You are reading the online edition of the Old Camdenians Newsletter, Summer 2025

Dear Old Camdenians,

It has been a particularly busy term and the endeavours of our students (sporting, academic and pastoral) have been amazing. The confidence and leadership that is evident in our student population is an indication of a very successful future for the school and our learners. Sometimes we are amazed how we manage to fit everything in and keep the learning and development at the heart of Beacon High. We are extremely proud of all of the opportunities that the staff at Beacon High create for our learners.

Our Conference Day took place on 25th April which is always a powerful event. The focus this year was the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Students were invited to attend our conference with special keynote guest speakers as well as student-led workshops. It was a particularly special event for our students and guests. Our student leaders were fantastic and their workshops really developed our schools’ understanding of the rights of children. All of this goes forward to our Rights Respecting School Award.

Time always seems to move faster at this time of year. We said farewell to Year 11 after their GCSEs and we are extremely proud of our learners who have been focused and diligent in their preparation for and their application in the exams. We now wait for the outcome of all this hard work on August 21st on Results Day. Good Luck. To celebrate we look forward to seeing our Year 11 at the Prom on 3rd July. As Year 11 departs we are very much looking forward to welcoming our year 6 families to our school. This is the beginning of the transition journey which will lead us up to the transition Day on 3rd July where our new year 7 will spend their first day in school.

Our Year 10 students head off on work experience. Most young people do work experience with an employer to learn about a job or an industry. It’s a short term placement in the workplace. Work experience is often the first contact our children will have with the world of work. It forms part of their careers education and allows them to observe and learn – not to do activities which require extensive training or experience.

Our Year 9 students also had a taste of the world of work with a Formula 1 race team joining us for an inspirational design and build race car event. We were thrilled to announce this exciting opportunity for our students – McLaren STEM Day: Become a Race Car Specialist, which took place on Wednesday, 11th June 2025. The immersive, hands-on experience was proudly sponsored by McLaren, one of the most iconic and innovative names in motorsport. During the STEM Day, Year 9 explored the science behind speed by learning about aerodynamics, friction, and mechanical and electrical systems. Using this knowledge, they designed and built their own motor-powered car prototypes, powered by supercapacitor circuits—a cutting-edge technology also used in real racing environments.

We held our Public Stakeholder Consultation meeting on Wednesday 18th June to discuss the possibility of Beacon High joining Lift Schools. A national trust of 57 schools. We see this as potentially the next step in the evolution of our school.

On a positive note we hosted the annual celebration event at Beacon High; the LORIC Awards Evening (Leadership; Organisation; Resilience; Initiative: and Communication) on Thursday 26th June. Many students received nominations from staff and collected their rewards. It is always a great celebration of our students and their achievements. Congratulations to all of our LORIC Award winners. It was a fantastic evening and wonderful to see our students’ achievements.

And finally, our Sports Leaders (in their OCC sponsored shirts) continue to be extremely busy hosting primary schools’ sports days. As always they are tremendous ambassadors for Beacon High and they constantly demonstrate what an amazing group of young people we have at Beacon High. Other key events this term included Academic Review Day and our Sports Day at Finsbury Park. And so we come to the end of another school year with plenty to look forward to. Alan Streeter

Hi there one and all. I am writing this whilst recovering from a severe bout of pneumonia, coupled with a bad chest infection, all on top of some painful sciatica. I never do anything by halves! This entailed a stay in the Mary Seacole unit at Epsom hospital, but, thanks to the excellence of the health care I received, I was there for no more than just a fortnight. Nothing was too much trouble for the doctors, nurses and support staff, who very clearly all enjoyed their work. I am pleased to say that I do now seem to be making good progress. Thus, it’s thanks to the wonderful staff at Epsom who made my stay there bearable, that I am now able to make this contribution to our newsletter. So, if by some misfortune, you find yourself in hospital, I do hope your health care is as good as mine.

I really just wanted to offer you student readers some encouragement from the OC’s as you struggle with the whole confusing business of exam results, where to go next, and even job interviews. This is an important phase in your lives, which warrants extra careful consideration. So, please do not rush into anything until you are certain it is exactly what you want to do, even though your exam results may be good or disappointing. In short, take your time, there’s plenty of it, and listen to your tutor advisors.

Keep smiling and stay young as long as possible. Also, don’t forget to join the OC’s.

