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Woolwich revisited. The original Woolwich cohort, who started boarding after the house was refurbished, have now reached the end of their School life at Gordon’s. They are pictured with some new Year 7s (front).
Welcome to our first edition of 2026! As always, both Gordon’s and our Gordonian community have been busy since term started in January, and it has been wonderful to see the two groups come together.
Maddison Clement 12270 (2005) visited us during her Reading Week at Royal Holloway University. She managed to catch up with her House parent, Danielle Heathcote, and give some tips to students studying for their A-Levels.
FTo those that joined us for the first time, to those who return every year, thank you! Keep spreading the word, and if you haven’t joined us yet, a free drink is waiting for you on Saturday 16 January 2027! WELCOME
The Whitehall Parade was another spectacular day. The students and Pipes and Drums marched beautifully through Whitehall, and it was lovely to see so many Gordonians watching and then afterwards for our reunion. Seeing Gordonians from more recent years and those who attended when it was a boys’ school chatting and reminiscing together will always be one of my favourite moments in the Gordonian calendar.
Thank you also to those who joined us on the Parade Square for Remembrance Parade.
Those who follow us on social media will have seen our newest Gordonian. Pictured below, and standing at just 43cm, our smallest Gordonian was donated by the family of Teddy Temple. The family weren’t sure where Teddy fitted into School, but thanks to your memories, we now know that Teddy was the Tailoring Instructor in the 1950s. The students and staff are so fond of him and we were so happy to see how much you were too! Teddy’s family were thrilled to learn of his connection to Gordon’s and very happy that tiny Gordon is back at Gordon’s.
rom helping with the Piper’s Plaid, twirling the mace and pictures with Phil Fox, the Gordonians descended on Whitehall in January for a spectacular day. The Pipes and Drums led the Parade from King Charles Street to the Service, where Harriet Turk 10596 (2008) laid a wreath on behalf of The Gordonians.
A calmer Parade than last year allowed the Year 9 and 11 students to march through London, a moment they will remember, as we all know. Gordonians often ask who marches, and it is now Year 9 and 11, allowing students two opportunities to enjoy this core moment of their time at Gordon’s. The band are a little different as it is made up of students from assorted year groups.
We also had a lovely visit from John and his two friends from America and Canada in March. Whilst not Gordonians, they have a keen interest in General Gordon and started their history tour of the UK with us. Thankfully the sun was shining and they thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Statue and Chapel in particular.
We hope you enjoy catching up all things Gordonian.
Harriet Gordonian Officer
A big thank you to Gary May 7512 (1973) who spoke to nearly everyone and managed to find two more former Khartoum boys, Sam Richell 12630 (2024) and Will Taylor 12643 (2024), and grab a photo!
Congratulations to Year 11 students, Maya (left) and Phoebe, who won the Creative Arts and Sports awards respectively.
Maya won the Creative Arts award with her passion for techincal theatre. She has worked on and been Deputy Stage Manager in multiple shows with School, as well as acting in them in her younger years.
Phoebe won the Sports Award as a very talented and ambitious Hockey player. She has played for the school teams since Year 7, and last year made her National League debut at just 15 years old!
Both Maya and Phoebe have given a lot back to the School, through their House and their disciplines and we are looking forward to seeing how they progress.
These students will continue to benefit from their award during Year 12 and Year 13 as we support six students at one time. Their award money helps them participate in events such as summer school programmes, residential sport camps, or to buy new equipment and membership to their local sports or arts clubs.
These awards are fully funded by generous donations from Gordonians. If you would like to support and ensure the longevity of these awards, please do email gordonians@gordons.school to find out more.
We welcomed Luke Oakes 11649 (2016), Freddie Compson 12374 (2023), Alex Wilson 12152 (2021) and Josh Deakin 2021 (12070) to our Careers Fair in February. Every Gordon’s student attended the event, which meant our volunteers saw over 900 throughout the afternoon! This was part of National Apprenticeship Week, which was kicked off by three more Gordonians who talked to students about the benefits of degree apprenticeships. Harrison Dodd 13523 (2023), Jex Kidd 13769 (2024), Lyla Gilbert 13758 (2024) and Freddie, inspired students and spoke to them on the whole journey, from application process to what they’re enjoying most!
Harrison Dodd, a former rugby scholar, is on a government economic service degree apprenticeship; Freddie Compson, is with Ward Williams on a construction management degree; Jex Kidd is with Amazon as a finance degree apprentice and Lyla Gilbert is with Charles Russell Speechlys on a solicitor apprenticeship.
In December, Adam Mills 12813 (2025) and Weiyee Zhou 12856 (2025) visited to talk to current students about life at Oxbridge and the admissions process. They are currently studying at Cambridge and Oxford and gave our Sixth Form students an insight into university life and what to expect.
Andrew Powell 9288 (1998) came to school to speak with Year 10 CCF Cadets. Andrew, who has served in the Navy, shared his experiences on being on the front line in Ukraine as part of the International Brigade as a Medic. A very insightful and valuable talk for our cadets.
