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David Pardoe’s memoirs give a fascinating insight of his long years at QE, from arrival at the age of just nine in 1942 – which proved to be quite literally the dark days of war for the pupils – to his departure at the dawn of a new Elizabethan age.

Now retired and living in Australia, David took an electrical engineering degree at Queen Mary College, London, on leaving QE in July 1952.

National Service followed: in 1955, he joined the RAF and was commissioned as Pilot Officer, Technical Signals Branch, and posted to Bempton on the east Yorkshire coast. On promotion to Flying Officer, he was moved to Linton-on-Ouse, just north of York, where he stayed until demobilisation in 1957.

He then forged a successful career at the forefront of telecommunications, joining Standard Telephones and Cables (STC) at New Southgate, where he was one of a team designing STRAD, a new type of message-switching system. This eventually took him to Mauritius to commission the first installation of a new type of message-switching system for the Royal Navy and then to Sydney to oversee the handover of a further two systems for the Royal Australian Army.

While in Australia he met his future wife, whom he married in Sydney in 1964. He returned to England the following year with his wife. For ten years, he worked for STC on computer-based communication systems. But in 1975, he and his wife decided to make a change. “Our family moved to Sydney, ‘on spec’, without a job or a house or school to go to. Eventually, I took a technical/marketing job with AWA, a communications company and in 1984 joined a consultancy firm as research manager from which I retired, at age 71, in 2003.”

Today he and his wife, a retired nurse and social worker, live in St Ives, a northern suburb of Sydney. His two sons both work in IT.

In his memoirs, David, who is pictured above in his mid-20s, devotes many pages to memories of QE which remain crystal-clear more than six decades later.

Born in 1932, in his younger years he lived with his parents and brother in Crown Lane, Southgate, north London. “The county boundary ran down the centre of the road—I was on the appropriate side to be eligible for Queen Elizabeth’s…

“In 1942, when I was enrolled, I knew nothing of its history or achievements but was only aware that my father wanted me fixed up in a secondary school before he went overseas with the RAF. Accordingly, one morning I went along to the school with mum, took the Entrance Exam and went home.  A few weeks later my parents were told that I had passed and that there would be a place for me in September 1942, when I was still nine.”

The School had moved to its site at Queen’s Road only ten years before, with classrooms that were, in David’s words, “designed to be large and bright and airy”.

“However, this was not possible under wartime conditions, which required that splinter-preventing fabric was glued on to each pane of the windows and sand bags were stacked up outside, in some cases restricting the light entering the rooms on the ground floor.”

He soon established his place in the School, which was thriving under the long headmastership of E H Jenkins. The Library fostered his fondness of reading – Agatha Christie was an early favourite – while he devoted many hours to helping backstage with School plays, an outlet for his love of theatre.

His account of Founder’s Day shows that proceedings on that highlight of the QE calendar are to a large extent unchanged today.

“There were two specially empathetic masters, ones whom I could really relate to,” he writes. “The first was Mr Brian Dickson, the Chemistry master. His use of homely analogies to illustrate chemical reactions and concepts was so good that most boys achieved excellent results in the subject, as I did, gaining a Distinction in the School Certificate.

“He was especially nice to me when my mother died, and I still have the letter of sympathy that he wrote to me. I can remember phrases from his letter today and I have used them myself when writing to people who have lost loved ones. He was a devout Christian and was the president of the School Christian Union. He later took holy orders and became a priest.”

“The other master who I got on with, and owe a debt of gratitude to, was Mr A H Raines, whose subjects were Maths and Chemistry. I believe Mr Raines was responsible for turning my school career around. He firstly showed me that I could do Maths. I was always good at arithmetic, but algebra was almost a closed book. I realise now that a minute spent at the beginning of a problem to properly understand it and to seek the method of solving it was the key and this could be applied to many situations in life. Mr Raines showed me this and by doing so let me find out for myself how easy the subject is.”

1952, the year he left School, was the end of an era not only for him, but also for the country:  “On 6 February, a dark, cold and rainy morning, we were called to the Hall at about 11.30 for an Assembly. The Headmaster walked to the rostrum in his usual manner and briefly explained that King George VI had died in his sleep and that there would be no more lessons for that day and we were to go home.  He concluded with a short prayer and declaimed: ‘The King is dead; God save the Queen.’”

David concludes: “I find that, in writing this account of Queen Elizabeth’s, I still have (mainly) fond memories of my teachers, and I appreciate the efforts that they made to create interest in their subject, and admire the way that they put up with some very mischievous behaviour from the boys on some occasions!  It must not have been easy for the School authorities to find teachers of quality under wartime conditions and I thank the Headmaster and the Governors for the job that they did.”