Finally, a plea to our older readers. We need regular contributions to keep this newsletter going. So please keep in touch by letting us know what you are up to, assuming, of course, it’s decent! For example, how about your hospital experiences, particularly if amusing, or memorable holidays good or bad. Come on chaps, get those iPads working.

My very best wishes to all and hope you enjoy the summer. Alan Meyer

Martin’s Hodgson’s Holloway Experience

After 35 and ⅔ years teaching at Holloway school I recently shared the following advice with staff on the top ten things Holloway had taught me. I hope the Old Camdenians also find it helpful.

Top Ten Advice from Holloway

1. See the potential in everybody. I started at Holloway School in September 1989 as a part-time PE teacher. Having trained as a History teacher I had decided I wanted to become a youth worker. Holloway at that time was like a youth club. However Headteacher Dr John Hudson saw the potential in me that I didn’t and appointed me Head of Year. This was my favourite job and gave me the belief and the motivation to carry on.

2. Be honest about where you are at (as a school and as a person), but don’t take the inevitable knocks personally. Going into Special Measures in the early 1990s was tough, to be called ‘inadequate’ is not a nice feeling. But it was part of the journey. Holloway has taught me to be very resilient. Getting through this gave me the skills and realism to progress to the Senior Leadership as Assistant and Deputy Head under Headteacher Bob Hamlyn. Self-evaluation became my strength.

3. Get your haircut regularly (but be yourself). I still hate haircuts and was told by one Headteacher that my hair was an embarrassment to the school and to get a haircut (you have to guess which one, but you will guess wrong). However I only ever listened to hair advice from my wife or the kids that shouted ‘BORIS!’ loudly across the playground at me which told me when it was time to get a haircut. I was very happy at the demise of Boris Johnson.

4. There is no them, there’s only us (don’t think you work harder than everyone else or that others don’t care), we are all on our own journey. I heard many times that ‘they’ (usually managers, SLT) did not do their job properly, and ‘they’ were not good at their job. Improving a school means doing it together, taking responsibility together and blaming no one.

5. Say hello to everyone- Keep smiling, Keep singing, have faith. Another Head (again not the one you would expect) reminded me to say hello and good morning to every student as for many kids this was the first or maybe the only positive interaction they had with an adult all day. I have always believed that teachers need to smile more. Having faith in a higher power has helped me. The happiest members of staff I have worked with have faith.

6. Don’t cycle or run to school, unless you are young enough and even that is questionable. I spent most of my time running or cycling to school. This sounded like a good idea. However tearing my cartilage during a marathon and trying to carry on (ending up in hospital) and falling off my bike twice (fracturing both elbows, my hip, hand and arm) have made me change my mind. I’ve since taken up swimming and walking.

7. Vary your absence reasons. I received absence phone calls from teachers who were not coming into work for many years. Some teachers seemed to have COVID many, many times. I even got to know the name of a teacher’s cat called Franco, who also had to be taken to the vet very frequently.

8. Work with your family. It was a privilege to work with my wife Kellie in the library for many years. Most recently I also worked with my son, firstly as an invigilator and then as History teacher. They supported me and looked after me.. Most of all they have made me proud.

9. Be sociable, enjoy the journey together. There was always a camaraderie, almost ‘backs to the wall’ togetherness amongst staff working at Holloway. Being sociable was cathartic and helped you realise that the difficulties of working at a challenging school were shared. Drinking after school at the Leighton sometimes got me in trouble, but it was necessary.

10. NEVER GO BACK! After Christmas I ‘un-retired’ myself and went back to teach at Beacon High for a term as a supply teacher, to help the school who could not find a decent Geography teacher. I had forgotten how tough teaching could be, but it helped me get Holloway out of my system. I now invigilate exams, do supply teaching in short bursts and make beer in my brewery. Less stress and I need a rest.

I would like to thank Old Camdenians for their support over the years and for the gifts and appreciation you showed me when I ‘retired’. I remain committed to supporting you all and hope to see you soon. Martin Hodgson

Terrific advice from Both both Alan Meyer and Martin Hogson. I hope many of our younger readers will find guidance and inspiration in their words.

