Category: News

Some 40 plus former colleagues & pupils together with  friends from the local art community spent time reflecting on Ian’s life in Lisvane Hall. After a welcome from Annie all were free to wander amongst the many exhibits of Ian’s life – painting, photos, military figures meticulously painted, parts of a glider Ian was building and cameras covering many years. The visitors enjoyed a chance to retell memories of Ian whilst having light refreshments and a drink. All agreed that they were unaware of all of Ian’s many hobbies and passions. We produce a selection of more than 50 Facebook comments/emails about Ian.

Annette Waddington
Really sad news, I remember him as a wonderful teacher, he was very encouraging although he sometimes didn’t mince his words! Thanks to his support and belief in me, I went to art college, did a degree in interior design, and have had an incredible career as a result. My condolences to his family at this difficult time.

Miranda Percival
Sorry to hear this news. I remember Mr Parkinson’s art appreciation classes in the 70’s and they led me to a love of art I have had ever since and have brought him to my thoughts often during the subsequent years whilst visiting galleries. Thank you to him, and condolences to his family and friends.

Jeni Elise
One of my core SC memories is the smell of black coffee and ciggies whilst learning to develop negatives in the dark room.
Always gentle, patient and kind. A true role model

Mandy Harrow
Memories of ‘Parky’ striding up Filey road with a newspaper under his arm, he was a kind and gentle , lovely man R.I.P x

Peter Caton
Thank you for letting me know, and I hope you are well.
This devastating news has hit me hard. Mr Ian Parkinson was instrumental in introducing me to photography, and after a 25-year career, I have a lot to thank him for.
I have sent my condolences to his wife, Annie, and hope to be able to attend the memorial while I am in Scarborough before I head off on photo assignments in Uganda.
Please let me know when you know of any memorial dates,

David Hempsall 
Sad news indeed: Ian was a good colleague and great character. Odd that when I visited, we discussed Ian at some length and you said how his visibility had reduced recentlly. I well recall Ian’s saying that “Robert’s got it!”, a reference to Rob’s having some real flair for art and design. I remember thinking at the time: “Oh no! Not a blessed Art student!”. Well, as you know, Rob went on to study graphic design and has a very successful career in the field. Long may that continue.

Cat Walker
RIP Parky
Such a character. Kind, witty, pleasantly sarcastic, always with a twinkle in his eye! A gentleman from a bygone era, I feel blessed to have been taught art by him. He taught me everything I know about photography. Love to his family and friends x

Kester Hodgson

Parky. Thank you for your patience and dedication. You were a fabulous teacher. I was sadly not a talented student, but that didn’t seem to phase you! RIP, sir

Ian Parkinson has sadly passed away, at home on 31st July, aged 83. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. There will be a private funeral but his life as an artist, photographer and former Head of Art at the College from 1973 until his retirement in 2001 will be commemorated at a later date. Please contact Annie Parkinson (annieparkinson2015@gmail.com) if you would like to attend the commemoration. However, please understand that the reply is likely to take some time, given all she has to do.

Ian Parkinson joined the staff of Scarborough College in 1973, 28 years later, his service to the Art Department came to an end with his retirement at the end of the Summer Term 2001.

The following tribute is from the School Report 2001

“Ian’s teaching was often inspiring and always generous. Notionally a part-time colleague, he often gave up an evening, weekend or part of a holiday to provide extra-tuition, and to give his students every additional opportunity to reach the exacting standards he set. An expert photographer himself, he regularly offered Photography sessions on an extra-curricular basis, and, more often than note these were over-subscribed. Past productions such as Oedipus the King and O What a Lovely War! owe much to his shrewdly conceived and patiently crafted stage designs. Parents always appreciated the care and sheer detail he would invariably provide in his end of term reports, even though they were sometimes defeated by his hieroglyphic handwriting. A kindly and well-read colleague, very much of the old school, with a dry sense of humour and apparently endless patience, Ian Parkinson has given outstanding service to Scarborough College, and we wish him a long and happy retirement.”