Current QE teacher and old boy of the School, Nicholas Bird, welcomed more than a dozen fellow alumni and colleagues to his wedding on New Year’s Eve.

Nick (OE 1995-2002), is a Physical Education teacher and is in charge of water polo – a sport which has gone from strength to strength at the School in recent years. Several boys have gained national places in the GB water polo squad this term.

He is also a PGCE Professional Mentor at QE, helping trainee teachers, especially those specialising in PE.

Seven old boys and their partners came as guests to his wedding to Samantha, a Metropolitan Police Officer, at Theobalds Park, Waltham Cross.

“They were all from my year group across various houses and now own businesses, work in the media or in the City. Some I would have played rugby with, whilst others were just classmates who I have kept in touch with,” says Nick.

“A number of my friends from School now live abroad in various countries, from Hong Kong and China to Canada and the US, and therefore although they were not able to make it to the wedding, they sent their best wishes – and it was very nice to receive such kind words. We would like to thank the School for all the good wishes and for the gift, which we have put towards an iPad.”

Also at the ceremony at the Georgian mansion were six members of School staff and their partners.

After leaving the Sixth Form, Nick took his first degree in Sports Science and Business Management at Brunel University, one of the UK’s leading universities for sport. He studied on the Graduate Teacher Programme at the University of Hertfordshire and gained his MEd at Middlesex.

The happy couple are looking forward to a summer honeymoon taking in New York, Las Vegas and Barbados.

The Spring Term began on a high note following the announcement in the New Year’s Honours List of an MBE for our Chairman of Governors, Barrie Martin, for services to education. In the ensuing weeks, I was struck by the warm reaction this news generated from so many, including Old Elizabethans.

I was personally delighted that Barrie, his wife, Perin, and sons, Piers and Giles, so enjoyed their day together in February, when they travelled to Buckingham Palace for the investiture at which Barrie received the award from the Prince of Wales.

Piers and Giles are, of course, both QE alumni. Indeed, Barrie first became a Governor at QE in 1987, when Piers (OE 1987-1994) joined as a pupil. Giles then followed his brother to the School in 1992. Since 1999, the year in which Giles left, Barrie has been Chairman of both the Governing Body and also of the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s.

His MBE is an honour richly deserved. In many ways, our Chairman of Governors embodies qualities which Queen Elizabeth’s School seeks to nurture and develop in its pupils. These include a tremendous capacity for hard work and an outstanding talent for enlisting and then retaining the support of others. Most of all, Barrie brings to QE a strong sense of moral purpose and constancy.

These qualities are in fact seen in all areas of his life, both personal and professional. He still works as a consultant for the chartered surveyor’s practice that he owned and founded, and which he worked in full-time until he sold it last spring. In addition to his support for QE and for his sons’ primary school, St Paul’s C of E Primary School (where he has been a Governor even longer than he has been with QE!), Barrie leads Junior Church at Hendon Baptist Church in north London, teaching the Bible to children every Sunday.

Barrie has always supported our emphasis on extra-curricular activities alongside academic studies, and I have had ample opportunity this term to see boys seizing the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular events.

Our 38th Rugby Sevens tournament was a great day and it was good to see our own boys playing so well. The performance of the U14 squad, runners-up in the Plate for their age group, augurs well for the future.

I also enjoyed another term of impressive music-making. Our Music Scholarship concert was an opportunity to see some high-quality musicians at the lower end of the School. A very good jazz concert and the main Seven Ages of Man concert very effectively showcased boys’ talents.

To highlight one other extra-curricular opportunity, our Combined Cadet Force are a much-valued element of our School life. I was pleased to hear of their successful visit to Sandhurst, and we were happy to welcome members of the Parachute Regiment here to a special History Society event.

Our most illustrious guest this term was Professor Andrew Hamilton, the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, who was our speaker at Senior Awards. His attendance was timely: with 37 offers received, we are set to equal our previous record for number of places at Oxford or Cambridge.

The publication of the Government’s secondary school league tables during the term brought evidence of academic achievement slightly lower down the School. They revealed that QE is the first school in London to achieve a 100 per cent pass rate in the English Baccalaureate, based on our 2013 GCSE results. This key Government measure introduced in 2010 requires pupils to achieve A*-C grades in English, Mathematics, at least two sciences, a foreign language and History or Geography. Only one other school in the country achieved a 100 per cent EBacc pass rate this year.

