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WELCOME TO THE EGS

NEWSLETTER
 
Issue 3    February 2019

A Word From The EGS President Paul Haworth
(OB 64-69)
 

Dear Edge Grove Alumni
 
Happy New Year and welcome to the Edge Grove Society Spring Newsletter.
 
I am pleased to report that our second Christmas lunch on Saturday 8th December which centred around OEG's from 1965 to 1985 was a great success, much enjoyed by all who attended. This occasion is now a definite fixture as an annual event. My sincere thanks to Sue Maughan for arranging the event and to the school and school catering team for providing an excellent lunch.
 
Our next event will be the Golf Day to be held at Porter's Park, Radlett, on Friday 24th May. Further details of this are below. Please consider booking early as numbers are limited. All are welcome and as September 2019 will be the twentieth anniversary of the school becoming fully co-educational it would be great to have some ladies present. As was clearly demonstrated last year there is a wide range of ability amongst the alumni so don't feel you need a low handicap to join in! The more the merrier.
 
To mark the anniversary mentioned above a special event is being planned for later in the year and we are trying to fill the gaps in our contact list of past Edge Grove girls so please could you help by circulating this to any you know who we may not be in touch with.
 
The school continues to thrive and now has an incredible 504 pupils in all. The school's new offsite nursery in Aldenham Village is fully operational and proving a great success. Construction of the new Lower School has now commenced and is scheduled to be complete and in use by the end of this year. This is a major £3.6 million project for the school which has been planned for many years. It will provide six new classrooms as well as space for a Lower School library, a multi-use hall and staff facilities. The school Development Committee have launched a 'Sponsor  a Paver' campaign to help with the funding which creates a tremendous opportunity for any Alumni to have their name, tribute or other memorial engraved in a York stone paver which will be laid outside the new building. Again, further details of this are below.
 
I very much look forward to seeing you at as many of the various events which you are able to attend this year.

Best wishes,
 
Paul Haworth 

HAVE YOUR NAME SET IN STONE AT EDGE GROVE
 
As part of the fundraising campaign for our new Lower School we are asking past and present pupils and parents, governors and friends of the school to consider sponsoring a paver that will be placed in the outdoor learning area. This is a unique opportunity to have your name set in stone at Edge Grove for all to see for years to come.
The pavers come in two sizes and can take up to three lines of inscription (16 or 32 characters depending on the size).
We are asking for a donation of £250 for the small paver and £400 for the large paver. If you are a UK tax payer your donation is eligible for gift aid thereby increasing your donation by 25%.
Please contact development@edgegrove.com for further details or to reserve your paver now.
 
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AN ORDER FORM

ALUMNI CHRISTMAS LUNCH (Old Boys 1965-1985)


On Saturday 8th December we welcomed back our Old Boys who left the school between the years of 1965 and 1985.  We were treated to a delicious Christmas lunch, music from our current pupils and a truly festive walk down memory lane. Many Old Boys ties were pulled out of the wardrobe for the first time in years and happy memories were exchanged and laughed about. View all the photos from the event here. The next lunch on Saturday 7th December will bring together alumni who were here between 1985 and 2000 so please let us know if you would would be interested in joining us.
 

 

STAFF LEAVERS
 
In December we said goodbye to five members of staff: Mr Ian Cross (Guitar teacher), Maddie (Boarding Housemistress), Mr Kamintzis (Minibus Coordinator) and Luke, Ella and Phoebe (our Gap students).  We would like to thank them all for their contribution to Edge Grove and we wish them all the best in their next endeavours!
 
Some of you may remember Mr Cross - he has been teaching at Edge Grove for over 20 years.  He says he can remember there not being a Jubilee building! Teaching guitar, electric guitar and bass, he has been a dedicated teacher of Edge Grove pupils. Ian moves on to live further north and look after his family. We wish him well and thank him for his long service at Edge Grove.

We also had the pleasure of talking with Maddie about her time here at the school. Here is what she had to say about her 30 years of service...

When did you start at Edge Grove?
Thirty years ago I began my journey at Edge Grove.  I was welcomed to the boys' school by the lovely Mr & Mrs Waterfield.  As I began to work there I became very close with the Waterfields.  They were very warm and welcoming and shaped my initial impression of Edge Grove as a lovely school. 