This edition of the newsletter is dominated by the terribly sad news of the death of Dennis Warwick at the age of 82. I am a comparative newcomer to the committee, so I hadn’t known Dennis for nearly as long as some of the other members of the committee have. But during our meetings I always appreciated his unfailing generosity, humour and enthusiasm, and his ability to get right to the heart of a matter, and we shall all miss his presence. He was obviously not in the best of health, nevertheless his death must have come as a great shock to everybody. Ray attended his funeral on behalf of the OCC. Please read his appreciation and obituary below, as well as heartfelt comments from those who knew him well . RIP “2 Ns” Dennis. Denis Piggott

Beacon High’s Governor meetings continue at a pace. The Finance committee scrutinises and approves the budget. The figures are improving. The Curriculum committee looks at anticipated results, which hopefully will not be too bad. The staff really work very hard to ensure that every student does justice to their capabilities.

The challenges are many. The school sets aside facilities and plans to help students with study and revision. Something that my generation never had, we had to teach our selves. For instance, students who lack space and the environment to study at home are encouraged to go to the Learning Resource Centre and revise there. Revision classes are available.

The staff are to be commended for their efforts. The challenges are many. Some students have not been in the country long. Their language skills need much help and support. Others had serious gaps in their learning as a result of Covid. The teachers have worked hard and well to meet these challenges. Panos Nicolaides

I had the honour of representing the club at Dennis Warwick’s funeral and offering our most sincere condolences to his family and friends. Dennis was a stalwart supporter of the club and an Eminent Old Camdenian. During the celebration of his life I learned much about our Dennis. Joy and the family are very grateful for all your tributes to him and lasting memories of playing sport with him too.

I congratulate Martin Hodgson, Vice President, on his retirement and advice to us all – thank you Martin!

I am pleased to announce that the Trustees of the Bill & Nora Wraight Old Camdenians Memorial Fund have awarded Micah Lwereere a bursary of £2000 for his tertiary education and apprenticeship as an accountant. As an Ambassador of the Billy Fund, Micah will be keeping us up to date with regular contributions to our newsletter.

We bid farewell to Shaun Coley, Business Manager at Beacon High. Shaun has been a stalwart supporter of the club during his tenure. Busy behind the scenes at Beacon High, he was responsible for making our annual meetings and lunches such a success – thank you!. I wish Shaun and his partner all the success down under; I have reminded him that he too is an Old Camdenian and keep in touch. Tierney Gilbert will take on that role and I look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with her.

You will be pleased to know that our 98th Annual Lunch will be held at the school on Friday 31st October 2025. The 116th AGM will be at 12 noon and available to watch on Zoom. If you cannot attend in person and want the ID and password contact the club secretary. This will be followed by the Annual Lunch provided by Ann Tennant and her team. Tickets are available so put it in your diary. If you cannot attend you can support a school Sports Leader in your place. They will have just embarked on their college studies. Visit our website for last year’s event https://oldcamdenians.info/our-members/photo-gallery/

We are all looking forward to hearing from our guest speaker, Chris Ramsey MBE, an Eminent Old Camdenian, who will be talking about his time at school.

Natalie Mountjoy, Assistant Deputy Director of Learning KS4, has once again organised Year 11’s prom night in July 2025. The club are making a £500 donation to ensure that our new Old Camdenians will have a good time and fond memories of their time at the school. Natalie will supply us with lots of photos of the event, but in the meanrtime please visit our website for last year’s event https://oldcamdenians.info/club/year-11-proms-night-camdenians-hall-4th-july-2024/

I do hope that all OCs read the school’s weekly newsletter, ‘The Beacon’, since it is a window on what is happening now with everything at the school including our Sports Leaders, Girls’ football teams and other worthy recipients of donations from the club.

Lastly, I wish to thank all contributors to this, our quarterly newsletter, and look forward to receiving future contributions from all Old Camdenians who have a story to tell. Ray Rowe

Girls’ Football

Sports Hall Repairs

The final phase of the sports hall refurbishment was recently completed with the rehanging of the cricket nets. Phase 1 saw the replacement of the storage bags for them. The work came with the added bonus of retrieving around a dozen balls from various sports which had become caught up in them!

None of this however would have been possible without the generous donation from the Old Camdenians Club, to whom we are most grateful. Bill Wood

To our dear friends, the Old Camdenians,

It’s that time of year again, and we are incredibly proud of the commitment and dedication shown by our Year 11 students—especially throughout the demanding exam period. Their hard work has paid off, and they are now ready and excited to celebrate!

Thanks to the continued generosity of the Old Camdenians, this year’s Prom will be held at the beautiful N10 Venue in Muswell Hill. Your ongoing support and contributions make it possible for us to provide our students with such a memorable and special experience.

A heartfelt thank you from everyone at Beacon High—we truly couldn’t do it without you.

