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In the annals of our school history the year two thousand and fifteen was by anybody’s definition a

success and those who wish to do so may read on the school’s website the reports presented in

December by Dr Parry and our Chair of Governors Jacey Graham.

However, the end of the old year was clouded by the tragic and untimely death of alumni Thomas

Wilson, one who personified the highest and finest qualities that we could hope our students to attain.

We are grateful to Karen Pack for the following tribute to a wonderful young man.

Tom Wilson

Tom was a much valued member of the Coopers’ family. He was a

phenomenally talented sportsman and excelled at hockey and

tennis. Tom’s capacity for leadership was recognised when he was

elected as one of the School Games Captains in 2010. He relished

the challenge and was instrumental in the success of his year’s

Sports Presentation Evening with guests of honour Olympians

Denise Lewis and Michelle Robinson.

Tom’s quiet easy going manner hid a mischievous fun loving young man whose zest for life impacted on

so many of his friends and staff at the school. Whilst in the sixth form Tom mentored younger talented

sports students, he was an inspiration role model; he spoke to them about how to achieve a balance

between following their sporting dreams and maintaining their academic standards.

His mum, Lisa, contacted the PE department when he left in 2011 to study Sports Science at Nottingham

Trent University. She said ‘I just have to thank you for making Tom's final sixth form days so special.

He couldn't wait to show me the beautiful glass award you gave him (& other Sports Captains) at school

today. He said, 'This is as good as it gets Mum'. That shows just how much it means to him.

I think this award will have pride of place in his trophy cabinet for as long as he lives.

Seriously, I believe the faith you and the PE Department have had in Tom in Years 12 & 13 have turned in

him into the confident young man he is today. He has loved CCCS and there has never been a day he

hasn't wanted to go to school (probably for something related to PE!) They say a teacher can make all

the difference. You and your department have.’

The Coopers' Company and Coborn School’s Alumni Newsletter—February 2016

Issue 3

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Tom Wilson embodied all that is special about Coopers Coborn School; his name will live on in our school

community. He had signed an organ donor card whilst at University and when the doctors at The Royal

London Hospital were unable to save his life he was able to give the chance of better life to over 20 people.

His parents have since been campaigning to raise awareness by young people of the need to sign up to the

scheme, either online which is then recorded on your driving licence or to carry a card, and most

importantly to make their views known to their families. A memorial fund has been set up in Tom’s name,

if you would like to donate they can be sent to the school.

His family Lisa, Graham and Pippa remain in our thoughts and prayers.

Last year we sent our congratulations to Father Bob Tanner, a much loved

alumni who had been associated with the school throughout most of his

ninety years. In August, Father Tanner passed away and alumni and former

Master Michael Housley has written this appreciation of one whose full and

active life was dedicated to the service of others.

Reverend Prebendary Alan (”Bob”) Tanner 12th February 1925 – 5th August 2015

In later life Alan described himself as a ‘ragamuffin from Poplar’. His grandfather was a Master Mariner whose ship ‘Hercules’ from Riga, Latvia berthed in Swansea where he met a farmer’s daughter. The ship later sailed into Poplar Docks and there they settled. Alan’s father served in the Royal Artillery during WW1 and was awarded the Military Medal. His mother looked after the family and through tenacity and drive made her boys follow in their father’s footsteps as Scholarship boys at the Coopers’ Company’s School in Bow, where he acquired his nickname ‘Bob’. He was at Coopers from 1936 – 1943 and was therefore involved in the evacuation to Frome. He served as Head Boy (School Captain) in his final year. School was followed by Cambridge to read Physics. The family had been heavily involved with the Church at All Saints Poplar and at Cambridge Alan felt he had reached a crossroads in his life and had to decide on medicine or to be a ‘doctor of souls’. He was commissioned into the Royal Navy where he met his dearest Tess who was a 17 year old Wren at the time. They met again in 1945 when he was at Oxford reading Theology, but it was to be another six years before his ordination and they were able to be married in 1955, thus beginning their lives together for nearly 60 years. He was a loving father to Mark, Mary-Ann, Becky and T-T and his grandchildren Emily, Lucy, Tabby and Milo. Mark was diagnosed with Haemophilia. The care of Tess, Alan and the doctors and nurses enabled Mark to lead a normal and independent life until the blow struck that the very treatment he required was contaminated with Hepatitis and HIV. Alan at the time was Chairman of the World Federation and the Haemophilia Society. He showed his inner strength by reaching out, showing support and encouragement and love to all those in similar circumstances and threw himself behind the campaign for recognition of this tragedy. Alan served all his time in the London Diocese and 55 years in the City of London, his last post being Rector of St Botolph without Bishopsgate – severely damaged by the St Mary Axe and Bishopsgate IRA bombs. He continued his work, overseeing the re-building, having first retrieved the contents of his office which had been sucked out of the vestry windows and were spread over the churchyard.

