Led by our Chairman John Mewse, the Old Wymondhamian Committee is the engine room of the OWs. The Committee runs the OWs in accordance with its Constitution. Its various Committee Officers and members ensure everything operates as smoothly as possible. This includes the coordination of fund raising including the monthly 100 Club Draw, the consideration of requests for financial support towards relevant worthy causes related to the College, issuing news and communications to the Alumni, managing the Alumni database to help past students keep in contact, ensuring the archiving of historical material relating to the College and its past students and staff, and the coordination and promotion of reunions and social events.
OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Name: Nick Robinson (OW Vice Chairman)
Nickname at the College: Lofty (Something to do with being 6’4”!)
Year(s) at the College: 1978–82
House(s): Cavell Hall
Education after leaving: Sixth Form at King Edward’s, King’s Lynn, then Manchester University, studying Geology & Geography.
Career: Entered Financial Services and spent 27 years with Aviva, latterly leading distribution teams focused on winning large workplace pension schemes. After a short spell of early retirement, joined Lloyds Banking Group, heading up Corporate Partnerships for Scottish Widows and Embark. Also became an independent trustee of a Russian non-state pension scheme for a few years!
Overriding memory: Arriving on my first day by bus and worrying I’d be expelled after accidentally walking up the ‘girls’ side’ of the boarding house – they had been swapped around over the summer break! Lots of rugby and competing in the triple jump, reaching the English Schools finals in Birmingham and competing against Jonathan Edwards. And bendy toast for breakfast with lots of marmalade.
Any regrets?: Not joining the RAF cadets and learning how to fly
Name: Michael (Mike) Herring
Nickname at the College: Big Kipper (brother was little kipper)
Year(s) at the College: 1952-1958 – Jumped 5th form
House(s): East
Education after leaving: Joined engineering company. Moved into marketing and sales and then company management.
Career: Qualified as a Chartered Engineer.
Overriding memory: Probably meeting my wife Ann. The skiffle group; Mr Baron – a real model for life.
Any regrets? ….: wished we’d had more professional athletics training instead of being left to do our own thing. Took up athletics again when 79 and with excellent coaches at Bedford have been British pole vault champion for age group (80+ and 85+) ever since.
Name: Robert Rowell
Nickname at the College: Rolo
Year(s) at the College: 1953-1959
House(s): West
Education after leaving: Hull University – Geography Degree
University Air Squadron
Loughborough College to do a teaching Qualification.
Career: Taught Geography and Sport at Fosse Rd School, this is when I began playing Rugby for Leicester Tigers, whom I played for from 1963 – 1978 with a couple of years at Fyle and Waterloo. I played 355 games for the Tigers, was captain in the 76/77 Season and went on to be President. I played for England in 1964 & 1965, I played for the Barbarians and became divisional selector. I went into business working for the British United Shoe Machinery Ltd in Leicester I remained there for a few years, until I moved to Hoveringham who in turn were taken over by Tarmac, when I then moved to Matlock.
Overriding memory: I played soccer until Mr Mike Rees arrived and introduced us to the Oval Ball………
Any regrets? ….: In retrospect I regret leaving teaching!!
Name: Henry Andrews (Admin of W C Alumni Facebook Group)
Year(s) at the College: 1976 – 1983
House(s): Cavell till ’81 then Peel for sixth form.
Education after leaving: Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge to read Medical Sciences. Clinical years at UCMSM (University College and Middlesex School of Medicine)
Career: Psychiarist from 1991 to 2020. Full time NHS Consultant posts: Adult general psychiatrist in Enfield, then Rehabilitation Psychiatry in West Kent. Now retired to Bury St Edmunds.
Overriding memory: Working hard. Avoiding being picked on. Fear of being identified as gay, due to persistent cries of “Rah, Bender!”. Sports teams in earlier years: school productions later on
Any regrets?: If LGBTQ+ issues had been dealt with by the school as they are now in my time, I could have dealt with being gay much earlier in life.
Name: Jennifer (Jennie) Foster. Jennifer Clarke whilst at Wymondham College.
Nickname at the College: None to my knowledge. My brother Jonathan Clarke (Salisbury) was known as Nobby
Year(s) at the College: 1967-1974
House(s): Wakefield then New Hall
Education after leaving: Three years at Manchester University studying for a BSc in Pharmacy.