Such achievements have brought with them greater prominence for our School in the national media; our focus remains as ever on fulfilling our mission of producing young men who are confident, able and responsible.

The opening of the new Queen’s Library for Sixth-Formers has been cause for considerable celebration. I am also pleased to say that the new Fern Building roof is now finished, the work having taken less than 12 months from planning consent to completion. It has been a complex job, but one which secures the future of this very large 1970s building and will thus pay dividends in the years to come.

I wish all old boys of the School a pleasant Easter.

Neil Enright

The new Queen’s Library has now opened to Sixth-Formers. Offering ample space for independent study and reading, it is fully networked, with 96 computer terminals. The Library will become available to all younger pupils later in the year.

“It is a light, airy place which brings Years 12 & 13 right into the heart of the School, and they are enjoying being there,” says the Headmaster.

The Library’s opening marks the final phase of the development of a major building project in the central area of the campus, which has also included a new Dining Hall, a Food Technology area and Cafe 1573.

The process of systematically building up the School’s book collections to take full advantage of the additional shelf space available in the Library is now well underway. The School will shortly be appointing a librarian.

Sixth-Formers have been making the most of the facility for quiet study during free periods. Adjoining the Library itself is the LTR (Library Teaching Room), a seminar-style teaching room used for Sixth-Form lessons and certain academic enrichment activities, as well as the new offices of the Heads of Years 12 and 13.

Sixth-Form pupils are also the chief beneficiaries of Café 1573, which provides a coffee shop-style environment in which they can socialise.

With the Sixth Form having therefore now vacated their previous centre in the Heard Building, preparations for a new base for the English Department there are moving forward.

After gaining straight A* grades in his four A-levels, Drew Williams opted not to go to university but instead entered straight into the world of financial services.

Just 19 months later, Drew (OE 2005-12) is already attracting attention in his chosen field, having been shortlisted for the national Apprentice of the Year award. His firm, Ernst & Young, which nominated him for the award, has also made him a Student Ambassador, a role that involves him in promoting its School Leaver Programme and speaking to prospective students.

Drew, who joined the four-year programme in October 2012, is specialising in Banking and Capital Markets.

A popular pupil, he was also an outstanding sportsman at School. He captained the First XV rugby team in his final year and while in Year 12 was the First XI wicket-keeper when the QE tourists convincingly won the Read Trophy on their visit to Lancashire. He took A-levels in Mathematics, Economics, History and Politics.

Drew set his sights early on the Ernst & Young (EY) School Leaver Programme, choosing not to take up the place he was offered at Durham University. In addition to his day-to-day work in EY’s Assurance division, he is given time to study for his ACA chartered accountancy qualification.

“What I enjoy most about the programme is the emphasis on practical experience gained through working for various clients,” says Drew. “Exam preparation is a combination of ‘block release’ to study courses and a lot of home-learning, which can be difficult to balance with full-time work. There are also regular in-house courses focusing on best practice; the next one will be in Amsterdam, so I am especially looking forward to that! Additionally, I enjoy the role of Student Ambassador.”

In a recent interview with the London Metro newspaper, Drew said: “I knew at School that I wanted to go into financial services. Since starting at EY, I have gained an appreciation of just how respected the ACA qualification is. The other skills I have learned, such as teamwork, communication and time management will stand me in good stead for my career.”

He is thoroughly enjoying his career so far and, although he did not win the Apprentice of the Year title, he attended the awards ceremony with the other nine shortlisted candidates at the Grosvenor Hotel. The ceremony was hosted by TV celebrity Jonathan Ross and was “a great experience,” says Drew.

The Elizabethan Union’s 49th Annual Dinner Debate boldly plunged into the current national news agenda, with OEs and current pupils debating the motion: This House believes that Scotland should be independent.

Nisha Mayer, teacher in charge of debating, reports that the highly topical subject matter duly inspired both passion and wit from current boys and visiting OEs alike at the debate.

The debate began with the traditional toast to the Queen and to ‘The Pious Memory of Queen Elizabeth I’. The toast to the ‘Visitors’ (the OEs) was proposed by Captain of School Adam Hilsenrath, while Matthew Rose (OE 2002-2009) responded with the toast to the Elizabethan Union.

The motion was proposed by Year 12 boys Ashwin Sharma and Jason Thomas; it was opposed, successfully, by Harry Peto (OE 2005-2012) and Krishan Shah (OE 2005-2012). The chairman was Reuben Chacko.