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His spiritual home was St Paul’s where he had been deaconed. priested and became a Prebendary and when he retired he continued his pastoral duties. He was often to be seen as one of the Ecclesiastical Party at the annual Remembrance Day service at the Albert Hall. His other ‘family’ was the community of Charterhouse. It was only fairly recently that he retired – latterly as Preacher Emeritus – after 27 years. He remembered his schooldays with deep affection. He was delighted to lead a service in the Parish Church at Frome when a stone seat commemorating the School’s stay during WW2 was dedicated. The service was well supported and many of the (former) boys who attended had emotional reunions with their landladies - more like foster parents really. Also at the service was Miss Smith known to so many as the Headmaster’s Secretary for most of her working life. She was the first officially to sit on the seat! In 1979 Alan was appointed to the Governing Body of the Coopers’ Company and Coborn Educational Foundation and of the School Governing Body in 1984. He was elected Chairman of both Bodies in 1987 and served with distinction in those capacities until his retirement in 1997, having been admitted to the Livery in 1993. He was a recipient of the Company’s Award for Service. Those of us who knew him well remember him for his strong sense of humour, his love and as a true Man of God. Tess had pre-deceased Alan, and his funeral was held in St John the Baptist Church, Barham on 2nd September 2015. His children recall how they used to pass a Scoutmaster’s grave in Hendon St Mary’s with the sign of the outer and inner circle meaning ‘Gone Home’. This is how they would like to remember their Father. May he rest in peace and Rise in Glory. Many of us are fans of “The Great British Bake Off” and after watching the series over a number of weeks

it dawned on me that one of the more accomplished bakers was our own Kimberley Wilson. Kimberley

reached the final but after several nail biting rounds was beaten at the last hurdle. Kimberley has fond

memories of her Food Technology lessons and remembers impressing Mrs Helene Carter with her

presentation of cream cheese and apricot ravioli served with a raspberry coulis. Kimberley can still recall

the words of the school song and remarks how lucky she was in having studied in well equipped

classrooms and being taught by enthusiastic and well qualified subject specialists. She also feels that

playing the part of the baker in the school’s production of “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor

Dreamcoat” was a portent of things to come. Kimberley and her sister Nicolla have a website

www.GlamourousJam.co.uk - which will be of interest to the “foodies” amongst you.

It might surprise you to learn that Kimberley’s career has taken a different course than might have been

expected. After leaving school Kimberley studied psychology at Manchester University, this was

followed by a Master’s degree in counselling psychology at

the University of Roehampton. Kimberley is currently

studying for a further MA in this field. For five years

Kimberley worked in Holloway Prison managing the

department that assessed the mental health care and

therapy needs of patients and is now a therapist in a

House Partnership Practice.

Kimberley is also a great supporter of Camfed, an

organisation that endeavours to educate girls thought to

be at risk and young women across Africa empowering

them with the knowledge and life skills to extricate them

from poverty.

We wish Kimberley well in all her endeavours and look

forward to seeing her at school in the near future. KIMBERLEY WILSON

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We were very happy to learn that Emily Marmoy-Haynes (2005-2012) has graduated

with a first class honours degree in psychology at the University of Canterbury. Emily

was offered a number of career opportunities and chose to work for a recruitment

company in the city of London. We wish Emily well in her chosen field.

Jonathan Paxton (2003 -2010), while working, studied with the Open University before

continuing his studies in Politics and Economics at Southampton University. Jonathan

joined the Bank of England on a graduate scheme and specialises in liquidity analysis; he

is a Chartered Financial Analyst and is still a keen badminton player.

