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himself is now retired after a career as a journalist with BBC Radio and Independent Television, and latterly as a cameraman for JCB. He and his wife, Sue, are building a retirement home in their garden in Knutsford, which will no doubt keep them busy for some time to come.
Jonny Thakkar (St A 00) has deserted his roots in the northern Cheshire area in search of opportunities in academia in the USA and is now Assistant Professor of
Political Science at Swarthmore College, located on the outskirts of Philadelphia. He has completed his first book, entitled Plato as Critical Theorist; it has just been published by Harvard University Press. Many congratulations Jonny.
News from the Pentecost household. Richard Pentecost (St A 05) continues to turn out for the Old Oundelian Golfing Society regularly. Victoria Pentecost (N 07), now a chartered accountant, has recently changed firms
in insurance to RenaissanceRe and is getting married on 6th October (to another Special Police Sergeant in the Met), which was unpopular with Richard, as that is the weekend OOGS will be competing in the Grafton Moorish and is also the OOGS meeting weekend at Luffenham Heath, so he has had to render himself unavailable! As for me, well, it’s all about wedding preparation and building works. Oh, and work of course – no sign of retirement here!
NEWS FROM HOME
North Yorkshire
After some 15 years of loyal service as the North Yorkshire Correspondent, Nigel Lane (St A 75) has stood down and kindly nominated me as his successor following a brief meeting with David Phillip (Ldr 77) at a hostelry near Harrogate. I never quite established if anyone else was on the nomination list, but I am pleased to take over from Nigel, on the basis that my son, Chris Waring (Ldr 12), has also agreed to be co- correspondent to stimulate younger interest in the OO Club.
Nigel reports the highlight of his year was the marriage of his son, Ben Lane (B 06), to Danni in Copenhagen in June. It was a great weekend of different festivities, which allowed the city to show off its attractions and the School was well represented. Otherwise, Nigel’s year has seen a pretty normal mix of work, play and travel. Ben is also returning to the UK from India at the end of 2018. David Phillip, meanwhile, has resigned as a director of Yorkshire estate agents Dacre Son & Hartley after an illustrious 40-year career, but reports he is not intending to retire. In fact, the complete opposite seems to be on the cards, with a new business venture this autumn.
The highlight of the year for northern OOs was an April dinner in the imposing surroundings of Bowcliffe Hall, near Wetherby, courtesy of owner and current Oundle parent Jonathan Turner (S 84). Not one for doing things by half, the dinner for some 45 guests was held in the spectacular Blackburn Wing, being an events venue modelled on an aircraft
By Tim Waring (Ldr 76)
wing. Jonathan says the idea started life simply as “building a tree house”. The Head, Sarah Kerr-Dineen, and her husband, Anthony, were both in attendance as was Director of Sport Danny Grewcock, together with Director of Development Matthew Dear (plus an impressive model of the new sports facilities), all of which was perfectly co- ordinated by OO Club Secretary Jane Fenton.
Jonathan reports on various sightings/meetings with other OOs, including golfing trips with Richard Munro (Sc 84) and Rupert Bullock (L 84), plus adventures with Adam Hartley (N 84) or Mike Haigh (Sc 87). He also works alongside Tim Hall (S 84). Jonathan has also been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in North Yorkshire,
joining the likes of Simon Mackaness (C 67), whose award-winning hotel complex goes from strength to strength. His brother, Mark Mackaness (C 70), owns and proactively manages the adjoining Rudding Estate, south of Harrogate.
Another resident in the Harrogate district, Richard Jackson (Sn 69), proudly reports he teamed up with fellow Yorkshireman Ryan Champion to win the 2017 East African Safari Rally, reputedly the toughest rally in the world. They were competing in a 1975 Porsche three-litre belonging to his son, Peter Jackson (Sn 94), who was also born in 1975! They are the only British crew to have won this event and of previous winners, the only other non-Kenyans were Bjorn Waldegard and Stig Blomqvist, both former world champions. The car also competed in this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it won its class in the rally stage. In March Richard was appointed by the Queen as High Sheriff of West Yorkshire. He is the eighth OO to have held this office.
Michael Oakley (Lx 62) has been visiting Oundle each term, having two grandchildren now there in Guy Farrand (B) and Fenella Farrand (Sn). He never ceases to be amazed by the facilities on offer and the new development work that moves on apace. In January he was out in Barbados staying with son William Oakley (Lx 92), who runs Cobblers Cove, and had the pleasure of meeting up again with Alex Patrick (Ldr
THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018
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