Mrs Mayer said: “In the original vote taken by Reuben, about 80% of the audience either opposed the motion or abstained. After the debate, where Ashwin Sharma and Jason Thomas argued very convincingly and passionately for the motion, the swing to them was considerable, with almost a third of the audience voting to pass the motion. So, although the motion did not carry, a lot of hearts and minds were won by our Year 12 debaters.

“The opposition – our returning OEs – also put forward some very intelligent and wonderfully entertaining material. Harry and Krishan showed the same spark they had when they were debaters in the Elizabethan Union a few years ago.

“The floor debate, too, was very engaging, with Ethan Lam amusingly suggesting that the prospect of independence could be compared to a divorce and Daniel Soyade bravely taking apart the heartfelt speech of his Year Head, Liam Hargadon, in favour of the motion.”

The meal was eaten this year in the new Dining Hall. The diners enjoyed a starter of fresh & sunblush tomatoes and Mozarella pearls with basil oil and mixed salad leaves, followed by chicken chasseur or mushroom stroganoff, with a dessert of strawberry gateau or chocolate & raspberry tart.

Captain Charles Russell (OE 1997-2004) hosted a visit to Sandhurst by a group from the School’s Combined Cadet Force.

Charlie, who is currently a platoon commander on the permanent staff at the Royal Military Academy, answered searching questions from the 15 boys when they called in at the Officers’ Mess for coffee.

The CCF group were led by Captain Kieron Howe, who is also the School’s Director of Music. “Charlie was brilliant with the guys,” he said.

In July 2010, Charlie was quoted in a Ministry of Defence announcement, which celebrated the rapid improvements brought about by joint patrols between members of 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1RGR) and Afghan National Army (ANA) troops in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The patrols had “seen the pernicious influence of insurgents in the village of Piand Kalay diminish and a new level of normality return for the local people”, the announcement stated.

Charlie, who was then a Second Lieutenant, explained at the time: “Four weeks ago when I used to patrol through the village on a daily basis I’d be lucky if I spoke to three or four people. It was an empty village, the locals were intimidated, they were scared to come to talk to us because they’d be seen interacting with ISAF [the International Security Assistance Force] and ANA.

“Now, when we walk through the village from checkpoint to checkpoint and push out into the Green Zone, they welcome us – they want to speak to us. They are a little intimidated but the overall impression is that they are happy with us in the village and they want to see more progress.”

He was injured in Afghanistan in 2010. The following summer he attended a reception for wounded servicemen and women hosted by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in the grounds of Highgrove, their Gloucestershire home. The Prince of Wales is Colonel in Chief of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.

During their visit to Sandhurst this term, the QE contingent were given a tour of the Academy’s extensive grounds. They also enjoyed lunch, a talk on the history of the facility and an opportunity to meet Officer Cadets and Officers.

The day started with an introduction by an academic member of the Academy’s staff, Sebastian Puncher, who talked through the development of the college since its foundation in 1812.

“The boys walked up the steps into Old College, an experience that Officer Cadets undergo on their first day of training and then not again until the day they pass out,” said Captain Howe. “We were shown the Indian Army Memorial Room, with its window dedicated to the Gurkha regiment amongst others. We also saw the five-metre-wide painting of the moment when the battle of Waterloo turned in Wellington’s favour, painted by Sir William Allan in 1847.”

The tour continued with a drive around Chapel Square, followed by lunch at New College amongst the Officer Cadets. The boys then moved on to the Officers’ Mess for coffee and quizzed Charlie, before he had to leave to go on exercise. The visit concluded with a drive around the rest of the extensive grounds, taking in a little rugby before setting off back to Barnet.

“The boys gained a vast amount of knowledge about the workings of the Academy and also a better picture of life in the Army as a whole. It was a really insightful day,” said Captain Howe.

Early in his career in financial services, academic high-flyer Drew Williams (OE 2005-12) is already making his mark on the national stage.

Drew was shortlisted for the national Apprentice of the Year title, having been nominated for the award by his firm, Ernst & Young. EY has also made him a Student Ambassador, a role that involves him in promoting its School Leaver Programme and speaking to prospective students.

Drew has followed an unusual path for a 21st-century Elizabethan: he gained straight A* grades in his four A-levels, but opted not to take up the place he was offered at Durham University. Instead, he joined EY’s four-year School Leaver Programme, specialising in Banking and Capital Markets. In addition to his day-to-day work in EY’s Assurance division, he is given time to study for his ACA chartered accountancy qualification.

A popular pupil, he was an outstanding sportsman at School. He captained the First XV rugby team in his final year and while in Year 12 was the First XI wicket-keeper when the QE tourists convincingly won the Read Trophy on their visit to Lancashire. He took A-levels in Mathematics, Economics, History and Politics.