What is your role at Edge Grove?
It has been a very varied role!  When John Baugh and his wife Wendy joined the school after the Waterfields left, they filled the position exceptionally well.  This was especially due to the fact that they introduced girls to the school.  This also resulted in me becoming a part-time house mistress in the girls' boarding department, which made me feel even more involved in the community. In addition to this, Wendy had picked up on my creativity and encouraged me to take a floristry course.  This became a huge part of my Edge Grove journey as, ever since then, I have enjoyed arranging flowers for different events throughout the year.  When Mike Wilson and his wife Caroline joined the school replacing the Baughs, I experienced another career change as I was asked to work in the kitchen alongside a colleague as an evening chef.  After taking a short break away from Edge Grove to look after my elderly mother, I was welcomed back to the school and back to the boarding house.  At this time the school was looking for another new Headmaster and this was when Mr and Mrs Evans joined us.  Over the years I have thoroughly enjoyed their company and considered it a pleasure to work for them.

What has been the best thing about working at Edge Grove?
As well as spending the majority of my career here, Edge Grove has played a huge part in my personal life too.  My daughter has worked here on and off for 25 years and all three of her children have been pupils of the school.  Despite my first impression of the school already being a family orientated place, having my own family around meant that Edge Grove has a very special place in my heart.  I've laughed with my colleagues and friends here, but I've also cried as I watched two of my children have their beautiful weddings here. 

What are your fondest memories of the school?
As I look back, I do not think of Edge Grove as simply a workplace, but in fact as a big part of my life.  I have learned new skills here, made amazing friends, and had plenty of brilliant experiences.  Despite witnessing many changes, I can happily say that Edge Grove has always been so full of love and respect for others which is why I was so full of pride when we received an 'excellent' rating from the inspectors.  As someone that is here every day, I can say it was very well deserved for such a wonderful school and although I will be leaving soon, I will hold the memories in my heart forever.
 
UPDATES FROM OUR ALUMNI
New Years Honours List 2019

Congratulations to Mark Foster-Brown (OB 1972-77)  who was awarded the Royal Victorian Order CVO in the New Year's Honours List for his work with The Wessex Trust. Mark is a founding member and partner of the investment company Adjuvo. Both his father Christopher and his uncle Robin also attended Edge Grove.
 
A message from Nick Goslett (OB 1954 - 1960)
 
In 1958 Nick Goslett lent someone from Edge Grove his copy of The Hobbit signed by JR Tolkien and some letters from him.
He would really like them back so if you were the person he lent them to please can you get back in touch via egs@edgegrove.com. Thank you!
 
Richard J Thompson (OB 1977 - 1982)

I am currently working as a specialist paediatric surgeon on the Gold Coast in Australia where I moved to 3 years ago with my wife Linda, two children; Matilda and Benedict, and our two dogs. We were fortunate to have the opportunity and are enjoying a very different climate and lifestyle from Aberdeen where we were previously.
My parents, David and Wendy,  are currently visiting and had the chance to hear me play my trumpet in the Gold Coast City Wind Orchestra. I realised they have been doing this now for over 40 years. I had the most fantastic introduction under the tuition of Ray Todd and the encouragement of "OCH" with the school band every lunchtime and cannot imagine life now without music.
Of course being in Australia makes it difficult to join in Old Boys day, but I would like to wish everyone happy days!
Richard
 
Simon Douglass (OB 1959 - 1963)

MY LIFE AT EDGE GROVE
 
I joined Edge Grove as a boarder in 1959 (aged 9) and left in 1963 to go to secondary school. For the first couple of terms I was very homesick, but the wonderful staff at the School helped me to get over this and life became great with many wonderful memories.
 
One of my abiding memories was of ice skating on the lake during the very bad winter of 1963. Due to the boilers being out of action we had been a few days late returning after Christmas, but when we did return we skated on the lake every afternoon instead of games. I have no idea where they found about 100 pairs of skates!
 
I was no academic but I did enjoy sport which was a huge part of Edge Grove life. We were taken to the Varsity Rugby match every year at Twickenham which was a great thrill. I well remember my first football match for the School, which we lost 9 - 1 to Berkhampstead Juniors and I had managed to score 2 own goals! But I went on to represent the School at all sports for the next 4 years.
 
The School yard was a favourite place, either playing cricket or roller skate hockey. I had been given a portable radio for my birthday one year and playing it (loudly)out in the yard was very quickly stopped by Jimmy Pratt. There were occasions when my behaviour fell short of acceptable for various reasons that I cannot remember, but I do remember being put in the Black Squad and having to line up in the middle of the yard for all to see!
 
