Summer Reunion: Saturday 8th June 2019
We are holding a Summer Reunion at The Castle on Saturday 8th June 2019 between 2.30pm and 4.30pm. All Old Ewellians and a guest/partner are invited to attend, there will be tours of the School which will include the opportunity to view the new Music Pavilion, the revamped changing rooms in the basement as well as some of the old School films from the 1930's and 1970's. Croquet will also be available should anyone like to partake of a quick game or two.
If you are planning on attending, we would kindly ask that you email Carol at oldewellians@ewellcastle.co.uk so we can plan for numbers. Thank you in advance.

OE Cricket: Wednesday 3rd July 2019
Timings will be confirmed nearer the time but players are likely to be asked to arrive at Ewell Cricket Club at 2.30pm for a 3.00pm start. Ewell Cricket Club, 27 Ruxley Lane, Ewell, Surrey KT19 0JB. Match teas for players will follow the match and the afternoon is expected to finish by 6pm. Email Carol if you'd like to take part.

Thank you to an OE hero - Can you help us find him?
A current member of staff recently seriously injured herself whilst on a beach in Devon during the Easter holidays. A retired paramedic who was passing by came to her rescue but we don't know who he is. We know he is an OE, probably in his 50's, either living in Worthing or looking to move to Worthing. If you know this person, please get in touch and/or ask him to contact Carol at the School. We'd like to thank him.

26 April 2019 OE Golf Day - Report
The weather reports before the 5th annual OE Golf Day were for heavy rain but luckily all the participants played Kingswood in the sunshine with only one short shower during the afternoon. The majority of players took advantage of forward tees and minimal wind conditions and consequently 70% of the scores were 30 points or higher.
Following the golf and a few drinks all the golfers, plus a number of extra OE’s, had an enjoyable meal where there was plenty of friendly banter and old stories about Ewell Castle. We were joined by new School Principal Silas Edmonds who presented the prizes and took the opportunity to remind everyone that the School Reunion this year will be held on Saturday 8th June.
Various golf prizes were won by David Tucker, Trevor Durbridge, Paul Dickson & Chris Askwith. The runner up with 36 points was Charlie Fowle and many congratulations go to our deserved 2019 champion John Pooley - with 38 points.
Our thanks to OE Colin Griffith for organising the event and for writing the Golf Day Report

3d April OE Netball Match - Report
Thanks to Alex, Joey, Rheanna, Maddy, Jill, Sophie, Chloe and Rosie for playing in the Old Ewellians Netball Team at the inaugural match against the School 1st VII team. The spirit of camaraderie and competitiveness was evident but was wasn't quite enough to secure a victory against the School senior girls. Looking forward to next year's rematch already!

Spring Wine offer from London Wine Shippers
London Wine Shippers are offering Old Ewellians a special Spring wine deal. A 12 bottle case comprising 12 different discovery wines to excite any wine enthusiast, packed in a robust mailing carton for a special price of £110 including Vat and delivery via courier. The wines are listed below. If you would like to take advantage of this offer contact chris.smith@londonwineshippers.co.uk
2 Bottles Castello ‘4357’ Prosecco Treviso Brut
1 Bottle Macon Charnay Personnelle White Burgundy
1 Bottle Pasquiers Sauvignon Vermentino France White
1 Bottle Walt Riesling Germany White
1 Bottle Villa Rica Sauvignon Chile White
1 Bottle Chateau de Paraza Minervois France Rose
1 Bottle Chateau de Beauchene Cotes du Rhone France Red
1 Bottle Chateau La Tuilerie du Puy Bordeaux Superiore France Red
1 Bottle Pasquiers Grenache Noir France Red
1 Bottle Vina Palaciega Rioja Spain Red
1 Bottle Edgebaston The Pepper Pot SMT Stellenbosch South Africa Red

 

The Year Of The Tiger
The word legend is somewhat overused in not just sport, politics and show business, but indeed in everyday life. However, the performance of 43-year-old Tiger Woods to capture his fifth Masters title at Augusta last week was nothing short of mesmeric. Written off just two years ago after having back fussy surgery, pundits and fans alike believed the old Tiger was gone and he would never again scale the same heights which made one of sport’s most feared, famed and ferocious competitors.
However, in Georgia State, he demonstrated that his hunger and passion for the game of golf is unwavered. Living up to his name, Woods prowled like a Tiger throughout the four-day event, ready to pounce and expose any shortcomings from his rivals. When that opportunity arose on the back-nine on the final Sunday, Woods in his traditional red shirt procured a vice-like grip on proceedings as he sought to record a 15th Grand Slam victory and a fifth green jacket.
Sure enough, it was Woods who prevailed showing the customary poise, precision and mental strength of old to get over the line. In terms of sporting comebacks, this is the pinnacle. A man who has endured so much upheaval in his personal life, much of it down to his own shortcomings, this victory demonstrated the beauty of sport and its ability to transcend its supposed boundaries.
Woods’ story will speak out to all those who have suffered hardship and prove to them that it is never too late to give up on your own and that you should never write yourself off. With Tiger Roll winning the Grand National a week before, this was indeed not just the month, but the year of the Tiger. By Danny Archer.