Our Career events couldn’t go ahead without help from our alumni. If you’d like to be involved please email gordonians@ gordons.school – we’d love to hear from you!
Have you explored our online photo archive? If not, now is the perfect time to dive in. The archive holds hundreds of photos which date back all the way to 1940 and include everything from Parades, Inter-House, sports teams to the buildings of the school. This project allows us to cherish memories and enjoy the vast array of photos which the school held in a physical archive. The photos also include the Camel statue installation and old classrooms, workshops and the site as it is now including the new sports facilities.
Registration is completely free. Once you’re signed up, you can explore this incredible collection, reconnect with fellow Gordonians around the world, comment on photos, and even contribute your own memories by uploading photographs to the archive. If you’re already a user to our website, you will be able to sign in automatically.
If you haven’t already taken a look, log in today and start exploring. New photos are being added regularly, and the archive will soon expand to include documents and magazines — so there will always be something new to discover. The facial recognition tool will allow you to find you old photos and automatically build you a personal gallery.
Do also add your own photos, we love to share the photos you have. Log in here www.gordonians.co.uk
Liam, now living in London, was a weekly Boarder in Sandringham and now with a family of his own, he spoke with us to share his memory of Gordon’s. It was so lovely to hear his fond recollections and how his time here shaped who he is today.
Liam enjoyed boarding, with his Dad in the military he thrived on the schedule and remembers aged 10 being excited to go to boarding school.
Liam’s family received a bursary from Gordon’s, which made it possible for him to attend. These bursaries continue to support families who might not otherwise have the opportunity to join the school. When we speak to former pupils who benefited from this support, it’s clear how grateful they are—and many are eager to give back by volunteering their time, attending events, and sharing their stories. It truly brings everything full circle.
What is your favourite memory from Gordon’s?
Inter-House Sport competitions were Liam’s favourite. His year in Sandringham were a tight-knit group, this combined with the friendly rivalry between houses made for great fun. He vividly remembers scoring a winning goal in football one year and colliding with the goalkeeper.
His first Parade in Whitehall also sticks with him.
Favourite meal from the dining hall?
Has to be cottage pie and banoffee pie!
Who was your favourite teacher?
Mr Knight in Maths! Liam remembers Mr Knight reply that ‘this IS the real world’ when another classmate asked ‘Sir, when are we going to need this in the real world?’. Mr Knight is still here as Head of Gravesend House and still teaching Maths.
What advice would you give to current students?
‘Use this time to work out who you are. Once you’ve done this, it is key to working out what you want from life. Use the variety of options to find out what you like, make mistakes, and try something new. Don’t be afraid of failure, because it’s not failure, it’s learning’.
Thanks for chatting to us, Liam. See you back at school soon!
We caught up with George Ledwidge 6819 (1962) who was in Gravesend and I think his favourite memory he shared with us was waking up one morning to find all their boots removed and laid out on the Parade Square to spell Khartoum.. it took them ages to gather up their boots and pair them up again! You can guess which House stole the boots!
Pictured here is George on the left, and his second cousin Tommy Harris 6690 (1960) taken at an Annual Parade, with their sisters at the front.
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The Gordonian Runners were founded by 7930 Steve Davis on 1st April 2015 so have now been established for over 11 years. The Club is affiliated to England Athletics and the South of England Athletic Association (SEAA) with the aim of providing an opportunity for adult runners with an affiliation to Gordon’s School to pursue these interests together.
The Club’s relatively small numbers give our members a significantly higher chance of successfully gaining a London Marathon place than the public ballot. We are also ‘punching above our weight’ in being able to boast two international athletes among our numbers with Club Secretary, 8077 Mark Bissett, having recently been selected to represent England Masters at the Manchester Marathon in April 2026 following the outstanding achievement of completing his 100 th race of marathon distance or longer in Estonia last year. The Club is also very fortunate to have as our Patron, Paula Fudge, the first recognised women’s 5000 metre world record holder and Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Paula still participates in local parkruns and recently met up with the Gordon’s School park runners at Frimley Lodge where she still holds the age graded course record.
Our club colours have been proudly represented abroad over the past year with Angela Large competing in Gibraltar, 8440 Paul Smyth doing parkruns in Queensland, Sue and Mark Bissett medalling at events in Ireland, 8114 Graham Bartlett running
a half marathon in Budapest and, though not quite overseas, 7982 Paul Butler and 8016 Mike Loftus achieving age group podium finishes in Wales!
The Gordonian Runners hold three main club events each year:
April – a 5k run for the Large Butler trophy (currently held by Paula Fudge) awarded for the fastest age graded time in memory of Steve Davis who sadly passed on 6th April 2023.
July – the Woking parkrun on the Saturday morning before the School’s Annual Parade.
October – an overseas trip to fulfil our promise to Steve Davis to run in the fiveEuropean countries he did not complete a full or half marathon in. Having previously ticked off Rome and Albania, the Gordonian Runners had a great weekend in Tallin, Estonia in 2025 and are looking forward to visiting Bucharest, Romania in October this year.