"What I enjoy most about the EY programme is the emphasis on practical experience gained through working for various clients," says Drew. "Exam preparation is a combination of 'block release' to study courses and a lot of home-learning, which can be difficult to balance with full-time work. There are also regular in-house courses focusing on best practice. Additionally, I enjoy the role of Student Ambassador."

In an interview, he told the London Metro newspaper, Drew said: "I knew at School that I wanted to go into financial services. Since starting at EY, I have gained an appreciation of just how respected the ACA qualification is. The other skills I have learned, such as teamwork, communication and time management will stand me in good stead for my career." He is thoroughly enjoying his career so far and, although he did not win the Apprentice of the Year title, he attended the awards ceremony with the other nine shortlisted candidates at the Grosvenor Hotel. The ceremony was hosted by TV celebrity Jonathan Ross and was "a great experience," says Drew.
 

Kiran Patel (OE 2000-2007) has a busy career combining his work as a junior doctor with research, teaching and writing for medical journals - but he still misses QE.

Since qualifying as Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with a First in Physiology from King's College, London, Kiran has found his time almost fully taken up with his chosen career. However, he still finds tries to find time to play music whenever he can. "I played saxophone with the Big Band and Concert Band at School, activities that I very much miss," he said.

Kiran was invited as guest speaker at the 2014 Founder's Day celebrations.

He achieved a number of notable academic and scholarship successes as a student. In 2012 he was awarded the British Medical and Dental Students Trust travel scholarship sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline as well as the Royal College of Physicians (London) medical student elective bursary. He won the King's myScholarship prize in 2012 and in 2010 was awarded the McDowall Prize (physiology) and the King’s British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Scholarship.

Whilst still a student, Kiran was involved in the creation of the Clinical & Academic Research Society (CARS) to encourage and enable greater student participation in research or clinical audits at King's and its affiliated teaching hospitals. "I basically founded the society in 2011 and was President until 2013," he said. "The medical school, King's Health Partners and CARS work together to facilitate participation and organise events at which students can share their work to improve their presentation skills."

Kiran completed his foundation year at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, where his work has included general surgery alongside stroke and geriatric treatment and cardiology. He teaches junior medical students, which he thoroughly enjoys, and has penned a number of medical articles which have been published in specialist journals, including International Journal of Clinical Practice and the Cambridge Medicine Journal.

His research has included the study of in vivo chemical screens of p38 MAPK and MEK1/2 inhibitors in zebrafish to determine their effects on cardiovascular development and function as part of an Elective Project at Harvard Medical School.

In addition to his continuing interest in music, he also enjoys baking (afternoon tea is a favourite!), going to the gym and running. "In the summer I like to do a bit of gardening; I suppose most of my leisure activities are ones that don't involve reading books and journals!" He would also like to travel when he has a little more free time.

Kiran gives his time as an Academic Trainee Representative with the North Central Thames Foundation School. His responsibilities include representing the interests and views of academic trainees, particularly with regard to training and professional development.

Peter Sumpter has worked with numerous international figures including Nelson Mandela during his career with the BBC.

Peter (1968-74), who is the Craft Leader of the Studio Managers for BBC TV news, has met many famous people, including top musicians and various American presidents. During the 1997 General Election campaign, he followed soon-to-be Prime Minister Tony Blair (his press pass from the time is shown here), while much more recently he was heavily involved in the BBC coverage surrounding Nelson Mandela's death.

"I wasn't the most academic of pupils, although the ethos of the School has served me well," he says. "Over the years, I have designed lighting for several programmes and lit several music items for TV. I have worked on BBC events around the UK involving local communities." In recent years, he has helped to develop the BBC School Report project, which won the 2013 European Diversity Award for journalism. The national project aims to develop journalistic skills among 11-16 year-olds.

In addition to his own history as a QE alumnus, Peter also has a work colleague of many years' standing who is the father of the School's current Head of English, Susannah Sweetman. Through this connection, he suggested that QE become involved in School Report. "With real-time deadlines to deliver an end product, the experience the pupils get out of this is fantastic and it gives a different dimension to the traditional learning process," says Peter.

The School duly took part for the first time in 2014, with Peter suggesting a list of roles for the boys that included student correspondents, editors (a senior editor, news editor and sports editor), researchers, a director, cameramen, picture editors, lighting operatives, a soundman and those with the skills to build a QE-branded backdrop and design the graphics. In March, QE joined the other participating schools taking part in an annual News Day, simultaneously creating video, audio and text-based news reports, and publishing them online.