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Mark never stopped following his interests and reaching for the deepest understanding within his grasp. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of Science and he is equally passionate and knowledgeable about astronomy as a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. His reputation for making musical instruments is supplemented by a passion for the harpsichord, the sole important piece of furniture in the Wells’ home.
As a teacher of Physics, Mark combined the theoretical and experimental/practical elements of the course with considerable skill. It was also impressive that he never
ceased in seeking innovative, interesting and challenging new practical experiments for our pupils.
Mark is a highly principled man; he was not afraid of stating what he believed to be in the best interests of the pupils, whether as they engaged in their study of areas of Physics or as they went about their daily lives. As a House Tutor in Laundimer for 20 years, Grafton for 14 years and more latterly Laxton, Mark demonstrated his loyalty and commitment to guiding the young in his quiet but principled manner. Those taking the time to engage more deeply in conversation with him found many interests and
treasures that he willingly shared with them. Having worked in the same department as Mark for 30 years and in the boarding House for eight years, I admired his knowledge, his enthusiasm for understanding the physical world through Physics, his love for his family and of music, and his refined approach to life. It is good to know that Mark will pursue his many and varied interests in the well- earned time he will now have whilst living locally and I am sure he will contribute to the pleasure of many more musicians in their music- making.
Tony Burrows, Undermaster
STAFF FAREWELLS
Simon King
Senior Master
Simon King arrived to teach Biology at Oundle in September 1981, having previously worked as a fishery scientist in the water industry. He began as a Tutor in Laxton with a quota of 24 tutees and went on to become Deputy Housemaster in Sidney from 1988 to 1990, then Housemaster of Grafton from 1990 to 2001.
Roger Page looks back on the Grafton/Sidney days with great affection: “As our Housemasters’ studies were across the hall, I was the immediate beneficiary of Simon’s wisdom. His approach to the job was to be utterly straightforward with his charges and he made it blindingly clear to them where the boundaries were. Whenever he addressed the House, his thoughts were articulated with utmost clarity and seasoned with his wry dry humour. His exactitude of thought is one of many characteristics that mark him out as exceptional individual. A further quality is his focus on and application to all tasks; Simon rarely, if ever, prevaricated and if a job
needed doing, it was tackled immediately and with surgical precision, whether dealing with pupils, attending to leaking taps or cooking a pig for the annual Grafton/Sidney hog roast. Simon rarely wasted time and railed against unnecessary bureaucracy and inefficient processes. Filing at the end of term often involved large black bin bags and sweeping piles of
papers off his desk!”
Day pupils felt the benefit of
Simon’s pastoral experience when he transferred to Laxton in 2001. From there he took on the role of Senior Master in 2009, which he continued until his departure, and remained an excellent Tutor in Bramston House, where his understated and highly effective approach saw him lighting bonfires in heavy rain, putting up marquees to host 160 in under two hours and feeding 80 from a single barbecue. Crises were met with a phlegmatic ‘ho-hum’ and a solution. Above all, he enjoyed the company of the pupils and he always had a story to tell at the end of his duty night about something that made him laugh.
As Senior Master, Simon was a perfect choice to oversee the daily running of the School, given his logical mind and attention to detail, coupled with his skill at solving problems. I am informed that although he would rarely admit it, he enjoyed finding solutions to logistical nightmares, such as organising Speech Day and whole School
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THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018
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