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FEATURE
Class of 2008
Emily Mitchell (K 08)finds out what the 2008 School leavers have been up to over the last 10 years
Compiling this article has been a somewhat mammoth administrative task, catalysed by an email from myself to the 2008 Heads of Houses – something I hadn’t done for 10 years and immediately triggered a sense of nostalgia! I am immensely grateful to all of them, who managed to corral so many people into contributing, consequently rendering this article the fascinating read it is. Special mention to the boys of Grafton House’s ghost writer, Robert Cranston (G 08), and to Victoria Dorrell (Sn 08), who was frantically sending me entries whilst juggling patients in A&E on a night shift.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed. The 2008 cohort was always talented, but over the last 10 years it is clear that everyone has continued to enjoy hugely varied and impressive successes. Not only that, but what is particularly striking is the number of firm friendships that have withstood the decade and no doubt will continue for many years to come. I lost count of the number of people who are either living with, or have lived with, a fellow Oundelian since leaving school and indeed since leaving university. Congratulations to all those who are married or are soon to be! The 2008 leavers can also boast four couples from within the year group, with Sam Rose (St A 08) and Sarah Barratt (K 08) due to wed in September this year! I hope that everyone enjoys reading this article as much as I have and I hope that the next 10 years bring everyone even more success and happiness.
BRAMSTON
Douglas Farquhar: After leaving Oundle, I spent six months working in a factory making printer cartridges for 12 hours a day, not the most ideal environment, but it was a massive learning experience. In a fit of madness, I spent all my earnings and went to Fiji, working with the government and a local charity to map the coral reefs and study the marine life there. Reluctantly returning home, I started my degree at the University of Leeds, studying Design Technology and Management. In my free time I was a member of the University Officer Training Corps and enjoyed it so much that eventually I spent more time there than I did at the lecture theatre. It seemed inevitable, but soon after leaving university, I joined the Army and gained my commission with the Yorkshire Regiment in 2015. After many exercises, both at home and overseas, I deployed to Afghanistan to provide the Force Protection to the RAF aircraft and personnel. Soon after returning to the UK, I was posted to the Infantry Training Centre
in Catterick, North Yorkshire, where I am training soldiers and mentoring junior NCOs.
Tom Farr: After leaving Oundle, I worked in New Mexico on the 2008 Obama presidential campaign, then
spent a year living in Argentina and travelling in South America. Following that, I studied French and Spanish at the University of Bath, working in a law firm in Buenos Aires and an advertising agency in Paris as part of my studies. I gained a Masters
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THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018