Editor’s Introduction:
r u p e r t yo u n g e r
At first glance, the idea
of editing a WJ on the
subject of sustainability
and the environment
seemed a tall order.
14 The Wykeham Journal 2019
W
e have some of the most beautiful,
but least energy-efficient buildings
in the UK, and our ability to
sustain ourselves as a charitable institution seems
almost constantly up for debate. But like almost
everything Wykehamical, there is a lot going on
out of the public gaze that is both inspirational and
important in equal measure. The College is perhaps
like the mute swans that navigate its waterways —
serene on the surface, but paddling fast below the
water to maintain its direction of travel.
Editing — which in Wykehamical parlance
seems actually to mean researching, interviewing
and writing — the Journal was a wonderful journey
of discovery for me. I love meeting people,
listening to their stories, and learning about
the worlds that they inhabit. It is one of the
reasons why I so enjoy the work that I do at
the University of Oxford, having the ability
to ask questions and the time to think carefully
about the answers provided.
I was tasked with five interviews, ranging
from the design team behind the rebuild of the
KP Sports complex, to the support Win Coll
lends to the Winchester Heritage Open Days.
What soon became very clear to me from the
conversations is that there are intricate and
interwoven circular connections between the
boys, the College, and the wider community
in Winchester. Phil’s Grade II listed status gave
it a formal say in the design of the new Sports
Centre because it is visible from the House. The
design team behind the new KP sports complex
in turn had to plan carefully around the high
water table, managed by the River Warden team
led by Mark Sankey. Mark and his underkeeper
are a new resource for the school’s Heritage Open
Days offering and will lead insight tours around
the waterways of the College. The Headmaster
and his team are also curating a series of speakers,
which might include OWs doing important
work across environmental innovation. And
Tom Pakenham, the environmental and energy
entrepreneur that we profile in these pages,
fits that bill. Oh, and he spent his years at the
College at… Phil’s. And so it continues.
My voyage of discovery unlocked deep
connections between the College and its
natural environment, and with that its six
hundred (plus) year sustainability strategy.