No . 138 The Trusty Servant
In summer 1961 central heating was installed in Hall and the landings outside the upper chambers and the magnificent Simon and Jude was despatched elsewhere ( to the Science Museum of all places , I now learn ). One Collegeman [ Anthony Cheke ( Coll , 59-62 ), whose pub article appears elsewhere in TS 138 .] bypassed this system and simply placed his hunk of brown bread on the burning coke , from where it emerged charred black , perhaps not to everyone ’ s taste .
Does the College do Care ?
Harvey White ( G , 49-54 ), whose long association with Brendoncare included Chairmanship of the Brendoncare Foundation ( 1986-2003 ) and Chair of the Vice Patrons Committee , explores the connections between the College and the Charity :
The answer is ‘ not really but almost !’ Sir Thomas Browne ( Coll , 1616 ) identified one of today ’ s most troubling demographics when he wrote “ The long habit of living indisposeth us for dying ”. However , he did not foretell either the increasing percentage of elderly within Society or the challenge of dementia . One person who had a clearer vision of the problems lying ahead was Ronald Gibson - one of the school ’ s medical officers some 70 years ago . His foresight led to the foundation of ‘ Brendoncare ’ which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year . His vision aimed to replicate the initiative of Phoebe Bacon who had opened up her large house ( Brendon , Park Road , Winchester ) to elderly friends who were finding it difficult to manage alone .
Over the years , two Medical Officers from the College have followed Sir Ronald to the Foundation - Ian Stoddart ( E , 36-41 ) and Roddy Morton ( F . 58- 63 ). Dons - Podge Brodhurst , Colin Badcock , Sir Bryan Thwaites - and other members of the community such as Jane Massen and Patrick Maclure have been Trustees , residents or both ! During the early and difficult years , the Foundation relied on two Wykehamical Treasurers : Julian Bower ( G , 48-53 ) and Simon Every ( B , 43-47 ). They were able to ensure solvency while meeting the needs of development , and also having funds for our charitable support .
In recent years we have been greatly privileged to hold Christmas fundraising concerts in Chapel - the last two years under the baton of John Rutter ( Winchester parent ). The new Chair of the Foundation - Phil Dowson - is another Win Coll parent !
We have also developed and currently run over 70 Clubs for older people which meet each week . These encourage digital literacy for inter-communication between individuals and Clubs . This helps to reduce the loneliness and isolation that comes with age and immobility .
As we look back over 40 years , we acknowledge our gratitude to the College and whilst the care of older people is not of the College , it is very much for the College . We are dependent on subsequent generations for active participation and there is an open door for continuing interaction !
Winged Wykehamists – the Conclusion
Professor Sir Bryan Thwaites ’ s article in TS 136 : Winchester ’ s Quinquennium Mirabile ( WQM ) has generated much correspondence ( see Winged Wykehamists in TS137 & Afterburners and Aerodynamics in this TS ).
Two abridged articles conclude the discussion . The first is from Anthony Swanwick ( Coll , 51-56 ), who responds to Winged Wykehamists thus :
The article brought back memories of my sort-of flight in Meads . I also remember several training glider flights with a pick-up truck loaded with cement towing us down the runway .
When two years ’ National Service was obligatory , I thought how much nicer it would be to fly a plane than to march around in our colonies , so I decided to become an RAF pilot ( my father Sir Graham Swanwick ( A , 20-24 ) and his brother Michael ( A , 19-23 ) were in the RAF during WWII ). I took RAF eye and aptitude tests , many of them related to recognizing two- and threedimensional shapes .
I do not remember who else went for flight training , but soon enough we were practising take offs and landings ( aka circuits and bumps ) in Tiger Moths . Alas , when we started practising spins , I had bad motion sickness and that ended my flying career .
So , where did I do my National Service ? On foot as a 2 Lt . in the jungle in the Malayan emergency , where I witnessed the possibly unique occasion when the Malayan government asked the British military to keep fighting while it celebrated merdekah ( independence ).
Bryan Thwaites himself ( C , 41-42 ; CoRo , 51-59 ) concludes the series by musing on the freedoms enjoyed by Dons 70 years ago . The many references to WQM suggest that you should have it to hand while reading on .
In retrospect , it can be seen as a crazy arrangement by which , once a week , I would teach elementary arithmetic to first-year men in the school and then take a train to Imperial College to lead post-doctoral students studying the non-linear differential equations of fluid dynamics . The latter , however , reflected my standing in the world of Aeronautics which gave me the entrée to the higher levels of the industry ( see WQM ).
Crazy in another sense , in that I had not sought permission to be away for half a day each week either from the Headmaster , Dr W . F . Oakeshott , or from the Head of Mathmā , Dick Roseveare ( Coll , 10-15 ; CoRo , 22-32 & 44-57 ), though I had asked him which day of the week would best suit his timetabling .
So , from the outset as a new Don in 1951 , I was anxious to exploit my
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