The skyline of London seems to change on an almost daily basis and as we find ourselves in the midst of

a property boom even old buildings face new challenges.

Fortunately the Bow schools are listed and cannot be torn down; the school in Tredegar Square has been

divided into flats and Coborn School awaits the same fate. With the aid of Facebook and the detective

work of the redoubtable Dorothy Gorsuch, who has provided us with this information, over two hundred

and fifty alumni met for a “final” reunion and to pay tribute to that venerable and much loved building

on Bow Road. Most of the event that included lunch, a musical entertainment provided by Fleur

Sumption and Jan Bristow, the singing of the Coborn chorale and the contributions from David Parry and

Jacey Graham took place in the new Central Foundation School but some of the alumni were able,

thanks to an obliging caretaker, to take one final look at Coborn School. Alumni ranged in age from

those like Alison Homewood, Helen Oliver, Lesley Sullivan and Lynn Bradley who had finished their

education in Upminster to Revieria Wells (formerly Wigginson) who was a pupil in 1932 and Grace Taylor

(formerly Randall) who joined Coborn in 1934. The Coborn girls were especially pleased to see former

Headmistress Miss Legerton now Mrs Pollard. Dorothy Gorsuch found the event tinged with sadness but

she knows that the august Coborn School for Girls will live on in the hearts and minds of those who

attended it and loved it. Dorothy wishes to thank all those who have contacted her since the event and

we wish to thank Dorothy for her effort not only on this occasion but for everything that she and her

family do for our alumni .

We were pleased that past copies of “The Bugle” were available at the reunion and this prompted

Patricia Jarvis, a pupil when Miss Edwin was Headmistress, to contact us. Patricia asked why we had not

mentioned Richard Madeley in our piece about alumni who had become entertainers and television

personalities? For two years Richard was indeed a pupil in Tredegar Square and in his autobiography,

which makes interesting reading he states that he was deeply unhappy at Coopers and as a result was

moved to a school in Essex nearer his home.

EMILY MARMOY-HAYNES

JONATHON PAXTON

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Also at the reunion was Shirley Foss (formerly Bexon), both her sons are alumni: Neil joined the

Upminster School in 1975 and David in 1977. Neil was cajoled into playing the part of Alexis in Gilbert

and Sullivan’s “Sorcerer” and having discovered a taste for the stage he, David and their father swelled

the ranks of the male chorus in a production of “The Yeomen of the Guard” at the Queen’s Theatre in

Hornchurch in July 1980. This production was supported by staff and students from Coopers Coborn.

Neil Findlay was Musical Director and Helen Gilheany, Barry Wellington, Jenny Hollins and Linda Innis

also “tread the boards” while John Light and James Young played in the orchestra. We are pleased that

following surgery Neil is on the mend.

The diverse careers of our alumni and the routes by which their goals were achieved never cease to

amaze me! I am so pleased that many encouraged by Colin Churchett have been in touch and am

delighted to include the following information. Like me, Colin is intensely proud of their achievements

and is always delighted to hear from our alumni.

We were pleased to hear from David Hull who has for the past twenty years been working at the

University of York as Technical Manager in the Department of Computer Science. He gained a BA in

Computer Science and Music and after graduating he worked for Birmingham City Council. He was

married in York Minster to Alison and they have a son Ewan (12) and a daughter Eliza (8). David, in spite

of having been in more youthful days, locked in the tower of St. Andrew’s Church in Hornchurch and

having to be lowered to safety on a rope, continues with Ewan to be a keen campanologist. David’s

parents, who like their son were also greatly involved in school productions like “Oliver” and “1066 And

All That”, have also relocated to Yorkshire.

THE ‘FINAL’ REUNION

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Tori Burford (formerly Victoria Cowley) attended the Upminster School between 1994 and 2001 and

graduated from the University of Chichester in Physical Education and Teaching. Tori taught in secondary

schools before focusing on those with Special Needs in a school run by Barnardos where Tori is Head of

Department and where she also coordinates Physical Education with the Primary feeder school on site.