There were many great teachers at the School. But in particular I remember Latin lessons with Mr Thompson (Thommo), who really bought the lessons to life with his little book Tips for Tiros, which contained short rhymes to explain Latin Grammar e.g 'Don't be fooled but having ruled, no Latin word means having heard' and many others. Geoffrey Davis the English teacher was not best pleased when I hit his car with the ball while batting on the main sports pitch, but he did forgive me I think - eventually. Weekends were also good fun as we were kept busy with various activities - camps in cub wood etc and helping to tinker with an old scooter that I found behind the art school and there was much joy when I eventually got it going.
 
I made several good friends at Edge Grove, and in particular Edward Allen, with whom I am still in contact and who is / was my daughters God Father.
 
I have no doubt that my time at Edge Grove gave me a wonderful grounding and set me up brilliantly for future life. I went on to serve 27 years in the Army and then 20 years as a school bursar and since retirement last year my wife and I have been travelling on an 'adult gap year'. I also sent my son to the School and I know that it made him the man he is today.
 
 
Jun Shimada (OB 2007-10)

Jun was Head boy in 2010 and is now studying medicine at UCLAN.
 
Julian Adam (OB 1978-84)

Julian now lives in Canada and came back to visit Edge Grove with his wife and 6 year old son to show them his prep school. 

Obituary - Harold Anthony Reginald  Streather (Tony)
(OB 1936-1940)

 

Born: March 24, 1926.

Died: October 31, 2018.

Lieutenant-colonel Tony Streather, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 92, was one of the greatest Himalayan mountaineers of the "the golden age" - the 1950s. Tony attended Edge Grove between 1936 and 1940 with his brother Robin. The Streathers were a long standing family at Edge Grove with his sons Philip, Peter and Charles and nephew Micheal also attending. His niece Maggie also worked here as assistant matron. 
Click here to read the full Obituary published in the Telegraph
EDGE GROVE ARCHIVE

Edge Grove was established as a school in 1935 and since then we have collected (and stored with great care and attention) a huge amount of archive material including magazines, event programmes and photos.  We have included some of that content here for you in our Digital Archive.

Looking back through time via our archive at the school provides members of the Edge Grove Society with a great sense of nostalgia and pride and we welcome all pupils, staff and parents to come back and experience this for themselves.  Please email egs@edgegrove.com to arrange a visit. 

The digitising of our historic material is ongoing and made possible solely through donations to the archive project.
The plan is to continue to scan further material and add this to the on line resource in due course as funds allow. If you would like to support this initiative we would be very grateful to receive any donations toward this particular project. Please email smaughan@edgegrove.com to discuss further.

Adding to our Archive
If you have something to add to our living history we would love to hear from you.  Please contact egs@edgegrove.com

COMING SOON

LAUNCH OF THE EDGE GROVE ALUMNI WEBSITE AND PORTAL
allowing you to search friends, update the data we hold for you, view archive material and photos from past Alumni events. Keep an eye out for an email with your personal login details soon.
Dates for your diary

Friday 24th May
EGS Golf Day Porters Park Golf Club
Sunday June 30th 
Alumni v Staff Cricket Match with afternoon tea and Edge Grove Archive Exhibition.
Thursday 4th July 
Annual Robin Streather concert 
Saturday 7th December
Christmas Lunch for Alumni from 1985 to 2000
Autumn Term 2019
'HERE COME THE GIRLS' Event to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of coeducation at Edge Grove
It is always a pleasure to welcome back old pupils so if you would like to return to the school and have a tour or come and see the school on a typical working day please email egs@edgegrove.com.

We would also like to hear from anyone that would like to submit an update that will be published in the next newsletter.
Click here to download further details on EGS membership
The Big Data Clean-up
We have recently carried out a data clean-up exercise to make sure our alumni records are as up to date as possible.  Thank you to all of you that have already submitted an Alumni consent form, helping us to do this. If you have not yet done so and wish to continue to receive information from Edge Grove about news and events please download the form, complete and return to the school office. Alternatively email egs@edgegrove.com 
with any changes and contact preferences.
Click here to download our Alumni consent form.
Copyright © Edge Grove School, All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
egs@edgegrove.com

This newsletter is compiled by the Development and Alumni office at Edge Grove School. If you no longer wish to receive these emails please contact egs@edgegrove.com or call the Alumni manager on 01923855724 with your request.




 
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