No . 133 The Trusty Servant or repairing virtually anything : ‘ He makes it look so easy ,’ says Adrian Ahmed , and no one who has seen him in action could disagree . Always ready to help pupils and colleagues and also to learn from them , he inspires creativity and respect ; this has made him a great fit for Win Coll and vice-versa . He has often mentioned with admiration the way senior boys are ready to help with and enthuse about projects by their juniors : ‘ Those interactions can go very differently at other schools ,’ he recalls .
Anyone who has worked with David will know that he is a strong and confident character for whom actions speak louder than words : he certainly has the presence that helming a House requires . Many a Philite has experienced the extended pause and steady gaze that invites one to consider whether the full story has just been told . But when the words do come you know that they are absolutely sincere and reliable – he is free from cynicism , a man of great integrity who is always ready to take his share of responsibility and more . He and Charlotte felt the triumphs and troubles of a generation of Philites very deeply and there are many faces and names that they will always remember .
David is highly appreciative of the gifts of nature and of other people . One of the nicest things about being his Assistant Housemaster was that he was always so sincerely grateful for anything I did , even though he did so much more himself . All Philites will remember his favourite Einstein quote : ‘ A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labours of other men , living and dead , and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure .’
David and Charlotte have exerted themselves in full measure on behalf of Win Coll and the Philites over the past 18 years : we will miss them immensely and wish them all the very best .
Kim Larcombe leaves the College during Cloister Time after 40 years ’ service as part of the Grounds team . He started in September 1982 after training at Sparsholt College and a short stint as a gardener at St Paul ’ s Hospital . He leaves as Head Groundsman , having succeeded Stuart Churchill in February 2016 . He is a perfectionist , battling the water table , droughts and cockchafers to create surfaces that look good and play well . His tenure has seen the levelling of Lords outfield , the relaying of Dogger ’ s cricket square and the installation of hybrid cricket wickets on all three grounds . A recent highlight was the visit by helicopter of HRH Prince Charles ( to unveil the statue of Licoricia on Jewry Street ). He was asked by the police security team to suggest a loo for royal use if necessary and the cleaning team spent the morning ensuring that the porcelain throne in Old Tent , the Grounds Team ’ s base , was ready if required – fortunately it was not . He has been a wonderful leader , setting the example of hard work from the front and always ready to praise his team . He has been humble and generous , always ready to accede to any request , however unusual – including trapping and releasing a bird loose in the Headmaster ’ s office . He leaves to move down to Bude in Cornwall to be near family ( including five grandchildren ). We wish him well as he combines a bit of private gardening work , spending time with family and working on his golf handicap .
Sam Hart ( Co Ro 08-21 ; HoDo , B , 15-December 21 ; Headmaster of Giggleswick 22- ) will be in receipt of a full Vale of thanks and appreciation in The Trusty Servant 134 .
Finally , apologies that we failed to record the departure last year of Robin Chute ( E , 61-65 ; Estates Bursar , 82-21 ). Robin ’ s long and successful tenure focused on a strategy to increase the value and productivity of the Estates by encouraging elderly farm tenants to retire and selling poor quality Grade 4 land in the west Country , reinvesting the sale proceeds in largely Grade 1 land in the east of England . He spent over £ 5.5m on farm improvements such as grain and potato storage ; dairy units and new housing . He successfully added value by obtaining residential planning consents on a number of sites in Dorset ; Hampshire and Somerset . These actions resulted in the landed estate increasing in value from some £ 7.5m to over £ 220m during his tenure .
The College will remember him most for the development of 2000 houses at Barton Farm on the north edge of Winchester . That scheme was , like an egg , laid and incubated by Robin but not ( by his own admission ) hatched by him . It took a developer partner with deep pockets ; two Judicial Reviews and 20 years to secure planning consent . What Robin would like to be remembered for most is the restoration of the double banks of the four miles of College water on the Itchen after a century of near neglect . It took two river keepers ( Peter McCarthy and Mark Sankey ); ten winters and 30,000 tonnes of chalk to narrow its width to that shown in the earliest OS maps of 1910 . A grateful OW Fish Soc presented him with a state of the art Ultralite Hardy rod and Bougle reel suitably engraved , which he intends to christen on the Itchen .
Away from his main job , Robin also started Clay Pigeon Soc in 1982 ( beating Eton a number of times in the annual match at Bisley ) and revived Fish Soc , increasing the membership of five to over 50 boys , and OW
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