2014 Alumni Award – Peter Caton.
In his final year at the College, everything changed. Ian Parkinson, Head of the Art Department, took Peter’s class on a photography outing. Ian felt that Peter showed some natural ability and encouraged him to concentrate his class time on photography. This encouraged him to believe that he had the ability to make a career in the subject.
Peter was accepted to study photography at Cleveland College of Art & Design in 1994, where he was the only student to specialise in social issues rather than the more popular sport and fashion programs.
 He graduated with a BA (Hons) in Photography in 1998 and determined to make his way as a freelance photojournalist. Peter’s next step was to raise funds to purchase photography equipment, and he spent time working in a club in London where he experienced social issues rather different to those he would encounter later in his career!
In 2000 Peter and his camera set off to explore India. During his travels, he was asked by Greenpeace to document the 18th Anniversary of the Bhopal disaster where 20,000 people died from a toxic chemical leakage. Peter stayed on in Bhopal, living in the slums and focussing his photography on the problems experienced by the women who lived there.  This resulted in a seven page article in various Marie Clare magazines around the world. He then undertook freelance work covering the fight to eradicate leprosy, spending time living in a leper colony in India.  This resulted in three of his photographs being exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Greenpeace subsequently commissioned Peter to act as photographer on the Rainbow Warrior in their Cut Coal Save Climate campaign. Subsequently, Peter committed himself to living out of two rucksacks and basing himself in India as a freelance professional.  More work was soon to come his, way including a study of climate refugees in the Sundarban regions of India which increased his interest in global warming.

The photos from The OSA Reunion 2024 are now live! Click the link below to have a look through.
Thank you to photographer Richard Ponter.
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBtEDP

Some 100 OSs enjoyed an evening at the Musicals of Bill Scott, covering some 20 years at the college. The Alumni Award was presented to Rudi Barman (1990-97) for his outstanding service and bravery with the RNLI, for which he was awarded the RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry (full details available https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-33766013)

Zoe Harrison is organising this fundraising appeal on behalf of Sarah Grice

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-phil-wilson-as-he-rebuilds-his-life?member=33215659&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

28 November 2022. A date that Phil Wilson, his partner Sarah, and their families and friends will never forget.

At 5.25 p.m., as Phil prepared to head home at the end of another working day at Scarborough College, he suffered a sudden, life-threatening intracerebral haemorrhage. Thanks to the resourcefulness, quick-thinking and expertise of colleagues and NHS staff throughout that evening and the long night that followed, Phil survived against all the odds.

Put simply, the prognosis for Phil was ‘not good’. His chances of survival, even after emergency surgery at Hull Royal Infirmary, were slim. What the surgery gave him, in the words of his neurosurgeon, was ‘a fighting chance’. For several weeks, as Phil’s life hung in the balance in the ICU, there was no guarantee of any form of recovery; the only certainty was that it would be ‘a long road’.

Now, after nearly a year in hospital and neuro rehab, Phil needs your help as he continues his rehab journey.

For all who know him, Phil’s name has become inseparable from Scarborough College over the best part of six decades. Known and loved by hundreds of families, colleagues and friends who have experienced his teaching and coaching, been entertained by his humour, and benefited from his kindness and compassion, it’s no exaggeration to say he achieved legendary status within the school and its wider community.

From his formative years as a Lodge House student, to his ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ decades as a teacher of Business Studies and Psychology, Phil turned his hand to a number of roles: a multi-talented and passionate sports coach, Housemaster, Form Tutor, Head of Tier and, most recently, Senior Master. He was always there for others and truly embodied the phrase ‘above and beyond’. If you needed someone to go that extra mile, often behind the wheel of a College minibus, Phil was your man.

After nearly 60 years, Phil’s entire life has been connected with Scarborough College, but Sarah had also become a valued member of the school community. An inspiring English teacher and Head of English, Housemistress and member of the school’s Senior Leadership Team she, like Phil, gave her all to the school. The events of 28 November 2022 resulted in the overnight loss of two key figures from the College community. Although it was not apparent at the time, Phil’s collapse at school marked the end of both their careers at a place they both loved and had imagined working in until retirement. In an instant, any certainty they had about their future together was gone.

The last sixteen months have been incredibly challenging for Phil and Sarah, but they have always felt encouraged and supported by the outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the wider College community. The early months of Phil’s recovery journey took him on a tour of Yorkshire hospitals: from Hull to Scarborough, then a spell in Bridlington, before he was offered an inpatient rehab place at Woodlands Neurological Rehabilitation Centre in York. Phil still remembers nothing of that time.

It was at Woodlands that the months of hard graft and incremental progress truly began, as Phil embarked on a schedule of intensive physio, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy designed to help him regain function and some degree of independence, both physically and cognitively. As Phil began to slowly understand what had happened to him and the long-term implications of his brain injury, he also received counselling to help him process and come to terms with all the ways in which his life had changed

After nearly 9 months of intensive rehab, Phil was discharged from Woodlands on 20 October 2023. A day of much celebration but also trepidation. Being out in the world after so long was daunting for Phil. Adjusting to a life so very different to the one he remembers remains an ongoing challenge. His homecoming was daunting for Sarah too. She was at Phil’s side throughout his time in hospital and Woodlands, visiting daily and attending therapy sessions as his number 1 cheerleader, but becoming his full time carer without the safety blanket of the Woodlands team to rely on was a whole new challenge.