Richard Smart - ECS 1954-1960
I recently trawled the archives on the Ewell Castle website and was delighted to find back copies of "The Ewellian". My first report in it was Autumn 1954, from Form 111 Remove, and last a view on leaving school, Summer 1960. Now, sixty-five years from the first, and almost sixty since the last one, what a radically changed world it is. And the school is completely unrecognizable: academically excellent, co-educational, multi-cultural, with a performing arts academy and music centre.
I wrote on arrival in 1954: "Form 111 Remove was a completely new form. None of us had ever met before, or done French or Latin, and were looking forward to it. But not after the first few lessons. We found they involved a lot of hard work!" And on leaving in 1960: "As a boy stands at the gate of the place where he has lived and learnt for so many years, mingled feelings cross his mind. A new life is about to begin. Whatever it holds, he must be ready to face it with courage and resolve."
My "new life" found me here, in Sydney, due, in no small measure, to the influence of two Australians, "Bill" Edeson and Peter Hunter. They were a year or so ahead of me and had a healthy disdain for authority, which appealed to me. My first years in book publishing were with a Fleet Street-based, Australian-owned company and we published several Australian authors. My grandfather worked for the Bank of Australasia and often voiced his wish to visit Sydney. And growing up I admired the style of Australian Test cricketers - Miller, Lindwall and Harvey. (I never imagined I'd one day meet and publish books with "The Don" Bradman.)
And so there was a certain inevitability about my coming to Sydney, one of the world's best cities - spectacularly beautiful year-round, multi-cultural, with over 200 languages spoken (sadly, of the 250 Indigenous languages spoken when colonization began in 1788, only 13 remain), and with thriving publishing, film, theatre, art and music cultures. Not to mention several football, soccer, rugby and cricket codes, with women's competitions now leading the way. To end this Sydney Soliloquy: it's early autumn, 25 degrees and the sky's a typically brilliant blue. Then again, in other states there have been vicious bushfires, 100-year-event floods and years-long droughts. It is indeed "A sunburnt country...a land of droughts and flooded rains". Dorothea Mackellar.

Digital Archive - May Photo
We're looking to solve a mystery with the May photo from the archive. If you recognise any of the OEs in the photo or if you are in it please get in touch. It would be good to be able to put a year to this image. Email Carol at oldewellians@ewellcastle.co.ukClick here to access the archive page on the website and email oldewellians@ewellcastle.co.uk for a username and password to allow you to view the photos, videos and Ewellian magazines.

 

Ben Rivers - Former Pupil
After leaving Ewell Castle in 2006 I went on to study Sports Business Management at Hartpury College (University of the West of England). Then I worked in events as an Assistant Operations Manager, setting up outdoor bars for festivals and events such as Ascot and Lords. After four years I moved into warehousing and logistics for another events company before joining the sales team at Fusion Office Design, the familiy business. Fusion has a classroom design arm which through a chance enquiry is how I came back to visit the School and provide a quote for some work at the School. Contact Ben at ben@fusionofficedesign.co.uk

Spring Concert at St Mary's
A few Old Ewellians joined Chapel Choir to perform Faure's Requiem, Vaughn Williams' Five Mystical Songs and Ali's Agnus Dei at the concert at St Mary's Church, Ewell on Wednesday 20th March.

 

Keep in Touch
Have you moved or changed jobs recently. We'd love to stay in touch with you, so if you are planning on changing your email address that you have previously given the Alumni Office, please send your new one to oldewellians@ewellcastle.co.uk, and continue to receive the e bulletins.

Searching for Old Ewellians
It was great to hear from Dr Mark Harris who featured in the March edition. This May we're looking for: Keith Reed, left in 1991, Martin Treacy, left in 1989, Paul Westaway, left in 1987 and Maurice Connor who left in 1986. Do you recognise the 3 'Sacred Heart' 6th Form girls in the 1993 photo? Let us know who they are or ask them to contact oldewellians@ewellcastle.co.uk