We look forward to sharing lots of wonderful photos with you soon!

Warmest regards, Natalie Mountjoy

The club is very grateful for any and all donations that we receive to make our donations to the school. However, since we do not have a members’ subscription fee our only other source of income is through the George Ives 50+ Club membership. Please help us to realise future causes and help change a life by joining the George Ives 50+ Club, which is £60 per year or a standing order of £5 per month. A number between 1 and 59 is selected and that is entered into a monthly draw which is determined by the first two numbers drawn in the National Lottery. Prizes are £100 (£200 in November) and £20 (£50 in November).

The new draw commenced on the 28th September 2024 and ends 30th August 2025. Only £60 per number for the year; and you choose the numbers. Some members have more than one number. Indeed, some of our members love to hear that they’ve won, but give their winnings as a donation to the club. George Ives 50+ Club is our only regular source of income. Please let me know if you want to have a go and keep us supporting the students and the school. For more information contact us here.

The OCC Committee are pleased to announce that £60 per annum will be used from George Ives’ very generous donation of £1000 to the club, so that George can keep his number and continue winning. All George Ives’ winnings will be donated back to the club. Sadly, with the recent death of Dennis Warwick there are now eight more numbers available for you. Please consider continuing to keep George’s and Dennis’ legacy of using the draw to generate funds. It is these that we use and they certainly make a difference.

I have finished my exams and await the results. I will keep you updated. So watch this space in the Autumn newsletter. Maybe we’ll meet at the Annual Lunch in October. Once again many thanks for all the advice and support that you have given me. I wish Micah all the best in his studies. Marta

https://oldcamdenians.info/club/bill-nora-wraight-fund/

I would like to thank the Old Camdenians and the Trustees of the Billy Fund for the generous bursary that they have trusted me with. I will now be able to achieve my goal as a qualified accountant and hopefully an owner of a well known enterprise.

I am sure that being an Ambassador for the Bill & Nora Wraight Old Camdenian Memorial Fund will come with many Opportunities which I am excited for. I am keen to help others who find themselves in my position in the future and will be looking forward to seeing you guys at the Old Camdenians Annual Lunch. Micah

You too can request details from our members to locate friends from school – just ask!

Dennis Eustace Warwick

Dennis Warwick, our Vice President and an Eminent Old Camdenian, died on 15th April 2025, aged 82. Having waited some time for a hip replacement he succumbed to an infection that led to kidney failure and pneumonia. Dennis was a stalwart supporter of the Old Camdenians and a very generous benefactor. I am very grateful to Dennis for all his support, advice and counsel whilst performing my duties as Honorary Secretary. Thank you Dennis, you will be missed.

Dennis was born on 18th January 1943 and went to Holloway School (1954 -61). Dennis was owner and Managing Director of Sykes Marine (Hydromaster) Limited. The sole UK manufacturer of Self Contained Steerable Azimuth Marine Propulsion Units for vessels. Steerable thrusters originated during the late 1930s. Their first large scale operation was on US pontoon barges and ferries hopping islands in the Pacific. Later on, they were extensively used by the allied forces during the Normandy landings on landing craft, so-called Rhino ferries, and at a later stage installed on pontoons to cross rivers in mainland Europe. In the early 1950s, a licence was issued to the United Kingdom, from which Hydromaster was born. Hydromaster spent the following decades building 360 degrees steerable thrusters on this revolutionary technology.

The brand HYDROMASTER, an original UK brand, has been around for more than half a century. Sykes Marine (Hydromaster) Limited continued the product in 1987 with production facilities first in Harlow and later on in Grays. Since 2015 the brand finds itself in Dutch hands with main activities – including R&D, engineering and production – transferred from the UK to the Netherlands.

Dennis was a lifelong member of the George Ives 50+ draw: he had many numbers, which when they won went straight back into the General Fund. Dennis was always willing to support the OCC’s many fund raising projects over the years. Also, Dennis looked forward to the OCC’s Annual Lunches where he sang the school song. Sadly, he was awaiting his hip operation and missed our last reunion.

Dennis was passionate about dogs, cats, domestic animals and all types of wildlife. He supported many animal and wildlife charities. If you wish to make a donation to an animal charity of your choice please let me know.

Dennis’s funeral and cremation was a private affair and I had the honour of being invited to Dennis’s funeral where I represented all Old Camdenians. Many thanks to those of you who sent me their memories of our Dennis, with two ‘Ns’. I have shared it with Joy (Dennis’s wife) who said, “Thank you so much for sending me the dedications from so many. They are all very moving and I am very grateful to have them. I shall keep them always”.

