a phenomenal success but, like every other aspect of life, has had its use of the physical campus restricted by the virus. So what does a bricks-and-mortar innovative enterprise do in a pandemic? It goes online to extend its impact at such a vital time.

And so “ice.community" was launched, offering constant support virtually, it starts with a course (the 5-9 Club) for young entrepreneurs looking for ideas or wanting to develop an existing idea. "5-9" means the hours the course is run, in the evening once a week for 8 weeks which helps with starting a business, areas such as sales and marketing, building business models, dealing with the legal aspects of new business, access to relevant networks and funding opportunities, etc. Mentoring and the all important community then provides ongoing support through the virtual platform. 

Anthony Record has very kindly agreed to sponsor two ODs who would like to enrol into www.ice.community 5-9 programme.  The next 5-9 Club course starts on the 21st September, if you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. I'm at nbicket@katale.co.uk
 

In the meantime, the alumni group of the ODU, Michaelhouse, Hilton and St Andrew's on LinkedIn is growing all the time and reports are that many people are enjoying the camaraderie and support they find there. To register, please click HERE. Make sure that your LinkedIn profile reflects your school as Bishops Diocesan College as your school.

As I think most of you know, the ODU Mentoring Programme has now moved online (see HERE) and no longer runs through me. To access the programme your "profile" will need to be registered on the ODU website.
 

The Invest In Our Future Fund (IIOFF) was launched in Cape Town on 31st May at a function hosted at The Mitre. As mentioned in last month's newsletter, the fund, underwritten and supported by Citadel Wealth Management, has been set up to assist ODs who are not able to finance tertiary education through their own resources. The fund differs from other Bishops and ODU Bursary funds in that it only addresses the educational funding needs of boys once they have left School. Launch events are planned for Cape Town (within the Bishops Community Week), Toronto, Sydney and, next year, the UK. An introduction to the IIOFF purpose and objectives can be viewed HERE (note that inadvertently Robert Gray was promoted to Archbishop of Cape Town in the video; he was in fact the Bishop of Cape Town) and the brochure HERE. The actual launch event is HERE

The IIOFF exists alongside the ODU Bursary fund for ODs' sons and of course, the many and very generous Class Year Bursaries which are open to boys from both the Prep and outside.

The redrafting of the ODU constitution which the committee asked a team of UK ODs to tackle (Peter Robinson (S, 1966), Peter Arthur (W, 1965), Brian de Kock (O, 1952), Graham Thomas (K, 1984), Marc van Heerden (S, 2008) and I) has been completed. We asked Hugh Corder (S, 1971, Emeritus Professor of Public Law at UCT) to guide and oversee our work and once we had incorporated his recommendations, we submitted our proposal to the committee at the start of last month. The committee will make whatever changes they think necessary and then at an SGM, probably in August, will ask ODs to vote for its adoption. We believe that what we have submitted represents a contemporary, fresh and relevant constitution to replace one which is out-of-date and in many areas, incorrect.

I think we can safely say that the ODU Magazine, The Old Diocesan, is now to be an annual publication. This will coincide with but be, as far as I know, separate to the School's yearbook and will be out in late-October in hard-copy and digital formats.

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In 1902 Cecil Rhodes — love him or hate him — trialled his idea of an Oxford Scholarship with two Bishops boys, Frank Reid and William Yeoman. Reid, who became the ODU's first secretary, chose Rhodes's own College Oriel and Yeoman, perhaps anticipating future controversy, played it safe and went to Exeter (College).

This chart reflects the popular - and the not so popular - College choices (Oxford is made up of 39 Colleges). Based on this "ranking"  future Bishops Rhodes Scholars would do well to avoid Christ Church, Corpus Christi, Harris Manchester, Jesus (the College, that is), Linacre and St John's.

In total, 112 ODs have been awarded the Bishops Rhodes Scholarship, and two ODs the South Africa-at-Large Rhodes Scholarship. Two Herschel and one St Cyps' old girl have also won the Bishops Scholarship.

To see a list of all Bishops Rhodes Scholars down the ages, click HERE

 

Bishops broke for the winter holidays on the 23rd June after a term full of challenges, not least being the imposition of more stringent social distancing restrictions which have now resulted in the campus being closed. Nevertheless, it was a full term which culminated in the annual Eisteddfod won this year by Gray (minus the singing competition which had to be cancelled). It might be of interest (or shame) to note that Founders and Top House have never won the overall competition since its inception in 1987. Before this new format (started by Principal John Peake). Although the standalone singing competition (started in 1971) was won twice by Founders and twice by Top House. For all the winners in all the categories, click HERE.

The Principal's newsletters are a great source of news and insights into College life. The two latest are from the 4th June and the 23rd June.
 

THE DIARY FOR THE REST OF 2021 

 

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