OS in the News
Jonathan Ayling ( OS 1993 ) played cello with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on Rod Stewart ’ s latest album , You ’ re In My Heart .
Professor Sir Jonathan Bate ( OS 1976 ) presented a three-part series , In Wordsworth ’ s Footsteps , on BBC Radio 4 . Celebrating 250 years since William Wordsworth ’ s birth in 1770 , Jonathan travelled in his footsteps , revealing the story of the making of the poet .
John Cannon ( OS 1948 ) was awarded an MBE in the Queen ’ s New Year ’ s Honours for services to the British Cobnut Industry . John founded the Kentish Cobnuts Association in 1990 and , at 88 , he is still actively involved .
Rebecca Cormack née Connell ( OS 1998 ) released her new thriller The Second Wife ( Penguin ), writing as Rebecca Fleet .
Maisy ’ s Bus by Lucy Cousins ( OS 1982 ) was voted as one of the best children ’ s books of all time for under-fives by Closer magazine . Lucy has created over 150 Maisy stories which have been translated into 28 languages and sold more than 25 million copies .
Charlie Dinkin ( OS 2008 ) is a writer , director and comedian . She was selected as the 2020 recipient of the BBC Radio Comedy Writers Bursary , a scheme through which emerging writers work in-house at the BBC Radio Comedy department for a year .
Dr Joseph Fitchett ( OS 2005 ) is Medical Director at Mologic , a UK diagnostics company which launched a coronavirus antibody test in June . Alongside the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and St George ’ s , University of London the company developed and mass-produced rapid laboratory and self-tests . Mologic is also involved with a rapid point-of-care Covid-19 testing trial for Heathrow Airport .
Stephen Hale ( OS 1990 ), CEO of Refugee Action , won the Charity Chief Executive of the Year Award at the annual Third Sector Awards .
Samuel Johns ( OS 2008 ) works with the Partnership for Sustainable Development ( PSD Nepal ), shortlisted for the UIAA 2019 Mountain Protection Awards . He raises awareness of the damage plastic has on the local environment , collaborates with residents of the Langtang Valley to clean mountain camps , as well as upcycling and recycling PET plastics left behind by mountain trekkers .
Dr Claire Standley , Dr Hannah Smith ( née Tetlow ), Dr Eleanor Southgate and Hatty Morris from the Class of 2003 collaborated to create a book to help young children during the pandemic . Coronawho ? is a story about Elsie aimed at helping preschoolers to make sense of their experiences and to explain why life is suddenly very different . www . elsiestayshome . com
Miranda Stevens ( OS 2016 ) represented Jesus College , Oxford on University Challenge , beating Sheffield University .
Rick Townend ( OS 1966 ) won the 2019 British Bluegrass Music Association ’ s Jan Jerrold Award . He has played bluegrass music since he was at Sevenoaks School and with his classmates formed the Echo Mountain Boys ( later the Echo Mountain Band ).
Anna Wilson ( OS 1988 ) published her first work of non-fiction for adults , A Place for Everything ( HarperCollins ), an account of her mother ’ s late-diagnosis of autism at the age of 72 – and its reaching effects on her whole family . Anna spoke about the book on Woman ’ s Hour on BBC Radio 4 .
Anna Woodward ( OS 2016 ) is one of eight winners of the first Freelands Painting Prize . This new prize celebrates outstanding painting practice at undergraduate level and culminated in an exhibition at the Freelands Foundation gallery . The Foundation invited every higher education institution in the UK that offers a BA Fine Art or Painting course to nominate a final year student to submit a work for the prize ; either a painting or a work exploring painting in the expanded field .
Former teacher Bruce Hebbert , who taught at Sevenoaks from 1983 to 2009 , was presented with a RYA Lifetime Commitment Award by HRH the Princess Royal . Bruce was recognised for his commitment to the British Schools Dinghy Racing Association , of which he was a founding member . He is credited with making Sevenoaks one of the best sailing schools in the UK .
Jonny Medland ( OS 2006 ) became Deputy Director of Covid-19 Response at HM Treasury .
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