Dedications to Dennis Warwick (1954-61) Vice President Old Camdenians Club

Alan Meyer (1947- 1954)

What a terrible shock. I had almost come to regard Dennis as indestructible. He arrived at school just as I was leaving so I didn’t get to know him too well, except that he played football and cricket for the Old Camdenians with considerable skill and enthusiasm. I entirely agree with Denis ( one N) about 2NNs contribution to our Committee meetings, Always calm and sensible with a nice touch of humour. Also, I agree with Martin Quilter’s memories of friendly banter and leg pulling with 2 NNs, and a good laugh afterwards.

However, I had no idea about his distinguished career, Something I never heard him speak about. What a legacy to leave behind. The students at the school will see the newsletter that will just go to show what an education there can achieve.

Alas, I won’t be able to attend the funeral and will donate to an animal charity. Janet and Lesley join with me adding our sincere condolences to those which have already gone to Dennis’s family. A very sad and great loss to all who knew him, but a life well lived and one which will be long remembered.

Alan Shearn (1959 -1966)

Some people are ever present and one does not think that it will not ever be so. Dennis was one such individual as we both travelled the same time frame of life. We were in the same form at school yet my immediate memories are of a sporting nature. I had come off a good score for White House and the next encounter saw Dennis waiting eagerly in the slips in case I snicked a ball that way.

As it happened it was a bouncer that I fended off which popped up just in front of me in no man’s land. Dennis had other ideas and with great determination and with a cloud of dust he managed to cover the ground with a dive and that was me out for a duck.The other memory was also another House cricket match and Dennis came in to bat. Dennis had a habit of hitting the ball soundly to deep wide fine leg and that is where I placed myself. Whack and the ball was coming towards me but despite the nerves around the catch I held on. Touché.

It was many many years later when we met again at The Old Camdenian lunch. His desire to see the Old Boys carry on made me nudge him to join the committee as I was moving elsewhere in the UK.

He travelled to South Africa but we never met up there. A great loss and far too soon.

Brian Turner (1954 -61)

Another sad day with the passing of Dennis my old form mate and red house member.. Please pass on my condolences to the family

Dennis Deletant (1957-1964)

Thank you for your generous and detailed tribute to Dennis. Although I was not a direct contemporary of his I gained from your obituary a sense of his achievements of which his family and the Old Camdenians can be proud.

John Maskell (1959 – 1966)

I remember playing cricket with Den, a really good bowler and teammate.

Ray Rowe (1963 – 1970)

Dennis was a stalwart supporter of the Old Camdenians and a very generous benefactor. I am very grateful to Dennis for all his support, advice and counsel whilst performing my duties as Honorary Secretary. Thank you, Dennis, you will be missed.

Martin Quilter (1964 – 1970)

I was absolutely devastated to hear the sad News of the passing of our dear friend Dennis, We used to share a lot of friendly banter we Loved winding each other up, and having a good laugh afterwards. We used to keep in touch by email, he was an absolute legend and will be greatly missed.

Panos Nicolaides (1968 – 1970)

Very sad news, Dennis will be greatly missed. My deepest sympathies to his family.

Stephen J. Walton (1971 -1976)

My condolences to friends and family of Dennis. As you know, I never got to know Dennis due to my relatively recent contact, but clearly, he was a pillar of the organisation, and his passing must leave quite a void.

The 115th AGM was held in the Camdenians Hall at the school on Friday 1st November 2024. It was to be available via Zoom for our members who could not be there, but owing to technical issues this was not possible. Members who did log in were able to talk amongst themselves. The AGM was followed by our 97th Annual Lunch under the stewardship of Ann Tennant and her team at Beacon High School.

Our guest speaker, Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE, an Eminent Old Camdenian, gave us a very interesting account of his time at school and his founding of the British Urban Film Festival.

We do need your support to keep this yearly tradition going. So please put it in your diary for Friday 31st October 2025 and, if you cannot come, donate a seat so our new Old Camdenians at college can attend. The format for the day includes a tour of the school, followed by a reception with drinks, the AGM and then a sit-down meal with friends. Also, if you are interested in attending an evening event during the year, such as the quiz night or formal dinner please let us know and we will see if we can organise something for you. Use the ‘Contact’ button or drop me an email. Ray Rowe