18258 RGS ONA Issue 99.qxp_v 06/02/2017 09:40 Page 2
News and Congratulations We are delighted to have heard recently from…
Philip Leach playing King John
Sunday league football
Philip Leach (67-74) who writes:
The Old Novocastrians FC came into existence in 2013. Having taken part in the Old Novos games, John Gregson (95-02) and I could see there was a core group of ONs still in Newcastle keen to play, so we approached the school who granted us the use of the name.
‘I retired as senior partner of Saunders Roberts Solicitors, Evesham, in 2015 after 32 years with the firm to pursue my long-standing involvement with drama. Having acted professionally with Worcester Repertory Company in a number of productions in recent years, including performing at the International Shakespeare Festival in Romania in May 2016, I have just finished playing the title role in King John with the Rep at Worcester Cathedral. Our first night was on the 800th anniversary of his death and the run of eight performances was in front of the high altar with King John’s actual tomb part of the staging, so he was literally in the audience.’ Jim Lawrence (60-94), retired chemistry master, who returned to school with a few staff photos, causing some heightened interest amongst the current staff! Jim enjoyed a tour around the school, bumping into some familiar faces and was particularly impressed by the new sports facilities; envying the new swimming pool, vastly improved from the Sutherland Swimming Bath, the one he remembers from his teaching days. Jim still swims regularly!
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Our first season was played in the North East Sunday League. In the second season we won the Annsley Merelle Ward (01-02), one
of the first girls to join the RGS, who writes: ‘After several years in the IP litigation team at Magic Circle firm, Allen & Overy LLP, I recently joined Bristows LLP. Bristows is the leading IP litigation practice in the UK and Europe, acting for clients such as Google, Samsung, Novartis, Cadbury and L’Oreal. My practice area focuses on patent litigation in relation to cutting edge technology, particularly in the life sciences and technology, media and telecommunications fields. Coincidently, the joint head of our patent litigation team is an Old Novo – Brian Cordery (80-90) who was Head Boy in 89-90. Thought it was a nice coincidence!’ She notes that
Sportsmanship Trophy. After two years we joined the Cramlington and District Sunday Football League, where we finished top of the Fair Play League! This year we are making progress, from a social team to an actual football team. By Jamie Hansell (92-02)
Brian boasts he can still recite The School Song! Two ONs recently returned to school to delight the Lower Sixth with their take on two thought-provoking topics, The Year That Changed the World… and Conflict and Disaster in the Modern World. Colonel Bibek Banerjee QVRM (78-85), cardiovascular surgeon and Army Reserve Officer, and Tom Rowley (01-08), journalist and special correspondent at The Telegraph gave lectures to the Lower Sixth as part of a series of Lower Sixth Enrichment Lectures. We look forward to Nick Bell (95-01), VicePresident of Content at Snapchat, who is next up in the spotlight.
