NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
1940-1949
David Brancher ( Fenton 46 ) With great sadness I have to report David Brancher ’ s very recent passing aged 92 . David , or Twig Brancher to fellow Sennockians , was in Fenton House during the 1940s and notably took several Gilbert and Sullivan acting and singing leading parts et al under Mr IC Cole ’ s direction , by then a contralto on the verge of voice-break . David retired fairly early from the British Army to start a second successful career as a university lecturer , latterly at Bristol . After my own Army service , my wife Sonia and I became residents ( and still are ) of historic Abergavenny where , by excellent coincidence , David and Pip Brancher also lived , and where David played a leading role in local government affairs . He will be profoundly missed by so many firm and admiring friends , God bless him .
Written by Brigadier John Skinner ( Hardinge 52 )
1960-1969
Richard Bird ( Sackville 63 ) Happy days at a great school , now in France and Spain , thanks guys .
Chris Berry ( Grote 64 ) I doubt it will interest many , but this year marks my 50th year on the roll as a solicitor . All with the same firm in Lincoln ’ s Inn .
Graham H Breakwell ( Fryth 67 ) Living the dream in Los Angeles . At the time of writing , my only daughter , Weiwei , is expecting our first grandchild in a week ’ s time .
Ian Brinton ( Fryth 68 ) Having retired from school-mastering in 2009 after being Head of English at Leeds Grammar School , Sevenoaks School and Dulwich College before going on to become Head of Upper School at the last , I now write full-time . My most recent publications include Paris Scenes , a translation of poems by Baudelaire ( Riverside Press , 2021 ), translations of the selected poems of Paul Valéry ( Muscaliet Press , 2021 ), Islands of Voices ( Shearsman Books , 2020 ) and translations of the selected poems of Stéphane Mallarmé ( Muscaliet Press , 2019 ). Earlier books include An Andrew Crozier Reader ( Carcanet Press ), two books of essays on the Cambridge poet JH Prynne and Poetry and Poets since 1990 ( CUP ). I assist in the running of the Cambridge University Library Archive of Contemporary Poetry and am a regular reviewer for The London Magazine , Golden Handcuffs Review , PN Review and The Use of English . I co-edit the magazine SNOW .
Robert Mills ( Grote 68 ) I graduated from the London Hospital Medical College and became an ear , nose and throat surgeon , specialising in diseases of the ear and balance disorders . The final years of my career were spent in Edinburgh , where I was Professor of Otolaryngology at Edinburgh University . In 2009 I married a Thai ENT doctor and the following year I retired from the NHS and moved to Thailand . We live in Khon Kaen , in the north-east of the country , where my wife is now the director of a 1000-bed government hospital . I have a teaching role at Khon Kaen University and have been involved in charitable ear surgery camps in various parts of Asia ( Nepal , Myanmar , Bangladesh , Laos and Sri Lanka ). I am a trustee and board member of the Briton-Nepal Otology Service . I teach on two ear surgery courses each year , one in Khon Kaen and one in Bangkok . In my spare time , I play golf and write novels and short stories , mainly crime fiction and science fiction . Normally I return to the UK for two or three months each year to visit my children and grandchildren but have been unable to do so since the onset of Covid-19 .
John Andrews ( Fryth 69 ) John retired as Chairman of the Special Forces Club , London , in 2020 having served for almost six years . Fortunately the Club was able to hold a major Anniversary Reception and Dinner at St James ’ s Palace in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal , Club Patron , just before Covid put paid to such events .
John S Barnsdale ( Park Grange 69 ) I now live in Auburn , California ( 43 + years ) and continue to practice medicine ( anesthesia , as we
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