Phil’s months in rehab saw many little triumphs but he still needs a lot of help and support with daily living activities and accessing the wider world. His recovery thus far has already defied the odds but, despite acknowledging how far he has come, he still feels a long way from the man he was and remains focused on making further progress over the coming months.

To facilitate that progress and keep hope alive, Phil needs help to access specialist neuro rehab, expert optometry and the support of a neuropsychologist. Since leaving Woodlands, Sarah has searched to find the right people to support Phil achieve the best possible rehab outcomes, but their services come at a price. Throughout this life-changing experience, Sarah and Phil have always been mindful that, even in the darkest of times, there are always things to be grateful for, always people in worse situations, but the premature end to their careers, the subsequent loss of income, and the need to sell their home in Scarborough has left them with nothing to fall back on.

This GoFundMe campaign enables you to contribute to the following:

£100 = a counselling session with a consultant clinical neuropsychologist.
£125 = a 1:1 session of specialist neuro physio at MOTIONRehab in Hull.
£125 = an assessment and therapy session with a private optometrist.
£800 = to purchase a Rollz Motion Performance 2 in 1 all-terrain rollator and wheelchair.

Any amount you can give, however small, will make a difference. A donation of £10 will help cover weekly travel expenses; £30 will go a long way towards a physio session; £50 will support ongoing specialist optometry; £100 will cover the cost of an invaluable counselling session as Phil adjusts to life post-injury.

As a former schoolmate, colleague, parent of a pupil who Phil taught and mentored, and a friend for over 40 years, I am asking you to join with me to help PJ, and Sarah, as they face the challenges life has thrown at them.

Please donate what you can and share their story. The whole idea of crowdfunding has not sat easily with either Phil or Sarah, and they have taken some persuading. I have reassured them that ever since 28 November 2022 many of you have asked: what can I do to help and when? Here is your answer: support this campaign; the time is now.

Thank you for reading. Let’s do all we can to make sure Phil, PJ, Mr Wilson, PJW, Philippe feels the love as he continues on his rehab journey.

Zoë Harrison

On behalf of Phil and Sarah

Huge congratulations to OS Rob Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, for his incredible achievement! Rob’s direction of ‘Operation Mincemeat’ has earned the show an incredible 6 Olivier Awards 2024 nominations, one of which being ‘Best New Musical’! This recognition is a testament to the immense talent and dedication of everyone involved in bringing this captivating production to life.

Let’s all cheer Rob and the entire team on as they head towards the prestigious awards ceremony!

OSA Newsletter January 2024

 

A very successful term has just ended and the Committee wishes all members of the OSA a Merry Christmas and we hope that you have a Happy 2024. Keep an eye on social media and the website for details of the OSA summer Reunion which will be held on the weekend of May 18th!

At the last meeting of the year for the Local Group of the OSA Committee, the Xmas draw for the 300 Club took place. Headmaster Guy Emmett and OSA President Miles Cartwright are pictured showing the winning number – 63. Bernard Fletcher will be receiving his prize of £100 very soon.

The 300 Club raises funds which are targeted to support a local student, new to the Sixth Form whose personal circumstances require some financial support to help them through the IB Years. Membership of the 300 Club costs £10 a quarter – equivalent to 11p a day. It you are willing to support this worthy cause you can access the application form from the OSA website:

Home

Alternatively contact the OSA on osa@scarboroughcollegeosa.co.uk for further information.

Some 200 OSA members, parents, staff and friends enjoyed an excellent evening at the Spa. A fire alarm, just before the first course had been served, necessitating an evacuation into the rain for some 20 minutes whilst the fire brigade checked the venue did not dampen spirits.

At the start of the event, president Miles Cartwright provided an overview of how the OSA has helped the school and students over the past 6 years. Some £40,000 has been allocated to worthy causes, students and projects, the latest being a contribution to the purchase of hurdles for the Bramcote Running Track.

Past President Revd. Tim Jones paid tribute to Zoe Harrison who has recently stepped down from her role as Marketing Manager to spend more time on the family farming business. She has been associated with the College for over 40 years in a variety of roles. Both Zoe and Tim started as boarders at Lisvane in 1978!

Following the meal and raffle we enjoyed music from the Wave and the opportunity to catch up.

The photos from The OSA Ball can now be viewed, downloaded, and shared from our Flickr account via the links below. Many thanks to photographer Richard Ponter for capturing the two special events. We hope you enjoy looking through and sharing with family and friends.

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB51VL

 

Guests of Honour at this year’s Prize Giving were Old Scardeburgians Robert Hastie & Ben Taylor.

