The record breaking Gairdner family

Some things change, others don’t

As we drove home on a September afternoon in 1981, leaving our eldest son in the care of Father Benedict and his trams, little did we realise we would be collecting our youngest after 50,000 school-run miles and a record twenty unbroken years as Worth parents. Indeed, had we done so, would we ever have started?

In the interim, we have known three Abbots, four Headmasters, and eight junior and senior Housemasters; but only one Helen Sweetman!

June 30th 2001 was both a sad and happy day. Sad, as we bade farewell to the school as parents, but happy because our ties remain strong, and even after 105 terms’ fees and thousands of name-tapes, we still like returning to our spiritual home....

Julian (1981-1989) started in Junior House in September 1981 when Father Christopher was housemaster and grey sweaters, grey cord shorts, and the wonderful sky-blue socks were the uniform, not to mention the ‘new’ yellow parkas. Three years later, he entered St Bede’s and in his last year was Head of House and captain of 2nd XI cricket. As a keen musician, winning the House Music competition 3 times out of his 5 years was particularly pleasing, the last time under his baton. After a gap year spent farming in New Zealand and Australia, he read Agricultural Business Management at Wye College. Graduating in 1993, he worked for Strutt and Parker in their Farm Management and Consultancy Department for eight years in Chelmsford and Ipswich. He has now changed tack and is trying to break into journalism and broadcasting.

Edward (1983-1991) followed Julian into Junior House and St Bede’s. He was Games Prefect and 1st XI cricket captain. He was a student master in two prep schools during his gap year before going up to the University of Central England to read Business Studies. In January 1996, he went to Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Queen’s Royal Hussars in December of that year. After stints in Northern Ireland, Germany and Canada he is currently serving with the United Nations in Kosovo. In spite of his military duties, he has, needless to say, found time for cricket, touring Australia for three weeks and playing for the Royal Armoured Corps, the Army Under 25’s, and the Army itself.

Angus (1987-1996) was the last of the brothers to go to Junior House, by which time, the grey sweaters had been replaced by blue, green or red, and long trousers had ousted the shorts, so the blue socks were no longer in evidence! He too went on to S Bede’s and like Julian, led them to success in the House Music Competition, was a “Skoolie” and played 2nd XI cricket. His gap year was spent as a student master at Windlesham House, before going to Reading to study Land Management. He realised that media was the world he wanted to be in and has been working for Sky since September 2000.

Richard (1993-1998) went to a local prep school and was a scholar at Worth and naturally a member of St Bede’s. Like Edward, he too was 1st XI cricket captain. He spent his gap year working at his old prep school and travelling with two other Worth boys, before going up to Durham (St Chad’s College) in 1999 to read Natural Sciences. He has represented his college at cricket, football, and hockey, the latter requiring ‘research’ tours to Dublin!

Charlie (1996-2001) went to the same prep school as Richard and on to St Bede’s, also as a scholar. He took an active part in most sports, was the third Gairdner 1st XI cricket captain and was Head Boy. He is currently a student master at Christ’s College, in Christchurch, New Zealand and is due to follow Richard to St Chad’s at Durham in October, also to study Natural Sciences.

For our daughter Katharine, the eldest of the clan, Worth also holds special significance being responsible for her meeting Charles McDevitt, now her husband. They were married in the Abbey Church on 15th October, 1999.

We are proud that Worth has become the school it has. What a contrast the sports hall is to the old Gym 3; the PAC is to the Music School; and the cricket pavilion is to its predecessor. The grey suits and white shirts have gone, and the latter’s replacements now seem to be worn largely inside the trouser band. We are happy that Worth, despite the changes, remains fundamentally unchanged; the values at its core are as evident today as the day we decided the school was the right choice for our sons.

For Julian, Edward, Angus, Richard and Charlie, the Old Boys’ society now provides an on-going link to the school and with it happy memories of time well spent, in the classroom, sports field and notably ‘net’ practice in the Long Dorm!

So twenty years on, Martin and Rosemary look back with great affection to a place that has played such a big part of their lives. Martin, for some years a governor, has hung up his chequebook (except, alas, for Appeals!) and is instead enjoying discovering where all that money goes. Rosemary, on the other hand, is retaining her stock of Gairdner name-tapes, in anticipation of the next generation.

The trams may have moved, the car may be older, and the parents a little greyer, but some things don’t change and happily Worth is still Worth.

Martin and Rosemary Gairdner (Worth parents 1981-2001)