Career: After the obligatory Pre-Registration year at St Stephens Street Boots, followed by my first job as a qualified pharmacist at Boots in Dereham. I spent the remainder of my professional life working in retail covering pharmacies across Norfolk and even the odd day or two in Lincolnshire and Suffolk.
Overriding memory: Probably the night we were awakened to the fire in the sports hall and the investigation that followed. Adjusting to the houses becoming mixed and the day school amalgamating with the College. If that had not happened I would have been the only female in my A Level group.
Any regrets? ….: None that I can think of. I consider myself very lucky to have had a mother, who was a teacher, and knew all about Lincoln Ralph’s baby and grandparents with enough money to pay the boarding fees!
Name: Elizabeth (Liz) Griffin – (Stockwell at W/College)
Nickname at the College: None that I was aware of!!
Year(s) at the College: 1977 – 1982 – Joined the OW’s Committee 2016
House(s): Cavell Hall – House Master Mr Hoare for the full 5 years
Education after leaving: King’s Lynn Technical College (NORCAT), Pre Nursing, then Home Economics also did Secretarial Skills.
Career: Catering and laboratory work and then Food Manufacturing Company for 39 years lab/Technical Assistant up to Area Quality Manager
Overriding memory: The biggest change that took place in my years there was September 1978 when the 6th Form Houses were created in Peel and Lincoln and we lost the 6th & 7th form in our House. Our house year of boarders suddenly increase from 7 girls in the first year to 21 in the 2nd year.
A memory I won’t forget is the first day arriving on the bus by the music Nissan hut with a massive heavy old fashion leather suitcase, as big as I was, which at 11 I could not lift. My parents had told me there would be people to carry them for me when I arrived, this was not the case, (no pun intended). I had to ask someone’s Dad in my dorm, who I did not know, to kindly fetch it for me. Luckily, he did. I was not aware you could get mobile suitcase wheels then!!!
Any regrets? ….: No regrets whatsoever, loved being there. In my 5th year I even chose to spend exeat there and not go home to see what it was like. It taught me to grow up fast, be independent, and live and spend time with girls who were all so different in many ways. It was like having lots of sisters and brothers. Forty years on when I see people I shared these times with its very special and we share this bond the College gave us. The College has a special place in my heart and always will do.
Keeping it in the family! Both my late parents were teachers there, my Father (Ian Stockwell) who was appointed in 1960 taught Geography and Rugby. He started off living outside in the cold Nissan Huts until Norwich house was built. My Mother (Miss Margaret Buttress) was appointed in 1962 the youngest ever Housemistress of Winchester House (Now Cavell) and taught Mathematics. Both left in 1964 to get married
Name: Jack (John) Smith
Nickname: Smudger
Years at the College: 1951 – 1953. First Head Boy at College and First President of O.W.’s
House: Butler
Education after leaving: London Uni External Student, Sociology, University of Bristol, M Sc Race and Ethnic Relations.
Career: 1. National Service, RAF, Air Ministry Manpower Research Unit. 2. H. J. Heinz, Moving through the Company. 3. Universities of North London, Westminster and West of England and their forerunners, Student Support.
Overriding memory: Endless playing of a Winifred Atwell 78 on a portable gramophone with the Black and White Rag on the ‘A’ side and the Cross Hands Boogie on the ‘B’ side.
Any Regrets?: Several but primarily for not working hard enough. I still owe the late Miss Bruning six biology preps!
Name: Stephen (Steve) Read (OW,s Treasurer)
Nickname at the College: Dewdrop (embarrasingly!)
Year(s) at the College: 1968-1973 – Arriving as a 13 year old “New Third”
House(s): Durham then New Hall
Education after leaving: Moved straight into employment but pursued accountancy qualification via day release (initially) and home study
Career: Qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant working in industry initially but moved to self employment later, assisting local small/medium size business’ with their accountancy and taxation requirements
Overriding memory: The “biggy” during my time was the transition in 1971 to mixed houses following the change of Principal and the change of social dynamic that entailed. Also the introduction of the “round ball” sport!
Any regrets? ….: I’ve always enjoyed listening to music, I wish I had learned to play a musical instrument – we certainly had the time, but I enjoyed sport more then and considered music a bit “geeky”