Robert Hastie is an award-winning theatre director of plays and musicals, and is Artistic Director of The Sheffield Crucible.Rob spent seven years at Scarborough College, leaving in 1995. He spent a year travelling with Ben and working at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, and then went to Cambridge University to study English. He then trained as an actor at RADA, and spent eight years performing in theatres around the country, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. In 2011 he started directing, working first as an assistant on Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Catherine Tate. He went on to be nominated for Best Newcomer by the London Evening Standard, and became Associate Director of the Donmar Warehouse in 2014, where he worked with actors including Jonathan Bailey, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss. In 2016 he was appointed Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, running the Crucible, Lyceum and Playhouse, where recent productions have included Life of Pi, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, The Wizard of Oz and Miss Saigon. Sheffield was awarded UK Theatre of the Year by The Stage in 2017 and 2020, and Rob named Best Director at the UK Theatre Awards. Next year he will have two shows running in London’s West End, Operation Mincemeat and the Olivier Award-winning Standing at the Sky’s Edge.
 

Ben Taylor is an internationally-acclaimed TV and film director.He lives in London with his wife and two young sons and is delighted to be invited back to his old school. The son of former Lisvane headmaster Ian Taylor, Ben’s Scarborough College career took him from Reception (1982) all the way through to Sixth Form where he served as a Prefect in his final year (1995). Following a travel & adventure-filled gap year with Rob, Ben began a degree in Film & TV Studies at Staffordshire University, graduating in 1999 with a First. After moving to London, he worked his way up from runner to director in the world of music videos, producing work for the likes of Girls Aloud & McFly. Ben caught his break in TV comedy with the BAFTA-nominated sketch show ‘Cardinal Burns’ and set up and directed all episodes of Series 1-3 of BAFTA-winning sitcom ‘Catastrophe’ – both for Channel 4. More recently he was Director and Executive Producer of the Netflix global hit ‘Sex Education’ Series 1-3, earning him an International Emmy. This year he has directed the 18th century Disney adventure series ‘Renegade Nell’, written by Sally Wainwright. Ben has just completed filming on his debut feature film, JOY, written by Jack Thorne, starring Bill Nighy, James Norton and Thomas in Mackenzie.

The photos from Prize Giving can be viewed, downloaded, and shared from our Flickr account via the links below. Many thanks to photographer Richard Ponter for capturing the two special events. We hope you enjoy looking through and sharing with family and friends.

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB4Jux

OSA Newsletter Sept 2023

A huge thank you to everyone who attended this year’s OSA Reunion in one way or another! The official photos are now here (link below)

We were absolutely delighted with over 80 people attending the dinner on Saturday night and being able to field a competitive cricket team for the first time in 12 years to face the school side on Sunday.

Keith Rowe has been in touch to say how touched and moved he and Gail were about the whole evening, but he was so sorry that he didn’t actually get to talk to everyone. He would really like to keep in touch with everyone who was there, if you would like to contact him or arrange to meet up he is happy to share his contact details with you.

We are already planning for the November Reunion weekend including The OSA Ball, 18th November 2023 and hope to see some of you again then. We will definitely be repeating the May Reunion weekend in 2024, so please pencil both weekends in your diary now.

In the meantime, the official photos from our photographer, Richard Ponter are now available to view and download by clicking on the link below. We will also be sharing these via our Social Media accounts and the OSA newsletter. Enjoy!

OSA KEITH ROWE REUNION DINNER MAY 2023 – https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAFN48

Thank you again for your continued support of The OSA and Scarborough College.

On behalf of the OSA Committee, I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the Royal Family on the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth.
Her devotion to duty and service to the country will never be surpassed.

 

Miles R Cartwright

(President OSA)

OS Lt. Phill Fordham (2002-08) returned to the College today, giving an inspirational presentation to current students about his career path as a pilot in the Royal Navy. Phill’s story has seen him fly over Buckingham Palace, track submarines and be appointed as the Aircraft Commander during National Armed Forces Day. From Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong, Phill’s career has enabled him to travel the world. We thank Phill for sharing his incredible achievements with  the Sixth Form, Year 11 and Year 8.

If any OSA members would be prepared to return to give a presentation about their careers etc do let us know by emailing osa@scarboroughcollegeosa.co.uk

Phillip Mann (1954-62) was one of the New Zealand’s major theatre influences and a prominent author. We have been informed that he has died in Wellington on Thursday 1st September. Our next Newsletter will carry a tribute to his life and work. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends.

It was much sadness that we have recently heard of the untimely passing of OS Joe Fell, leaver 2011.

Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends at this very sad time from all at Scarborough College and the OSA.

OSA_Newsletter_August_2022_.pdf

OSA_Newsletter_April_2022_.pdf

The photographs from the Reunion are available at:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/195301317@N03/xpeHY2

OS Ed Hopper is taking on the 24 Peaks Challenge to raise money for Motor Neuron Disease. If you would like to help Ed get to this target, please donate on https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/edward-hopper1 and read about his reasons for taking on this challenge.