The Club is open to staff members (serving or retired), former pupils, children, spouses, partners or siblings of staff members or former pupils, current pupils who are 18 or over and parents of current pupils and Gordonian Runners would very much welcome any new members who would like to join us. Please contact gordonians@gordons.school.
Mike Loftus 8016 (1981)
You never know who you’re going to bump into at a parkrun! The Gordon’s Parkrunners at Frimley came across Paula Fudge, running in her Gordonian Runners club shirt! Celebrations too, for Mrs Jones who completed her 401 st parkrun at the Frimley Lodge parkrun on the same day!
Very much a Gordon’s affair at Harlequins in the U19 game against Japan. Six current students and Gordonians playing for the premiership side with Gordonian Math Jones kicking the winning penalty in the last play! The ball boys and girls from Gordon’s were also delighted to have been picked for the game.
Balmoral House cycled 680km on stationary bikes on the Parade Square, to raise money for the School’s four charities - Frimley Park Hospital Children’s Ward; The Gurkha Welfare Trust; Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and Kids for Kids. Students and House staff took to the bikes throughout the day to try and make it to Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh raising almost £1,000. A true team House effort!
A little dive into the archives and we found these past Balmoral House photos.
Ted MacIntyre 7586 (1975) writes about his much missed fried Richard Patrick Beardall (7505), the last boy to complete a tailoring course at Gordon Boys’ School, has died aged 68.
A student at the school in the late 60s/early 70s, Richard’s skill at tailoring carried him into later life with much success.
Known for making strenuous efforts to avoid sport, Richard was also rebellious and a master at avoiding any interest in academic study. However, he not only won the school languages prize but left having passed all his subjects.
His friend Ted MacIntyre recalls that for many, the dislike of sport, military, hiding his academic gifts and a ‘flexible approach to school rules’ would have made his time at Gordon’s miserable: ‘But Richard found the parts he loved and held onto them. He was always keen to make friends. He had a wonderful, self-deprecating humour, always telling jokes, always inventing ditties about the teachers. To his many friends he was loyal, supportive, and endlessly good company. He loved the security and camaraderie of China House, and he gave back as much as he received’.
It was at school that his entrepreneurial spirit emerged, cutting his peers’ hair for 10p with a borrowed pair of barber’s scissors whenever the threat of the school barber loomed.
He forged a successful career in the motor industry before starting his own business Westhill Studios and Sutlers Stores, with an interest in tailoring, designing costume accessories and providing weaponry of the 19 th Century. The company worked on projects for museums, films and TV across the world. He was a staunch supporter of the school and Gordonian Association and regular visitor for events and committee meetings.
Richard died at home after many years of ill health and is survived by his wife Nancy and children Chris and Katy. Many people attended his memorial service, which was also broadcast on a webcast.
Ted says: ‘We honour Richard with genuine gratitude, affection, and a deep respect. We carry forward the laughter, the loyalty, and the warmth he gave so freely. Our grief is the price we have to pay for the wonderful gift of Richard’s friendship’.
Ted MacIntyre will deliver a eulogy to his friend Richard at the Gordonian Service on 4th July.
The tenth anniversary of the death of student Luke Towers was marked in January with a short memorial service beside the magnolia tree planted in his memory at Gordon’s. The service was conducted by the School Chaplain, the Reverend Graham Wright.
Luke Towers died from a cardiac arrest at the age of 15 after playing a game of
football. Former members of his House, Khartoum, also gathered to remember their peer.
Since Luke’s death, the school community has raised funds in his memory for Cardiac Risk in the Young, an organisation dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac deaths in young people through awareness, screening, and
S
support. These efforts were recognised with a Surrey Superstars Youth Fundraising Award.
The Reverend Wright said: “Amidst the anguish, let us give thanks for Luke’s life — his unique character and personality, and all the good he brought to our lives while he was here.”
We remember those who have died recently, Semper Fidelis.
Eddie Ayres 6603 (1958)
Richard Beardell 7505 (1973)
Henry Lowe 6551(1957)
Bob Bundell 6714 (1961)
Nick Garner 8216 (1981)
Arrival from 10:00am: Registration and Refreshments at the Library
11:00am: Gordonian Memorial Service (Chapel of St Edward the Confessor)
12:00: Big Blaw with Gordon’s Pipes and Drums
12:00: Gordonian Marquee open for Picnic Lunches* and Drinks
13:45: Take your seats for the Parade 14:00: Annual Parade
15:30: Last Orders at the Bar 16:00: Event Closes
*picnic lunches must be pre-ordered - order your picnic box online before Sunday 14th June 2026 www.gordons.school/boxoffice
• Saturday 6th June Patron’s Parade
• Wednesday 10 th June Networking Breakfast
JULY
• Saturday 4th July Gordonian Memorial Service and Annual Parade
• Friday 17th July Gordonian Golf Day
SEPTEMBER
• Saturday 5th September Outdoor Cinema
OCTOBER
• Sunday 11th October Parade
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• Saturday 8th November Remembrance Parade
