The Old
Pocklingtonian
Editor’s Note
From the Headmaster’s Desk
Welcome to the latest edition of The Old
Pocklingtonian magazine with a host of features,
reports and updates covering careers, awards, events,
reunions, sport, archives, announcements, notices,
personalia and much more – I hope you enjoy
reading it!
Dear Old Pocklingtonians
It was fantastic to meet so many OPs at the various
quincentenary events last year culminating in the
‘Finale’ event in November 2014 at St Paul’s Cathedral
and Haberdashers’ Hall. You can read more about it
later in the magazine.
At a time of year when our recent school leavers are
embarking on a new stage in their lives, be it university,
gap year travel or the first rungs of the career ladder,
I often find myself speculating how closely they’ll stay
in touch.
Since then things have settled down a little – perhaps
to be expected after such a busy and momentous
year in 2014! However, we have a healthy schedule
of events and activities listed in the OP calendar for
the year ahead and we encourage as many of you
as possible to come along and join in by booking a
table for your contemporaries at one of the dinners
or getting a group of you together for the summer
reunion or one of the sports events. If you need help
with this, just give me a call or drop me an e-mail.
Pocklington School is a tight-knit community and
we pride ourselves on looking out for each other,
celebrating our achievements and drawing strength
and confidence from the solid foundation of our
shared values – a relationship which continues long
after pupils leave.
In April we said farewell to Georgina Booth (96-06)
and Joan Gough (75-77) who left the OP office to
devote more time to their own businesses, Absolutely
Everything event hire and The Fruit Yard home-grown
fruit and vegetables and pick-your-own, respectively.
I am extremely grateful for their support and wish
them both every success for the future.
An External Relations Administrator is soon to
be appointed, a role that will incorporate OP
administration to support my work in the OP office.
The External Relations department, headed up by
Director Sheena McNamee, is the new umbrella
for Admissions, Marketing, Communications,
Development and Alumni and is reported on
elsewhere in the magazine.
As always we would love to hear your news or
memories of School, so please do get in touch with
any updates or stories for the magazine or website:
OP Office
Pocklington School
West Green
Pocklington
YO42 2NJ
Tel: 01759 321307
E-mail: [email protected]
Keep in touch!
Rachel Dare
OP Liaison Officer
1
As last year’s 500th anniversary celebrations showed,
the bonds shared by Old Pocklingtonians are special,
and continue to be held dear by former pupils, no
matter how many years or miles separate them from
the School today.
This summer’s sports touring party in South
Africa benefited from the vocal support of Old
Pocklingtonians now resident in the country, who
always make every effort to turn out to support
“their” team. Former Pocklington School Rugby
captain Rob Webber (94-04), who now plays for Bath
and is at time of writing representing England in the
Rugby World Cup, also takes a keen interest in the
rugby team’s fortunes, and contributed a note to the
tour booklet, wishing them well.
We’re lucky in that the broad, holistic nature of our
School’s education means we send people off to
make a valuable contribution to all spheres of society,
from the law to the Church, entertainment, medicine
and finance.
Our recently launched campaign for a new Art and
Design Centre reminded us how many OPs have
gone on to make successful careers in that sphere
alone, from Official War Artist Xavier Pick (80-90),
to app developer Richard Loxley (80-87) and fashion
stylist Jodie Nellist (90-00). All these, and more, were
happy to lend their support to our campaign.
and as speaker at July’s end of term Speech Day.
She gave an inspirational talk highlighting the values
of hard work, self-belief and dedication – as well as
the importance of having fun – and also generously
shared her knowledge and skills in a masterclass for
current Pocklington School musicians.
Not all OPs are as high profile as Alexandra, of course,
but their visits are no less valuable in terms of giving
insight into the world of work. It also boosts current
Pocklingtonians no end to see that “one of them” has
succeeded in their chosen field. Even if many years
separate current and former pupils, there’s an instant
connection, which prompts question after question as
they glean what they can from a trusted source.
Old Pocklingtonians, too, tell me how rewarding they
find return visits. Aside from the obvious trip down
memory lane, they feel immense satisfaction in being
given the opportunity to contribute once again to the
School. More details about these visits are included in
the Careers section.
Our network extends to work experience, too, and
we are grateful to those Old Pocklingtonians who
have taken the time and effort to welcome current
pupils into their workplace. Many OPs have also
generously given their time to draw on their own
experience and offer advice over the telephone to
help pupils along the right career path.
A one-to-one chat with someone taking a personal
interest, particularly if they can offer insights into
a career they are considering, provides personal
support, whose value cannot be underestimated. )%Ё