Tori has worked hard to build up her department which was awarded a Quality Mark for PE and she was

nominated for Teacher of the Year in the Sky Sports’ Living for Sport competition. Tori is married with a

son. It is good to hear that the she is bearing a torch of excellence in her own school and we wish her

well.

Peter Carver has also been in touch: having left school in 2004 he obtained a Master of Science degree

with first class honours in Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Bristol. He is a qualified pension

actuary with Hymans Robertson LLP where he deals with both private and corporate clients and is now a

Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary! Peter is active in his local

church and performed recently in the Hornchurch passion play. He has been a keen skier since he

participated in a school trip in 2004. Alan Finch (1974 – 1981) has also had a career in finance; he is a

public sector accountant, works for the Local Government Association as a national advisor on

productivity and finance, no easy task in this age of austerity!

Eddie Coleman (1984 – 1991) did not regret turning down a place at University and joined the

Metropolitan Police as a cadet in 1992. He has continued to work in London where policing on the beat

in Hackney provided him with a valuable insight into metropolitan policing. Eddie gained experience in

units dealing with homicide, sexual offences, volume and domestic crime. In the aftermath of the

tsunami Eddie went to assist the authorities in Thailand and in 2003 he became a Detective Sergeant

dealing with the sensitive issue of child abuse. Eddie runs an endurance running club in Thurrock and

participates in half and full marathons. He is married to Karen and has a son Lewis.

Tracey Delaney (formerly Parkes) sends her good wishes to “The Bugle” and all her contemporaries.

Tracey , who worked as a manager for the Halifax Bank has been married for twenty years and has three

sons. Her husband is in the RAF and they live in Lincolnshire. Mrs Pat Parkes is well, living in Dorset and

still swimming! Who can ever forget the synchronised swimming demonstrations that took place

regularly in the 1970s and 1980s? Pat’s recent book on the swimming was endorsed by Fran Halshall the

Olympic Swimmer!

We were thrilled to hear from Caroline Day (1979 – 1986) who still lives locally. Caroline worked for

almost twenty years with BP plc as a Procurement Specialist within the Travel Sector and managed their

global hotel programme dealing with a budget of 80 million dollars. While bringing up her daughter

Caroline decided to work part-time for the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community which Caroline

describes as “bringing people together to create the right solutions for urban lifestyles whilst remaining

sympathetic to the original surroundings”. At Clarence House on several occasions she met HRH Prince

Charles and found him “interesting and caring”. She now works part-time as an Administration Manager

for a Japanese Hedge Fund company. Caroline meets up with her contemporaries twice a year. “The

motto “Love as Brethren” truly has stood me in good stead and I am enormously proud of my Coopers’

family”.

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After the first series proved to be so popular the producers of the

television series “Poldark” have decide to film all Winston

Graham’s novels and are so sure of their continuing success that

they have purchased the port of Charlestown on the south coast

of Cornwall. The part of Dr. Dwight Enys is played by 29 year old

Luke Norris who came from Redden Court School to study in the

Sixth Form for A levels that obviously included drama.

After a “gap” year during which Luke honed his skills as a writer he gained a place at

the Central School of Speech and Drama and in 2008 won the

prestigious Alan Bates Bursary. Luke’s experience has been

mainly in the theatre and he has performed in the highly

acclaimed “View from the Bridge” at the Young Vic, with the

Royal Shakespeare Company, at the Lyric Hammersmith and at

the National Theatre.

He has appeared on television in two mini- series and in the Inbetweeners, The

Duchess and Skins. Luke has written several pieces for the theatre including “So

Here We Are” that won the Burntwood Judges Award in 2013. His play “Goodbye to All That ” was

performed at the Royal Court Theatre and Luke has been described by the Daily Telegraph critic as “a

playwright” of major promise”. “So Here We Are” was performed to great acclaim in October 2015 at

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre and alumnus Sam Melvin played the part of Pidge! We are

pleased that Sam has also realised his ambition.

I must apologise to several alumni who have been in contact for not including their news in this edition.

In the meantime please do get in touch and let us know what you have been doing. The Bugle 4 will be

out in the Spring! bwe@cooperscoborn.co.uk

Barry Wellington—February 2016

LUKE NORRIS

SAM MELVIN